The Netherlands Orders Electronic Monitoring of Levees

DELFT, The Netherlands /PRNewswire/ -- The Dutch Ministry of Transportation has asked Alert Solutions BV to develop and produce a prototype system for remote electronic monitoring of levees. The system will encompass a large-area sensor network to generate early warning signals of potential hazards concerning the stability of flood control structures. Sensor technology has not yet been applied for this purpose at this scale. With the assignment, the Ministry confirms its confidence in the benefits of such a system for high-water management.

The assigned project is part of the Ministry's DigiDijk, or digital levee, program. This program aims to enable the development of novel detection methods to provide reliable, real-time information concerning the safety level of levees. The developed techniques will contribute to limiting the costs and damages associated with flood risks.

GeoBeads
Based on Alert Solutions' sensor network GeoBeads, a large number of detection modules are positioned inside a levee. These detection modules contain various tiny sensors that can measure ground stability–related parameters, such as pore pressure, temperature, and movement. The measurements are simultaneously collected and visualized. Changes in conditions are detected instantly and provide input for (preventive) safety measures. This decreases the occurrence of hazardous situations and can lower the costs for maintenance and control significantly.

Flood Control 2015 Program
The assignment by the Ministry coincides with the recent announcement by a consortium consisting of the Dutch government, research institutes, and private companies to invest 45 million Euros in two water management programs. The Flood Control 2015 program will coordinate development of a national center for flood control. Data for the control center will be provided by sensor networks such as GeoBeads.

About Alert Solutions
Alert Solutions BV develops innovative sensor systems for measuring geotechnical parameters. Besides monitoring levees, the GeoBeads are being developed for related infrastructure environments, such as roads, bridges, and tunnels. Alert Solutions is based in Delft, The Netherlands, and collaborates closely with Delft University.