Figure 1.
Groins in a Beach Environment
of sand moving along the shore, and (2) there is always a potential for
erosion problems downdrift of the groin.
Therefore, consideration must
be given to combining groin construction with a program of artificially
filling the beach. A problem with groin-system design is the difficulty
of evaluating the direction of the longshore current and the amount of
the sand being transported by this current.
FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS: If there is an inadequate longshore movement of
sand, then a groin may not accumulate enough sand to prevent erosion ad-
jacent to the groin.
If the groin loses its trapped beach, it cannot, by
itself, protect the shoreline from direct wave attack. Other structures
may be necessary to fulfill that function and plans to periodically refill
the compartments may be required.
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