Seawall

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A seawall is a form of hard coastal defence constructed on the inland part of a coast to reduce the effects of strong waves and are built in the water.

In Britain, "sea wall" also means an earth bank used to create a polder – a dike.

Seawalls may be constructed from a variety of materials: most commonly, they are constructed of reinforced concrete, boulders, steel, or wire cages filled with pebbles. Additional seawall construction materials include: vinyl, wood, aluminum and fiberglass composite. Poorly designed seawalls require constant maintenance, as the waves can constantly attack the base of the seawall. Seawalls can be expensive to build, costing between £50 to £1000 ($75-$1500) per metre. Modern concrete sea walls tend to be curved to deflect the wave energy back out to sea, reducing the force.