Port of San Diego Coastal Protection
Harbor Island, Port of San Diego
March 2021 – March 2023
Shoreline Protection: COASTALOCK Single Layer Interlocking Coastal Protection System
The Goal
Replacing traditional riprap with armor fit for the Port’s future: effective, efficient, and climate-adapted.
The Challenge
We all depend on seaports for the global trade they facilitate. The Port of San Diego needs structural solutions that enable them to fulfill their responsibilities: not only protecting port assets, but also adapting to climate change, and delivering co-benefits for the economy, public, and environment.
How we built it
ECOncrete worked with the Port to design a single layer armor unit that provides structural support and native habitat to rock riprap: The Coastalock. ECOncrete guided the casting and installation to support a smooth deployment. The units were placed in two sections, putting local contractors to work during COVID-19. The units were rotated to mimic tidepool and cave habitats for local marine life.
Biological monitoring showed a rapid colonization of a diverse ecosystem not found in adjacent rock rip-rap. The Port is currently working with ECOncrete to install 1,000 additional feet of coastal protection.
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