The iconic Fort Boyard, made famous by television, is slowly being swallowed by the sea. For its badly needed restoration, the French authorities turned to the Coastal & Ocean Basin (COB), a research facility run by Ghent University, KU Leuven and Flanders Hydraulics in Ostend. In COB’s wave basin, scale model tests were carried out to study the impact of waves and storm conditions on the fort. The result: new insights and a Flemish first in maritime research.
In short
- The iconic Fort Boyard is in urgent need of restoration.
- The French government commissioned COB to test the restoration plans.
- Scale model tests of the restoration works were carried out in the wave basin in Ostend.
For many people, Fort Boyard is the iconic backdrop of the game show of the same name that was a hit on Flemish television in the 1990s. Of course, the fortress has been standing off the west coast of France for much longer – and over time it has been severely damaged by the sea.
When the French administration drew up plans to restore Fort Boyard, they ended up at the Coastal & Ocean Basin (COB) in Ostend. In the impressive 30-by-30-metre wave basin, the impact of waves and currents on offshore and coastal structures can be simulated.
Researchers built a scale model of Fort Boyard, complete with stairs, windows and even the original lighthouse. They then unleashed waves on it, including extreme conditions such as a storm that statistically occurs only once every hundred years.
The added value of a wave basin
In a wave basin, researchers can use 3D scale models to study how the interaction between waves and currents affects marine structures. Engineers use these tests to validate plans for major offshore construction works, such as new breakwaters or the reconstruction of the disappeared harbour of Fort Boyard that the French would like to rebuild. “Of course you can approach this theoretically or look at it in a 2D simulation,” says director Maximilian Streicher, “but when the client saw live how a wave crashed into the model up to the second row of windows, they were quickly convinced that more robust measures were needed.”
3D physical modelling in the wave basin is therefore an excellent complement to 2D models, which are less suited to predict the complex interactions between waves and currents. “In 2D models, waves come from a single direction, whereas in nature they usually approach from several directions. Here in Ostend we can generate waves and currents from all directions at once. That finally made it clear why the original harbour and breakwater of Fort Boyard disappeared so quickly at the time, and how a new design can withstand the elements.”
Researchers saw how the combined effect of different wave transformation processes put extreme loads on the scale model. Maximilian explains: “The incoming wave was deflected at the edge of the structure – that’s called diffraction. Because the water depth decreases closer to the fort, the wave also turned towards the harbour behind the fort – that’s refraction. Our simulations showed how waves and currents around the fort would attack the structure and erode it away. At that point it became clear to everyone: every extra stone is not a cost, but a necessary investment.”
A young player with global impact
The project was more than just a tour de force in heritage research: it also put the Ostend lab firmly on the international map. The research facility is unique in Belgium because it can simulate waves and currents from different directions at the same time. In a few years, wind will be added as well, making tests on offshore wind turbines and other marine structures even more realistic.
The idea of a wave basin had existed for some time. Years of meticulous preparation preceded the final design and commissioning. “It’s remarkable what we’ve achieved with a small, driven team since we started in 2019,” Maximilian says proudly. “Back then, this was just a concrete tank. Today we are a research facility that can compete with leading international institutes. Our team brings together a huge amount of expertise and works closely with Ghent University and our consortium partners KU Leuven and Flanders Hydraulics.”
Driving the energy transition at sea
The unique infrastructure is attracting more and more companies, researchers and public authorities who want to test new technologies at sea. The renewable energy sector in particular is booming: from floating wind turbines and wave energy converters to tidal kites and floating solar panels.
“Our clients want to know how their concept performs under realistic conditions. We simulate the interaction of structures with water waves and currents – and in future also wind – helping them optimise their designs and reduce risks,” Streicher explains.
Answers to ecological challenges
A striking trend that COB is helping to research is that of nature-inclusive design: building with the sea, not against it. “In this approach, structures are designed not only to function as coastal defence, but also to provide ecological added value,” Maximilian says. That can involve using adapted materials, creating openings in structures where marine life can settle, or designing dunes that provide both coastal protection and biodiversity. “Here, our new sediment bed and the proximity of marine biologists at the Ostend Science Park and Marine@UGent are a huge asset.”
“It’s fascinating to see engineering and ecology coming together here,” Maximilian continues. “We’ve tested, for example, how alternative nature-inclusive foundations for wind turbines can remain just as stable while being more attractive for marine life.”
Even more fascinating research
“What we do is never standard,” Maximilian concludes. “Every project demands creativity and flexibility. But that’s exactly what makes it so fascinating: from restoring a historic fort to designing the wind farms of tomorrow – here in Ostend we are already testing today what withstand the sea tomorrow.”
Maximilian Streicher has been involved in the development of the Coastal & Ocean Basin Ostend (COB) since 2019 and has been its director since 2023. COB is a research facility at Ghent University, in partnership with KU Leuven and Flanders Hydraulics. Together with about six colleagues, he is responsible for the day-to-day operation of COB. The team is part of the Department of Civil Engineering and Coastal Engineering, Bridges and Roads research group, at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, where Maximilian is also an assistant professor.
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