Simulators as Hydraulic Test Facilities at Dikes and other Coastal Structures

The first part of this paper gives a short description of wave processes on a dike, on what we know, including recent new knowledge. These wave processes are wave impacts, wave run-up and wave overtopping. The second part focuses on description of three Simulators, each of them simulating one of the wave processes and which have been and are being used to test the strength of grass covers on a dike under severe storm conditions.

When incident waves reach a coastal structure such as dike or levee, they will break if the slope is fairly gentle. This may cause impacts on the slope in zone 2, see Figure 1. When large waves attack such a dike the seaward side in this area will often be protected by a placed block revetment or asphalt. The reason is simple: grass covers cannot withstand large wave impacts, unless the slope is very mild.