Hybrid test dune

Thousands of cubic metres of sand were moved for the construction of this test dune along the coast near Monster. TU Delft researchers spent the past few months observing how the dune, made of a combination of sand and hard elements, was eroded by storms and waves. The hope is that this research will enable the safer and more efficient design of hybrid dyke-dune structures in the future. The test dune was gone within a few months, says researcher Daan Poppema, postdoc in the hydraulic engineering department (Civil Engineering and Geosciences). Increasingly, the Dutch coast is being protected by hybrid dunes. Dunes suit the natural character of the Dutch coast and become valued additions to the natural surroundings. They can also grow as the sea level rises. On the other hand, dykes offer greater erosion resistance than dunes. The interaction between the sandy and hard elements means that storm erosion occurs differently in hybrid dunes than in natural sand dunes. Researchers and civil engineering students collaborated on this hybrid dune field experiment. They equipped the test dune with a wide range of measuring instruments and helped with the measurements. The research results are expected later this year.