Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Innovative and versatile coastal protection structures made of Geotextile Sand Containers (GSCs) are increasingly being incorporated into coastal management solutions because of their cost effective and environmentally friendly characteristics. This is as opposed to conventional ‘hard’ coastal protection solutions that utilise rocks and or concrete units to protect the coastline. With GSC structures being a relatively new coastal protection solution, few design and construction guidelines are available. Research into the behaviour of GSC structures under wave attack is on-going with particular emphasis on the hydraulic processes that affect GSC structures and cause them to fail. The use of GSC revetments as coastal protection solutions has become more popular in South Africa during recent times, particularly along the coastline of KwaZulu-Natal. However, the chosen design of these GSC revetments falls outside the range of applicability of the available design charts and stability equations. Therefore the hydraulic stability of these structures is largely unknown. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effect of structure slopes and packing arrangements on the hydraulic stability of GSC revetments. The application of available design charts and stability equations was also evaluated. Two-dimensional physical modelling was undertaken and a total of 12 GSC revetment permutations were tested during the physical modelling test series. The results of the physical modelling showed that the structure slope had the most significant effect on the hydraulic stability. Steeper structure slopes were more hydraulically stable than gentler structure slopes. The packing arrangements of the GSCs had less of an effect on the hydraulic stability of the GSC revetments. Single layer GSC armour revetments matched or out-performed the equivalent double layer GSC revetments; while GSC revetments with GSCs orientated with the long axis perpendicular to the wave attack performed marginally better than the equivalent GSC revetments with GSCs orientated with the long axis parallel to the wave attack. The available design charts and stability equations were assessed against the results of the physical modelling and showed varying degrees of correlation. The stability equation proposed by Recio (2007) proved to be particularly accurate. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Innoverende en veelsydige kusbeskermingstrukture wat van geotekstielsandhouers (GSH’s) gemaak is, word al hoe meer by kusbestuursoplossings ingesluit weens die kostedoeltreffendheid en omgewingsvriendelike aard daarvan. Dít is in teenstelling met konvensionele ‘harde’ kusbeskermingsoplossings, wat van rotse en/of betoneenhede gebruik maak om die kuslyn te beskerm. Aangesien GSH-strukture ’n betreklik nuwe kusbeskermingsoplossing is, is weinig ontwerp- en konstruksieriglyne beskikbaar. Navorsing oor die werkverrigting van GSH-strukture onder golfaanslag duur voort, met bepaalde klem op die hidrouliese prosesse wat GSH-strukture beïnvloed en die werking daarvan benadeel. Die gebruik van GSH-bedekte hellings as kusbeskermingsoplossings het in die laaste tyd al hoe gewilder geword in Suid-Afrika, veral langs die kus van KwaZulu-Natal. Tog val die gekose ontwerp van hierdie GSH-bedekte hellings buite die toepaslikheidsbestek van die beskikbare ontwerpriglyne en stabiliteitsvergelykings. Die hidrouliese stabiliteit van hierdie strukture is dus grotendeels onbekend. Die hoofoogmerk van hierdie studie was om ondersoek in te stel na die effek van struktuurhellings en pakformasies op die hidrouliese stabiliteit van GSH-bedekte hellings. Die toepaslikheid van beskikbare ontwerpriglyne en stabiliteitsvergelykings is ook geëvalueer. Tweedimensionele fisiese modellering is onderneem en altesaam 12 GSH-bedekte hellings is gedurende die fisiese-modelleringstoetsreeks getoets. Die resultate van die fisiese modellering toon dat die struktuurhelling die beduidendste effek op hidrouliese stabiliteit het. Steiler struktuurhellings was hidroulies meer stabiel as platter hellings. Die pakformasies van die GSH’s blyk ’n kleiner effek op die hidrouliese stabiliteit van die GSH-bedekte hellings te hê. GSH-bedekte hellings wat met ’n enkele laag GSH’s versterk is, het ewe goed of beter presteer as die keermure met ’n dubbele laag GSH’s, terwyl GSH-bedekte hellings met die lang-as van die GSH’s loodreg op die rigting van die golfaanslag effens beter presteer het as dié met die lang-as parallel met die golfaanslag. Die beskikbare ontwerpriglyne en stabiliteitsvergelykings is geëvalueer aan die hand van die resultate van die fisiese modellering, en het ’n wisselende mate van korrelasie getoon. Veral die stabiliteitsvergelyking van Recio (2007) blyk besonder akkuraat te wees.