Coastal Environmental Engineering

Learning Outcomes: 

Α) Knowledge-based

• Student introduction to the concepts of ocean wave processes,
• Understanding the transformation processes of ocean waves as they propagate to the coastal zone,
• Understanding the basic equations describing the ocean waves propagation, the methods of predicting waves using wave and/or meteorological datasets, and the interactions of waves with coastal technical works,
• Comprehending the mechanisms of coastal erosion and the tools of coastal protection.

Β) Skills/Competences acquired

• Capacity to solve wave equations to acquire wave characteristics,
• Ability to estimate extreme wind and wave events,
• Capacity to design coastal technical works for coastal erosion mitigation,
• Capacity to implement a wave, technical and environmental impact assessment study for the coastal environment

General Skills:

ICT use,Decision-making,Project design and management, critical thinking, autonomous work

Course Content:
This course introduces the student to the coastal environment and its characteristics, the coastal dynamic processes with particular emphasis on understanding the ocean waves, their transformations during their propagation towards the coast, the methodologies of processing short and long-term wave datasets aiming towards the probabilistic investigation of extreme events, the assessment methods of wave characteristics in areas where only meteorological data are available, elements of wave mechanics and engineering and waves numerical modeling. The properties of coastal sediments are also presented, together with the methods of assessment of longshore and cross-shore wave-induced currents and sediment transport. Numerical models of sedimentary budgets are shown, in accordance to models of shoreline evolution and prediction, and wave-technical works interactions. The issue of coastal erosion is analyzed, and the various methods of coastal protection (hard, soft and hybrid) are explained. Special attention is given to the beach nourishment technology (methods, procedures, cost and environmental impacts).
At the end of the course, students prepare and submit a full technical and environmental impact assessment study for a coastal technical intervention.
Exercises/Practicals:
1. Computation of wave characteristics at the open sea,
2. Determination of waves transformation at the coastal sea,
3. Computation of wave characteristics at the coastal zone,
4. Analysis of short-term wave datasets,
5. Computation of wave spectrum using wave measurements,
6. Analysis of long-term wave datasets,
7. Extreme event analysis and probability over threshold (POT) exercises,
8. Computation of longshore wave-induced current,
9. Computation of longshore sediment transport,
10. Wave study implementation.

Suggested Bibliography:

• «Environmental Coastal Engineering Online Notes», Sylaios Georgios, University Course Lectures.
• «Introduction in Coastal Engineering and Ports Design», Koutitas Ch., 1996.
• «Ports and Harbors Engineering», Vol. 1, Quinn A., 1998