The Great Wall of Twentieth Century
Holland holds a great importance in Europe as it is densely populated and is the third bigger agricultural exporter in the world.
In the year 1916 the flood storm from North Sea started to rush towards the city of Amsterdam. This flood claimed many lives and economical disasters. So there started the work on new Sea Dam. Whose length is 32km; Afsluitdijk separates Ijesselmeer from North Sea and protects many km2 of land. And these types of manmade dams are called The Zuiderzee Works.
But these dams were not enough to fight back the immense power of sea. Thus the Dutch started the below mentioned projects of Twentieth Century called The Delta Project. Delta Project is merely a single name for the Sea protection walls around the north side of the country. Firstly it was devised that a section of concrete Sea Walls should be built. But later on a startling discovery change the course of this project. The sea life on land side of the Wall would die and result in the shortage of food and economical requirement of fish. Thus instead of great walls of concrete were replaced by gates of concrete.
Oosterscheldekering also called Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier (Delta Work Dams).
Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier is really a system of sixty two gates supported by huge concrete support blocks. The gates close only when there is a storm surge or threat and could be controlled by a touch of button. Thus this new project gave new life to marines and new protection to the people behind the barrier.
The construction of this massive project started in 1979. The structure was checked many times using small prototypes as it has to stand the massive force exerted by the sea.
For the sea bed to be ideal to build such a structure the idea of old composition of rocks with woven willow (wood) in the shape of rocks aligned between giant plastic matrices. This way they created a 36 cm thick and 200 meter wide laid carpet. Whereas the pillars which have to support the sixty two gates were built in a specially build dry dock where each pillar took about a year and half to build. Here thirty pillars were being built simultaneously. After the pillars are finished they were floated to their places. The pillars were hollow thus were filled with rocks and sand to ensure counter weight and stability. The sixty two gates were lowered between the pillars after they were positioned to about centimeter accuracy.
These gates weighed about 500 tons each. After finishing these, road was laid on it to give it a finishing look and connecting lands.
The ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam are the key ports of Holland and are the busiest ports of the world processing and managing thousands of ships everyday from around the world especially the European countries and America.
The Floating Houses:
Thus shutting the port totally would halt the ever growing trade and economy of Holland. And leaving such a economic hub vernally to the sea storm would be fatal too. Here the idea of gigantic gates was introduced to overcome the hurdles.
These gates are 300 meter long and 22 meter high and can float to a point where they can be locked. This floating can reduce the stress upon the gates. As the gates close the water pressure upon the gates would be stronger thus tearing apart the foundations. So the designer decided to build a custom made bed.
To make their own custom bed, ships were used first to dig the bed up to a length of two storey building. And then build it back using layers of sand, rock and gravel. Then sixty four of six hundred and thirty ton blocks were laid upon it to form a track for gates. When the gates are not in use silt can accommodate around the bases which is cleaned when the gates are lowered down by the rushing water. The hinges of the gates are designed to handle 70,000 tons of force which is in act in a normal sea storm.
The bolt jolts are such massive that they are designed in the biggest factory of the Europe with the precision of a wrist watch. The joints of the gate supporter were welded at the site and took about 160 hours. When finished each gate was as long as the Eiffel Tower.
These gates used an automated computer controller named BOS. BOS is connected to every type of modern weather system and individual ship weather forecast. Due to extreme accuracy and emotion less system of BOS it is considered as the master controller of the gates. If a human was given the same job he/she would have closed the gates every now and then to protect hi/her family at this side of the gate which would have consumed a great amount of energy and would have affected the trade.
The Floating Houses:
The houses near the shore which are still affected with the storm are provided with a new strategy to avoid flooding. This is not a fighting back strategy but a giving into strategy.
The Dutch have decided to build a number of floating houses which are then fastened to the poles by which they will rise and fall with the flood accordingly. By using the same technology the Dutch would also build roads following the same principals.
Other Projects.
The Dutch have also produced some other dams and structures of such kind to eliminate flooding.
Thus the Dutch have become the pioneers of flood eliminating technology as they avoided wetting their feet. They have also learned that winning is also not important in the battle between mankind and nature because the nature is unexpected. We can follow the nature to solve the problems.
Thus the Dutch have become the pioneers of flood eliminating technology as they avoided wetting their feet. They have also learned that winning is also not important in the battle between mankind and nature because the nature is unexpected. We can follow the nature to solve the problems.
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Technology
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