Life-Cycle-Oriented Framework for Seaport Infrastructure Maintenance and Climate Change Adaptation

Life-cycle considerations are a prerequisite for rational seaport engineering design and planning since they actually retain seaports’ resilience and operational effectiveness. However, the current climate crisis poses threats to the resilience of existing seaport infrastructure, leading to functional degradation and structural failures. Life-cycle-oriented approaches have been proposed to tackle these issues since they constitute an important element for seaport rehabilitation schemes. This paper uses the case study of Evdilos Port in Ikaria Island, Greece to investigate alternative configuration scenarios for the seaport windward breakwater, damaged during a severe storm event in 2018. Multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA) analysis was performed for the examined configurations to select the optimal solution regarding the rehabilitation of the damaged section. The present research seeks to enhance seaport sustainability, particularly while implementing maintenance and rehabilitation practices via the incorporation of life-cycle-oriented design approaches.