63 / 80
61
Annual Report 2016
SAMCoT
Ivan Depina, researcher at SINTEF Building and Infra-
structure, focused on Arctic coastal erosion protection
measures, thermal modelling of Arctic coasts and the
wave-induced response of buried pipelines during 2016.
A report on Arctic coastal erosion protection measures
was prepared by Depina investigating the applicability of
different erosion protection measures to Arctic conditi-
ons and highlighting Arctic-specific design challenges.
Thermal modelling of Arctic coasts is an important
element in ensuring long-term stability of erosion prote-
ction measures. Depina’s research on thermal modelling
included the application of inverse modelling for the
interpretation of soil thermal properties from field
measurements, and the application of passive cooling
systems for the preservation of permafrost. In addition
to changing thermal conditions, the stability of erosion
protection structures needs to be evaluated with respect
to wave-induced response. As a part of these activities,
ARCTIC COASTAL EROSION PROTECTION MEASURES
Thermal modelling of Arctic coasts: this figure illustrates the
potential effects of a passive cooling system on the ground
temperatures in a coastal slope. Passive cooling systems
can provide prolonged periods of frozen ground, as illustrated
by the blue colour below the coastal slope, thus reducing
the risk of coastal slope failure and erosion.
In 2016 Arne Instanes published a paper in the journal
Cold Regions Science and Technology discussing how
to incorporate climate-warming scenarios in coastal
permafrost engineering design. He presented case
studies from Svalbard and northwest Russia.
Instanes continues to develop his model, aiming to per-
form probabilistic analysis utilising the newly developed
THM models and taking into account the most recent
climate-warming scenarios.
The results of this study will be summarised and
presented in a journal paper that is expected to be
submitted before the summer of 2017.
CLIMATE-WARMING SCENARIOS
IN COASTAL PERMAFROST
ENGINEERING DESIGN
Vestpynten site after a severe storm in November 2016.
Anatoly Sinitsyn, researcher at SINTEF Building and
Infrastructure, continues his work on the guidelines for
the design of environmentally friendly and sustainable
coastal structures and technology. Within the Guidelines
report, Sinitsyn worked on the chapter ”Introduction and
Generalities” and suggested an outline for three further
chapters namely, “Prospective Stage”, “Design Stage”
and “Monitoring Stage”.
During 2016 Sinitsyn participated in three key confe-
rences of great relevance to the topics of permafrost
and coastal dynamics in Postdam, St. Petersburg, and
Oxford. Further developments and discussions resulting
from attending these conferences have been used to
develop the Guidelines report. Furthermore, Sinitsyn
in collaboration with former postdoc Emilie Guegan,
contributed to the organisation of a side meeting on
”Coastal Permafrost in Transition (CPiT)” during the
11th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP2016)
in Potsdam, Germany. This side meeting gathered wor-
COASTAL TECHNOLOGY GUIDELINES
ld-leading experts in the field of Arctic coastal dynamics
and included sessions on coastal monitoring, modelling,
database development and key sites for the study of
Arctic coastal dynamics.
In addition, Sinitsyn continued to collect field data
from the Vestpynten test site and, together with Magne
Wold, examined the consequences of a severe storm
in November 2016 on the Vestpynten site. This storm
significantly eroded part of the coastal section next
to a SAMCoT Coastal Erosion field site. However, the
shoreline at the SAMCoT site was largely unaffected by
the storm due to a snowbank. This shows how sediment
transport is affected by the local coast characteristics,
in this case the existence of a snowbank within one of
the sites.
SAMCoT researchers will use the conclusions drawn
from these observations to define key elements in the
design of shore protection structures.
the floatation potential of buried pipelines in different
wave and soil conditions was examined with a model
that can capture the wave-induced response of soil.