Wavebraakker™

For many years we have seen protection of beach front properties and harbor entrances in the form of what is loosely termed Rock and Rubble.  These systems may actually be large stones – natural or cut from a quarry for precise installation.  Variations of this system can also include complex concrete forms which are carefully stacked in position within the breakwater.

These systems have been the costly Gold Standard for wave protection for many years.  Aside from their considerable cost, they must be built up from the sea floor and become progressively more costly as the water depth increases.  Another disadvantage is their interference with marine life near the bottom surface of the water column.  A further problem is their interference with the bottom currents.

This in turn results in changes in the natural pattern of suspended sediment transport.  Rather than allowing the sediments to deposit relatively uniform along the beach, the disturbed currents will cause scouring or washout in some locations and undesired sediment accumulation in other locations.  This can be readily be seen at beach fronts with protective walls or jettys extending outward from the beachfront.  Currents flowing parallel to the beach will tend to erode or washout on one side of these jettys and deposit on the other side.

For years, a cost effective means to dispose of old tires was to  bundle them in some manner (sometimes with supplemental buoyancy) and install in moored “Rafts”.  These Rafts were commonly used for wave mitigation near marinas and other waterfront property locations.  Over time, these rafts would tend to disintegrate and the buoyancy materials disburse.  Various agencies and others have recognized  this as an environmental hazard and are less inclined to allow new or replacement systems.

The above environmental hazards are now avoided by a new family of floating breakwaters such as Wavebraakker™.  These systems are commonly molded of polyethylene material with a lower specific gravity than water, so even if damaged, they will always float at or near the surface and not sink to the bottom and add to the debris.  As a relatively firm material, it does not waste away to endanger the environment.

In the last several days, I have received a phone call from a prospective client.  They wanted to install or expand on one of the “Gold Standard” Rock and Rubble” systems.  Unfortunately for them, local agencies were concerned about the impacts of the system which is built up from the lake or sea floor.  The disturbance of sea floor marine life and currents was considered unacceptable to the agencies.  They stated that the agencies were reluctant to approve what had been considered the best system available.

We are in negotiations with a prospect who recognized the environmentally safe nature of the Wavebraakker™, the ease of installation or modification and the fact that it would only be located in the area of the surface related wave action.  Nothing is required at the bottom and the cost is substantially less.

For a no cost assessment of your wave problem, send a brief e mail message to sales@wavebraakker.com