The research on the erodibility of Trisoplast and clay is published in the international magazine Terra et Aqua of the AIDC (#176, spring 2025). The researcher, Lian Schout, has given an elaborate insight in the research set-up and the results. A short summary:
“Due to the large number of dykes in the Netherlands, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find enough clay that meets the required quality standards. Therefore, an alternative is being researched for the use of clay as a sealing layer on dykes, specifically Trisoplast. Trisoplast is comprised of a specialised clay-polymer component combined with a mineral filler, with sand being particularly suitable for this purpose. The main question of this research is whether Trisoplast can also be used in dykes in the Netherlands. To answer this question Trisoplast and clay CAT. 1 and 2, were tested in Rotterdam’s University of Applied Sciences’ aqualab. Here, longitudinal flow and wave loading tests were conducted."
"Results showed Trisoplast eroded only 4.7% of the amount eroded by clay CAT. 1 in longitudinal flow tests and 71% in wave loading tests. Trisoplast is therefore more erosion-resistant than clay, warranting further investigation for use in dykes.”
With this reasearch, Lian Schout won the prestigious Hydraulic Engineering Award 2024 in the Applied Science category. Read all about it in this item.
