Overview
The history of coastal engineering reaches back over five thousand years to the ancient world bordering the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf. Coastal engineering, as it relates to harbors, started with the development of maritime traffic, perhaps before 3500 B.C.
Recently, archaeologists, using modern survey techniques, excavations, and old documents, have revealed some of the sophisticated engineering in these old harbors. Technically interesting features have shown up and are now reappearing in modern port designs. Common to most ancient ports was a well-planned and effectively located seawall or breakwater for protection and a quay or mole for loading vessels, features frequently included in modern ports.
In England, coastal engineering works date back to the Romans, who recognized the danger of floods and sea inundation of low-lying lands.
The origins of the USACE date to June of 1775, at the beginning of the American War of Independence, when the Second Continental Congress authorized General Washington to assign a “chief engineer” for the “grand army”.
This course will review in detail the ancient and modern day Coastal Engineering developments. The basic concepts learned thousands of years ago still apply to today’s engineering principles and practices.
The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty (20) questions at the end of this course to earn PDH credits.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:
- Review of Coastal Engineering in the ancient world
- Review of Coastal Engineering in the Pre-Roman times
- Review of Coastal Engineering in the Roman times
- Review of Coastal Engineering in the Modern Age
- Review of Coastal Engineering in the 20th century United States
- Detailed review of a wood crib breakwater design from the 1800's
- Review of Coastal Engineering in the Military
Course
Click on the following link to the PDF document to review the course material before taking the quiz for credit.
History of Coastal Engineering
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