Shore Line Erosion Control

Abstract

A novel design for eliminating bank and cliff erosion on sandy beaches and having a very small width footprint on the beach is provided by an adjustable metal frame main structure with curved corrugated steel sheets coated with a special sandy colored polyurethane attached to the frame so as to curve upwardly to a generally vertical upper edge. A base sheet of the frame is held down against the sand by heavy rock so that the toe of the curved sheet is buried three feet below the sand surface. The design does not require any armor rock in front of the curved sheet.

1 . Apparatus for control of erosion at the shore line of a body of water at an edge of the surface of the body of water comprising:
 a frame for mounting at the shore line with a base for engaging into the ground and an upper portion for extending upwardly from the ground;   at least one curved sheet mounted on and located by the frame;   the curved sheet having a lower edge arranged relative to the frame so as to be located at a position below the ground surface;   the curved sheet having an upper edge arranged relative to the frame so as to be located at a position above the water surface;   the curved sheet having a concave front surface extending from the bottom edge upwardly to the upper surface and curved so that an angle of the surface to horizontal planes increases from the horizontal planes adjacent the bottom edge to horizontal planes adjacent the upper edge.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the curved sheet is substantially vertical at the upper edge. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the frame is formed of a plurality of horizontal rails supporting the curved sheet including a bottom rail at or adjacent the bottom edge and a top rail at or adjacent the top edge. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the rails are connected to upstanding supports which extend from the rails downwardly to the base. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the base includes a receptacle for receiving ballast to hold down the frame in the ground. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5  wherein the receptacle comprises a base plate onto which ballast in the form of rocks can be loaded. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6  wherein the base plate is generally planar and generally horizontal. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the curved sheet has the bottom edge thereof spaced from the base. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one curved sheet comprises a plurality of curved panels arranged side by side. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one curved sheet is corrugated with channels which extend longitudinally from the bottom edge to the top edge. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one curved sheet is coated with a sand colored coating at least on the concave front surface. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the base is held down against the sand by heavy rock such that any lateral forces pushing from the cliff side are counterbalanced by this rock by at least a factor of two. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the bottom edge of the curved sheet is buried below the sand surface. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein a void behind the curved steel is filled with a drainage material. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein there is no armor rock in front of the curved sheet to provide a very short width profile on the beach. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein a railing is attached to the frame at or adjacent the upper edge to provide a safe walkway behind the revetment. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the curved sheet has a parabolic or circular curvature.