Reducing Soil Erosion with Mangroves

Coastal erosion results in the movement of land or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks from the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, or waterborne ice. This creates gaps within the underlying subsoils supporting transportation infrastructure. Infrastructure such as pavements and piers experience distress due to loss of soil support, which will lead to failure. The objective of this research is to use synthetic composite materials to mimic mangroves as a Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) system. Mangroves can withstand wave energies, and reduce wave velocities, this study will evaluate how the synthetic mangroves mitigate coastal wave-induced erosion around transportation infrastructure. Unique designs of these composite mangroves with different root systems will be studied in the laboratory to assess the reductions in wave velocities and energies. These results will be incorporated into various design methods and coastal infrastructure design software to study the use of artificial mangroves to reduce soil erosion around pavements, bridge piers, MSE walls and other infrastructure.