PIANC Seeking Working Group Candidates

PIANC USA (World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure) is seeking United States candidates for the PIANC MarCom Working Group 205 on “Design and Construction of Breakwaters in Soft Seabeds.” The objective of the working group is to review existing technical information, literature, codes and standards, and case study documentation, and to produce a technical report entitled: Guidelines for Design and Construction of Breakwaters on Soft Seabeds.

The working group will investigate the geotechnical issues relating to breakwaters on soft seabeds, such as unconsolidated muddy, soft silt and/or clay, loose sand and multilayered grounds, and focus on the replacement and base reinforcement approaches like gravity replacement, sand mattresses and geosynthetics, and ground improvement.

PIANC USA is also seeking candidates for the RecCom Working Group 209 “Recommendations for Use of AIS Data for Recreational Navigation Infrastructure.”

The goal of this RecCom working group is to understand needs and opportunities relative to Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) data for Recreational Navigation Infrastructure planning.

The main specific objectives are to:

1. Identify potential uses of AIS data for recreational navigation infrastructure development, maintenance, refurbishing and adaptation.
2. Create guidelines and recommendations on AIS data collection, analysis and use for planning, which are specific to recreational navigation infrastructure needs and do not conflict with other uses for waterborne transportation.
3. Evaluate potential recommendations regarding AIS requirements for recreational vessels, in coordination with waterborne transportation safety and ecosystem sustainability needs, as it relates to improving the usability of data for planning and design.

The scope of work includes documenting the different ways AIS data is collected and analyzed, its regulatory framework, and broader future use. The working group shall provide a report that provides insights into current and future uses of AIS data from recreational vessels, and, the quality and availability of data sets that can be best used for recreational navigation infrastructure planning.

PIANC USA can appoint a (1) Principal Representative, (2) an Alternate, and (3) a “Young Professional” – someone aged 40 and under – to each working group. The Principal Representative should be able to attend meetings of the working group, which are usually held in a European city, approximately twice per year. PIANC USA does not provide travel or per diem expenses for working group participants, so this support must be provided by the individual or his/her agency/company.

Working Group Members should either be an Individual Member of PIANC, working for a Corporate Member, be an invited expert or a be a member of a Sister Organization. Working group meetings are usually held twice a year in a participating member nation. If you still need to renew your membership with PIANC you can do so at https://pianc.us/membership/.

If you are interested in applying for a position on any of these working groups please send a CV to the PIANC USA Secretariat (PIANC@usace.army.mil) The deadline to apply for MarCom Working Group 205 on Design and Construction of Breakwaters in soft Seabeds is June 30^th. The deadline for the RecCom Working Group “Recommendations for use of AIS data for Recreational Navigation Infrastructure is July 20.