Delta Works

Overview of the Delta Works

The Delta Works is a series of construction projects in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land around the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta from the sea. The works consist of dams, sluices, locks, dikes, levees, and storm surge barriers. The aim of the dams, sluices, and storm surge barriers was to shorten the Dutch coastline, thus reducing the number of dikes that had to be raised.

Along with the Zuiderzee Works, Delta Works have been declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

History

The estuaries of the rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt have been subject to flooding over the centuries. After building the Afsluitdijk, the Dutch started studying the damming of the Rhine-Meuse Delta. Plans were developed for shortening the coastline and turning the delta into a group of freshwater lakes. By shortening the coastline fewer dikes would have to be reinforced.

Due to indecision and the Second World War, little action was taken. In 1950 two small estuary mouths, the Brielse Gat near Brielle and the Botlek near Vlaardingen were dammed. After the North Sea flood of 1953, a commission was installed which had to come up with a plan to research the causes and seek measures to prevent such disasters in future. They revised some of the old plans and came up with the so called "Deltaplan".

The plan consisted of blocking the estuary mouths of the Oosterschelde, the Haringvliet and the Grevelingen. This reduced the length of the dikes exposed to the sea by approximately 400 miles (640 km). The mouths of the Nieuwe Waterweg and the Westerschelde were to remain open because of the shipping routes to the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. The dikes along these waterways were to be heightened and strengthened. The works would be combined with road and waterway infrastructure to stimulate the economy of the province of Zeeland and improve the connection between the port of Rotterdam and Antwerp.

Delta law and Conceptual framework

An important part of this project was fundamental research to help solve the flooding problem. Instead of analysing past floods and building protection sufficient to deal with those, the Delta Works commission pioneered a conceptual framework to use as norm for investment in flood defences.

The framework is called the 'Delta norm' and works as follows:

• Major areas to be protected from flooding are identified. These are called "dike ring areas" because they are protected by a ring of primary sea defences.
• The cost of flooding is assessed using a statistical model involving damage to property, lost production and a given amount per human life lost.
• For the purpose of this model a human life is valued at €2.2 million (2008 data).
• The chances of a significant flood within the given area are calculated. This is done using data from a purpose-built flood simulation lab as well as empirical statistical data regarding water wave properties and distribution. Storm behaviour and spring tide distribution are also taken into account.

The most important "dike ring area" is the South Holland coast region. It is home to four million people, most of whom live below normal sea level. The loss of human life in a catastrophic flood here can be very large because there is very little warning time with North Sea storms, and so comprehensive evacuation is not a realistic option for the Holland coastal region.

The commission initially set the acceptable risk for complete failure of every "dike ring" in the country at 1 in 125,000 years. However the cost of building this level of protection was deemed too high, so the acceptable risk was set according to region as follows:

• North and South Holland (excluding Wieringermeer): 1 per 10,000 years
• Other areas at risk from sea flooding: 1 per 4,000 years
• Transition areas between high land and low land: 1 per 2,000 years

River flooding causes less damage than salt water flooding so areas at risk from river flooding have a higher acceptable risk. River flooding also has a longer warning time, making for a lower estimated death toll.

• South Holland at risk from river flooding: 1 per 1,250 years
• Other areas at risk from river flooding: 1 per 250 years.

These acceptable risks were enshrined in the Delta law, requiring the government to keep risks of catastrophic flooding within these limits and to upgrade defences should new insights into risks require this. These limits are also incorporated into the new Water Law, effective from 22 December 2009.

The Delta Project (of which the Delta Works are a part) has been designed with these guidelines in mind. All other primary defences have been upgraded to meet the norm.

New data elevating the risk assessment on expected sea level rise due to global warming has brought ten 'weak points' to the fore. These are currently being upgraded to meet the future demands. This work is expected to be completed in 2015. For rivers an upgrade is underway, which is expected to be finished in 2017.

Alterations to the plan during the execution of the Works

During the execution of the works alterations were made due to public pressure. In the Nieuwe Waterweg heightening and the associated widening of the dikes proved very difficult because of the historic buildings that would have to be destroyed. Therefore, a storm surge barrier would be built (the Maeslantkering) and dikes were only partly built up.

Oosterscheldekering, the largest of thirteen Delta Works' dams.

The Oosterschelde was originally to be dammed and turned into a fresh water lake, leading to the loss of the saltwater ecosystem and, consequently, the harvesting of oysters. Environmentalists and fishermen combined their efforts to prevent the closure and successfully pressured parliament to amend the original plan. Instead of completely damming the estuary, a storm surge barrier would be built. This exists today as a collection of very large valves.

The storm surge barrier only closes when the sea-level is expected to rise 3 meters above mean sea level. Under normal conditions the estuary's mouth is open and salt water flows in and out with the tide. Consequently, the weak dikes along the Oosterschelde needed to be strengthened. This strengthening had not been done yet because the Oosterschelde would be dammed. Over 200 km of the dike needed new revetments. The connections between the Eastern Scheldt and the neighboring Haringvliet had to be dammed to limit the effect of the salt water. Extra dams and locks were needed at the east part of the Oosterschelde to create a shipping route between the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp.

Current status

The works were finished after almost fifty years in 1997 with the completion of the Maeslantkering in the Nieuwe Waterweg between Maassluis and Hoek van Holland and the Hartelkering in the Hartel Canal near Spijkenisse.

In reality the works were finished on August 24, 2010 with the official opening of the last strengthened and raised retaining wall near the city of Harlingen, Netherlands.

Due to climate change and relative sea-level rise, the dikes will eventually have to be made higher and wider. This is a long term uphill battle against the sea. The needed level of flood protection and the resulting costs are a recurring subject of debate. Currently, reinforcement of the dike revetments along the Oosterschelde and Westerschelde is underway. The revetments have proven to be insufficient and need to be replaced. This work started in 1996 and should be finished in 2015. In that period the Ministry of Public Works and Water Management in cooperation with the waterboards will have reinforced over 400 km of dikes.^[1]

In September 2008, the Delta commission presided by Dutch politician Cees Veerman advised in a report that the Netherlands would need a massive new building program to strengthen the country's water defenses against the anticipated effects of global warming for the next 190 years. This commission was created in September 2007 after the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina prompted reflection and preparations. Those included drawing up worst-case scenarios for evacuations. The plans included more than €100 billion, or $144 billion, in new spending through the year 2100 for measures, such as broadening coastal dunes and strengthening sea and river dikes.

The commission said the country must plan for a rise in the North Sea of 1.3 meters by 2100 and 4 meters by 2200.^[2]

Projects

The works that are part of the Delta Works are listed in chronological order with their year of completion:

• Brielsegatdam (1950)
• Hollandse IJssel Storm Barrier Stormvloedkering Hollandse IJssel (1958)
• Zandkreekdam (1960)
• Veersegatdam (1961)
• Grevelingendam (1965)
• Volkerakdam (1969)
• Haringvliet sluices Haringvlietdam (1971)
• Brouwersdam (1971)
• Markiezaatskade (1983)
• Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier Oosterscheldekering (1986)
• Oesterdam (1987)
• Philipsdam (1987)
• Bathse Spuisluis (1987)
• Hartel Barrier Hartelkering (1997)
• Maeslant Barrier Maeslantkering (1997)
• Harlingen water retaining wall Harlingenkeerdam (2010)

• 

  Hollandse IJssel Storm Barrier

• 

  Zandkreekdam^[3]

• 

  Veersegatdam^[4]

• 

  Grevelingendam^[5]

• 

  Volkerakdam^[6]

• 

  Haringvliet sluices

• 

  Brouwersdam^[7]

• 

  Markiezaatskade^[8]

• 

  Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier

• 

  Oesterdam^[9]

• 

  Philipsdam^[10]

• 

  Bathse Spuisluis^[11]

• 

  Hartel Barrier

• 

  Maeslant Barrier^[12]

• 

  Maeslant Barrier

See also

• Flood control in the Netherlands
• Lauwerszee Works
• Megaproject
• Thames Barrier
• Zuiderzee Works

References

1. ^ Zeeweringen.nl
2. ^ "Dutch draw up drastic measures to defend coast against rising seas". The New York Times. 3 August 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/news/03iht-03dutch.15877468.html. Retrieved 20 October 2010. 
3. ^ Beeldbankvenw.nl
4. ^ Beeldbankvenw.nl
5. ^ Beeldbankvenw.nl
6. ^ Beeldbankvenw.nl
7. ^ Beeldbankvenw.nl
8. ^ Beeldbankvenw.nl
9. ^ Beeldbankvenw.nl
10. ^ Beeldbankvenw.nl
11. ^ Beeldbankvenw.nl
12. ^ Beeldbankvenw.nl

External links

• Delta Works.Org / Deltawerken.Com official website for the Delta Works
• Dutch History Pages
• PDF in Dutch explaining the Delta Framework

Coordinates: 51°39′N 3°43′E / 51.65°N 3.72°E / 51.65; 3.72