Comments on: Coastal resilience through biomimicry

By: Ben Friedman

Ben Friedman — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 12:02:50 +0000

I’m currently in Manila on an assignment and can’t help but think about the tragic loss of life and damage in Tacloban when I read this. Solutions akin to this biomimicry seawall will need to be a part of the rebuilding process here as we learn the lessons our planet provides.

By: John Unruh

John Unruh — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 22:19:51 +0000

I’m a technical writer in the water business line at 91Ӱ��’s Cobourg, Ontario, office in Canada. More important, I’m a creative writer marketing a couple of manuscripts for a young adult series based on the concept that humanity has a long road ahead building itself out of the corners in which we often find ourselves, and planning for a world that will be defined by diminishing resources and an unsustainable population. The Blackpool biomimicry project is a beautiful example of how this can be done. I’m always on the lookout for ideas that will make this world livable for the children of our children’s children – something well worth speculating about. Thanks for providing a step in the path. Looking forward to seeing more.

By: Greg Bryla

Greg Bryla — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 17:01:13 +0000

Nice evocative forms! Has it weathered a storm as depicted in the ‘before’ condition? This is a revetted engineered shoreline visually mimicking a natural profile although devoid of vegetation which takes away from the full biomimicry effect. It’s a necessary concession that I understand. Hopefully, people will be better stewards of land by not removing the natural shock absorbers, aka dunes, and leave a sustainable buffer to let nature do what it does.

I do hope that this works and the modeling helped create a better revetment than what is typically done. How does the cost of this compare with more standard revetments, i.e. boulders and walls? Kudos to you and thanks for sharing.

By: Olivier

Olivier — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 15:32:51 +0000

Very interesting article !
before any project one should always turn to Nature and ask how would “she” have done it ?

I have two questions that I hope you would be kind to answer.

Did this construction, inspired by dunes, already suffer the assaults of a strong storm? And how it has resisted ?

I imagine that on a dune, when a wave comes, its energy is dissipated by the slope of the dune but also by the mixing movement of the sand. The first effect is mimicked here but not the second one. Is this omission plays a role ?
Thanks in advance
Olivier