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Home Courses Engineering: Building with Nature Course materials Readings 5.2.5 Case 4: Coastal Protection

5.2.5 Case 4: Coastal Protection

Course subject(s) Module 5: Assessing Building with Nature Designs

Regular assessments of the safety of a dike are undertaken in the Netherlands. During a recent long term assessment, the anticipated performance of the sea dikes and dunes subjected to a storm surge with an incidence of occurrence of 1 in 10 000 years (the Dutch flood protection standard) was tested.

The sea defence dike along the North Holland coast near Petten was deemed not to be able to satisfy the safety requirements over the next 50 years. Accordingly, the coastal defences have to be upgraded. Several parties are concerned about this issue, including the water board Hollands Noorderkwartier, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, the Province of North-Holland, local municipalities and some nature organisations.

Description of one Building with Nature Solution

The materials below provide you with a description of one Building with Nature solution to Case 4. This solution has already been implemented in the Netherlands.

1. Click here to watch a video on the solution, by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment

2. Descriptions of the solution by Van Oord and Boskalis.

  • Have a look at this website, by Van Oord.
  • Have a look at the following project image, by Boskalis. More information is available in this website.

3. Video: Reinforcing the Dutch coastline

4. Video: New Coastline Hondsbossche Zeewering

5. Infographic of the coastal profile, adapted from this website

6. Key aspects of this solution to Case 4
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