dike
Quick Summary
In civil engineering, a dike is an artificial structure, typically an embankment of earth, constructed to control or confine water. Dikes serve as barriers to protect land from flooding, particularly from seas or rivers. They can also function as artificial watercourses, similar to ditches.12
A notable example of dike construction is the Delta Plan in the Netherlands, a massive civil engineering project designed to protect the country, much of which lies below sea level, from devastating floods. This plan involved building numerous dams and dikes to reclaim land and prevent saltwater intrusion into the water table.3
In geology, a dike refers to a tabular or sheetlike body of igneous rock that cuts across the bedding of surrounding rocks. These formations can vary greatly in size, from a few centimeters to many kilometers in length.4
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- AmsterdamEarly settlement and growth
…early inhabitants had to build dikes on both sides of the river, and about 1270 they built a dam between these dikes.
Read More…early inhabitants had to build dikes on both sides of the river, and about 1270 they built a dam between these dikes.
Read More - history of the Low CountriesSocial and economic structure
…bogs), in the building of dikes and polders, in the expansion of agricultural land, and in the growth of the villages (new parishes) and towns.
Read More…bogs), in the building of dikes and polders, in the expansion of agricultural land, and in the growth of the villages (new parishes) and towns.
Read More