Nature Based Coastal Structures How San Diego’s Port is Pioneering Eco-Engineered Infrastructures

Brief

Discover how San Diego’s Port redefined coastal engineering with ECOncrete’s eco-conscious technology, fostering biodiversity and winning prestigious awards.

Insight

The Port of San Diego has set a benchmark in ecological engineering by incorporating ECOncrete’s pioneering technology into its coastline.

This initiative falls under the Blue Economy Incubator Program and aims at transforming Harbor Island’s riprap armor into a flourishing ecosystem. Harbor Island, a man-made peninsula, was initially built with dredging materials but lacked ecological value.

ECOncrete devised CoastaLock, a unique ecological concrete armor unit, in collaboration with experts from various fields. These units are substantial in size and feature an innovative interlocking design with voids that create space for marine life habitats, fulfilling structural needs while promoting ecological growth.

Significant research, including physical model testing at the Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory of Delft University of Technology, underpinned the design process, confirming the hydraulic stability of these units. The design fosters the formation of diverse marine habitats, like tidal pools and caves, encouraging a balance of native species over invasive ones.

The first installation, completed in March 2021, covered 150 feet of Harbor Island’s shoreline with 74 units. These units have not only enhanced the structural integrity of the coastline but have also proven to be ecologically superior to traditional riprap stones, as indicated by a two-year monitoring period showing increased species richness and biomass accumulation.

The technology’s success lies in its trinity of concrete composition, surface texture, and macro design, which collectively emulate natural marine habitats. This has significantly mitigated the ecological impact of coastal infrastructure development.

The project’s innovation and ecological contributions have been recognized with awards from the San Diego Section of ASCE, the Design Educates Award, and the 2022 Energy Globe National Award, showcasing the potential for ports to address climate change challenges proactively.

Highlight

This initiative falls under the Blue Economy Incubator Program and aims at transforming Harbor Island’s riprap armor into a flourishing ecosystem.
These units are substantial in size and feature an innovative interlocking design with voids that create space for marine life habitats, fulfilling structural needs while promoting ecological growth.
The technology’s success lies in its trinity of concrete composition, surface texture, and macro design, which collectively emulate natural marine habitats.