Beach accretion with erosive waves : "Beachbuilding" / Accrétion sur les plages avec vagues érosives : "la technique de construction de plage"

Abstract

A new method of beach preservation, the Beachbuilder Technique, proposes to harness the energy of normally erosive waves to produce beach accretion. A "flow control sheet" located in the surf zone directs the flow of swash and backwash causing net transport of sediment onto the beach. Beach and surf zone profiles created by the wave-tank tests show that the technique leads to accretion on this beach, during every test run with erosive waves. The successful wave tank results should reproduce on actual beaches ; rapid accretion on real beaches can be expected from the scaled wave-tank results. It is anticipated that by use of this new technique, costs of beach preservation would be cut by as much as 66 %. Furthermore, rapid beach accretion, quick reaction, high mobility, good durability, and provision of employment for making the installations are major benefits to be derived.