SOME ASPECTS OF SHORE PROTECTION IN BOSTON HARBOR

Abstract

At the end of World War II, the newly created Port of Boston Authority was faced with embarking upon an extensive belated shore protection program. The funds for the projects were approved by the State Legislature based on pre-war estimates and with the proviso that the affected town or city must pay an equal amount towards the total cost of such work. In the face of rising costs of labor and materials, it was obvious that appropriations were inadequate to permit construction of the proposed seawalls unless a more economical type could be found. This was primarily the reason, along with a natural desire to gain more knowledge and obtain basic design criteria, that the Authority made a comprehensive study of existing shore structures along the Atlantic coast.