Living Breakwaters: Transforming Coastal Resilience and Ecosystem Health in Southern Staten Island

Abstract: Living Breakwaters is an innovative coastal green infrastructure project designed to reduce and mitigate erosion and damage from storm waves, improve the ecosystem health of Raritan Bay, and encourage stewardship of our nearshore waters and generally enhance people’s experience of the shoreline of southern Staten Island.

Background: In October 2012, a Category 3 Hurricane known as Superstorm Sandy, swept across the Northeast Atlantic Corridor, and caused severe devastation to the greater New York City region. 233 lives were lost as a result of this storm, of which 24 of those lost were in the NYC borough of Staten Island. Beyond the loss of life, 300 homes were destroyed, 2 million power outages in New York City alone, and severe coastal destruction. The total estimated damages from the storm exceed $65 billion.
In response to this storm, the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task force (lead by HUD), established a new program known as Rebuild by Design (RBD). The goals of the RBD program were to promote innovation, increase resiliency throughout the region, and set aside Community Disaster Block Grant funding for select projects. A year later, a total of seven grant recipients were chosen to receive a combined $930million in federal grants. One of the featured projects to be awarded was the Living Breakwaters project, which received a $60million grant.
The Living Breakwaters project is a series of offshore breakwaters providing coastal protection to the west end of Staten Island’s South Shore. The 3 main features of this project are 1) Risk Reduction - provide physical structures to attenuate storm waves and prevent long term erosion; 2) Ecological Benefits - create essential marine life habitat for shellfish, finned fish, and other aquatic species by deploying innovative technology with the use of bio-enhancing concrete units, i.e. Ecological Armor Blocks and Tide Pools, and lastly 3) Community Engagement - by providing programming and education for the local community and nearby schools, collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project, and providing an enhanced experience for all those that engage with the waterfront of Conference House Park and Raritan Bay.
Project

Description: The Living Breakwaters project consists of 2,400 linear feet of rubblemound breakwaters located in Raritan Bay, offshore Conference House Park in Tottenville, Staten Island. Eight separate breakwaters are constructed in water depths ranging from 3.5’ to 15’. Features include stone filled mattresses, over 120,000tons of stone, and precast ecological concrete units. Upon completing the breakwaters, 800 feet of shoreline will be restored via a truck haul of 21,000 tons of sand.

How does this project / topic contribute to the advancement of the industry and profession?: The project addresses a real need for resilient shorelines and coastal defense for the South Shore of Staten Island, as evidenced by the impact of Hurricane Sandy. The breakwaters are designed to protect the shoreline from wave impact, reverse the effects of long-term erosion, allowing the natural shoreline to regenerate over time and provide a natural barrier to flooding and sea level rise. Beyond coastal protection and resiliency provided by the breakwaters, the incorporation of intertidal elements through the structures bolstered by using ecological concrete armor units and tide pools, create a thriving marine habitat for a wide-range of species.

Does the project / topic implement new and innovative techniques, materials, technologies, and delivery methods?: The project is an innovative approach to coastal resiliency providing similar risk-reduction properties of a natural reef. As opposed to conventional methods, the Living Breakwaters provide a barrier without adversely impacting the natural shoreline. The use of ecological concrete and incorporation of intertidal habitat throughout the breakwaters is the first of its kind in this application.
Construction methodology also required innovation- due to shallow water conditions on site and the challenge of incorporating precast ecological concrete units into the structures. Technology including a barge mounted E-crane, amphibious excavators, and real-time kinematic grade control systems were all used to ensure success.

What was the most challenging aspect of your project / topic and how did you handle it to ensure success?: One significant challenge of this project was selecting a precast concrete unit that can provide both the engineering and ecological properties required to function as a traditional breakwater structure and yet create a living environment.
Construction challenges included accessing an offshore site with heavy marine equipment and barges situated in shallow water and fairly exposed to sea conditions. The Construction team also planned around environmental moratoriums that restricted contact with the sea bottom during certain times of the year.

Who is the target audience for this paper?: All members of the ports and harbors development industry and the greater maritime community. This includes engineers and engineering professionals (marine, structural, geotechnical, environmental), terminal operators, owners (government agencies and private industry), consultants, contractors, stakeholders, and students.