Deltares conducts first experiment in new giant Delta Flume facility

The first test to be conducted in the new Delta Flume was completed successfully last week.

Research institute Deltares had build an 11-metre-high levee in its new Delta Flume, a unique research facility in Delft that can generate the highest artificial waves in the world.

Approximately 5000 Basalton blocks (scale 1:1.6) were positioned on the levee. Last month, Deltares looked at exactly how strong this type of cladding is.

Lager waves, more accurate studies
Mark Klein Breteler, the cladding study project director: ‘The new Delta Flume is quite a bit deeper than the old Delta Flume and it can also generate larger waves. The waves are 35% larger, and so we can simulate reality even more accurately and conduct more reliable studies’.

This experiment was the 9th and final series in the ‘Comparative study of dike cladding’, a project involving a number of government agencies, five private bodies and Deltares.

A total of nine types of stone from five different producers were studied: Basalton, C-Star, Hillblock, Hydroblock, RONA ton and Verkalit, of some types different models.

More precise design and maintenance of levees
The new data will ultimately be used in software (Steentoets), so that better calculations can be made to show exactly how large cladding stones should be.

In this way, it will be possible to design and maintain levees more precisely in the future. This will help the environment and the locality, and result in cost savings.

Furthermore, the study has demonstrated that, when they work together, government, market parties and research institutes can achieve a great deal.

The final report from Deltares is expected in the autumn. 

This news item was originally published on the website of Deltares.

More information
Deltares
Delft, The Netherlands
+31 88 335  8273
www.deltares.nl/en/ 

Video on testing of Delta Flume.