Two different concepts are applicable to model the nearshore morphodynamics. The first one takes into account only final consequences of acting mechanisms and is aimed at the prediction of long-term trends in beach development. Another approach implies the modelling of the whole suite of elementary processes responsible for changes in nearshore bottom topography during a given storm, and it is the approach used in the present work. A coastal area model complex is proposed that allows to reproduce the local morphological changes due to both the natural processes and the influence of coastal structures, such as a groin, a detached breakwater and a navigable channel (underwater trough). Consisting of a traditional series of basic components, the model differs from other ones in essential aspects concerning the treatment of transport mechanisms. In particular, the determination of wave-induced near-bed mean flow is based on the hypothesis that the direction and magnitude of bottom drift depend on difference between the actual rate of energy dissipation and its threshold value marking the flow reversal point. This hypothesis is shown to explain a general trend of cross-shore mean flow distributions observed in the nearshore region. Besides, the influence of the wave breaking process on sediment suspension is taken into account and the contribution of the swash zone to total sediment transport is included. Examples of computed morphological response are represented to demonstrate the model capability. A satisfactory agreement of computations with available data is pointed out.