Water controlling water

Water controlling water

Boon, M.J.J.

Vrijling, J.K. (mentor)
Van Baars, S. (mentor)
Ter Horst, W.L.A. (mentor)
Van Oranje, M. (mentor)
Overbeek, H.J. (mentor)
Verhagen, H.J. (mentor)

Civil Engineering and Geosciences

2007-08-29

This project discusses the feasibility and effectiveness of emergency measures against river floods. The objective of the project is: To develop a method or system to temporarily increase the dike strength during flood wave conditions. Here, the dike strength in its broadest sense is meant. This means that besides the crest height also other properties are considered. Generally, the dike height is designed with respect to a certain normative water level. The protection level is herewith based on the overtopping and overflowing mechanism. Besides overtopping and overflowing other mechanisms, especially piping, could contribute to dike failure. The project further focuses on these two failure mechanisms. The proposed emergency measure against overtopping is the traditional temporary crest heightening. The proposed measure against piping is the creation of a water berm at the inner side of the dike. The latter decreases the head difference between the river and land side of the dike by inundation of an area behind the dike. Both measures make use of some sort of water retaining system. A system that is very suitable for this purpose is a water-filled tube type of system since it has a good performance on the aspects costs, deployment, stability and applicability. The system consists of two parallel tubes connected at one point. Because piping could become a problem when the system is placed on permeable subsoil, the standard twin tube design is adapted by adding a sealing sheet in front of the tubes to increase the piping length. Finally the reliability of the system is assessed by examining the different failure modes. Especially the logistic feasibility is discussed. The logistic feasibility gives a first rough indication of the possible scale of application.

temporary flood defense
emergency flood protection
piping
water berm

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:b40319aa-1a05-40ce-a9a4-81ef1bfa4162

TU Delft, Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Hydraulic Engineering

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2007 M.J.J. Boon