Can eco-engineered solutions outperform traditional marine infrastructure both biologically and structurally?
The answer is taking root on Shark River Island, New Jersey, where ECOncrete collaborated on a hybrid #livingshoreline to stabilize a highly eroded waterfront. ECOncrete’s eco-engineered concrete mattresses were deployed alongside marsh restoration to protect the submerged shoreline and support habitat recovery.
With results showing significant biodiversity uplift, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) featured the project in the Engineering With Nature® Atlas, Volume 3, and it received the NJ Alliance for Action Distinguished Engineering Award.
Over the next two weeks the Network for Natural Infrastructure (NNI) will be spotlighting four ECOncrete projects. Shark River is the first.
▶️ 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 new monitoring footage from the site in the video below.
𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲
The island’s northwest corner was exposed to continuous boat wakes from the channel. At Seaview, a community of about 200 townhouses, a severely degraded bulkhead resulted in major #erosion of the marsh. Nearby homes were flooded during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and a township pumping station was located close to the eroded shoreline.
𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀
🔹 In 2018, a two-year pilot of ECOncrete’s articulated concrete block mattresses (ACBMs) commenced on site, with the team contributing engineering and monitoring expertise.
🔹 The results qualified the hybrid design for NJDEP General Permit 24 and the USACE Living Shorelines General Permit, which #expedited approvals and reduced project costs.
𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
🔹 Flexible, hydraulically stable ACBMs stabilize the submerged part of the eroded corner. Their concrete composition, surface texture and macro-design support marine growth.
🔹 A nearshore sill reduces sand movement and, with an upland berm, dissipates wave energy to protect the adjacent marsh.
🔹 The American Littoral Society and volunteers planted ~2,000 native grass plugs in the eroded marsh.
🔹 We developed the mattresses with BESSER Company for dry-cast production in standard industry dimensions, and US-based contractors installed them.
𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲
A multi-year #monitoring program, with Stockton University, scientifically compared the ECOncrete units with traditional control units for biodiversity, sediment accumulation, and durability.
💡 ECOncrete’s units showed significantly higher species richness and diversity than the controls.
As always, impactful projects are the result of strong #partnerships.
This project was made possible thanks to collaborations with Seaview at Shark River Island Homeowners Association, Neptune Township, Monmouth County, The Nature Conservancy, American Littoral Society, Renova Environmental Services, Stockton University and Besser Company.