Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers (51, PT. 1)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1878 Excerpt: ...miles long, and the average loss at a breadth of 2 yards of land per annum, the amount of material travelling towards the Humber would be about 7,000,000 tons per annum. The Author believes that this plays a far greater part in the present condition of the Humber than the alluvium brought down by the land water of its tributary rivers. It has been suggested that a pier near Kilnsea would be the best remedy for preventing this enormous amount of material from entering the Humber; but if this were constructed the Author is of opinion that the effect would only be partial; for whilst such a pier would stop the travel of the shingle, and cause it to accumulate for a time locally, its influence would not extend beyond 2 or 3 miles northward, and the great bulk of the coast towards the north would still go on wasting and keep up a constant supply of matter in suspension, and the travelling beach would ultimately round the end of the pier and find its way into the Humber. In the opinion of the Author a thorough system of groynes along the whole of this coast would be the most efficient method of protection, as the groynes would not only intercept the travelling shingle and prevent it finding its way into the Humber, but would effectually cut off the supply of alluvial matter, which is conveyed in suspension into the Humber, by protecting the cliffs from the ravages of the sea. Such a system, if commenced at or near the Spurn and proceeded with towards the north, by erecting groynes at intervals of 300 to 400 yards, would secure for the whole of this exposed coast a permanent and sufficient beach. If these groynes were each 300 to 400 feet in length, the cost would be approximately 1 10. per lineal yard of protected coast; and, presuming that the whole...