Seawall Alternatives: TrapBags as Shoreline Protection

What Is a Seawall?

Between the planning and development of essential infrastructure to the preservation of the environment to the maintaining of the economy, there is a lot of effort, time, and money that goes into creating and sustaining a thriving community. 

Coastal regions require durable protection from the rising water levels of oceans, lakes, and rivers. Seawalls are a form of shoreline and property protection that mitigate the destructive properties of flooding. 

While traditional forms of seawalls are extremely costly and difficult to install, TrapBag barriers are an incredibly reliable, deployable, affordable seawall alternative that work to protect both the environment and surrounding community. 

Uses of TrapBag as a Seawall Alternative 

Shoreline protection is necessary in preventing erosion and flooding for commercial coastal properties and surrounding municipalities. There are many ways that TrapBag barriers can be an effective seawall alternative, as they can:

• Prevent coastal erosion: Without some sort of protection, the rhythmic crashing waves can eat away at a beach or land embankment. Shoreline barriers are necessary for maintaining the integrity of the land.
• Protect infrastructure: Highways and roadways, bridges, electrical systems, and methods of public transportation are all at risk of damage or collapse in the event of extreme flooding. Investing in a durable flood barrier that blocks and redirects water from these costly and important structures provides peace of mind with rising sea levels and more frequent natural disasters. 
• Maintaining the economy: Erosion of the land decreases property values, which can be devastating to a growing community. Easily deployable TrapBags prevent erosion, helping to keep property values intact even after a natural disaster.
• Shield construction sites: Many construction sites require dry ground to proceed with structural work or excavation—the timeline can be substantially set back if flooded. TrapBag barriers can protect a site from flooding, saving the investors and crew a huge amount of time and money. 
• Preserve the local ecosystem: When flooding occurs, animals, plants, and necessary pillars of an environment, like sand dunes and wetlands, are endangered. TrapBag flood barriers protect the ecological community from devastation when utilized as a seawall alternative.
• Mitigate debris flow: Storm surges and hurricanes create quickly moving floods, which pick up all sorts of damaging debris along their path. TrapBags prevent this waste from littering and contaminating the community by blocking and diverting the path of a flood.

Traditional Seawall Construction

Traditional types of seawalls are often made out of steel, concrete, or boulders. Though these may seem efficient, the installation of these methods can be counterintuitive and increase erosion. For example, to be installed, sheet pile seawalls are hammered into the earth. This weakens the ground, leading to erosion. The heavy machinery needed to construct concrete and boulder seawalls is costly and disruptive to the environment. 

In addition to being more difficult and expensive to build, these traditional methods of seawall take a significant amount of time to be constructed. If an area expecting a flood presently lacks a seawall, steel, concrete, or heavy rocks will not be able to be quickly placed. 

TrapBags, conversely, are very simple to install and can be done rapidly in case of emergency. They are also more affordable, cutting out the costs associated with renting and operating heavy machinery.

TrapBags as a Seawall Alternative

TrapBags can be utilized as a better solution on projects where permanent and temporary seawalls are required, as they can be used for:

• Flood protection: Whether you are preparing for hurricanes, storm surges, or accounting for rising sea levels, TrapBag barriers offer long-lasting protection from the damaging effects of floods.
• Erosion control: Natural disasters like hurricanes and tsunamis can destroy beach frontage and other expensive property, impacting the habitability and tourism of a coastal community. TrapBags help to slow down and prevent erosion, maintaining the environment and livelihood of a city. 
• Dams/dikes/levees: These various configurations of flood control direct water away from vulnerable areas. Like dams, dikes hold water back, but only have water on one side, preventing fragile earth like farmland or roadways from being underwater. 
• TrapBag fabric forming system: TrapBags can be filled with sand, washed gravel, or concrete. When filled with the latter, after they are hardened, the external TrapBag material can be removed, leaving a permanent seawall solution.

Advantages of TrapBags

There are many benefits of using TrapBag barriers as a seawall application, as they are:

• Rapidly deployable: While being prepared well ahead of a flooding event is always preferred, there are instances where that is not possible. TrapBags are a quick and effective way to construct a seawall barrier in case of emergency. 
• Cost effective: The oceans are rising, and coastal areas are in need of protection. It is projected that by 2040, seawalls to protect the U.S. could cost $416 billion. TrapBag can significantly reduce costs due to the ease of installation and requiring less fill material than traditional methods.
• Available in a variety of sizes: As water levels increase, TrapBags can be stacked upon other TrapBags or even existing seawalls to achieve a greater height.
• Strong structure: Because of their interconnected design, TrapBags are leakproof, an important quality for a flood barrier. 
• Made of durable material: TrapBags’ high strength geotextile material holds up against all types of debris.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Effective Are TrapBags as Seawalls Alternatives?

Seawalls can be effective at reducing erosion of the protected area, though the waves they block are deflected elsewhere, leading to a different form of erosion. As TrapBags are easily deployable; when filled with sand or washed rock, they offer shoreline protection that can be adjusted if necessary based on energy deflection. 

What Is the Cost of TrapBag Barriers as a Seawall Alternative?

While this varies with the amount of barrier required, TrapBag offers a much more cost-effective solution in comparison to options like concrete seawalls, steel seawalls, and boulder seawalls, all of which include hefty installation costs due to requiring heavy machinery. 

How Long Do TrapBags Last in Comparison with a Seawall?

After being deployed, TrapBags can last as an effective form of shoreline protection for at least five years. They offer both temporary and permanent solutions when utilized as a seawall alternative.

Use TrapBags for Protective Seawalls

When it comes to keeping your community and infrastructure safe, TrapBag barriers are the most durable, versatile, and cost-effective solution. Send us a message today to learn more about how TrapBags can benefit to you, or begin placing your order now.