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News Contracts signed for the construction of the surf reef
Bournemouth Borough Council has today contracted New Zealand-based ASR Ltd to construct the first artificial surf reef in the northern hemisphere in Boscombe
by Jo Mountain
12/05/2008:// The contract is performance-based, to ensure the reef will perform to pre-stated standards. The contract also requires the reef to be completed by 31st December 2008 at the latest. The core construction period will be July-October and the estimated completion date remains the end of October, depending on weather conditions.
Councillor Stephen MacLoughlin, Leader of Bournemouth Borough Council says: “The deal has been done to bring the long-awaited surf reef to Boscombe to revive the area. It will be the most innovative sports and tourist attraction in the South. The public can be assured that the reef will definitely be completed at the latest by the end of this year. ASR Ltd had previously been commissioned as designers of the reef and will now use their expert knowledge in this highly complex marine construction project to achieve the performance requirements specified by the Council.”
The first delivery of construction materials, which includes the webbing base and the first consignment of geo-textile bags, is due to arrive in Southampton Docks in late June. The bags will then be transported to an undisclosed area in Dorset where they will be assembled onto the webbing base at a harbour-side location. They will then be loaded onto a barge for deployment at the Boscombe site.
Nick Behunin, Managing Partner of, ASR Ltd says: “We are pleased to be introducing Europe’s first artificial surfing reef as part of the Boscombe regeneration plan. We believe our ground-breaking technology will be integral in increasing tourism to the area. It’s exciting to see how Bournemouth Council is going further than the other destinations in the world where we have built surf reefs, with significant additional investment in the infrastructure and facilities surrounding the reef. The regeneration of Boscombe, with the revitalisation of the Pier, Overstrand and new surfing facilities, restaurants and shops are really transforming Boscombe into an exciting surfing destination in the UK.”
Why is the project so dependant on weather conditions? Because the construction of the reef takes place in the surf zone and requires the use of heavy machinery and specialised equipment, the construction window is highly dependant on weather conditions. Specially trained SCUBA-divers will be working in shallow water (3-6 metres) when deploying the reef. If sea conditions are too choppy it will becomes difficult to work. Visibility can also be very poor during these conditions, making it too hazardous to continue. This has been factored into the construction timetable.
When will the visual action take place? The most visual aspect for the media will be the deploying of the sections of the reef at the Boscombe site. This is estimated to begin to take place in mid-July and continue for a 90-day period.
How will the reef work? The reef works exactly like a natural reef in the ocean, creating a seabed profile that will shape the sea’s natural wave energy into well-formed surfing waves. The reef cannot create swell or wave energy and does not generate waves. It will only work in swell conditions of 0.5 metres and above. For example, if the sea is calm and flat, the reef will have no effect whatsoever. If the sea has a swell of 1 metre, the reef can focus this swell into waves of up to 2 metres, dependant on the type of swell. The primary impact of the reef will not be to increase the size of the waves, but to improve their quality. Existing conditions in Boscombe often lead to very short rides. When the reef is completed, the ride length will increase significantly.
What’s happening down at Boscombe? The construction of the reef will be an exciting tourist attraction as people can watch the activity from the beach. The building of the surf reef has been planned to take place over the summer months, as ideal calm weather conditions are essential. The reef is made from 55 large geo-textile bags, which will be pumped hard with sand.
To help facilitate this, 15,000m3 of extra material was procured separately for the reef and delivered as part of the 2007 beach replenishment. It was placed between the Honeycombe Beach development and near Manor Steps. As a result of the delay in achieving the granting of the FEPA licence, which has delayed construction of the reef, some of that material was lost over the winter period. The recent beach replenishment ‘top up’ allowed for some more material to be procured in the most competitive way but it meant delivery was limited to the Portman Ravine area. This is now being moved to the area next to the reef construction site. The sand movement is taking place overnight to avoid disruption to beach users and beach hut tenants. There will be no activity or machinery moving during the day and there will be access to the beach throughout the day.
Some lengths of orange plastic safety netting have been placed within the existing promenade railings around Portman Ravine and between groynes 23 to 26. This netting is extended at night to cover access points down onto the sand in order to provide a safe working area for the tractors and trailers to transfer the sand. The netting is being removed each morning from the access points onto the beach.
People will have easy access to the beach during the day throughout this work period, which is expected to take up to three weeks. We hope that people appreciate that this temporary work will make Boscombe one of the most innovative and exciting beaches in the UK, and will provide the perfect viewpoint to watch the construction of the first artificial surf reef in the northern hemisphere.
The majority of the reef construction work will take place out to sea. However about one third of the groyne area in front of the Overstrand complex will be used as a compound for the pumping of sand from the beach to the reef site. The sand for the reef will be harvested outside normal beach visitor hours
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