Environmental Impacts of Coastal Structures

The placement of engineered structures on or near the coastline must be contemplated with extreme care. In general, alteration of the natural coastline comes with an associated environmental penalty. Hard (structures made of stone, steel, concrete, etc.) or soft (beach nourishment, sediment-filled bags, etc.) engineering structures can

Types of Coastal Structures

Sea walls are vertical or near-vertical structures constructed along the coastline to provide protection against wave action and coastal erosion. Groynes are long, linear structures built perpendicular to the shoreline. They trap sediment and help maintain or build up beaches.