Addressing shallow infrastructure engineering challenges and solutions

Addressing shallow infrastructure engineering challenges and solutions

Coastal and offshore developments face growing pressures from expanding marine activity, ageing subsea assets and the increasing influence of climate‑driven change. Papers in this theme will examine the behaviour of seabed, cable and seabed structure interaction in near seabed offshore and near landfall shallow‑water settings, the practical challenges of constructing and maintaining marine infrastructure, and innovative approaches emerging to enhance performance in dynamic ocean environments.

Shallow‑water and near‑shore environments are also becoming increasingly complex engineering settings as marine activity intensifies, subsea assets age, and climate‑driven change accelerates. These areas host critical infrastructure — including power cables, pipelines, coastal defences, and landfall structures — yet they are also some of the most dynamic and geotechnically challenging zones to design, build, and maintain. This theme explores the latest scientific and engineering advances that address the unique demands of shallow‑infrastructure development.

We highlight research and case studies that deepen understanding of seabed behaviour, soil–structure interaction, and cable or pipeline response in environments where hydrodynamic forces, sediment mobility, and morphological change are particularly pronounced. These insights are essential for predicting performance, mitigating risk, and ensuring the long‑term resilience of assets located in near‑seabed offshore and landfall transition zones.

This theme also examines the practical challenges associated with constructing, installing, and maintaining infrastructure in shallow waters — from vessel access and environmental constraints to the influence of storms, scour, and coastal erosion. Contributions may explore how improved site characterisation, advanced monitoring technologies, and adaptive engineering strategies can enhance reliability and reduce lifecycle costs.

We welcome papers that showcase innovative solutions emerging to meet these challenges, including new protection systems, smarter routing and burial strategies, enhanced modelling approaches, and nature‑based or hybrid engineering concepts. Whether through improved understanding of fundamental processes or the development of more robust design and maintenance methodologies, this theme focuses on enabling infrastructure that can withstand the dynamic conditions of modern coastal and shallow‑water environments.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS DEADLINE: 26 JUNE 2026

The conference organising committee invites authors to submit abstracts, of up to 250 words.

The conference proceedings will be produced with an ISBN number. All published papers will be Scopus indexed and have searchable DOI numbers.

Submission Timeline

• Friday 26 June 2026 – Deadline for completed abstracts
• Friday 17 July 2026 – All primary authors will have been notified of their abstract status and given technical paper instructions
• Friday 29 January 2027 – Submission of draft papers for review
• Friday 30 April 2027 – Submission of final papers for publication after addressing review comments.