Research cooperation project between TU Tallinn (TUT) and TU Hamburg (TUHH) Funded by: Baltisch-Deutsches Hochschulkontor, Latvia
Wave run-up field measurements on German sea dikes have been carried out at the German North Sea coast in the last decade by the local authority responsible for coastal protection of the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein (LKN-SH) in cooperation with the Institute of River and Coastal Engineering of TUHH (see e.g. DREIER and FRÖHLE 2019). Lately, TUHH has developed a new prototype for wave run-up field measurements (see Fig. 2). Among others, the results of the wave run-up measurements have been used to validate and improve empirical formulas proposed in the well-known EurOtop manual.
Under the course of the project, another prototype for a wave run-up gauge was installed near Tallinn at the Estonian Baltic Sea coast on a local rubble mound breakwater (see Fig. 1). The breakwater is adapted to ice conditions with a smooth slope (similar to German sea dikes).
Moreover, the wave conditions near the breakwater are monitored with the help of a prototype for a miniature wave buoy (d=50cm, see Fig. 3) which will be validated and improved within an international research cooperation between scientists and engineers from Taiwan, Estonia and Germany.
The aims of the project are:
i) implementation and optimization of the wave run-up gauge,
ii) validation and improvement wave run-up formulas (e.g. EurOtop),
iii) joint analysis and assessment of measurements at the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and finally
iv) dissemination of results (public seminars and preparation of a joint scientific publication). The public seminars were cancelled due to the Corona virus pandemic.
The results are expected to have influence on empirical wave run-up calculations in Nordic and Baltic countries and thus improving cost-effective coastal engineering and management as well as early-warning systems.
The project participants know each other from scientific exchanges (e.g. a guest stay of Mr. Rain Männikus at TUHH in 2019) and the interests are based on joint research on the hydrodynamic conditions in the Baltic Sea and the consequences for coastal protection structures. A first joint publication of the participants of the project was submitted to the International Coastal Symposium 2020 (DREIER et al. 2020). One of the scientific aims of the project is the deepening of the relations between project partners and to exchange knowledge on the scientific questions for the preparation of future joint-project applications respectively joint-publications of the partners.
See also: Laboratory of Wave Engineering, Estonia
Photo galleries here
This project of the Baltic-German University Liaison Office is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic Germany.
Dieses Projekt des Baltisch-Deutschen Hochschulkontors wird durch den German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) aus Mitteln des Auswärtigen Amtes der Bundesrepublik Deutschland gefördert.
Projekti toetab Saksamaa Liitvabariigi Välisministeeriumi vahenditest Saksa Akadeemilise Vahetusteenistuse (DAAD) kaudu Balti-Saksa Kõrgkoolide Büroo.
Duration: 02/2020-12/2020
The project was initially meant to be carried out from January to October 2020. The public seminars were intended to be organized in Tallinn and Riga to present the results. Due to the spread of COVID-19, the research project was deeply impacted and had to be reorganized. Preparation of measurement devices and their implementation were delayed. The physical meetings and stays in Estonia were cancelled. However, the delay did not affect the quality of measurements and analysis, because the meetings were successfully carried out online and the supporter of the project, the Baltic-German Universities Liaison Office provided flexible support. The following timeline deviates from the proposed one and reflects the activities done:
Project activity |
| Duration of the activity | |
from | to | ||
1. Kick-off meeting (video) | Presentation of the project and discussion of work program | February | February |
2. Preparation | Selection of a possible study site and acquisition of measurement equipment | February | July |
3. Implementation | Set-up of the system at the study site | July | August |
4. Measurements and maintenance of the system | Conduction of field measurements of waves and wave run-up and maintenance of the system | August | ongoing |
5. Analysis of results | Joint-analysis of measurements at the German and Estonian Coast | October | ongoing |
Project Supervision TU Tallinn | Tarmo Soomere |
Project Supervision TUHH | Peter Fröhle |
Project Work TU Talinn | Rain Männikus |
Project Work TUHH: | Norman Dreier Jens Winkelbauer Katrin Coelius |