Use of sand beds of variable permeability in beach profile engineering

Abstract

Here we present a technique based on theoretical grounds for dealing with beachface dynamics in response to wave forcing. Previous work has provided a relationship involving mean sand grain size, wave height, and beachface slope for a broad range of Iribarren number. The key aspect of beach morphodynamics was shown to be the permeability of the sand bed, which may be correlated to sand grain size and sphericity, and bed porosity, through the Kozeny-Cárman equation. Therefore, we show how beach nourishment aiming at beach profile recovering must be carried out with the use of sand beds of appropriate mean grain size. The theory also illuminates beach dynamics, namely the reshaping of sandy beachfaces in response to changes in wave height.