Estimating erosion resistance of vegetated sea dike embankments through in situ experiments

Through in situ experiments, this study investigated the erosion resistance of a prototype dike with different vegetation and soil sections built on the Falsterbo peninsula, Sweden. A gravity-driven wave impact simulator was used to simulate waves breaking on the dike. Two sandy soils and three vege...

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Main Authors: Anne Mozer, Björn Almström, Pål Axel Olsson, Holger Schüttrumpf
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Built Environment
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2025.1528863/full
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author Anne Mozer
Björn Almström
Pål Axel Olsson
Holger Schüttrumpf
author_facet Anne Mozer
Björn Almström
Pål Axel Olsson
Holger Schüttrumpf
author_sort Anne Mozer
collection DOAJ
description Through in situ experiments, this study investigated the erosion resistance of a prototype dike with different vegetation and soil sections built on the Falsterbo peninsula, Sweden. A gravity-driven wave impact simulator was used to simulate waves breaking on the dike. Two sandy soils and three vegetation types (standard grass, biodiverse seed mixture, and hay) were tested for this study. In general, the study showed consistency in the results between the replications and in comparison to former studies. Thus, initially developed for laboratory experiments, the methodology can be transferred to in situ experiments on existing dikes. The study showed comparable results for higher biodiverse vegetation cover and standard grass regarding the resistance to wave impact. The importance of not only root but also soil parameters could be confirmed. A higher resistance was found with higher root densities and lower fine fractions in the soil. Also, a higher forb diversity resulted in larger root densities. Future studies could build on the present findings by conducting a systematic investigation to gain deeper insights into the impact of vegetation and soil properties.
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spelling doaj-art-3050780057734bb1bd896e0aa7ca2d9e2025-08-20T03:12:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Built Environment2297-33622025-02-011110.3389/fbuil.2025.15288631528863Estimating erosion resistance of vegetated sea dike embankments through in situ experimentsAnne Mozer0Björn Almström1Pål Axel Olsson2Holger Schüttrumpf3Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, GermanyDivision of Water Resource Engineering, Lund University, Lund, SwedenDepartment of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SwedenInstitute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, GermanyThrough in situ experiments, this study investigated the erosion resistance of a prototype dike with different vegetation and soil sections built on the Falsterbo peninsula, Sweden. A gravity-driven wave impact simulator was used to simulate waves breaking on the dike. Two sandy soils and three vegetation types (standard grass, biodiverse seed mixture, and hay) were tested for this study. In general, the study showed consistency in the results between the replications and in comparison to former studies. Thus, initially developed for laboratory experiments, the methodology can be transferred to in situ experiments on existing dikes. The study showed comparable results for higher biodiverse vegetation cover and standard grass regarding the resistance to wave impact. The importance of not only root but also soil parameters could be confirmed. A higher resistance was found with higher root densities and lower fine fractions in the soil. Also, a higher forb diversity resulted in larger root densities. Future studies could build on the present findings by conducting a systematic investigation to gain deeper insights into the impact of vegetation and soil properties.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2025.1528863/fullsea dikevegetationwave impacterosion resistancecoastal protection
spellingShingle Anne Mozer
Björn Almström
Pål Axel Olsson
Holger Schüttrumpf
Estimating erosion resistance of vegetated sea dike embankments through in situ experiments
Frontiers in Built Environment
sea dike
vegetation
wave impact
erosion resistance
coastal protection
title Estimating erosion resistance of vegetated sea dike embankments through in situ experiments
title_full Estimating erosion resistance of vegetated sea dike embankments through in situ experiments
title_fullStr Estimating erosion resistance of vegetated sea dike embankments through in situ experiments
title_full_unstemmed Estimating erosion resistance of vegetated sea dike embankments through in situ experiments
title_short Estimating erosion resistance of vegetated sea dike embankments through in situ experiments
title_sort estimating erosion resistance of vegetated sea dike embankments through in situ experiments
topic sea dike
vegetation
wave impact
erosion resistance
coastal protection
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2025.1528863/full
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