CHAPTER 1 



INTRODUCTION TO COASTAL ENGINEERING 



1.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE SHORE PROTECTION MANUAL 



This Shore Protection Manual has been prepared to assemble in a 

 single three-volume publication coastal-engineering practices for shore 

 protection. "Coastal Engineering" is defined as the application of the 

 physical and engineering sciences to the planning, design, and construc- 

 tion of works to modify or control the interaction of the air, sea, and 

 land in the coastal zone for the benefit of man and for the enhancement 

 of natural shoreline resources. "Shore protection," as used in this 

 Manual, applies to works designed to stabilize the shores of large bodies 

 of water where wave action is the principal cause of erosion. Much of 

 the material is applicable to the protection of navigation channels and 

 harbors. 



The nature and degree of required shore-protection measures vary 

 widely at different localities. Proper solution of any specific problem 

 requires systematic and thorough study. The first requisite for such 

 study is a clear definition of the problem and the objectives sought. 

 The first factor to be determined is the cause of the problem. Ordinarily 

 there will be more than one method of obtaining the immediate objective. 

 Therefore, the long-term effects of each method should be studied. The 

 immediate and long-term effects of each method should be evaluated not 

 only within the problem area, but also in adjacent shore areas. All 

 physical and environmental effects, advantageous and detrimental, should 

 be considered in comparing annual costs and benefits to determine the 

 justification of protection methods. 



Detailed summaries of applicable methods, techniques, and useful data 

 pertinent to the solution of shore protection problems have been included 

 in this Manual. 



By replacing Shore Proteatioriy Planning and Design with the Shore 

 Protection Manual^ CERC is providing coastal engineers with an improved 

 tool for solving shore-protection problems. The Manual is designed as 

 an advanced text, but contains sufficient introductory material to allow 

 a person with an engineering background to obtain an understanding of 

 coastal phenomena and to solve related engineering problems. 



Chapter 1 presents a basic introduction to the subject. Chapter 2, 

 "Mechanics of Wave Motion," treats wave theories, wave refraction and 

 diffraction, wave reflection, and breaking waves. Chapter 3, "Wave and 

 Water Level Predictions," discusses wave forecasting, hurricane waves, 

 storm surge, and water level fluctuations. Chapter 4, "Littoral Proc- 

 esses, y treats the characteristics and sources of littoral material 

 nearshore currents, littoral transport, and sand budget techniques. 

 Chapter 5, "Planning Analyses," treats the functional planning of shore- 

 protection measures. Chapter 6, "Structural Features," illustrates the 



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