Storm Hazard Mitigation Structures

Hard structures have long been the method of shore protection from coastal storms. In this chapter, we first introduce the design criteria, design philosophy, and design constraints. Both armored shorelines (seawalls, dikes, revetments, etc.) and stabilized shorelines (headland breakwaters, near-shore breakwaters, groins, etc.), are possible alternatives. However, stabilized shorelines coupled with beach nourishment (Chap. 29) have become the preferred choice for many reasons at many locations. Rubble-mound (rock) structures and monolithic (concrete) structures are the most common types. Their functional design (wave run-up, overtopping, plan form layout, etc.) and structural stability (armor layer, sliding, overturning, etc.) are the focus of this chapter summarizing the latest and most trusted probabilistic design methods employed in the United States, Europe, and Japan. There exists a very large literature on these topics. Design practice details are quite extensive; we include website links to major reference sites, and a responsible engineer must consult these references for all the details.