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INSTRUCTORS:
Guoming Lin, Ph.D., G.E., BC.GE
Cyrus D. Bahman, S.M.ASCE
Nina Stark
Hamed Nasiri
Purpose and Background
These presentations were recorded at the Geo-Extreme 2025 conference.
Storm Surge Wall Elba Island LNG Terminal, Savannah, Georgia (12 minutes)
This presentation describes the design, analysis, and full-scale testing of a sheet pile storm surge wall constructed to protect the Elba Island LNG Terminal from hurricane-induced flooding. The project site is characterized by highly compressible marsh soils underlain by variable sand layers and a stiff clay formation, creating significant challenges related to stability, settlement, and downdrag. Extensive geotechnical investigations, including CPT and SPT, were used to define subsurface conditions and inform wall design. Multiple analytical tools and numerical modeling approaches were applied to evaluate global stability, hydraulic loading, and structural performance. A full-scale sheet pile load test with advanced instrumentation was conducted to validate design assumptions and determine the required embedment depth. The results allowed for optimization of the wall design while maintaining performance under storm surge loading.
Integrated Geotechnical and Geophysical Assessments of Erosion Dynamics in a Chenier Plain Shell Beach Following Hurricanes and Seasonal Weather Events (12 minutes)
This presentation examines erosion dynamics within a chenier plain shell beach using integrated geotechnical and geophysical field methods. The study site at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge includes transects with no breakwaters, recently constructed breakwaters, and long-established breakwaters to evaluate spatial and temporal variability. Field investigations included dynamic cone penetration testing (DCPT) to assess strength and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) to evaluate stiffness. Surveys conducted before and after hurricane season captured changes in soil properties related to storm impacts. Results indicate significant heterogeneity in shell layer thickness, strength, and shear wave velocity, as well as differing responses between protected and unprotected areas. The findings provide insight into how hurricanes and coastal structures influence erosion resistance in carbonate shell systems.
Need, opportunities, and challenges of pre-, during-, and post-storm reconnaissance in coastal environment (13 minutes)
This presentation discusses large-scale reconnaissance efforts conducted before, during, and after major hurricanes impacting coastal Florida. The talk highlights the logistical, technical, and ethical challenges of rapid data collection in communities facing evacuation and infrastructure damage. A wide range of measurements, including storm surge, wave heights, pore pressures, bathymetry, topography, and soil strength, were collected using both traditional and advanced sensing technologies. The value of coordinated, multidisciplinary teams is emphasized, particularly for linking hydrodynamic forcing to geotechnical and structural damage. Case examples illustrate how integrated datasets help reconstruct failure mechanisms such as scour, slope instability, and infrastructure collapse. The presentation also underscores the importance of rapid data sharing to support engineering analysis and future mitigation strategies.
Geotechnical Response of Cheniers to Breakwaters and Hurricanes: A case study in Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge (14 minutes)
This presentation investigates how breakwaters and hurricanes influence the geotechnical behavior of chenier deposits along the Gulf Coast. Vibrocore sampling, laboratory testing, and in situ penetration tests were used to characterize shell layer thickness, void ratio, grain size distribution, and shear strength across transects with varying breakwater ages. Results show that breakwaters promote the accumulation of finer materials, leading to reduced median grain size and altered packing conditions. Laboratory shear and triaxial testing revealed differences in dilative and contractive behavior between natural and breakwater-protected cheniers. These changes influence erodibility and response during extreme storm loading. The findings highlight trade-offs in breakwater performance under everyday wave conditions versus extreme events.
Benefits and Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of these sessions, you will be able to:
- Explain how geotechnical investigation and full-scale testing were used to optimize the design of a storm surge wall in soft coastal soils.
- Describe how combined geotechnical and geophysical methods can be used to assess erosion-related changes in coastal shell beaches.
- Discuss the challenges and benefits of coordinated pre-, during-, and post-storm reconnaissance for coastal engineering applications.
- Identify how breakwaters alter the geotechnical properties and erosion susceptibility of chenier deposits during hurricanes.
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?
- Geotechnical Engineers
- Structural Engineers
- Civil Infrastructure Designers
- Researchers and Academics
- Risk and Resilience Analysts
- Construction and Project Managers
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 post-test online and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.
How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?
1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]