Hydraulic Engineering Section
Hydraulic Engineering Section - www.hydraulicengineering.tudelft.nl
New professor Morphodynamics of Lagoons and Estuaries
We are happy to inform you that Dr. Z.B. Wang has recently been appointed professor of Morphodynamics of Lagoons and Estuaries. Zheng Wang has been working for the Department of Hydraulic Engineering since 1990 as an associate professor. His new chair focuses on education and research in the general field of morphodynamics of lagoons and estuaries, with an emphasis on the Dutch/German Wadden Sea. Read more.
ERC advanced grant for Prof. Marcel Stive
We are very pleased to announce that our Coastal Engineering Professor Marcel Stive has been awarded a 2.9 million Euro ERC Advanced Grant by the EU. Over the coming five years he will use the grant for the ‘Nearshore Monitoring and Modelling: Inter-scale Coastal Behaviour’ project. This large-scale observation and measurement programme that focuses on the coastline in the area around The Hague aims to provide the good long-term predictions concerning coastal change processes which have so far been lacking. Read more.
Hollow dike protects against super storms
Together with his think tank "multikering" colleagues of various institutes, our researcher Jarit de Gijt will present a concept of a new dike for the protection of the Katwijk coast on November 1, during the "battle of concepts" in Katwijk. To protect residents from super storms, the consortium has come up with an unconventional plan to protect the coast, while saving the government and municipality more than half of the initial total cost estimate. The researchers suggest using 15 to 20 meter deep concrete diaphragm (water-blocking) walls, which will from above look like a standard dike, but is in fact hollow and can accommodate car parks on the landside and cafes and restaurant on the seaside.
A full article about this hollow dike was published in TU Delta no. 29 by Tomas van Dijk and can be read through this link.
System reliability assessment of offshore pipelines
On October 19 our PhD student Zahiraniza Mustaffa succesfully defended her thesis entitled "system reliability assessment of offshore pipelines". The main intention of her thesis is to identify, apply and judge the suitability of the probabilistic methods in evaluating the system reliability of offshore pipelines subjected to corrosion. Her thesis is online available through the TU Delft repository.
Frauke Hoss wins "Waterbouwprijs 2011"
We would like to congratulate Frauke Hoss who has won the Hydraulic Engineering Award 2011 for her MSc thesis entitled "A comprehensive assessment on multilayered safety in flood risk management". The award was presented to her at the "Waterbouwdag" which took place on October 13 in Breda. Of course, her thesis as well as other theses from Hydraulic Engineering graduates can be downloaded from the TU Delft repository.
Delft University of Technology is a 'research university'
At the so-named 'townhall meeting' of 23 September 2011 at our Faculty, Mr. Van den Berg, chairman of the Executive Board of Delft University of Technology, clearly confirmed that we are a 'research university'. This emphasis was not pronounced so explicitly until now. So, the education of engineers for society should be based not only on the requirements of practice-oriented problems but be combined with our research progress. Although we recognize this approach, we wish to emphasize that our primary goal is to deliver engineers graduating at Delft University of Technology that are appreciated by the field. Delft engineers are internationally recognized for their problem-solving capacities: our hydraulic engineers designed the world-famous Delta Works!
Within the research field, a shift towards fundamental science is promoted, at the expense of applied science. Our Faculty already experienced severe budget cuts (from 40 M€ in 2004 to 26.3 M€ in 2011), notwithstanding the fact that we are performing ever better (more diplomas, more PhD-dissertations, more publications, more research projects) and our scores per staff member are very good, compared to other faculties. The amount of money on behalf of support staff (109 M€ anually, which is about the amount of 4 faculties) is considered to be reasonable, according Mr. Van den Berg.
New Fulbright Scholar in Hydraulic Engineering Section
Jessica Jeanette Ludy will study under Dr. Bas Jonkman at the Delft University of Technology. Using a Dutch method, this project will investigate the direct effects of non-structural flood defense measures (like floodplain restoration and "Room for the River" in Biesbosch National Park) on the risk to human life in the California Bay-Delta. The goal is to build more support for flood defense measures which merge safety with ecology.
Prizes for best lecturers
On 30 July, students society 'Practische Studie' awarded Judith Bosboom with a prize for the best lecturer in the Hydraulic Engineering Master. Ms. Bosboom teaches the course Coastal Dynamics 1. Robert Jan Labeur and Tjerk Zitman won the second, resp. third prize in the best BSc-lecturer contest. The department is proud to have these lecturers working in its group and is happy for the appreciation by the students.
Big project on multifunctional flood defences awarded
Professor Han Vrijling of TU Delft has been awarded an STW Perspectief Programma grant, worth 3.4 million euros. This is for the Integral and sustainable design of multifunctional flood defences programme. As head of the programme, Vrijling will be concentrating on the design of multifunctional flood defences, a relatively new idea.
The programme concerns flood defences in or near urban areas, which also have additional functions besides keeping out floodwaters, including those related to housing, leisure and ecology. The Dutch Delta Committee is among the bodies that have advocated the construction of defences of this kind which, apart from their safety function, bring clear added value to urban areas.
Prof. Vrijling benoemd tot Officier in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau
Professor Han Vrijling, hoogleraar Constructieve Waterbouw & Probabilistisch Ontwerpen aan de faculteit Civiele Techniek en Geowetenschappen (CITG), werd in het Stadhuis van Rotterdam benoemd tot Officier in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau. De bijzondere verdiensten van Professor Vrijling liggen vooral op het gebied van de ontwikkeling van het probabilistisch ontwerpen in de waterbouwkunde. Aan die ontwikkeling hebben velen bijgedragen, maar de belangrijkste bijdrage, ook op het gebied van de theorievorming, is geleverd door Professor Vrijling. Bij probabilistisch ontwerpen wordt de faalkans van een constructie als geheel opgebouwd uit alle mogelijkheden van falen van onderdelen of functies. Voor elke dijkverbetering in Nederland worden daarom tegenwoordig alle denkbare faalmechanismen van de dijk in de dijkring en van de elementen daarin zoals dijkbekleding, ondergrond, sluizen, stuwen en bouwwerken, in de beschouwing betrokken. Logisch gevolg van deze diepgaandere vorm van analyse is dat dit geleid heeft tot de conclusie dat er in Nederland nog veel dijkringen zijn waar de veiligheid nog onvoldoende is. Professor Vrijling laat dan ook geen gelegenheid voorbijgaan om te wijzen op de noodzaak van voortdurende aandacht voor de veiligheid in het laaggelegen deel van Nederland. |
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Prof. Agema deceased
| Prof.dr.ir. Jan Fokke Agema, 12 September 1919 - 23 April 2011. A great Dutch hydraulic engineer has passed away. Prof. Agema as a hydraulic engineer brought his valuable knowledge and experience to Delft University. He was professor of 'General Hydraulic Engineering' from 1979 to 1985 and introduced the field of 'probabilistic design' in the curriculum. He has been awarded for this by Delft University with a honorary doctorate. Members and old-students of the Hydraulic Engineering Department greatfully commemorate prof. Agema. He was a self-made-man and accomplished the design of complex hydraulic structures. His contribution to the field will still for long be passed on to new generations of hydraulic engineers. |
Shipping simulation model improves safety and capacity ports
TU Delft is set to conduct a joint research project with the Jiaotong University in Shanghai. Their aim will be to develop a traffic model for shipping in congested port areas. It is hoped that the model will provide increased understanding of the ports’ capacity and safety. For more information: see TU Delft website.
Japanse super dikes barely capable to limit damage tsunami
Prof. Pier Vellinga geeft in een artikel op waterforum.nl aan dat een superdijk de gevolgen van de tsunami had kunnen beperken. Hij gaat daarbij naar de mening van Bas Jonkman te snel voorbij aan het feit dat op verschillende getroffen plekken in Japan al nagenoeg onbreekbare superdijken (“tsunami walls”) aanwezig waren. Ondanks de aanwezigheid van deze dijken waren de gevolgen enorm.
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Foto: 10 meter hoge tsunami wall in Taro, Japan, Bron: Google Earth
Bijvoorbeeld in het stadje Taro in het noorden van het getroffen gebied was een 10 meter hoge muur aanwezig die dwars door de stad liep (bron: Dr. Kawai, Port and Airport Research Institute, Japan). Deze muur is tijdens de aardbeving en tsunami grotendeels overeind gebleven en heeft wellicht de energie van de tsunami iets kunnen remmen. Maar in het gebied achter de muur is nog steeds zeer veel schade opgetreden.
Dit toont aan dat ook superdijken (in Nederland ook wel deltadijken genoemd) bij extreme rampen minder effectief kunnen zijn. Een super- of deltadijk is dus geen wondermiddel dat alle rampschade voorkomt. Het ontwerp van deze deltadijken en andere waterkeringen dient per geval te worden geoptimaliseerd op basis van kosten, ruimtelijke mogelijkheden en effecten op overstromingsrisico’s.
Jonkman sluit zich aan bij de suggestie van prof. Vellinga om lessen te leren uit de tsunami. De gebeurtenissen geven bijvoorbeeld inzicht in de domino effecten die kunnen optreden: niet alleen de schade in het overstroomde gebied, maar ook de uitval van elektriciteit en schade aan kernreactoren (zie dit artikel 'Domino-effect Japan kan ook in Nederland voorkomen'). Ook zal in Japan debat worden gevoerd over de te kiezen strategie om de risico’s van tsunami’s zo goed mogelijk te beheersen.
Tiedo Vellinga new professor Ports and Waterways
Tiedo Vellinga has been appointed in our department as part time professor of Ports & Waterways as per 1 January 2011. He is the successor of prof. Han Ligteringen, who retired last year. The scope of the chair comprises the planning and design of infrastructures for the benefit of maritime and inland shipping. The involvement of boundary conditions plays an ever growing role in the design and planning of these large-scale infrastructural projects. The need for research in this area is big and will therefore be a major point of attention for the new chair. There is also an increasing demand for research on the sustainability of construction and management of sea ports and waterways. Also the adaptability of port-infrastructural systems and the logistics on the quay and in the water are main points of attention. The emphasis for this chair is on the integrating character. | |
The chair of Ports & Waterway cooperates closely with the Port of Rotterdam, that has the ambition to be de world's smartest and most durable port. In this context also two other chairs within Delft University of Technology are being sponsored. The Port of Rotterdam considers it to be imperative that TU Delft performs top research and education in the fields of development and management of ports, traffic control, development of freight transport and related infrastructure for various modalities. The Port of Rotterdam contributes to a renewed élan of the mentioned fields of study in Delft by way of close cooperation.
Tiedo Vellinga has built up an impressive record of service in the course of 30 years and therefore has accurate knowledge of the most recent developments and needs. His wide national and international network will be extremely helpful in continuing and renewing collaboration and stimulating a feeling for the need of research in the industry. He has thorough experience as a lecturer already.
Debate on water safety
KIVI-NIRIA organised a debate on 27 January 2011, where a team of TU Delft opposed a team of VU. The latter team defended the multiple safety layer approach. The team from Delft stated that a euro can be spent only once and that therefore dike reinforcement should have the highest priority. Han Vrijling, Bas Jonkman, Timo Schweckendiek and Ruben Jongejan represented the Delft team. Jeroen Aerts, chairman of the Amsterdam team, was in earlier stage an enthusiastic proponent of living on mounds and elevating ground levels of all future built-areas up to 5 m above sea level (see for instance this news item). He now stated that there were many similarities in both views. The debate was live witnessed by more than 200 interested people, The debate has been recorded and can now be seen in streaming video. | |
TU Delft meets the Delta Commissioner
Delta commissioner Wim Kuijken visited Delft University of Technology on 26 January 2011. Karel Luyben, Rector Magnificus of TUD, opened the meeting. Special guests were Dirk Jan van den Berg, chairman of htehe Executive Board of TUD and member of the Council for delta research, and Anne-Wil Lucas, memberof the Dutch House of Commons. Ms Lucas looks after higher education and water safety. She pleads in favour of the guarantee of technologic knowledge. "Management is one thing, but computations will be needed in future as well." More information about this meeting is available on the TU Delft website.
Timo Schweckendiek wins award
During the New Years' speech at Deltares, the winner of the Deltares Young Talent Prize 2010 has been announced. Timo Schweckendiek has been chosen out of four nominees. The jury was impressed by his broad scope, his scientific record and his international network.
Bas Jonkman in talk show
| Bas Jonkman has been invited to television talk show 'Helder' of Teleac broadcast company, to tell about the flood risks in the Netherlands and make suggestions how to reduce these risks. Attention was drawn to this topic by the recent high water levels of the Meuse river. The programme has been broadcast on Monday 15 November 2010 and can be viewed on the Teleac-website. |
Closeable Open Rhine Delta
In summer 2010, the preliminary study on a 'closeable open Rhine delta' was finished. In this multidisciplinary study the Rhine-Meuse delta is approached as a spatial hydraulic system, which resulted in five alternative designs. The concept in the report of the New Delta Committee (the Veerman committee) appears indeed to reduce the waterlevels withing diked areas, but other combinations and locations of flood defences have proven to be more effective.
The study has been carried out by HKV, Deft University of Technology and RIVM and commissioned by the national programme 'Kennis vor Klimaat'. More information can be found at www.aor.tudelft.nl.
Coastal defence climate adaptation costs
| Members of the Section of Hydraulic Engineering have contributed to a broader study on the costs of adaptation to the effects of climate change and sea level rise. For four case studies (Netherlands, New Orleans (US), Vietnam and Cape Town (South Africa)) the unit cost estimates of coastal defences has been investigated for the full range of hard and soft engineering measures, such as dikes/levees, sea walls, (beach) nourishments and other measures, for example storm surge barriers. In addition the study provides insight in the factors that determine the costs at a system or regional level and the factors that determine the economical optimal level of protection. The findings of this study provide important input information for estimating the costs of adaptation to possible changes in the sea level rise rate in different regions. This research was done in cooperation with Royal Haskoning and the university of Southampton. |
Best paper award for Bas Jonkman
The title of the winning paper is: Loss of life caused by the flooding of New Orleans after hurricane Katrina: Analysis of the relationship between flood characteristics and mortality. Co-authors are Bob Maaskant (TU Delft and HKV), Ezra Boyd and Marc Levitan (Louisiana State University). This paper has been published in scientific journal Risk Analysis and the award has been given to Bas Jonkman during the Conference of the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) in Baltimore (December 2009).
Our records on Climate Change
Our group is still higly involved in discussions on the consequences of climate change for water safety. Our aim is to contribute in this debate with our expertise in finding practical solutions that serve society in optima forma. We grouped information on this topic in a seperate web page.
Flood resilience
The affiliated Flood Resilience Group aims to advance scientific knowledge into integrated approaches to increase flood resilience of urban systems. The work focuses on the understanding of urban flood vulnerability and resilience and on the development and implementation of interventions and strategies that enhance urban flood resilience. The research currently undertaken is focused along two research lines: 1. Impacts (and their changes over time) including dispersed (moderate) floods and extreme events confined to the urban contex, and: 2. Effective interventions and strategies to enhance urban flood resilience.
Media attention archive
A list of media attention for our Section is presented on a seperate web page.
