Students Tour Rossall Sea Defenses

Students and lecturers from the School of Engineering at the University of Central Lancashire have visited Rossall to see the work being done on the to sea defenses.

Wyre Council is replacing two kilometers of defenses from Rossall Hospital to Rossall Point in a £63 million coastal defense scheme that will protect 7,500 properties from the risk of flooding.

325,000 tonnes of rock armor are being used to create the base of the defenses, to weather the harsh conditions on this exposed part of the coastline and allow the beach to build up in the area.

Between the rock revetment and the promenade, specially manufactured precast concrete is being used to form a stepped revetment to break the waves. The promenade will look similar in design to Cleveleys.

Chris Pye, Senior Lecturer in Building Surveying, said: “Site visits are an important part of the learning strategy for these degree programs as they help to reinforce what is taught in lectures as well as expose students to a working construction site environment which they may not have experienced before.”

“The Rossall coastal defense scheme is also unique in its design and implementation as all coastal defense schemes are designed to suit local site conditions, so having this virtually on our doorstep is too good an opportunity to miss.”

To date around 150,000 tonnes of rock have been placed in both the lower revetment and groynes. Over 1300 meters of steel piles have been installed, 300 precast concrete units including access steps, wave walls and revetment units are in place and 226,000 tonnes of rock have been imported.

The Fylde Peninsula Coastal Program (FPCP) is a partnership between Wyre Council, Blackpool Council, Fylde Council and the Environment Agency. FPCP successfully secured £86 million from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to fund improvements to sea defenses at Rossall and Anchorsholme.

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