Deltares: Mini Eastern Scheldt Barrier passes extreme storm tests

The Eastern Scheldt barrier has been protecting a large part of the province Zeeland from high water for over 40 years. As the storm surge barrier is in need of major replacements and renovations after decades of use, Deltares carried out extensive scale model tests in 2024 and 2025 on behalf of Rijkswaterstaat. The results are now available, Deltares said.

Jesse Simonse, project leader at Rijkswaterstaat, said: “The research has not only provided important input for the maintenance program, but has also made a major contribution to knowledge retention and knowledge development for a new generation of engineers working on the Oosterschelde storm surge barrier.”

Wave forces acting in the longitudinal direction of the gates prove more difficult to assess than the transverse influence of waves, but the tests suggest that these forces may be lower than previously assumed. If this is confirmed by real-world monitoring, it will lead to improvements in the maintenance of the side stops (buffers at the ends of the gates), Deltares said.

The wave load on the cylinder rods, which move the sluice gates, also appears to be lower than originally assumed. This means that heavier waves can be absorbed within the current design targets. This is important for the renovation and has a beneficial effect on the reliability of the flood defenses.

Even under very extreme conditions, such as a significant rise in sea level, the tests reveal which scenarios must be taken into account in the future. This knowledge is used to improve maintenance so that the barrier continues to operate reliably in the long term.