Design of flood defences along the Markermeer

Design of flood defences along the Markermeer

The Alliantie Markermeerdijken is tasked with the design and construction of the improvement of 33 km of flood defences between the cities of Amsterdam and Hoorn. This dike along the Markermeer (lake) is the first in the Netherlands to be redesigned using the new calculation methods prescribed in the design standards. The project is part of the National Flood Protection Plan.

Arthe Civil & Structure is involved in making the detailed design for the improvement works and provides specific expertise for the damage risk assessments and monitoring, and for the large scale testing programme.

New calculation methods, new solutions

Recently, a calculation method using undrained shear parameters and a Critical State Soil Mechanics model has been implemented in national guidelines. The differences in the evaluation of soil strength lead to different and innovative solutions for increasing the safety level of the dike.

A birdseye view of construction

Photos and videos of ongoing construction activities can be found here. The first million m³ sand is already in place.