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Beach Prisms may be the answer to the age-old challenge of shoreline erosion.

After 18 years of product testing at more than 20 sites on Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers, Beach Prisms either slow the rate of shore erosion, stop erosion or reverse erosion by replenishing sand in front of and behind the Prisms, according to Smith-Midland Corp. of Midland, Va., the designer of the product. Nearly 7,500 tons of sand was replenished during the study.

Beach Prisms are permeable, precast concrete products that work by reducing the amount of energy of incoming waves before the waves reach the shoreline. Waves pass through the specially designed slots in the triangular 3- or 4-foot-tall, 10-foot-long structures.

The success of the installation is dependent on the prevailing wind in relation to the shoreline, the tides, the fetch and the availability of sand in the surf. They can be used for river- and bay-front properties as an alternative to traditional armor stone, groins and jetties. Beach Prisms are jointly permitted by state and federal agencies, including the Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers, says the company.

An engineering study was conducted at the Terrapin Nature Area on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The installations survived Hurricane Isabel with only minor dislocation.

Easi-Set Industries, a wholly owned subsidiary of Smith-Midland Corp., plans to license Beach Prisms to precast concrete producers worldwide. For more information, call (540) 439-3266, or visit www.smithmidland.com or www.beachprisms.com.

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