Gravel beaches nourishment: Modelling the equilibrium beach profile

Abstract

The erosion of the world's coasts and the shortage of sand to mitigate beach erosion are leading to the increasingly common use of gravel for coastal protection and beach nourishment. Therefore, in order to determine the amount of gravel required for such actions, it is important to know perfectly the equilibrium profile of gravel beaches. However, at present, this profile is obtained from formulas obtained mainly after channel tests, and therefore most of them do not adapt to the real profiles formed by gravel beaches in nature. In this article, 31 variables related to sedimentology, waves, morphology and marine vegetation present on the beaches are studied to determine which are the most influential in the profile. From the study carried out, it is obtained that these variables are the steepness and probability of occurrence of the wave perpendicular to the coast, the profile starting slope (between MWL and − 2 m), the energy reduction coefficient due to Posidonia oceanica as well as the width of the meadow. Using these variables, different numerical models were generated to predict accurately the gravel beach profile, which will lead to a saving in the volume of material used in the order of 1300 m3/ml of beach with respect to current formulations, and a greater certainty that the beach nourishment carried out will have the desired effect.