Two students from the Hanze University in Groningen will investigate the erodibility of estuarian mud for their thesis.
Dredging the ports and entrance channels in the Waddensea estuary is an ongoing business to keep them accessible for vessels. This dredging is very expensive and sometimes the effect is unfortunately very temporarily: already after one storm the channel could be silted up again. A structural, cost saving and sustainable solution should be found for the silttaion problem of ports and entrance channels in estuaries. A so called ‘flush lake’ could be an ideal solution.
A ‘flush lake’ is a lake which is filled up and emptied due to the tidal difference. With high tide the ‘flush lake’ is filled and with low tide the ‘flush lake’ is emptied. The emptying of the ‘flush lake’ creates a flush through the port or channel and the erosion of the mud will be transported out of the area. This natural solution does not require much maintenance, it can be fully automated and less dredging is required.
The students will use the waterflume of the Hanze University to determine the erodibility of mud under varying water currents.
For more information please contact BSc. René Barth (r.barth@semaso.com).
