EFFECTS OF WAVE LOAD ON THE LONG-TERM VEGETATION DEVELOPMENT AND THEIR RESISTANCE AS GRASS REVETMENTS ON SEA DIKES

Jochen Michalzik,Sven Liebisch,Torsten Schlurmann

doi:10.9753/icce.v36.waves.87

Abstract

Construction and design processes of revetments, sea dikes and estuarine dikes along the German coastline adhere the paradigm to protect and safeguard reliably the coastal hinterland from wave attack and storm surges. Following these standards coastal protection structures provide only poor ecosystem services in any proper design or maintenance approach. As a result, the EcoDike-project has been started with the aim to quantify and enhance the ecosystem services of revetments, sea dikes and estuarine dikes while preserving or possibly even enhancing the existing safety standards. Therefore, a profound understanding of the complex long-term interactions between wave load and vegetation development on sea dikes is inevitable. To achieve these objectives a typical seadike in prototype scale is tested under realistic and long-term wave loading in the new outdoor wave basin at the Ludwig-Franzius-Institute in Hannover (Germany).

Highlights

Construction and design processes of revetments, sea dikes and estuarine dikes along the German coastline adhere the paradigm to protect and safeguard reliably the coastal hinterland from wave attack and storm surges
Further investigations from Coops et al (1996) showed that vegetation will react with different root depths and densities to changing wave load
Considering the top layer of soil with a dense net of roots as the major component for the safety standard of the revetment, the enhancement of the ecosystem services of dikes demands a profound understanding of the interactions between the chosen target vegetation and the wave load to guarantee the dike resistance and durability of revetments and sea dikes for coastal protection

Summary

Introduction

Construction and design processes of revetments, sea dikes and estuarine dikes along the German coastline adhere the paradigm to protect and safeguard reliably the coastal hinterland from wave attack and storm surges. STATE OF THE ART Silinski et al (2015) showed that vegetation can adhere avoidance and tolerance strategies for different life stages and interacts differently to wave load or currents in its lifetime. Heuner et al (2015) describe this approach as an ecosystem engineering that results from a dynamic relationship between effects and response traits of vegetation and wave load.

Results

Conclusion