Sediment transport processes and coastal management of mixed sand and gravel beaches

Abstract

Mixed sand and gravel beaches are an important means of sea defence. The majority of beaches in the south coast of the UK are of the mixed type and beach replenishment is generally needed in order to maintain the effectiveness of these beaches against storm wave attacks. Despite vigorous research efforts in recent years, coastal engineers still do not have a reliable method to estimate the sediment budget in their designs. In addition, there is also a lack of understanding of the impacts of beach maintenance activities, such as recycling and re-profiling, on the performance of the beach and on the economics in maintaining the beach system. This thesis is mainly focused on establishing the relationships between sediment transport of a mixed beach and the wave climate, and between the beach performance and beach maintenance activities. The thesis also aims to establish essential considerations coastal engineers need to give when planning beach maintenance operations.

Date of Award	Sept 2009
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton