ARTIFICIAL HEADLANDS

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL HEADLANDS

 Artificial headlands are rock structures built along the toe of
eroding dunes to protect strategic points, allowing natural
processes to continue along the remaining frontage. This is
significantly cheaper than protecting a whole frontage and can
provide temporary or long term protection to specific assets at
risk. Temporary headlands can be formed of gabions or sand
bags, but life expectancy will normally be between 1 and 5
years.

 Artificial headlands stabilize discrete lengths of the dune face while allowing
the intervening stretches to erode naturally, forming an increasingly embayed
shoreline. As the shoreline becomes more indented so the wave energy will
be dissipated over a longer frontage and ultimately a more stable plan shape
can develop. Stability will depend on the length and spacing of the
headlands. Short structures with long gaps will provide local protection but
may not allow a stable plan shape to develop. If ongoing erosion is severe the
headlands may need to be extended or relocated to prevent outflanking or
structural failure, although they will continue to provide some protection as
nearshore breakwaters.
 The embayment's between headlands will not become independent units as
sand will be transported by wind, waves and currents along the lower
foreshore to seaward of the structures. If gravel is present the headlands may
restrict longshore movement along the upper beach; this can be useful to
control losses if nourishment or recycling is undertaken.
METHOD

 Small rock headland schemes can be implemented without specialist assistance, but
normally the services of a competent coastal consultant and contractors are required.
As with all rock structures on the shoreline the rock size, face slopes, crest elevation and
crest width must be designed with care. Randomly dumped rock with a high void to
solid ratio is hydraulically more efficient than placed and packed rock. However, rock
structures on recreational beaches should be built with a view to minimizing the
potential for accidents involving beach users slipping between rocks.
 Headlands should be built just seaward of the dune toe, rather than as a revetment.
Increasing the distance down the beach will allow the protected dunes to retain some
of their natural dynamics and appearance, and will create a more embayed shoreline,
with wave energy being dissipated over a longer frontage. However if the distance is
too great the structure may be outflanked, effectively forming a detached breakwater
and allowing the protected dune face to be subject to erosion once more.
 The length of the structure must be sufficient to protect the backshore assets at risk
while adjacent dunes continue to be eroded. The structure ends must return to the
eroding face, and may need extending from time to time to prevent outflanking.
These end extensions can often be lower than the main structure face as they will be
subject to less wave attack. By keeping the crests low there will be a greater
opportunity for wind blown sand to reach the dune face.
IMPACT

 Even though this form of defence is intended to give only partial protection to the
dunes the impacts on shoreline processes and landscape will still be high, and may
be unacceptable in environmentally sensitive areas. Erosion may well continue
along the unprotected frontages, and, without ongoing management, the
structures may be outflanked allowing erosion of the protected frontage as well.
 On frontages affected by longshore transport the headlands may reduce drift rates,
resulting in the erosion of downdrift stretches of coast, but helping to stabilise the
updrift shore. As with all fixed dune defences, the headlands will interfere with the
natural dynamic interchange of material between beach and dune. They will also
influence the longshore transfer of sand, modify dune habitats, disrupt the natural
landform and potentially result in localised dune face scour at their terminal ends.
PRACTICE AND ENVIRONMENTAL
OPPORTUNITIES

 Headlands can provide good protection to discrete points along the shoreline,
either temporarily or over longer periods. They can also be used to transform a
length of eroding dunes into a shoreline of small bays and headlands, in which part
of the dune system is maintained as a dynamic system, while other lengths are
artificially fixed. The width of the upper beach in the centre of the embayments
may increase, providing improved recreation. The dune faces in the lee of the
headlands may redevelop as blown sand can pass around the structures.
 Temporary structures can be removed when no longer required, with little lasting
damage to the dune system as a whole. Sandbags structures are the easiest to
remove, but rock structures can also be taken away for re-use elsewhere.