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INSTRUCTOR: Thomas Wakeman M.ASCE

Course Length: 1 Hour

Sponsored by ASCE's Coastal, Oceans, Ports & Rivers Institute and ASCE Continuing Education.

“The webinars offered by ASCE are the easiest ones for me to present groups. I appreciate how consistently organized ASCE webinars are.” – Dana M. Hardy, Executive Secretary City of Oklahoma Utilities Administration

Purpose and Background

The domestic and international supply chains require naval architects, port engineers, and navigation engineers work together to provide the essential assets necessary for waterborne commerce.  Navigation engineering is a civil engineering specialty that connects open ocean areas with coastal and river terminals and involves the life-cycle planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of safe, secure, reliable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable navigable waterways (channels, structures, and support systems) used to move people and goods by waterborne vessels. Although navigation infrastructure engineering practices began centuries ago in collaboration with development in naval architecture and port infrastructure, today's maritime professionals must think beyond channels, bulkheads and breakwaters. Modern practice must consider factors from many existing fields related to waterway navigation,  ports and business activities integrating them into one specific discipline that supports the United States Marine Transportation System (MTS).  Two key issues have evolved that require special consideration by today's engineers: sustainability and resilience.  Neither issue is well-understood or easily characterized and measured.  Nevertheless, engineers must find ways to incorporate these aspects into their designs for new coastal structures and port facilities.  Hurricane Sandy closed the Port of New York and New Jersey for over a wekk.  How could this be avoided in the future?  How can navigation engineers assist in the recovery of the maritime supply chair?

The importance of the MTS cannot be overstated with respect to our national economic security and defense. Despite growth in other modes of domestic and international transportation and in global communications, the nation's ports and waterways remain the critical backbone of our economy strength and national defense capabilities. Consider that in the United States:

• Waterborne transport moves more than 95% of imports and exports – oil, grain, autos, coal, and many other goods totaling 1.4 billion metric tons
• There are 363 deep draft ports and approximately 97,000 aids to navigation
• There are more than 63,800 vessel calls at U.S. ports each year
• 147 million passengers are moved each year via navigable waterways
• Waterways support a $100 billion commercial and recreational fishing industry
• Rapid deployment of Navy and Coast Guard ships is essential for both national defense and monitoring of maritime shipments of cargo and materials

This webinar presents many of the challenges currently facing navigation engineering practice and considers courses of action for practitioners. Topics include discussions of new technology tools and their integration into the navigation engineer's toolbox, incorporation of sustainability principles, establishing resiliency protocol, maritime security implications for design and practice, and consideration of how navigation infrastructure redesign might contribute to sustainability by reducing energy demands associated with vessel movements and waterway maintenance.

Primary Discussion Topics

• Sustainability and resilience challenges facing navigation engineering practice
• Courses of action for practitioners to tackle rising sea level and extreme weather events in harbors
• How can navigation infrastructure redesign contribute to sustainability by reducing energy demands for vessel movements and waterway maintenance
• New technology tools and integrated approaches and their integration into navigation engineers' toolboxes
• Risk management implications for design and practice
• Incorporation of sustainability and resiliency tools

Learning Outcomes

• Identify how navigation and navigation infrastructure are changing to become part of a global trade and marine transportation system (MTS) crucial to national economic security and defense
• Determine the role of maritime professionals in supporting the global MTS through navigation engineering and other emerging areas for engineering innovation to challenges of sustainability, business competitiveness, infrastructure development, sustainability, risk management, security and resilience, and technology deployment
• Find out where to get additional information and education in maritime systems and navigation engineering

Webinar Benefits

• Learn how your business or agency can benefit from trends in the U.S. Marine Transportation System
• Identify opportunities for enhanced sustainability and resilience in navigation engineering services as global transport networks expand, services are incorporated into supply chain decisions, and the information age permeates the transportation system
• Help clients understand the need for professional navigation engineering services as they adopt new technologies and consider international business opportunities

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Intended Audience

The webinar will be beneficial to those who work in the maritime commerce private sector, engineers in the Corps of Engineers, USCG, NOAA, and other government agencies involved with navigation engineering, and also to those who advise these organizations, such as environmentalist, attorneys, business consultants and technologists. The discussion, though technical, involves no equations. Non-engineers can follow the material.

Webinar Outline

• Major trends facing the Marine Transportation System?
• Opportunities for navigation engineers as globalization and maritime activities connect international businesses?
• Potential impacts of climate change, sustainability concerns, security threats and energy availability/dependency on the MTS in the coming years?
• Build you expertise