ProCoast 3D

SOCIAL CHALLENGES

The project addresses several societal challenges, notably contributing to the 2023 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

- SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation;
- SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable;
- SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

European globalization heavily depends on the safety and functionality of port structures. In Portugal, investment in these structures is considered a priority in the development of national strategic plans. The focus is not on constructing new infrastructure but primarily on rehabilitation and maintenance interventions, aiming to keep existing structures safe and operational. The outcomes of this project will contribute to more efficient, reliable, and safe maritime transport by maintaining Navigational Areas in good condition, even in a future affected by climate change. Early damage detection followed by necessary repairs will reduce overall maintenance costs and economic losses associated with port downtime.
One of the project's objectives is to develop and test predictive and decision-support tools for planning and prioritizing maintenance and repair work on RMBs. In doing so, the project will contribute to more effective and sustainable management of coastal resources. While RMBs are critical infrastructures for modern transportation networks at regional, national, and international levels, they can also be employed in other coastal management functions (e.g., controlling beach erosion).
The project will empower end-users with tools that facilitate adaptation to the effects of climate change, minimizing the risks of RMB failures and reducing potential damage to coastal ecosystems vulnerable to such failures. The data, knowledge, methods, and tools generated by the project will be disseminated at scientific, end-user, and public levels, supporting the development of more efficient adaptation measures and public policies.
Field data, along with numerical and physical modeling, will be utilized in the project. The modeling will include an analysis of the structural behavior of RMBs under various climate change scenarios (e.g., increases in mean sea level and the frequency/intensity of extreme wave events), along with adaptation measures to reduce structural vulnerability and risks. Consequently, the project will contribute to understanding the effects of climate change and its risks to the safety, functionality, and resilience of RMBs, which are critical infrastructures for modern transportation networks at regional, national, and international levels.

The study is divided into six activities:

A1. Characterization of Wave Conditions at Ericeira Port

The wave conditions to be tested will be defined based on hindcast data and buoy measurements. These conditions will cover the expected range of states for the RMB, including extreme events and the effects of climate change on waves and water levels.

A2 Construction of the 3D Physical Model of the Ericeira RMB

The model will be constructed and operated according to Froude similarity law.

A3. 3D Physical Modeling

The objective is to assess the progression of damage to the armor layer, based on eroded area/depth and the number of displaced blocks, using data collected from Kinect V2 sensors, each equipped with an RGB camera and a depth sensor, and analyzed using CloudCompare software.

A4. Modeling of Damage Evolution in the Armor Layer

The goal is to establish formulas to predict the damage evolution in RMB armor layers composed of artificial blocks:
- Definition of sea state sequences and their duration at the Ericeira RMB, using statistical methods;
- Selection of formula parameters to describe the progression of damage in the armor layer;
- Development of formulas that relate damage parameters to sea state characteristics—wave height, wave period, and duration.

A5. Project Management, Dissemination, and Exploitation of Results