Dynamic cobble berm revetments: the state of the practice and a proposed design process
Chronic coastal erosion is a recurring issue that threatens the built environment and the stability of public beaches. Dynamic cobble berm revetments, which replicate natural composite beaches, are a possible option for nature-based erosion mitigation on high-energy coastlines. Dynamic cobble berm r...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1603318/full |
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| author | Hailey G. Bond Meagan E. Wengrove Chris E. Blenkinsopp Paul M. Bayle George M. Kaminsky Jonathan C. Allan David R. Michalsen Kayla S. Ostrow Hans Rod Moritz |
| author_facet | Hailey G. Bond Meagan E. Wengrove Chris E. Blenkinsopp Paul M. Bayle George M. Kaminsky Jonathan C. Allan David R. Michalsen Kayla S. Ostrow Hans Rod Moritz |
| author_sort | Hailey G. Bond |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chronic coastal erosion is a recurring issue that threatens the built environment and the stability of public beaches. Dynamic cobble berm revetments, which replicate natural composite beaches, are a possible option for nature-based erosion mitigation on high-energy coastlines. Dynamic cobble berm revetments are composed of a sandy foreshore and an engineered cobble berm, which evolves over time while dissipating wave energy. While dynamic cobble berm revetment projects have been constructed over the past two decades, there remains a lack of engineering guidance for many aspects of their design. In this study, we summarize the current state of the practice for the design of dynamic cobble berm revetments. We first present a review of tools that have been used for dynamic cobble berm revetment design, including their basic assumptions and potential limitations. Following, we summarize the design and performance of five dynamic cobble berm revetment projects on the outer coast of the Pacific Northwest, USA, as case studies. Based on the findings of the first two sections, an informal survey of local practitioners, and the knowledge of the author group, we propose a design process for dynamic cobble berm revetments. The design process is not prescriptive, rather, it is intended to give engineers a framework to apply existing tools until the body of dynamic revetment research can support a more prescriptive design guidance. Finally, we evaluate our confidence in the suggestions and tools in the design process, so that engineers and other practitioners can understand the limitations of the current state of the practice. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-765a34e6bcdd4876ad7c5364b49f747a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-765a34e6bcdd4876ad7c5364b49f747a2025-08-20T03:41:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452025-07-011210.3389/fmars.2025.16033181603318Dynamic cobble berm revetments: the state of the practice and a proposed design processHailey G. Bond0Meagan E. Wengrove1Chris E. Blenkinsopp2Paul M. Bayle3George M. Kaminsky4Jonathan C. Allan5David R. Michalsen6Kayla S. Ostrow7Hans Rod Moritz8Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesDepartment of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesDepartment of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, United KingdomDepartment of Hydraulic Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, NetherlandsWashington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA, United StatesOregon State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Newport, OR, United StatesSeattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, WA, United StatesDepartment of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesPortland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland, OR, United StatesChronic coastal erosion is a recurring issue that threatens the built environment and the stability of public beaches. Dynamic cobble berm revetments, which replicate natural composite beaches, are a possible option for nature-based erosion mitigation on high-energy coastlines. Dynamic cobble berm revetments are composed of a sandy foreshore and an engineered cobble berm, which evolves over time while dissipating wave energy. While dynamic cobble berm revetment projects have been constructed over the past two decades, there remains a lack of engineering guidance for many aspects of their design. In this study, we summarize the current state of the practice for the design of dynamic cobble berm revetments. We first present a review of tools that have been used for dynamic cobble berm revetment design, including their basic assumptions and potential limitations. Following, we summarize the design and performance of five dynamic cobble berm revetment projects on the outer coast of the Pacific Northwest, USA, as case studies. Based on the findings of the first two sections, an informal survey of local practitioners, and the knowledge of the author group, we propose a design process for dynamic cobble berm revetments. The design process is not prescriptive, rather, it is intended to give engineers a framework to apply existing tools until the body of dynamic revetment research can support a more prescriptive design guidance. Finally, we evaluate our confidence in the suggestions and tools in the design process, so that engineers and other practitioners can understand the limitations of the current state of the practice.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1603318/fulldynamic cobble berm revetmentcomposite beachnatural and nature-based featurenature-based solutioncoastal erosion |
| spellingShingle | Hailey G. Bond Meagan E. Wengrove Chris E. Blenkinsopp Paul M. Bayle George M. Kaminsky Jonathan C. Allan David R. Michalsen Kayla S. Ostrow Hans Rod Moritz Dynamic cobble berm revetments: the state of the practice and a proposed design process Frontiers in Marine Science dynamic cobble berm revetment composite beach natural and nature-based feature nature-based solution coastal erosion |
| title | Dynamic cobble berm revetments: the state of the practice and a proposed design process |
| title_full | Dynamic cobble berm revetments: the state of the practice and a proposed design process |
| title_fullStr | Dynamic cobble berm revetments: the state of the practice and a proposed design process |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dynamic cobble berm revetments: the state of the practice and a proposed design process |
| title_short | Dynamic cobble berm revetments: the state of the practice and a proposed design process |
| title_sort | dynamic cobble berm revetments the state of the practice and a proposed design process |
| topic | dynamic cobble berm revetment composite beach natural and nature-based feature nature-based solution coastal erosion |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1603318/full |
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