The Dune Science Group applies state-of-the-art science and engineering to provide waterfront property owners, managers, and communities:
- Dune Science Group consulting services to assure that coastal science is applied in engineering solutions to solve the stresses on our beaches and dunes
- Coastal dune restoration that will protect upland property from storm damage while growing and maximizing the beauty and special habitat of the dunes
- Identifying the best option for beach access, including design and procurement of dune walkovers, where required, that are environmentally, aesthetically, economically and structurally superior to traditional wood structures.
Dune Science Group Coastal Dune Restoration Services
Many, if not most, beach communities have lost the natural beauty and protection of the beach dune system because of a variety of man-made interventions: navigation channels, dams, development, seaside cliff stabilizations. These have interrupted the necessary flow of new sand to our beaches. However, expensive beach nourishment projects have restored sand delivery allowing potential recovery of our beaches and dunes. Dune Science Group agrees with the other coastal engineers that this all works best by managing the sand by closely mimicking nature as much as possible.
This means that particularly for the East Coast of the Americas we emphasize using native dune vegetation to build the strongest and most natural, beautiful and sustainable sand dune beach system possible. Dune Science Group does that primarily mimicking what natural processes would accomplish on their own if given enough time and protection from human interference. These systems provide little or no care and the initial cost is much lower than other protective systems.
Dune Walkovers and Beach Boardwalks
Beach property owners and communities rely on human access to the beach. Unfortunately, the vegetation that creates and holds the dunes together can be destroyed by beachgoers if access is not properly managed. In most high volume accesses, this requires some sort of dune walkover. The Dune Science Group has explored a variety of non-wood options and applies this knowledge to develop walkover structures that compared to traditional pressure treated wood designs:
Reduce the high lifetime cost when maintenance is considered
Offer a much longer lifetime (50 to 75 years vs 10 to15)
Eliminate safety hazards inherent in wood materials construction (splinters, loose and exposed rusty nails and bolts, and trip and slip hazards)
Eliminate the chemical preservatives required, eliminating the potential of hazardous material cleanup of dunes and eventual disposal as a hazardous waste
Our designs look more like real wood than some of the “green” wood product now grown and harvested at softwood tree farms. Our engineered product stays looking like new wood in spite of sun and salt spray much longer than yellow pine and other tree-wood options. Our designs are also available for other waterfront access like boardwalks, docks and marinas.
The Dune Science Group strives to understand the unique needs of beach access users along with the morphology and natural processes constantly reworking the dunes and beach to develop the best overall dune walkover designs. The Dune Science Group applies its expertise to help you develop the most protective and esthetically pleasing dune beach system and help get you and your guests access to the beach as conveniently as possible.
