All safe, effective and sustainable design requires understanding of its operating environment. Over-design of structures can have a significant impact on cost whilst under-design can be catastrophic.

When the location is on the coast, offshore, or understanding the complex physical and oceanographic processes in play underpin design decisions.

ABPmer has been supporting the design and construction of offshore and coastal infrastructure for over 70 years. Our technical knowledge and experience is applied throughout a project lifecycle, providing input to design though pre-feasibility to FEED and construction.

A recognised leader in offshore, coastal and estuarine numerical modelling and physical process assessments, our services are underpinned by sophisticated models of waves, hydrodynamics, sediments, plumes, water quality and morphological change.

These models are often supported by the collection of data by our in-house survey teams. We also provide metocean data to support engineering feasibility through our SEASTATES hindcast service.

We provide design support for:

• Coastal and estuarine infrastructure
• Marine renewables, cables and pipelines

Coastal and estuarine infrastructure

The successful design and operation of coastal infrastructure is dependent on understanding the coastal conditions (waves, tides and sediment transport) at the site. Engineers and operators require a good understanding of these conditions, as they can impact and influence their designs operationally, and in terms of safety (e.g. flood risk) and cost.

We support design and construction projects for engineering consultancies, renewables developers, port operators, transport infrastructure providers, utility companies, contractors and flood and coastal erosion risk authorities.

Our marine and coastal design conditions have contributed to the design of sea walls and beaches, jetties and slipways to power station and utility intakes and outfalls.

Our knowledge and understanding are shared through guidance documents prepared on behalf of government and regulators, as well as in-house training.

We support coastal and estuarine infrastructure with:

• Numerical modelling
• Extremes and joint probability analysis
• Coastal process and estuary morphology assessments
• Beach design
• Port dredge design and optimisation studies

Numerical modelling

Numerical modelling simulates and predicts the physical and dynamic properties of the marine environment; a crucial tool to inform understanding of coastal conditions for infrastructure design.

We are known for our extensive experience and expertise in marine numerical modelling, often supported by calibration data collected by our in-house survey team. These models are built to represent conditions in two or three dimensions and coupled where required.

Our specialists undertake regional and local spectral wave modelling to derive operational and extreme wave criteria, as well as assessing the impact of local wave climate, run for specific periods or extended durations for hindcasting. 

Within ports and harbours where the processes of diffraction and reflection are more critical, we undertake more complex Boussinesq wave modelling to simulate the processes of wave disturbance and agitation.

To provide reliable predictions of currents, flows and water levels we routinely use hydrodynamic modelling tools to replicate complex hydrodynamic processes, both independently and coupled with sediment transport modules to predict patterns of sediment transport and the effects of infrastructure on processes of erosion and accretion.

Hydrodynamic models are also used for sediment dispersion, water quality and flushing studies supporting the design of a range of coastal infrastructure including intakes and outfalls for utilities and power stations to marina design.

Wave and hydrodynamic model data is also used to predict shoreline and coastal change through one- and two-dimensional coastal evolution modelling. 

Extremes and joint probability analysis

Knowing the operational and extreme metocean conditions at a site are fundamental to design, operation and maintenance of structures in the marine and coastal environment.

We have delivered operational and extreme conditions for coastal and estuarine infrastructure for over 50 years. Our experienced consultants use a range of assessment methodologies to determine extreme wave and water levels for design and overtopping studies, tailored to project requirements and location. 

These can be univariate or joint probability extremes, underpinned by up to 40 years of hindcast data from regional hindcasts or bespoke local modelling. We also provide details on extreme wind and current conditions, as well as meteorological data and sea water properties.

Coastal process and estuary morphology assessments

The successful design and operation of a development is based upon a detailed understanding of the often-complex coastal processes affecting the shore and wider coastal and nearshore zone.

We use a range of analysis tools in conjunction with literature reviews and third-party datasets to produce ‘conceptual models’ which describe the complex physical processes and their interactions with the seabed and the coast.

These conceptual models are often supported by numerical modelling or historic trend analysis (of bathymetric or topographic data) correlated with past metocean conditions (e.g. storm events) to understand historic change and provide predictions of evolution with climate change.

Such assessments determine the risk of flooding, erosion, accretion, scour and other project specific design considerations.

Beach design

As the industry seeks to work more with natural processes in the face of a changing climate, the use of beaches in flood and coastal erosion risk management is becoming more important.

Our coastal geomorphologists use a range of tools and methodologies to determine the relationship between local metocean conditions and shoreline change. From this we derive beach design criteria along with monitoring strategies and triggers for intervention for beach and shoreline management. 

Port dredge design and optimisation studies

Capital and maintenance dredging can be extremely costly, potentially affecting the economic viability of developments and maritime operations.

As part of Associated British Ports Group we have been supporting port developments and operations with dredge design and optimisation studies for nearly 75 years.

Our dredging studies are bespoke to the location, data available and objectives of the study and can include the use of bathymetric change analysis and/or numerical modelling supported by conceptual models, predict the sedimentation in berth pockets and navigation channels as well as the movement of specific seabed features, infill calculations and predictions of maintenance dredge volumes. 

Marine renewables, cables and pipelines

The successful design and operation of offshore wind farms is dependent on understanding metocean conditions at the site of interest. Engineers and operators require a good understanding of these conditions, as they can impact and influence their designs operationally, and in terms of safety and cost.

We support offshore wind projects with:

• Metocean criteria
• Seabed mobility and scour assessments
• Cable landfall, trenching and burial assessments

Metocean criteria

Engineers and operators require a good understanding of operational and extreme metocean conditions, as they can impact and influence their designs operationally, and in terms of safety and cost. We have substantial experience providing metocean design criteria for offshore wind. By using long-term hindcast models such as our in-house database SEASTATES, we provide fast access to quality controlled metocean information.

Subjecting metocean data to extremes analysis, we provide clients with intelligence on operational and extreme wind, wave, water level and current conditions, as well as meteorological data, sea water properties, and estimates of marine growth rate.

Weather downtime statistics

Adverse weather can have a major impact on project cost, programme and safety at sea; developers cannot afford to be without an understanding of the effect of weather on operations.

Our Weather Downtime Express (WDTX) service provides developers with the necessary information to optimise operations and minimise weather risk, supporting decision-making and operational planning.

Seabed mobility and scour assessments

Mobile bedforms such as sand banks and sand waves cause many challenges during design and construction.

Using project-specific geophysical data, recent and historic seabed surveys, and oceanographic data from our SEASTATES metocean database, we help developers map the behavioural characteristics of the seabed across the wind farm site and export cable corridor. 

We also undertake bespoke analysis of sediment transport to determine infill rates and backfill calculations for trenching operations.

Cable landfall, trenching and burial assessments

During cable route planning, it is vital to ensure sufficient levels of conservatism are factored into engineering design.

Our specialists help offshore wind developers investigate ongoing and future coastal challenges at proposed export cable landfall locations. By understanding potential impacts to the costal process at the sites, we provide robust, appropriate cable installation options.

Ready to speak to one of our specialists about your design requirements? Get in touch.