An Effective and Affordable Conservation System
That
Protects
Against Coastal, Canal and Riverbank Erosion
A East Coast Low weather event in May-June 2016 battered the east coast of Australia with big seas, heavy rain and strong winds. The resultant damage to landscape and property was serious.
Rock walls had been installed to protect beachside properties from the seas.
They failed dismally to withstand the force of the waves and metres of beach frontage were lost and buildings threatened with collapse.
Collaroy Surf Club May 2016Australian Coastal Walls (ACW) has developed an interlocking concrete retaining sandcell block system for combating beach and canal erosion and riverbank collapse. The original design, used successfully overseas for over 30 years, has been adapted by ACW for Australian conditions.
ACW sandcell blocks are Australian designed. They interlock and have the ability to absorb wave impact and disperse water by draining it through the wall structure. Each sandcell block weighs 70kgs and they can be vegetated and coloured to blend with the local environment.
ACW sandcell block walls should not be likened to rock walls. They are quite different. The interlocking system prevents water from attacking the stabilized substrate behind the wall and, being interlocked, the blocks are not subject to being dispersed by big seas as are rock walls. The system is far safer to traverse and more user-friendly than rock walls.
ACW interlocking geo-block wall
Collapsed rock wallOur ACW product has been tested by Manly Hydraulic Laboratories, a division of Public Works Dept NSW Govt, and has been assessed to be able to cope with a“One in a Hundred Year Event.”
Features and Benefits of the ACW Geo-Block beach protection system
Interlocking concrete block coastal conservation systems from ACW are
strong and stable and able to withstand erosion even in extreme weather conditions
low maintenance and long lived, a cost effective solution to combating coastal and waterway erosion
flexible in design and can incorporate pedestrian stairways and ramps - cost-effective versatility
able to be coloured to match the surrounding environment so are aesthetically attractive and environmentally appealing
designed to be planted to look good and to encourage re-vegetation of land
displacement resistant, unlike rock walls that can shift and create trip hazards or be vandalised
resistant to deterioration unlike geotextile bags that are subject to traffic damage, vandalism and ultra-violet rays and can become hazards for marine life
superior to rock walls and geotextile bags for safety, stability and longevity
used successfully overseas for over 30 years - they are a proven effective solution for combating erosion.
Australian-designed and manufactured
Examples
![]()
![]()
Margate South Africa before remediation work and after
![]()
Durban stormwater outlet showing severe erosion and after remediation work using an interlocking concrete block system
![]()
Durban beach showing the natural shoreline subject to erosion from waves and water and after the construction of a wall using an interlocking concrete block system
Durban Beach, 30 years after installation of the wall