This text covers the design plan for the Oosterschelde storm-surge barrier in the Netherlands. It considers the overall design; the design philosophy; environmental boundary conditions; description of the design; and management, monitoring and maintenance.

The First Conference on Engineering Probability in Flood Defense was orga nized by the Department of Mathematics and Informatics of the Delft U niver sity of Technology and the Department of Industrial Engineering and Opera tions Research of the University of California at Berkeley, and was held on June 1,2 1995 in Delft. Groups at Berkeley and Delft were both deeply engaged in modeling deterioration in civil structures, particularly flood defense structures. The plans for the conference were well under way when the dramatic floods in The Netherlands and California in the winter of 1994-1995 focused world attention on these problems. The design of civil engineering structures and systems is essentially an example of decision making under uncertainty. Although the decision making part of the process is generally acknowledged, the uncertainty in variables and param eters in the design problem is less frequently recognized. In many practical design procedures the uncertainty is concealed behind sharp probabilistic de sign targets like 'once in a thousand years' combined with a standardized use of safety factors. The choice of these probabilistic design targets, however, is based on an assessment of the uncertainty of the variable under consideration, and on its assessed importance. The value of the safety factor is governed by similar considerations. Standard practice is simply accu~ulated experience and engineering judgment. In light of the great number of civil engineering structures that function suc-. cessfully, one may say that this standard practice has proven itself broadly satisfactory.

Americans see water as abundant and cheap: we turn on the faucet and out it gushes, for less than a penny a gallon. We use more water than any other culture in the world, much to quench what’s now our largest crop—the lawn. Yet most Americans cannot name the river or aquifer that flows to our taps, irrigates our food, and produces our electricity. And most don’t realize these freshwater sources are in deep trouble. Blue Revolution exposes the truth about the water crisis—driven not as much by lawn sprinklers as by a tradition that has encouraged everyone, from homeowners to farmers to utilities, to tap more and more. But the book also offers much reason for hope. Award-winning journalist Cynthia Barnett argues that the best solution is also the simplest and least expensive: a water ethic for America. Just as the green movement helped build awareness about energy and sustainability, so a blue movement will reconnect Americans to their water, helping us value and conserve our most life-giving resource. Avoiding past mistakes, living within our water means, and turning to “local water” as we do local foods are all part of this new, blue revolution. Reporting from across the country and around the globe, Barnett shows how people, businesses, and governments have come together to dramatically reduce water use and reverse the water crisis. Entire metro areas, such as San Antonio, Texas, have halved per capita water use. Singapore’s “closed water loop” recycles every drop. New technologies can slash agricultural irrigation in half: businesses can save a lot of water—and a lot of money—with designs as simple as recycling air-conditioning condensate. The first book to call for a national water ethic, Blue Revolution is also a powerful meditation on water and community in America.

Low-lying countries, such as the Netherlands, are strongly dependent on good and safe sea defences. In the past, the design of dikes and revetments was mostly based on vague experience, rather than on general valid calculation methods. The demand for reliable design methods for protective structures has, in the Netherlands, resulted in increased research in this field. These contributions have been prepared by Dutch experts participating in the study groups of the Technical Advisory Committee on Water Defences. The book opens with an outline of general strategy and methodology on sea defences, illustrated in the following chapters by technical information on specific items and Dutch experience, and it ends with more general aspects such as probabilistic approach, integral (multifunctional) design, management & safety assessment. Together, these chapters provide an almost complete technical overview of the items needed for the design and maintenance of dikes and revetments. The enclosed CRESS-program allows for an initial estimation of hydraulic loads and preliminary design.

Successful coastal and ocean engineering projects rely on practical experience with technical tools and knowledge available to the engineer. Often, problems arise from projects that are too complex for theoretical description, which require that engineers exercise sound judgment in addition to reliance on past practical experience.This book focuses on the latest technology applied in design and construction, effective engineering methodology, unique projects and problems, design and construction challenges, and other lessons learned. In addition, unique practices in planning, design, construction, maintenance, and performance of coastal and ocean projects will be explored.

This publication outlines the relevance of turbulence on the initiation of motion of soil and explains the interaction between the load and the resistance against erosion or the strength of the bed material. The stability of stones, sand, clay and grass is discussed by using Newton's second law and a definition of the turbulence energy. Usually the equilibrium scour depth caused by jets and at piers/abutments is predicted by applying empirical relations. This publication discusses a scour approach which is based on two steps. First, a control volume that represents the scour hole is considered. Secondly, the relevant forces are determined. Newton's second law is applied, that is, the sum of forces equals zero since the scour hole is in equilibrium. This approach is discussed for different types of jet scour and scouring downstream of sills and near bridge piers and abutments.

Wide-ranging, state-of-the-art guide to coastal engineering. The first comprehensive guide to the preservation and maintenance of coastal areas in a decade, Handbook of Coastal Engineering features state-of-the-art practice and research methods. Editor John B. Herbich, one of the world's leading experts in coastal engineering and research, has brought together 23 specialists to discuss: *Coastal wave equations. The design of dikes, revetments, seawalls, breakwaters and related structures for coastline protection, highlighting Dutch, British, and U.S. practices *Sediment transport and beach profile change, and Japanese and U.S. erosion protection methods *Maintenance of navigational channels and harbor basins *Dredging and dredged material disposal, with computer models *Removal of contaminated material by dredging *More A valuable Appendix provides authorization, funding, and implementation information for U.S. Army projects; regulatory program applicant information; a computer program; and useful reference tables.