*Note: All times listed below are Eastern Standard Time
Early Bird Rates (EB) prior to Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Advance Rates (ADV) - Thursday, January 23, 2025 - Wednesday, March 12, 2025
On-Site Rates (ONS) - Thursday, March 13, 2025 or later
Full-Day Short Courses
Sunday, June 1, 2025
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Inspection, Testing, and Rehabilitation of Waterfront Structures
$375 EB | $425 ADV | $475 ONS
8.0 PDHs
(ticket required)
Waterfront infrastructure represents a significant investment. Owners have a vested interest in maintaining and extending the service life of these aging assets. Exposed to the harsh marine environment, these structures are subject to increased degradation when compared most inland assets. Most owners find the goal of providing proactive and cost-effective maintenance to be a challenge. Recognizing these drivers, the ASCE/COPRI Ports & Harbors Committee developed Waterfront Facilities Inspection and Assessment (ASCE Manuals and Reports on Engineering Practices No. 130) and is finalizing the companion manual Waterfront Facilities Rehabilitation.
The Waterfront Inspection Committee of the COPRI Institute is anticipating the release of “Waterfront Facilities Inspection and Assessment (MOP 130-25)” by the start of the conference. ASCE will have a limited number of copies available for purchase onsite at the conference if the book has been published.
The intent is not only to provide owners and engineers with guidance on choosing inspection techniques but also to determine the assessment and appropriate rehabilitation approach. The result is a process that will assist owners in maintaining their waterfront assets and extending the service life.
The eight-hour course is designed to help facility operators, owners, and engineers:
- Understand industry best practices for the professional engineering inspection and assessment of waterfront facilities - including above and below water; and
- Develop, scope, and solicit facility inspections and assessments; and
- Discuss nondestructive testing (NDT) and partially destructive testing (PDT) methods, which aid in the assessment and rehabilitation of facility assessments
- Determine appropriate rehabilitation techniques.
Instructors: Thomas Spencer, P.E., S.E., P.Eng, BC.PE, M.ASCE, Vice President, Moffatt & Nichol; Sean Chapman, P.E., M.ASCE, Vice President, Marine Solutions, Inc.; Daniel O’Connor, P.E., M.ASCE, Senior Vice President – Northeast Division Manager, Collins Engineers, Inc; Noah Elwood, P.E., D.PE, D.OE, M.ASCE, President, Appledore Marine Engineering LLC; Paul Roberts, P.E., M.ASCE, Vice President, Sea Engineering, Inc.
Sunday, June 1, 2025
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Vessel Mooring and Berthing
$375 EB | $425 ADV | $475 ONS (no book included)
$450 EB | $500 ADV | $550 ONS (with book package)
8.0 PDHs
(ticket required)
This eight-hour short course provides an introduction to the determination of vessel berthing and mooring requirements and design loads for fixed marine structures such as piers, wharves, dolphins, and other port and harbor structures. The course will also provide input from manufacturers and important updates from the new fender guidelines prepared by PIANC WG211 and the in-progress guidelines for design and selection of mooring hooks and bollards from PIANC WG231.
The material presented is applicable to offshore terminals as well but does not address design of free-swinging single point or spread moorings. The course is oriented toward providing civil/ structural engineers and port and marine terminal operators necessary background information for designing and evaluating berthing and mooring structures.
This course is offered with the option of purchasing “Design of Marine Facilities for the Berthing, Mooring & Repair of Vessels, 3rd Edition,” at a package price.
Instructors: Bill Bruin, P.E., M. ASCE, Senior Principal, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc.; Rune Iversen, P.E., M.ASCE, Principal, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc.; Cheryl Coviello, P.E., D.PE, M.ASCE, Senior Project Manager, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
Half-Day Short Courses
Sunday, June 1, 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Design and Construction of Large Floating Structures
$225 EB | $275 ADV | $325 ONS
4.0 PDHs
(ticket required)
This course will provide civil/structural engineers and port/marine terminal operators with detailed instructions on the design and construction considerations of large floating structures such as wave attenuators, ferry and cruise ship terminals, and other passenger or vehicle platforms. The same concepts may be scaled up for larger structures such as floating container terminals, bridges, and other concrete type floating structures. This course will introduce designers to design considerations unique to floating structures.
Discussions will include float stability and characteristics, global and local marine loadings, lateral support considerations, design methods and references, as well as construction means and methods and quality control provisions. The course will provide technical training in a topic not widely available in published guidelines and will preview information being prepared for a future ASCE Manual of Practice on Large Floating Structures. This course will primarily focus on large concrete float designs, even though many of the design concepts are directly applicable to other material types.
Topics will include:
- The use of large floating structures such as bridges, marine terminals, ferry docks. Course will not address offshore platforms, barges or derrick, floating dry docks, or small boat marinas.
- Environmental considerations and feasibility including bathymetry and tidal variation, hydrostatic, wind and wave pressures on hulls, and towing loads.
- Pontoon and support design considerations, lateral supports such as guide pile dolphins, anchor chains, and float-to-shore connections.
- Fabrication and construction considerations including fabrication facilities, means and methods, constituent materials, quality control, launching, and towing.
This four-hour course will provide attendees with general knowledge for analyzing, designing, and constructing large floating structures. This course will include examples and lessons learned from completed large floating structure projects.
Instructors: Shannon Kinsella, P.E., PMP, M. ASCE, Principal, Reid Middleton; Frank Yang, P.E., M. ASCE, Senior Marine Structural Engineer, Moffatt & Nichol; Jim Parkins, P.E., M. ASCE, Vice President, Concrete Technology Corp
Sunday, June 1, 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Manual 50 Update: Planning and Design Guidelines for Small Craft Harbors
$225 EB | $275 ADV | $325 ONS
4.0 PDHs
(ticket required)
Twenty tears have passed since the release of the highly popular 3ed on design guidance for Small Craft Harbors. This is a topic of high interest since it is an aspect of port and coastal engineering not typically addressed in other Port curricula.
The instruction will address major changes and additions to the previous edition including expanded guidance on trends is site layout, breakwaters, attenuators and berthing tranquility, yacht characteristics and maneuverability, mooring design, advances in dry storage, current electrical system design and code changes, and environmental and economic feasibility
The course will update the practitioner of the changes since the last edition which mark a significant departure from previous guidance. The course is also an excellent introduction to the unique various aspects of small craft harbor design.
Instructors: Jack Cox, P.E.; BC.CE, BC.PE, BC.NE , Principal | Vice President of Engineering, Edgewater Resources
Sunday, June 1, 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Seismic Design of Piers and Wharves
$225 EB | $275 ADV | $325 ONS
4.0 PDHs
(ticket required)
This four-hour course is intended as a primer on the seismic design of piers and wharves, including updates to the latest code edition, ASCE 61-25. The course addresses major topics in seismic design in general as well as analysis and detailing of marine structures in particular.
The course is intended to provide the student with a basic understanding of:
- Marine structural systems for lateral resistance
- Seismic performance objectives
- Geotechnical considerations
- Soil-structure interaction used in seismic analysis
- Determination of nonlinear displacement demand and capacity
- Capacity protection and seismic detailing of marine structures
At the end of the course, it is expected the student will have a basic understanding of the above topics and greater familiarity with critical items for consideration when managing, reviewing, or performing seismic design of piers and wharves.
The Standards Committee on Seismic Design of Piers and Wharves of the COPRI Institute is anticipating the release of “Seismic Design of Piers and Wharves Standard ASCE/COPRI 61-25” by the start of the conference. ASCE will have a limited number of copies available for purchase onsite at the conference if the book has been published.
Instructors: Julie Galbraith, P.E., M. ASCE, Senior Project Manager, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.; Marc Percher, P.E., M. ASCE, Senior Marine Engineer, GHD
Sunday, June 1, 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Sonar Technology and Techniques for Collecting and Processing Bathymetric and Imaging Data
$225 EB | $275 ADV | $325 ONS
4.0 PDHs
(ticket required)
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to sonar technology, data collection, and processing techniques for bathymetric and imaging applications. Participants will gain an understanding of the different types of sonar systems, the data they collect, and the basics of positioning systems used in marine surveys. The course also covers essential workflows for collecting and processing bathymetric and imaging data using a variety of sonar systems and software packages, as well as quality control practices.
The course is divided into five modules, each focusing on a specific aspect of sonar and data collection:
- Sonar Overview: An introduction to sonar technology, including different types of sonar systems, their uses, and relevant terminology.
- Positioning Overview: Basics of positioning systems used in sonar surveys, focusing on the technologies and methods employed to ensure accurate data collection.
- Bathymetric Sonar Data: A deeper dive into bathymetric sonar technology, collection procedures, and workflows. This module covers sonar and positioning data processing techniques, as well as quality control checks specific to bathymetric data.
- Imaging Sonar Data: This module provides an overview of imaging sonar systems and their data collection techniques. It also covers sonar and positioning data workflows, and quality control processes necessary for generating high-quality imaging data.
- Deliverables: Participants will learn how to present sonar data in various forms, including reporting, CAD integration, image presentation, and digital modeling. This module covers the necessary steps to produce and deliver final outputs for a variety of applications.
By the end of this course, participants will understand the fundamentals of different sonar technologies, the workflow for collecting and processing bathymetric and imaging sonar data, and the different deliverables available to the client. This course is ideal for facility operators, owners, and engineers seeking to use and/or collect sonar data for bathymetric surveys and imaging, waterfront engineering projects, and digital modeling tasks.
Instructors: John Loftus, P.E., M.ASCE, Senior Project Manager & Dive Supervisor, Marine Solutions, Inc.; Jamie Faraldi, C.H., Senior Hydrographer & Dive Supervisor, Marine Solutions, Inc.; Joseph Guthrie, M.ASCE, Senior Project Engineer & Dive Supervisor, Marine Solutions, Inc.
Sunday, June 1, 2025
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Mobilized Strength Approach to the Design of Unpaved Port Surfaces
$225 EB | $275 ADV | $325 ONS
4.0 PDHs
(ticket required)
The performance of unbound aggregate surfaces is a function of the thickness of the unbound aggregate layer, the strength of the subgrade, and the traffic loading conditions. Performance is generally in terms of overall bearing capacity when cranes are being considered, or surface rutting for reacher stackers, self-propelled modular transport units, and other vehicles. A new design methodology has been developed to reliably & economically determine the required aggregate thickness.
This course will explain the design method. The design method quantifies the transfer of the load from the gravel surface to the subgrade and denotes this parameter as the variable "T". T is a function of the friction angle of the aggregate, the shear strength of the subgrade, the effective pressure of the aggregate on the subgrade, and if a tested geogrid is present. The bearing capacity of the gravel surface can be determined with T and is a vital parameter for the safe operation cranes at ports. The accumulation of rut from repetitive loading can then be calculated for both the gravel and subgrade independently and then summed for total rut depth. Rut accumulation is a function of the mobilized bearing capacity relative to the ultimate bearing capacity of the gravel and subgrade layers and is calculated for one vehicle pass. Then a logarithmic or power function, depending on soil type, is applied to determine rut depth from N number of vehicle passes. Preventing excessive rut depth minimizes maintenance costs and is vital to the successful operation of unpaved port facilities.
The effect of different subgrade types including reclaimed dredged material, the contact area of tires, testing geogrid, full scale validation of finite element models, and how the cost & embodied carbon of projects can be impacted with the design method will also be discussed.
This design method was recently used to reduce gravel thickness on the Port of Albany project, is included in the Deep Foundation Institute's Working Platform Design Guide, and was recently published in the Journal of Transportation Geotechnics.
Instructors: James Elsey, P.E., Aff.M.ASCE, Area Engineer, Tensar CMC
Sunday, June 1, 2025
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Planning, Design, and Implementation of Automated Terminals
$225 EB | $275 ADV | $325 ONS
4.0 PDHs
(ticket required)
The course will include a comprehensive discussion of container handling automation and the planning, design, and implementation of automated terminals. As the challenges associated with port development evolve, the course will address:
- Next generation terminal best practices
- Benefits of automation
- Benefits of rail-mounted container stacking cranes
- Process for planning and designing an automated terminal
- Cost and schedule considerations
This four-hour course will provide attendees with interactive experience by demonstrating an actual automated terminal development process. Instructors will present case studies and offer insights into the goals, achievements, and challenges of planning and implementing automated terminals.
Instructors: Ashebir Jacob, P.E., Vice President – Senior Port Engineer/Planner; Moffatt & Nichol; Bart Vermeer, Senior Manager Terminal Automation, Moffatt & Nichol; Alan Zhang, FlexTerm Lead, Moffatt & Nichol
Sunday, June 1, 2025
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Stronger Teamwork and Project Delivery Through Lean Design
$225 EB | $275 ADV | $325 ONS
4.0 PDHs
(ticket required)
As designers and contractors face increasing pressure to deliver quality products within condensed project schedules, new ways of executing work and approaching collaboration have become critical to building successful teams. The goal of this presentation is to introduce Lean project delivery tools and share how they’ve been successfully implemented on a variety of projects at different scales and different stages of the design and construction process.
Lean project delivery directly engages all members of a project team: Clients, Stakeholders, Consultants, and Contractors alike. Lean project delivery also engages project team members across different levels of involvement, from project managers to supporting engineers. The Lean approach supports the strengthening of both external and internal team culture, as the project staff is learning more and developing quicker because the collaborative workflow demonstrates how their commitments support and work towards the overall project goals. Project deliverables are better coordinated and are less likely to require last minute schedule changes because each discipline understands what other team members are expecting and when. It also helps protect against margin erosion and scope creep because collaborative work plan development minimizes rework and increases productivity. Lastly, and arguably most importantly, Lean project delivery supports alignment with client expectations because it emphasizes the collaborative development of a weekly work plan where the integrated project team tracks their progress together.
All project teams, large and small, aim to meet client needs and expectations while trying to minimize production time and rework. The presenting team has adapted Lean project delivery tools and principles to meet the needs and scale of dozens of different projects and multiple clients over the last 15 years and have seen tangible benefits for project teams and agencies they’ve worked with, including better communication and teamwork across different engineering disciplines, subconsultants, and stakeholders and improvements to scope control and schedule management.
At its heart, Lean project delivery focuses on minimizing waste and maximizing value through collaborative project team engagement and building alignment across all project team members and stakeholders. Lean project delivery tools primarily focus on three areas: Collaborative Work Planning, Decision Making, and Continuous Improvement. This presentation will primarily focus on Collaborative Work Planning (Pull Planning, Weekly Work Planning, and other supporting tools that can be applied depending on a project’s needs) but will also introduce the Lean design tools of Conditions of Satisfaction, A3 Decision Making, Choosing-By-Advantages, Target Value Design, Plus | Delta, and Keep | Stop | Start retrospective.
The presentation will consist of a presentation of the aforementioned Lean tools and an interactive exercise in pull planning, where a few volunteers will participate in an exercise facilitated by the presentation team and show the audience the types of proactive conversations implementing a Lean approach to project delivery enacts. During this exercise, audience questions will also be answered.
Instructors: Ryan Couto, P.E., LEED AP, PMP, LBBP, Vice President – WSP; Alison Lunny, Project Coordinator & Associate Structural Engineer, WSP
Sunday, June 1, 2025
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Theory and Design of Floating Wave Attenuators
$225 EB | $275 ADV | $325 ONS
4.0 PDHs
(ticket required)
This course builds on the Design and Construction of Large Floating Structures course but may be taken independently. The course will guide the marine designer and engineer through the planning and design of floating wave attenuators and will address the following:
- Site characterization and development of an appropriate design criteria
- The difference between fixed breakwaters and floating pontoons
- Development of the theory for wave attenuation in deep and shallow water
- Estimations and effectiveness of wave period and wavelength applied to wave attenuators
- Model test and prototype measurements
- Case examples
This four-hour course will provide attendees with an understanding of how attenuators do, and don’t work, the expected scale (size) of an attenuator needed to perform adequately, and the practical limitations in the use of attenuators.
Instructors: Jack Cox, P.E., D.CE, D.NE, D.PE, M.ASCE, Edgewater Resources