Coastal engineering is an important component of coastal management. Coastal engineering is the use of coastal sciences to facilitate the interaction of mankind with the sea. To ensure its appropriate use and coordination in coastal management, coastal zone professionals must have an understanding of the physical processes that govern shoreline movement, as well as the various options available for dealing with coastal erosion and coastal hazards, such as storms and waves.

The areas where coastal managers interact most often with coastal engineers are through the design and permitting process of erosion mitigation measures. The morning session will discuss the nature beaches and the ongoing physical processes that are responsible for their behavior. Topics such as relative sea level rise, nearshore waves and currents, and the geology of shorelines will be discussed. The afternoon will build upon the morning's material with a discussion of some of the available coastal models and shore protection options— ranging from hard structures (such as revetments and groins) to soft measures (such as beach nourishment and set-back lines). The engineering benefits and drawbacks of each methodology will be presented. The afternoon session will conclude with several exercises to apply coastal engineering principles and tools to various coastal management situations.

Workshop Topics

Morning Session

Characteristics and Types of Beaches
Winds, Tides, and Sea Level Rise
Natural Hazards: Storms, Tsunami
Waves and Currents
Wave Data or Forecasting
Shoaling, Refraction, Diffraction, and Breaking
Longshore Currents, Undertow, and Rip Currents
Sediment Transport Sources and Sinks of Sediment
Mechanisms for Transport: Alongshore and Cross-shore Transport
Regional Sediment Management; Sand Conservation

Afternoon Session

Coastal Models—what's out there and how good is it
Coastal Remediation—Options
Soft structures and beach nourishment Hard structures
Temporary or Emergency Options
Retreat
Set-back Lines
Combination of Techniques
Coastal Erosion Scenarios and Consideration of Engineering Options

Who Should Attend?

Participants should have an interest in coastal and ocean processes, beach dynamics and coastal engineering. No technical background is necessary for this workshop. Participants with a strong background in coastal processes and engineering may participate in the afternoon session only without attending the morning session, as space permits.

Speakers

Robert A. Dalrymple is Hackerman Professor of Civil Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He is a coauthor with Robert G. Dean of Water Wave Mechanics for Engineers and Scientists and Coastal Processes with Engineering Applications.

John Ramsey is a coastal engineer and principal for Applied Coastal Research and Engineering in Mashpee Massachusetts. He has over 15 years of consulting experience covering a wide variety of coastal zone projects including design and permitting of beach nourishment, coastal structures, and inlet relocation projects.

Lesley Ewing is the Senior Coastal Engineer with the California Coastal Commission.

Registration

Participants will receive 7.5 PDHs for attending this workshop. The course fee for the full-day workshop is $325; save $50 by registering before April 15. The course fee $150 to attend the afternoon session only; save $20 by registering before April 15. The fee for the full-day workshop includes copies of instructor handouts, two refreshment breaks and lunch. The fee for the afternoon session includes copies of afternoon instructor handouts and one refreshment break. Participation in the afternoon session only is on a space-available basis.