Dyke and Seawall Construction

This chapter uses a previous study in Shanghai Port, China, to summarize our current understanding about hydrodynamics and sediment transport in response to the dyke and seawall constructions in these coastal environments. The study utilizes both in-situ data as well as numerical modelling to illustrate the dynamic response to these anthropogenic activities. The case study shows that the constraining effect of the seawalls and the deepened channel increases the downstream flow, which moves the estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) offshore. However, the seawall construction failed to stop the non-local sediment intrusion, as the constraining effect also intensifies the upstream flow.