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Answers
to Frequently Asked Questions
Select
one of the categories below to learn more about specific Elemental
Innovation products. Have a question we haven't answered? Contact
us and we'll be happy to address it.
How effective is HALO?
HALO is the only portable wave attenuator that effectively and economically reduces
teh height of very long period waves (up to 10 seconds!) by 50%. It reduces waves
of up to five seconds by a remarkable 80% ^To top
What is the track record of the
system in other installations?
The HALO was designed based on learning and experience
Elemental Innovation gained in the design and deployment
of our previous technology WhisprWave®,
which has been deployed in Lake Ontario for four years, at the Naval Amphibious
Base in Norfolk, Virginia and in the Thames River in Connecticut with excellent
results.
The HALO system has undergone similar and more comprehensive laboratory testing
than other systems currently in use, including the WhisprWave®. HALO’s
proven results are well documented by two independent university laboratory
tests.
View the video of
HALO in action. ^To
top
What Does HALO Cost?
The cost of installation depends on the specific site but is often less than
half the cost of conventional technologies, with limited maintenance. Please
request a quote or contact us for a free cost estimate and more information. ^To
top
Is there a warranty?
All HALO units receive a two year limited warranty
on parts. Ask us about our comprehensive serevice plans
for added security. ^To
top
What maintenance does the HALO require?
Based on experience with WhisprWave® we expect little
to no required regular maintenance for our HALO systems. ^To
top
How is HALO anchored?
Anchoring is accomplished
in a site-specific manner; however, in all situations,
proven marine-grade
components are used. Depending on teh location and application, we can
use pilings (in
some cases existing pilings,) screw anchors, MANTA RAY® anchors,
or dead weights to anchor the HALO to the seabed.^To
top
What is the life expectancy of HALO
units?
25 years or more. ^To
top
How portable is HALO?
If conditions warrant, HALO can be moved or repositioned within days. Approximately
250 linear feet of HALO can be installed per day with competent soils and good
weather.
Can HALO be towed to another location? Is HALO easy
to take out of the water?
The HALO can easily be moved to another location,
either by towing it with a small boat or by disassembling
it and having it moved to its new location. The HALO can
be removed from the water in the same manner as a boat is
removed by using a boatlift or by disassembling it either
in the water or on land and then moving it to a storage location.
The HALO can be left outside if needed. ^To
top
What is the potential for vandalism?
Most of the unit will be submerged with very little freeboard. While the potential
for vandalism is always present, it would require a great deal of effort to damage
the system.
^To top
How do we alert boaters to the presence
of the system so they do not drive over it? What about at night? What
will the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps require to warn of the danger?
To warn approaching crafts of any hazard, the HALO can be marked with a sign
and a variety of sensors including solar strobe unit.
We have jet skis running
past our marina; what can HALO do?
HALO will eliminate any wake from jet skis and can be positioned to create
wake-free zones for boaters.
Boats need room to maneuver;
how do boats get past HALO?
HALO is very easy to flag and can be deployed in a staggered formation to
allow boats to pass freely between sections. ^To
top
What are the permitting
requirements for HALO?
Each state or governing body is different;
in general, though, the appropriate Municipal, State, and Federal authority
must be approached to provide permitting for installation. These authorities
can include the Coast Guard, Army Corp of Engineers, State Department
of Environmental Protection, and the local municipality. Elemental
Innovation will assist in acquiring the necessary permits for a HALO
installation.
Since the HALO is
not a permanent or fixed structure, permitting becomes
much easier than
with conventional structures. The HALO is also an environmentally
friendly system. ^To
top
Will marine growth (barnacles, algae, etc.) affect performance?
Marine growth may occur on the underside and other parts of the HALO that are
constantly submerged in water. However, due to the self-flushing action of the
system and the extreme buoyancy of the panels, this will not influence the overall
buoyancy of the system in any way. ^To
top
How will the system be affected by the
shifting of the sediment over the years?
If the slope angle and depth of water change, will the HALO system need to be
fine-tuned or altered? HALO is adjustable in place if need be; if the attenuator
brings balance to a shoreline, it may not be necessary to alter it, though the
option is always there.
^To
top
What are the environmental benefits
of the HALO?
Since HALO filters water flow instead of blocking it, it can be tuned to block
out only harmful waves allowing the natural flushing of harbors. HALO Ocean
units are tuned to filter out erosive waves and permit accretionary waves to
pass through the system to accumulate sand. Because the HALO does not prevent
the littoral drift of sand while protecting a beach, you are not starving one
beach to protect another. The HALO also acts as an artificial reef for wildlife.
Is this Attenuator an eyesore? What about the
fish?
HALO is composed of non-toxic materials, and can be manufactured in a variety
of colors to either blend in or stand out. The majority of the unit is
submerged, and acts as an artificial reef, an excellent shelter for fish
and birds ^To
top
How will ice and the freezing of
the water affect the HALO system? Are there other durability issues?
We have found that the HALO system can remain on station year round without any
adverse affects. In certain locations, anchoring methods can be altered or other
methods employed to equip the system for its environment. If the ice thaws and
it dissipates into the water level, you can leave HALO in all year. However,
if there are large blocks of heavy flow ice moving around that would severely
damage stationary structures, moving HALO is necessary as the ice will tear out
and wash away any structure.
^To
top
Our town's beach is disappearing; what
can be done quickly?
A HALO wave attenuator can be deployed within days to protect beaches,
as long as the necessary permits have been received.
We replenished our beach but it is still
eroding; what can HALO do about it? The HALO can be installed
in conjunction with beach nourishment to extend the life of a beach
fill.
Where is our beach? All we have are
bulkheads and no sand; what can HALO do?
The attenuator can be positioned to accrete (increase) sand in front of bulkheads
as well as to reduce any undermining of the bulkhead.
While it protects our beach, will it
damage others?
The HALO is tethered to the seabed, allowing the natural littoral drift of
sand between beaches, unlike conventional technologies that sit on the seafloor
and disrupt natural eco systems. Because we can tune the HALO, we are able
to eliminate any damage to adjacent beaches.
If they ever put sand on our beach, what
will happen to HALO?
HALO is designed to be portable. When deployed to protect your beachfront,
it can be easily redeployed to accommodate any planned replenishment projects. ^To
top
Storms wreak havoc on our beach; will
HALO survive?
HALO is designed to withstand hurricane forces with winds over 100mph and wave
heights exceeding 20ft. HALO will protect beaches from severe wave action.
High storm waves can damage our harbor
and boats; besides wakes, can the HALO stop storm waves?
HALO can be positioned to eliminate any damaging storm waves; it has been designed
to reduce the height of ocean storm waves by 80%, more than twice that of other
wave attenuators.
We
have dangerous riptides but love to swim; can HALO stop the
riptides? The HALO wave attenuator
can eliminate dangerous riptides and even provide a safe refuge
for tired swimmers. ^To
top
The insurance is very high or non-existent for beach homes; how
can HALO help?
Due to the stability HALO can give to eroding coastlines and beaches, it
may be possible to qualify for lower cost home insurance with an installed
HALO wave
attenuator system. ^To
top
My property value fluctuates with each severe
storm; how can HALO help?
HALO will provide a stable shoreline to help build beaches and increase property
values.^To
top
What colors do HALO units come in?
White, Safety Orange, Forrest Green, Black, or Navy Blue. ^To
top
What is the size of a HALO?
The size of the HALO structure depends on the area to be protected; harbors could
use structures as small as 10 feet long, whereas ocean site units can be as long
as 36 feet. Each HALO panel's dimensions are 4' x 8'x1'. Each panel weighs approximately
105 lbs and is buoyant.
^To
top
How is HALO different from the competition?
The closest we come to direct competition is our previous
invention the WhisprWaveΠwhich
is capable of reducing the heights of waves up to 5 seconds by 40%.
HALO is the only modular composite attenuator that is capable
of reducing
the heights
of waves above 5 seconds over 80%, twice as much as the WhisprWaveŒ.
The only other structure capable of such dissipation is a rock breakwater
that
can be
four times as expensive as a HALO, quite unsightly, and not environmentally
friendly.
^To
top
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