Jon Guerry Taylor & Associates, Inc.

The Garden City beach area of Georgetown County, SC had a system of timber groins that had deteriorated over a period of 30 years such that they were no longer functional. Jon Guerry Taylor & Associates was charged with the task of evaluation of the existing groins, determining the stable beach erosion profile and developing a program for replacement and/or modification of the groins. Georgetown County required that the consultant obtain necessary permits and to design the new groin facility. Jon Guerry Taylor & Associates conducted a study to determine a stable slope after beach renourishment. A new technically sensitive groin was proposed to follow the stable slope in such a manner that it would hold sand at that slope and then once this was realized, it would then allow sand to bypass the structure in the normal cycle of beach sand movement. The structure is a dual wall aluminum sheet pile short cofferdam with stainless steel bolts and reinforced concrete cap. Steel sheet pile were proposed as alternatives, however the bidding of these alternates produced higher costs. The groins were extended waterward at the proposed stable grade in order to function at all normal tide levels, seasonal changes and weather conditions. The project was also coordinated with a concurrent Corps of Engineers beach renourishment project.

Completed Groin

Completed Groin Holding Sand