Topic outline

  • Coastal Construction: Identifying Hazards

    Credits: 5 PDH

    PDH Course Description:

    Buildings constructed in coastal areas are subject to natural hazards. The most significant natural hazards that affect the coastlines of the United States and territories can be divided into four general categories: Coastal flooding (including waves), Erosion, High winds, Earthquakes.

    This course addresses each of these categories, as well as other hazards and environmental effects, but focuses on flooding and erosion. These two hazards are among the least understood and the least discussed in design and construction documents.

    Designers have numerous resources available that discuss wind and seismic hazards in detail, so they will be dealt with in less detail here. In order to construct buildings to resist these natural hazards and reduce existing buildings’ vulnerability to such hazards, proper planning, siting, design, a construction are critical and require an understanding of the coastal environment, including coastal geology, coastal processes, regional variations in coastline characteristics, and coastal sediment budgets.

    Topics:

    • Coastline Characteristics
    • Coastal Storm Events
    • Coastal Hazards, Other Hazards and Environmental Effects
    • Subsidence and Uplift
    • Salt Spray and Moisture
    • Sea and Lake Level Rise
    • Rain, Hail,Snow, Wildfire
    • Floating and Atmospheric Ice
    • Hydrostatic and Hydrodynamic Forces
    • Waves and Floodborne Debris
    • Describing, Measuring, and Causes of Erosion
    • Erosion Near Tidal Inlets, Harbor, Bay, and River Entrances
    • Erosion Due to Manmade Structures and Human Activities
    • Effects of Alteration of Vegetation, Drainage, or Groundwater
    • Long Term Erosion, Localized Scour
    • Overwash and Sediment Burial
    • Landslides and Ground Failures
    • NFIP Flood Hazard Zones, Base Flood Elevations
    • FIRMs, DFIRMs, and FISs
    • Wave Heights and Wave Crest Elevations
    • Wave Runup, Primary Frontal Dunes
    • Erosion Considerations and Flood Hazard Mapping
    • Flood Hazard Assessments for Design Purposes
    • Levees and Levee Protection
    • Updating or Revising Flood Hazard Assessments

    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.
         NOTE: After the exam is completed, you will need to return to this page, in order to print (download) the certificate of completion.

    Print the Certificate of Completion

    Intended Audience: This course is intended for Coastal, Geotechnical, Civil, Environmental, Water Resources, and other engineers whose job description requires a comprehensive knowledge of coastal construction topics.
    Publication Source: US FEMA

    Donald Parnell, PE

    • Topic 1