Glass Flood Defences

Abstract

In the far south of the Netherlands, the erratic river Meuse flows through the landscape. It recently flooded twice in the 1990s, causing much economical damage. Emergency measures, such as a demountable flood wall, were taken to prevent future flooding. And while this solution was to the liking of the inhabitants, the update in the flood safety standard called for a more permanent structure. In the search for an alternative and permanent solution, a glass flood wall was suggested.

Nowadays there are not many examples of glass used in a flood defence in Dutch practice, and certainly not as part of a primary flood defence. It can be classified as an innovation, from which little is known from a structural safety perspective. Glass is used globally to retain water in numerous applications such as aquaria, under water glazing, glass bottom boats, etc; therefore water pressure is not seen as a high risk to the glass. What happens when floating debris hits the glass structure? Impact on glass can result in immediate failure, where the water retaining function could be lost. This thesis aims to answer this question, by theory and later on by impact experiments in a dry setting.