Erosion control and bulkhead apparatus

A method of erosion control for controlling erosion at a shoreline next to a seabed, comprising the steps of:

• a) placing a plurality of concrete bodies along a shoreline to be protected from erosion, each of the concrete bodies having a lower end portion with a smaller cross section, an upper end portion with a larger cross section having a height and a width wherein the width is at least equal to one half the height or is greater than the height;
• b) the concrete bodies each include a transition section that joins the upper and lower end portions, the concrete bodies being in a partially embedded position that places all of the lower end portion of each concrete body in the seabed, and the transition section is positioned next to the seabed, the upper end portion being an exposed portion of the concrete body that extends above the seabed and spans vertically between a position next to the seabed and a position that is next to the waterline, each upper end portion having front and rear surfaces;
• c) wherein each concrete body is closely positioned to an adjacent concrete body by butting a side of the upper end portion of one concrete body with the side of the upper end portion of another of said concrete bodies;
• d) wherein a plurality of the concrete bodies have one or more flow opening positioned above the seabed and in between the front and rear surfaces;
• and
• e) positioning the opening above the seabed so that wave action near the shoreline can communicate with the opening to allow accretions to pass through the opening.

A method of erosion control for controlling erosion at a shoreline next to a seabed that has an underlying soil and/or sand mass, comprising the steps of:

• a) placing a plurality of concrete bodies along a shoreline to be protected from erosion, wherein each concrete body is closely positioned to an adjacent concrete body, each of the concrete bodies comprising:
• i) a lower section having a height and a width;
• ii) an upper section having a front surface, a rear surface, a height and a width, wherein the width is about equal to or greater than the height, said upper sections of at least some of the concrete bodies having one or more flow channel openings that enable water flow to pass through the concrete body via the openings at a position above the seabed;
• iii) a tapered transition section that joins the upper and lower sections, the transition section including a pair of laterally extending surfaces that extend in opposing lateral directions between the top of the lower section and the bottom of the upper section, all or most of each of said laterally extending surfaces being embedded in the soil and/or sand mass under the seabed;
• b) positioning each of the concrete bodies into a partially embedded position that places all of the lower end portion of each concrete body in the seabed and at least a majority of the transition section in the seabed, and wherein a majority of the upper section extends above the seabed to span between a position next to the seabed and a position next to the water surface;
• c) wherein a plurality of the concrete bodies have one or more flow openings positioned above the seabed each extending in between the front and rear surfaces;
• and
• d) positioning the opening above the seabed so that wave action near the shoreline can communicate with the opening to allow accretions to pass through the opening.

A method of erosion control for controlling erosion at a shoreline next to a seabed, comprising the steps of:

• a) placing a plurality of concrete bodies along a shoreline to be protected from erosion, each of the concrete bodies having a lower end portion with a smaller cross section, an upper end portion with a larger cross section having a height and a width wherein the width is at least equal to one half the height or is greater than the height;
• b) the concrete bodies each include a transition section that joins the upper and lower end portions, the concrete bodies being in a partially embedded position that places all of the lower end portion of each concrete body in the seabed, and the transition section is positioned next to the seabed, the upper end portion being an exposed portion of the concrete body that extends above the seabed and spans vertically between a position next to the seabed and a position that is next to the waterline;
• c) wherein each concrete body is closely positioned to an adjacent concrete body by butting a side of the upper end portion of one concrete body with the side of the upper end portion of another of said concrete bodies;
• d) providing openings through at least some of the concrete bodies extending from the front to the rear surface and at a position in between the seabed and the waterline;
• e) enabling accretions to flow through the openings and accumulate behind the concrete bodies.