The South West Region has an extensive and varied coastline, and delegates to the ICE-SW Coastal Seminar at Plymouth University on 21st October were treated to a wide-ranging insight into strategies and technologies for coastal management, illustrated by practical examples and case studies.
The South West Region has an extensive and varied coastline, and delegates to the ICE-SW Coastal Seminar at Plymouth University on 21st October were treated to a wide-ranging insight into strategies and technologies for coastal management, illustrated by practical examples and case studies.
The newly revised and updated Beach Management Manual was explained by Jonathan Rogers (Halcrow) from the editorial team. Martin Hutchings (Teignbridge District Council) who described the extensive and detailed monitoring programme that has been set up for management of the whole of the SW coastline, accessible at www.channelcoast.org.
Modelling and prediction techniques, using computational and scale physical models, for the design, management and evaluation of coastal defences were described by Dominic Reeve (Plymouth University) and Stuart Stripling (HR Wallingford). They were illustrated by the performance of the detached breakwaters at Sea Palling, Norfolk, harbour developments in Northern Italy, and proposed beach development at Carlyon Bay, Cornwall.
Recent and continuing research into the prediction of gravel beach profiles and wave impact forces on coastal structures were presented by Dave Simmonds and Alison Raby (Plymouth University). Mike Walkden (Royal Haskoning) explored the prediction of coastal recession resulting from sea level rise.
Finally, Graham Buxton-Smith (Environment Agency) and Stephen Barge (Atkins) addressed the practical issue of dialogue and persuasion to convince communities of the need for coastal protection scheme and benefits that come from them, showing that Engage > Deliberate > Decide is better approach than the more traditional Decide >
Announce > Defend. Describing the evolution of the Shaldon and Ringmore tidal defence scheme in the Teign estuary, they reminded delegates that social issues can be as important as technical competence and innovation in managing the coastline effectively.
Mike Thorn
3 November 2010