Investigation in the Effects of Piping on the Safety of a Levee Including a Structure

This study investigates the effect of a structure on the piping failure mechanism at a primary flood defence. In the Netherlands the primary flood defences are periodically assessed according to the Statutory Assessment Instrument (WBI). Within the WBI, there are several tests that a flood defence must satisfy for the various failure mechanisms. The available testing methods are limited in the case of a Non Water retaining Object (NWO) near or within a flood defence. As a result, a NWO is often not properly included in the assessment process. Little research has been done into the possible impact on the probability of piping when a structure is located near a water barrier. Therefore, this study focuses on developing a flow chart that describes the approach to a safety assessment for piping of a flood defence with a structure.