Extreme Storms Increase Risk of Dike Failure: New SWI 2027 Problem Announced

September 1, 2026

Cyclic wave loading dike cover failure is becoming a critical concern as extreme storms intensify. The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management has issued a new SWI 2027 problem to advance mathematical models that describe how dike covers degrade under repeated wave impacts.

Painting St. Elizabeth's Day Flood 1421

Painting of St. Elizabeth’s Day Flood 1421, Wooden Panel from Dordrect, unknown artist. From the Rijksmuseum archives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Directorate‑General for Water and Soil Affairs) has therefore issued a new problem for SWI 2027. The Ministry invites participants to engage in a scientific dialogue on how best to mathematically model the behaviour of cyclically loaded dike covers resting on saturated soil layers. This challenge is part of the Knowledge for Flood Defences programme. More information about the Ministry’s broader mission can be found on the official Delta Programme.

The goal is to survey existing models and work toward consensus on how to describe the physical failure process of levee covers subjected to repeated wave impacts. The Ministry is particularly interested in models based on continuum mechanics, where levee covers are treated as saturated, layered elastic media that transfer and dampen stresses and deform over time.

Participants are asked to address three key challenges:

  • Translating the physical behaviour of dike covers into appropriate conservation equations, boundary conditions, and interfacial conditions.
  • Incorporating realistic material behaviour, including porosity, saturation, and uncertainty in mechanical properties.
  • Accounting for large deformations under extreme cyclic loading.

The relevant time scale is one second, and the spatial scale is one decimetre. By the end of the week, the team aims to deliver a roadmap toward realistic simulation of revetment behaviour under various forms of cyclic wave loading.

This problem offers a unique opportunity to work with a group of mathematicians and contribute to the future of Dutch flood protection by advancing the mathematical foundations of dike safety in one-week hackathon format. See how mathematical teams are formed.

Contact the organiser, Domenico Lahaye, to sign up and join at  d.j.p.lahaye@tudelft.nl or send him a message via LinkedIn