The Toe Structures Management Manual – A New Practical Guide

The new Toe Structures Management Manual provides those responsible for flood defences, coastal erosion protection structures and other coastal structures with practical guidance on how to determine, monitor, assess and mitigate for the effects of toe scour. This paper provides practitioners with a whistle-stop tour through the new manual, highlighting some of the new guidance and techniques contained within it.

Scour, in coastal engineering projects, can be defined as “the removal, by hydrodynamic forces, of erodible bed material in the vicinity of coastal structures”. This distinguishes scour from more general erosion. A reflecting structure, perhaps a seawall, can contribute to the cause of scour. Scour that affects coastal structures can lead to partial damage, or in extreme cases, complete failure of the structure. A comprehensive survey published by CIRIA1 concluded that scour at the toe represented the most prevalent and serious form of damage to seawalls in the UK. Toe scour is a serious and costly problem – moreover, it is one which is not limited to any particular environment nor generally to any particular type of seawall.