There are several options available to reduce coastal erosion, including groynes, gabions, rip rap, sea walls, and offshore breakwaters. Groynes are structures built perpendicular to the coast to interrupt longshore drift and build up beach material. Gabions are large wire cages filled with rocks that can be stacked in various shapes. Rip rap uses rocks or concrete rubble placed along shorelines. Sea walls are strong, hard structures built inland to reduce wave effects. Offshore breakwaters are structures built partially submerged offshore to reduce wave intensity and erosion. Each defense method has advantages and disadvantages related to costs, maintenance needs, and environmental impacts.

1. People Have Tried To Control Flooding And Erosion For Hundreds Of Years. There Are A Number Of Options Available When There Is A Flooding Or Erosion Problem. There Are Many Difficult And Complex Choices About How Best To Reduce Property Damage In The Shore Lines. Here Are A Few Major Ways To reduce Costal Erosion.

2. Groynes Can Be Made Out Of A Variety Of Different Materials Depending On The Surroundings. They Are Designed To Stop Long Shore Drift And Act to Build Up Beach Material Which Then Helps Protect The Base Of The Cliff. Groynes May Also Stop Materials Travelling To Certain Parts Of The Coast By Preventing Long Shore Drift, Meaning There Is An Increase In Erosion In Some Areas. Wooden Groynes Are Also Made From Old Railway Sleepers. This Particular Type Of Groyne Prevents The Beach Being Carried Away By Long Shore Drift.

3. Gabions Are Used For Erosion Control. They Are Large Wire Netted Blocks Of Medium Sized Pieces Of Hard Rock. They Are Expensive And Can Be Ugly. Gabion Baskets Have Some Advantages Over Loose Rip Rap Because Of Their Modularity And Ability To Be Stacked In Various Shapes. They Also Have Advantages Over More Rigid Structures Because They Can Conform To Ground Movement, Dissipate Energy From Flowing Water And Drain Freely.

4. Rip Rap Is Rock Or Other Material Used To Amour Shorelines And Streambeds Against Water, Erosion And Other Coastal Processes Caused By The Sea. It Is Normally Made From Hard Rock Such As Granite Or Concrete Rubble. This Is A Very Expensive Option To The Wooden Defence, Hard Rock Boulders Are Placed On the Coast To Prevent Rapid Erosion. Rip Rap Normally Works By Absorbing The Impact Of A Wave Before It Reaches The Cliff Or Sea Defence And So Minimizes The Erosion Caused By The Wave.

5. A Sea Wall Is A Form Of Hard And Strong Coastal Defence Constructed On The In Land Part Of A Coast To Reduce The Effects Of Strong Waves. Sea Walls Maybe Constructed From A Variety Of Materials Most Commonly Reinforced Concrete, Boulders, Steel Or Gabions . Additional Sea Wall Construction Materials May Include Vinyl, Wood, Aluminium And Fibreglass Composite. Modern Concretes Tend To Be Curved To Reflect The Wave Energy Back Out To Sea. Poor Designs Require Constant Maintenance As Waves Erode The Base Of The Sea Wall.

6. Off Shore Break Waters A Structures Constructed On Coasts As Another Form Of Coastal Defence Or To Protect An Anchorage From The Effects Of Weather And Longshore Drift. Off Shore Break Waters Also Called Bulk Heads Reduce The Intensity Of Wave Action In Inshore Waters And There By Reduce Coastal Erosion . They Are Constructed Some Distance Away From The Coast Or Built With One End Linked To The Coast. The Breakwaters Are Small Structures Placed In Relatively Shallow Water. When Waves Hit These Breakwaters There Erosive Power Is Concentrated On These Structures Some Distance Away From The Coast. Rock Or Concrete Armour Units On The Outside Of the Structure Absorb Most Of The Energy While The Wave Energy Is Prevented Continuing Through The Breakwater Core By Gravels Or Sand.

7. Absorbs wave action. May need replacing £3500 per m Beach nourishment Trap sand if there is any to trap. Steal sand 100m apart from beaches downdraft increasing erosion £5000 each Groynes Protects the base of the cliff. Must be large rocks or will be moved by storms £5000 per m Offshore bar Absorbs the energy of the waves. Over time the rocks break up. Unsightly £4500 per m Rock revetment Very strong, but may reflect waves, causing turbulence and undercutting . Very expensive £6000 per m Sea wall ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES COST DEFENCE