[revised] V1-P6 A MOVABLE BARRIER FOR RAPID COASTAL PROTECTION

Rapid Deployment of Movable Coastal Barrier based on Screw pile and Caisson foundation (MCB-SC)

This project aims to develop a modular, movable coastal barrier that combines caisson foundations with screw piles, which are rotated rather than hammered into the seabed for rapid deployment on unprepared shorelines.

Most coastal barriers are permanent and slow to build. Conventional concrete seawalls take too long to construct for emergency use, while hammer-driven sheet piles create noise, vibration and seabed disturbance. These constraints limit how quickly stable protection can be deployed on an unprepared shoreline before a storm or for urgent repairs.

Research Approach

  • The research will investigate screw-pile installation and removal in challenging soils, their response to vertical and horizontal loads and whether installation torque can indicate load capacity in real time.
  • Tests of the complete barrier will assess how caissons, screw piles, upper structural elements and connections maintain stability, structural continuity and seepage resistance during construction, operation and removal.
  • Centrifuge and flume experiments, numerical simulations and analytical methods will evaluate waves, currents, extreme loads and associated scour.

Why This Matters

  • Offers a rapidly deployable option for emergency or seasonal coastal protection.
  • Supports temporary uses such as interim seawall repair and reinforcement before storm surges.
  • Allows the same modular concept to contribute to permanent new or raised seawalls where appropriate.
  • Reduces installation noise, vibration and seabed disturbance compared with driven sheet piles.

Meet the Team

Meet the team behind the Rapid Deployment of Movable Coastal Barrier based on Screw pile and Caisson foundation (MCB-SC) project.

D1_1330_Dr Rui Shengjie

Principal Investigator (PI):

Assistant Professor Rui Shengjie 
National University of Singapore,
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Design and Engineering 

Download CFI's project booklet for more information on each project
CFI Singapore Tranche 1 and 2

If you wish to reach out regarding a specific project, please email CFI Singapore at cfisg@nus.edu.sg