all you need to know about modern coastal protection.... · all you need to know about modern...

All you need to knowabout modern coastalprotection.

Elastocoast®.Making our coasts safer.

At the mercy of the elements …

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Elastocoast®. Making our coasts safer.

… or protected by Elastocoast.

A single good idea often makes the difference between disaster and safety.

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Experts predict that the sea level may rise byup to 50 centimetres in the coming years asa result of global warming. Of course, noscientist can foresee when and how this risewill actually occur – or the ultimate con -sequences.

This highlights the obvious need to intensifycoastal protection and flood prevention ac -t ivities and particularly to raise the dykes.However, in view of the financial investmentinvolved and for practical reasons such aslack of space, raising the dykes is hardly feasible.

Another dangerous scenario associated withthis issue is dyke overtopping, since sub -sequent erosion on the land side inevitablyresults in complete dyke failure. The onlyway to prevent this is to give dyke surfaceslong-term protection on the land side. This iswhere Elastocoast® opens up totally newhorizons for coastal protection.

Rock-solid with Elastocoast.

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Revetments of Elastocoast® are a new, ex -trem ely effective coastal protection system.These consist of aggregate (crushed rock)me chanic ally bonded with an environmentallycompatible two-component polyurethane plast ic. This mixture is applied to previouslypre pared dykes, slopes, breakwaters and othersea- and freshwater shore lines. The outcomeis a highly durable, strong and hence securebulwark against the waves and flooding.

Elastocoast® makes existing dykes safer with -out their having to be continually raised.Instead, an open-pored wearing course pre -vents wave impact energy from attacking anddestroying their surface. The surface pro tectedwith Elastocoast® creates a higher standardof safety by significantly reducing wave run-up with its open, energy-absorbing structure.The wave energy is distributed over a largerarea, thus diminishing local concentrations ofsurface pressure. The revetment as a whole issubjected to less stressing. This way, olderdykes can be made safer, even when they arecompletely overtopped. And even if higherstandards of coastal protection are called foras a result of long-term climate change andrising sea levels.

Polyurethane-bonded wearing course

Dyke bodyGeotextile

Levelling course

Diagram of an Elastocoast® revetment

Weathering the storm – stemming the tide of rising costs.

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Thanks to Elastocoast®’s extremely open-pored structure and high mechanical strength,revetment courses can be de signed up to 50 per cent thinner. Revetments grouted with bitumen or concrete require crushedrock 200 to 300 mm in size.

Elastocoast®, on the other hand, makes useof aggregates of smaller sizes (20 to 60 mm).This quickly yields considerable savings inthe cost of construction materials, transportand processing. The overall benefit is of theorder of 20 to 30 per cent. Ultimately, usingElastocoast® thus not only improves safety,

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Elastocoast®. Making our coasts safer.Elastocoast®. Making our coasts safer.

but also makes installation schedules moreflexible and significantly eases the strain onthe coastal protection and flood preventionbudget.

But there’s another advantage of the revet-ment’s extremely porous nature. During flood -ing, storms and heavy rain, the dykes be comewaterlogged with a dangerous build-up ofpressure. When water levels then fall, thispressure has to be released as quickly aspossible. Here again, the open-pored Elasto -coast®-rock mixture proves to be vastlysuperior to other systems and techniques.

Revetments using Elastocoast® efficiently

absorb wave energyStressing of a conventional revetment

made of concrete

An ideal substrate for flora and fauna.

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Biological studies by the University of Ams terdam have shown that revetmentswith Elastocoast® are colonized by the floraand fauna typical of the local region withinjust a few weeks. After only a few months, re searchers also verified a proliferation ofgreen and red algae and sea grass and anabundance of periwinkles and limpets.

These findings are a clear evidence of thesustainable repopulation of the surface bymaritime organisms – organisms that arealso a vital source of food for the likes ofgulls and oystercatchers. Unlike convent ion -al impervious coastal defence structures,Elastocoast® revetments with their cavitiesprovide additional habitats for the animaland plant world. And thanks to the transparen -cy of the material, the revetment blends noticeably better into the local coastal land-scape.

Finally, when it reaches the end of its usefullife, this amalgam of materials is classifiedas completely safe in the European WasteCatalogue and can be re-used, e.g. as a newraw material for road and path construction.

Elastocoast® ensures rapid new growth of algae and grasses

The eco-efficiency analysis says it all.

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Elastocoast® revetment in Bathpolder (NL)

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To demonstrate the environmental impactand environmental benefits of the new Elasto coast® technology, an extensive eco-efficiency an alysis has been carried out. Thisinvolves a life-cycle analysis of various products and processes in terms of theirimpact on the environment.

The ecological assessment is based on DINEN ISO 14040 and 14044 and has been cer -tified by TÜV (Technical Control Board) Berlinas an overall method.

Elastocoast® was compared to traditionalcoast al protection methods such as concreteand open stone asphalt (O.S.A.) on a surfacearea of 20,000 m2.

Elastocoast® O.S.A. Concrete

1,400

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

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-200

Emissions: Greenhouse GasesTo

nnes

of C

O2-

equi

vale

nt/U

B

Elastocoast® CO2-emissions compared to other materials

The best people for the bestresults.

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Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hocine Oumeraci, TUBraun schweig, Leichtweiß Institute forHydraulic Engineering

“The main advantage of Elastocoast® is thestructure’s permeability compared to otherrevetments. Its higher porosity helps to distribute wave energy, reduce wave impacton the revetment and hence mitigate itsdestructive potential.”

Dipl.-Ing. Frederik M. Treuel, TU Hamburg-Harburg, Institute of River & Coastal Engineering

“In various laboratory tests at the TUHamburg-Harburg, we have confirmed thebasic suitability of polyurethane for themechanical bonding of revetments as pro -tection from erosion processes on en -danger ed shorelines.”

Prof. Henk Jan Verhagen, TU Delft,Faculty for Hydraulic Engineering

“In the Netherlands we need new coastalprotection methods because traditionaldyke design will not be sufficient to protectour coasts and the hinterland from therising sea level over the coming years.Elastocoast® is an opportunity for a newapproach and for the flexible and progres -s ive planning of sea defences.”

Peter Beismann, LKN, Husum

“Revetment construction and maintenanceare essential for the protection of theislands and holms in the North FrisianWadden Sea. In our search for technicalalternatives that also deliver economicbenefits, we have been using Elastocoast®

as the standard method since 2004. Itsapplication requires only little manpowerand light equipment. What’s more, therevetment can be loaded immediately afterinstallation.”

TU Hamburg-Harburg, Institute of

River & Coastal Engineering

TU Delft, Faculty of Civil

Engineering and Geosciences

New revetment systems have to satisfy wide-ranging requirements. Along with resistanceto such phenomena as the wind, waves, surfand changing water levels, the important factors to consider also include various in -teractive natural processes. In addition to show ing long-term stability in the face of en -vironmental influences, revetments also haveto be ecotoxicologically neutral and blendvisually into their natural surroundings.

In their years of development work onElastocoast®, the experts of BASF Poly -urethanes GmbH therefore worked closelywith other highly reputed specialists from different fields.

The outcome was a cooperative partnershipwithout which the outstanding properties andhence the success of the new revetmentsystem would not have been possible.

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Tests in the wave tunnel demonstrate that Elastocoast® is a match for any pressure

TU Braunschweig, Leichtweiß-

Institute for Hydraulic Engineering

Taking punishment in its stride.

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To test the strength, erosion resistance andenvironmental compatibility of Elastocoast®

revetments in pilot projects, BASF Poly -urethanes GmbH has already surfacednumerous stretches of coastline with thenew coastal protection system.

This is where stability, erosion resistance,resistance to weathering and saltwater,recolonization and many other parametershave been constantly monitored and record -ed. The results to date already show thatElastocoast® revetments achieve top resultson the decisive counts.

Zuidboud, NL Bathpolder, NLSylt, D

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GermanyObermaubach (09/2009)Kühlungsborn (08/2009)Cuxhaven (07/2009)Norddeich (06/2009)Emden (05/2009)Kranenburg (04/2009)Amrum (11/2008 und 2009)Langeneß (08/2008 und 2009)Nordstrandischmoor (06/2008 und 2009)Niebüll (12/2007)Lemförde (09/2007)Sylt, Munkmarsch (09/2007)Hallig Gröde II (06/2007)Hallig Gröde (07/2006)Sylt, Ellenbogen (11/2005)Hamburger Hallig (10/2004)

NetherlandsBathpolder (07/2009)Harlingen (11/2008)Petten (10/2007)Zuidbout (09/2007)

FranceLa Bouille (05/2009)St-Pierre-de-Manneville (04/2009)Bollène (03/2009)Département de Seine-Maritime (05/2009)Grand Port Maritime de Rouen (04/2009)Compagnie Nationale du Rhone (03/2009Grand Port Maritime du Havre (05/2008)Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux – Site duVerdon (11/2009)

United KingdomWalton (10/2008)Holland-on-Sea (04/2008)

CanadaFighting Island (09/2007)

OthersCertified for drinking water applications in the UK

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Any analysis of the ecological, economicand safety features is bound to arrive at asingle, inescapable conclusion:

Revetments bonded with Elastocoast® areclearly superior to other, conventional tech-nologies in all areas that matter.

MaterialElastocoast® polyurethane casting system

ApplicationNew technology for the construction of coast -al protection revetments

Properties■ Reduces wave run-up and enhances

coastline safety ■ Open-pored and water-permeable■ Economic, cuts the cost of construction

and maintenance■ Flexible and rapid installation, new scope

for design■ Strong and resistant to weathering■ Ecologically compatible and efficient


Elastocoast®.Making our coasts safer.

KU

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Address:

BASF Polyurethanes GmbHElastogranstrasse 6049448 LemfördeGermany

Contact:

Johan Rasing Phone: +31 6 538 656 96e-mail: [email protected]

www.elastocoast.com

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