Fathomcoastal and flood engineering

We design for the next storm. Three case studies.

Fathom is a coastal and flood engineering consultancy. We model waves, rivers and tides for councils and ports, then design what keeps people dry.

  • Coastal · flood · marine
  • Chartered engineers
  • Est. 2009
01 · Coastal defenceViewingEllis

A seawall tested against the hundred-year storm.

 02 · Hydrographic surveyViewingKerr

A working harbour, mapped to the centimetre.

 03 · Flood warningViewingWenda

Six hours' warning for a river town.
Case study 1 of 3 · Port Ellis Council · 2024

Ellis

A stepped seawall for an exposed beachfront, tested in our wave tank against the hundred-year storm before a single block was poured.

  • 1.4 km of foreshore
  • Physical and numerical models
  • Built 2023–24

What we did

  • Wave modelling
  • Physical model
  • Detailed design
  • Site supervision
Geist · Geist Mono
Read the case studyDownload the summary
Case study 2 of 3 · Kerr Harbour Authority · 2025

Kerr

A multibeam survey of a working harbour, run at night between ships, so the pilots know every berth's depth on the day they arrive.

  • 6.2 km² surveyed
  • Nine nights on the water
  • Live depth service

What we did

  • Hydrographic survey
  • Dredge planning
  • Depth app for pilots
Depth ramp · 5 bands
Read the case studySee the chart
Case study 3 of 3 · Wenda Shire · 2023

Wenda

A flood model and warning service for a river town that used to get forty minutes' notice. Now it gets six hours.

  • 12 rain and river gauges
  • Forecast every 15 minutes
  • Texts to 3,100 homes

What we did

  • Hydrology
  • Flood model
  • Gauge network
  • Warning service
Geist · Geist Mono
Read the case studyHow the warnings work
Services

Waves, rivers, tides. Modelled, then built.

We stay on a project from the first model run to the last block on site, so the design that was tested is the design that gets built.

01

Coastal

Seawalls, revetments, beach nourishment and harbour structures, designed against waves we've measured.

  • Wave and surge modelling
  • Physical models
  • Detailed design
02

Flood

Catchment and river models, levees and floodplain plans, written so a council can act on them.

  • Hydrology and hydraulics
  • Flood studies
  • Warning systems
03

Monitoring

Gauges, surveys and dashboards that keep a design honest for the decades after it's built.

  • Hydrographic survey
  • Gauge networks
  • Live data services
Engage us

Three ways to start. Each begins with your site.

We quote every job after a site visit and a look at the data you already have. These are the usual shapes.

Talk to an engineerSee the case studies
A

Advice from $6,500

A site visit, a look at your data and a written opinion on the risk and the options.

  • 2–3 weeks
  • One report
B

Study and design quoted

Models, options, detailed design and documents ready for tender, with a model test where it counts.

  • 3–12 months
  • Fixed fee per stage
C

Monitoring service from $2,400 / month

Gauges, surveys and a live dashboard, with an engineer on call when the numbers move.

  • Rolling
  • Alerts by text

Placeholder prices in AUD, excluding GST. Replace with the firm's own.

Talk to an engineer

Worried about the next storm? Let's look at your site.

Tell us where it is and what's happened before. An engineer, not a salesperson, will call you back within two working days.

hello@example.comWays to engage