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Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier tested to the limit in specialised basins

Published on: 22 January 2025, 16:02 hrs

The Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier is nearly 40 years old. Over the coming years, its major components will need replacement. Deltares, commissioned by Rijkswaterstaat, is conducting scale model tests. For this purpose, Deltares has built a miniature version of the Eastern Scheldt barrier in specialised basins.

In these basins, the forces acting on all components are measured to ensure the barrier continues to protect Zeeland from flooding for decades to come. 

‘We are using today’s knowledge and scale model techniques to maximise the performance of this barrier,’ says Martijn de Jong, a hydraulic engineering expert at Deltares. Jesse Simonse, Water Safety Advisor at Rijkswaterstaat, is also involved in these tests. 

The photos below show the model and how it works.