Developments in the management of flood defences and hydraulic infrastructures in the Netherlands

Abstract

This article highlights recent developments in the flood risk management in the Netherlands and approaches for asset and life cycle management for flood defences and hydraulic infrastructures. The functioning of these infrastructures is of great importance for the country as large parts of it are prone to flooding, and the adequate functioning of several hydraulic structures is vital for safety and other functionalities. The recent transition of the flood management policy toward more risk-based is summarized, resulting in new safety standards for flood defences in the form of tolerable failure probabilities. Using a risk-based framework, challenges in reliability assessment and management are discussed, such as the dynamic nature of loads, resistances and reliability requirements over time. Finally, various case studies are discussed to present advances and challenges in various subfields. Examples illustrate the utilization of risk-based approaches in the evaluation of innovative dike reinforcements and nature based solutions in flood management. In a third case life cycle cost analysis is demonstrated to be used to optimize the management and future proof reinforcement of large structures.