Why Is Coastal Engineering So Important?

by | Mar 28, 2022

Our island nation naturally has a great deal of coastline, which makes coastal engineering particularly important. According to the Ordnance Survey, the UK’s coastline racks up to a staggering 31,368km.

Hard, igneous rocks make up some of our coastlines. This type of rock – such as granite – is capable of withstanding huge amounts of weathering and exposure to the elements. Sedimentary-based coastlines, however, can also be found in the UK. Made up of rocks such as sandstone and limestone, this type of coastline is far more susceptible to erosion.

With the latter in mind, coastal engineering must come into play. The Borehole Solutions team have previously worked on the repair of sea defences, as well as other coastal engineering projects, which utilises their extensive range of geotechnical services. Here, they have gone into more detail on it’s importance.

How Quickly Is The UK’s Coastline Retreating?

Much of our coastline – particularly that made up of hard, igneous rock – remains largely unchanged over the last few centuries. Other areas, such as Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Dorset, for example, the coastlines retreat is alarming. In fact, by the end of the century, an estimated 7,000 homes may be lost to the coastline’s retreat.

The Collapse Of The Jurassic Coast

In April of 2021, the Jurassic Coast was subject to the UK’s largest cliff collapse of the past 60 years. Near Weymouth, Dorset, the ceaseless wave action combined with the naturally soft rock – not to mention wind and rain – led to such structural weakness that the cliff collapsed. This, or other similar issues, is a risk much of the UK’s coastline faces. In the case of the Jurassic Coast, a disconcerting 10,000 tons of debris was lost to the sea.

What Is Coastal Engineering?

Quite a broad term, coastal engineering refers to any sort of man-made coastal defence. This encompasses anything from the wooden groynes to towering sea walls and boulders. The former can be seen on beaches, preventing sand and other beach material from being affected too badly by a longshore drift. The latter are often essential in disrupting the force of waves or storms.

At Borehole Solutions, we have worked on a variety of sea defence projects. This includes, but is not limited to, the repair of poor-performing, and even damaged, sea walls.

What Other Geotechnical Services Do We Provide? 

Whilst we have great experience with coastal engineering, our services don’t stop there! Should you be interested, we can also provide the following:

  • Sonic drilling
  • Cable percussion drilling
  • Rotary drilling
  • Soakaway installation
  • Ground source heat pump installation
  • Restricted access drilling
  • Casing and rig hire
  • Pit digging
  • Calibrating and testing
  • Window sampling
  • Handheld/modular testing

Get In Touch!

If you would like to hear more about our geotechnical services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! You can contact Borehole Solutions today on 01733 200 501.