SOLVING SHORELINE
EROSION PROBLEMS BY PROVIDING EROSION PROTECTION: FAQs
Wave Dispersion Technologies,
Inc. ("WDT") developed the WhisprWave® floating breakwater
erosion protection and prevention technology to afford help stop erosion
problems at marinas, shoreline beaches, boat launches and private property
subject to destructive or annoying erosionary wave/wake forces. The modularity
and the flexibility of the WhisprWave® erosion control technology
led to discussions with the United States Navy ("USN"), United
States Coast Guard ("USCG") and various other government agencies
about developing custom maritime port security applications for Homeland
Defense, Force Protection and global marine port protection purposes.
1.
Q: How strong is the WhisprWave's® floating breakwater anchoring system?
A: The anchoring system is comprised of coastal marine grade time proven
chain and anchoring systems attached to the WhisprWave® floating breakwater
modules with stainless steel couplings. In coastal marine applications,
the anchoring system has demonstrated its capacity to withstand coastal
waves in storms with winds up to 80 knots (See
anchor loads). If necessary, the WhisprWave® can be engineered
to withstand even stronger forces. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
2.
Q: How effective is the WhisprWave® at dispersing waves and preventing
beach erosion?
A: In laboratory tests, the ¼-sized WhisprWave® floating breakwater
laboratory units demonstrated a transmission coefficient of 0.6 (dissipated
40% of the energy from waves). In actual "Real World" applications,
the full-sized WhisprWave® floating breakwater beach erosion solution
has proven to be even more effective. The WhisprWave® floating breakwater
erosion control system has been observed to have a transmission coefficient
of 0.1 (dissipated 90% of the energy from waves) for coastal waves with
periods of 5 seconds or less. The enhanced capabilities of the WhisprWave®
erosion control technology in the "Real World" are believed
to be the result of the stiffer rubber and stronger anchoring systems
of the full sized WhisprWave® products. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
3.
Q: What maintenance does the WhisprWave® beach erosion technology
solution require? What is the annual cost of maintenance? A: To this point, no WhisprWave® floating
breakwater erosion control product has required any maintenance. The only
optional maintenance expense has been the cleaning bill, which has only
required 2 men working one day per year for every 500 foot section. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
4.
Q: How quickly can the WhisprWave® floating breakwater be constructed
and installed on the coastline from order date? A: The WhisprWave® floating breakwater
erosion protection system can begin installation 45 days after all of
the necessary environmental permits have been obtained. Installation time
varies depending on the floating breakwater's structural size and the
number of anchors, but typically requires 2 - 3 weeks. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
5. Q: What regulations
must be observed and permits obtained to install the WhisprWave® erosion
protection floating breakwater? A: Obtaining environmental and other regulatory
permits is one of the biggest requirements for any WhisprWave® erosion
control installation. The fact that the WhisprWave® is a floating
breakwater and not a "hard structure" that sits on the ocean's
floor has helped substantially expedite the environmental permitting process.
The
USACE has determined that the WhisprWave's floating breakwater technology
is easily removable and thus can be permitted as a temporary breakwater.
Temporary devices require significantly less permitting requirements than
permanent "hard structures" (i.e. rubble breakwaters). Before
regulatory agencies will allow a marine system to be installed, they must
be convinced that it will have minimal environmental impact. Since the
WhisprWave® has been deemed to be environmentally friendly, it is
much easier to fulfill this requirement. Permit timing depends on the
State agency responsible for the installation, but typically requires
3-9 months to process. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
7.
Q: How beneficial is the WhisprWave® to marine ecosystems? A: The WhisprWave® is an environmentally
friendly device because it is a erosion control floating breakwater technology.
Marine ecosystems require fresh water with low levels of toxic pollutants.
Since the WhisprWave® is a floating breakwater marine erosion protection
system, it keeps pollutant levels low by allowing water to circulate.
EPA Marina Management Practices require marinas to be designed to allow
for maximum flushing of the water supply for the site. Adequate flushing
reduces the potential for the stagnation of water in a marina and helps
to maintain the biological productivity and reduce the potential for toxic
accumulation in bottom sediment. (EPA
Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Program) The WhisprWave® is also a
very stable marine system that does not leak toxins or break apart leaving
rubbish in the water. In addition to not polluting waterways, the WhisprWave®
also benefits marine ecosystems by acting as an artificial reef, providing
a safe habitat for fish, water foul, and seagulls. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
9. Q: Once
installed, how easily can the WhisprWave® floating breakwater erosion
control technology be modified? A: It is very easy to modify the WhisprWave®.
If the initial installation needs to be modified, the WhisprWave®
modular structure makes it reasonably easy to adjust. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
11. Q: How easy
is it to move the WhisprWave®? A: The WhisprWave® buoys can be easily
removed and relocated. The WhisprWave® maritime port security barriers
and floating breakwaters can also be moved in the water at a slow pace,
but are more difficult to physically remove from the water and relocate. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
12. Q: Do the
anchors ever require maintenance? A: The WhisprWave® can withstand any
weather condition up to its design limit. The company intentially over-engineers
WhisprWave® products to ensure their reliability, even if weather
conditions prove to be worse then initially anticipated. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
13.
Q: What differentiates the WhisprWave® from its erosion protection
competitors? A: The WhisprWave® is the only marine
grade modular erosion control floating breakwater / marine port security
barrier designed for ocean deployment. The WhisprWave® is also the
only floating breakwater erosion prevention technology capable of dissipating
a large variety of shoreline waves with different periods.
Competing floating
breakwaters can only dissipate waves with periods under two seconds, the
WhisprWave® erosion protection technology has been demonstrated to
dissipate waves with periods up to five seconds and is currently being
tested on waves up to ten seconds.
The WhisprWave®
is also superior at dissipating waves and stopping erosion problems associated
with ocean wave activity. While competing products have only been observed
to have transmission coefficients of up to 0.8 (dissipating 20% of the
energy from waves), the WhisprWave® has been observed to have a transmission
coefficient of 0.1 (dissipating 90% of the energy from waves).
Hard permanent structures
(rubble breakwaters) are the only competing breakwaters that can match
the WhisprWave's® durability and effectiveness. These erosion prevention
structures, however, have several drawbacks. Most significantly they disrupt
the natural ecosystem and are deemed by the regulatory agencies to be
environmentally unfriendly. Furthermor, they are significantly more expensive(as
much as 400% more then the WhisprWave), reflect erosionary waves instead
of dissipating them thus causing further erosion problems at nearby shorelines,
and pollute the protected areas by impeding water circulation. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
14.
Q: How much will my WhisprWave® installation cost? A: Given the flexibility and modularity
of the WhisprWave® technology, we need more details about your particular
installation in order to provide you with a cost estimate. Please complete
the attached information request form and
someone will contact you shortly. We sincerely appreciate your interest
in our erosion control technologies and maritime port security products. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
15. Q: How did you
get such high rankings in the Internet search engines for your web site? A: More than half of the business leads
that we have generated to date have come directly from the Internet. Understanding
that this is a crucial marketing channel for our product, we sought out
the assistance of a search engine optimization firm ("SEO")
to help us improve our search engine placement. We were very pleased with
Peak
Placement the firm that we used to help improve our search engine
positioning. Peak Placement can be reached at www.peakplacement.com,
248.458.6001 or info@peakplacement.com. TOP
- WhisprWave® Floating Breakwater Beach & Sand Erosion Control
Technologies FAQs
EROSION
PROTECTION ADVICE
A few closing thoughts
from the beach erosion protection specialists at WhisprWave®.
If you have a marina,
beach, boat launch or shoreline erosion problem that you have not been
able to solve, give WhisprWave® a call and let's talk about how we
can help stop the erosion problems that are adversely affecting your quality
of life.
You can contact WhisprWave®
via the following channels:
The
team at WhisprWave® is confident that we can help solve your erosion
problems, don't hesitate - CALL TODAY. WhisprWave® has the right erosion
control technology solution for you.
