Few ecosystems are as complex and vulnerable as the coastline. Flooding, erosion and wind hazards caused by hurricanes, coastal storms, sea level rise, and other weather-related events are the primary coastal hazards that lead to economic losses and damage to property in coastal areas. From inception, RACE has approached projects with resiliency in mind. Our 25 years of experience working on waterfront infrastructure improvements and shoreline protection has enabled us to apply effective engineering designs to protect, mitigate and recover from hazardous events.

RACE is at the forefront of successfully utilizing numerical modeling techniques to analyze how bodies of water and site-specific shoreline features are impacted under various environmental conditions. Our coastal engineers analyze the impact of past, present and future conditions, such as water levels, wind conditions, wave loads, current forces, sediment transport and shoreline features, to design coastal hazard mitigation that reduces risk and accelerates recovery from storms, as well as prepares for future sea level rise and climate change. 

Our coastal engineering team’s modeling expertise and green infrastructure implementation experience allows for the environmental optimization of aligning natural resources with engineered designs. Depending on the site, coastline stabilization and protection may include building natural buffers with a combination of climate adaptable elements such as plants, reefs, sand, rocks, dunes, and marsh. 

Hybrid strategies are needed in some cases, where the engineered natural buffers are incorporated with hard infrastructure, such as seawalls, concrete structures, and flood gates. Our coastal engineers and in-house structural and geotechnical engineers together design plans for integrated resilient solutions.

 

Our Expertise/Services include:

• Coastal Flood Modeling, Hazard Assessment and Mapping 

• Climate Projections

• Site Investigations

• Geotechnical Analyses

• Invasive Species Investigations

• Hydrographic Surveys

• Community Engagement/Public Outreach

• Regulatory Permitting

• Shoreline Stabilization and Flood Mitigation Structures

• Bluff Stabilization and Protection

• Green Infrastructure, Living Shorelines & Hybrid Shorelines

• Beach Nourishment and Dune Restoration

• Marsh Restoration and Creation

• Stormwater Management

• Site Assessment of Water Level Controls, Such as Culverts, Tide Gates and Outfalls 

• FEMA/Flood zone Mapping Compliance 

• Public Access Opportunities

• Opinion-of-Probable Costs

• Grant Application Assistance

• Construction Administration