Technical feasibility concerns the magnitude of the wave, current, and 

 sediment transport processes; availability of construction materials; limita- 

 tions on project design due to external factors; and limitations on access to 

 the site; and capabilities of the project staff. Economic justification 

 concerns the project benefits and is typically the major driving force of a 

 shore protection project. Funding for the project planning and design staff, 

 and construction, maintenance, and monitoring costs also enter into the 

 economic justification, as well as potential benefits. Economic justifica- 

 tion, political feasibility, social acceptability, and legal permissibility 

 are interconnected, since the local, state, and Federal governments share in 

 the funding and permitting of a project. 



Evaluation of alternatives involves simultaneous assessments of technical 

 and economic feasibility to arrive at a cost-beneficial design. During the 

 detailed investigation of alternatives and use of the data base developed at 

 Step b, it may become apparent that the original problem statement and judg- 

 ment criteria for the project need to be refined. For example, project 

 planning may be initiated to satisfy a local need, but later evolve beyond the 

 primary (site-specific) problem to include impacts on a regional scale (com- 

 prehensive planning) . 



Step e . Once an alternative is selected, it is necessary to optimize the 

 design so that the greatest benefit is obtained for the least cost. 



Steps f and g . After the project is constructed, it should be monitored 

 to ascertain that the final design was implemented and to evaluate its 

 performance. The monitoring plan is devised to answer the question of whether 

 the project achieved its purpose according to the criteria developed at Step 

 a. By designing the monitoring program to address Step a, both a productive 

 and economical monitoring plan can be developed. Results of the project 

 should be published and the processed data archived for use in future assess- 

 ments and to serve as guidance in other projects. 

 Role of Shoreline Change Modeling 



Shoreline change numerical modeling is closely associated with and can 

 greatly aid the planning process described in the preceding section. Planners 

 and engineers can use the guidance given below to establish an approach 

 conducive to optimal use of modeling capabilities. 



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