Centro de Estudios de Puertos y Costas

The National Plan of Infraestructures on its harbour development facet has been, along 2001 the focus of more activity in the Centro in support of the State Harbour System, being present in most projects under development. The activity has been higher than on previous year, being a factor the full operational state of new facilities such as the Large Scale Wave Flume as well as technological improvements on several areas.

Bilbao (analysis of dredging alternatives in the Abra), Gijón (feasibility of a first phase of development of the harbour extension), Algeciras (new infraestructures in Isla Verde), Almería (operational level for a new unprotected quay), Melilla (harbour extension), Cartagena (wave disturbance on the new Escombreras basin), Alicante (effects of the new alignment of quay E-15 and study for two new quays), Tarragona (harbour extension and dredging effects on wave and long wave disturbance) and Baleares (design sea states and wave disturbance in the new commercial quays).

Physical model testing for structural and functional design of breakwaters has included the 3D study (Multi-Directional Wave Basin) for the new Cabo Prioriño breakwater on the Ferrol harbour extension, as well as the scale 1:13 test on the Large Wave Flume for the breakwater section, oriented to reduce the incertitudes of wave action on the crown wall and to evaluate better wave overtopping. For a new basin in Punta Langosteira (Coruña Harbour) stability and overtopping has been studied for the shallowest part of the works, and, in three dimensions, trunk stability for the most exposed sections and various designs for the breakwater roundhead. This singular structure will have to withstand the most extreme wave conditions tested in CEDEX up to date and requires additional study. The new breakwater for the extension of the Sagunto Harbour has also been tested.

The present vertical breakwater, tested in a very detailed way by CEDEX prior to its construction, has behaved very well during the long return period storm that hit Castellón in last November. CEDEX has started in December an important number of tests for the extensión of Barcelona Harbour, including large scale testing of the new East Breakwater (extensión to the present East breakwater) and of the second entrance protection breakwater (vertical stretch).

In 2001 the studies using 3D models for harbour layout design for the extension of Puerto de Ferrol and Puerto de Granadilla (Tenerife) have been finished. The tests for the extension of Puerto de Sagunto (Valencia Harbour Authority) have been also realized and work has started for the extension of Puerto de Castellón. Extensive tests have been performed also for the new Punta Langosteira basin (Puerto de Coruña).

Activities of R&D and Innovation within the Agreement with Ente Público Puertos del Estado have had a development worth of a note. Work has finished on the research line 'New methodologies for the improvement of the Wave Climate Atlas', including an advanced state of the art on multivariate statistical methods and the set up of a first atlas for characterization of wave grouping on the Spanish coast. In the 'Application of numerical methods of wave transformation to harbour engineering' it is to be noted the participation of CEDEX in a field measurement campaign aimed at contrasting a new wave model whose development, promoted and financially supported by Puertos del Estado and other Institutions, continues by a research group from Universidad de Cantabria and Cornell (USA) with the cooperation of CEDEX in a series of tasks. Work on Instrumentation of maritime works on prototype has been centered on the maintenance of the instrumented sections on Dique Reina Sofía in Las Palmas Harbour and the development of a new recording system. A new work line 'Study of the influence of reflection on the stability and overtopping of sloping breakwaters', was stablished due to the promotion by Puertos del Estado of a new Agreement, with participation of various institutions where CEDEX has been in charge of testing on multidirectional sea conditions, analysing the influence of wave obliquity and directional wave spreading. Continue, to be finished in 2002, two research lines oriented to environmental aspects of harbours: methodologies for the environmental assessment of harbours works and basic studies for the update of the Recommendations for the Management of Dredging Material.

The Centre has continued collaborating with the Dirección General de Costas of Ministerio de Medio Ambiente. Jointly with traditional lines of work (coastal dynamics studies, proposals for beach recovery or monitoring of beach evolution), it should be pointed out the completion of the proposal for a Coastal Plan of Coastal Actions in Malaga Province and the start of new activities in support of the Dirección General regarding International Agreements for the protection of the marine environment. Of special interest it has been also the evaluation of the state of the coast of the Maresme after 15 years of actuations of the Dirección General de Costas, aimed at establishing sustainable strategies for the management of such coastal stretch.

CEDEX has to develop tasks defined and grouped under the following lines: technical assistance for the integrated management of coastal zones; technical assistance regarding the protection of the marine environment and coastal ecosystems; studies related to the application of the water framework in the aspects related to coastal and transitional waters; technical assistance for the planning of actuations of the dirección general de costas; base studies for the project and environmental assessment of actuations of the dirección general de costas; studies for the project and environmental assessment of specific actuations; monitoring of specific actuations during and after its completion; design of an spanish system for information about the coast. This new agreement will stablish a more stable framework and will allow the development of further specific capacilities by CEDEX in support of Dirección General de Costas.

For Aguas de la Cuenca del Segura the large research study devoted to the improvement of disposal systems in the sea for desalination plants and to the study of its potential impacts on Posidonea oceánica has continued, with various field measurement campaigns, mathematical modelling and large scale laboratory experiments. For the biological aspects of the study, CEDEX has setup and coordinated a workgroup composed of specialists from various institutes. Also for the Mancomunidad de los Canales del Taibilla a desalination plant disposal through a rambla has been studied, as well as in the analysis of the effects of a new desalination plant on Palma de Mallorca, in cooperation with Centro de Estudios Hidrográficos from CEDEX.

For the Dirección General de Marina Mercante the Centro has collaborated in the analysis of hydrocarbons in the sea produced by oil spills. It is expected to extend such cooperation to other areas of interest in the near future.

It is also worth to note because it paves the way for a better planning of maintenance activities, the study promoted by Principado de Asturias on the safety of its harbours breakwaters that has included inspections to the infraestructures and re-analysis according to the current state of the art, of the safety conditions of such works, projected along the years with different criteria.

At international level, CEDEX has establisehd along 2001 three Memorandums of Understanding, with Instituto Nacional de Hidráulica (INH) of Ministerio de Obras Públicas (Chile), with Instituto Nacional del Agua (Argentina), and with Instituto Mexicano del Transporte, Secretaría de Transportes of México. Such agreements may allow a better use of complementary capabilities and expertises. Now, with Instituto Nacional de Hidráulica of Chile, CEDEX works on the study of a new fishing basin in Puerto de Valparaíso.

Finally, by the end of the year, a first phase of the new ship manoeuvring simulator has been installed. This new facility has much better characteristics than the existing one. By the end of 2002 the final installation will be setup, that requiring conditioning works in the Centro that will allow also for the extensión of the Marine Environment Quality Laboratory of the Centro.

Monographic article

Research needs in harbours and coasts

Needs for research have evolved during the last 15 years from a traditional, engineering oriented concept for e.g. the construction, management and maintenance of large transport infrastructures, coastal defence and artificial beaches towards a more comprehensive and integrated approach. Research should balance its dedication tuning itself to new needs. That does not mean to consider 'closed' certain areas where few is yet know in several aspects. It is not possible in a few lines to review the whole spectrum; it is preferred to signal some ideas regarding a limited number of facets.

Physical and numerical modelling of wave propagation has had great advances during the last 80's and 90's while remaining far from being fully satisfactory. In physical modelling, the standard technique at present is not too realistic, given that real waves are not composed of plane waves but from short, limited-length crests. Along the nineties research facilities allowing for short crested wave testing have started to be developped on large Hydraulic Research Centres of the world for application to coastal and harbour engineering studies, the Multidirectional Wave Basin of CEDEX being an example of such a trend. On the numerical modelling, also from the beginning of the nineties a similar trend has been followed. To bridge from research to practice several tasks remains to be accomplished in order to consolidate this new, more realistic, representation of waves, such as the firm establishment of internationally accepted standards for short crested waves, better climatic characterization, improvements on the testing systems and into the numerical modelling.

Regarding the design of plan layout of harbours, its management and safety, an important qualitative change has ocurred during the last years, from a main attention to harbour hydrodynamics and a simplistic consideration of ship needs towards a new situation, more balanced, where ship evolution on restricted waters has a better technical support. It is needed however to improve methodologies in this approach, with so promising applications as the more objective establishment of harbour accessibility conditions as a function of environmental conditions, ships, auxiliary tugs and navigation help systems and where ship manoeuvring simulators may be a very efficient tool targeting also the analysis of emergency manoeuvres, particularly on hazardous materials terminals. Wind action on the harbour environment remains also to be integrated at a better level. This is a critical factor on crane operation and on actions over some merchant ship types, being also of crucial importance for the assessment of potential environmental effects on certain terminals. It is possible even now to integrate better wind analysis as an action on the harbour environment, as well as on subaerial beach dynamics where few advances have been made since the middle of last century

We are far enough of having an adequate understanding of the complex phenomena and still farther from the processes that govern the coastal zone.

It is therefore understandable the failure of the mainly empirical conceptual models to predict the changes on the coastal zone under the action of climatic agents, as it is shown by recent storms. Here also, physical modelling may provide a worthy help.

Need of conservation and improvement of Coastal Environmental Quality is not something to be stressed. A first effort is pointed to correct the more evident deficiencies. However, the immediate step should be based on better knowledge of the coastal system and its processes allowing for the structuring of visions of integrated coastal management towards a sustainable development. It is to be expected in the medium term a substitution of large correction activities by a sustained activity more devoted to the management and control, based on better knowledge and on the very much needed establishment of quality criteria that should be linked to usage expectations. Spain occupies an excellent place in order to lead research on concepts and environmental quality standards on the coastal zone, but it has to be remembered that some areas are yet rather unknown as, e.g. knowledge about quality of beach sediments.

Last, it should be emphasized the need of a better knowledge management in this area, shortening as posible the cycle research-application. Also, and after the novelty effect of the more sofisticated numerical models has been settled, a further look at the basic data may be needed, with advances in its management methodologies.