Delta Works

The Delta Works (Dutch Delta Works ) are a system of protection against floods and storm surges in the Netherlands with a focus in the province of Zeeland. They protect the southern part of the province of South Holland, the western part of the province of North Brabant and Zeeland. The individual buildings of the Delta Works are spatially separated from each other to find at several coastal sections.

Some dams - as the Oosterschelde storm surge barrier - are open and which are closed only during flood or storm surge risk. Others - such as the Brouwersdam - were completely closed, which led to a problematic decrease in the salinity of land-based water resources. To correct this, a passage was introduced into the dam after completion, the Brouwerssluis. It was completed on June 1, 1978. This so-called rotary seal is not available for shipping available.

History

Occasion for the construction of the Delta Works was the flood of 1953, when 1835 people and more than 200,000 animals came in river delta in the south of the Netherlands died. It was the largest Dutch flood disaster since the flood Elisabeth 1421st

The required height of the dikes was before this catastrophe 4.30 meters above Normal Amsterdam Level (NAP ); as part of the delta- project, it was set to 7.65 meters above the NAP. This is " the levees bring on Delta height" called, hence the project name.

To continue to protect the country against such floods, the government's Delta Commission, which drafted the Delta Plan until October 18, 1955 founded on 21 February 1953. The building, designed on this basis Act ( " Deltawet " ) was adopted on 8 May 1958.

1958 a movable storm surge barrier in the Hollandse IJssel was put into operation, 1961, the hedonist Gat and the Zandkreek were sealed off. 1971 Haringvlietdam was completed, the same year the Brouwersdam. To regulate the water runoff from the Rhine and Meuse estuary of the dams had to be provided with large drainage sluices. After the completion of the Oosterschelde storm surge barrier in 1986, and the Oesterdam, Philipsdam and Bathse Spuisluis in 1987, the Delta Works were completed with the completion of Maeslant and the Hartel storm surge barrier in 1997. The cost of the project were 6 billion guilders ( 2.7 billion euros ) more than three times as high as estimated.

Adaptation of the coastline

The shoreline ( shore edge of the North Sea ) in the Netherlands has changed dramatically through the Delta works. Measured from the hedonist Gatdam at Vrouwenpolder ( Zeeland ) (51 ° 35'06 " N / 3 ° 37'33 " O ) and the Haringvliet Dam in Rockanje ( South Holland ), ( 51 ° 50'37 " N / 4 ° 04 '16 ' O) was the coastline - including the islands of North Beveland Schouwen- Duiveland and Goeree -Overflakkee - about 355 km. After completion of the Delta works it now amounts to only about 60 km. Thus, the coastline of the Netherlands has reduced by roughly 295 km. The Maeslant storm surge barrier is a locking mechanism to secure the harbor entrance to the old port of Rotterdam and is regularly open and navigable. In addition, this only the summarized estuaries of the Meuse and the Rhine ( Waal and Lek ) are secured. The barrage so do not shorten the coastline. Also, the storm surge barrier Hollandse IJssel not changed the coastline.

Pictures

Components

The Delta Works consist of the following structures:

• Storm surge barrier Dutch IJssel (1958 )
• Zandkreekdam (1960)
• Hedonist Gatdam (1961 )
• Grevelingendam (1965 )
• Volkerakdam (1969)
• Haringvlietdam (1971 )
• Brouwersdam (1971 )
• Markiezaatskade (1983)
• Oosterschelde storm surge barrier (1986 )
• Oesterdam (1987 )
• Philipsdam (1987 )
• Bathse Spuisluis (1987)
• Maeslant Storm Surge Barrier (1997)
• Krammerschleusen

For the construction of the Delta Works novel techniques were used. Above all, the Oosterschelde and the Maeslant Storm surge barrier found international attention. The Delta Works were explained by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the modern wonders of the world.