Coastal Hydraulics

Consider a few of the various structures built in coastal environments: jetties that protect navigation channels through tidal inlets; seawalls and bulkheads that protect the businesses, condominiums, and private residences that dot the coastal landscape; marinas and harbors that support recreational, commercial, and military fleets; and bridges that span tidal waterways. To withstand the tremendous forces experienced along the coast, these structures must meet design criteria that account for waves and currents induced by tides, winds, and storm surges.

Accounting for these forces to ensure reliable structural designs falls to coastal engineers with expertise in the application and interpretation of hydrodynamic models. Since its inception, Taylor Engineering has applied a number of such models to study

• Water quality and flushing in canals and estuaries
• Inlet hydraulics
• Bridge scour
• Sedimentation
• Effects from proposed coastal structures
• Coastal flooding
• Thermal plumes

Both a user and creator of hydrodynamic modeling programs, we offer a unique perspective to specific model development and analysis. Based on a project’s complexity, we have applied one- and two-dimensional models, including finite difference and finite element solution schemes. Given the wealth of experience gained from model application in many coastal environments, we have established a record of excellence in applying and interpreting coastal hydraulic models to support the design and evaluation of various types of coastal structures.