Polder and basin drainage in the Netherlands
Description
The habitability and liveability of our country is largely determined by the protection of dunes and dykes and embankments. Water drainage is of vital importance here. In addition to the natural drainage of excess water, the rise in sea level and subsidence of the land surface have made artificial drainage, and thus pumping stations, indispensable since the early Middle Ages.
At first, these were simple instruments that were moved by human, animal or wind power to drain the polders. From around the middle of the 18th century, that changed and we started using increasingly sophisticated mechanised and later automated techniques to keep our feet dry. In total, there are about 4,500 pumping stations in the Netherlands, the largest of which, and also the largest in Europe, has a capacity of almost 300 cubic metres per second.
The lecture will deal with the geological and geographical background of the formation of our country, the relationship between land and water and the peculiarities of water that have been decisive for its control - what we now call water management. In addition, ample attention will be paid to the development of the lifting devices and drives that have been used and some that are still in use today. All this will be supported with figures, tables and photographs.
Speaker(s)
Jaap van Raaij (1945) served as a marine engineer on ships of the large commercial shipping industry from 1963 to 1973. During the period from 1973 to 1975, he was employed at the Kilombero Sugar cane factory in Tanzania. From 1975 to 2015, he was employed by the engineering and consultancy firm Tauw. During that period, he was involved in several irrigation projects in Kenya, among others, and the realisation of a large number of new construction, expansion and renovation projects involving polder and basin pumping stations at home and abroad.
Since its inception more than 31 years ago, he has been involved with the Dutch Pumping Station Foundation (NGS) as an advisor. He is co-author of the book Tussen Stoom en Stroom and also provided archive material and editorial support for the writing of the foundation's book Het Water de Baas (2010). He is also a board member of the Stichting Historische Sluizen en Stuwen Nederland (HSSN) and can be found as a tour guide at the ir D.F. Woudagemaal in Lemmer, the largest working steam pumping station in the world, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.
Location
Mijnbouwstraat 120, Delft
Organiser
History of Technology
Histechnica
Name and contact details for information
Paul van Woerkom