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INSTRUCTORS:
Dave Anglin & Mitchel Provan
Kevin J. MacIntosh
Antonio Tomas
Leslie F. Mooyaart, Ph.D.
Course Length: 1 hour
Purpose and Background
These presentations were recorded at the International Conference on Coastal Engineering 2026.
Relic to Resilience the Design of the Glass Breakwater Repair (16 minutes)
This presentation examines the rehabilitation of the historic Glass Breakwater in Guam following significant damage caused by Typhoon Mawar. Participants will learn how engineers investigated an 80-year-old structure with a long history of repairs and accumulated damage. The presentation discusses the use of advanced surveying technologies, numerical wave modeling, and large-scale physical model testing to understand breakwater behavior under extreme typhoon conditions. Attendees will gain insight into challenges associated with repairing infrastructure built on a mobile relic debris field and designing stable toe protection systems. The selection and performance evaluation of Acropode armor units will be reviewed, including considerations related to constructability and long-term durability. Real-world observations from construction and recent storm events will be compared against model predictions. The session provides valuable lessons on balancing innovation, resilience, and practicality in large-scale breakwater rehabilitation projects.
Hurricane Beryl: Barbados Fishing Harbour Breakwater Design for Rehabilitation and Construction (14 minutes)
This presentation explores the engineering response to severe breakwater damage caused by Hurricane Beryl at the Barbados Fishing Harbour. Participants will learn how engineers assessed storm impacts, investigated failure mechanisms, and developed rehabilitation alternatives under challenging schedule and operational constraints. The session highlights the use of bathymetric surveys, wave analyses, and physical modeling to evaluate foundation stability, armor performance, and transition details. Attendees will examine how material availability, construction logistics, and harbor operational requirements influenced design decisions. Case studies from construction and quality control activities will demonstrate the importance of field oversight and proper armor placement. The presentation also discusses the performance of reconstructed structures during subsequent storm conditions and lessons learned from coastal infrastructure resilience planning. Engineers will gain practical insights into emergency breakwater rehabilitation following extreme weather events.
Physical and Numerical Modelling Towards Predictive Maintenance of Breakwaters (17 minutes)
This presentation introduces the P-BREAK project and its goal of supporting predictive maintenance strategies for aging breakwater infrastructure. Participants will learn how physical and numerical models can be integrated to evaluate breakwater performance under current and future climate conditions. The session focuses on a case study involving the Punta Lucero Breakwater in the Port of Bilbao, Spain. Attendees will review large-scale hydraulic model testing, numerical simulation calibration, and the development of damage progression relationships for maintenance planning. The effects of wave overtopping, structural damage accumulation, and sea-level rise scenarios will be discussed. Participants will also learn how maintenance alternatives were evaluated using decision-support frameworks and risk-informed performance metrics. The presentation demonstrates how predictive maintenance can support more efficient and resilient infrastructure management.
The Effect of Barrier Reliability on Extreme Water Levels in the Galveston Bay (15 minutes)
This presentation examines the influence of storm surge barrier reliability on flood risk reduction in Galveston Bay. Participants will explore how closure criteria, operational reliability, structural failure probabilities, and hydraulic performance affect extreme water level distributions. The session discusses the use of synthetic storm datasets and probabilistic analysis techniques to evaluate the performance of the proposed coastal spine system. Attendees will gain insight into multiple barrier failure modes, including failure to close, reverse-head conditions, structural failures, and hydraulic overload scenarios. The presentation demonstrates how reliability assumptions influence flood frequencies and long-term risk outcomes. Participants will also learn about an interactive modeling tool developed to visualize the effects of reliability parameters on flood protection performance. The session highlights the importance of risk-informed design in large-scale storm surge barrier projects.
Benefits and Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain how numerical and physical modeling were used to develop a resilient repair design for the Glass Breakwater in Guam.
- Describe the engineering considerations involved in evaluating and rehabilitating a breakwater damaged by a major hurricane.
- Discuss how combined physical and numerical modeling can support predictive maintenance and lifecycle management of breakwaters.
- Identify how barrier reliability and failure scenarios influence extreme water level distributions and coastal flood risk.
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]