Asset management for storm surge barriers: how and why?

Due to increasing flood risks, storm surge barriers become crucial for the socioeconomic continuity of coastal areas. They provide flood protection, especially against extreme events, by operating under specific circumstances. This imposes high-performance requirements for storm surge barriers and their asset management during their lifetime and emphasises the role and criticality of their asset management. For this purpose, the research investigates asset management for storm surge barriers by focusing on the approach in the Netherlands and analysing it relative to distinctive characteristics of storm surge barriers. Based on thematic analysis, the study unfolds that barriers’ characteristics: (1) clarify the vital motives for the asset management approach, (2) confront the approach with challenging conditions, resulting in further maturation of the approach, and (3) require ongoing support from the approach, enforcing continuous improvement and resilience of the asset management approach. These findings demonstrate the strong influence of barriers’ characteristics on their asset management approach and provide a fundamental understanding of asset management for storm surge barriers. This supports flood defence authorities in the development and improvement of asset management for storm surge barriers and underpins associated complexities for future designs and research. Furthermore, the study assists in tailoring approaches for other assets.