The dynamic behaviour of pump gates in the Afsluitdijk: Application of semi-analytical fluid-structure interaction models

As part of the Afsluitdijk project the discharge capacity, which is currently facilitated by two sluice complexes, is increased to cope with future sea level rise. It was decided to realise this by an innovative solution: the pump gate. The steel lifting gates, each containing three pumps, will be implemented in the existing sluice complex in...

Safety Assessment Method for Indirect Failure Mode Flow Sliding

Flow sliding of submerged slopes in front of dikes affects flood safety. The occurrence of flow sliding may result, sometimes with delay, in a failure mode and consequent flooding. The current safety assessment method for flow sliding does not consider the interaction between flow sliding and failure modes. Therefore it is unclear whether the...

Jamaica Bay: Flood Risk Reduction System

Hurricane Sandy made landfall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States (U.S.) October 29, 2012 as a post-tropical cyclone. With a wind field of approximately 1000 mi (1600 km) and a near 90 degree landfall angle with the coast, the storm generated an 11.6 ft (3.52 m) storm tide above mean sea level (MSL) at the Battery, New York City, and...

Tokyo Bay storm surge barrier: A conceptual design of the moveable barrier

Introduction Typhoons and tsunamis are dangerous phenomena for our society and Japan has been exposed to both of these hazards. The risks of these hazards are getting bigger and bigger due to the growing population in the cities near these ‘dangerous’ coasts. This thesis focuses on the design of a storm surge barrier located in Tokyo bay to...

Probabilistic Design of Relief Wells as Piping Mitigation Measure

The traditional Dutch way to deal with piping for river levees is the implementation of piping berms. The disadvantage of such a measure is the inland space required, especially in urban areas. Relief wells, on the other hand, require less or no inland space and therefore represent an attractive solution as mitigation measure against piping. The...

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...

Shielding effect of piles on quay walls

This thesis has as subject the shielding effect of piles on the front wall of quay walls. The reason for writing this paper is to find an answer to the difference between field measurements and design calculations of stresses and deflections in the front wall of a special type of quay wall in the Port of Rotterdam. The relevance of this issue...

Robust Design in structural engineering

Robustness has recently become a popular term in structural and hydraulic engineering. However, the concept of ‘robust design’ or ‘robustness’ has no clear definition. The aim of this thesis was to find a definition for a robust system and to use this definition to search for an added value of robust design in structural engineering. The...