Coastal structures

Many structures are built in the coastal environment for safety, economic, transport, and recreational reasons. Typical examples of coastal structures are:

• breakwaters: caisson type & rubble mound
• rubble mound revetments & gravel beaches
• sea defences: dikes & dunes
• jetties
• intake and outfall structures
• storm surge barriers
• temporary flood barriers
• energy generating devices
• scour and bed-protections

Coastal structures are typically built in a hostile environment. They often have to be built in deep water, possibly on weak subsoils, and under a large wave loading. The waves can create large forces on the structures, and can lead to difficult working conditions. The structures can become very large, and therefore very costly. Moreover, the conditions are very site specific. This means that standard solutions are often not applicable, and coastal structures have to be adapted to fit a particular function at a specific location. Dedicated materials and construction techniques are used. Research is often needed to determine an optimal solution.

Conceptual design, evaluation and testing

Deltares focuses on conceptual design, evaluation and testing of coastal structures. Our multi-disciplinary teams tackle a diversity of technical aspects and site-specific problems. Effective solutions are supported by expert opinions, mathematical tools and high-quality laboratory measurements.

Besides conceptual design and verification and optimization testing, our services include determination of hydraulic boundary conditions, reviews of designs, site-visits, risk assessments, etc. In-depth research on, for instance, innovative structure types and  armour layers, underpins our advice on coastal structures.

Verification and optimisation in coastal facilities

The best verification or optimization of coastal structures is obtained by physical model tests. In these models the interaction between waves, currents, structures, morphodynamics, and subsoil can be modelled well. Deltares has state-of-the-art coastal facilities and dedicated instrumentation. The experienced staff can obtain reliable solutions in conceptional design, testing and evaluation.

Our coastal facilities are equipped with second-order wave generation and Active Reflection Compensation (ARC). These proven technologies guarantee a proper representation of natural wave fields. We have implemented these techniques in many other international laboratories.

Conceptual design

Deltares makes and evaluates conceptual designs of coastal structures. To aid in the conceptual design of coastal structures, Deltares develops and utilizes various models. These well-established software products have been verified using high-quality data-sets and by application in consultancy practice.

Conceptual design of structures:

• BREAKWAT, design of breakwaters and revetments
• PROBED, design of bed protections
• STEENTOETS (ANAMOS), design of placed block revetments
• MORPHAN, evaluation of sandy coasts

Wave propagation:

• SKYLLA / COMFLOW Volume-of-Fluid models for wave-structure interaction
• TRITON, Time domain Boussinesq model for coasts and harbours
• PHAROS mild-slope model for wave penetration in harbours
• SWAN, spectral model for wave transformation in coastal regions
• SWIVT, validation tool for swan
• ORCA, statistical analysis of results for wave climate studies
• DELFT-AUKE, wave generation and analysis in model facilities

Our national and international clients include private companies such as international consulting engineers, contractors, multinationals and harbour authorities, governmental authorities, the Commission of the European Union, and research institutes.