Abstract
The demand for physical model tests with real vegetation is increasing due to the current trend to elucidate the performance and durability of green coastal infrastructures to ensure and promote ecosystem services. To address this demand, a new outdoor wave basin (OWB) was built in August 2017 at the Ludwig-Franzius-Institute in Hannover, Germany. This paper reviews the general characteristics and the ongoing development of the new OWB. First insights into the long-term development of the ecosystem services of different grass revetments are discussed in terms of their ecological value and safety standards of sea dikes. Focus is placed on the resistance and ecological value of different grass mixtures that are typically applied on sea dikes situated along the North Sea. Further research concepts are briefly described to highlight how experiments in the new OWB may contribute to the current understanding and design recommendations of green coastal infrastructures. The operation of the OWB enables the performance of long-term experiments over seasonal growth stages of coastal vegetation using either fresh or seawater with wave load stresses and varying sea water levels. The first conducted experiments with different grass revetment combinations mimic typical storm surge conditions with a constant wave load (with a duration of up to 10 hours every second week) on a natural dike.
Highlights
Coastal protection measures have been designed and optimised in terms of safety levels and costs, with minor consideration for the environment
The model dike is divided into two main sections in order to investigate the vegetation development with and without stresses induced by wave loads
Erosion only occurs at the dike sections of test vegetation 6 with high ecological values
Summary
Coastal protection measures have been designed and optimised in terms of safety levels and costs, with minor consideration for the environment. To incorporate coastal safety and other ecosystem services of green infrastructure in practical design guidelines, a deeper understanding of the interaction between soft solutions and hydraulic boundary conditions is essential. Silinski et al [19] showed that the wave dissipation due to specific vegetation properties is affected by wave exposure In this case, the ecosystem services of tidal marsh vegetation vary significantly between locations with different hydraulic boundary conditions. The ecosystem services of tidal marsh vegetation vary significantly between locations with different hydraulic boundary conditions These findings should be considered in the design of ecosystem-based coastal protection measures with real vegetation. Concerning the performance of long-term physical model tests, it is of utmost importance to mimic the natural conditions over seasonal cycles and vegetation growth phases As such field studies are considered the most suitable option to deliver the most reliable results. An outdoor wave basin is the most consistent and cost effective method for the development of green coastal infrastructures with ecosystem services of regional vegetation [20]
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