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42-791: The Maeslantkering ("Maeslant barrier" in Dutch) is a storm surge barrier on the Nieuwe Waterweg , in South Holland , Netherlands . It was constructed from 1991 to 1997. As part of the Delta Works the barrier responds to water level predictions calculated by a centralized computer system called BOS. It automatically closes when Rotterdam (especially the Port of Rotterdam ) is threatened by floods. Maeslantkering has two 210-metre long barrier gates, with two 237-metre long steel trusses holding each. When closed,

84-508: A sill was constructed at the bottom of the Nieuwe Waterweg. Then, the two 22-metre high and 210-metre long steel gates were built. After this, 237-metre long steel trusses were welded to the gates. The arms weigh 6,800 tonnes each. The main purpose of the arms is transmitting the immense forces, exerted on the gates while closed, to one single joint at the rear of each gate. During the closing or opening process, this ball-shaped joint gives

126-488: A 360-metre wide gap in the waterway gives ships enough space to pass without any inconvenience. But when a storm surge of 3 metres above normal sea level is anticipated in Rotterdam, the barrier will be closed automatically. Four hours before the actual closing procedure begins, incoming and outgoing ships are warned. Two hours before closing, the traffic at the Nieuwe Waterweg comes to a standstill. Thirty minutes before closing,

168-746: A barrier to control the inflow of fast moving water from the River Ouse that may overspill its banks upstream the Foss and flood surrounding properties. The New York Harbor Storm-Surge Barrier is a proposed regional flood barrier system that would protect the harbor and the New York – New Jersey metropolitan region. The Ike Dike is a proposed flood barrier that would protect Houston, Texas. Flood barriers may be placed temporarily or permanently around individual buildings or at building entrances to keep floodwaters from entering those buildings. A wall constructed of sandbags

210-520: A huge amount of money. It would also mean that historic town centres, in some cases over four centuries old, would have to be broken down and rebuilt behind renewed, larger dikes. Therefore, the initial plan was put aside and the Ministry of Waterways and Public Works organised a competition in which construction companies could make plans for the construction of a reliable yet relatively cheap storm surge barrier. This storm surge barrier had to be located in

252-533: A lot of little people around the buildings. This shows the real life of the Dutch people. These "residents" also change with the weather. In the winter they wear jackets and warm clothes and in the summer they wear T-shirts. The "residents" of Madurodam have become more and more multicultural, and include some who appear to have come from other countries (immigrants), reflecting real life in The Netherlands. Fantasitron

294-498: A mostly immovable barrier of stone and fill. It has three land and one marine door for access in calm seas. The nearby Fox Point Hurricane Barrier protects the city of Providence, Rhode Island . The US Army Corps of Engineers also owns and operates the hurricane barrier at Stamford, CT. The MOSE Project is intended to protect the city of Venice , Italy , and the Venetian Lagoon from flooding. The River Foss, York, UK has

336-554: A new tradition arose: the city council would annually select a mayor from their midst. All members of the youth council are The Hague students. Every year schools from The Hague can nominate students to take part in the youth council. The youth council members are also members of the disbursement committee at Madurodam. The disbursement committee manages charities – Madurodam has its own fund which provides financial support to institutions that organize activities for young people. In 2011, research showing declining public interest prompted

378-551: A relatively watertight fit when submerged. In cases where the gates have to be shut for a prolonged period, which would cause the waters of the Rhine to rise behind them, the gate hollows are partly emptied and floated, so that excess river water runs out to sea, before they are submerged again. The decision-making algorithm that sequences storm surge-triggered events in the Maeslantkering is run entirely by computer. The Maeslantkering

420-481: Is a 3D selfie photo booth where patrons can have 3D models of themselves created by software from pictures taken in the photo booth. A third-party printing company such as Shapeways prints and ships manufactured models to patrons. Although Madurodam is mainly a miniature city, a collection of Dutch landmarks is also found amidst the landscapes. They include: Unlike the rest of the park, the Hof van Nederland (Dutch court)

462-615: Is an example of a temporary barrier. A reinforced concrete wall is an example of a permanent barrier. Sandbags have traditionally been used as temporary flood barriers. Madurodam Madurodam ( Dutch pronunciation: [maːˌdyːroːˈdɑm] ) is a miniature park and tourist attraction in the Scheveningen district of The Hague in the Netherlands. It is home to a range of 1:25 scale model replicas of famous Dutch landmarks, historical cities and large developments. The park

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504-469: Is constructed some 5 kilometres further inland. The software that drives it is written in C++ and consists of 200,000 lines of code for the operational system and 250,000 lines of code for the simulation systems. The barrier is designed to withstand a storm that has an occurrence of only once in 10,000 years (based on the climate at the time, but this may have to be adjusted for climate change ). In order to test

546-412: Is expected to be closed once every ten years due to storm surge. With the rise in sea levels, the storm surge barrier will need to close more frequently in 50 years time, namely once every five years. In its first 10 years of operation, the barrier was never closed due to a storm. There was one incident when a storm surge of 3 metres was predicted and the protective sequence was initiated. However, during

588-525: Is not built as a miniature: it is life-sized. In 4 minutes the attraction explains the beginning of the Netherlands in 1572. The attraction is inspired by the Hof van Nederland in Dordrecht and was opened on 19 July 2015. The park was the inspiration for Storybook Land , an attraction opened at Disneyland in 1956 and at Disneyland Paris in 1994. Additionally, it was a visit to Madurodam that inspired Fernando de Ercilla Ayestarán to promote construction of

630-510: Is unique in that it contains the world's largest pumping station , necessary to pump out rainwater that is discharged in the protected side of the canal during a hurricane . The Eider Barrage is located at the mouth of the river Eider near Tönning on Germany's North Sea coast. Its main purpose is protection from storm surges by the North Seas. It is Germany's largest coastal protection structure. The Saint Petersburg Dam (officially called

672-533: The Delta Works . The main objective of this Europoortkering-project was to improve the safety against flooding of the Rotterdam harbour, of which the Europoort is an important part, and the surrounding towns and agricultural areas. To achieve this, the initial plan was to reinforce existing dikes as far as 50 kilometres inland. During the 1980s, it became clear that this project would take at least 30 years and would cost

714-737: The Oosterscheldekering and the Haringvlietdam) and is located downstream of central London. Its purpose is to prevent London from being flooded by exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the North Sea . It needs to be raised (closed) only during high tide; at ebb tide it can be lowered to release the water that backs up behind it. In 2007 the United States Army Corps of Engineers started construction of an ambitious project that aimed to prevent storm surges from flooding

756-574: The Saint Petersburg Flood Prevention Facility Complex) is a 16 km (9.9 mi) barrier separating the Gulf of Finland from Neva Bay to protect the city of Saint Petersburg , Russia from coastal flooding . The Soviet Union started construction of the barrier in 1978 and it was completed and made operational in 2011. The New Bedford Harbor Hurricane Barrier protects the city of New Bedford, Massachusetts , with

798-411: The barrier in actual stormy conditions, the water level threshold at which the computer system would start the closing procedure was lowered from 3.0 m over NAP to 2.6 m, for the duration of the 2007 storm season. On 8 November 2007, a storm from the northwest hit the Dutch coast. A storm surge, high enough to start the barrier's closing procedure, occurred. The barrier was closed due to a storm surge for

840-486: The barrier was constructed in the Madurodam miniature village. Its construction took six months. It took six years to construct the real barrier. On 10 May 1997, after six years of construction, Queen Beatrix opened the Maeslantkering. The barrier is connected to a computer system which is linked to weather and sea level data. Under normal weather conditions, the two doors themselves are well protected in their dry docks and

882-673: The barrier will protect the entire width (360 metres) of the Nieuwe Waterweg, the main waterway of Port of Rotterdam. It is one of the largest moving structures on Earth , rivalling the Green Bank Telescope in the United States and the Bagger 288 excavator in Germany . The construction of the Maeslantkering was a part of the Europoortkering project which, in turn, was the final stage of

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924-484: The beginning of the storm season in mid-October. Activities are held during the closing for the visiting public. The information center publishes information about the closing time and activities on its website. The Caland canal  [ nl ] , located just south of the Nieuwe Waterweg and the Scheuer, visible in some images on this page, is protected by the much smaller Hartelkering storm surge barrier. This barrier

966-655: The buildings. The Delta Works in the Netherlands is the largest flood protection project in the world. This project consists of a number of surge barriers, the Oosterscheldekering being the largest surge barrier in the world, 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) long. Other examples include the Maeslantkering , Haringvlietdam and the Hartelkering . The Thames Barrier is the world's second largest movable flood barrier (after

1008-541: The city by 2011. The IHNC Lake Borgne Surge Barrier on the confluence of these waterways is the largest in the United States. It protects the city from the Gulf of Mexico from flooding the area. The new Seabrook floodgate prevents a storm surge from entering from Lake Pontchartrain. The GIWW West Closure Complex closes the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to protect the west side of the city. This complex

1050-400: The course of the storm, predictions were revised to a 2.99 m surge and the computer cancelled closure. Eventually, the surge passed harmlessly and the waterway remained open. During the evening of 8 November 2007, the barrier was closed due to a storm surge for the first time. The barrier is closed for testing once a year, usually at the end of September or the beginning of October, just before

1092-424: The dry docks that contain the gates are flooded. After this, the gates start to float and two so-called "locomobiles" move the gates towards each other. When the gap between the gates is about 1.5 metres wide, water is let inside the hollows of the gates, so that they submerge to the bottom of the waterway. The bottom has been elaborately dug and then laid with layers of broken stone, so that the gates are able to form

1134-433: The first time since its construction. As the Oosterscheldekering and Hartelkering storm surge barriers were also closed, the entire Dutch coast was protected against flooding for the first time since 1976. At 22:00 local time (CET), Dutch TV brought the news that maritime traffic on the Nieuwe Waterweg was shut off. The closing procedure of the Maeslantkering started at 23:10. The barrier was completely closed at 01:00 and

1176-544: The gate the opportunity to move freely under the influences of water, wind, and waves. It acts like a ball and socket joint , such as in the human shoulder or hip. The joints were made in the Czech Republic at Škoda Works . The ball-shaped joint is the largest in the world, with a diameter of 10 metres, and weighing 680 tonnes. The construction of the barrier cost 450 million euro . The total Europoortkering-project had cost 660 million euros. A working 1:250 scale version of

1218-456: The informative aspect has also been improved. Small television stands show brief video footage or in-depth information. Visitors receive chipped cards upon entry, which can be used to trigger these. On 7 April 2012, Madurodam opened its doors to the public again. The official opening was on 21 April 2012 with then-Queen Beatrix. Every object in Madurodam has been built at a scale of 1:25. When

1260-401: The management decides that a specific miniature is to be made for Madurodam, the builders first research all aspects of the actual building. They research the shape, color and all other properties of that object, by analysing many pictures. After this they start making the models. A computer measures everything and sends all information to a machine that makes the physical model. The model goes to

1302-409: The painting room, where it gets the final look. In this painting room restorations also take place. Because most of the miniatures are outdoors, they need regular paint retouches. Madurodam strives to show a realistic view of The Netherlands in a scaled-down environment. Everything, including flora and street decoration, is modeled to scale. Producing scaled-down trees is time-consuming. Also there are

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1344-567: The park management to invest in a large-scale renovation, at a cost of €8 million, in time for the park's 60th anniversary in 2012. For this purpose the park was closed to the public between November 2011 and April 2012. The park is now divided into three themes: water, as a friend and an enemy ; historical cities ; and The Netherlands as an inspiration for the world. Each theme offers different activities – from light shows to mixing music. Small coin slots trigger bridges, factories or an oil tanker on fire. While aesthetic improvements have been made,

1386-484: The shipping route. The winning plan called for two large floating gates on both dikes of the waterway . A major advantage of this plan was that construction of the storm surge barrier could take place under dry conditions, in dry docks . Other advantages were that no vital parts of the barrier had to be placed under water, and maintenance of the barrier would be easy because of the dry docks. Finally, there would be almost no inconvenience for passing ships. The winning plan

1428-604: The technical details of the barrier itself can be found. Storm surge barrier A flood barrier , surge barrier or storm surge barrier is a specific type of floodgate , designed to prevent a storm surge or spring tide from flooding the protected area behind the barrier. A surge barrier is almost always part of a larger flood protection system consisting of floodwalls , levees (also known as dikes), and other constructions and natural geographical features. Flood barrier may also refer to barriers placed around or at individual buildings to keep floodwaters from entering

1470-458: The traffic across the Nieuwe Waterweg came to a complete standstill. Before the decision was actually made to manually close the Maeslantkering, the computer systems intervened and had begun the automatic closing procedure. Closing started at 20:15, a process which takes about 2 hours. The next day at 4:45 the gates were opened again. At the site of the Maeslantkering, there is a visitor center where more background information on water management and

1512-588: The waterway (Nieuwe Maas – the Scheur – Nieuwe Waterweg) that connects Rotterdam with the North Sea . This played an important role in the planning stage of the construction, as this waterway is the main route to the port of Rotterdam, at that time the world's largest port. Therefore, a barrier like the Dutch Oosterscheldekering and the Thames Barrier could not be constructed, as such a barrier would block

1554-467: Was appointed architect of Madurodam, and visited Bekonscot because Mrs Boon-van der Starp wanted the new park to be similar. After his visit he created a plan for Madurodam and came up with a theme: Het stadje met de glimlach ("The little city with the smile"). On 2 July 1952, the then teenage Princess Beatrix was appointed mayor of Madurodam, and was given a tour of her town. When Beatrix became Queen, she relinquished this title. After her resignation

1596-508: Was needed to pay for their convalescent care. Mrs Boon-van der Starp heard about Bekonscot , a miniature park in Beaconsfield , England. This park generated large profits, a large part of which was donated to a hospital in London each year. After a meeting with Mrs Boon-van der Starp, George Maduro's parents donated the funds needed for the Madurodam project, as a memorial to their son. S.J. Bouma

1638-487: Was opened in 1952 and has since been visited by tens of millions of visitors. The entirety of net proceeds from the park go towards various charities in the Netherlands. Madurodam was named after George Maduro , a Dutch law student from Curaçao who fought the Nazi occupation forces, first as a lieutenant in the army and later as a member of the Dutch resistance, and who died at Dachau concentration camp in 1945. In 1946, Maduro

1680-736: Was posthumously awarded the Medal of Knight Fourth class of the Military Order of William , the highest and oldest military decoration in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, for the valor he had demonstrated in the Battle of the Netherlands against German troops. Mrs B. Boon-van der Starp was a member of a foundation for the Dutch Students Sanatorium. In this sanatorium students with tuberculosis could obtain treatment, and could also study. Financial support

1722-455: Was put forward by the BMK consortium (Bouwcombinatie Maeslantkering). This consortium included the contractors HBG (now BAM), Volker Stevin and Hollandia Kloos. The storm surge barrier project was one of the first large Design and Construct projects for which the contractor also prepares the design. The construction of the barrier started in 1991. First, the dry docks were constructed on both shores and

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1764-455: Was reopened on 9 November around 17:00. On December 21, 2023 the Maeslantkering was closed automatically at the 300 cm threshold for the first time in history. During the day a forecast had been made that the water level in Rotterdam would reach critical height of 300 cm above NAP at around 23:30. There were discussions to close the Maeslantkering manually before that time, and the Port of Rotterdam started reducing traffic at 16:00. Around 18:00

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