Hondsbosshe and Pettemer Sea defence

The Dutch flood defence system, the Hondsbossche and Pettemer Sea Weir, dates from 1880. The 5.5 kilometre long dike lies along the North Sea. The dike no longer meets current safety standards. An innovative concept has been proposed to strengthen the dike. A beach will be created at the front of the dike. A hybrid solution in which a soft measure strengthens an existing hard dike structure. This solution not only raises the safety standard, it also offers opportunities for beach and dune recreation.

Innovative reinforcement of a sea dike
Together with a joint venture of two large dredgers, Witteveen+Bos has supported this innovative concept to guarantee water safety. A beach has been constructed in front of the dike by bringing in 40 million cubic metres of sand. The beach reduces the transfer of water on the existing dike. An important point of attention in the preparation of the design was the creation of beach and dune recreation and tourism. Both technical and ecological expertise was provided. The maintenance of the sandy coastline is also part of the project.

Witteveen+Bos provided the following services; analyses, master planning, preliminary and detailed design.