CEE 129/229 - Engineering and Policy Responses
to Climate Change Impacts on Seaports
Prof. Martin Fischer - fischer@stanford.edu
Dr. Ben Schwegler (Chief Scientist for Walt Disney Imagineering Research and
Development) ben.schwegler@stanford.edu
Austin Becker austinb@stanford.edu
http://groupspaces.com/seaports2100/
3 units
Y2E2 Room 292
Tuesday and Thursday 1:15 - 2:45
Our research team is developing a framework that considers the impacts of climate
change on global seaports. Seaports require special attention because of their
economic importance as essential links in supply chains, their locations in the heart
of sensitive estuarine environments, and their reliance on waterfront locations. Our
project includes a conceptual model and more detailed, localized predictive models
to understand the likely impact of sea level rise and associated storm surge on
coastlines in general and ports specifically, the protection structures and the
required design and construction services needed for varying degrees of protection, the environmental impact of such
structures, and the cost-value ratio of such structures. The framework highlights areas where current scientific knowledge
and engineering and construction practices fall short of providing adequate answers. For the past three years, students
have enrolled in CEE 124/224 and worked on independent projects that contribute to this theme.
The course also includes field trips and guest speakers who represent a wide range of perspectives on these themes.
Previous speakers include representatives from the U.S. Army Corps, ARUP, the IPCC, San Francisco Bay Planning
Coalition, and ARCADIS.
More information at the project’s website.
This fall quarter, students will conduct independent research in six topic areas. Students may work alone or in small
teams under the guidance of the teaching team and our various collaborators worldwide. Students from all disciplines are
welcome. The first two topics have starting points from prior quarters of student work. The other three topics are a bit
more exploratory in the context of the work done to date.
1) Port management and insurance – This research project will explore how ports are operated and identify some key
classes of ports. Research will identify the various types of insurance schemes that these private, public/private, or public
organizations utilize to manage risk. What are the conventions for classifying ports? Does the insurance plan correlate
with the category of port? Do insurers offer any incentives for going “above and beyond code” in protecting the port from
storm impacts?
2) Google Earth Ports Model + Sebastian Model development – This project consists of contributing to the ongoing
development of our Google Earth based model which quantifies the engineering costs associated with sea level rise.
Global-scale environmental hazard response planning for climate change, in particular with regard to coastal engineering,
can be costly and time-consuming. Dubbed “Sebastian,” our tool interfaces with Google Earth to determine rough
materials and labor costs required to armor the top ports and harbors worldwide to adapt them to likely impacts of climate
change. It allows users from around the world to access the database and easily contribute information about ports and
harbors in their particular location. The student project will improve this model through data collection and software
development.
3) Port improvements and the National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPAs) – Developing nations wishing to
qualify for certain funding must complete a NAPA to show how they plan to adapt to the impacts of climate change. This
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research project will examine NAPAs to determine if and how they have addressed maritime infrastructure and ports.
NAPAs (generally accessed through the UN’s website) will be scanned for issues, funding needs, and other relevant
information. A summary of basic coping strategies for sea level rise and increased storm events could also be included in
this project’s outcomes.
4) Construction business reality check – Generating a reliable estimate of the world’s construction resources available
for coastal construction has been notoriously difficult to accomplish. One technique to improve this estimate is to cross
check the raw materials estimates with more traditional business metrics. This project will develop ratios between the
production of cement and cementitious products and the regional or national estimates of aggregate sand and gravel.
Using these data, the project will attempt to triangulate that estimate with total dollar value of installed concrete projects
to estimate the excess or shortfall of this critical part of the coastal protection resources.
5) Climate change impacts on dredging – Dredging of ship berths and channels is a major expense. Sediments deposited
from longshore currents and wave energy as well as new sediment generated from rivers and streams and coastal erosion,
reduce depths and restrict the size of vessels that can utilize a port. However, the construction of coastal protection
structures will require vast amounts of new sand and aggregate, which may be largely supplied by dredging operations.
Experts acknowledge that climate change could have serious impacts on dredging schedules. The world’s dredging
capacity may not be adequate to accommodate this demand, unless there are unexpected positive effects on the need for
dredging. This project will explore this issue with the assistance of international dredging companies that have partnered
with our team.
6) Case studies -- Our students have created case studies on several ports. These studies serve to ground-truth our
“Sebastian Model” and help us to better understand the many varying conditions found in ports around the world. Case
study research follows a well-developed template created over the past three years. This quarter, we are looking for case
studies of Providence (RI), Kingston (Jamaica), and Gulfport (MS). Students will work with Austin Becker, who is
researching these three ports as part of his dissertation.
Guidelines for Final Papers (70% of final grade)
 Your final paper should be the equivalent of 10-15 pages single-spaced without images. Obviously, images are
encouraged and will add to the length of the paper. Papers should be in 12 pt. font and submitted as Word
documents. If you are worried about layout, you may also turn in your paper as a .PDF.
 Images and graphs must be cited.
 The paper must include a short abstract at the beginning.
 The discussion section must include a bulleted list of next steps you recommend.
 You must use citation software of your choice and submit your citation library in EndNote format at the end of
the quarter.
Guidelines for Final Presentations (10% of final grade)
 12-15 Slides
 15 minutes to present
 5 minutes for questions
Other (20% of final grade)
 Each Tuesday, we will spend 30 minutes discussing a paper. These will be student-led discussions.
 Thursdays are generally “working sessions.”
 Attendance is mandatory for all classes. Please let the teaching team know in advance if you need to miss a class.
 Misc. homework.
 We will have one or two field trips on dates to be determined. Full participation in these trips is expected.
Martin Fischer is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University. He also serves as the Director of the
Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE). CIFE is the world-leading, industry-sponsored, academic research centre on
virtual design and construction. Dr Fischer is known globally for his work and leadership in developing virtual 4D modeling (time
plus 3D) methods to improve project planning, enhance facility life-cycle performance, increase the productivity of project teams, and
further the sustainability of the built environment. His research results have been used by many small and large industrial and
government organizations around the world.
Dr Ben Schwegler is Chief Scientist of Walt Disney Imagineering R&D and a consulting professor at Stanford University. From
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hydrological modeling to 4D software, from integrated infrastructure design to next generation entertainment effects, Ben's mission is
to invent, simulate and deliver new technologies to improve the quality of the built environment. He has been a key executive for theme
park and resort developments for the Walt Disney Company in the US, Europe, Japan and Hong Kong. Ben is a member of the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory's Technical Divisions Advisory Board, a winner of the Henry R Michel Award from the American Society of
Civil Engineers, and a juror for the Sloan Prize for the best portrayal of science in a feature film at the Sundance Film Festival.
Austin Becker is a PhD student in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program for Environment and Resources.
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CEE 129/226 Syllabus Fall 2010 DRAFT
WEEK
CLASS PLAN
Tuesday, Sept. 21
Introduction:
Ben on Skype
Review course
objectives.
Martin/Ben/Austin
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Students briefly present
interests and
backgrounds
READINGS
Sign up for discussion
leads
Sign up for projects from
next quarter to
read/present
Thursday, Sept. 23
Ben on Skype
David Newell –
Sebastian
Brittni
(2:30)
Nathan to assign
ARUP project for
next week
(2:15)
Tuesday, Sept. 28
No Ben
Discuss Papers (30
minutes)
Janani SLR
presentation
Discuss projects from
previous quarters.
Thursday, Sept. 30
No Martin
No Ben
Tuesday, Oct. 5
Ben on Skype
Presentation from
ARUP –
Are we future ready?
How ARUP is
responding to climate
impacts on ports.
Nathan Chase ,
Francesca Birks, and
Amy Leitch
Mike Mastrandrea,
IPCC
Read 2 projects from last
quarter (your choice) on
Groupspaces under
“completed projects”
Summarize for class in 5
mins.
http://groupspaces.com/s
eaports2100/
TT Club
Windstorm II: Practical Risk
Management Guidance for Inland
and Marine Terminals
PP. 1-86
Discussion leader:
Assignment due from
ARUP
No reading for today
One page (single spaced)
project proposal due.
This should outline what
you intend to research
and how you will address
one of the five topics.
Allison, I., Bindoff, N. L.,
Bindschadler, R. A., Cox, P. M.,
Noblet, N. d., England, M. H., et
al. (2009). The Copenhagen
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Diagnosis. Sydney: The University
of New South Wales Climate
You should communicate
with the teaching team as
you develop this
proposal. Additionally,
each student will review
two fellow-student
proposals.
Change Research Centre. (SLR
chapter – p. 37-40)
Vermeer, M. and Rahmstorf, S.:
2009, 'Global sea level linked to
global temperature',
Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences 106, 21527-‐ 21532.
Rahmstorf, S. (2010). A new view
on sea level rise. Nature Reports.
Online at
www.nature.com/reports/climatech
ange
Discussion leader:
Thursday, Oct. 7
No Ben
Tuesday, Oct. 12
Ben on Skype
Working Session
PRESENT
RESEARCH
OUTLINES
Peer-proposal reviews
due
PRESENT RESEARCH
OUTLINES IN CLASS
5 Slides – 5-10 minutes
Climate Change Impacts on
International Transport Networks:
Note by the United Nations
Economic Commission for
Europe and United Nations
Conference on Trade and
Development secretariats
(ECE/TRANS/WP.5/2010/3) ,
29/06/10 , 14page(s) , 113Kb
at:
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/
meeting.asp?intItemID=2068&lan
g=1&m=20101
The Geneva Association: Climate
Change Adaptation
www.genevaassociation.org/PDF
/Geneva.../Geneva_report%5B2
%5D.pdf
Page 1-21
Page 61-70
Page 105-112
Discussion leader:
Thursday, Oct. 14
No Martin
Ben on Skype
Working Session
5
Tuesday, Oct. 19
No Martin
Dilip Trivedi
Moffat and Nichol
Thursday, Oct. 21
No Ben
Tuesday, Oct. 26
Ben on Skype
Working Session
Readings TBD
Austin presents
United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). (2008).
Planning for Climate Change
Impacts at U.S. Ports. White
Paper prepared by ICF
International for the US EPA.
www.epa.gov/sectors/pdf/portsplaning-for-cci-white-paper.pdf
Discussion leader:
Thursday, Oct. 28
Tuesday, Nov. 2
(Election day)
Ben ?
Working Session
GUEST SPEAKER
TBD – Critical
Infrastructure
Authors?
Impacts of Climate Change and
Variability on Transportation
Systems and Infrastructure: Gulf
Coast Study, Phase I
www.climatescience.gov/Library/
sap/sap4-7/final-report/
Chapter 1: Why Study Climate
Change Impacts on
Transportation?
ASCE Critical Infrastructure
Guidance Task Committee.
(2009). ASCE Guiding Principles
for the Nation's Critical
Infrastructure.
content.asce.org/files/pdf/Guiding
PrinciplesFinalReport.pdf
Discussion leader:
Thursday, Nov. 4
Working session
Tuesday, Nov. 9
No Martin
GUEST SPEAKER
TBD
FEMA?
Complete at least 3 port
protection structures
using Sebastian (do more
if you like).
Nicholls, R., S. Hanson, C.
Herweijer, N. Patmore, S.
Hallegatte, J. Corfee-Morlot, J.
Chateau, and R. Muir-Wood.
(2007). Ranking Port Cities with
High Exposure and Vulnerability
to Climate Extremes: Exposure
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Estimates. Paris, France: OECD.
http://www.oecd.org/officialdocu
ments/displaydocument/?doclang
uage=en&cote=env/wkp(2007)1
Discussion leader:
Thursday, Nov. 11
No Martin
No Ben
Working Session
Tuesday, Nov. 16
GUEST SPEAKER
TBD
Ports America?
Rough draft of paper due
by 5pm. Papers will be
reviewed and returned to
you with any comments
within a week. Each
student will review and
comment on two fellowstudents drafts.
Reading from America’s Climate
Choices
Discussion leader:
Thursday, Nov. 18
No Ben
Tuesday, Nov. 30
Thursday, Dec. 2
No Martin
No Ben
Dec. 9th 3:306:30pm
Working Session
Guest Speaker
Applied Science
Associates on
inundation modeling?
Working Session
Final exam slot
Comments on peer-drafts
due beginning of class
Reading TBD
Discussion leader:
FINAL PROJECTS DUE FINAL PROJECTS DUE
Final presentations
delivered in class.
Presentations should be
20 minutes long and
contain approximately 15
slides.
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