Deltares innovations collected 2009

Innovations collectedFrom development to application

A Deltares publication

Spring 2009

Interestingly enough, this new knowledge is no longer being produced exclusively here in The Netherlands. God created the world, but the Dutch created Holland, as the English used to say. But we can no longer rest on our laurels. Elsewhere in the world people are tackling challenges and devising solutions that are on a scale unknown in the Netherlands. Take for example, the widening of the Panama Canal and the new locks that are associated with it, or the construction of ‘Climate Proof Roads’ in Europe.

As an institute we are part of these (inter)national developments. The knowledge that we acquire is made available to the authorities, to consulting engineers and to the building and construction sector. This new knowledge is the basis for the tools of tomorrow. Deltares is judged on the added value it provides: the societal added value of delta technology that enables us, now and in the future,

to live comfortably in low-lying delta areas. And the economic added value, because the knowledge and technology we develop enables our partners and clients to open up new markets. ‘Enabling Delta Life’ can be lucrative. Since we focus on sustainable solutions and approaches in the delta, this is a ‘win-win’ situation.

To achieve this added value, scientific knowledge alone is not enough. Innovation is only really innovation if it can be successfully applied - in new products and services the market needs and wants to adopt. This last point is lacking on occasions. Brilliant people sometimes have a tendency to throw their equally brilliant ideas over the wall. ‘Hey, this is what we’ve come up with. See what you can do with it.’

That, however, is not effective. An idea - no matter how good - if not well nurtured, runs the risk of

Water & Subsurface Issues

The State of the Delta is of vital importance. Not just for the Netherlands, but also for the many hundreds

of deltas in the world where people live, work and relax. This is not something we can take for granted.

Delta technology is necessary to make life in deltas possible and to protect it. Deltares is a major

international player in the development of knowledge on water and subsurface issues. A knowledge

institute that upholds a tradition stretching back to the very first reclamation of land from the sea.

Innovations collected 1

suffering the same fate as the biblical seed that fell on stony ground. It will not blossom, because there is an absence of fertile soil among those responsible for implementing it. Another reason why it might not blossom is that it may be more like a solution in search of a problem. The idea does not correspond to the needs of society.

Ideas that are not adopted are a form of social and intellectual waste. Therefore, we base our work in Deltares on the entire innovation cycle, from idea to implementation, and back again.

As usual, the cycle begins with an idea. For a knowledge institution, science is the main source from which ideas are drawn. That continues to be the case, but Deltares has added a new source: the embedding in society and the problems and needs that these entail.

Our philosophy of innovation is that the best ideas arise from the confrontation between scientific and technological developments on the one hand and social developments and needs on the other. In this respect, the ideas must both have societal relevance, and must stand the test of scientific critique.

One of Deltares’ important aims is to create an environment where such confrontations can take place. Where doors and windows are open and where parties are invited to exchange ideas. An open innovation network, in which both the large market players and the niche players can participate.

The best illustration of that? Deltares’ home land is too small a test bed for the body of knowledge required to solve its potential water problems. For a long time now, Deltares’ development and learning activities have not been confined to the Netherlands alone. The experience we have gained from the second extension of the Rotterdam Harbour is utilised in a large number of harbour projects around the world. Likewise, what we have done on the Yangtze River also benefits water managers in the Netherlands. Local knowledge applied globally, global knowledge applied locally.

This collection includes a number of examples of this. These are characterised not only by the fact that they have arisen at the interface between various disciplines, but also because they have been or are being developed in consultation with partners in society, inside and outside The Netherlands. In other words: typically Deltares.

2 Innovations collected

ContentsBuilding roads quickly and safely with a piled embankment 4

Eco-Xbloc as a substrate for the marine ecosystem 6

Using ecosystem engineers for coastal protection 8

Bacteria stop danube dike from leaking 10

Innovative groynes serve various purposes 12

Inexpensive test for detecting polluted drinking water 14

Playful learning with ‘serious games’ 16

Early warning for harmful algal blooms 18

Several birds with one stone 20

Beach wizard gives up to date information on the foreshore 22


Building roads quickly and safely with a piled embankment

Like other delta areas, the Netherlands has to contend with soft soils.

Construction of infrastructure therefore takes a long time and is difficult

on account of the risk of damage to surrounding structures. The piled

embankment offers a solution.

In order to accelerate the construction process and to reduce the subsidence of roads and railways, the soft soil is consolidated in an accelerated manner by draining and/or temporarily preloading it. Compressing the soft soil still takes quite a long time, during which period no further construction can take place. After the road or railway is opened, uneven settling may occur, which causes damage to the road or railway. Repairs are expensive and cause a great deal of disruption to traffic.

The piled embankment is an innovative way of tackling these problems. The embankment consists of granular material (often construction debris) that is reinforced with geogrid. The embankment rests on piles installed through the soft soil until they reach a firm layer of sand. The road or railway is constructed on the embankment. This transmits the load - caused by the traffic - to the piles, after which it is discharged into the deep layer of sand.

A major benefit of the piled embankment is that subsidence is avoided. In addition, you can continue with the construction straightaway, because no time is required for consolidation. The piled embankment is therefore a good solution for transitions between a bridge or viaduct and a road bed. An additional advantage is that the piled embankment does not cause any damage to pipes, vulnerable buildings or adjacent roads and railways. This makes the piled


embankment ideal for railway or road widening if the adjacent road or railway needs to be kept in service.

The piled embankment is still relatively unknown to developers and contractors. It is very rarely mentioned in tendering procedures, in spite of its advantages. Together with other partners, Deltares has therefore taken the initiative of drawing up design guidelines for the piled embankment. This will provide both developers and contractors with clear information about the design and reliability of the structure.

With the computer program MPiledRoad developers and contractors can design and cost a piled embankment. Another computer program (MRoad) allows an economic comparison to be made between various construction methods, including the piled embankment. Initial results indicate that, in terms of construction costs, the piled embankment is more expensive than a sand body. Over its whole lifetime, however, it is often cheaper, because the road or railway will require less maintenance - with the additional advantage that traffic jams will be avoided.


Eco-Xbloc as a substrate for the marine ecosystem

Together with the Rijkswaterstaat (Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management) Deltaress examines whether the Eco-Xbloc from BAM Infraconsult can act as a substrate for this kind of rich ecosystem.

In June last year, as a trial, the first ten Eco-Xblocs, each weighing nine tonnes, were placed on the southern breakwater of the port of IJmuiden. They are different from normal Xblocs in that the moulding template for the concrete blocks is coated on the inside with a preformed material. The effect is that the surface of the Eco-Xblocs is much rougher than usual for concrete used in hydraulic engineering. In combination with the high porosity, this rough surface should make it easier for shellfish, barnacles and algae to attach themselves. The diverse and sheltered habitat that exists between the piles of Xblocs attracts other wildlife, such as lobsters, shrimp, fish and birds.

The trial on the IJmuiden breakwater is part of the ‘Diverse Dike’ programme, which in turn is part of the Rijkswaterstaat’s Water Innovation Programme (WINN). For a period of three years, Deltares will be researching into how life develops on the Eco-Xblocs. Other eco-structures and materials are examined in

Man-made structures at the interface between (sea)water and air sometimes

turn out to be surprisingly rich in biodiversity. The deeper parts of the

Oosterschelde dikes, for example, attract thousands of divers every year who

come to view the wealth of plants and animals to be found on this artificial

rocky coast.


the same location together with other partners such as Cfix-BV and Shell. The results will be used in making decisions on the requirements for renovation of the breakwater. The Rijkswaterstaat’s ambition is to achieve at least the same level of ecological richness - in terms of biodiversity and productivity - as is present at the moment.

This project owes it success to the excellent cooperation between a knowledge institute, the contractor and the water manager.


Using ecosystem engineers for coastal protection

Climate change is probably associated with a rise in the sea level and an increase in the frequency and intensity of storms. The Ecosystem Engineers project that Deltares is conducting, together with the Rijkswaterstaat (Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management) and other partners, aims to discover whether a more natural defence of the coast can offer the same level of protection at a lower cost, and with the additional benefit of the development of new and valuable nature.

Ecosystem engineers are no strangers to Dutch coastal engineers. Vast salt marshes occur naturally along the coasts and in estuaries: overgrown flats traversed by deep gullies that are only under water at spring tide and that naturally respond to sea level rise by increasing its height. The vegetation dampens the force of the waves and currents and the deposited sand and silt cause the flats to rise higher above the water surface. The mussel and oyster beds that attach to the rough structures also play a role in coastal protection. They attenuate the force of the waves and by filtering large amounts of water (for food) they collect sediment, thus stabilising and raising the seabed.

On account of climate change and the increase in paved surfaces in the Rhine and Maas basins, the Netherlands will be experiencing increased river outflows over the next century. This means that raising the height of dikes will not only

While it may be true that the Dutch created their own country, they also

received substantial assistance from ecosystem engineers. Deltares is

researching how plants and animals can be used for coastal defence,

building on centuries-old techniques for reclaiming land and increasing

safety.


be expensive, but will also have profound implications for the towns and villages behind the dike. The establishment of swamp forest or (floating) reed marshes in front of the dike can help to improve safety, which means that the dikes do not need to be increased so dramatically in height. And it also increases the diversity and area of the surrounding nature.

To ensure the optimum deployment of ecosystem engineers, knowledge and experience must be acquired with regard to the ecological, morphological and hydrodynamic processes that take place around the formation and maintenance of salt marshes, shellfish beds and reed swamps. There also needs to be greater clarity about the reliability and predictability of effectivity of these biological components. These are issues that Deltares, together with others, is attempting to clarify. As the same principle can be applied in water systems all over the world, Deltares is applying these concepts to provide innovative integrated solutions for international clients.


Bacteria stop danube dike from leaking

The dike in question has been raised and strengthened to create a reservoir in the Danube near the Austrian town of Tulln. To prevent leakage as a result of the higher water level, a clay wall was made in the dike. This, however, does not work properly in all places, with the result that there is a leakage of water at the foot of the dike. Together with the Austrian contractor Insond, Deltares is conducting a test into sealing the leak with BioSealing.

With BioSealing, natural processes are used to seal a leak in the subsoil. The injection of nutrients into the soil - a sort of molasses, the residue of the potato industry - stimulates the anaerobic (= oxygen-free) growth of bacteria. When they grow, these bacteria produce organic acids that cause the soil particles to decompose. At the same time, a large quantity of biomass is formed, which collects the decomposed soil particles and deposits them as clay clods. These clay clods seal the leak like a cork in a bottle, even after the biomass has been digested again.

After demonstrating the effect of BioSealing in the lab, a practical trial was carried out on the Maasvlakte, where leaking sheet pile walls were simulated using buried containers. The technique was then successfully used to seal leaks in clay and peat layers. These natural layers had been damaged by the

Hans Brinkers is world famous as the boy who saved a village by putting his

finger in the dike. Deltares is repeating this trick with a leaking dike along

the Danube, but this time with the help of bacteria.


construction of the HSL aqueduct under the Haarlemmermeer Ringvaart, which meant there was a danger of salt seepage water displacing the fresh groundwater in the polder, which would have had serious consequences for agriculture.

With the Danube dike, the initial phase consisted of administering nutrients as a ‘tracer’ to see if they would arrive at the right place and be converted by bacteria into organic acids. At the same time, the University of Vienna conducted a study into the potential environmental effects, a legal obligation in Austria. The results of this initial phase are currently being evaluated, after which it will be attempted to seal the leakage in phase two (spring 2009).


Innovative groynes serve various purposes

The standard design for groynes dates from the nineteenth century and was primarily motivated by a desire to keep construction costs as low as possible. It still does its job, but has inevitable disadvantages. For example, deep holes may be produced at the head of a groyne, reducing the flow through the fairway and impairing navigability at low water levels. The shape and height of a groyne result in a proportionately high degree of resistance, so that extra high water levels may occur in the case of large outflows. Over the course of time, the riverbed falls and the groynes will therefore be relatively high. The risk of flooding is thus increased. On account of the vegetation growing between the quarry stones, especially willows, groynes also require regular maintenance.

At the start of this century, Deltares was asked by the Rijkswaterstaat to jointly design a new type of groyne. Several groyne shapes were examined and tested to scale. Ultimately, we came up with a groyne with gentle slope gradients and a smooth surface. An additional advantage is that willows cannot grow on a compact, smooth surface. The downstream slope, which traditionally has a gradient of approximately 1 : 3, has been decreased on the innovative groyne to 1 : 8. This reduces resistance and increases drainage over the groyne when the water level is high. The gentle gradient at the head of the groyne, from 1 : 3.5 to 1 : 8, also ensures that the scour holes become considerably less deep. At low water levels

The innovative groyne that Deltares has developed in cooperation with and

on behalf of the Rijkswaterstaat (Directorate-General for Public Works and

Water Management) has been optimised to improve both drainage at high

water levels and navigability at low water levels, while also reducing the cost

of groyne maintenance. As a trial, two lots of four groynes have been

installed in the Netherlands’ busiest river, the Waal.


there is therefore a greater flow through the fairway, making the river more navigable. Less material is also deposited elsewhere, reducing the need for dredging.

In the autumn of 2008, two lots of four groynes were installed as a trial in the Waal, one lot on an inside bend and one on an outside bend. Over the coming years the Rijkswaterstaat and Deltares will conduct an intensive programme of measurements to test whether the new groynes come up to our expectations. The knowledge that will be acquired will also be extremely useful for projects elsewhere in the world for improving both the drainage capacity and navigability of rivers.


Inexpensive test for detecting polluted drinking water

Sadly, the picture is all too familiar. Overcrowded refugee camps where people are forced to live on top of each other, and where there is a shortage of just about everything - especially safe drinking water. The result is an outbreak of infectious diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid. At least some of that misery could be avoided if people had a test for determining whether the water they were drinking was contaminated with faecal matter.

Such tests do exist. They measure the levels of E. coli, an intestinal bacteria which - like a canary in a mine - acts as an indicator for other illness-causing intestinal bacteria. The only problem is that the test requires a well-equipped laboratory and qualified personnel. Not something you generally find in a refugee camp or in remote rural areas. In addition, it is a good 24 to 48 hours before the test results are known.

In the context of the Corporate Social Responsibility programme, TNO has developed, together with Deltares and Stichting Vluchteling (the Netherlands Refugee Foundation), a laboratory prototype of a convenient test with which untrained people or relief workers can test drinking water on site for the presence of the intestinal bacteria E. coli. Not in two days, but within a few

Every year more than half a million people die as a result of drinking water

contaminated with faeces. A multiple of that - a quarter of a billion people -

become ill from the same cause. An inexpensive test for the intestinal

bacteria E. coli may offer a solution. Deltares is working on developing a

customised product.


hours. The water is fed through by a number of filters and any E. coli is bound to a protein-like substance. After adding a dye, the rate and extent of the discoloration in the water indicates whether it can be drunk safely.

The test appears to work well in the laboratory. Field trials are now being carried out in Afghanistan with prototypes of the test. At the same time, the prototype is being further developed into a robust test that can be performed in a ‘foolproof’ manner in all conditions. For the subsequent steps - the certification of the test and making it ready for production - Deltares is developing a business model to enable it to find appropriate partners. As well as companies, these may also include other institutions such as civil society organisations who can help prepare the test for marketing.


Playful learning with ‘serious games’

In times of storm and spring tides, a dike alert is announced in the Netherlands. This means that dike or levee inspectors must be out at all times of day and night to inspect the many miles of dikes and quays for any signs of weakening. Since a dike alert will only be in effect a few times a year, levee inspectors are often water board employees who normally do other work. Volunteers, for instance farmers, are also appointed.

To keep the inspectors’ knowledge and experience up to scratch, Deltares has developed the game ‘Levee Patroller’, together with various water boards and the Technical University of Delft. The computer screen shows levee inspectors a realistic picture of what they might encounter during a levee patrol. Longitudinal cracks in the asphalt of the quay, for example. Or water bubbling up on the inside of the dike. They then must evaluate the phenomena and forward the details to the field centre. Since the control centre determines when and where what action should be taken, the information supplied must be as accurate and as complete as possible.

During the development of the game input was provided by the five participating water boards, while the Technical University of Delft carried out research into the possibilities and limitations of ‘serious games’ for training people.

Both children and adults learn more effectively by playing games than by

spending hours poring over books. Together with partners, the Deltares

‘game team’ develops ‘serious games’ for such purposes as training dike

authority staff and soil investigators.


One major advantage of a game is that it can be used to practice unusual situations. It is also fun to play, which can be seen from the enthusiasm shown by children for the condensed version of Levee Patroller at the NEMO science centre in Amsterdam.

The rest of the world is also showing interest in the game. And not just for the training of levee inspectors; the Dutch dike alert procedures - which are recorded in the game - have proved to be an ‘eye opener’ for some water managers elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Deltares has now developed a second serious game, ‘Soil Investigator’, at the request of and in cooperation with three soil investigation companies. In the field a soil investigator must determine where a core penetration test should take place; carry out or supervise the test itself, and evaluate the resulting graph of the mechanical resistance of the soil. The ‘serious game’ helps soil investigators to maintain their knowledge and experience at the required level and confronts them with events that may occur in their everyday working lives.


Early warning for harmful algal blooms

In the recent past, the sudden bloom of harmful algae led to the death of large numbers of mussels stocks in the Oosterschelde. Foam on the beach caused by algae also gave many beach tourists a bad day. As the body responsible for Dutch coastal waters, the Rijkswaterstaat (Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management) is therefore very keen to predict sudden algal blooms. Regular sampling and testing of water samples off the coast has proved, however, to provide insufficient information for this purpose.

Together with the Rijkswaterstaat, the Institute for Environmental Studies of the Free University of Amsterdam and the company Water Insight, Deltares has developed an approach with which algal blooms can be predicted more accurately. This involves combining the data from water samples with data from satellite images and models.

From a satellite, daily images of coastal algae concentrations can be derived for the provinces of Zeeland and Holland. However, these data say nothing about the likelihood of harmful algal blooms in the near future. Future algae concentrations can be predicted based on the present concentrations,

The nutrient-rich waters off the Dutch coast regularly give rise to algal

blooms, which are damaging for mussel growers. Deltares, together with

other organizations, has developed an innovative approach for predicting

algal blooms.


wind-driven transport and growth conditions (mainly nutrients, light and temperature). These can be simulated in the ‘generic ecological model’ developed by Deltares.

By validating the model with the data from the water samples and the satellite data, a reliable prediction can be issued on a daily basis as to whether or not harmful algal blooms will be formed. Based on this, mussel growers can move their mussels to safer areas and beach tourists will not be faced with unpleasant surprises.

This combination of different types of data and a model is also suitable for other applications, such as reducing the environmental impact of oil spills or clouding as a result of dredging activities. The combination of different types of data with information from models can also supply a representative picture of the quality of the ecosystem. Finally, the prediction of currents can assist in the targeted searching for people or containers that have fallen overboard.


Several birds with one stone

The Netherlands is the world leader in the storage of heat and cold in shallow (up to 300 m deep) aquifers (water-bearing layers in underground sand deposits). This year, the number of UTES installations will probably exceed a thousand. Up to now, it has primarily been a question of individual projects, with a UTES system being constructed for each office, hospital, residential area or campus.

Regional coordination prevents conflicts over the use of the available aquifers. It also improves efficiency, because the needs of the different types of users for heating and/or cooling (homes, offices, shopping centres) can be efficiently matched with each other and with the supply. Potential providers of heat include the chemical industry and greenhouse horticulture.

A preliminary survey, however, indicates that regional coordination offers many more possibilities. Companies that are still discharging heat to surface water would also be able to store it underground. This would therefore avoid the thermal loading of the surface water - which is a major problem, especially in hot summers.

UTES, the underground storage of thermal energy from the summer months,

can be combined very effectively with in-situ soil remediation and ground-

water management. Together with other parties, Deltares is conducting a

programme combining basic research and practical considerations.


Another potential application, made more likely by regional coordination is soil and groundwater remediation. Despite every effort, the Netherlands still has more than half a million places where soil and/or groundwater have been polluted. Instead of excavating and cleaning the soil, the authorities are increasingly opting for in-situ remediation with the aid of soil micro organisms. The disadvantage of bioremediation, however, is that often a very long time is needed before the soil is clean. Storing heat in the soil can help, since the biodegradation processes occur more quickly at higher temperatures.

To maximise the potential of UTES, research, policy and implementation must all be well coordinated. Deltares has therefore formulated a programme to enable the results of scientific and technical research to be implemented as quickly and as effectively as possible in the practice of both the public and private sectors. In addition to the initial parties (Wageningen University and Research Centre, IF Technology and BioClear), provincial and municipal authorities and energy and water companies have now also become involved in the efforts to benefit from the opportunities that UTES offers and to minimise the risks.


Beach Wizard gives up to date information on the foreshore

Waves approach the beach and break on relatively shallow sand bars, one or more which lie parallel to each other and the beach. Rijkswaterstaat in the Netherlands would like to know where the breaker bars are located and how high they are. In this way, they can determine the sand volume of the coastal strip and hence decide whether or not to supply additional sand for coastal protection. The safe of swimmers and surfers can benefit from this information, because the breaker bars largely determine where hazardous rip currents occur.

In current practice, the location and height of breaker bars are recorded once a year in the Netherlands at transects to the coast at intervals of 250 meters. Because of the changing pattern of bars during the year, particularly just after storms, variations on a smaller scale cannot be measured by traditional methods, which are also expensive and require calm weather in the summer.

Deltares has developed a system in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon State University and the Naval Research Laboratory (the research division of the U.S. Navy) that can record the current location and height of breaker bars at close intervals in time and space. BeachWizard integrates a computer model

For coastal management it is essential to have an accurate picture of water

depths close to the shore. BeachWizard ‘translates’ video images of breaking

waves into up to date water depths.


with which the interplay of wind, sand and water along the coast is simulated using data acquired from video images of breaking waves. The video images have been created with the Argus system, a battery of video cameras with which the coast at Egmond aan Zee can be monitored from the lighthouse. Similar cameras can be found at about twenty other locations around the world.

Beach Wizard compares the breaking pattern visible in the video images with the breaking pattern generated by the computer model and adjusts the seabed in the model accordingly in small increments and for many different successive images. If the computed waves and the corresponding video images are similar, the calculated location and height of the breaker bars are also in line with the reality, and used for the next model time step.

Thanks to BeachWizard, it is possible to be constantly up to date with the current height and location of breaker bars and the associated currents, including details of changes in the bar pattern which could not be discovered from the regular measurements.



P.O. Box 177

NL-2600 MH Delft

The Netherlands

[email protected]

www.deltares.nl

Colophon

Text

Joost van Kasteren

With contributions from

Huib de Vriend, Lucas Janssen,

Anouk Blauw, Irv. Elshoff, Ellen van Son,

John Lambert, Mindert de Vries,

Maarten van der Wal, Suzanne van Eekelen,

Mandy Korff, Huub Reijnaarts

Graphical design

TOPIQ, Amsterdam

Photography

A. other C. Brok van Huesker, Staartjes Photography

Documents

Deltares innovations collected 2009