Waterway Atlantic Coast

Coastal Engineering & Restoration

Building Resilient Coastlines and Vibrant Communities

Coastal zones today face especially challenging conditions, from erosion, flooding, reoccurring severe weather events and population shift to waterfront centers. The catastrophic impact of hurricanes along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts in recent years, large wave and El Niño events on the Pacific Coast, and the ongoing concerns over sea level rise elsewhere have increased awareness of the negative impacts of coastal erosion. 

Successful projects are driven by sound science, attention to detail and experience tackling the challenges of working in a dynamic marine environment. We bring more than 60 years of experience in mitigation, restoration and creation projects, with a focus on beaches, bays and estuaries.

Our focused coastal services can help you face these challenges with specialized science and engineering to create safe and resilient coastal areas that will protect lives and property from the impacts of wind, waves and weather. In addition to our civil and coastal engineers, our staff includes experts in nearshore oceanography, marine geology, fisheries, science, regulatory and related disciplines to provide responsive services to tackle challenging projects along the water’s edge.

Our portfolio includes coastal storm risk reduction for large industrial areas and heavily populated municipalities, nourishment of shorelines, and restoration of sensitive environmental habitat. Along with our shoreline protection expertise which spans from ‘hard’ structures to artificial reefs and nature-based solutions, we are a leader in coastal restoration design, environmental permitting and the complexities of locating structures adjacent to sensitive coastal ecosystems.

We pull together our experts from across the globe to offer custom-fit solutions to our clients' toughest challenges.

Coastal Engineering, Restoration & Resilience Services

Beaches/Coastal Processes Analyses

  • Beach Nourishment/Dune Restoration 
  • Storm Impact Assessment
  • Shoreline Change and Sediment Budget Analyses

Coastal Floodplain Hydraulics & Hydrology

  • Compound Flooding Analysis
  • Fisheries Eco-Hydraulics/Passage
  • Flood Risk Reduction Structures

Coastal Modeling & Analytics

  • Tidal, Surge and Tsunami Hydrodynamics
  • Wave Development & Transformation
  • Sediment Transport & Morphodynamics
  • Passing Vessel Simulation
  • Machine Learning for Resilience

Coastal Resilience

  • Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment/Study
  • Infrastructure Adaptation Planning
  • Coastal Hazards Analysis (Waves, storm surge, sea level rise, shoreline erosion, flood inundation, tsunami)
  • Cold Region Coastal Resilience (ice impacts, groundwater intrusion, permafrost degradation)

Coastal Structures Design

  • Jetties/Groins
  • Offshore Breakwaters
  • Seawalls/Revetments

Dredging & Navigation Analyses

  • Dredging and Dredged Material Disposal
  • Beneficial Use Project Development
  • Marinas and Small Craft Harbours Design
  • Navigation and Mooring Studies

Natural & Nature-Based Solutions

  • Tidal Marsh/Wetlands Restoration
  • Living Shorelines 
  • Oyster Reef Restoration
  • Bird Rookery Island Protection/Creation
  • Estuary Water Quality and Sedimentation Analyses
  • Mitigation Planning

Ocean Renewables Regulatory Support

  • Offshore Wind
  • Tidal Energy
  • Wave Energy