Impacts of sea-level rise on port facilities

From the viewpoint of coastal hydrodynamics, one of the most important effects of global warming is a sea-level rise in coastal areas. In the present study, impacts on port facilities against sea-level rise were investigated. The sea-level rise causes the increase of the water depth, and it generates variations on the wave height, buoyancy, tidal system and nearshore current system and so on. The increase of water depth gives rise to the decrease of crown height of the structure and it causes increase of wave overtopping quantity. It may flood the port zone and its facilities, and may decrease harbor tranquility. It also leads to difficulties on navigation, mooring and loading/unloading at the port. Increase in water depth also causes increase of wave height in surf zone. This high wave makes structures unstable and may cause them to collapse during storm. In addition, increase in buoyant force due to sea-level rise also makes the gravity type structures unstable. Consequently, theses variations due to sea-level rise will cause functional deterioration of port facilities. In order to protect port facilities from the functional deterioration, reinforcement plan is required such as raising the crown height and increase in block weight and so on. Hence proper estimation method for the protection cost is necessary in order to protect port facilities efficiently. Moreover response strategies and integrated coastal zone management plan is required to maintain the function of port facilities. A simple estimation of cost for breakwaters in Korea was performed in the present study.