Topic outline

  • Coastal Construction: Designing Foundations for Coastal Regions

    Credits: 4 PDH

    PDH Course Description:

    This course provides general guidance on designing foundations in a coastal environment and is not intended to provide complete guidance on designing foundations in every coastal area. Design professionals should consult other guidance documents, codes, and standards as needed.

    Design considerations for foundations in coastal environments are in many ways similar to those in inland areas. Like all foundations, coastal foundations must support gravity loads, resist uplift and lateral loads, and maintain lateral and vertical load path continuity from the elevated building to the soils below.

    Foundations in coastal areas are different in that they must generally resist higher winds, function in a corrosive environment, and withstand the environmental aspects that are unique to coastal areas: storm surges, rapidly moving floodwaters, wave action, and scour and erosion. These aspects can make coastal flooding more damaging than inland flooding.

    Topics:

    • Foundation Design Criteria
    • Foundation Styles: Open, Closed, Shallow, Deep
    • Foundation Design Requirements and Recommendations
    • Site Considerations and Soil Data
    • Major Steps in the Design and Analysis Process
    • Use of Pile and Pier Foundations
    • Pile Installation Methods
    • Lateral, Compressive/Tension, Uplift/Overturning Loading on Piles and Piers
    • Scour and Erosion Effects on Pile Foundations
    • Use of Grade Beams for Pile Foundations
    • Diagonal and Knee Bracing
    • Wood vs Steel vs Concrete
    • Field Preservative Treatment of Timber Pilings

    To take this course:

    1.) Enroll in Course: Click below to enroll:
    (must be logged into your user account)


    2.) Study: Once enrolled, click below to begin the course:

    Download the Study Guide

    3.) Test: Once you've thoroughly read the course materials, please click below to take the final examination.

    Take the final exam

    4.) Certificate: A passing grade of 70% or higher on the exam, is required to receive the certificate of completion for this PDH course.


    Important – Payment is required prior to printing of your certificate of completion.

    We operate on a trust-based model. You are welcome to complete Steps 1 through 3 to fully review the course material at your leisure. 
    When you are ready to download and print your Certificate of Completion, we ask that payment has been completed for either the Unlimited Plan or individual PDH credit(s). Clicking the download button below serves as your digital confirmation that payment has been made.

    For a quick overview of our site's policies, please click here: (FAQs)

    Print the Certificate of Completion


    Intended Audience: This course is intended for Construction, Civil, Coastal, Facilities, Geotechnical, and other engineers whose job description may require a general knowledge of foundation design in coastal environments.
    Publication Source: US FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Authority)

    Donald Parnell, PE

    • Topic 1