The interface of land and water has always played an important role in human activities. Settlements are often located at coasts, river-banks or deltas. Harbours, waterways, dikes, dunes and beaches, structures for water-control and water-resources management etc. are examples of hydraulic engineering on a macro-scale. In this book, the interface is studied on a micro-scale. The occurring phenomena are important in all branches of hydraulic engineering.

In a natural situation, the interface moves freely with the forces of erosion and sedimentation. Actually, nothing is wrong with erosion, until some interest is threatened. Erosion is somewhat like weed: as long as it is in nobodies way, no action is needed or even wanted. There should always be a balance between the efforts of protection against erosion and the damage that would occur otherwise.

Moreover, it should be realised that once a location is protected along a coast or riverbank that is eroded on a large scale, the protected part can induce extra erosion and in the end the whole coast or bank has to be protected. So, look before you leap, should be the motto.

In many cases however, a protection is necessary: bottom protection behind outlet structures or around objects, revetments in rivers and canals, dike protection, coastal defence works etc.

Schiereck, G.J.; Verhagen, H.J.(2012). Introduction to bed, bank and shore protection. VSSD

ISBN 978-90-6562-306-5         eBook: 978-90-6562-307-2 (hiqh quality eBook)