The coastal areas in the Gulf Coast, West Coast, and East Coast of the United States are densely inhabited regions that are also strategically important for the US economy through their contribution to industries such as of tourism, fisheries, recreation, and oil and gas. Several diverse natural and anthropogenic disturbances can affect the quality of life and economic productivity of the US coastal regions, e.g., erosion, pollution, and sedimentation [1]. The Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force [2] reported that land loss in the State of Louisiana was 57-90 square kilometers per year. In the State of Florida, out of 2,170 km (1,350 miles) of coastline, 655 km (407 miles) are critically eroded and 151 km (94 miles)
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Soft-erosion control is used to protect temporarily a structure from erosion until structure relocation or beach nourishment is completed. Relocation is an extreme option for locations with high risk of flood or tsunami where others are unfeasible options from a technical or economical point of view. Hard-erosion control is an appropriate long-term option to prevent critical erosion on at-risk coastlines. However, a significant limitation in the use of hard-erosion control is imposed by the relatively high cost of the materials employed for construction of erosion-control structures. The most commonly employed materials for coastal protection structures used in populated coastlines (e.g., seawalls, revetments, groins, and detached breakwaters) are concrete (new or recycled), limestone, granite, other stones, and steel. In the State of Louisiana, the material used for dike construction and as riprap is mostly limestone extracted from mines located in Arkansas and transported to the state at the total cost of $36 to $52 for each ton. In Florida, granite used as riprap to protect coastline from erosion and delivered by rail costs $27 to $28 per ton.
Soft-erosion control is used to protect temporarily a structure from erosion until structure relocation or beach nourishment is completed. Relocation is an extreme option for locations with high risk of flood or tsunami where others are unfeasible options from a technical or economical point of view. Hard-erosion control is an appropriate long-term option to prevent critical erosion on at-risk coastlines. However, a significant limitation in the use of hard-erosion control is imposed by the relatively high cost of the materials employed for construction of erosion-control structures. The most commonly employed materials for coastal protection structures used in populated coastlines (e.g., seawalls, revetments, groins, and detached breakwaters) are concrete (new or recycled), limestone, granite, other stones, and steel. In the State of Louisiana, the material used for dike construction and as riprap is mostly limestone extracted from mines located in Arkansas and transported to the state at the total cost of $36 to $52 for each ton. In Florida, granite used as riprap to protect coastline from erosion and delivered by rail costs $27 to $28 per ton.