hard engineering

Question 1

what is hard engineering?

Answer 1

using artificial structures to defend land against natural erosion processes.

Question 2

what are 4 strategies of hard engineering?

Answer 2

sea walls, rock armour, gabions and groynes.

Question 3

what are sea walls?

Answer 3

sea walls are concrete wall which acts as a barrier which reflects the wave energy back into the sea.

Question 4

what are some positives and negatives of sea walls?

Answer 4

positives
-theyre effective at preventing erosion.
-they tend to have a promenade for tourists on top of it.
negatives
-they can look ugly.
-very expensive.

Question 5

what is rock armour?

Answer 5

rock armour is where large boulders dumped at the base of a cliff or beach to absorb energy, the backwash is reduced meaning it can lead to a buildup of sand.

Question 6

qhat are some positives and negatives on rock armour?

Answer 6

positives
-theyre effective at stopping erosion.
-theyre quite cheap and easy to maintain.
negatives
-theyre expensive to transport in.
-some people think its ugly.

Question 7

what are gabions?

Answer 7

gabions are wire cages filled with rocks that can be built up to provide a buffer against the sea.

Question 8

what are some positives and negatives of gabions?

Answer 8

positives
-theyre cheap and flexible to place.
-theyll eventually become vegetated so grasses and flowers will grow in them making them look more pleasant.
negatives
-they only last 5-10 years before rusting.
-theyre ugly.

Question 9

what are groynes?

Answer 9

groynes are wood barriers built out onto the sea to stop longshore drift, beaches then will grow in result.

Question 10

what are some positives and negatives of groynes?

Answer 10

positives
-attracts tourists as the beach will widen.
-theyre relatively cheap.
negatives
-they will starve the beaches further along because they trap all the sediment so that area wont recieve much sand.
-their life expectancy is about 25 years.