Abstract/project summary with coastal population density always growing and average annual temperatures projected to also increase, coastlines will likely experience stronger storm events and…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded the University of Miami $963,000 under the Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects program (CFDA 11.469) on March 1, 2025, with a completion date of February 29, 2028. This Project Grant supports the development and validation of the SeaHive system, a modular estuarine and marine protection technology designed to mitigate coastal hazards and infrastructure damage from tropical cyclones, hurricanes, and storm surge. The research builds upon earlier physical testing conducted at the University of Miami's Surge Structure Atmosphere Interaction (SUSTAIN) facility and leverages hexagonal unit design to maximize material efficiency while dissipating wave energy and reducing wave reflection—key advantages over traditional seawall structures.

The deliverables under this grant include continued hydrodynamic performance testing and validation of the SeaHive system across various configurations, with assessments based on water-level measurements, reflection coefficients, and wave-energy dissipation characteristics. The research will advance understanding of the system's effectiveness in coastal protection applications while supporting NOAA's mission to strengthen coastal resilience and environmental conservation. By demonstrating superior performance in wave energy dissipation compared to conventional rigid structures, this project contributes to the development of nature-compatible coastal defense infrastructure that protects both communities and marine biodiversity.

Abstract/project summary with coastal population density always growing and average annual temperatures projected to also increase, coastlines will likely experience stronger storm events and potentially more devastating disasters. These events include tropical cyclones and hurricanes, which bring extreme winds, rain, storm surge, and waves to the built environment and coastal infrastructure. Storm surge and wave action induce destructive forces to coastal communities that can result in loss of life, shoreline erosion, as well as structural damages to the built environment and infrastructure. Traditional shoreline protection structures like seawalls do not dissipate wave energy; they reflect waves creating more turbulent conditions which make sites and their surroundings more susceptible to damage. Moreover, they typically do not provide a hospitable environment for biodiversity. Seahive is a modular estuarine and marine protection system that was developed under the national cooperative highway research program (NCHRP). The systems development was based on physical testing at the university of miami (UM) surge structure atmosphere interaction (SUSTAIN) facility and morphological considerations. Considering the interlocking of hexagonal units and that they maximize the volume for a given amount of material similar to a beehive, hexagonal units were selected for the system design. The hydrodynamic performance of the seahive system conducted on the basis of the water-level measurements as they allow to characterize the performance of the system through estimates of wave reflection and wave-energy dissipation. The comparison of the reflection coefficient between a vertical seahive system model with a solid vertical wall model revealed that the seahive system model decreases significantly wave reflection while also dissipating more energy. Tests conducted on horizontal seahive system configurations revealed that the system performs also well in other contexts from riprap to submerged breakwater/reef applications. This project focuses on the industrial production and deployment of the seahive technology. Seahive has a technology readiness level (TRL) of 8 out of 9, and, once its industrialization process is attained, IT will be ready for full implementation in south florida and beyond. For this reason, six field installations will be identified over the course of the project duration. The installations will be CO-funded in order to make them possible and provide an opportunity for the full recognition of this technology. Among the possible methods to be used for the manufacturing of seahive units, this project will solely focus on drycast concrete technology using fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) external wrapping. Drycast is a cost-effective way to produce large quantities of standard geometry concrete products. In fact, the manufacturing system needed for the industrial production of seahive can also be used without alterations for manufacturing ultra-thin-concrete pipes that can economically replace and outperform corrugated plastic pipes that are manufactured out-of-state and currently dominate the market.