Hard Engineering Strategies

Question 1

Hard Engineering

Answer 1

• use of structures to resist the energy of waves and tides
• have to withstand huge variations in energy + expensive to maintain

Question 2

Cliff Foot (CFO) Strategies:

Answer 2

strategies which focus on maintaining the foot of the cliff, to stop cliff or beach erosion

Question 3

Cliff Face (CFA) Strategies:

Answer 3

strategies which focus on reducing the impacts of sub-aerial processes

Question 4

Re-Curved Sea Wall (CFO) (5,3)

Answer 4

aim: to reflect wave energy
+ve:
- relatively aesthetically pleasing
- protects coastline
- long term strategy
- stops flooding
- can walk on the top
-ve:
- expensive (£5000 a metre)
- makes hard to access beach
- need to be maintained (30-40 yr lifespan0

Question 5

Revetment (CFO) (4,3)

Answer 5

aim: to slow down wave energy by breaking them early
+ve:
- subtle, blends into landscape
- doesn’t limit access to beach
- cheaper relatively
- low maintenance
-ve:
- doesn’t stop flooding
- overstepped soon due to SL rising
- changes what beach is like

Question 6

Gabions (CFO) (2,3)

Answer 6

aim: slow down waves
+ve:
- easy to replace if one individual breaks
- cheap
-ve:
- if not managed, increased rates of erosion as providing resistant rocks to erode w/
- ugly
- 5 year life span

Question 7

Groynes (CFO) (3,3)

Answer 7

aim: to stop LSD
+ve:
- cheap to make and implement
- builds beach up for tourists etc
- easily repaired
-ve:
- not nice looking
- deprive beach further down
- wear away easy (20yr lifespan)

Question 8

Rip Rap (CFO) (2,2)

Answer 8

aim: to dissipate wave energy
+ve:
- looks natural
- not as expensive as thought to be
-ve:
- hard to transport
- bad for biodiversity

Question 9

Offshore Reefs (CFO) (2,1)

Answer 9

aim: to reduce wave power offshore
+ve:
- natural looking
- cheap
-ve:
- not v effective (only a small area of coastline)

Question 10

Cliff Drainage (CFA) (3,4)

Answer 10

aim: to get as much water out of cliff (esp where soft/unconsolidated) as ↓ potential for mass movement
+ve:
- less prone to MM, dryer cliff
- ↓ env impact except construction phase
- keeps natural appearance + recreational value of beach
-ve:
- expensive
- disruptive
- during construction, unsightly
- has to come w other cliff foot strategies

e.g. canford cliffs

Question 11

Cliff Re-Grading (CFA) (3,4)

Answer 11

aim: vertical cliff → gently sloping through removal of material from top and put on bottom (soft / unconsolidated areas)
+ve:
- ↑ stable + less prone to unexpected movements
- looks natural when done
- still recreational
-ve:
- expensive
- unsightly during contruction
- ecological impacts on habitats (seabirds)
- removes natural cliff line