Visual Inspection of Flood Barriers

Learning targets

Good water barriers mean safety for citizens. There are guidelines for conducting frequent inspections of water barriers in a proper manner. You will learn to carry out a clear visual inspection according to the guidelines, with the right basic knowledge of water barriers, damages, and failure mechanisms. You will be introduced to the Digigids, the national damage catalog for water barriers. You will learn how to inspect digitally in the field. After completion, you will be able to inspect dikes and record damage patterns in a structured way.

The following topics will be covered:

• technical knowledge of water barriers
• failure and collapse mechanisms
• visually observing damage patterns of river, sea, and regional barriers
• the desired inspection process
• structured documentation
• analysis of observations
• use of the Digigids (NL)
• use of Digispectie (NL)

After completing this course, you will have:

• knowledge of inspections and the associated protocols
• the ability to properly record data
• the ability to conduct inspections in a standardized manner

Program

Inspection of Regional Barriers

• theory of barriers
• review of video lesson
• explanation of assignment
• inspection of barrier
• processing observations
• presentation of findings
• discussion of observations
• feedback and homework assignment

Inspection of Primary Barriers, Sea Barrier

• summary of video lesson
• failure and collapse mechanisms
• explanation of assignment
• inspection of barrier
• processing observations
• presentation of findings
• discussion of observations
• feedback and homework assignment

Inspection of River Barrier

• theory exam
• review of video lesson
• explanation of assignment
• inspection of barrier
• processing observations
• presentation of findings
• discussion of observations
• feedback, completion, and evaluation

Target group

This course is intended for (dike) inspectors and regional staff.

Details

The course has been developed at the request of Stowa

Water barriers are exposed to various threats, ranging from extreme drought to the risk of high water. Visual inspection is therefore an important pillar to continue ensuring the safety of water barriers. To further professionalize dike inspections, Wateropleidingen / World Water Academy, in collaboration with PIW 3.0, offers this course, where inspectors are tested in the field on their inspection skills.