What would you do if you What would you do if you lived in one of these houses? lived in one of these houses? How could you protect your How could you protect your

home?home?Share your ideas with the person Share your ideas with the person

next to you.next to you.

Lesson Focus: What is Hard Engineering?

What: What: Understand the difference Understand the difference between hard and soft engineeringbetween hard and soft engineering

How: How: Learn about different hard Learn about different hard engineering options engineering options

Why: Why: To be able to evaluate the To be able to evaluate the different hard engineering approaches different hard engineering approaches

Activate:Activate: Why is coastal management needed?

Why do you think coasts need Why do you think coasts need managing?managing?

Should coasts be managed at all or Should coasts be managed at all or should nature take its course?should nature take its course?

Task 1:Task 1: Watch the video and create a list Watch the video and create a list of reasons to manage the coast and of reasons to manage the coast and reasons to leave it alone.reasons to leave it alone.

What is coastal management?

Coastal management involves trying toCoastal management involves trying tocontrol the effects of the sea.control the effects of the sea. It can beIt can be

divided into two main groups:divided into two main groups: Hard engineering methods aim to

stop the coastal processes from occurring e.g. sea walls

Soft engineering methods try to work with nature to protect the coast e.g. managed retreat.

Hard engineering methodsThere are There are 5 main types5 main types of hard engineering: of hard engineering: Gabions – Rocks filled cages designed to – Rocks filled cages designed to

absorb wave energyabsorb wave energy Groynes – Wood, stone or steel fences built at – Wood, stone or steel fences built at

right angles to the coast that trap sedimentright angles to the coast that trap sediment Sea walls – Made out of hard materials like – Made out of hard materials like

concrete that deflect waves back out to seaconcrete that deflect waves back out to sea RevetmentsRevetments – A sloping barricade of wood or – A sloping barricade of wood or

concrete, designed to deflect wavesconcrete, designed to deflect waves Rock Armour – Big boulders that are piled up – Big boulders that are piled up

along the coast to absorb the energy of wavesalong the coast to absorb the energy of wavesDemonstrate:Demonstrate: Look at the pictures on your table

and match them up with the methods above - write in the method and its description in the correct row.

MethodMethod PicturePicture DescriptionDescriptionSea Sea wallswalls

Made out of hard materials like Made out of hard materials like concrete that deflect waves concrete that deflect waves back out to seaback out to sea

Rock Rock ArmourArmour

Big boulders that are piled up Big boulders that are piled up along the coast to absorb the along the coast to absorb the waveswaves

GroynesGroynes These are wood, stone or steel These are wood, stone or steel fences built at right angles to fences built at right angles to the coast to trap sedimentthe coast to trap sediment

RevetmenRevetmentsts

A sloping barricade of wood or A sloping barricade of wood or concrete, designed to deflect concrete, designed to deflect waveswaves

GabionsGabions Rocks filled cages designed to Rocks filled cages designed to absorb wave energyabsorb wave energy

What are the advantages and disadvantages of these

methods?

Read through the text and complete your table with the

advantages and disadvantages of each of these four methods.

MethodMethod AdvantagesAdvantages DisadvantagesDisadvantagesSea WallSea Wall Good at blocking waves Good at blocking waves

Protects areas from floodingProtects areas from floodingLife span of 75 yearsLife span of 75 years

Expensive to buildExpensive to buildUnattractive / ugly, looks Unattractive / ugly, looks unnaturalunnaturalCauses erosion of the beachCauses erosion of the beach

Rock Rock ArmourArmour

Good at dispersing the waves Good at dispersing the waves energy. Can help build up the energy. Can help build up the beach behind them. The beach behind them. The boulders are fairly cheap. Looks boulders are fairly cheap. Looks more natural than some other more natural than some other defenses.defenses.

Boulder size means they are Boulder size means they are expensive to transport. expensive to transport. Unattractive / ugly Unattractive / ugly May put off tourists. Can be May put off tourists. Can be dangerous if visitors climb on dangerous if visitors climb on them.them.

GroynesGroynes Help build up the beach and Help build up the beach and protect cliffs from erosion. protect cliffs from erosion. Prevents sediment being Prevents sediment being transported further down coast.transported further down coast.

Only last 25-30 years Only last 25-30 years Costly to build and maintain. Costly to build and maintain. Can cause erosion further down the Can cause erosion further down the coast by starving it of sediment. coast by starving it of sediment.

RevetmenRevetmentt

These can be made stepped instead These can be made stepped instead of sloped, making access to the of sloped, making access to the beach easier.beach easier.Deflect waves back into the sea and Deflect waves back into the sea and absorb some wave energy.absorb some wave energy.

Costly to build and maintain.Costly to build and maintain.Can take up quite a bit of space Can take up quite a bit of space on the beach.on the beach.Can look ugly. Can look ugly.

GabionsGabions Effective at absorbing the waves Effective at absorbing the waves energy and reducing erosion. Quite energy and reducing erosion. Quite cheap. Plants and grass can grow cheap. Plants and grass can grow on the cages.on the cages.

The cages look very ugly.The cages look very ugly.Short life span as the steel cage Short life span as the steel cage rusts over time.rusts over time.

What management strategies would you employ here and

why?Evaluate the different options using your table to help you make your decision.

Reflect… Where are you on the Reflect… Where are you on the progress ladder?progress ladder?

You are able to evaluate the different hard engineering approaches

You can explain the difference between hard and soft engineering

You understand why coastal management might be needed