Literature review of nearshore berms

Abstract

This Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering special report is a general overview of the current state of nearshore berm placement research. The report describes current design guidance for nearshore berm placement, as well as the major findings of existing numerical and physical modeling studies. Field experiments are also summarized. Numerical and physical models are important as they help to illustrate in greater detail the morphological evolution and hydrodynamic effects the berm has on the surrounding area. Physical models allow for two-and three-dimensional illustration of these concepts. Field studies show that onshore migration of active berms occurs and the tendency of nearshore berms to act as a submerged breakwater. Although many field and modeling studies exist to assess the morphologic and sedimentologic evolution of berms, a need for more detailed understanding of the processes associated with these types of nourishments still exists. More data to predict where material is going, how the existing adjacent morphologic features respond to the placement, and how long the material will remain in place (or its intended location) are necessary to answer stakeholder questions for these types of placements. DISCLAIMER: The contents of this report are not to be used for advertising, publication, or promotional purposes. Citation of trade names does not constitute an official endorsement or approval of the use of such commercial products. All product names and trademarks cited are the property of their respective owners. The findings of this report are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other authorized documents.

Beach Response to a Shoreface Nourishment (Aveiro, Portugal)

“…The sand can be either placed on the subaerial beach or in the subtidal beach, as an underwater mound. While the former is usually referred in the literature as a beach nourishment, the latter can be referred as profile nourishment [2], berm nourishment [3], nearshore berm [4] or shoreface nourishment [5]. In this study, shoreface nourishment was used to designate the placement of sand in the subtidal zone of a beach profile.…”

Evaluation Techniques for the Beneficial Use of Dredged Sediment Placed in the Nearshore

“…The monitoring of dredged sediment placed in the nearshore is essential to improve the understanding of project performance (Brutsché et al 2019a). The transport of the placed sediment and the morphological response to the placed sediment are dependent on the site-specific hydrodynamic conditions, sediment characteristics, and morphologic conditions.…”

“…Although beach profile nourishment through the nearshore placement of dredged sediment is common practice, the critical questions of how often the sediment will be mobilized and where the sediment will go remain poorly understood (Huisman et al 2019). Projects have been monitored (Brutsché et al 2019a) and physical models have been conducted (Bryant and McFall 2016;Smith et al 2015Smith et al , 2017 to gain insight into the processes that drive the morphological evolution and shoreline response to these projects. Historically, the empirical depth of closure (DoC) equations were used to determine whether sediment that was placed in the nearshore would be actively mobilized.…”

Evaluating Transport Formulations for Application to Nearshore Berms

“…Longshore transport has been observed to dominate nearshore berm deflation in both laboratory experiments (Smith et al 2015;Bryant and McFall 2016;Smith et al 2017) and field observations (e.g., Vilano Beach, FL, Brutsché et al 2019; Chetco Inlet, OR, Gailani et al 2019;Perdido Key, FL, Brutsché et al 2015;andTerschelling, the Netherlands, Hoekstra et al 1997, Spanhoff et al 1997). Cross-shore transport may also remove placed sediment from its original location, particularly during storm events (Bodge 1994;Otay 1995;Brutsché et al 2014).…”

“…Numerical models, physical models, and field monitoring contribute to the present understanding of nearshore berms (Brutsché et al 2019), but key questions remain concerning the transport of placed sediment and the shoreline response to nearshore nourishment (Huisman et al 2019). To create design guidance for active feeder berms, prior studies have devoted considerable attention to the likelihood of sediment mobility following placement in the nearshore (e.g., Ahrens and Hands 1998;McLellan et al 1990;Hands and Allison 1991;McFall et al 2016;Priestas et al 2019;McFall et al 2021).…”