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Maritime Hydraulics Experimental Facility




  • Wave basin, 16.2 x 6.8 m²
  • Wave basin, 38.1 x 15.7 m²
  • Wave basin, 44.0 x 23.0 m²
  • Wave basin, 30.0 x 19.6 m²


  • Irregular wave flume, 60 cm wide, 38.0 m long
  • Irregular wave flume, 1.6 m wide, 49.4 m long, fitted with a wind generating system
  • Irregular wave flume, 3.0 m wide, 73.0 m long, with an enlarged, 11.0 x 3.0 m², section in which it is possible to perform three-dimensional stability tests. This flume is equipped with a rolling platform crane and it can be divided in three sections;


Consists of a rotating circular channel with a lid at the surface. Both elements rotate independently in opposite directions in order to avoid secondary flows. The flume has a mean external diameter of 3.7 m, a width of 0.30 m and a variable water depth between 0.39 and 0.47 m. The flume simulates different hydrodynamic conditions, including steady and periodic flows.





During the experiments, the suspended sediment concentration is measured by an optical probe (OSLIM). The erosion tests are performed on a sediment layer. The erosional behaviour of each sediment is determined by increasing the bed shear stress in successive steps until bottom sediment will ressuspend. The deposition tests consists of an initial mixing period followed by successive steps in which the bed shear stress is lowered until sediment in suspension starts to settle.



Four mobile, 6.0 m long, irregular wave generators for use in the wave basins (maximum water depth: 50 cm), two mobile, 6.0 m long, irregular wave generators for use in the wave basins (maximum water depth: 80 cm) and four motor pump groups for the basin irregular wave generators.