Proceedings on the Third International Conference on the Application of Physical Modelling to Port and Coastal Protection 1 PHYSICAL MODEL TESTING OF AN INNOVATIVE COBBLE SHORE, PART I: VERIFICATION OF CROSS-SHORE PROFILE DEFORMATION G.J.A. LOMAN (1), M.R.A. VAN GENT (2) and J.W. MARKVOORT (3) (1) Msc, PUMA, P.O. Box 639, 3190 AN Hoogvliet, The Netherlands, g.loman@puma-mv2.nl (2) Dr, Deltares | Delft Hydraulics, P.O. Box 177, 2600 MH Delft, The Netherlands, marcel.vangent@deltares.nl (3) Msc, PUMA, P.O. Box 639, 3190 AN Hoogvliet, The Netherlands, j.markvoort@puma-mv2.nl In early 2008, the Port of Rotterdam Authority awarded the first DCM contract of the Maasvlakte 2 project to PUMA, a joint venture of Boskalis and Van Oord. In this mega port extension an innovative sea defense has been designed and is being constructed: a 3.5-kilometer dynamic cobble shore with a foreshore reef of re-used blocks. The role of physical model testing in this design optimization and verification has been described in two Coastlab2010 papers. Part I deals with the cross-shore design aspects of a thick layer of cobbles, covering a sand core with a beach and dune profile. Keywords: Maasvlakte 2, sea defense, cobble shore, foreshore reef, integral design, verification, cross-shore profile and physical model. 1. Introduction In early 2008, after more than a decade of all-embracing project preparation and after having invited tender in 2005, the Port of Rotterdam Authority (PRA) awarded the first phase of the seaward expansion of the existing port area to PUMA, a joint venture of the Dutch dredging contractors Boskalis and Van Oord. This port extension project is known as Maasvlakte 2, a mega reclamation, deepening and construction work, which will create around 2,000 hectares of harbor area in virgin marine waters up to 18 meters deep. Expanding the port by about 20% (see Figure 1) will in particular meet the deep-draft needs of the container handling sector, accommodating the planned 12,500 TEU vessels in harbor basins with a nautical depth of 20 meters. The scope of this DCM (design, construct and maintenance) contract includes an approximately 11-kilometer sea defense. The DCM contract stipulates completion of the design and construct work in 2013 and 5 years’ subsequent maintenance of this sea defense. Figure 1: Port of Rotterdam development 1970 – 2030 (left) and birds eye view of completed Maasvlakte 2 port extension (right) Unlike for traditional construction contracts, this DCM bid requires PUMA to come up with its own design, based on PRA’s functional requirements. In line with the current trends in DCM contracts, PRA decided in 2005 to itemize the Program of Requirements (PoR) in a functional and system-oriented manner, without basing it on a reference design. The specification of approximately 700 PoR items includes the operational phase (i.e. functionality, durability and object interfaces), the construction phase (i.e. environment, safety and completion delivery) and the maintenance phase (i.e. monitoring and control). During the tender phase (2005-2007) PUMA elaborated this PoR in frequent dialogue with PRA into approximately 1,700 items of the Requirements Tree and Verification Matrix (RTVM). This working method, being innovative in DCM tendering, resulted in the RTVM as a bid document as well as a contract document. Each of these RTVM items had to be described as sufficiently SMART (specific, measurable, accountable, realistic and time- constrained). The RTVM indicates per elaborated requirement item - in a traceable and quality assured way - the verification method, the specific criterion and the document in which the verification assessment is described. During the contractual design phase up to 2010 the design of the stone part of the sea defense was further optimized and verified.