Fatigue damage in marine structures is generally assessed by means of stress−number of cycles (S−N) curves. These curves are obtained from many experimental tests on structural components. Fracture mechanics (FM), using the crack propagation method is also a practical technique. In this approach, fatigue damage is estimated based on crack propagation from an initial crack size through the surface and

The copula-based environmental contour approach in the existing literature is only ‘partially’ non-parametric. Theoretically, the derived environmental contours from this ‘non-parametric’ copula-based approach will still be somewhat rigid. Optimally, the environmental contours for a specific ocean site should be developed based on a joint model of the environmental variables and the joint model should

The £6.76 million refurbishment of Whitby's famous west and east piers improved the condition of the grade II listed structures into the foreseeable future. The project stabilised sandstone facing blocks, filled voids and repaired the deck surface to prevent damage from water ingress. A new flood deflector wall at the adjoining slipway was built in preference to a more visually intrusive flood gate

The sustainability of the planet is a burning issue that has affected all areas of life. The port sector is also affected by this increasing focus on protecting the environment and making efficient and intelligent use of the available resources. The search for sustainable policies in the Spanish port system is a priority. A detailed analysis of the sustainability of the Spanish port system is presented

The decomposition of gas hydrates releases gas and water at volumes much larger than the original volume. The gas escapes violently, which destroys seabed sediments and can even cause geological disasters. To explore the effect of natural gas hydrate decomposition on underwater slopes, laboratory experiments were conducted to observe the features of slope failure. Aeration was used to model the gas

This paper addresses the random wave-induced current in shallow water based on deep-water wind and wave statistics, where the wave-induced current is expressed in terms of the deep-water seastate wave parameters, significant wave height and mean zero-crossing wave period. The average statistical properties of the random wave-induced current in shallow water expressed in terms of the mean value and

The reinforced concrete (RC) caissons, code-named Phoenix, still visible off the coast of Arromanches, France, have been exposed to marine immersion, tidal, splash and atmospheric conditions since 1944. Little evidence of corrosion of the steel reinforcement was observed during inspections in 2011, 2015 and 2019, although there was much structural damage. Archival material from the Second World War

Swells that reach the coast of the Canary Islands from northern latitudes are well studied and documented, but scientific literature on the arrival of swells from the southern hemisphere is very scarce. The effects of this type of wave can be appreciated in the south coast of the Canary Islands at certain times of the year. These waves have low significant height, but long periods. The Spanish public

This paper describes the dynamic behaviour of offshore structures modelled as discrete dynamic systems with the installation of innovative smart-tuned liquid column dampers (TLCDs). The use of advanced nano-fluids enhances the mechanical properties of the TLCD and allows the conventional passive system to be modified into a semi-active damping system. The magnetic force is modelled as an additional

The Amalia lander is a modular gravity-based structure capable of executing different tasks in subsea conditions such as monitoring, surveillance and docking autonomous underwater vehicles, and could work as a platform for validating coatings, damage at foundations and scour protections and integrity of new materials, among other applications. This lander has a unique complex geometry and is made of

The offshore environment represents a vast source of renewable energy, and marine renewable energy plants have the potential to contribute to the future energy mix significantly. Floating solar technology emerged nearly a decade ago, driven mainly by the lack of available land, loss of efficiency at high operating cell temperature, energy security and decarbonisation targets. The vast majority of the

This paper reports on a study to model seabed surfaces using the least-squares support-vector machine algorithm with a sample cross-validation (CV) method. It starts with a brief overview of the sample selection method of the algorithm and gives two important characteristics of the algorithm. It then focuses on the theory of sample CV and the steps of sample selection using this theory. Finally, to

This paper investigates the inherent inaccuracy in the estimation of various extreme response variables (RVs) for different sea defence structures using joint exceedance curve approaches in common use around the UK. Utilising stochastically generated nearshore datasets that include extreme wave and sea-level conditions determined at regular intervals around the English coastline as part of a previous

As an effective evaluation of the productivity of dredging projects is an important element in the success of loading/unloading operations at ports, this study was carried out to find common reasons why dredging projects incur unintended damage at Anzali port open seas/coasts. It was found that the fuzzy decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (Dematel) method and experts’ opinions can be effectively

Offshore structures have a long service life and involve high cost. However, the working environment of offshore structures is harsh. When an accident occurs, it causes an adverse social impact and economic loss. Therefore, in the design process of offshore structures, in order to enhance their safety, this is an important problem that needs attention. Reliability-based design and optimisation (RBDO)

The fatigue design of offshore structures normally uses wave and wind fatigue loading. Currently, fatigue analyses for fatigue damage accumulation assessments of this type of structure are based on signal–noise (S–N) curves for welded structural components, the hot-spot stress approach and the Palmgren–Miner law – according to design codes. Fatigue analyses in design codes and/or recommended practices

The collaborative design of maritime structures involves not only multiple disciplines, but also uncertainty of information. Collaborative optimisation (CO) is a powerful multidisciplinary design and optimisation strategy known for its two-layer structure. In the original mathematical formulation of system-level optimisation, the second-level compatibility constraints are utilised. However, this makes

To improve the computational accuracy and efficiency of dynamic probabilistic analysis of complex structures, an extremum Kriging method (EKM) with multi-population genetic algorithm (MPGA) is proposed fusing extremum response surface method (ERSM), Kriging model and MPGA. Particularly, the EKM is developed by combining the Kriging model and ERSM to handle dynamic processes of related variables and

Voyaging the World's Civil Engineering Wonders

Free hanging catenary and steep wave risers consist of curved portions. The inner flow in the curved portions causes considerable centrifugal forces, yielding dynamic motion. The interaction of the...

A proper description of the ocean wave climate is of great importance for coastal and ocean engineering design and operation. Marine structures must be designed and constructed so they can withstan...

The R&D project Oracle – offshore risk analysis for climate change adaptation and lifetime extension – is focused on optimising the design of scour protection schemes for the extended lifetime of o...

Hydraulic steel structures, especially lock gates, play an important role in inland waterway transport infrastructure. Navigation lock gates are normally designed to last for 100 years. However, af...

Storm-surge modelling in the northern Bay of Bengal still remains a challenge due to the complex tidal nature and poor observational coverage. In this study, using satellite information, a coupled ...

A depth-averaged two-dimensional (2D) numerical model was developed to investigate hydrodynamics in estuaries. The Qiantang estuary is taken as a demonstrative case study. The Qiantang estuary is f...

This paper outlines the evolution of joint probability methods in the design and assessment of sea defence structures in the UK, together with the key drivers for these different methods. It highli...

Significant reduction of the rate of erosion of a sand bed is obtained when sand is mixed with a small amount of bentonite. In previous experiments this behaviour has already been shown for relativ...

Assessments of wave energy resources form the basis of plans for developing and using wave energy, and provide guidance about where to site wave power stations and how to design wave energy convert...

As offshore structures are reaching their original design life, effective repair and life-extension techniques are required, in order to ensure continued safe operation. A stop hole may be drilled ...

This study deals with the dynamic response of pipelines under flexural loads. The flexural loads can be harmonic (transmitted by pumps, compressors, etc.) or transient (seismic loads, foundation mo...

The south coast of the UK is identified as a location where significant wave swell components are present within the regional wave climate. During the winters of 2006 and 2014, several sites along the south coast of the UK were subject to significant damages where flood events were recorded. These sea–states were characterised by having a double–peaked wave spectra, observing a connection between wave

Around the UK, many coastal harbours have reduced in importance and/or lost the original sources of income against which to defray maintenance or refurbishment. Their breakwaters may however still protect harbour-side properties against wave overtopping, and thus flooding. This paper presents results from an exploratory study to identify how blockwork breakwaters common in many smaller UK coastal harbours

Economic globalisation and the decentralisation of production and consumption centres have led to major congestion problems in the main European corridors and environmental pollution. As a result, ...

Huge areas of the seabed and many shores around the world have, at one time or another, been subject to some form of military activity, which has left an unwelcome legacy of unexploded ordnance (UX...

Mean wave overtopping discharge is generally accepted to be a primary design criterion for assessing the performance of coastal structures. It is a boundary condition for many coastal flood risk assessments. Modern methods for assessing wave overtopping discharges and their consequences are well documented and reported. Among the various tools available for assessing wave overtopping, the use of artificial

Evaluating the condition and stability of coastal cliffs and assessing longevity of significant overhangs and undercuts in an active marine environment is a challenge. As part of cliff management s...

This paper focuses on recent works completed by GHD Pty Ltd in 2016 for the design of accessible ferry terminals and looks at the techniques utilised and designs implemented to develop terminals wi...

This paper considers two methods for determining the local wave particle kinematics and hydrodynamic forces on an idealised wind turbine monopile in the southern North Sea using sea-state data from...

The trends within various coastal hydrodynamic data sets were investigated with the aim of providing a general methodology to gather, condense and store useful wave statistics using data collected ...

The paper presents a simple analytical method that can be used to estimate wave runup (RU) and wave rundown (RD) on shorelines and coastal structures for sea states based on long-term wind statisti...

Protection of submarine pipelines against scouring processes is considered one of the most important issues in the design of submarine structures. Most reported experimental investigations of seabe...

In offshore wind turbines, the need for scour protection may represent a considerable part of the total investment required. Its optimisation is therefore a key aspect in offshore wind energy inves...

The relationship between container location dispersion for a single loading and the efficiency of quay cranes (QCs) was investigated. For this purpose, a discrete-event-based simulation model was developed to capture the container-handling process at a transshipment container terminal. A series of experiments were conducted to illustrate the effects of container location dispersion on the long-term

The demand for energy in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region has resulted in vast growth in gas exploration across the continent of Australia. With the approval for a number of liquefied natural ...

The Canary Wharf floating road was constructed to provide access for articulated lorries to a congested construction site, the Newfoundland project in central London. The 80 m × 15 m floating road ...

Safe, reliable access is an essential precondition for the successful maintenance of offshore wind farms. Access from vessels to wind turbines depends on the severity of the sea state in the vicini...

Anticipating the trend of seabed changes and scouring phenomena is one of the most important issues in coastal engineering, and several numerical models have already been presented to simulate coas...

Water quality in harbour basins is an important constraint that should be considered in the design and construction of ports and harbours. Adequate flushing improves water quality and helps maintai...

Marine structures and the seabed are subjected to all kinds of marine environmental loadings for a long time, especially wave and current loadings. Most previous investigations of the dynamic respo...

The authors present key design, construction and ecological enhancement criteria for sustainable coastal defence structures at Hartlepool, UK, a high-energy wave climate. Such ‘ecologically favoura...

This paper aims to highlight the prevailing experiences of Latin America and to clarify what ‘green infrastructure’ entails in addition to describing seven case studies from a range of coastal ecosystems (wetlands, coastal dunes, beaches and coral reefs) at scales varying from local to regional. The case studies are categorised according to their degree of naturalness (nature-based, engineered ecosystems

Harbour operability may be hampered by climate change. Green solutions can be used to provide extra flexibility with respect to present grey infrastructure to adapt to, and mitigate, such functional disruptions with affordable costs. This paper assesses the performance of a green solution (a seagrass meadow) by assessing its effectiveness through numerical modelling. The analysis is carried out at

The effect of hydrodynamic loads from ocean waves on the strength of horizontal brace structures in semi-submersible platforms was studied. Fifteen different wave loads were considered, including seven used by the classification societies the American Bureau of Shipping and Det Norske Veritas. The results indicate that the torsional moments and shearing forces generated by the waves are the main loads

It is widely recognised that coastal flood events can arise from combinations of extreme waves and sea levels. For flood risk analysis and the design of coastal structures it is therefore necessary to assess the joint probability of the occurrence of these variables. Traditional methods have involved the application of joint probability contours, defined in terms of extremes of sea conditions that

Local scour around seabed oil, gas or water pipelines can critically affect their stability. Accurate estimation of scour around pipelines is therefore a key topic of research for marine engineers. This paper presents results from a numerical study of clear-water scour depth below a submarine pipeline for a range of steady flow conditions. The flow field around a pipeline under scour equilibrium conditions

The ability of concrete armour units for breakwaters to interlock and form an integral single layer is important for withstanding severe wave conditions. In reality, displacements take place under ...

This paper proposes an earthquake-event-based method for the construction of regional flood hazard maps for tsunami. The method involves five steps. The first is to characterise the seismic hazard as a set of collectively exhaustive and mutually exclusive stochastic events that fully describes the spatial distribution and annual frequency of occurrence in accordance with the location of an earthquake

This briefing article highlights some of the findings of the report produced by Harlow on the use of non-standard rock groynes as part of a Standing Conference on Problems Associated with the Coastline-funded research project, supplemented with additional examples from other reports, in order to disseminate to a wider audience and to stimulate discussion on the application of non-standard rock groynes

The 1993 Clacton Coastal Defence Works included a 1·4 km length of sloping revetment formed of precast concrete armour units. The revetment was designed for a service life of greater than 50 years, but severe cracking of the armour units necessitated its entire replacement after only 22 years. This paper describes an investigation that determined the primary cause of the armour unit deterioration to

Dikes constructed from sand generally have a sand core and clay layers on the slopes and the crest to protect the core against erosion. In extreme hydraulic conditions, several failure mechanisms can lead to destruction of the clay layers, exposing the sand core to water. When water overtops the dike and the protective cover of the land-side slope or the crest fails, water flows over the core and erodes