ECOncrete and the Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria (IHCantabria) have completed a dedicated physical model testing campaign for Coastalock 2.0, marking a key milestone in the development of ECOncrete's next-generation single-layer coastal armor unit. The results will be presented jointly at the XVIII Jornadas Españolas de Ingeniería de Costas y Puertos in Huelva, 13–14 May 2026.
Coastalock 1.0, introduced in 2021, was the first single-layer armor unit designed with ecological criteria from the ground up. Deployed at the Port of San Diego and monitored over more than three years, with its hydraulic stability independently validated, it is a proven product.
Coastalock 2.0 is the direct result of that accumulated learning, from physical model analyses, field monitoring data, and direct observation of how the units perform and colonise in real conditions. The evolutionary step forward optimises the geometry to reduce material volume and increase layer porosity, improving hydraulic performance, constructability, and cost efficiency, and extends the ecological functionality to support a broader range of intertidal and submerged habitats, including sheltered pools for juvenile organisms and fry, with placement orientations that can be adapted to site conditions.
To assess the hydraulic stability of the new design, IHCantabria conducted a 2D physical model testing campaign in its Wave-Current-Tsunami flume (CoCotsu), one of Europe's leading maritime engineering research installations. The 56-metre wave flume allowed precise reproduction of irregular wave conditions. Tests were carried out at 1:18 scale across three wave steepness values and wave heights from 2.8 m to 6 m at prototype scale, evaluating hydraulic stability, run-up, and wave reflection. The campaign also tested multiple unit placement orientations, providing quantitative design criteria for the range of habitat configurations the unit supports.
The findings establish the hydraulic and structural credentials of Coastalock 2.0, providing the evidence base engineers need as the unit moves toward deployment. They will be presented jointly by IHCantabria and ECOncrete at the Jornadas Españolas de Ingeniería de Costas y Puertos 2026, Huelva, 13–14 May.