The Waterloopkundig Laboratorium (Hydraulic Research Laboratory) was an independent Dutch scientific institute specialising in hydraulics and hydraulic engineering. The laboratory was established in Delft from 1927, moving to a new location in the city in 1973. The institute later became known as WL | Delft Hydraulics. In 2008, the laboratory was incorporated into the international nonprofit Deltares institute.[1]
The Hydraulic Laboratory was classified by the Dutch Government as a Groot Technologisch Instituut (GTI) (Major Technological Institute) and was tasked with acquiring, generating, and disseminating knowledge on hydraulics and hydraulic engineering.[2]
The laboratory conducted research into the causes of changes in the course of rivers, estuaries, and coasts, and the possible influences on them due to hydraulic engineering activities, along with a range of studies on topics such as dredging, wave action and coastal morphodynamics. The laboratory played a significant advisory role in the conception, design, and implementation of the Zuiderzee Works and the Delta Works,[3] along with several international projects.[4][5][6][7]
Thijsse's role on the Zuiderzee State Commission had introduced him to hydrodynamic model research, an innovative approach to understanding the dynamics of water. In 1927, both Rijkswaterstaat and Delft University of Technology began incorporating this research methodology, prompting the establishment of the laboratory.[5]
The impetus for the formation of the laboratory began in the 1920s, and lay in the design of the sluices for the Afsluitdijk, a significant project requiring extensive research and experimentation. The task was initially assigned to Professor Theodor Rehbock at the Flussbaulaboratorium(river construction laboratory) at the Technical University of Karlsruhe, a major institute in the field of hydraulic engineering research at the time. The results of this investigation were documented in a report which was published in 1931.[9]
This report was subject to review by Thijsse, who advised the Dutch authorities on the need for additional research of this type, not just for the Zuiderzee Works, but also for other projects across the Netherlands. This recommendation precipitated the decision to establish a laboratory similar to that in Karlsruhe, to serve the Netherlands. Thijsse spearheaded the initial research at the newly formed laboratory and documented the findings in a follow-up report to Rehbock's original study.[10]
To facilitate third-party contract research, such as work for Rijkswaterstaat and international schemes, it was decided that the laboratory would operate independently from the Delft University of Technology, and be established as a financially autonomous foundation, with its board appointed from university staff, major consultants, and representatives from Rijkswaterstaat.[2][11]
Experiments into the behaviour of irregular waves had been undertaken in the Netherlands since 1920, with initial experiments on irregular wave behaviour in wind tunnels. This pioneering research, including investigations into wave run-up, led to the construction of a specialised wind waveflume at the laboratory in 1933. Unprecedented at the time of construction, the flume boasted dimensions of 25 metres in length, 4 metres in width, and a maximum water depth of 0.45 metres.[12]
Subsequently, in order to better satisfy the necessary conditions for wave height and period, the flume was extended to 50 metres in length, and fitted with a monochromatic wave generator. These enhancements enabled a wider variety of research projects, including studies on wave overtopping, the stability of rubble-mound breakwaters, wave impact forces, and the stability of floating structures. By the time of World War II, research had extended into model investigations of wave generation, with outcomes corroborating prototype data collected by Harald Sverdrup and Walter Munk.[13][14]
In 1969, new wave flumes with typical widths of 8 metres were installed in the laboratory in order to permit modelling and testing of breakwaters and dikes whilst simulating arbitrary angles of wave attack. The previously available flume widths of 4 metres had proved too small for this purpose, and the new flumes therefore provided the laboratory with the ability to model and test the performance of significant coastal and river engineering structures.[15][16]
In 1973, the laboratory moved from its location in the centre of Delft to a new location at the most southern end of the Delft Technological University campus, becoming known locally as the Thijsse-erf(Thijsse yard).[17][18]
From 1951 to 1996, a second location known as the Waterloopkundig Laboratorium de Voorst (WLV)(Hydraulic Laboratory "de Voorst") was located in Noordoostpolder, between Marknesse, Kraggenburg, and Vollenhove. The establishment of a second laboratory at de Voorst was prompted by the lack of space in Delft for large outdoor models. Utilising land on the outskirts of Delft was not feasible due to the damp peat soil, which made it difficult to construct large models without soil settlement. In an environment where water levels are measured on a millimetric scale, even minute settlements were unacceptable.[24][2]
Additional benefits of the de Voorst location included its location within a low-lying polder, eliminating the need for an additional pumping system, and its availability due to the heavy boulder clay composition of the soil making it unsuitable for farming. Since the land was government-owned, no financial acquisition was required.[25] From 1951, the Waterloopkundig Laboratorium therefore operated two facilities: an indoor modelling laboratory in Delft, and an outdoor model facility in De Voorst. In the 1970s, indoor laboratory facilities were added to the de Voorst location.[26]
A significant advantage of the de Voorst location was the ability to construct large-scale models of estuaries and ports, enabling model tests to predict the influence of hydraulic works on the watercourses, making use of the large differences in water levels from the surrounding surface water. These models were pivotal during the planning and construction phase of the Delta Works in Zeeland, and also allowed research works to be undertaken for international projects such as the reconstruction of the Port of Lagos.[4][27]
Other international projects where research was carried out at the laboratory to inform the design and construction included the construction of the Eider Barrage, and works at the mouth of the Volta River in Ghana.[4][6]
The scale of the physical models in the laboratory were often substantial, with many being large enough to permit model ships which necessitated pilotage by helmsmen, an example being the model created for Jo Thijsse's design for the junction of the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal and the Lek, a large structure which came to be known as De Eieren van Thijsse (Thijsse's eggs).[28]
From the 1980s, computer-assisted mathematical modelling began to be useful in mapping potential water flows, reducing the need for very large-scale physical water models.[29] Consequently, the decision was made in 1995 to concentrate activities at the Delft location and close the de Voorst facilities. The site was purchased by Natuurmonumenten and renamed the Waterloopbos, where visitors can view the models and associated infrastructure via a walking route through the woods.[30][31][32]
Consolidation into Deltares
By 2008, the Delft laboratory had become known by the English name WL | Delft Hydraulics, and in an effort to consolidate knowledge with similar institutes, it was merged with other research institutes and sections of Rijkswaterstaat to form the Deltares Institute.[33] The laboratory continues to operate today as part of Deltares.[2]
Directors and notable figures
The following people were directors of the laboratory from its foundation in 1927 until it merged with Deltares in 2008.[2]
Directors of the Waterloopkundig Laboratorium, 1927 - 2008
The following personnel served as Heads of the de Voorst facility.
Heads of the Waterloopkundig Laboratorium "de Voorst"
Year from
Year to
Name
1960
1968
ir. Abe Hoekstra
1968
1990
ir. Joannes Jacobus Vinjé
Significant engineering figures who undertook research or served in senior positions with the Waterloopkundig Laboratorium included Eco Bijker (various roles including head of department, head of the de Voorst Laboratory, and deputy director),[34][35]Frank Spaargaren (interim general director, 1995–1997),[36][37] and PJ Wemelsfelder, who undertook research at the facility and served as head of the Hydrometric Department.[38]
The Waterbouwkundig Laboratorium (Belgium)
A similar institution known as the Waterbouwkundig Laboratorium (Hydraulic Engineering Research Laboratory) is located in Borgerhout, Belgium. It was established in 1933.[39]
Gallery
Model at the Waterloopkundig Laboratorium de Voorst used in the design of a section of the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal.
Staff of the Waterloopkundig Laboratorium in front of the Civil Engineering Department building at Delft University of Technology, 1931. Jo Thijsse is second from left in the back row. PJ Wemelsfelder is fourth from the left in the back row. Jo Thijsse is second from left in the back row.
PJ Wemelsfelder and an assistant at work in the Waterloopkundig Laboratorium (Hydraulic Research Laboratory), 1931.
The Afsluitdijk is a major dam and causeway in the Netherlands. It was constructed between 1927 and 1932 and runs from Den Oever in North Holland province to the village of Zurich in Friesland province, over a length of 32 kilometres (20 mi) and a width of 90 metres (300 ft), at an initial height above Amsterdam Ordnance Datum of between 6.7 metres (22 ft) along the section at Friesland, and 7.4 metres (24 ft) where it crosses the deep channel of the Vlieter. The height at the greater sea depths west of Friesland was required to be a minimum of 7 metres everywhere when originally constructed.
Wiebe E. Bijker is a Dutch professor Emeritus, former chair of the Department of Social Science and Technology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
The Waterways Experiment Station (WES) in Vicksburg, Mississippi, is a United States Army Corps of Engineers research campus. The 673-acre (272 ha) campus hosts the headquarters of the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and four of its seven laboratories. Congress authorized the research complex in 1929 to develop flood control methods on the Mississippi River, as part of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project. Subsequent research delved into topics, including coastal engineering, dredging, weapons effects, and geotechnical engineering.
Theodor Christoph Heinrich Rehbock was a German hydraulics engineer, and professor at the University of Karlsruhe.
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 Van der Meer formula is a formula for calculating the required stone weight for armourstone under the influence of (wind) waves. This is necessary for the design of breakwaters and shoreline protection. Around 1985 it was found that the Hudson formula in use at that time had considerable limitations. That is why the Dutch government agency Rijkswaterstaat commissioned Deltares to start research for a more complete formula. This research, conducted by Jentsje van der Meer, resulted in the Van der Meer formula in 1988, as described in his dissertation. This formula reads
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.
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.
Wave overtopping is the time-averaged amount of water that is discharged per linear metre by waves over a structure such as a breakwater, revetment or dike which has a crest height above still water level.
Wave run-up is the height to which waves run up the slope of a revetment, bank or dike, regardless of whether the waves are breaking or not. Conversely, wave run-down is the height to which waves recede. These heights are always measured vertically. The wave run-up height, denoted by , , or , is a very important parameter in coastal engineering as, together with the design highest still water level, it determines the required crest height of a dike or revetment.
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.
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.
Jan Fokke Agema 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 is named for him, and has been awarded every five years since 2000.
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.
Albert Sybrandus Keverling Buisman was a Dutch civil engineer and Professor of Applied Mechanics, who was instrumental in establishing the Laboratorium voor Grondmechanica in Delft. He made notable contributions to the development of soil mechanics in the Netherlands.
↑ Thijsse, J.Th. (1939). "Voor-onderzoek op waterloopkundig gebied"[Preliminary Research in the Field of Hydrodynamics]. De Ingenieur (in Dutch). 54 (30): 112–118. Retrieved 1 July 2023– via Delpher.
↑ "El laboratorio de hidrología en los países bajos"[The hydrology laboratory in the Netherlands](PDF). Revista de Obras Públicas (in Spanish). 116 (3051): 561–564. 1969. Retrieved 7 October 2023– via Hemeroteca Revista de Obras Públicas.
↑ Bijker, E.W. (1956). "Het Waterloopkundig Laboratorium 'de Voorst' in de Noord Oost polder met korte toelichting van de onderhanden modellen" [The Waterloopkundig Laboratorium 'de Voorst' in the Noordoostpolder, with a brief explanation of the ongoing models.]. De Ingenieur (in Dutch) (47).
↑ van Woensel, J.T.W.H. (1996). "Het Waterloopkundig Laboratorium in de Noordoostpolder" [The Hydraulic Research Laboratory in the Noordoostpolder]. Cultural Historical Yearbook for Flevoland (6): 9–27.
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