ERIK J. OLSEN, P.E.

    Principal Engineer; President

Education

Master of Engineering, 1972. Coastal and Oceanographic Engineering. University of Florida.

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, 1970. University of Florida.

Professional Experience

General - Mr. Olsen's general experience includes the design and implementation of numerous coastal protective structures -- including beach nourishment, groins, revetments, jetties -- beach erosion control investigations, beatidal inlet stability analyses, flood insurance studies, hydrographic studies, marina design, navigation projects, and impact assessment of coastal development. His consulting services span all aspects of engineering problems in the marine coastal environment; including site assessments and surveys, engineering design, formulation of project funding, regulatory permitting, and complete construction management from bid through acceptance. He is particularly active in the evaluation and solution of large scale beach erosion problems, beach restoration, the assessment of effects of inlets on beaches, and the permitting of complicated, multi-faceted coastal projects. His experience also includes diverse and challenging coastal projects: including numerous marina designs throughout the southeastern United States, the Caribbean and Mexico; review of analytical methodologies employed for coastal zone regulation; dredge and fill projects; and unique work such as that related to a floating nuclear power plant and preliminary design criteria for an ocean airport in the Virgin Islands.

Mr. Olsen has acted as special consultant to Erosion Control Districts and Inlet Districts, counties, municipalities, States and governmental agencies. He routinely acts as an expert witness on coastal engineering topics for both the private and public sector. Similarly, Mr. Olsen frequently makes educational presentations regarding Coastal Construction Regulations and other related matters to the Florida Bar, the State Chamber of Commerce Environmental Seminar, Engineering and Architect Professional Societies, etc.

Specific Highlights - Mr. Olsen has directed numerous General Design Memorandums, Detailed Project Report and special studies for various Districts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He has likewise participated in the formulation of four favorable Section 1-11 studies involving federal navigation project mitigation of adjacent shoreline damage. He was the Engineer-of-Record for the first privately-funded, large-scale beach restoration projects in the southeastern United States: including South Seas Plantation, FL; Fisher Island, FL; Hilton Head Island, SC; Amelia Island Plantation, FL; and Bonita Beach, FL.

Mr. Olsen's record and reputation for securing regulatory permits for complicated coastal projects is unparalleled. These projects have included dredge and fill activities, marinas, coastal structures such as revetments and groins, inlet dredging for improved navigation and sand management, underwater excavations for marine archaeological research, among others.

As a pioneer in the development of coastal engineering as a unique discipline, Mr. Olsen's background in all aspects of coastal engineering practice is well-founded. His practical experience includes comprehensive development of site investigation plans: including bathymetric, beach profile and hydrographic surveys (tide, current flow, and dye-tracing), geotechnical surveys (vibracore and seabed sampling, sidescan, and sub-bottom), magnetometer and cultural resources surveys, objectives-planning for environmental assessment surveys, controlled aerial photography, real-estate issues, and sediment transport analyses (impoundment structures, wave measurement, fluorescent and radioisotope tracers, etc.). Mr. Olsen is knowledgeable of a wide range of photographic and graphic reproduction methods central to effective interpretation of engineering survey data. He has directed and./or personally prepared the formulation of conceptual design reports for dozens of projects ranging from beach erosion control to coastal set-backs to marinas and bulkheads. He has likewise directed and or authored the preparation of Plans & Specifications, Solicitation, and other Construction Documents for the implementation of these projects. On numerous occassions, Mr. Olsen has personally directed all construction management aspects of a project, or has acted as the Owner's representative in technical and regulatory issues regarding a project's construction.

Professional Affiliations and Activities

Mr. Olsen is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Florida Engineering Society, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and is a registered professional engineer in the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. He is the Director Emeritus of the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association from 1984 to 1995.

Mr. Olsen has acted as a contributing professional to the State of Florida Comprehensive Beach Management Task Force, the State of Florida Inlet Management Task Force, the State of Florida Task Force to Re-Evaluate the Coastal Construction Control Line Methodology, the Palm Beach County Beaches and Shores Council, the Florida Sea Grant program, and numerous other advisory and blue-ribbon committees. He is a frequent speaker at the annual and technical meetings of the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association, and at specialty coastal engineering conferences (Coastal Engineering Practice '92; Coastal Sediments '91; et al.). He presents the coastal construction permitting portion of the Florida State Chamber of Commerce Environmental Permitting Annual Workshop; and, most recently, was an invited speaker at the 1996 meeting of the International Erosion Control Association.

Publication Highlights (partial listing)

Olsen, Erik J., 1982. South Seas Plantation Beach Improvement Project. J. American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.

Olsen, Erik J., 1996. Tybee Island South Beach Stabilization Project. Proceedings of the 1996 National Conference on Beach Presentation Technology, St. Petersburg, FL.

Henry, Vernon J., Dean, Robert G. and Olsen, Erik J., 1987. Short Course - Coastal Engineering: Processes, Practices and Impacts, Assn. of Engineering Geologists, 3rd Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia.

Bodge, K., Ph.D.; Olsen, Erik J. Aragonite Beach Fill At Fisher Island Florida. J. American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, Vol. 60, No.1. July, 1992.

Olsen, Erik J., Richard W. Stevens The Privately Funded Beach Project - What To Do When There's No Government Funding. Paper Presented at Annual Conference on Beach Preservation, Oct.3-5, 1979, Bal Harbour, FL. (Printed by Fla. Sea Grant College, Marine Advisory Program; Compiled by Stan Tait and Thomas Leahy; Tech. Paper No. 16).

Olsen, Erik J., 1988. Physical Design Considerations for Beach Nourishment, Proceedings of Beach Technology '88, Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association, pp 29-40.

Olsen, Erik J., 1992. Experience With Beach Fill Equilibration And Recommended Design Guidelines. Coastal Engineering Practice '92, ASCE, Long Beach, CA. March 9-11, 1992.

Creed, C. G.; Olsen, E.J.; Bodge, K.R., Ph.D. Performance of an Interim Sand Tightening Measure At An Inlet Jetty. Proceedings of the 1994 National Conference on Beach Preservation Technology, St. Petersburg, FL.