coastal - mott mac

Coastal I Mott MacDonald I 1

Coastal

Water and environment | Coastal

Developing infrastructure and protecting shorelines

2 I Mott MacDonald I Coastal

Green solutions where the ocean meets the land

Engineering a successful coastal project requires an impressive battery of technical skills, from coastal processes and geomorphology to hydraulics and logistics.

What if you could rely on a team of professionals with the range of experience and the breadth of engineering expertise your project requires? With Mott MacDonald you can.

Mott MacDonald is an award-winning, employee-owned consulting engineering firm with strong technical specializations in marine, ports, coastal, rail, transportation, and water infrastructure. We offer first-hand experience and extensive local knowledge of coastal protection, marine infrastructure, and port facilities.

To restore Don Morse Park in Chelan, WA, Mott MacDonald modeled wave interactions and loss of beach sand. The award-winning project halted beach erosion and provided extra protection for the marina.


Our capabilitiesMott MacDonald specializes in coastal engineering analysis and design related to various coastal and waterfront projects. These projects include coastal resilience measures such as shoreline protection, stabilization, beach and dune nourishment, evaluation of sea level rise and storm impacts, ecosystem enhancement, and optimizing harbors, marsh creation, waterways, and marine terminals.

We have the knowledge and experience to deliver innovative, cost-effective, and world-class solutions to some of the most challenging projects. Our state-of-the-art modeling capabilities enable us to analyze the problem and help you determine the best-performing solution.

We offer the full range of services needed to plan, design, and manage each project efficiently and effectively, saving our clients time and money.

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy cut through the narrow peninsula where the Borough of Mantoloking is located. Mott MacDonald protected the community by designing a sheet-steel seawall more than three miles (five kilometers) long.


Delivering coastal solutionsCoastal resilience and protectionWaterfront infrastructureEcosystem enhancementHydraulics, hydrology, and geomorphologyLiving shorelinesNavigation channels and waterwaysDredging and dredged material disposalMarinas and small boating facilitiesPorts and marine terminalsCoastal processes modeling and analysisFlood protection and storm surge modeling and analysisVessel hydrodynamics, mooring, and berthing analysisShip maneuvering and simulationEngineering designConstruction oversight

Mott MacDonald provided analysis, design, permitting services, and construction oversight for a project to restore about nine miles (14 kilometers) of coastline in Cameron Parish, LA. Volunteers planted tens of thousands of plugs of dune grass to help stabilize the restored shoreline.


Coastal resilience and protectionMore and more, communities are seeking resilience in their infrastructure projects, to create a sustainable future for their communities.

Mott MacDonald delivers solutions that protect and stabilize shorelines, improving their resilience to damage, erosion, and other impacts that threaten coastal infrastructure, communities, and lives. As part of our dedication to resilience, we are applying our coastal engineering expertise and innovative solutions to help you prepare for the unexpected.

In 2008, our coastal engineers designed a 3,500-foot (1,067-meter) revetment in the Gulf Coast community of Surfside Beach, Texas. This was intended as a short-term solution to erosion that was advancing more than 20 feet (6 meters) per year, threatening homes, roads, and utilities.

The revetment was completed seven days before Hurricane Ike struck the coast. Ike, considered a 40-year storm at Surfside, greatly exceeded the design conditions for the revetment, which was designed for a five-year storm. Still, homes behind the revetment were protected while adjacent communities were swept clean.

Mott MacDonald developed a range of long-term solutions for the storm-battered community of Surfside Beach in Brazoria County, TX. A stone revetment and beach nourishment now protect residents from storm surges.

A protective seawall and the restoration of dunes protect homes and businesses in Ocean County, NJ.

ProjectVillage of Surfside Beach shoreline stabilization

LocationSurfside Beach, TX

Client Texas General Land Office

ExpertiseCoastal engineering, analysis, design, construction oversight


Waterfront infrastructureWaterfront infrastructure is subjected not only to the impact of storm surges from hurricanes or other extreme weather events, but to seismic activity.

Mott MacDonald provides solutions that increase their resilience to damage.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle carries more than 100,000 vehicles per day. Built in the 1930s, the seawall that protects the highway’s foundation does not meet current seismic design standards. While the viaduct is being replaced by a new Alaskan Way Tunnel, we are helping ensure that the seawall is rehabilitated and continues to protect the city.

Mott MacDonald has analyzed the effect of sea level on the seawall that protects Seattle’s waterfront and historic Pioneer District.

100,000vehicles per day are carried through the Alaskan Way Viaduct

ProjectAlaskan Way Viaduct replacement

LocationSeattle, WA

Client Washington State Department of Transportation

ExpertiseProgram, design and construction management, technical review


Ecosystem enhancementSuccessful projects reach their objectives while protecting and restoring the environment.

Our team works collaboratively with highly qualified biologists and ecologists to optimize aquatic habitat for the desired species, whether in coastal, estuarine, or riverine environments.

Our expertise includes nature-based solutions such as oyster reef technology, estuary restoration, floodplain reconnection, fish passage optimization, living shoreline development, and bioengineered shoreline protection.

The Port of Oakland’s Middle Harbor was a shallow tidal marsh until it was dredged during World War II to accommodate ships docking at the Naval Supply Depot. The US Army Corps of Engineers retained Mott MacDonald to help recreate approximately 45 acres (16 hectares) of eelgrass habitat, part of a 90-acre (36-hectare) ecological reserve including deep water, shallow water, and shoreline environments.

Advanced modeling by Mott MacDonald helped restore the tidal marsh and wildlife habitat of Middle Harbor. The transplanting of eelgrass beds will support populations of the endangered Least Tern.

45acres (18 hectares) of eelgrass habitat were recreated by Mott MacDonald

ProjectMiddle Harbor habitat restoration

LocationOakland, CA

Client Port of Oakland

ExpertiseNumerical modeling, current and wave data collection, habitat modeling


Hydraulics, hydrology, and geomorphologyModeling the behavior of rivers, lakes, and other inland waterways may be just as challenging as analyzing oceanfront phenomena.

Mott MacDonald uses standard US Army Corps of Engineers models such as SED2D and CMS, as well as the advanced 2D and 3D models MORPHO, FLOW3D, and others. Numerical modeling of sediment transport is followed by modeling of geomorphologic processes, including scouring, sedimentation, short-term and long-term bathymetry, and coastal form changes.

As part of an effort to restore the salmon fishery in the state of Washington, barriers to fish were removed from Wilson Creek. Mott MacDonald was retained to help increase complexity and enhance fish habitat in the creek. A specially-designed weir ensures the correct flow depth and velocity for fish to pass a decommissioned diversion structure.

A specially designed weir helps restore salmon habitat in Wilson Creek, located in Washington State.

ProjectWilson Creek restoration and stabilization

LocationKittitas County, WA

Client Kittitas County Conservation District

ExpertiseData analysis, survey, construction estimate, engineering plans, construction administration


Bioengineered oyster reefs filter and improve the quality of seawater, provide nursery habitat for fish and shellfish, provide food for predatory fish such as flounder, drum, and speckled trout, and mitigate nutrient loading, eutrophication, and hypoxia.

Living shorelinesLiving shorelines, which increase biodiversity along coastal fringe marshes and shorelines, are on the leading edge of technological development in coastal engineering.

Mott MacDonald has been on the forefront of designing living shoreline solutions to prevent shoreline erosion, stimulate nearshore habitat development, and promote oyster growth.

“Weak” soils with low bearing capacity add to the challenge of wetland restoration along the Louisiana coast. Our engineers used numerical modeling tools, such as 2D-V and 3D computational fluid dynamics modeling tools, to analyze the ability of various technologies to reduce wave energy and to determine the hydraulic loading on the structures. A bioengineered solution was used to create semiartificial oyster reefs in Cameron Parish.

ProjectBioengineered oyster reef demonstration

LocationCameron Parish, LA

Client Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority

ExpertiseCoastal engineering analysis, design, construction oversight


Navigation channels and waterwaysThe movement of sediment, and today’s generation of megaships, call for ports to deepen and widen their navigation channels to remain competitive.

Our coastal engineers use both standard and unique proprietary empirical and numerical modeling techniques to determine navigation dimensions that will provide safe navigation, and minimize construction and maintenance costs.

Piper Channel in Texas provides access from the Gulf of Mexico to a subdivision and marina called Island Moorings. Mott MacDonald engineers designed a jetty structure to protect the channel entrance from erosion, sedimentation, and extreme hydrodynamic conditions that affect the safety of navigation. The new jetties eliminated the need for continuous maintenance dredging.

Mott MacDonald performed a feasibility study and provided design and engineering services for the new flared jetties, which eliminate the need for continuous maintenance dredging.

ProjectPiper Channel navigation improvement

LocationPort Aransas, TX


ExpertiseFeasibility study, engineering analysis and design, construction services


Dredging and dredged material disposalDredging projects may be undertaken to deepen channels, obtain clean sediment for beneficial use, or for environmental remediation.

Mott MacDonald has demonstrated long-term success on a variety of complex dredging challenges.

Erosion along the coast of Cameron Parish in Louisiana threatened State Highway 82/27, the only barrier between the Gulf and a 40,000-acre (16,187-hectare) marsh. Mott MacDonald analyzed five beach nourishment alternatives. Hopper dredges were used to collect sandy sediment, which was pumped to the beach through a pipeline 26,000 feet (7,925 meters) long. Volunteers planted tens of thousands of plugs of dune grass to help stabilize the restored shoreline.

Sandy sediment was pumped to the shoreline of Cameron Parish to reduce erosion and protect a vulnerable state highway.

26,000sandy sediment was pumped through a

-foot-long (7,925-meter-long) pipeline

ProjectShoreline restoration

LocationCameron Parish, LA

Client Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority

ExpertiseAnalysis, design, numerical modeling, permitting, construction oversight


Thanks to an aggressive schedule and round-the-clock work, the restoration of the Port of Anacortes was completed in about 36 months, versus up to 15 years for a typical similar cleanup project.


Marinas and small boating facilitiesWith the right engineering expertise, brownfields and contaminated areas can be turned into safe and attractive facilities for recreational boating.

For almost a century, from the late 1800s to the late 1970s, a lumber mill and then a paper mill operated on Fidalgo Bay in Anacortes, Washington.

Mott MacDonald performed coastal engineering services as part of the complex cleanup project. We restored a beach area that contained contaminants and protected the upper shoreline with natural beach material.

Our engineers also designed a recreational beach, rock breakwaters and revetment, concrete access pier, and small craft boating facility.

ProjectPort of Anacortes shoreline stabilization and remediation

LocationSkagit County, WA

Client Port of Anacortes

ExpertiseCoastal engineering, analysis, design, construction administration


Ports and marine terminalsOur combined marine expertise includes every type of cargo, including various dry bulks, containers, break-bulk, crude oil, and liquid natural gas. We cover the full range of planning, design, permitting, and construction management services, from wharves and jetties, bulk cargo, and container yards to inland rail, road, and pipeline connections. We also provide a full range of shipping, port, and marine terminal design, logistics, transportation, material handling, and engineering services.


LIQUID BULK TERMINALSWith the help of advanced visualization capabilities, Mott MacDonald helps its clients realize the potential of their liquid bulk terminals. With a full range of world-class solutions in planning, design, and construction management, we deliver solutions to major oil, fuels, liquid propane gas, and liquid natural gas marine export and import projects around the world.

DRY BULK TERMINALSMaximizing efficiency and productivity at dry bulk terminals requires the right combination of handling, processing, storage systems, and transport design. Mott MacDonald is experienced in designing systems for conveyance, loading and unloading, sampling, stockpiling, and stacking. We also have extensive experience in field execution and troubleshooting, data and capacity analyses, equipment design, and commissioning to help clients identify system constraints and overcome bottlenecks to improve terminal capacity.

CONTAINER TERMINALSPorts and shipping form a critical part of an extended supply chain that stretches from the original resource supplier to the final consumer. We draw on our expertise in highway, rail, and marine transportation to create master plans, advise clients on port logistics, and calculate costs.

CRUISE AND FERRY TERMINALSThe volatile and competitive cruise industry requires efficient and attractive terminals. Ferry terminals are a vital link in a community’s transport infrastructure. Our engineers help design mooring and berthing facilities that can accommodate the latest generation of cruise ships and ferry vessels.

The expansion of the Abbot Point Coal Terminal in Queensland, Australia was completed on time and on budget.


ProjectSan Luis Pass inlet management

LocationBrazoria County, TX


ExpertiseFeasibility study, environmental analysis, morphological and salinity modeling

Coastal processes modeling and analysisThe design of coastal, waterfront, port, and navigation projects demands sophisticated modeling and analysis.

Our comprehensive set of wave models consists of numerical modeling codes including SWAN, HWAVE, Bouss2D, and others that are capable of simulating wave transformation, refraction, diffraction, reflection, run-up, and overtopping for most known wave conditions.

Mott MacDonald's 2D and 3D wave, flow circulation, and sediment transport numerical models have been validated and used in numerous projects in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The flood shoal of San Luis Pass in Texas contains more than 40 million cubic yards (30 million cubic meters) of beach-quality sand. The State of Texas retained Mott MacDonald to identify the best locations for sand removal. We conducted numerical modeling to identify the migration corridor of sand, identify areas of deposition, and evaluate the hydraulic and sedimentation changes that might occur from dredging sediment traps or tidal channels.

Top: Sediment Transport Modeling, San Luis Pass, Texas.

Middle: Coastal Flood Modeling Olympia, Washington.

Bottom: Storm Surge Modeling, Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

10 YR WATER LEVEL 50 IN SEA LEVEL RISE (13.88 FT NGVD)

±

0 1,000500Feet

LegendFlooding Depth (ft)

0 - 0.50.5 - 11.0 - 1.51.5 - 22.0 - 2.52.5 - 33.0 - 3.53.5 - 44.0 - 4.54.5+


Flood protection and storm surge modeling and analysisAccurate calculation of the forces exerted on structures by hurricanes and tropical storms helps ensure proper design and the successful outcome of projects constructed along the coast.

Mott MacDonald's coastal engineers are experts in modeling and analyzing tidal flooding and wave and structure interaction.

Top: County Road 257, Post Hurricane Ike, Brazoria County, Texas.

Middle: Caminada Bridge wave force modeling, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.

Bottom: Elliott Bay seawall modeling, Seattle, Washington.


Vessel hydrodynamics, mooring and berthing analysisConstruction, rehabilitation, dredging, or other changes can have unexpected consequences on the behavior of vessels in port.

Our in-house vessel hydrodynamics system is among the most highly validated in the world, and has been applied at more than 80 marine terminals in the US and overseas. Mott MacDonald performs ship maneuvering studies using both full bridge systems and in-house bridge simulators.

Port Canaveral in Florida, one of the world’s busiest cruise ports, experiences complex surge effects when a “parade” of several large cruise ships leave the harbor in succession. The Canaveral Port Authority retained Mott MacDonald to study surge effects in the port, both before and after a proposed deepening project. Our simulations included a series of three cruise ships leaving the harbor in succession under complex speed, drift, and track combinations, and subsequent surge wave sloshing.

ProjectPort Canaveral harbor vessel-induced surge modeling

LocationPort Canaveral, FL

Client Port of Canaveral

ExpertiseHydrodynamic modeling and analysis

Top: Simulations of surge effects improve navigation and improve safety at Port Canaveral in Florida.

Middle: Vessel hydrodynamics modeling, Houston, Texas.

Bottom: Mooring analysis, Melbourne, Australia.


Ship maneuvering and simulationSimulations are a valuable tool for evaluating difficult berthing and maneuvering conditions and assessing channel enhancements to improve navigation safety and efficiency.

Mott MacDonald performs a wide range of navigation and maneuvering analyses, including desktop analysis, desktop maneuvering simulations, and management of full bridge simulations at outside facilities.

After the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia struck a reef near the harbor of the island of Giglio, we were retained to conduct numerical modeling and analysis to support the salvage operation. An underwater ledge was created on the downhill side of the wreck, a parbuckling operation was used to right the hull, and the ship was towed 200 miles (322 kilometers) to its home port of Genoa.

The hull of the cruise ship Costa Concordia was successfully righted, the ship’s hull remained in one piece, and its 17 oil tanks remained intact.

ProjectCosta Concordia

LocationIsola del Giglio, Italy

Client Titan Salvage

Expertise3D and CFD modeling and analysis, technical review


Upgrades by Mott MacDonald improved accessibility at the Methow River Boat Launch in Douglas County, WA.

Mott MacDonald provided a range of services for shoreline protection and seawall stabilization at San Francisco’s Mission Bay.

Engineering designTo obtain competitive, cost-effective bids, it’s important to prepare contract documents with the necessary attention to detail.

Mott MacDonald engineers address this need, minimizing the occurrence of change orders and expediting environmental permitting and construction schedules.

For a shoreline restoration project at San Francisco’s Mission Bay, we prepared 60%, 90%, and 100% design submittals, prepared construction cost estimates for all materials, and provided a design and construction schedule, site preparation and revetment plans, and construction support in the form of bid and contract closeout.

ProjectMission Bay seawall repair and shoreline protection

LocationSan Francisco, CA

Client Port of San Francisco

ExpertiseCoastal and civil engineering, design, construction management


Construction oversightCoastal and waterfront projects require a wide array of oversight and inspection services.

Mott MacDonald provides owner representation, resident inspection in remote locations, review of daily work logs, technical document development and review, and engineering services during construction.

For a dune restoration and beach nourishment project in Quintana, Texas, Mott MacDonald coordinated with the construction industry to ensure the project was feasible for conditions at the site. We provided engineering support during the construction phase of the project.

Beach and dune restoration at Quintana Beach in Brazoria County, TX, has helped protect homes and infrastructure.

ProjectQuintana Beach dune restoration and beach nourishment

LocationBrazoria County, TX


ExpertiseCoastal engineering, analysis, design


Opening opportunities with connected thinking.

For more information, write to [email protected] or call 800.832.3272.

mottmac.com

coastal - mott mac

Documents