Delft Cluster

Newsletter | October 2009

AIO in focus

Fifty AIOs (research assistants) are affiliated to Delft Cluster. ‘AIO in Focus’ is intended to help you find out more about the interesting work they carry out. This month is the turn of Anneke Hommels. She has been involved with ‘Inverse modelling of soil behaviour during construction including geological uncertainty’ as part of the Delft Cluster project ‘Durable Level Roads’, and will complete this in the spring of 2010. The project will then be continued, whereby the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) will be used in a case study and various Random Fields will be compared. In addition, the EnKF will be made available for parameter identification during laboratory tests. All data will then be re-programmed in Plaxis, and the Random Fields will be improved for applications. [Click here] for more information


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Large number of registrations for Knowledge to the Market Conference

Delft Cluster is currently busy with the final stage. During the ‘Knowledge to the Market’ Conference to be held on 30 October at the Lijm & Culture Centre, the Rotterdamseweg in Delft, Delft Cluster will present a variety of results to the market. The following themes will be discussed in a plenary session and three parallel sessions: firstly ‘Water, Soil and the City’, together with ‘The Organisation of Sustainable Areas’ and ’Security Against flooding as other parallel sessions. Delft Cluster has already received 250 registrations to attend the conference.

 


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Balans is in the final phase

 

The balancing model Balans is in the completion phase. The balancing model helps the user to make a choice between different embankment variants on the basis of integrated costs. The guideline is near completion, and will then be linked to Balans as a pdf. Action has already been taken over the last year, namely the organisation of two courses and approaches to the Boskoop and Gouda municipalities.

Balans will be used to determine the optimal maintenance strategy for a number of prospective maintenance projects to be carried out by these municipalities. It is expected that this will begin in 2010. A plan is currently being developed to implement Balans in municipality processes. The consideration of Balans will then be given alongside the actual maintenance strategy of the municipalities.


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Deltares challenges professionals with DeltaQuest

Deltares is searching for (technical and less technical) questions about our field of work! Using a range of criteria, a jury of experts will select a winning question from all those submitted. Two Deltares professionals will then formulate the best possible answer to the winning question within a maximum period of one week. You can be eligible for this prize by formulating your question, problem or assignment briefly and concisely, and then sending it to Deltares. You can use a reply-card to do so, or via the registration form online.


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COB launches books ‘Introduction to Cables & Pipelines’

The Dutch knowledge centre for underground use of space and underground construction (COB) has published the (text) book ‘Introduction to Cables & Pipelines’ (Inleiding Kabels & Leidingen). The book provides an overview of relevant aspects in the world of underground infrastructure for cable and pipeline networks. It is primarily intended to provide a synopsis of this rather sector-oriented field of work. Greater use of underground space means that these sector parties increasingly need to work together. This creates the need for an overview of and insight into one another’s field of work. At the same time,  governments, supervisory bodies, ground owners and developers also require an overview in order to use the correct frameworks and processes. The book is intended for use by HBO/university students, as well as professionals involved in the sector. The author is Frans Taselaar, COB Chairman of the knowledge platform Cables & Pipelines. The book can be purchased via COB for € 29,95 (ISBN 978-90-77374-25-2) and can be viewed at www.cob.nl.


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DC Wetlands project: Further research into drinking water function and salination

Research into the drinking water function of the IJsselmeer area and the consequences of climate change has produced surprising results. The findings can be derived from the results of a model study. This study simulated the flow, or rather renewal, of the water and the transport of chloride. The Markermeer appears to be more ‘climate proof’ than the IJsselmeer, and under current water management has fewer problems with salination as a result of climate change, sea level rises and altered water supply from the Rhine compared to the IJsselmeer. Reorganisation measures that are planned to ensure the Markermeer is a robust ecological system (such as the construction of a primeval swamp or a soakage pit) have virtually no effect on the chloride concentration in the lake. Another noticeable result is that allowing the IJsselmeer level to rise together with the Waddenzee leads to a reduction in the chloride concentration in the IJsselmeer. The conversion of the pumping regime in southern Flevoland that is planned for the near future will cause a rise in the chloride level by a maximum of 80 mg/l. The chloride level in the Markermeer will then increase above 200 mg/l, making water from the Markermeer unsuitable as a source of drinking water. This is an undesirable development in view of the vulnerability of the IJsselmeer for future salination.


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