New ASCE Waterfront Facilities Inspection & Assessment Manual

Waterfront infrastructure represents a significant investment and owners have a vested interest in maintaining and extending the service life of these aging assets. Exposed to the harsh marine environment, these assets are subject to degradation more than most non-marine assets. In addition, most owners are interested in protecting life safety and the environment through proactive and cost-effective maintenance. Recognizing these drivers, the ASCE/COPRI Ports & Harbors Committee's Waterfront Inspection Task Committee has developed a new manual to guide the inspection of waterfront assets. The new manual, "Waterfront Facilities Inspection and Assessment Standard Practice Manual," provides comprehensive guidance for the inspection and maintenance of waterfront structures both above water and underwater, as well as associated mooring hardware, fender systems, utilities, and appurtenant features. Eight inspection types are defined in the manual, with each inspection performed for a specific purpose using a tailored scope of work. Inspection types may also be combined and performed simultaneously. The eight inspection types include: ≤ Routine Inspection ≤ Structural Repair or Upgrade Inspection ≤ New Construction Inspection ≤ Baseline Inspection ≤ Due Diligence Inspection ≤ Special Inspection ≤ Repair Construction Inspection ≤ Post-Event Inspection The manual provides guidance on modeling service life using software such as STADIUM® to provide quantitative solutions to extending the life of waterfront structures. The manual covers every type of waterfront structure type commonly in use. Specific guidance is provided on the nuances of each structure type and the defects commonly found. The structure types covered include: piers (jetties), wharves (quays), bulkheads (quaywalls), seawalls, relieving platforms, gravity block walls, caissons and cofferdams, wave screens/attenuators, marinas, boat ramps, marine railways, floating structures, mooring buoys (SPMs, MBMs, etc.), and slope/shoreline protection. The intent of the manual is to provide owners and specifiers with guidance on what type of inspection to choose for a particular facility need, making the process simpler and more uniform since the scope of each inspection type is defined. The result is a standardized process that will assist owners in maintaining their waterfront assets and extending the service life proactively.