Successful dike breach trial

On Saturday 27 September, at 16.02 hours, the test dike at Groningen's Bellingwedde collapsed. The test dike was used to test inspection technologies that make it possible to predict dike breaches more accurately.

On Saturday 27 September, at 16.02 hours, the test dike at Groningen's Bellingwedde collapsed. The test dike was used to test inspection technologies that make it possible to predict dike breaches more accurately. The success of the test depended on causing the dike at Bellingwedde to collapse in response to a predetermined mechanism. The water barrier, measuring six metres in height and a hundred metres in length, was successfully forced to collapse after making a start with raising the water level behind the dike at the test site of Stichting IJkdijk on Thursday 25 September. The breach was precisely monitored with sensors and cameras in and around the dike. The data will be analysed in due course. The test was organised via a successful partnership between Stichting IJkdijk with the RWS Test Centre and the participating companies.

The dike collapsed according to plan after applying water pressure to the outside of the dike, digging out the toe ditch and applying water pressure to the dike's sand core. The collapsed water barrier is shown in the photos.

The instruments of the various companies that were used to observe the dike breach have yielded a wealth of information. It will take some time to analyse all the data, after which the results will make it possible to come up with ways of detecting weak points in the dikes earlier.

The objective of Stichting IJkdijk is to develop, integrate and validate dike and sensor technology. Large-scale experiments are carried out for this purpose. The macro stability experiment that has now been carried out is the biggest experiment of its type.

Stichting IJkdijk is an initiative of the partners Deltares, IDL, NOM, STOWA and TNO. The following companies are taking part in the macro stability experiment: Alert Solutions, Intech, IBM, Ten Cate, Inven tec, GTC Kappelmeyer, DikeSurvey, Koenders, Landustrie, Volker Wessels, HansjeBrinker, RPS BCC and IFCO. The experiment is being carried out in partnership with the Rijkswaterstaat Innovation Test Centre with the support of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Northern Netherlands Provinces (SNN), Staatsbosbeheer and Waterschap Hunze en Aa?s. The IJkdijk is situated in a small polder to the south of Nieuweschans in Groningen.

Rijkswaterstaat, the implementing organisation of the Ministry of Transport, Water Management and Public Works, keeps your feet dry, provides you with sufficient clean water, keeps road and water transport moving smoothly and provides you with reliable and useful information. The Rijkswaterstaat Innovation Test Centre tests new and innovative technologies in Rijkswaterstaat's field of work.