Join us for a Presentation on Palm Beach Shoreline Concept Design
Palm Beach has been identified as being one of the Gold Coast beaches currently under the greatest risk with regards to loss and damage to beach front properties due to beach erosion during significant wave events.
Date: Thursday 12 February 2015
Time: 5.30pm for a 6.00pm start
Venue: The Belasyse, 4b Shafto Lane, Perth
Drinks and Tapas Provided
Guest speaker: Simon Mortensen - Marine Department Head for DHI Australia
Previous studies conclude that, despite no prevailing erosional trend being recorded, beachfront developments are located too close to the beach and inside the natural coastal buffer zone. The current beach width does not provide sufficient protection at many locations along Palm Beach. The cost of removing the beach front properties has been estimated to exceed $200 million, making it necessary for an effective coastal strategy to be implemented. DHI undertook a concept design study for Palm Beach to evaluate three proposed management schemes that were under investigation to increase the width of the beach.
During the course of the study, DHI developed an innovative design of a submerged control structure. The geometry of the structure was designed so that it would greatly increase focusing of incoming waves towards the crest of the structure, with greater wave breaking and energy dissipation over the structure than previous designs provided.
DHI’s state of the art numerical shoreline model was then used to predict down–drift erosion of the refined control structure. The innovative design is currently the preferred beach protection methodology at Palm Beach and further studies are underway hopefully to bring the project to completion and to preserve this important part of the Gold Coast coastline.
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