Abstract
Placed block revetments are constructed to withstand the wave forces on dikes, especially in regions where rip rap is not locally available, such as the Netherlands. The blocks are placed adjacent to each other on a filter layer to form a relatively closed and smooth surface, which is easy to walk on. Large-scale test in the Delta Flume of Deltares have been carried out to compare the stability of nine types of block revetments, presently on the market in the Netherlands (Klein Breteler, 2016). All tests have been performed with a comparable test setup and test program. The test program consisted of three series of tests. The first two series were short duration tests of 1000 waves with two different wave steepnesses, in which the wave height was increased step-by-step until damage occurred. The third test series was a long duration test lasting for 26 hours, or until damage occurred. The results of the tests have been used to quantify a correction factor in the calculation method. This correction factor, or stability factor, makes that the calculation method gives the same results as the Delta Flume tests, taking a safety margin into account. In this way the type-specific stability of each type of block revetment was better included in the calculation method.
Highlights
A placed block revetment is a special type of slope protection consisting of a regular pattern of blocks, forming a relatively smooth surface
Nine different types of modern block revetments presently on the market in the Netherlands have been tested in the Delta Flume of Deltares on large scale to compare their stability
Each has been tested on a similar dike slope of 1:3 (V:H) under similar circumstances. This has proven to be an excellent way of comparing the stability of these revetments
Summary
A placed block revetment is a special type of slope protection consisting of a regular pattern of (concrete) blocks, forming a relatively smooth surface. It gives a nice looking sea defence at which the public can access the waterline and which provides a high stability under wave attack. The pressure difference across the cover layer, for which the flow in the filter is very important, is the primary load that induces instability. This means that the stability can not be investigated on small-scale.
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