What are some of the difficulties coastal engineers face when adapting construction materials with respect to the climate?
Gildas Colletter: Availability of quality construction material is probably the most important factor. It is very costly to construct and difficult to adapt a boulder seawall on an isolated sand island that does not have a rock quarry. Finding “cheap” yet suitable and quality-controlled construction material is particularly important for maritime works, which are typically extensive and exposed to harsh conditions. Finding these materials will not become easier over time. It should be a well balanced act between capital and maintenance costs to select materials for infrastructure which may need to be adapted to changing climatic conditions. Particularly for strategic infrastructures that are vulnerable to climate change such as wharf decks, reclamation, power stations, water processing plants, etc. And there is also the broader issue of estimating and/or offsetting environmental footprint (including carbon) of port and coastal infrastructure, which will play an increasing role in selec
