Waterfront developments
Waterfront developments are springing up across the world to satisfy the demand for homes and leisure destinations with access to water. Our expertise in the marine environment helps deliver cost effective developments that are also resilient and sustainable in the long term.
People like to be next to water, so it is no surprise that waterfront developments, often luxurious in nature, are popular and can provide a real return on investment. From the transformation of old docks to the development of new islands, waterfront developments are changing the appearance of cities and coastlines across the globe.
Property developers and architects are often unfamiliar with the complex marine aspects of planning, permitting and design. We help them to consider and understand the marine environment at every stage of the project life cycle, from concept development and master planning through the planning and environmental approvals process to engineering design, construction and operation. Our early involvement can help to maximise development opportunities and avoid costly problems later in the project.
Early concept validation
Our early involvement in a project can help to maximise opportunities and ensure that the concept design will be practical and resilient. We use wind, wave, water level and bathymetric data to determine the main hydrodynamic forces at the development site. We assess flood risk, drainage and impacts and risks to water quality. We quickly rule out concepts that are not suited for the marine environment, saving time and money in the long run.
Development masterplanning
At this stage we can carry out detailed modelling to inform the choice of concepts, and participate in option selection. Our marine engineering expertise helps to refine the design, and we can identify detailed investigations that might be needed to satisfy environmental regulations or help with design.
Marine environmental impacts
We analyse tides and other flows, waves, sediment transport, flushing (water quality), erosion and deposition, sediment dispersion, dredging and reclamation studies, flood risk (through flood risk assessments - FRAs) and determine the potential impact of a development on the marine environment, both in present day conditions and with sea level rise. Our advice can inform your design and support environmental impact assessments and marine licencing applications.
Infrastructure engineering design
We supply concept and detailed designs for marine works associated with the development, such as revetments, seawalls, beaches, beach control structures and dredging and reclamation activities. We prepare tender documents for the civil contractor and associated tender stage support.
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