Coastlab 2012 conference unites coastal engineers
Coastlab 12 at Ghent University
For the first time, the Coastlab conference was held in Central Europe, after Porto (2006), Bari (2008) and Barcelona (2010). The host city of Ghent is a historic and at the same time, modern vibrant Belgian city close to the North Sea. Despite the relative short Belgian coastline (merely 70 km long), marine research and coastal engineering is booming in Belgium, with more than 100 marine research groups, focusing e.g. on coastal flooding management, harbour development, breakwater and dike design and construction, sand suppletion techniques, ocean energy, and a wide scope of marine research. A significant number of presentations from Belgian institutes and companies gave an excellent overview of the recent coastal engineering activities in Belgium.
Physical modelling in coastal engineering
Coastlab12 provided the forum to discuss the latest developments in physical modelling in the field of coastal and harbour engineering. The conference served the Coastlab network for small and medium coastal engineering laboratories, exchanging information about instrumentation, equipment and field campaign techniques. The simultaneous scientific, engineering and industrial participation established exchange of knowledge between academia and industry.
Despite a busy summer with several major conferences planned in the same summer period, the international Coastlab12 Conference was a great success. The conference venue, a former Dominican monastery situated in the heart of Ghent, offered the ideal meeting location for the Coastlab12 participants. The technical program included 3 renowned keynote lecturers, and more than 120 (oral and poster) presentations in 24 technical sessions, presented and discussed by 160 participants from 30 countries.
High-level presentations
The first keynote lecture was given by dr. Jentsje van der Meer (Van der Meer Consulting B.V., The Netherlands), presenting his latest research on new simulators as hydraulic test facilities at dikes and other coastal structures in situ. The second keynote lecture was given by prof. Hocine Oumeraci (Department of Hydromechanics and Coastal Engineering, TU Braunschweig, Germany), who described lessons learned from more than 20 years experience using the Grosser Wellenkanal (GWK). The third keynote lecture was given by prof. Tom O’Donoghue (School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom), who presented the latest research results from laboratory studies of wave-driven sand transport processes.
The oral and poster presentations were of very high level, and fruitful discussions on the presented research topics took place during the sessions and in coffee breaks. The social events (reception in the traditional Flemish building of the city hall, and banquet in the historic medieval castle of Ghent) contributed to a pleasant and friendly conference atmosphere, warmly inviting for the open exchange of information and networking between young researchers and young coastal engineers on the one hand, and senior experienced researchers and coastal engineers on the other hand. As such, Coastlab has become an acknowledged platform for straightforward exchange of information and experience between juniors and seniors in the field of coastal engineering.
At the same time, a successful exhibition has been organized, bringing the Coastlab12 participants in continuous contact with major research laboratories, experimental instrumentation and facility providers and well-known companies in the field of coastal engineering. Ghent University, the Flanders Hydraulics Research laboratory, IAHR, HR Wallingford, Rexroth - Bosch Group, Jan De Nul Group, Nortek B.V. and ELSCOLAB N.V., have taken part as exhibitors in the Coastlab12 conference.
Masterclass and post-conference tour complete the picture
Prior to the Coastlab12 conference, a 1 day PhD MasterClass has been organized at the Department of Civil Engineering, Ghent University, to provide the PhD MasterClass participants with useful knowledge and discussion on issues dealing with experimental and numerical modeling of water waves and their interaction with coastal structures and vegetation. During the morning session, 4 internationally established researchers (Pedro Lomonaco, Holger Schüttrumpf, Giorgio Bellotti and Jens Peter Kofoed) gave lectures on their latest research results. In the afternoon discussion sessions, young researchers presented their research topics and questions, which were subsequently discussed in more detail under guidance of several senior experts. The reception at the end of the day, organized at the wave flume facility of the Department of Civil Engineering of Ghent University, provided a perfect relaxing informal networking opportunity.
A post-conference tour on 20 September 2012 offered the conference participants a visit of the R&D facilities at Flanders Hydraulics Research (the governmental hydraulics laboratory in Antwerp) in the morning, a relaxing lunch in the Casino of Ostend with a magnificent view on the coastline, and in the afternoon, a visit to the Ostend Harbour and an on-site walk on the recently finished coastal defense structures (breakwater, dike with stilling wave basin) in the city centre.
Thanks to our sponsors
The Coastlab12 organisers are very grateful to the Golden Sponsors Flanders Hydraulics Research and Ghent University, to the Silver Sponsors Jan De Nul Group, Rexroth Bosch Group, HR Wallingford, and to the exhibitors Nortek, Elscolab, and the Flemish Institute for Technology Research VITO. In addition, we thank all administrative and technical staff members, and our scientific collaborators from the local and international committees for supporting the organization of Coastlab12!
More information
Conference Chair, Professor Peter Troch
Ghent University
Department of Civil Engineering