Coastal Engineering

Coastal engineering concerns the protection of coastal zones from both natural and man-made changes. It involves the application of civil engineering and coastal sciences such as coastal geology and hydrodynamic impacts of waves, tides, storm surges and salt seawater environments. Coastal Engineering is vital to control erosion; by developing hard engineering solutions such as designing, constructing and monitoring coastal structures, as well as proposing soft engineering solutions such as beach nourishment.

Our experience

We have undertaken a number of coastal engineering projects for different clients. Some of the projects are listed below.

• Coastal Protection for Jumeirah Vittaveli, K.Bolifushi.

• Shore Protection for Emboodhoo Village,

• Coastal Protection for Ozen by Atmosphere, K.Maadhoo

Our services

Water Solutions can provide services in a range of coastal engineering applications throughout the Maldives.

Combined with our high accurate surveying and GIS database, we can provide the following:

• Feasibility studies,

• General engineering and coastal evaluations,

• Complete designing of engineering to ports, harbors, and small craft facilities,

• Coastal protection systems design and supervision,

• Dredging and reclamation design, engineering, and shore protection.

Project background

Alidhoo is an island in the middle of Haa Alifu atoll facing Maakanduolhi on the eastern rim of the atoll and open to swells from the Indian Ocean passing through this channel. With its small reef extent and saturated nature of the island within its reef system, the island’s beaches are prone to wind generated waves and swells during the northeast monsoon and wind generated waves during the southwest monsoon. As a result, the western beach of the island that is formed during the north-east monsoon is almost entirely moved to the eastern side during the southwest monsoon and vice-versa. However, with the development of the water villas on the eastern side, the sand movement has been minimised from the eastern side during the northeast monsoon. This is due to the exposed footings of the water villa structures acting as a submerged breakwater. Such protection is not present on the western side, as a result of which, the western beach would be eroded during the southwest monsoon leaving rubble for tourists to walk on.

In addition to this, two very important aspects of the resort operation were identified during the first few months of operation. They were:

1. The water villas on the eastern side are subject to very severe waves during rough weather. As a result of this, it is almost impossible to use those rooms during such times, and

2. None of the jetties on the island could be used to safely disembark tourists during rough weather.

Project outputs

The above two components have become the focus of the project and the following were potential solutions developed to overcome them.

• Construction of a breakwater

• Development of a Mooring area and

• The stabilisation of the beaches.

The project was thus designed and implemented to protect the coastal infrastructure, provide safe access to the island during rough weather and to stabilize the beach around Alidhoo to the greatest possible extent. The project involved the construction of a 500 metre long breakwater to protect the water villas, creation of a mooring area to provide safe access to the island during rough weather and stabilization of the beaches.

The project was designed, implemented and monitored by Water Solutions. The project was completed in the year 2008