A giant artificial sandbank off the coast of Kijkduin/The Hague will, over the next few years, reinforce the South Holland coast. The sandbank is called the "Sand Motor".
Sand from the bank has been spread across the beach by natural wind currents over several years. It's a new way of protecting the coast against rising sea levels.
by Thijs Papôt and Thijs Westerbeek van Eerten
The Sand Motor has several advantages. It looks more natural than ever-higher dikes. In addition, the sandbank creates wider beaches, which is good for recreation. And it's much cheaper to use wind and water to spread the sand than draglines and shovels. But is it guaranteed that the flow of water and wind will do exactly what is expected?
The Sand Motor will prove it in a full-scale experiment, developed by scientists at the Delft University of Technology in partnership with the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
Email this Video
Printer-friendly version
Post new comment
Please be reminded all comments must be in English, short and to the point - guideline 250 words. Abusive and inappropriate comments will be removed.