CASE HISTORIES OF CORPS BREAKWATER AND JETTY STRUCTURES 

 NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION 



PART I: INTRODUCTION 

 Background 



1. The Corps of Engineers (Corps) is responsible for a wide variety of 

 coastal structures located along the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the gulf 

 coast, the Great Lakes, the Hawaiian Islands, other islands, and inland water- 

 ways. Coastal improvements such as breakwaters and/or jetties are necessary 

 to provide harbor protection and the safe passage of vessels. These struc- 

 tures are usually constructed on movable-bed materials and are continuously 

 subjected to wave and current forces. Under these conditions, structural 

 deterioration may occur and, in time, maintenance may be required when the 

 structure fails to serve the needs of the project. Some projects have been 

 maintained for 150 years or more. Methods of construction (and repair) have 

 varied significantly during this time principally because of a better 

 understanding of coastal processes, availability of construction materials, 

 existing wave climates, regional construction practices, and economic 

 considerations . 



Purpose 



2. The purposes of this report are to lend insight into the scope, mag- 

 nitude, and history of coastal breakwaters and jetties under Corps jurisdic- 

 tion; to determine their maintenance and repair history; to determine their 

 methods of construction; to make this information available to Corps person- 

 nel; and to address objectives of the Repair, Evaluation, Maintenance, and 

 Rehabilitation (REMR) Research Program. To this end, case histories of Corps 

 breakwater and jetty structures have been developed to quantify past and pres- 

 ent problem areas (if any), steps taken to rectify these problems, and subse- 

 quent evaluation of the remedial measures. General design guidance can be 

 obtained from the solutions that have been most successful. Information in 

 this report should be of particular value to Corps personnel in the US Army 



