The world’s first COASTALOCK™ units by ECOncrete were installed in San Diego Bay in 2021. Now, the Port of San Diego is bringing them to more of its shorelines.
COASTALOCK™ is a single-layer interlocking armor unit, made with ECOncrete’s bio-enhancing concrete technology to protect shorelines while creating habitat for marine life.
Through its Blue Economy Incubator, the Port partnered with ECOncrete to install 74 units at two riprap sites along Harbor Island. After physical model tests and several years of scientific biological monitoring, the installation proved structurally resilient and 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟲𝟬 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀.
“The COASTALOCK™ is the trifecta we love: carbon sequestration and a smaller footprint, while at the same time, providing resilience.” John Jason H. Giffen, Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer, Port of San Diego
With results like these, the port has now approved new projects to replace sections of traditional rock shoreline with COASTALOCK™.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 COASTALOCK™ 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁
🔹 Placed with the basin facing up, sideways, or down, one unit creates tidepools, caves, and overhangs for different marine species.
🔹Pressure relief tunnels deliver strong #coastalprotection with engineered wave energy dissipation.
COASTALOCK™ units are now deployed in projects around the globe, including the Port of Bilbao, where AI-powered cameras monitor #marinelife development in situ.
𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮.𝟬 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆
COASTALOCK™ 2.0 has completed physical model testing with IHCantabria in a 56-meter wave flume, under waves of up to 6 meters at prototype scale. The new geometry uses less material, increases porosity, and adds sheltered pools for juvenile fish.
This post is part of an ongoing partner takeover featuring Network for Natural Infrastructure partner ECOncrete. Stay tuned for more!