Water Construction Day 2008
Description
The theme of the day is:
LandBOUW
WaterBOUW
NatuurBOUW
The Waterbouwdag is for hydraulic engineers, administrators and policymakers from the Netherlands and Belgium to meet each other at this day. The Waterbouwdag is an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and learn about all developments in the field of hydraulic engineering in an informal atmosphere.
Almost nothing goes by without the media presenting a new hydraulic engineering plan. New Wadden Islands are projected off the coast. The Innovation Platform proposes building a tulip island. Further refining that idea later, it turns out to be a forest of four tulips. A tulip island off the coast, an energy island, a new Wadden Island off the coast of Zeeland and a 70MW tidal power plant in the Afsluitdijk. In autumn 2007 and spring 2008, mounds were proposed in the Rand region. There was a lot of media attention for these plans. Perhaps the Netherlands has never been so innovative.
The big question, however, is whether these plans will ever come to fruition. Engineer Lievense had already proposed building an energy island during the previous energy crisis in 1986, a savings basin in the North Sea that could, among other things, store wind energy. At the time, an oil price of $30/barrel was expected. That price has since passed $100/barrel, so it is certainly worth studying how things stand now. However, the oil price is not only on the revenue side but also on the cost side. Indeed, applying 1 m3 of sand costs roughly 1 litre of oil in energy. Schiphol offshore was ready as a sketch design 5 years ago, but was not built because the benefits could not bear the costs.
Importantly, an innovation is not "something new". Creativity alone is not enough, it involves practical insight. It is about a new solution that makes people's lives so much easier or more enjoyable that they are happy with it more than the cost. Many of the recently proposed innovations do not meet that is. That is why we are dedicating this Water Construction Day to projects that have passed this social test, and not just on paper. In fact, all the projects are in progress or just completed. Get your feet on the ground and simply BUILD.
For whom:
Waterbouwers, administrators and policymakers from the Netherlands and Belgium meet each other on this day. The Hydraulic Engineering Day is an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and learn about all developments in the field of hydraulic engineering in an informal atmosphere.
Location
Chassé Theatre, Beda (conference and exhibition)
Organiser
Construction and Hydraulic Engineering
Name and contact details for information
If you have any further questions about the Hydraulic Engineering Day, please contact Cora Hoogeveen of the CURNET Communications Office using the e-mail address below, by phone: 0182-540650 or by fax: 0182-540651.
Information and registration at www.waterbouwdag.nl
Register via
.