Port engineers need guidance incorporating sea level rise into
construction designs
New survey by URI researchers finds rising sea level often not factored
into maritime infrastructure design

Date:
October 13, 2020
Source:
University of Rhode Island
Summary:
A survey of maritime infrastructure engineers found that the rising
sea level is often not factored into designs of ports, breakwaters,
fishing piers and other coastal infrastructure.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A survey of maritime infrastructure engineers by University of Rhode
Island researchers found that the rising sea level is often not factored
into designs of ports, breakwaters, fishing piers and other coastal infrastructure.


==========================================================================
"If we're making decisions about infrastructure today and expect it
to be serviceable for the next 50 to 75 years, we should be thinking
about what the environmental conditions will be like towards the
end of the infrastructure's life," said Austin Becker, URI associate
professor of marine affairs, who studies how ports are preparing for
climate change. "And we know that things are going to be very different
along our coasts in the coming years." In 2019, Becker and graduate
student Benjamin Sweeney surveyed 85 engineers at consulting firms,
port authorities and government agencies with experience working on
port infrastructure projects in the United States. They found that 64%
do not have a policy or planning document to guide how to incorporate
sea level change into their designs.

"The challenge they face is that they aren't receiving concrete,
consistent guidance for what they should be doing to integrate sea level
rise projections into their work," Becker said. "They need guidance,
they want guidance, they don't want to have to go on the whims of their clients, who may not have expertise in this area. They also don't want
to have to weigh potentially conflicting guidance from local, state or
federal agencies." Becker said that without guidance, port engineers
are more likely to disregard sea level change projections entirely.

"Formal policies or documents can lend credibility and provide the basis
for recommendations," wrote Becker and Sweeney in a research paper in the Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering. "Conversely, engineers without the documented support from their organization may be
less willing to take the personal and professional risk that comes with
making subjective decisions." Of the 29% of survey respondents that do
have formal guidance from a sea level rise planning document, only 9%
said they use it for all of their projects.



========================================================================== "That isn't surprising, but it's worrisome," said Becker, a visiting
fellow at the U.S. Naval War College. "It's not surprising because of
the times we live in; there's so much conflicting information out there
about climate change. But scientists understand that sea levels are
actually rising and that there will be ramifications, and it's going
to make things much more expensive to not factor those changes into
designs now." The survey also examined the factors that influenced
whether engineers incorporate sea level rise into their designs. It found
that 54% of respondents said they often or always factor in rising sea
levels because it is required by their client, and 46% indicated they
do so because it is a regulatory requirement.

More than half of the respondents also said that "a lack of design
standards" was the chief barrier to incorporating sea level rise into
their infrastructure projects. Other answers included a lack of funding,
the client doesn't want sea level rise incorporated, and concerns over
the uncertainty of sea level rise projections.

"Regulatory standards and codes remove the burden on engineers to make subjective sea level rise decisions," Becker and Sweeney wrote. "This
barrier also renders many of the other barriers less relevant." Based on
the results of the survey, Becker and Sweeney recommend that engineers undertake a life cycle cost analysis that includes sea level rise
projections for each project. This methodology can be used to support
decision making for climate change adaptation alternatives.

They also suggest that the engineering community collaborate with port authorities and regulatory bodies to create design standards to improve
the resilience of port infrastructure.

"Engineers need something they can rely on so they can go to their
clients and say, 'this is what we need to follow, and it's not optional,'" Becker said.

"The guidance also has to be flexible enough so it can be adapted over
time as conditions change, but it gives them something they can hang
their hat on today."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Rhode_Island. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Benjamin Sweeney, Austin Becker. Considering Future Sea Level
Change in
Maritime Infrastructure Design: A Survey of US Engineers. Journal
of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering, 2020; 146 (4):
04020019 DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)WW.1943-5460.0000583 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201013134257.htm

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