View Important Policies and System Requirements for this course
Interested in registering 5 or more engineers for a course? Contact us for information and rates.
INSTRUCTORS:
Martina Stagnitti
Tomas Cuevas
Andres Felipe. Calvo, MSc
Krisna Pawitan
Course Length: 1 hour
Purpose and Background
These presentations were recorded at the International Conference on Coastal Engineering 2026.
Probabilistic Assessment of the Performances of Vertical Breakwaters in a Changing Climate (15 minutes)
This presentation introduces a probabilistic framework for evaluating the long-term performance of vertical breakwaters under present and future climate conditions. Participants will learn how uncertainties associated with wave climate, sea-level rise, structural geometry, and material properties can be incorporated into breakwater design assessments. The speaker presents Monte Carlo simulation methods used to estimate probabilities of failure for different limit states, including sliding, overturning, and overtopping. Attendees will explore how climate change scenarios affect breakwater performance throughout the structure's service life. The presentation highlights the value of reliability-based design compared with traditional deterministic approaches. Results demonstrate how probabilistic methods can reveal hidden vulnerabilities in existing design solutions. Participants will gain practical insight into resilient breakwater design and adaptation planning.
Hazard Assessment of a Seawall Under Sea Level Rise (14 minutes)
This presentation examines how sea-level rise may affect the safety and functionality of an urban seawall system. Participants will learn how wave overtopping, flooding frequency, and infrastructure downtime can be quantified using a combination of numerical modeling and machine learning techniques. The speaker demonstrates how future water levels influence overtopping behavior along different sections of the seawall. Attendees will gain insight into how local beach geometry affects wave dissipation and overtopping risk. The presentation discusses the identification of critical tipping points where seawall performance rapidly deteriorates. Results provide guidance for prioritizing adaptation and mitigation measures. Participants will better understand the challenges facing coastal infrastructure under rising sea levels.
Time-Dependent Reliability Analysis of Coastal Structures Subjected to Multi Hazard Tropical Cyclone Loads (14 minutes)
This presentation addresses the complex challenge of evaluating coastal structures subjected to simultaneous wind, storm surge, and wave hazards during tropical cyclones. Participants will learn about a time-dependent reliability framework that captures the evolving nature of storm loading and structural damage. The speaker introduces a stochastic multi-hazard time-history generation method that reproduces realistic storm behavior. Attendees will explore how damage progression and interactions among hazards influence structural performance. The presentation compares reliability results obtained using combined hazards versus simplified single-hazard approaches. Practical examples demonstrate how neglecting hazard interactions may misrepresent risk levels. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of multi-hazard reliability assessment for coastal infrastructure.
Scale-Effects on Physical Models of Coastal Structures with Overhangs (14 minutes)
This presentation investigates how scaling effects influence physical model results for coastal structures featuring overhanging elements, such as elevated coastal bridges. Participants will learn about the challenges associated with reproducing wave-structure interactions at reduced laboratory scales. The speaker compares large-scale and small-scale experiments to identify differences in measured wave forces. Special attention is given to the influence of trapped air, compressibility effects, and wave impact dynamics. Attendees will explore how Froude scaling may accurately reproduce some wave loading conditions while introducing uncertainties in others. The presentation highlights the importance of understanding scale effects when interpreting physical model data. Participants will gain practical insight into laboratory testing and model validation techniques for coastal engineering applications.
Benefits and Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain how probabilistic methods can be used to assess the long-term performance of vertical breakwaters under climate change.
- Describe how sea-level rise influences wave overtopping and operational performance of seawall infrastructure.
- Discuss how time-dependent and multi-hazard loading conditions affect the reliability of coastal structures during tropical cyclones.
- Identify the sources of scale effects that influence wave-force measurements in physical models of coastal structures.
Assessment of Learning Outcomes
Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-test assessment (true-false, multiple choice, and/or fill in the blank questions).
Who Should Attend?
- Coastal Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Coastal Scientist
- Coastal Resilience Program Manager
- Government Coastal Zone Manager
- University Student or Researcher
How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion
To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 365 days of the course purchase.
How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?
1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]