WAVE OVERTOPPING SIMULATOR TESTS IN VIET NAM

Sea dikes in Viet Nam have been built up during a long history. Every year, about 4 to 6 storms attack the coast and cause severe damages of the sea dikes. Till now, little is known about strength and stability of the inner slope covered with grass under impacts of wave overtopping during storm surges. Destructive tests have been performed with the Wave Overtopping Simulator in Viet Nam revealing that grass slopes are able to withstand a certain amount of wave overtopping. In Hai Phong, a slope section covered by Vetiver grass could suffer a maximum wave overtopping discharge of up to 120 l/s per m. In Nam Dinh, three tested locations within a short dike section of 50 m show a large variation in erosion resistance of the Bermuda grass slope with maximum discharge of 20, 40 and 70 l/s per m.