Hard and Soft Egineering Flashcards
(31 cards)
Costs of Sea walls
£2000 per metre
Costs of Groynes
£2000 per metre
Cost of Rock armour
£300 per metre
Cost of Gabions
£100 per metre
Pros of Sea walls
Long lasting & creates a promenade for tourists
Pro of Groynes
Stops transportation of sediment
Pro of Rock armour
Looks more natural
Pro of Beach nourishment
It’s natural protection
Pro of Sand dune regeneration
Creates new habitats
Pro of Managed retreat
Flooding is reduced in other areas
Con of Sea walls
Accessing the beach becomes more difficult
Con of Groynes
Increases the risk of erosion further down the coast
Con of Gabions
Makes the beach look ugly
Con of Beach nourishment
Time consuming and sand has to come from soewhere
Con of Managed retreat
Some people will lose land, houses or businesses
How do Sea walls work?
Concrete wall absorbs wave energy
How do Groynes work?
Long wooden fences/piles of rocks stop longshore drift
How does Rock armour work?
Large boulders piled up at the foot of cliffs absorb wave energy
How do Gabions work?
Rocks/boulders held in wire mesh cages absorb wave energy
How does Beach nourishment work?
Adding more sand to beaches in front of cliffs
How does Sand dune regeneration work?
Allowing sand dunes to build up around wooden structures
How does managed retreat work?
Abandoning existing sea defences and building new ones further inland
Define Hard engineering
Building physical structures to stop waves eroding the land
Define Soft engineering
Using nature to protect the coast, more environmentally friendly
