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INSTRUCTORS:
Taeksang Kim
Jun-Whan Lee, Ph.D.
Joseph Kim
Jacob Stasiewicz
Indra Jayewardene, MS
Course Length: 1 hour
Purpose and Background
These presentations were recorded at the International Conference on Coastal Engineering 2026.
Tsunami-Induced Scour Depth and Overturning Failure in Seawalls (13 minutes)
This presentation examines how tsunami overtopping can generate severe scour behind seawalls and ultimately lead to structural instability. Participants will learn about the physical mechanisms through which fast-moving overtopping jets remove sediment supporting coastal structures. Experimental studies using dam-break waves demonstrate how scour evolves during a tsunami event rather than only after the event has ended. The research compares fixed and movable seawalls while investigating the influence of drainage conditions on scour development and wall stability. Attendees will learn why transient maximum scour depths can be significantly larger than final equilibrium scour depths. The presentation also explores the interaction between geotechnical and hydrodynamic processes that contribute to overturning failure. Engineers will gain insights into designing coastal protection systems that better withstand tsunami-induced erosion.
Tsunami-Induced Debris Damming in Coastal Forests: Amplified Impacts on Seaward Structures (13 minutes)
This presentation explores a less recognized hazard associated with coastal forests during tsunami events. While coastal forests often reduce wave energy and trap debris, the presenter demonstrates how debris accumulation can create damming effects that amplify wave reflection and increase structural loading. Participants will learn how advanced Material Point Method simulations were used to investigate debris interactions with coastal forests and nearby infrastructure. The study examines how forest density, forest location, debris quantity, and debris geometry affect wave behavior. Results show how reflected waves can generate additional structural loads on buildings positioned seaward of coastal forests. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the complex role nature-based solutions can play during extreme events. The presentation provides valuable insight for improving future coastal design guidelines and building codes.
A Probabilistic Approach to Tsunami Evacuation Life Safety Assessments (16 minutes)
This presentation introduces an agent-based approach for evaluating tsunami evacuation effectiveness and life safety outcomes. Participants will learn how flood hazards, human behavior, and evacuation decision-making are integrated into probabilistic evacuation models. The speaker discusses the development of open-source evacuation modeling tools supported by real-world behavioral data collected from coastal communities. The presentation examines how factors such as preparation time, walking speed, route selection, and visitor behavior influence evacuation success. Attendees will explore how uncertainty in human behavior can significantly affect risk assessments. Several mitigation strategies, including evacuation training programs and community preparedness initiatives, are evaluated. Participants will gain practical insight into improving evacuation planning and reducing tsunami-related fatalities.
Sandhound: Mobile Coastal Mapping with Integrated Geotechnical Sensing (13 minutes)
This presentation introduces Sandhound, an autonomous robotic platform designed to collect topographic and geotechnical information during a single coastal survey. Participants will learn how a quadruped robotic system integrates LiDAR, imaging sensors, GPS positioning, and machine learning tools for coastal mapping applications. The speaker demonstrates how grain-size estimation can be performed in real time while simultaneously collecting high-resolution topographic data. The presentation discusses field testing on beach environments and evaluates the robot's mobility over unconsolidated coastal terrain. Attendees will learn about the advantages and challenges associated with autonomous data collection systems in coastal engineering. The study highlights opportunities for integrating geotechnical and morphological datasets more efficiently. Participants will gain insight into emerging technologies that can improve coastal monitoring and assessment.
Utilising Tsunamis Toanalyse Seiche in Fishery Harbours NSW Australia (15 minutes)
This presentation explores how tsunami events can be used as natural experiments to study seiche behavior in small coastal harbors. Participants will learn about the mechanisms that generate harbor oscillations and the potential impacts these oscillations can have on infrastructure and harbor operations. The speaker reviews field measurements, physical modeling, and analytical methods used to identify harbor resonance characteristics. Wavelet analysis techniques are compared with traditional Fourier methods for evaluating non-stationary harbor responses. Attendees will gain an understanding of how tsunami-generated oscillations reveal natural harbor modes that may not be observable under normal conditions. The presentation also discusses applications for harbor design, maintenance planning, and damage mitigation. Engineers will develop a better understanding of long-wave processes and harbor resonance dynamics.
Benefits and Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain how tsunami overtopping, scour development, and sediment conditions influence seawall stability.
- Describe how debris damming within coastal forests can affect wave reflection and structural loading during tsunami events.
- Discuss how probabilistic evacuation modeling can support tsunami life safety assessments and emergency planning.
- Identify the technologies and sensing methods used in autonomous coastal mapping and geotechnical surveying.
- Explain how tsunami observations can be used to identify and analyze seiche behavior in coastal harbors.
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]