dws-flood-proof-holland-boxbarrier-770pxJust next to the campus of the Delft University of Technology a test facility for temporary flood defence systems was officially opened on 17 June.

The facility is initiated by the Valorisation Programme Delta Technology & Water. The secretariat is provided by Delft University of Technology.

The first participants to test their products at the facility are BAM Infra/GMB, Green Soil Bag and Benelux Flood Defence Systems (BFDS).

The opening ceremony was attended by delegations from Hungary and Czechia. A delegation from Vietnam visited the site on a previous occasion.

Alternatives to sandbags
The new test facility is initiated to involve businesses, governments and research institutions for joint tests and demonstrations of innovative flood measures - alternatives to sandbags. The recent floods in Central Europe show that there is still much to gain with innovative smart, efficient and inexpensive emergency flood defenses.

Encourage try out new systems
One of the aims of the test facility is to create more awareness for the alternatives of the sandbag in emergency situations. Furthermore the initiators want to break open current constraints and encourage flood safety authorities to try out new emergency systems.

First three innovative systems
Three different flood defences are currently being tested at the site: dws-flood-proof-holland-box-barrier4-300px

dws-flood-proof-holland-watergate-300px

dws-flood-proof-holland-green-soil-bag2-300px

- BoxBarrier (BAM Infra/GMB)
Box element that can be filled with water. The box has a lid and can be connected with joint elements. The controllable flood height is 50 cm.

- Watergate (BFDS)
Roll-out plastic construction that fills itself with water that can be deployed at the last minute. The controllable flood heights are 15 - 45 cm.

 - Green Soil Bag (Green Soil Bag)
Degradable bags filled with mixture of sand and clay. The bag can remain in place on a levee after the emergency event. The rich ground is filled with seeds that create roots developing a new threshold on top of the levee.

 

The present site offers space for additional participants. Possible up-scaling is being investigated by the current partners.

About VPdelta
Valorisation Program Delta Technology & Water (VPdelta) is a program that takes the cluster of delta technology and water as starting point for promoting and advancing innovative initiatives.

The program aims to endorse collaboration between (starting) companies, research and educational institutions and governmental organizations that are active in the field of delta technology and hydraulic engineering.

 

More information
Valorisation programme Delta Technology & Water
Marjan Kreijns, team leader, e: m.s.kreijns@tudelft.nl
+31 15 27 82966