Mott MacDonald delivers solutions that protect and stabilize shorelines, improving their resilience to damage, erosion, and other impacts that threaten coastal infrastructure, communities, and lives. As part of our dedication to resilience, we apply our coastal engineering expertise and innovative solutions to help you prepare for the unexpected.
Our coastal engineers designed a 3,500-foot (1km) revetment in the Gulf Coast community of Surfside Beach, Texas. This was intended as a short-term solution to erosion that was advancing more than 20 feet (6m) per year, threatening homes, roads, and utilities.
The revetment was completed seven days before Hurricane Ike struck the coast. Ike, considered a 40-year storm at Surfside, greatly exceeded the design conditions for the revetment, which was designed for a five-year storm. Homes behind the revetment were protected while adjacent communities were swept clean.