Influence of Climate and Vegetation on Root Zone Storage Capacity: A case study in Australia

Root zone storage capacity Sr is a significant variable for hydrology and climate studies, as it strongly influences the hydrological behaviour of a catchment. A climate-derived method (water-balance between precipitation and transpiration) was applied for estimating Sr values for 113 catchments in Australia. Various climate, hydrological and...

Urban flood hazard management - Case study: Shanghai

Shanghai is one of the numerous megacities worldwide that experience severe flood events triggered by torrential rainfall. To deal with the undesirable consequences of these events and mitigate the flood hazard, the research of flood reduction measures is necessary. In this effort, the hydrodynamic modelling is a useful tool.<br/>In this master...

Dynamics of resonant low-frequency waves over a schematized fringing coral reef

Low-lying islands are highly vulnerable to wave-induced flooding, with low-frequency waves (frequency &lt;0.04Hz) being one of the main drivers. The impact of these inundations can increase due to wave resonance over coral reefs, which has been observed in the range of low-frequency waves. This study aims to understand the reef resonance...

Tolerable wave overtopping during construction of a breakwater

Wave overtopping is an important aspect for the design of rubble mound breakwaters. Acceptable overtopping limits are usually based on the mean overtopping discharge or the maximum overtopping volume (EurOtop, 2018). For temporary situations, such as breakwaters under construction, overtopping limits are not clearly defined. This complicates the...

Modelling forces on buoyant macro plastics and their cross-sectional distribution in rivers: Simplified modelling of buoyant macro plastics according to cornerstones in behavior and particle response times in a range of riverine environments to set-up efficient monitoring campaigns and help select locations for efficient plastic removal.

Concerns regarding plastic pollution arise as large quantities of plastic enter the ocean and affect wildlife and possibly human health. Rivers form a dominant pathway for macro plastic particles into the ocean. Plastic pollution in rivers can result in blockage, where it affects water quality and ecology. This increases risks of flooding and...

Stability of randomly placed log bed protections

Design criteria for the stability of rock filters on river beds (i.e. rock bed protection) are extensively researched and successfully applied in practice. The most common stability criteria are the Izbash and Shields criteria. These methods define a critical flow (Izbash) or parameter (Shields). Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) wants to explore a more...

Overtopping hazard reduction at Churchill Barriers, Scotland

Churchill Barriers, a series of four causeways in Orkney Islands, Scotland were constructed during Second World War and now serve and a critical link for South Ronaldsay and Burray to the Orkney Mainland. Due to their location and design, causeways are exposed to storm waves generated in the North Sea. During coastal storms, some waves are able...

Water Balance of the Maurikse Wetering

The Maurikse Wetering is a tributary of the Line river in the centre of the Netherlands. As the catchment is situated between and in close proximity to the larger Nederrijn and Waal rivers, intercatchment groundwater flow (IGF; groundwater flow crossing topographic divides) might have a significant influence on the water balance of the Maurikse...

Prediction of the characteristics of a tsunami wave near the Tohoku coastline: Numerical SWASH modelling

To calculate tsunami forces on coastal structures, the wave type in front of the coast is of great importance. Hence this paper aims to find ways to predict the type of tsunami wave breaking. Based on literature review, video footage, analytical reasoning and numerical modelling (SWASH) it can be concluded that both the continental shelf slope ...

Performance assessment of the Ocean Falls Wave Energy Converter: A solution for electrical power production in the future

There is a growing demand for renewable sources of energy of which wave energy conversion is one. The Ocean Falls is an oscillating water column (OWC) system invented by BAM Infraconsult b.v. This system differs from conventional OWC systems since it includes a connection tube and an adjustable back wall. The OWC system is a resonance system for...

Quantitative flood risk analysis of road infrastructures (Publishable version): A case study considering Climate change effect

This thesis adopt existing methodologies for flood-risk assessment in other civil infrastructure (such as dams or urban flooding) and apply them in road type infrastructure in order to quantitatively assess flood vulnerability and risk in project locations where historical closure data is not available and the complex global network-approach...

The applicability of the mega nourishment concept for the purpose of combating erosion in Cua Dai beach

Nourishments are considered to be a popular soft measure against coastal erosion. In the Netherlands, the concept of a localized mega nourishment has been introduced as an innovative approach, aiming to counteract the anticipated enhanced coastal erosion. The positive results of the Sand Engine implementation lead the way for applying the mega...

Risk-based Optimization of Reservoir Emergency Operations

As population levels protected by large dams have risen in the last decades, accurately assessing flood hazard and risk will become increasingly important for developing and sustaining flood mitigation policies. Recent research has shown that the degree of control and protection offered by retaining structures largely depend on their operation...

Tsunami resiliency of transport systems: The development and application of a tsunami resiliency assessment method

Water related disasters with higher impacts due to climate change and the possible occurrence of higher magnitude earthquakes that are expected to hit increase the need for tsunami resilient systems. Transport systems enable evacuation, and access for emergency services and materials for rebuilding. This research aims to clarify the term tsunami...

Technical and value obstacles faced by Building with Nature flood defence solutions: A case study on technical feasibility in relation to value conflict in Building with Nature flood defence solutions for the Houtribdijk reinforcement project

Building with Nature (BwN) is a relatively novel way of thinking for flood protection. Unlike traditional flood protection solutions that are poised to bring forces of nature to a halt, the BwN’s philosophy is to use natural dynamic processes for engineering advantage as a protection against natural disasters and events. Yet, the BwN design...

Characterization of incoming tsunamis for the design of coastal structures: A numerical study using the SWASH model

The Tohoku Tsunami of 2011 in Japan flooded a large part of the coastal area of Japan. The tsunami was caused by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 just of the coast of Tohoku. The inundation height of the tsunami exceeded the design height of the tsunami barriers. This event led to thousands of fatalities. <br/>The aim of this study is to...

Efficiency of urban water detention methods in downstream cities

Jakarta is a city which suffers from the problem of urban flooding and inundation. It is urgent to figure out solutions on how to manage the storm water in its urban area. Jakarta locates at the downstream of the catchment; the peak runoff generated in the city can occur earlier than the peak discharge coming from upstream, potentially leading...