Global analysis and constructional aspects in the redesign of bearing elements for a movable storm surge barrier

A flexible protection from flooding of lowlands surrounding harbour areas consists of a movable storm surge barrier, such as the Maeslantkering near Rotterdam. It has a curved steel wall that is connected to a pivot element or ball-joint by steel trusses. A critical point in the construction is the rotating ball-joint that controls the movement of the retaining wall into the river. Due to the high forces transmitted between the convex and concave sliding surfaces originating from the hydraulic storm head, waves and wind, a design with thin films consisting of solid lubricants failed