Coastal Engineering Consultancy Services

Moffatt & Nichol’s reputation for excellence in the waterfront environment was built on years of experience with challenging projects. Today, the firm offers clients a professional and knowledgeable staff of engineers, planners, and scientists who are experts at solving the complex issues that drive coastal, estuarine, and riverine systems. One of the few engineering firms with specialized expertise in these environments, Moffatt & Nichol also brings considerable experience in the numerical modeling of the physical processes that challenge projects in these settings. From offices in North America, Europe, and Latin America, we offer clients access to the latest technologies and many of the industry’s leading practitioners, providing innovative solutions founded on decades of practical experience. Ecosystem Restoration --------------------- Moffatt & Nichol has utilized unique techniques and tools for planning and design of ecosystem restoration projects which include conservation, enhancement and restoration (both large and small). Strategies include the introduction of ocean tides through new or redesigned inlets; the introduction of river water, mineral sediments and nutrients through diversions; the management/regulation of flows to reduce saltwater intrusion; marsh restoration and vegetation plantings; and shore protection. These ecosystem projects have required significant public, non-governmental organization and governmental agency coordination due to their high visibility and critical environmental importance. Moffatt & Nichol’s ability to offer full planning, numerical modeling, engineering design, and construction services for such projects has been instrumental in their success. Regional Sand Management ------------------------ Often coastal engineering projects are planned and designed on a case-by-case basis without recognizing the impact that such projects may have on the entire coastal system. Moffatt & Nichol has provided government agencies with assistance that includes stakeholder outreach, sediment transport modeling, and coastwide comprehensive studies, to help them manage coastal sediments as a regional resource and coordinate storm damage reduction efforts amongst adjacent communities. Beach Nourishment ----------------- Many of the world’s shorelines are experiencing critical erosion, necessitating solutions that will allow them to continue to provide recreational opportunities and protect existing infrastructure.  Moffatt & Nichol has successfully completed beach nourishment projects along shorelines that include individual private beaches, resort projects, and major urban centers. Several have included the use of structures to increase their longevity.  The services that Moffatt & Nichol provides in support of such projects include planning and community outreach, shoreline modeling and analysis, littoral budget development, storm damage and benefit analysis, evaluation of sand source alternatives and dredging alternatives, permitting, engineering design, preparation of construction documents, and construction observation. Water Resources --------------- Management of dwindling water supplies and our natural watershed systems is becoming a primary concern in developing a sustainable environment for ourselves and our children. As the population increases, it is becoming even more important to identify, protect, and/or restore these critical systems. Moffatt & Nichol has successfully completed water resource studies and projects to protect and expand these important resources. The services that Moffatt & Nichol provides in support of such projects include watershed planning and restoration design, public outreach and permitting support, watershed modeling and analysis (including coupled surface water/groundwater modeling), stream and wetland restoration design, preparation of construction documents, and construction observation. Stormwater Management --------------------- Management of stormwater quality, as well as quantity, is becoming more important in today’s regulatory environment. The issues are especially complex in coastal regions where low topography and high groundwater tables limit the placement and performance of conventional Best Management Practices (BMP’s).   Moffatt & Nichol has successfully completed stormwater management studies and projects within these challenging environments as well as inland areas. The services that Moffatt & Nichol provides in support of such projects include public outreach, planning and permitting support, watershed modeling and analysis (including coupled surface water/groundwater modeling), conventional and innovative BMP design, pump system design, preparation of construction documents, and construction observation. Coastal Structures ----------------- Frequently, structures such as breakwaters, jetties, and revetments are necessary to achieve goals such as protecting coastal facilities from severe wave activity, reducing the erosion potential of shorelines, or reducing sedimentation rates in navigational channels.   Moffatt & Nichol provides the full range of coastal engineering services necessary to properly plan, design, and construct such structures in the coastal environment. Specialties include numerical and physical modeling, hindcasting and statistical analyses to determine design storm surge, wave height and current magnitudes; coastal morphological analyses; and the determination of hydrodynamic loads on structures. In addition to our coastal engineering capabilities, Moffatt & Nichol provides complete structural engineering design services (as well as civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering). Moffatt & Nichol is intimately familiar with the unique issues relevant to design and construction in the coastal zone including risk analysis, the proper selection of materials, the constructability of different possible structural systems and the potential cost implications. Estuarine/Riverine Numerical Modeling ------------------------------------- One of the most critical aspects of any project in an estuarine or riverine environment is the assessment of impacts on hydrodynamics, sediment transport, water quality, and sediment quality. Also important are the effects the system will have on the project itself, such as current and wave loads, flooding, and shoaling in navigation channels. These complex interactions are typically investigated using sophisticated numerical models. Moffatt & Nichol has completed hundreds of modeling studies, using multiple commercial and public domain modeling platforms, throughout the United States and abroad, including most of the major estuaries and coastal bays along the East, Gulf, and West Coasts of the United States.  Many of these modeling studies were subjected to rigorous review by project stakeholders, including the environmental and regulatory community, as part of an extensive environmental review process. Coastal Numerical Modeling -------------------------- Development of infrastructure on the coast, from conceptual layouts to detailed design, optimization, and environmental impact assessment requires a thorough understanding of coastal processes including water levels, waves, currents, sediment transport, and morphological evolution. Moffatt & Nichol has extensive experience investigating these physical processes with the aid of state-of-the-art numerical tools. Navigation & Vessel Morings --------------------------- As the demands increase on our nations’ waterways from both recreational and commercial vessels, Moffatt & Nichol is at the forefront in supporting both private and government clients in addressing issues that arise.   Moffatt & Nichol performs extensive numerical modeling and analyses to determine potential impacts of deepening and widening navigation channels. The firm also provides engineering designs of channels that account for navigational risk, traffic congestion, tugboat operations and procedures, and vessel motions including resonance roll. Ship maneuvering studies are performed using both numerical models and full bridge mission simulators along with statistical and flow modeling of ship traffic. Moffatt & Nichol employs the latest technology and industry experience to solve complex ship mooring and berthing problems and produce state-of-the-art designs. This technology includes an array of computer programs for static- and time-domain dynamic analyses of vessels moored to piers and offshore moorings. Beneficial Reuse & Dredged Material Management Plans ---------------------------------------------------- In the past, dredged material was looked at as “spoil” to discard—whereas today it is considered a resource for wetland creation and beach renourishment projects. Moffatt & Nichol has successfully completed many beneficial use projects and material management plans throughout the United States. The services that Moffatt & Nichol provides in support of such projects include planning and community outreach; sediment compatibility analysis; geotechnical design; contaminated sediment remediation; revetment/sill design; wetland creation design; 1/2/3D sedimentation modeling, leaching studies and analyses; storm damage and benefit analysis; evaluation of sand source alternatives and dredging alternatives; permitting; engineering design; preparation of construction documents; and construction observation. Sediment Plans -------------- Dredged channels and harbor basins are often prone to sedimentation. Currents within the deepened channels are weaker than the currents that existed prior to dredging and thus are often incapable of preventing sedimentation. Mechanisms leading to shoaling in harbors include enhanced sediment influx due to density current and entrance eddy exchange, as well as sediment trapping inside the basin due to low ambient currents. Moffatt & Nichol uses efficient and proven analytical methods developed in-house as well as sophisticated commercial and publicly available numerical models to estimate sedimentation and the need for future maintenance dredging. Moffatt & Nichol has applied these methods extensively throughout the world for some of the largest channel deepening projects recently undertaken in the United States. Inlet Management ---------------- Inlets are among the most important elements of the coastal systems. They allow for the exchange of water, sediment, and nutrients between the bays and the oceans and play a significant role in barrier island evolution processes, as well as having a significant impact on the stability of adjacent shorelines and storm surge propagation into backbay areas. Additionally, they provide important, and often irreplaceable, access for commercial and recreational navigation activities. Extensive assessment and thorough understanding of inlet dynamics are absolutely required for successful inlet management. Moffatt & Nichol has honed the skills and tools required to address all of the relevant issues over the course of numerous projects and studies for some of the most important coastal inlets in the country. Our expertise includes: Coastal Transportation Vulnerability ------------------------------------- As history shows, our nation’s coastal transportation network is increasingly vulnerable to coastal storm events.  Moffatt & Nichol provides a full range of coastal engineering services critical to properly assessing potential vulnerabilities and providing appropriate design criteria. Specialties include hydrodynamic modeling, wave hindcasting, and statistical analyses to determine design storm surge, wave height, and current magnitudes; coastal morphological analyses; scour analyses; vessel collision analyses; and storm water management for coastal roads and bridges. Hydrolic Structures ------------------- Since the beginning of time, humans have attempted to control streams and rivers for water supply, navigation, and flood control. Natural disasters underscore the need for proper planning and design when implementing these challenging projects. Moffatt & Nichol has successfully completed numerous projects to protect life and property, while still balancing environmental concerns. The services that Moffatt & Nichol provides in support of such projects include the planning and design of locks, levees, hydraulic training structures, flow diversions, inverted siphons, reservoir outlet structures and appurtenances; tide gates; watershed planning and restoration design; public outreach and permitting support; hydraulic modeling and analysis of these structures; preparation of construction documents; and construction observation. Watershed Restoration --------------------- Negative impacts to water quality and aquatic habitat in our nation’s rivers, streams, lakes, estuaries and wetlands have occurred over time from multiple effects. Watershed restoration seeks to return some of these ecosystems to their approximate predisturbance conditions. This requires the comprehensive implementation of a variety of solutions or projects for which Moffatt & Nichol can provide the full range of planning, numerical modeling, engineering design, and construction services required for such projects to be successful. Air, Sediment and Water Quality ------------------------------- As human activities have the potential to increase air and water pollution, it is important to have a thorough understanding of existing emissions and discharges, accurate forecasts of future ones, and to develop strategies for mitigating or eliminating them. In support of our clients’ efforts, Moffatt & Nichol has developed such tools as a cutting-edge, activity-based computational model that quantifies air emissions and integrates accepted Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air emission factors with operational planning models developed by Moffatt & Nichol. Moffatt & Nichol also has performed state-of-the-art, water quality numerical modeling of numerous riverine and estuarine complexes. In addition, aquatic sediments from the rivers, lakes, estuaries, and nearshore marine areas reflect a legacy of contamination from mining agriculture, industrial, urban, and atmospheric sources so significant that they pose unacceptable human health and ecological risks and must be removed from the waterway and be properly treated and disposed of. Hurrcane, Typhoon and Storm Surge Analysis ------------------------------------------ Water Quality and Sedimentation Analysis ---------------------------------------- Drainage and Hydrology ----------------------- Dredging and Land Reclamation ----------------------------- Environmental Services ---------------------- Wetlands Management & Restoration ---------------------------------- Shoreline Protection ---------------------