Seawalls for Coastal Protection and Climate Change Adaptation: A Case Study from the Gold Coast

Abstract

Best practice for shoreline protection works involves the combination of seawalls with beach nourishment and associated stabilisation works. Seawalls have been constructed at various beaches along the Gold Coast shoreline since the 1920s in an attempt to prevent damage to public and private property. The current design of the Gold Coast seawall dates back to the late 1960s and has proven to be effective against major storm events. In recent years the design of the wall has been reviewed and status of the integrity of the mainly buried wall investigated. In this paper an overview of the history, design and future capacity of the wall to address climate change is presented.