Coastal Engineering keeps pace with constantly changing environment

By Carol K. Dumas | Cape and Plymouth Business May 2019 Issue

Today’s world demands more resilient and sustainable solutions.

Cape Cod is constantly in flux.

Since glaciers created the sandy peninsula more than 10,000 years ago, winds and waves have been shaping, reshaping, and essentially redefining its landscape, often in devastating ways. Storm waves break through barrier beaches and erode shoreline, impacting coastal properties and traditional livelihoods such as boating and fishing. Human influence has also altered the region, affecting entire ecosystems.

It’s a precarious balance between man and nature here, but finding that balance is a challenge embraced by Coastal Engineering. Since its founding more than 40 years ago, the company has taken an innovative approach to finding solutions that balance the need for human economic development while protecting the fragile environment.

“With engineering, there are things that are tried and true, but it’s important to adapt them for modern use with innovative technologies,” says John Bologna, a professional engineer and current CEO of the locally owned company based in Orleans.

The company was founded by the late Thomas “Will” Joy in 1991, an MIT grad who at first went into the construction business after moving to the Cape from the Boston area.

“Will saw more demand on the engineering side of things,” says Bologna, who joined the firm in 1998. “He started off as a design-build company with a focus on site development, but as new building codes and land use regulations became more stringent, there was a greater demand for engineering and permitting, so the company’s focus shifted.” 

Continue reading the article in Cape and Plymouth Business May 2019 Issue.