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Gravel beaches nourishment: Modelling the equilibrium beach profile
I López1, L Aragonés1, Y Villacampa2
1Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicent del Raspeig s/n, 03690 Alicante, Spain.
The Science of the Total Environment
|November 22, 2017
Summary
Gravel is increasingly used for coastal protection due to sand shortages. This study identifies key factors influencing gravel beach profiles, enabling accurate predictions and saving material costs for effective beach nourishment.
Area of Science:
- Coastal Engineering
- Beach Morphology
- Sedimentology
Background:
- Coastal erosion and sand scarcity necessitate alternative materials like gravel for coastal protection and beach nourishment.
- Existing formulas for gravel beach profiles, derived from channel tests, often fail to accurately represent natural beach conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the most influential variables affecting the equilibrium profile of natural gravel beaches.
- To develop accurate numerical models for predicting gravel beach profiles.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 31 variables encompassing sedimentology, wave characteristics, beach morphology, and marine vegetation.
- Development and testing of numerical models based on identified influential variables.
Main Results:
- Key predictors of gravel beach profiles include wave steepness, wave probability, initial profile slope, and Posidonia oceanica meadow characteristics (energy reduction coefficient and width).
- Numerical models accurately predict gravel beach profiles.
Conclusions:
- Accurate prediction of gravel beach profiles can lead to significant material savings (approx. 1300m³/ml) compared to current methods.
- Improved understanding and modeling enhance the certainty of successful beach nourishment outcomes.
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