WATER BARRIER, IN PARTICULAR A DIKE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a water barrier, in particular a dike, comprising an inner slope, a crown and an outer slope, wherein the outer slope is located on the waterside. The water barrier is characterized in that the natural vegetation of at least one of the elements of inner slope, crown and outer slope is provided with fibres inserted into said vegetation.

Claims

1. A water barrier, in particular a dike, comprising an inner slope, a crown and an outer slope, wherein the outer slope is located on the waterside, characterized in that the natural vegetation of at least one of the elements of inner slope, crown and outer slope is provided with fibres inserted into said vegetation.

2. The water barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two of the elements of inner slope, crown and outer slope are provided with fibres inserted into said vegetation.

3. The water barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the fibres inserted into said vegetation are located under the surface of said vegetation.

4. The water barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the fibres inserted into said vegetation extend to some extent above the surface of said vegetation.

5. The water barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that said fibres enclose an angle with at least one of the inner slope and outer slope, which angle amounts to less than 90°, preferably between 20° and 80°.

6. The water barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that said fibres are inserted to a depth of at least 10 cm, preferably at least 20 cm.

7. The water barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that said fibres are arranged in mutually adjacent rows, wherein the distance between the rows lies in the range of 10-50 mm, and wherein the mutual distance between fibres in a row amounts to 10-50 mm.

8. The water barrier according to claim 7, characterized in that the mutually adjacent rows are offset from each other so that the fibres are placed at the corner points of an imaginary equilateral triangle with sides of 10-50 mm.

9. The water barrier according to claim 7, characterized in that the distance between the rows of fibres arranged in said outer slope differs from the distance between the rows of fibres arranged in said inner slope.

10. The water barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the rows of fibres arranged in at least one of inner slope, crown and outer slope are not spaced homogeneously.

11. A method for manufacturing a water barrier as specified in claim 1, characterized in that one or more fibres are inserted into the natural vegetation of at least one of the elements of inner slope, crown and outer slope.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the insertion of said fibres takes place by means of injection, wherein a pin is positioned in the natural vegetation while carrying along a fibre, after which said pin is taken out of said vegetation while leaving said fibre behind in said vegetation.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the insertion of said fibres takes place by forming an opening in said vegetation, after which the fibre is inserted into the thus formed opening.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that the forming of the opening takes place by means of a water jet and/or compressed air.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that the forming of the opening takes place by means of a drill.

16. The method for manufacturing a water barrier according to claim 11, characterized in that a pin movable up and downward in a substantially vertical direction in the substrate is applied for arranging the fibres in the natural vegetation, wherein the method comprises the following steps of: i) providing an endless fibre, ii) connecting an outer end of said pin to the fibre as according to i), iii) moving the outer end of said pin connected to the fibre as according to ii) in vertical direction to a desired depth in the substrate, iv) removing said pin from the substrate while leaving the fibre behind in the substrate, v) connecting an outer end of said pin once again to the fibre as according to i), vi) moving the outer end of said pin connected to the fibre as according to v) in vertical direction to a desired depth in the substrate, wherein the position of the fibre arranged in the substrate as according to iii) differs from the position of the fibre arranged in the substrate as according to vi).

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that between step iv) and step v) a step of severing the fibre is not performed.

18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that steps ii)-vi) are repeated such that the thus obtained positions of fibres arranged in the substrate can be deemed a row of fibres.

19. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that steps ii)-vi) are repeated such that rows of fibres arranged in the substrate are obtained which are positioned regularly spaced from each other, wherein the rows of fibres arranged in the substrate positioned regularly spaced from each other are displaced relative to each other.

20. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the fibre lying between fibres successively arranged vertically in the substrate lies against the upper surface of the substrate.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that during at least one of the steps ii)-vi) a pressing member is applied in order to press the fibre lying against the upper surface against the upper surface.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the pressing member is a pressure roller moving over the upper surface.

23. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that during the repeated application of steps ii)-vi) the fibre is held under tension.

24. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that in order to improve the anchoring of the fibres arranged vertically in the substrate a mesh is applied, which mesh is positioned on the upper surface and connected to the fibres such that the fibres lying against the upper surface of the substrate enclose said mesh.

Description

[0058] The invention will be elucidated hereinbelow on the basis of several examples and associated figures, which must not however be deemed as limitative of the scope of protection.

[0059] FIG. 1 shows a situation of an existing dike.

[0060] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] FIG. 3 shows a situation of an existing dike.

[0062] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] The same reference numerals are applied in the enclosed figures for corresponding elements.

[0064] FIG. 1 shows a situation of an existing dike 10, comprising an inner slope 3, a crown 2 and an outer slope 1, wherein the outer slope 1 is located on the waterside 7. The outer slope 1 is provided with natural vegetation 5. Although natural vegetation 5 is shown only for the outer slope 1 in this figure, said vegetation can also be present on the inner slope 3 and crown 2. In accordance with general guidelines for such a dike 10, a maximum incline of for instance 1/7 is allowed, this incline being defined as the angle between the outer slope 1 and the horizontal 8. The area indicated with reference numeral 4 can be seen as land protected by the dike 10.

[0065] Shown in FIG. 2 is an embodiment of the present invention wherein the dike 20 is provided with an outer slope 1 into which fibres 6 have been inserted. Such fibres 6 result in a reinforcement of the dike 20. Because of the presence of said fibres 6 in the outer slope 1 it is assumed that the dike 20 can be constructed with an incline greater than the incline as discussed in FIG. 1. The maximum incline applicable for the dike 20 amounts to for instance 1/5. The advantage of such a steeper incline of the dike 20 is that the length L2 as shown in FIG. 2 is shorter than the length L1 as shown in FIG. 1. This means that at an identical height, i.e. the height H is equal in both FIGS. 1 and 2, the dike 20 (FIG. 2) will take up less space than the dike 10. An advantage hereof is that costly compulsory purchase procedures will not have to be followed for land lying behind the dike. It should be noted that the values for the dike angle serve here solely by way of illustration.

[0066] FIG. 3 shows a situation of an existing dike 30 wherein natural vegetation 5 is present on the inner slope 3, crown 2 and outer slope 1. Because of the force of the waves coming from the waterside 7 the outer slope 1 is provided with usual reinforcing means 9, for instance rocks, bitumen, geotextile materials. It is estimated in practice that the natural vegetation 5 can withstand 10 L/s wave overtopping.

[0067] Said value of 10 L/s can favourably be increased when the dike is provided with fibres inserted therein. Such a situation is shown schematically in FIG. 4, wherein fibres 6 are located in the dike 40 in the inner slope 3, crown 2 and outer slope 1. A part of the land 4 is also provided with fibres 6. It is assumed that the presence of said fibres can increase the value for the wave overtopping to 30-50 L/s. In such an embodiment there is less necessity to increase the height of the dike, wherein it is also the case that L2<L1, in particular H2<H1.