Hydraulic behaviour of the Geul inverted siphon: Energy losses, debris accumulation and applicability of a Minimum Energy Loss culvert

In the area of Bunde in the south of Limburg, the Netherlands, the Geul river flows beneath the Juliana Canal through an inverted siphon before reaching the Meuse. During July 2021 a large scale flood event occurred, showing an insufficient capacity of the inverted siphon when both the Geul and Meuse had high water levels.

Such inefficiency can be explained by the significant head losses at the entrance due to a sub-optimal geometry that also favours the accumulation of debris, as proved during the recent flood. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the hydraulic behaviour of the Geul inverted siphon, focusing on potential implementation measures. Additionally, this study investigates the possibility of replacing the current inverted siphon with a Minimum Energy Loss (MEL) culvert.

The final report can be downloaded here.