Protection of Shanghai from Flooding: 'Open or closable navigational section?’

Due to Shanghai’s unique location, it is sensitive to sea level rise and land subsidence, which are directly related to urban flood protection. Flooding of Shanghai can be caused due to the following three factors: storm surge by typhoon, high tidal levels and sustained higher water levels in the Yangtze River and the Huangpu River as a result...

Storm surge barrier Tokyo Bay: Analysis on a system level and conceptual design

Tokyo Bay is an area exposed to storm surges generated by typhoons. Consequently lowlands along its coastline are subject to flood risk. Dike walls, levees and barriers have been developed by the Japanese to protect these coastal areas. In the coming decades it is expected that a rise in sea level will occur. Also, climate change is expected to...

The Bolivar Roads Surge Barrier: A conceptual design for the environmental section

In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike to the Galveston Bay Area, Texas, United States in September 2008, several proposals emerged to protect the region against future storm surges. One of them is a coastal spine called the ’Ike Dike’. A challenge for this 160 km [100 mi] long flood protection is to cross Bolivar Roads, a 2.8 km...

Protecting Nieuwpoort against floods

At the entrance of the IJzer River estuary in Belgium a storm surge barrier is being constructed. This raises a couple questions: At what safety level can the barrier best be built? What barrier type suits the specific site conditions the best? What are the consequences of a storm surge barrier at that location, and how can they be solved? This...

Adaptation of the Hollandsche IJssel storm surge barrier

The storm surge barrier and levees located in the Hollandsche IJssel do not fulfill the current safety standards according to the third nationwide safety assessment. The non-closure probability of the storm surge barrier is too high and the inner slope stability of the levees is too low. Besides the problems regarding the flooding safety also...