Monitoring Completed Coastal Projects

Abstract

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers program has been established to monitor completed coastal projects. Reports have been made to date for 12 projects, evaluating their functional and structural performance. Projects monitored are located on the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf, and Great Lakes coastlines. Project monitoring includes: jettied inlets, including inlet hydraulics and sedimentation, and evaluation of jetty structures; harbors, including harbor waves, currents, and resonance; breakwaters, including wave and shoreline interaction and structural stability; and beach fills, including longshore and cross-shore sediment motion. Major conclusions from the monitoring efforts are enumerated. In addition to functional and structural performance, there are several findings related to modeling inlets and harbors. The program has proved effective in identifying improvements to design criteria and methodology, construction practices, and maintenance techniques.