Jan Fokke Agema (12 September 1919 – 23 April 2011) was a Dutch hydraulic engineer and professor at Delft University of Technology. He is notable for his design of the harbour entrance at Hoek van Holland and involvement in the construction of the Oosterscheldekering. The prof. dr.ir. J.F. Agemaprijs (English: the Professor ir. J.F. Agema Prize) is named for him, and has been awarded every five years since 2000.
Agema displayed exemplary academic performance at the school, and in 1935 the school board chairman Johan van der Burgt, who had an additional role as the head of the Hoorn district of Rijkswaterstaat, arranged for the then 15-year-old Agema to commence as a trainee draftsman at the Hoorn district service. During summer breaks, he was involved in Rijkswaterstaat's measurement and morphological studies in the Wadden Sea and the coastlines of the Wadden Islands.[1][2]
In 1938, Agema was transferred as an assistant draftsman to Johan van Veen at the Rijkswaterstaat Lower Rivers study service in The Hague, living in a boarding house in Scheveningen. He spent the money that remained after paying rent on evening class lessons in mathematics, hydraulic engineering, and other subjects in preparation for the Rijkswaterstaat Technisch Ambtenaar (English: Technical Official) exams.[1]
Activities during World War II
In 1940, Agema was mobilised with the Netherlands Armed Forces and stationed in Schoonhoven with the Pontonniers (English: pontoon engineers). Following the German bombing of Rotterdam in May 1940, he moved to Grave, where his company were ambushed by German troops in the early morning of 10 May 1940.[2]
I must have seen the city smoking after that dreadful bombardment, but I don't remember any image of it. Perhaps the devastated city of Rotterdam made such an overwhelming impression on me that I locked everything away. I only know that we had to lay down our weapons, became prisoners of war, and returned to our base in Schoonhoven. We were released there at the beginning of June and were demobilised.
—Jan Fokke Agema, "Jan Fokke Agema (pp. 9 -42)", Building from the ground up: The life of a Civil Engineer (1999)
By June 1940, he had managed to resume his work at Rijkswaterstaat, avoiding Arbeitseinsatz as a result of the organisation convincing the Germans that all their employees were essential to prevent The Netherlands from flooding. In early 1941, he earned a diploma as Waterbouwkundig Opzichter Zeeland (English: Zeeland Hydraulic Engineering Overseer), and in April 1941 he was transferred to Bergen op Zoom as a 3rd class overseer at the harbour works office, where he earned a PBNA Concrete Technician diploma.[3]
In 1942, he was transferred back to Hoorn, but in April 1943, the Wehrmacht commander in the Netherlands announced that all members of the former Dutch army had to report to be taken back into captivity as prisoners of war. Agema was one of the thousands of ex-soldiers who ignored this order, going into hiding at a farm near his parents' house in Opmeer, where he was given shelter and food in exchange for doing odd jobs.[2]
However, it was arranged that he would occasionally receive documents from Rijkswaterstaat by courier, so that he could continue his calculations. During this time, he managed to sit the Technical Official of Rijkswaterstaat exam whilst still in hiding. This resulted in his promotion to Technical Officer in permanent service in 1946.[2][1]
Post-War period
In February 1947, he was transferred by Rijkswaterstaat to Roermond. On 1 November 1948, he was again transferred, this time to the service in Vlissingen under the supervision of ir. H.A. Ferguson. Following the North Sea flood of 1953 he was tasked with sealing a number of breaches in dikes and flood defences. He was able to make the first assessment of the damage and the initial restoration plan by helicopter, and as part of the recovery operations, he led the works to close breaches at Hansweert and Kruiningen.[4]
Works for Rijkswaterstaat, the Delta Works and continuing academic education
The Oosterscheldekering during a storm
On 1 July 1957, Agema was transferred to the Rijkswaterstaat office in The Hague as a hydraulic engineering senior official. In 1959, he decided to enrol as a working student of hydraulic engineering at Delft University of Technology, being accepted on the course due to the fact that the Rijkswaterstaat Technical Officer diploma was equivalent to a Hogere technische school (English: Higher Technical School) diploma.[1][2]
From 1960, Agema was employed in the Rotterdam district, where he was assigned the responsibility of designing a new harbour mouth for Hoek van Holland. His place of work shifted to Hoek van Holland in 1966, where under the guidance of engineer Jacobus 'Co' van Dixhoorn, he contributed to the construction of new harbour dams.[5][6][7]
Agema's combination of study whilst working full-time for Rijkswaterstaat meant that he did not graduate until 1970, when he was fifty years of age, and therefore older than his graduation professor, Eco Bijker. He was subsequently promoted to Chief Engineer at Rijkswaterstaat.[8]
The Oosterscheldekering
In 1973, Agema took on the role of Principal Engineer at the Rijkswaterstaat Delta Service, leading the hydrological department. Initially, his assignment was to work on the closure of the Oosterschelde (English: Eastern Scheldt) with a dam. The dam, known as the Oosterscheldekering (English: Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier), had originally been designed as a fully closed structure.[9]
Following public protests from environmental campaigners and fisheries groups, the Den Uyl cabinet decided in 1974 to make significant changes to the project and the requirements were changed to mandate a partially open dam.[10] There was no precedent for such a structure anywhere in the world, and therefore no design codes to follow or construction experience from which to draw ideas.[11][12]
By 1976, the requirements for the design and execution of the works were fully established, creating a formidable challenge for Agema's hydrological department, which included the development of mathematical models for water movement, among other tasks. The Oosterscheldekering was successfully completed in 1986.[13][14][15][16][17]
Academic career at Delft University of Technology and later works
From 1972, Agema served as a part-time lecturer at Delft University of Technology. In September 1979, he was appointed full professor of Hydraulic Engineering.[18][19] He was a strong advocate of quality assurance, and was particularly concerned with improving civil engineering execution processes to ensure the completed work met design specifications, extending the scope of quality assurance into operational management and maintenance of constructed projects.[20]
Agema also strongly promoted the use of probabilistic methods in design, and encouraged Professor Han Vrijling, Professor in Probabilistic Design and Hydraulic Structures at Delft, to develop this into a major part of the chair.[21][22] His work with Vrijling in this period included the development of probabilistic methods for analysis of the failure risk of armour layers in breakwaters.[23] He retired from the university in October 1985, and joined Ballast Nedam as a consultant until 1990, when he became an independent consultant.[1] In 1992, Delft University of Technology awarded him an honorary doctorate.[2]
The Agema Prize
In 2000, the Dutch Koninklijk Instituut van Ingenieurs (English: Royal Institute of Engineers) established the prof. dr.ir. J.F. Agemaprijs (English: Professor Dr. J.F. Agema Prize) to recognise innovative hydraulic engineering projects completed within the preceding five years. This award is made to the entire project team of client, designer and contractor. From the entries, five projects are nominated, from which a jury ultimately chooses the winner.[24][25][26][27][28]
The following are the award winners since inception:
2015: Maasvlakte 2. The book "Building the Delta" provides an overview of all nominated projects from 2015.[24]
2020: The Marker Wadden. This award was presented at the Dutch Waterbouwdag (Hydraulic Engineering Day) in 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[29]
International work
Agema was involved in works in Bangladesh, including the closure of the Feni River in 1986, and served on the panel to assess a river crossing over the Jamuna River in 1985, as an adviser to the World Bank.[30] He was then responsible for the implementation of the hydraulic engineering elements of the project, which accounted for approximately 50% of the total costs. In addition, he was involved in the design of the MOSE storm surge barrier in Venice,[3][31][32] and the Cardiff Bay Barrage, where he served as the adviser to the design team for the closure and embankment works.[33]
Personal life
Agema married Lien Koot from Rotterdam in 1960. The couple moved to Hoek van Holland after their wedding and had three children. In 1977, he was appointed officer in the Order of the Dutch Lion, in recognition of his works as Chief Engineer for special services at Rijkswaterstaat. In 1979, Agema and his family moved to 's-Gravenzande before settling in Zeist in 2010, where Agema died in 2011, at the age of 91.[2][3]
The Delft University of Technology is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. As of 2022 it is ranked by QS World University Rankings among the top 10 engineering and technology universities in the world. In 2023 it was ranked 2nd in the world in civil engineering, 3rd in the world in mechanical and aerospace engineering, and 3rd in the world in architecture.
The Oosterscheldekering, between the islands Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland, is the largest of the Delta Works, a series of dams and storm surge barriers, designed to protect the Netherlands from flooding from the North Sea. The construction of the Delta Works was a response to the widespread damage and loss of life in the North Sea flood of 1953.
Harry Lintsen is a Dutch scientist. He is professor in history of technology at Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands, and researcher on microplastics.
The Deltar was an analogue computer used in the design and execution of the Delta Works from 1960 to 1984. Originated by Johan van Veen, who also built the initial prototypes between 1944 and 1946, its development was continued by J.C. Schönfeld and C.M. Verhagen after van Veen's death in 1959.
Johan van Veen was a Dutch hydraulic engineer. He is considered the father of the Delta Works.
The Markiezaatskade is a compartmentalisation dam in The Netherlands, situated between South Beveland and Molenplaat, near Bergen op Zoom. The dam was constructed as part of the Delta Works, and has a length of 4 kilometres.
Eco Wiebe Bijker was a Dutch civil engineer and Professor of Coastal engineering at Delft University of Technology from 1968 until his retirement in 1989.
Het verjaagde water is a 1947 Dutch non-fiction novel written by A. den Doolaard, which gives an account of the recovery works to repair dike breaches after the October 1944 Inundation of Walcheren as part of operations by The Allies of World War II during Operation Infatuate. Researchers from Delft University of Technology have found high levels of historical accuracy in den Doolaard's descriptions of the events that took place, the methods used to close the dikes and the key people involved. Den Doolaard assigned pseudonyms to most of the main characters and organisations. The name A. den Doolaard is also a pseudonym, the author’s real name being Cornelis Johannes George Spoelstra Jr.
The Volkerakdam or Volkerakwerken is the name given to a group of hydraulic engineering structures located between Goeree-Overflakkee and North Brabant in The Netherlands. The works are not a single dam, but are composed of three distinct structures: a dam between Goeree-Overflakkee and Hellegatsplein, a series of locks from Hellegatsplein to North Brabant, and a bridge from Hellegatsplein to Hoekse Waard. The works cross three separate bodies of water: the Haringvliet, Hollands Diep and Volkerak. The works together comprise the fifth project of the Delta Works.
The Grevelingendam is a dam located in the Grevelingen sea inlet between Schouwen-Duiveland and Goeree-Overflakkee in The Netherlands. The Grevelingendam was the fourth structure constructed as part of the Delta Works.
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Pieter Jacobus (P.J.) Wemelsfelder was a prominent Dutch hydraulic engineer who made significant contributions to the field of hydrometry in the Netherlands, and in hydraulic engineering internationally. In addition to his involvement in the design and planning of the Delta Works, he published widely and is notable for the first use of probability theory in the design of flood levels.
Jo Johannis Dronkers was a Dutch mathematician who is notable for the development of mathematical methods for the calculation of tides and tidal currents in estuaries. His work formed much of the mathematical basis for the design of the Delta Works. He attended the 1954 International Congress of Mathematicians in Amsterdam, where his work was discussed by David van Dantzig.
Johannes Theodoor Thijsse was a Dutch hydraulic engineer who made significant contributions to hydraulic engineering both in The Netherlands and internationally. In addition to having a major involvement in the design and planning of both the Zuiderzee Works and the Delta Works, he published widely and played a key role in the establishment of the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education.
Frank Spaargaren was a Dutch hydraulic engineer who was one of the main designers of the Oosterscheldekering and served as a director of the Waterloopkundig Laboratorium in Delft.
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Pieter Philippus Jansen was a Dutch civil engineer and hydraulic engineer who made significant contributions to hydraulic engineering in The Netherlands. He spent the majority of his career with Rijkswaterstaat, working on several major projects including the first phase of the Delta Works and leading the reclamation and repair efforts following the inundation of Walcheren.
A fascine mattress(Dutch: Zinkstuk, literally sink piece), is a large woven mat made of brushwood, typically willow twigs and shoots, used to protect riverbeds and other underwater surfaces from scour and erosion. They are similar in construction to a fascine, but are primarily used for hydraulic engineering works, typically to strengthen the banks of rivers and streams, as well as coastal structures like revetments and groynes.
A compartmentalisation dam is a dam that divides a body of water into two parts. A typical use of such a dam is the regulation of water levels separately in different sections of a basin. One application of a compartmentalisation dam is to facilitate closures of areas with multiple tidal inlets, such as in the case of the Delta Works.
Emmericus Carel Willem Adriaan "Wim" Geuze was a Dutch civil engineer who contributed to the development of soil mechanics, and the founding of the geotechnical engineering journal, Géotechnique. He was head of research at the Laboratorium voor Grondmechanica in Delft, and professor of soil mechanics at Delft University of Technology and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
References
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Agema, J.F.; Stuip, J.; Vrijling, J.K.; Verkerk, H.; Estourgie, A.L.P.; Verbeek, G.; Struik, P.; Altink, H.; Wiggerts, H. (1984). Het totaal overziende[The total overseen]. Hydraulic Engineering (in Dutch). Delft, The Netherlands: TU Delft, Sectie Waterbouw. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Agema, J.F. (1999). "Van de grond af opgebouwd"[Building from the ground up]. TU Delft Collected Lectures: 80th Birthday of J.F. Agema (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 July 2023– via TU Delft Repository.
↑ "Alles draaide om praktische innovatie"[The Oosterscheldekering: Everything revolved around practical innovation]. www.cobouw.nl (in Dutch). 30 September 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
↑ Steenhuis, M.; Voerman, L. (2016). De Deltawerken[The Delta Works] (in Dutch). Rotterdam: nai010 uitgevers. ISBN9789462082724. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
↑ "Jan Agema". International Association of Dredging Companies. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
↑ Agema, J.F. (1987). "Betonnen dijk- en oeverbekledingen"[Concrete dike and bank cladding]. In Cement (Netherlands Journal) (in Dutch). Vereniging Nederlandse Cementindustrie. Retrieved 15 July 2023– via TU Delft Repository.
↑ Agema, J.F. (1989). "Probabilistische methoden"[Probabilistic methods]. Rijkswaterstaat Archive. Programme of the Technical Advisory Committee on Water Defenses (TAW) day held on December 6, 1989 (TAWed.). Rijkswaterstaat. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
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