Beach Erosion Prevention Specification
by Dr. Bob Benchoff, Oceanographer / Geophysicist, 7/28/2003
BEPS-DBB-1 (Revision 0)
Forward: This specification is an untested theory, except in laboratory conditions it was tested and found to perform superbly in subduing wave and/or current action, although it was not tested on sand action. Drawing from known results, this specification is logically proffered for usage on sand and/or similar soils.
1. Authority.
1.1 This specification shall not supercede, replace, nor circumvent any laws or legal requirements, whether FEMA, NAVY, or specifications at any level of government, inclusive of private sector agreements; and OSHA, and/or other safety requirements and/or guidelines shall take precedence.
1.2 This specification is the property of Dr. Bob Benchoff and may contain errors.
1.2.1 Other parties are free to use this specification without charge, provided they do not hold Dr. Bob Benchoff (and/or designates) liable, accountable, or in any way responsible for this specification or any part thereof, and other party (parties) agree to themself (themselves) take full responsibility for specification correctness and responsibility for safety and any affects usage may have; also with agreement that this specification may not be used in part, but only in whole with the latest specification revision, if any.
1.2.2 Dr. Bob Benchoff (and/or designates) reserves the right to charge for services, such as to provide a special revision applicable to a particular party and/or property project, and/or to provide on-site administrative and/or supervisory services, and/or other associated services.
1.3 Not Dr. Bob Benchoff (and/or designates), but any customer and/or other user of this specification shall hold risk responsibility for future associated legal problems, such as any down-current complaint due to sand flow interruption.
1.4 A Check Exact is not responsible for this specification in any way, although Dr. Bob Benchoff has assigned permission for A Check Exact to serve as a designate entity.
1.4.1 A Check Exact (and/or any other designate) reserves right of refusal.
1.4.2 Any laboratory, group, or person desiring to be listed as a designate may submit their Quality Manual and associated information (if any); along with their information applicable to this specification, inclusive of special capabilities, equipment, personnel qualification and certifications (such as scuba training, Ultrasonic Certification, life saving, or other). Administrative fee may apply. Dr. Bob Benchoff, 10037 Orchard Grass Court, Charlotte, NC 28278 USA.
2. References.
2.1 ASNT, OSHA, and applicable guidelines and/or laws of the land [and coast].
2.2 Boyle's Law, Bayesian Law, Inverse Square Law, Pythagorean Theorem, laws on fluid dynamics, and other applicable laws of physics.
2.3 Applied sciences normal to industry, as with viscosity (such as related to whirlpools, see Weissenberg Effect, American Laboratory June 2003 p. 12), storm drainage and riptide effects, soil compaction methodology, biological hydrophilics, wave actions, corrosion studies, erosion studies, and other associated works, in general.
3. Quality Assurance.
3.1 Work shall be in accordance with the A Check Exact Quality Assurance Program, including the TAC-2 Written Practice.
3.1.1 Applicable documentation and/or information shall be made available by the user(s) of this specification, to the applicable parties denoted in the Program.
4. Purpose.
4.1 To provide a good and/or optimum way to preserve beaches and/or build beaches for swimming recreation, and for protection of hotels, houses, and/or other buildings and properties.
5. Scope.
5.1 This specification is limited to preservation and building operations, inclusive of maintenance of same (also see 14.3 below).
5.1.1 Safety is not sufficiently covered by this specification, therefore this specification must be used in conjunction with sufficient and satisfactory safety guidelines and requirements found elsewhere.
5.1.2 Personnel, guests, and visitors can become entangled and/or trapped in and/or by the equipment and/or operational cause and effect encumberances. Warning signage alone may not be sufficient protection against health and/or medical problems of life preservation and/or other.
5.1.2.1 Shipping, boating, Coast Guard, and/or other contingencies must be observed separately from this scope of this specification, including the preserving of right-of-ways, notifications, mapping, and/or other.
5.1.2.2 Marine life preservation must be considered separately from the scope of this specification. Geoscience, oceanographic, appearance, and/or other interference with same must be considered separately from the scope of this specification (see also 7.2.1.2.1 below).
6. Hazards.
6.1 In addition to natural hazards, and hazards otherwise typical to the situation, the most severe applicable hazards appear to be drowning: as a result of being trapped by equipment, or by limbs being trapped by equipment (such as a foot being trapped in the 3D Mesh), or by shifting sand; see the illustration below.
6.2 All personnel (except office only personnel) should be excellent swimmers for safety.
7. Design.
7.1 Historically, over time, Break-Wall Barriers and Jetty Barriers have had only marginal success, depending on the nature of the applicable situation. As sand does not adhere well to such barriers, and natural marine plant life has it's problems, another solution has been needed. Therefore, the 3D Mesh is suggested for usage to trap sand.
7.2 As depicted below, gravity and current seem to be the main concerns in beach and/or coastal sand management.
7.2.1 Waves do not seem to play any significant role in same management.
7.2.1.1 Barriers have a dramatic effect in same management for certain situations, such as storms. Effectiveness varies according to particular conditions.
7.2.1.2 Small waves and mild swells tend to build or deposit sand, while large waves tend to erode. This is typically a seasonal variation.
7.2.1.2.1 Since waves wreck havoc on equipment systems, wave control is beyond the scope of this specification (see 5.1.2.2 above).
7.3 Equipment, depicted above, would include weight sensitive design considerations. Swimmers and others would need to be kept far from the equipment for safety reasons.
7.3.1 Depending on the situation, options are available for beach building with regard to swimming areas.
7.3.1.1 Build only in the non-swimming season (perhaps such as winter).
7.3.1.2 Build only at night.
7.3.1.2.1 This would involve an important added safety risk to maintenance workers that would need to be considered before building at night; possibly causing the need to not build at night.
7.3.1.3 Build only one part of a beach at a time. This requires a large distance from the swimming area.
7.3.1.4 Build only on a distant offshore sandbar, with a large area restricted from swimmers and waders due to quickly shifting newly laid sand and/or quicksand.
7.3.1.4.1 Offshore sandbar building may encourage onshore (below and/or above the water line) sand preservation and/or sand building, but does not guarantee same.
7.4 Mainly, 3D Meshes left under the sand should be at right angles to quicksand forces or land slide forces or a vector sum of same depending on the particular situation.
7.5 The 3D Meshes should have connection devices to connect to other 3D Meshes to form a larger 3D Mesh, and should have connection devices to connect to other devices, such as balloons and/or anchors.
7.5.1 The 3D Meshes may include Ultrasonic devices (probes and/or reflectors) to monitor depth via computer, and/or from water surface (as from wave runners and/or boats {Note: modern unaffiliated sand studies are currently being performed using this technique with excellent results}).
7.6 Consulting on design planning, witnessing the construction process (especially initially), and Ultrasonic testing should be handled by Dr. Bob Benchoff and/or designate, and/or by A Check Exact and/or other listed laboratories.
7.6.1 Ultrasonic Method personnel must be certified to Level II or Level III according to ASNT guidelines.
7.6.2 Computer personnel must have capabilities suitable to the owner and/or controller.
8. Equipment.
8.1 Each 3D Mesh unit maximum top view dimensions may be as suitable for transport by truck. Side view dimensions might range from a foot to several feet thick.
8.2 The 3D Mesh material might be fairly rigid yet slightly flexible, or might be rigid; comprised of composite, plastic, or other suitable material.
8.2.1 The material should strongly resist sand abrasion, brine corrosion, and similar.
8.2.2 The material should have high tensile strength, with low creep and low elasticity properties.
8.2.3 Durability of the material should be throughout, although likely more-so at connection points.
8.3 Materials used shall be environmentally friendly and nontoxic to humans and other lifeforms.
9. Maintenance.
9.1 This is relatively a high maintenance system. Depending on circumstances (such as currents, sand shift rates, building near the water surface, and other considerations), a maintenance crew of at least two people (buddy system for safety) should monitor (if not computer monitored) the 3D Mesh regularly.
9.1.1 With the initial monitoring, such as over a year, a detailed maintenance time schedule guideline with map variation diagrams, should be documented for use as a future reference chart. Regular updating for trend analysis should be performed.
9.1.2 Calm water might only require monthly or seasonal monitoring, while active water may require hourly or nearly constant monitoring, at least until the desired outcome is achieved; thereafter schedule adjustments would be considered.
9.2 Typically, after monitoring and recording, the filled 3D Mesh would be raised with underwater balloons, partially filled according to the need.
9.2.1 The system would be automatic (requiring much separate computer integration not detailed within this specification), or the system would be semi-automatic or manual.
9.2.1.1 Manually, the 3D Mesh could be roped to boat winches for lifting. Scuba divers, if used, would need to be experts in underwater work.
9.3 Maintenance should include visual inspection of the 3D Mesh and associated equipment, with repairs as needed in accordance with manufacturer recommendations.
9.3.1 Depending on circumstances (see 9.1 above), the 3D Mesh should be put in dry-dock periodically for cleaning, visual inspection, and repair as needed.
9.3.1.1 This may not typically apply to 3D Mesh left submerged under the sand and/or soil sediment surface.
9.4 Differentiation should be made for items and/or entities trapped and/or attached to the equipment.
9.4.1 Lifeforms should be returned to the water (or land if they came from the land).
9.4.2 Trash should be properly disposed. Other natural debris should be managed reasonably.
10. Storage.
10.1 When not in use, the 3D Mesh stored out of water should be protected from blowing sand and other injurious factors.
11. Recordkeeping.
11.1 The Maintenance Chart, inspection criteria, inspection record, storage, and repair records should be detailed.
11.2 Optional identification markings may appear on the 3D Mesh.
11.2.1 If identification markings are seen, the records should reflect same.
12. Other Systems.
12.1 Usage of the 3D Mesh must not replace nor interfere [with] other barriers or systems, unless thorough analysis has been made and findings agree for same according to those specifications not covered herein (see the Scope Section above).
13. Optional Automatic System.
13.1 In theory the 3D Mesh could be made in such weight balance that it might essentially float on sand for the most part, and sink under water. In practical reasoning, such weight / buoyancy ratio balance would likely make the 3D Mesh self-perpetuating in coastal building, yet would be susceptible to dislocation, such as due to tidal currents, unusual storm conditions, and other.
13.1.1 Anchoring is recommended.
13.1.1.1 Anchoring the 3D Mesh to other entities, such as piers, docks, utilities, and so on, is not allowed without express permission typically in writing.
13.1.2 Optional tracking device(s) such as using GPS, RF, or other as suitable (also useful is 11.2 above) are recommended, depending on 3D Mesh replacement cost relative to dislocation recovery cost.
13.2 Equipment may be the latest readily available or other suitable equipment. The range of attachment devices may vary widely. Option Example:
13.2.1 Allowing balloons to be covered with sand or soil may help prevent attacks by sea creatures.
13.2.2 Another option is having temporary air and electrical lines from shore and/or from boat(s), as needed.
14. Land Usage.
14.1 When the 3D Mesh is to be used above the water line, such as to build sand dunes and/or to replenish beach fronts, or to gather loess (as for farming), or to gather other soils for construction or other purposes, appropriate measures need to be taken on a case by case basis.
14.2 When used in building river dykes, proposed building landfills, or similar, it is important to note that compaction and slump properties may not meet those pertinent standards.
14.3 Usage on snow, ice, or on other atypical features (such as shifting land) would involve additional considerations beyond the scope of this specification, although in such cases this specification might be used in conjunction with other criteria.
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