Impact of the Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier on the Morphodynamics of the Ebb-Tidal Delta: In relation to coastal management

Threatened by rising sea levels and other climate change induced hazards, there is an increased need for coastal flood protection, such as storm surge barriers. However, the construction of such barriers may lead to unwanted coastal changes. This thesis examines the effect of the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier on sediment pathways and the...

Channel nourishments to feed the eroding flats in the Eastern Scheldt

The tidal channels in the Eastern Scheldt basin, are out of equilibrium due to the reduced tidal prism as a consequence of the construction of the Storm Surge Barrier in 1986. An estimated 500 million cubic meters of sediment is required in order to reduce the cross-sectional areas of the tidal channels such that the system reaches a new...

Wave attenuation over the Oesterdam tidal flat nourishment: Wind-wave transformation in the intertidal zone

The Oesterdam tidal flat nourishment is a hook-shaped nourishment that was constructed in November 2013 in the Kom area of the Eastern Scheldt. One of the objectives of the nourishment is to increase the design life of the Oesterdam in the face of increasing wave loads due to structural erosion of the intertidal flats. A study is conducted in...

Eastern Scheldt: From nature - to human reserve

Deltas are of great importance to humans all over the world. They are densely populated coastal areas, where land arises from sea. An amazing gradient where two worlds meet and nature and humans proliferate traditionally. Yet this gradient increasingly disappears due to the great technical advances since the 19th century, which tried to control...

Detecting morphology changes due to oyster reefs in a tidal basin using Terrestrial Laser Scanning

Several programs have been written to process laser scan data from two shoals in the Netherlands. The first makes a grid of heights, the second calculates deformations and makes plots. The third utilises a variogram to obtain information about the amplitude, direction and wavelength of tidal ripples, which are processed and plotted by a fourth...

Decision alternatives for the safety of the Eastern Scheldt: Will it be cost-effective to remove the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier in case of sea level rise?

After the disastrous floods in 1953 in the Netherlands, measures are taken to improve the safety in the Netherlands. In the Southwest of the Netherlands a couple of tidal basins are closed by the construction of dams and storm surge barriers. The closure of tidal basins shortens the coastal length and can result in a cost reduction comparing...

Nourishing intertidal foreshore: Improving safety and nature

After extensive flooding in 1953, Deltaworks were constructed to protect the Southwest delta in the Netherlands. In the Eastern Scheldt the connection to the North Sea was regulated by an open storm surge barrier and two compartment dams. These decreased the tidal volume and consequently tidal flats are eroding and disappear under water. The...

Morphology of the Eastern Scheldt ebb tidal delta

The Eastern Scheldt tidal basin and its ebb tidal delta have changed drastically in the recent centuries under the influence of natural processes and human interventions. A Storm Surge Barrier, one of constructions within framework of Delta Project in the Eastern Scheldt, is considered as the largest impact to changes in hydrodynamics and...

Morphodynamic modelling of the Galgeplaat

Since the completion of the Eastern Scheldt project in 1987, in the south-western part of The Netherlands, there has been a decrease of tidal volume, range and current in the Eastern Scheldt estuary. This has led to morphologic changes in the basin. The channels are in demand of sediment and as the Eastern Scheldt barrier itself blocks most of...

Sediment transport through the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier

The aim of this research is to determine to what extend the scour holes limit the sediment transport through the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier and whether or not human adaptations, like sand-nourishments in the scour holes, can have a positive effect on the sediment import. To investigate these scenarios a numerical model (Delft3D) is used...