Maritime engineering is vital to the UK. There is approxiamtely 11,000 miles of coastline in the UK and maritime engineering manages the risks from flooding and coastal erosion that could cause devastation for the communities that exist in these coastal areas.
Explanation and Background
Maritime engineering contends with a broad range of areas of expertise including:
- estuaries
- coastlines,
- and offshore locations.
This area of engineering looks to provide solutions to problems such as coastal erosion, flooding, and sea level rise. Maritime engineering is also involved in the maritime industry through the design of ports and harbours, and the exploitation of oil, gas, minerals and renewable energy.
Maritime Engineers
The management of the UK’s coastline and maritime issues requires well skilled and knowledgeable maritime engineers. Maritime engineers have to understand a wide range of issues, particularly as many of their projects involve ecological and environmentally sensitive issues. Maritime engineers also have strong project management skills, construction supervision knowledge and thorough competency of due diligence and feasibility studies.
Maritime engineers often have specialist areas of expertise. These cover a broad range of skills in areas including
- port master planning
- coastal protection
- flood defences
- dredging
- inland water ways
- offshore engineering
Maritime Infrastructure
Sea and Coastal Defences
Defending the UK’s coastline against tidal impacts, high waves and erosion is important to the local communities and businesses that exist along our coastline. The UK coastline is approximately 11,000 miles and the businesses and communities that exist along this vast amount of land are vital to the UK’s economy. If the coast is not defended then issues such as fast-flowing floods, loss of critical coastal habitats, abandonment of towns and cities and loss of human life may ensue.
In order to defend our coastal communities, engineers employ innovative techniques and infrastructure. Whilst the construction of floodwalls and embankments has been the traditional means of protecting low-lying communities and infrastructure against flooding, there are other ways to protect the UK’s coastlines.
Shingle is used to manage sea levels on parts of the UK coast. This practice of beach recharge is used to prevent a breach of the coastal defences. Shingle, which is often from previously dredged water courses, is often imported and formed by machinery on the sea front.
Ports
The UK possesses a thriving ports industry that contributes to our national economic competitiveness and benefits our society. However, the industry faces challenges such as growing congestion on the inland transport infrastructure, which leads to delays for the movement of increasing amounts of our imported containerised cargo.
Ports can make a contribution to solving national transport problems as they provide opportunities to revive the movement of certain goods through our inland waterways and to service a ‘coastal ring road’ for shipping.
Ports are used to assist the offshore energy industry. They can be utilised as storage facilities as well as providing facilities to manufacture and maintain the components required for offshore infrastructure. This is currently an area that is under-utilised by the offshore energy industry, but as offshore energy becomes more popular and economically viable, ports may be more enthusiastic to provide land for this type of activity.
Freight
The UK requires a freight sector that ensures goods can be moved freely, reliably and efficiently around the country while reducing the impact of freight movement on congestion, safety and the environment. Measures should be introduced to promote modal shift from roads to alternative forms of transport, such as rail, inland waterways and ports to relieve traffic congestion.
To help minimise the environmental impacts of freight movements and ease pressure on the over-stretched road network, ICE calls for a rail network with sufficient capacity for freight, the use of inland waterways and the introduction of a nationwide system of road pricing.