Innovative methods for dike construction – An overview

In recent years, global warming has caused the sea level to rise. The river or coastal related disasters such as tsunami, cyclone and flood have also become higher in frequency and stronger in intensity. As one of the counter measures, some of the existing coastal protection structures need to be rehabilitated and new, stronger or taller coastal structures have to be built. How to construct coastal protection structures in a quicker and yet cost-effective way has become a challenge to geotechnical engineers. In this paper, a few recent developments in dike construction and related methods and techniques are presented. A classification to the coastal protection structures is given according to materials used. Three innovative construction methods for coastal protection structures are introduced. These are geotextle mattress (or geomat), semi-circular precast concrete caisson, and suction caisson. The applications of these techniques in dike or breakwater construction are illustrated using case histories. A comparison of the three methods in terms of applicability, advantageous and disadvantageous is also made.