Projects
New commercial projects are constantly being installed world-wide. The latest is in the Town of Hillsboro Beach in Florida on the Atlantic coast. More information on this project will follow
soon. In the meantime you can check an
article on the project in the leading South Florida newspaper.
One of the more recent project is a 7 mile project in the Netherlands completed in 2007. Check also the report from the 5 million $ project in Teluk Chempedak, Malaysia, successfully building and retaining a beach in front of the Hyatt Hotel.
Below you will find projects designed to deal with a number of coastal challenges. Scroll down and check the relevant projects.
| Purpose of project | Title |
| Test PEM on large scale and survey sea bottom | Skodbjerge, Denmark |
| Beach nourishment combined with PEM | Teluk Chempedak, Malaysia |
| Official test verified by a University | Old Skagen South, Denmark |
| Test if PEM work with groins | Old Skagen North, Denmark |
| Test if PEM work with breakwaters | Lonstrup, Denmark |
| Attract sand in a very tough environment | Accra Beach, Ghana, West Africa |
| Retain sand on artificial beach | Ribersborg Beach, Malmø, Sweden |
| Prevent bluff erosion | Maarup Church, Maarup, Denmark |
Skodbjerge, Denmark
Test of PEM on a large scale and survey of sea floor.
This is probably the world largest test of innovative beach erosion control technology. The total length is 7 miles of which half has PEM installed. Two independent university groups are supervising the project. The beach is surveyed from the top of the dune to several hundred feet into the sea. The modules were installed in January 2005. Results were visible with the naked eye after just two months.
Reports approved by all participating parties have not yet been published. Email us to get the approved reports as soon as they become available.
Click here to learn more about the Danish Coastal Environment (1.8 MB).
Teluk Chempedak, Malaysia
Beach nourishment combined with PEM
The PEM System was used to drain a beach in Malaysia in combination with beach nourishment. The normal lifetime of traditional beach nourishment on the location is approx. 3 years. The beach was pre-drained with PEM and sand was added. Another set of PEMs were installed on the nourished beach. Following a packing and stabilization period of 3-4 months during which the beach reached an equilibrium profile, the beach has remained stable, and the loss of sand is now less than 1% per year.
To see the latest report from the project click here.
Old Skagen South, Denmark
3-year official test
The official 3-year test was performed under supervision by a Project group headed by Professor Dr. Tech Hans Falk Burcharth, Ålborg University, Denmark.
The project group also consisted of the following:
Mr. Frede Jensen, State Forester, State Forestry North Jutland
Mr. Bjarke Jensen, Surveyor, North Jutland County
Mr. John Jensen, Engineer, M.Sc. The Danish Coastal Authorities
Mr. Poul O. Jørgensen, Engineer, M.Sc. Carl Bro Consulting Engineers A/S
Mr. Stig Trollebø, Danish Technological Institute, Innovation A/S
Mr. Poul Jakobsen, Managing Director, SIC Foundation
For a link to the consulting engineers, Carl Bro A/S please click www.carlbro.com
On average, the Test Area with PEM gained 8½ cu.yard per yard of shoreline after one year whereas all the other areas lost sand. The difference between the PEM area and the other areas remained stable over the 3-year test period.
On the graph below it is clear to see how the development takes place within the first few months.
After one year no further development occurred as shown in the graph above.
Please note station 1137, which is in the middle of the testing area and indicated in light blue. The gain in the middle was about 30 cu. yds. per shore yard.
The Danish version, as well as an unofficial English translation of Professor Hans F. Burcharth's report, can be obtained by contacting EcoShore International.
PEM versus groins
Old Skagen North was one of the first major test installations that challenged the established system of hard structures. As mentioned earlier, a hard structure may cause leeside erosion and with no suspended sand, the PEM will have limited effect. However, even in this case, the PEM produced a beach extending beyond the groins.
Testing period started:November 1997
Testing period ended: November 2001
Old Skagen North before installation (summer 1997)
Old Skagen North after installation of PEM (summer 1999)
The installation of PEMs result in the groins being surrounded by beach at Old Skagen North (summer 1999)
When the test period was over the PEM modules were removed and the beach turned back to normal. However the inventor forgot to remove one row of PEMs and where they stand the beach is still wide, as can be seen from the illustration below.
Old Skagen North. The PEMs have been removed except for one row and here the beach is still wide (summer 2002)
PEM versus breakwaters
Lønstrup is a small town on the West coast of Denmark with breakwaters South of the town. The PEM system was tested for a period of only 5 months from April to August 1999. In just 4 months, the breakwaters were surrounded by the beach.
Testing period started: April 1999,
Testing period ended:August 1999
Lønstrup in 1998 prior to test
PEM in operation in mid 1999
The same shore two years after removal of PEM
Looking south at the breakwaters after 4 months installation of PEM
The same area after removal of PEM
Accra Beach West Africa
Widening of beach
The PEM system was tested in Africa at one of the toughest sites in the world. Erosion of more than a meter over a 24 hour period is not uncommon. The result was convincing with an addition to the shore of 17.7 m3/m (21.2 yd3/yd), underlining the robustness of the PEM system.
Accra Beach 1999 before PEM installation
Accra Beach 2000
Ribersborg Beach, Malmø, Sweden
Retain sand on artificial beach
Ribersborg is the most popular beach in Malmø, Swedens largest town facing Øresund at the south. The beach was constructed years ago and every year in spring it was necessary to go to sea to bring back the sand that had disappeared.
In October 2001 the PEM system was installed, and only a few months later the beach had widened by several yards. Since then the system has been changed from a visible system to a submerged system, where the tubes are placed approx. a foot below the sand surface.
On the photo below taken after less than 2 months of PEM operation, it is clear to see how new sand has been added. This is more bright than the sand from previous beach nourishment nearer to the dune to the right. It is also possible to see how the new sand creates a convex shape near the water line.
Ribersborg Beach November 2001
When the extra sand in the swash zone has dried it is picked up by the wind and carried further inland. This builds a higher beach and mixes the sand particles so that color differences disappear as can be seen from the photo below, taken after one year of operation.
Ribersborg Beach October 2002
It is not just the beach that is influenced by the PEM system. The sea floor i raised too. The shape is not changed but you will get a parallel displacement. Typically you have to go out another 20-30 yds to find the same depth as before. The elevation of the sea floor and the beach can be seen on the graph below
Ribersborg Beach, elevation of beach and sea floor
The City of Malmø has been on national television declaring that the PEM system has provided them with a 4-5 yards wider beach but more importantly they do not have to go to sea every spring to fetch sand. Recently the contract has been renewed for another 3 year period.
You can obtain a copy of the tape by contacting EcoShore Int'l, Inc.
Maarup, Denmark
Prevent bluff erosion
Maarup Church is an historic site on the West Coast of Denmark, each year visited by thousands of tourists. Heavy bluff erosion of 4-5 yards per year meant the certain death of the 750 years old church and the antique furniture was removed. Locals who had learned about the PEM system sponsored an installation of PEM in front of the church in 1999.
By 2001 the beach had widened by almost 20 yards and increased in height. This protected the bluff to the extent that the bluff erosion was to reduced to 30 inches a year. In 2003 The Danish Minister of Environment ordered the furniture reinstalled, predicting the church would now survive for decades.
In 2004 the bluff was inspected by the authorities who concluded that the PEM tubes should stay for at least another 3 years, since no bluff erosion had taken place during the past two years. The height of the beach had increased by 5 ft. and this protected the bluff effectively. In spite of the successful preservation (!) the PEMs were removed early 2006. Shortly after the beach started to lose sand leaving the bluff vulnerable. By the end of 2006 big parts of the bluff fell down on the beach and it is now a matter of a few years before the church will fall down.
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