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INSTRUCTORS:
Raylton Bendo
Brett McMann, PE, CFM
Jace T. Bell
Nazmul Beg, Phd, PE
Ali Keyvani, PhD, PE, CFM
Course Length: 1 hour
Purpose and Background
These presentations were recorded at the International Conference on Coastal Engineering 2026.
Reliability Assessment of Nature-Enhanced Coastal Defenses (14 minutes)
This presentation explores the reliability assessment of a large-scale nature-inclusive flood protection system developed for a flood-prone coastal region in Sweden. Participants will learn how storm populations are identified and incorporated into probabilistic analyses using advanced statistical methods. The presentation discusses how wave overtopping and slope erosion are evaluated as critical failure mechanisms. Attendees will gain insight into how vegetation, clay layers, and dike geometry influence system resilience during severe storm events. The speaker will also demonstrate how Monte Carlo simulations can be used to quantify failure probabilities under compound coastal hazards. Participants will leave with a better understanding of reliability-based design approaches for nature-enhanced coastal defenses.
A Coastwide Risk Reduction Hindcast: 2005 to Present (14 minutes)
This presentation examines how decades of coastal restoration and flood protection investments have influenced risk reduction across Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina. Participants will learn how numerical models are used to estimate flood damages under both existing and historical conditions. The speaker demonstrates how levees, floodwalls, marsh restoration, and barrier island projects contribute to reducing storm impacts. By comparing present-day infrastructure with a hypothetical no-investment scenario, the presentation quantifies avoided damages and risk reduction benefits. Attendees will explore how ADCIRC-SWAN modeling and damage assessment frameworks support long-term planning decisions. The presentation also discusses the economic effectiveness of large-scale coastal protection programs. Participants will gain insights into the role of infrastructure and ecosystem restoration in reducing coastal vulnerability.
The Economic Impacts of Coastal Home Collapses: Evidence from the Outer Banks (14 minutes)
This presentation investigates how visible coastal erosion events influence housing markets and community resilience. Participants will learn how repeated home collapses along the shoreline affect nearby property values and public perceptions of coastal risk. The speaker explains how erosion, sea-level rise, and inadequate adaptation measures contribute to growing vulnerability in coastal communities. Economic analysis techniques are used to evaluate changes in real estate values following collapse events. Attendees will explore how risk information becomes incorporated into housing prices and investment decisions. The presentation also examines the influence of public policy and insurance systems on homeowner behavior. Participants will gain valuable insights into the economic consequences of unmanaged coastal retreat.
USACE ADCIRC Model Downscaling for Coastal Projects: Pelican Islan Bridge Case Study (14 minutes)
This presentation demonstrates how existing regional-scale hydrodynamic models can be refined and adapted for site-specific coastal engineering applications. Participants will learn about the process of downscaling publicly available USACE ADCIRC models to evaluate bridge design conditions. The speaker explains how model refinement, local bathymetric updates, and validation procedures improve prediction accuracy. The presentation highlights storm surge, wave loading, water surface elevations, and scour assessments required for bridge design. Attendees will gain insight into the practical advantages of leveraging existing numerical models instead of developing entirely new modeling systems. Examples from the Pelican Island Bridge project illustrate how engineering design criteria are established and verified. Participants will better understand practical workflows for applying large-scale coastal models to infrastructure projects.
Benefits and Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain how probabilistic methods can be used to assess the reliability of nature-based coastal flood protection systems.
- Describe how coastal restoration and flood protection investments contribute to long-term risk reduction.
- Discuss how coastal hazard events influence property values and risk perception in coastal communities.
- Identify the key steps involved in adapting regional hydrodynamic models for site-specific coastal engineering design.
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]