The Shore Protection Manual is in three volumes. Volume I describes the physical environment in the coastal zone starting with an introduction of coastal engineering, continuing with discussions of mechanics of wave motion, wave and water level predictions, and finally littoral processes.
Volume II translates the interaction of the physical environment and coastal structures into design parameters for use in the solution of coastal engineering problems. It discusses planning, analysis, structural features, and structural design as related to physical factors, and shows an example of a coastal engineering problem which utilizes the technical content of material presented in all three volumes.
Volume III contains four appendixes including a glossary of coastal engineering terms, a list of symbols, tables and plates, and a subject index.