Oceanfront replenishment begins at Virginia Beach, Virginia

Beach replenishment works have begun at Virginia Beach, Virginia, to protect the oceanfront from storm-related damage.

With the last beach replenishment effort carried out in 2019, the City of Virginia Beach is following its beach replenishment implementation schedule of every five to seven years to protect and preserve coastline.

The Virginia Beach Oceanfront will remain open while beach replenishment is implemented throughout the new year.

Contractor Manson Construction will undertake the works. Mobilisation will last a month, after which the actual replenishment will commence. About 950,000 cubic yards (730,000 cubic metres) of sand will be deposited between 15th and 45th streets for completion in the resort area before moving onto Croatan Beach.

Replenishment sand will be transported from the Atlantic Ocean Channel offshore in Norfolk via a hopper dredger, through a submerged pipeline, and discharged on the beach. By depositing imported, beach-quality sand along the shoreline, beach replenishment can raise or expand a beach, while also directing the shoreline seaward.

Earth moving equipment will grade the beach into place, with a length between 300 feet (90 metres) and 500 feet (150 metres) completed each day, contingent on weather and equipment.

The primary function of beach replenishment is to provide storm damage reduction protection to safeguard the city’s pump stations, seawall, and commercial and residential property, along with other infrastructure that would be subject to flooding without such an environmental measure.