bankafbraak

Bankafbraak is a term used in Dutch geotechnical and hydraulic engineering to describe the erosion and destabilization of a bank, typically along rivers, estuaries, or coastlines. It encompasses the removal of material from the bank face and the toe of the slope, which can lead to instability, sliding, or collapse. The process can be gradual, driven by sustained erosion, or sudden, resulting from extreme flooding or wave action.

Causes and mechanisms include hydraulic scour from flowing water that undercuts the toe, seepage and internal piping that reduces soil strength, and saturated conditions that lower shear resistance. Wave action in coastal settings, rainfall-induced saturation, groundwater changes, and vegetation removal or disturbance can all increase vulnerability. Soil properties, such as cohesion, grain size, and structure, strongly influence the likelihood and rate of bankafbraak.

Impacts of bankafbraak can be substantial. They may threaten nearby infrastructure, fields, or settlements; alter river or shoreline morphology; increase sediment transport and turbidity; and affect habitats and biodiversity. In some cases, rapid bank failure can cause sudden hazards for people and property.

Prevention and mitigation focus on stabilizing the bank and reducing drivers of erosion. Common measures include structural solutions such as riprap, gabions, or retaining walls; bioengineering approaches with vegetation that enhances root cohesion; drainage management to control pore pressures; and set-back reconstruction or bank regrading to restore stability. Monitoring with surveys and remote sensing aids in early detection of increasing risk.