Research platform on protective maritime dykes, made in an innovative way with treated soils, against marine submersion (DIGUE2020)

The DIGUE 2020 project aims to create a research platform in the PACA Region, on the Mediterranean coast (from 200 to 500 meters), and to make it available to academic and socio-economic actors in order to allow permanent observations <i>in situ</i>, over a significant period of several years. The project was born thanks to the support of the PACA Region and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund).

Breaking with traditional practices, the desired platform functions are:

• To reduce the risk of breach caused by erosion thanks to a considerable gain, provided by soil-lime, in overflow and internal erosion resistance, and to a precise quantification of external actions on the structure;

• To reduce the costs of dyke construction and maintenance;

• To reduce transport nuisances by limiting the supply of materials from remote deposits, and by using local soils considered mediocre compared to conventional techniques;

• To integrate the dyke and weirs into the landscaped environment without breaking ecological continuity;

• To allow old dykes to be restored without deconstruction: by using local resources, and by reducing waste production.

The results are expected, in terms of improved knowledge of the following issues:

• Actions of the sea on the protective dyke, including extreme actions, and a possible signature of their evolution in the context of climate change;

• The durability of the dyke with respect to these actions, or how to assess the duration of its ability to perform its protective function against submersions;

• Perception of the risk of marine submersion and perception of the effectiveness of the protective dykes by the populations of the territories concerned.

The knowledge developed and shared, via the envisaged platform, will allow in the medium term the development of projects for the reinforcement of existing dykes or development of new dykes of a more sustainable design, which could be proposed within the framework of the Rapid Submersion Plans, several of which are planned in the PACA region over the coming years.