CoreRFID tags beach pebbles to support research project

By Tim Aldred

30 Aug 2023

CoreRFID Coastal Partners

CoreRFID is supporting a research project by individually tagging pebbles on beaches along the south coast, which will allow their movement to be monitored.

The ‘tracer pebbles’, which contain RFID tags supplied by the Skelmersdale-based firm, are being used to track sediment as it moves along the shoreline under wave action. The results provide a powerful tool to aid beach management decisions and the design of coastal defence schemes.

The system was developed over 10 years ago by Coastal Partners, which manages flood and erosion risk on behalf of five local authorities on the south coast. The organisation has carried out over ten studies to date and now has over 9,500 pebbles deployed at a range of different sites.

A year-long study at West Bay in Dorset has recently been completed, with the results now being analysed, while a new study has begun at Selsey, near Chichester where 400 tracer pebbles have been deployed.

Tracers consist of pebbles taken from the beach, drilled by a water jet and fitted with an RFID tag. They are then positioned along a stretch of coastline, and their location logged using GPS. Team members carry out regular surveys by walking the beach with a specialist RFID scanner which bleeps each time a tag is detected and automatically logs its ID number and GPS position. The data can then be uploaded, analysed and displayed in various different formats.

The pebbles contain passive RFID tags without a battery so they can be left in the field for long periods, and with a detection range of up to 1m. On average 72 per cent of tags are detected over a two-week period, with more than 95 per cent of all tags detected more than once.

Beach management is vital wherever erosion poses a risk to lives or property. Traditionally aerial photography and topographic data have been used to identify movement but the data can be limited. 

Emma Harris, a scientist with Coastal Partners, says: “By measuring the profile of a beach, we can see that material is being lost, and where it needs to be replaced, but we can’t see where it is going to. The beauty of using tracer pebbles is that we see the direction in which material is being transported and how fast. It’s another piece of the jigsaw and gives us a better understanding of what’s going on.”

Coastal Partners had originally sourced tags from overseas but following Brexit, decided to look for a UK supplier. CoreRFID recommended encapsulated, low frequency glass tags that were compatible with their existing readers, able to survive harsh environmental conditions and whose size and shape made it easy to insert them into pebbles. 

Richard Harrison of CoreRFID said: “Coastal Partners has developed a novel and cost-effective system that has been extremely effective in providing the data they need to help prevent coastal erosion and safeguard lives and property.

“RFID’s ability to identify and track individual items offers huge scope for creative applications, whether it is pebbles on a beach or items on a production line. By incorporating RFID into existing systems, it can help businesses to fill in some of the gaps in the data and build a more detailed picture.”

Enjoyed this? Read more from Tim Aldred

Latest news

1

Blackburn Chemicals unveils most advanced powder defoamer chemical plant in the world Jack Lamb, Sales Manager at Blackburn Chemicals, Bohdan Ratycz, International Trade Adviser at the Department for Business and Trade, and John Covill, Managing Director of Blackburn Chemicals

Blackburn Chemicals unveils most advanced powder defoamer chemical plant in the world

14 May 2025

2

HealthLink expands specialist medical device logistics services to the UK Health Link in Blackburn

HealthLink expands specialist medical device logistics services to the UK

14 May 2025

3

Victorian Plumbing Group announces move to reinvent MFI brand in half year results Victorian Plumbing acquired the MFI brand

Victorian Plumbing Group announces move to reinvent MFI brand in half year results

14 May 2025

4

Energy specialist Vital Energi joins London Gatwick’s £250m decarbonisation programme Mike Cooke managing director Vital Energi

Energy specialist Vital Energi joins London Gatwick’s £250m decarbonisation programme

14 May 2025

5

Daisy merger move will create £1.4bn connectivity giant Matthew Riley

Daisy merger move will create £1.4bn connectivity giant

13 May 2025

Pc Prestonmacan Gif980x120 March
Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV122 May/June Launch Event
121 Lancashire Business View Magazine Launch
Networking
21 May 2025

LBV122 May/June Launch Event

Lancaster and Morecambe College, Lancaster, LA1 2TY

08:30 - 10:30

Sub36 Networking
Networking
11 Jun 2025

Sub36 Networking

British Jewellery School, Scorton, PR3 1BA

15:00 - 17:00

Lancashire Net Zero Carbon Conference
Net Zero Carbon Social 720px 1
Networking
18 Jun 2025

Lancashire Net Zero Carbon Conference

Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort, Burnley, BB12 0RT

08:30 - 13:00

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025
BEC 315 X 315 Px
Networking
25 Sep 2025

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025

Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool, FY1 6HX

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

RISE - The Academy for Female Leaders and Managers
WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion copy.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
02 Apr 2025 - 08 Oct 2025

RISE - The Academy for Female Leaders and Managers

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:00 - 15:30

Society1 Open Day - European Coworking Day
4.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
14 May 2025 - 14 May 2025

Society1 Open Day - European Coworking Day

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 16:00

Sales Club – Stop Competing on Price: Transform Your Pipeline into Paying Customers
Chamber Logo1.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
14 May 2025 - 14 May 2025

Sales Club – Stop Competing on Price: Transform Your Pipeline into Paying Customers

Lancaster & Morecambe College, Morecambe, LA1 2TY

08:00 - 10:00

Systems for Success: Unlock consistency, productivity and profit in your business
LBV Event Header.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
15 May 2025 - 15 May 2025

Systems for Success: Unlock consistency, productivity and profit in your business

Bolton Arena, Arena Approach, Horwich, BL6 6LB

09:15 - 12:15

The Marketing Meetup: IRL Lancashire
LBV Hub Event Image.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
15 May 2025 - 15 May 2025

The Marketing Meetup: IRL Lancashire

Fraser House Hub, Lancaster, LA1 4XQ

18:00 - 20:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
22 May 2025 - 22 May 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Mytton Fold, Langho, BB6 8AB

11:30 - 14:15

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV122 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin