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October 2011
Prepared for
Torres Strait Regional Authority (John Rainbird)
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27 October 2011
60213761
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Quality Information
Document Poruma Sea Wall Feasibility Study
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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction 1
2.0 Coastal Processes 2
2.1 Metocean 2
2.2 Sand Supply 2
2.3 Bathymetry 2
2.4 Sand Movements 3
2.5 Beach Rock 4
3.0 Identified Areas of Concern 5
3.1 Site Inspection 5
3.2 South western corner of island 5
3.3 Northern Foreshore East of Boat Ramp/Jetty 7
4.0 Seawall Design Inputs/Assumptions 8
4.1 Design Life 8
4.2 Climate Change 8
4.3 Design Event 9
4.4 Water Level 9
4.5 Water Depths 9
4.6 Wave Climate 9
4.7 Land Levels/Overtopping 10
4.8 Beach Levels 10
5.0 Seawall Design Solutions (SW corner) 10
5.1 Seawall Extent 10
5.1.1 Preferred option (310m) A
5.1.2 Alternative short wall option (100m) B
5.2 Conventional Rock Armour B
5.3 Pattern Placed Concrete Seabee Units. C
5.4 Sand Filled Geotextile Bags E
5.5 Wave Deflection Wall F
6.0 Beach Nourishment G
6.1 Bypassing G
6.2 Dredging G
7.0 Opinion of Probable Construction Costs (OPCC) H
7.1 Basis H
7.2 Results H
7.3 Explanation of Assumptions for Critical Items I
7.3.1 Site Establishment I
7.3.2 Rock Bedding and Armouring I
7.3.3 Reinforced Concrete for Capping Layer J
7.3.4 Seabee Units J
7.3.5 Supply and Placement of Geotextile Sand Bags J
7.3.6 Supply and Installation of Wave Deflector Walls J
8.0 Summary and Recommendations J
9.0 References L
Appendix A
Conventional Rock Armour Sea Wall A
Appendix B
Seabee Wall B
Appendix C
Geotextile Bag Wall C
Appendix D
Typical Section of the Wave Deflection Wall D
1.0 Introduction
Poruma (Coconut Island) is a low lying Coral Cay situated in the central Torres Strait. Ongoing erosion issues
have led the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) and the Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC) to
consider engineering solutions to protect critical community infrastructure. This report looks at the problems,
develops and assesses a number of solutions and provides cost estimates for these solutions.
Two areas of concern were raised during the site inspection. These were at the western end of island, near the
resort, and the area on the northern side of the island east of the jetty. The scope of this study is largely confined
to the western island erosion problem but some comment on the issues near the jetty has been included.
Reference should be made to Figure 1 for an aerial photograph of Poruma indicating the areas of concern.
For the western part of the island detailed assessments, design and estimates for three seawall solutions have
been prepared. These include a conventional rock armour sea wall, a pattern placed concrete armour seawall
using Seabee units and a softer geotextile bag solution.
In addition rough estimates of volumes and costs for a maintenance dredge nourishment program have been
developed.
It should be noted that the seawall designs prepared are to stabilise the foreshore location and are not intended to
reduce the risk of the island to oceanic inundation.
Note: Datum levels in the Torres Strait are considered to be unreliable. There is some doubt over the exact levels
of tidal planes nominated in this table.
Significant tidal anomalies can occur in the Torres Strait. One cause of these are strong wind fields that force
water into the strait. Data from tide gauges in the area (ref Duce etal 2010) indicates an annual season variation
(on Booby Island) of approximately 0.5m is typical with the summer NW winds producing the higher water levels.
Another site on Goods Island indicated that sea level anomalies of up to 1.1m have been measured, though again
the large variations were in summer, while typical maximum monthly variations were less than 0.4m.
For seawall design these seasonal anomalies have not been incorporated into the assessment of water level.
Rather storm surge has been adopted for the design event. This decision was made based on the consideration
that measured water level anomalies relative to tidal forecasts are incorporated in the assessment of storm surge
and the inclusion of season fluctuations would be effectively doubling up on the impact of these anomalies.
2.3 Bathymetry
Poruma is a cigar shaped island that is approximately 2,000 m long on the East - West axis and 300m wide. It is
located on the NW corner of a coral reef platform that is 6,000m long in and 2,000m wide. The island location on
the reef platform reflects the prevailing SE wind conditions. To the North of the island there is only 100m from the
vegetation line to the edge of the reef. Reference should be made to Figure 2 for further details.
Figure 2 Poruma Island and Coral Reef Platform (Note sand shoals over central reef)
The coral platform on the southern and eastern sides of the islands sits at approximately mean sea level (+2m
LAT); while the platform on the northern side of the islands is approximately 1 m lower near spring lower water. It
is understood that the reef platforms carries through under the island and this surface would provide a good
foundation for any works.
Drainage channels that funnel water off the reef during ebbing tides and from wave induced flux are present at a
few locations around the reef. One of these channels is to be found near the western end of the island and plays
an important role in the sediment budget of the island.
A drop off exists around the reef edge that slopes to deep water. Once sands passes over this edge it is lost to
the islands sand budget.
Figure 3 Northern foreshore taken from western end of the island looking east towards Jetty April 2011(at approx. MSL = +2m LAT) –
Note this beach is wide when compared with other locations on the island.
Figure 4 Erosion scarp on the North side of the western end of the island April 2011 (note undermined trees).
Figure 5 Temporary upper beach sandbag seawall near resort bungalows April 2011.
Figure 6 Foreshore east of jetty April 2011 with the tide approximately 0.5m below Mean Sea Level (+1.5m LAT). Note the significant
step in beach sand across the groyne.
Costed engineered solutions have not been assessed for this area as it is beyond the current scope. The
following recommendations are made from the limited knowledge of the design and use of the islands jetty/boat
ramp facility.
Clearly long term net littoral transport of sand on the northern side of Poruma is to the east, primarily driven by the
prevailing NW conditions that exist in the summer months. The construction of the boat ramp and groynes has
adversely impact on the transport of sand along the northern foreshore of Poruma. To return the island to a more
natural balance this interruption of flow needs to be reduced. It is recommended that:
- The eastern groyne should be removed. It appears that this structure has been built to prevent sand ingress
from the east; clearly it is not functioning as intended.
- Consider the removal of the breakwater offshore from jetty. This structure generates a wave shadow in
which sand accumulates and acts as a partial groyne. If the removal of all or part of this structure can be
achieved without compromising wharf/boat ramp usability then it will improve sand mobility.
- If the beach to the east does not recover sufficiently with the above measures then implement a program of
sand bypassing, taking sand from the lower beach on the western side of the boat ramp and depositing on
the upper beach approximately 50m east of the dredged channel. Any bypassing should only be done
during the NW seasonal conditions when sand transport is most active on the north side of the island. The
bypassing volumes would be modest and in line with natural transport mechanisms and would need to be
accessed on an ongoing basis. Bypassing can be achieved by either mechanical means (tip truck and
excavator) or with a slurry pump and buried delivery pipe.
The issue of the unattractive haphazard seawall needs to be addressed in conjunction with improving sand
transport on the island. It is also assumed that the funding will not stretch to the construction of a more formal
engineered seawall that is probably not required on this length of coast due to the substantial beach rock present.
It is recommended that:
- Any large coral armour units won from the demolition of the groyne/breakwater plus any units already in use
in the seawall be used to construct a single layer seawall at a slope of 1:1.5 to bury the existing structure.
This work would cover a very limited length of seawall and should be used in areas of most concern.
- In other areas it is recommended that sand be won from the western beach and used to bury the protection
works by creating a low dune. This dune would then need to be stabilised with vegetation.
Figure 8 Proposed western end of seawall – note historic erosion scarp (covered by vegetation).
Figure 10 Rock armour seawall partially buried at rear of beach - Moreton Bay
Rock armour units were sized using Hudson Formula and checked using the Van der Meers Formulae and a
revetment slope of 1:1.5 (ref. CIRIA 2007). In the design allowance has been made for minor damage to the
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seawall. Assuming that reasonable rock can be sourced the adopted rock armour density is 2.6t/m . This
resulted in median primary armour of 300kg, resulting in a double layer armour thickness of approximately 1m.
A geotextile filter layer shall be laid under the rock to prevent movement of sand through the seawall armour. This
geotextile material shall be a needle punched non-woven fabric Class E (per NSW RTA Guideline). A suitable
material that meets specifications is Elcomax 1200R with a drop height of up to 1m for the armour. To ensure
complete coverage a minimum overlap of 0.5m at sheet edges is required. After the revetment is constructed the
beach is reinstated over the structure, as per Figure 10.
The design cross-section and suggested armour grading are presented in Appendix A. The ends of seawall can
be finished abruptly with no special details other than land lie backs were required.
Seabees armour units rely on interlocking to hold them in place, and a single unit offers little resistance to wave
attack. If a seawall of this type is damaged the seawall can quickly unravel, resulting in a catastrophic failure of
the structure. Because of this failure mechanism seawalls constructed of relatively light interlocking units such as
Seabees are said to have a brittle failure mechanism. During construction care is required to ensure that this
interlocking between units is achieved.
To help ensure that the seawall remains intact strong edges are required. The toe of the seawall needs to be well
founded, which on Poruma means it will need to be cut into the reef platform. The crest and ends require suitable
fixing with a concrete beam.
Other issues with this type of sea wall include high wave run-up and high reflectivity. This heightened wave action
on the face discourages sand build up on the seawall.
Using standard tables from the University of NSW Seabees Design Manual (ref. UNSW 1997) for a seawall at a
slope of 1:1.5 with an armour porosity of 35% the nominated design is a single layer of 0.3m high by 0.3m wide
units weighing 27kg each. This armour is laid over 0.3m thick layer of 60 to 160mm secondary rock armour.
Beneath the secondary a light geotextile layer is required to ensure that the sub soil profile remains stable. For
this a suitable material would be Elcomax 360R.
The design cross-section for a Seabee seawall is presented in Appendix B.
Another advantage of this solution is that the seawall can be removed a later date by tearing the bags open and
emptying contents before disposing of the bags. Rock or Seabee seawalls require considerable effort to
dismantle.
A big disadvantage of this type of unit is the limited life of the geotextile bag. The material slowly breaks down
when exposed to UV radiation (sun shine). At this time manufacturers have had bags in exposed beach locations
for a couple of decades and they now say that the bags will last for at least 25 years fully exposed, though
anticipate longer life as the existing installations are holding together well. It is anticipated that the seawall will be
buried for much of the design life. However, if exposed to the sun to ensure that a structure of this nature lasts for
the nominated design life of 50 years a double layer solution has been developed plus heavy duty vandal resistant
bags are specified in exposed locations. Ultimately, however, the bags would degenerate and at that future time
options for a new structure would need to be assessed. An example of longer term placement with a similar
cross-section is presented in Figure 13.
Figure 13 Stockton Beach Surf Club Seawall - During construction (l) and 13 years later (r).
A possible solution to the limited life of the bag is to mix cement into the sand during the filling phase. Once the
bags are wet the cement sets leaving a solid element that will persist long after the geotextile of the bags has
degraded. This solution has been discarded as it will add considerably to cost and if a concrete unit revetment is
desired then the Seabee seawall is a representative solution.
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Utilising design information developed for geofabrics (ref Hornsey, etal, 2011) a design utilising 0.75m geotextile
bags at a slope of 1:1.5 was developed. The design cross-section for a sand filled geotextile bag seawall is
presented in Appendix C.
6.1 Bypassing
Taking of sand from one beach on Poruma to supply another beach would generally be discouraged, and is not
recommended as a solution to problems on the SW corner of the island. This option may be appropriate when a
structure interrupts the natural movement of sand and moving the sand is simply bypassing this interruption. As
discussed previously this is the case at the dredge channel and jetty, where the interruption of sand transport has
left the beach on the NW corner of the island very wide at the expense of the northern foreshore east of the jetty.
If this solution were adopted then the volume moved would need to be assessed on an ongoing basis, though
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past experience would indicate volumes in the order of 10,000m /annum, moved during the summer months,
would be required to make this solution viable.
6.2 Dredging
An option that has been discussed is the dredging of sand from shoals that exist off the NW corner of the reef
platform. The shoal is supplied by sand washed from the reef platform at the western end of the island and as
such should have similar properties to the material found on the beaches today.
The nourishment program would need to incorporate an initial delivery to re-instate beaches to a “healthy” profile
and then an ongoing program to replace material lost from the system. To rectify problem areas as they exist
3 3
around the island today an initial program would need to supply approximately 40,000m (assumes 20m /m for
2000m of foreshore) with sand delivered all around the island. Ongoing requirements would need to be assessed
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at that time, however a program of delivering say 20,000m sand once every 5 years for example would provide
sufficient frequency to minimise risk of property loss through beach erosion.
To deliver sand in this situation a Trailer Suction Hopper Dredge (TSHD) with pump out facilities would be
required. There are a number of commercial operators that have such equipment, though the scale of the
dredges and the delivery rates would be high relative to the scale of the project being considered (refer Figure
14). The Port of Brisbane dredge periodically undertakes maintenance dredging operations in North Queensland
for authorities such as Ports North and it is an obvious contender for the project. This dredge has a hopper
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volume of 3000m and would take only a couple of days to complete the dredge works assuming that the delivery
pipes establishment do not hold it up.
In addition mobilisation costs to the Torres Strait for what is small project would be prohibitive. For this solution to
be viable a dredge would need to be in the vicinity and able/willing to undertake the project. The most obvious
solution is to liaise with authorities undertaking Dredging in North Queensland and come to a shared cost
arrangement. Relevant authorities include DERM who maintain access to boat harbours, and Ports North who
are responsible for a number of small ports in the area.
Issues relating to the small scale of the project with multiple delivery points, versus the remote location and
exposed dredging area all combine to make this solution technically difficult utilising the existing commercial
dredging fleet. It is likely that the only way dredging at Poruma on a regular basis can be achieved is if a small
TSHD with pump out facilities were available to work specifically on small dredge projects in the region.
Figure 14 Medium sized TSHD delivering sand via floating pipes (l) and discharges of slurry from pipe (r).
Another major constraint to a dredge operation is the approvals process. For capital dredging beyond any defined
port limits the approvals could be difficult to obtain and the process both expensive and drawn out.
At this stage, given the constraints outlined above dredging is not seen as practical long term solution to the
erosions issues on the SW corner of the island, and cost estimates have not been prepared. This option may be
attractive if a suitable dredge were available to the regional authorities on a regular basis.
7.2 Results
Reference should be made to the OPCCs attached to this report. Separate schedules have been created for
each alternative to enable simple comparison. Both seawall lengths have also been considered and separate
schedules have been prepared for each. A summary of the OPCC appears in the following table.
From the OPCC, it is clear the vast majority of the costs are contained in only a few items. Given the associated
quantities have not been calculated with a great degree of accuracy and are large, small inaccuracies in
construction rates can have a significant bearing on the total cost. Quantities are based on typical sections for
each seawall option.
Further information surrounding the basis of the rates is discussed below. This information was gathered to
mitigate the risk of inaccuracies in calculated construction costs, and to ensure selected rates were site specific.
Rock Seawall
Options Seabee Seawall Geotextile Bag Seawall
(0.5m armour)
Advantages Very robust, aesthetic Offers a solution that ties in Robust, low visual impact,
appeal, permanent, and easily with paving works, well easy to traverse and
vandal proof. suited to a wave deflector if comfortable to sit on, can be
extra protection is required, dismantled and removed
and requires significant more easily if desired, and
amounts of manual labour low volumes of imported
(local employment). material
Disadvantages Large volumes imported Requires high quality It can be vandalised, will
material, rubbish build up, construction, significant eventually degrade, and
vermin habitat, and difficult volumes of imported material, higher wave run-up than rock
to traverse. brittle design, very high wave armour.
run-up and reflection, and not
consistent with natural
appearance of foreshore.
Cost for 100m $1.4 M $1.5 M $1.1 M
(resort only)
Cost for 310m $4.3 M $4.6 M $3.3 M
Based on the above summary table above and in consideration of the expectations of the residents of Poruma we
recommend a seawall constructed from geotextile bags be adopted as the preferred solution. This
solution has the lowest construction costs and offers a solution that will have a minimal impact on beach access
and amenity.
The costs associated with construction of the wave deflector wall have been broken into the following items. Note
the additional reinforced concrete footpath is not mandatory however may increase amenity to the local
community:
- wave deflector wall unit:
- additional reinforced concrete for footpath:
Addition of the wave return wall increases the costs of the preferred solution by approximately $150,000 for the
100m wall option and $430,000 for the 310m wall option. From Section 5.5 the wave return wall is not mandatory
and represents a major investment for a minor increase in protection. Based on a seawall crest level of RL4.0m
AHD, there is approximately 900mm freeboard between the top of the wall and the design water level.
Given the dynamic nature of the coastline on Poruma and natural feel of the island the use of Seabees is not
recommended. These lightweight units will require a higher degree of supervision and possible maintenance that
will not be readily supplied on the island.
The main area of concern is that the geotextile bag structure presents is that the option is not a “permanent”
solution, with the bags degrading slowly over time due to UV radiation and being vulnerable to physical damage.
Not with standing that the structure is expected to survive beyond the design service life of 50 years, if a more
permanent solution is desired then a rock seawall is recommended as the alternative solution.
The alternate lengths of seawall have been prepared based on the likely reality of budget constraints. We
recommend that the 310m long seawall solution be adopted. This will offer protection to the full extent of
coast currently at risk from erosion. The shorter option will protect the tourist bungalows and offer a degree of
protection to the area to the west by providing a man made headland to stabilise the foreshore position.
The use of ongoing regular beach nourishment from offshore deposits is not seen as a viable option to foreshore
stability at this time.
It is recommended that consideration be given to removing some elements of the marine facility (e.g. eastern
groyne) to reduce the impedance to sand movement around the island.
9.0 References
nd
CIRA, CUR and CETMEF, 2007. “The Rock Manual. The use of Rock in hydraulic engineering (2 edition)”.
Report C683, CIRIA, London.
Department of Environment and Resource Management, 2011. “Queensland Coastal Plan”. Queensland
Government, Brisbane.
Duce, S.J., Parnell, K.E., Smithers S.G., and McNamara K.E., 2010. “A Synthesis of Climate Change and Coastal
Science to Support Adaptation in the Communities of the Torres Strait – Synthesis Report” prepared for the
Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility. Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, Cairns, Australia.
Harper B., 1998. “Storm tide threat in Queensland: History, prediction and relative risk”. Queensland Government
Department of Environment and Heritage, Conservation technical report no. 10, Brisbane.
Hornsey W.P., Carley J.T., Coglan I.R. and Cox R.J., 2011. “Geotextile sand containers shoreline protection
systems: Design and application”. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, Elsevier, Netherlands.
University of New South Wales, 1997. “Seabees Design Manual V2.2”. Water Research Laboratory, Australia.
Appendix A
Conventional Rock
Armour Sea Wall
The structure shall be constructed on a geotextile cloth underlay with a minimum overlap between sheets of 0.5m.
Recommended suitable geotextile is a heavy grade material such as Elcomax 1200R.
Appendix B
Seabee Wall
Secondary armour or bedding layer shall be 300mm thick and comprise rock:
D 50 = 100mm
In the range D min = 65mm to D max = 165mm
Bedding layer thickness = 300mm
3
In-situ armour mass = 1.5t/m
To ensure foundations do not move a geotextile
The structure shall be constructed on a geotextile cloth underlay with a minimum overlap between sheets of 0.5m.
Recommended suitable geotextile is light material such as Elcomax 360R
Appendix C
Appendix D