Waterfront structures & facilities

The first step towards ports resilience is knowing the physical vulnerabilities and risks. Our geotechnical and risks experts have been analyzing the effects of earthquakes and wave impacts to quay walls, platforms, and cranes for more than 20 year and can demonstrate a rich know-how in assessing the performance of critical port components.

There is the headache of ageing port infrastructure too. Many ports comprise structures which are several decades old, built with reinforced concrete which is degrading, or steel sheet piles which are corroding. Employing state-of-the-art numerical tools, we can model the evolution of material ageing with time and its effects on the structural performance of assets. Such analyses may facilitate preventive maintenance decisions, which among other benefits, will enhance the ability of the facility to better respond to future threats.

For estimating loss of operability or reduced port performance (caused by climate threats), our Business Interruption experts embed analyze the operations of the port facility to map interlinkages and create case-specific supply chain network models. By doing so, we can identify critical paths, monetize the facility disruption caused by any external event and effectively guide resilience planning decisions.