ARTIFICIAL NOURISHMENT OF COPACABANA BEACH

Abstract

Results concerning the artificial nourishment of Copacabana Beach (Brazil) with sand are described. The beach, 4.2 km long, was formerly about 55 m wide. After an artificial nourishment with 3-5 million cm. of sand, a mean width of about l^t-0 m was reached. From that total of sand, 2.0 million cm. were dumped offshore and the remaining amount stockpiled on the foreshore. Prototype and model results agree quite well. Comments are made on the efficacy of the offshore dumping method and recommendations concerning its use in future cases are presented.