2.3.4

Coastal Management - More Hard Engineering

Test yourself

Coastal Defences - Hard Engineering 2

Hard engineering strategies aim to reduce the effects of flooding and erosion by building man-made structures that control the sea's flow. Examples of hard engineering strategies include:

Illustrative background for RevetmentsIllustrative background for Revetments ?? "content

Revetments

  • A cheaper version of a seawall. They are placed against the base of a cliff.
  • They are made from wood or concrete and they look like a sloping ramp.
  • They deflect (change the direction of) wave energy to protect the cliff’s base as this reduces undercutting.
  • Advantages:
    • They are cheaper to install than a sea wall and do a similar job.
    • They need less maintenance than a sea wall.
  • Disadvantages:
    • They are quite expensive to install.
    • They look quite unnatural and unattractive.
Illustrative background for Offshore breakwater 1Illustrative background for Offshore breakwater 1 ?? "content

Offshore breakwater 1

  • These shelter the beach from waves.
  • Breakwaters can be constructed with one end linked to the shore or positioned offshore from as little as 100 m up to 300–600 m from the original shoreline.
  • They are constructed with rubble/rocks and/or concrete
Illustrative background for Offshore breakwater 2Illustrative background for Offshore breakwater 2 ?? "content

Offshore breakwater 2

  • Advantages:
    • Very effective as they take almost all the energy from the waves so they work well.
  • Disadvantages:
    • Difficult to maintain, expensive to maintain.
    • Ruin the beach effect of waves lapping on the shore.
    • Unnatural.
    • Can be destroyed by storm waves.
    • Look unattractive.
Illustrative background for Tidal barrageIllustrative background for Tidal barrage ?? "content

Tidal barrage

  • A feature of river estuaries.
  • These are big walls across an estuary that can be opened or closed.
  • Advantage - really effective at protecting whatever is behind them (e.g. London - Thames Barrier).
  • Disadvantage - very high costs.

Jump to other topics

1Paper 1 - Changing River Environnments

2Paper 1 - Changing Coastal Environments

3Paper 1 - Changing Ecosystems

4Paper 1 - Tectonic Hazards

5Paper 1 - Climate Change

6Paper 2 - Changing Populations

7Paper 2 - Changing Towns & Cities

8Paper 2 - Development

9Paper 2 - Changing Economies

10Paper 2 - Resource Provision

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium