IHCantabria initiates three-dimensional physical tests to evaluate solutions to flooding in the Malecón Tradicional in Havana, Cuba

The start of the 3D testing campaign is a key milestone in the development of the project “Complementary studies for the integral solution to flooding in the Malecón de La Habana”, developed by IHCantabria since the end of 2023

The Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the Universidad de Cantabria (IHCantabria) has started this month the 3D physical model tests to evaluate different alternatives for protection against extreme wave events that affect the Traditional Malecon of Havana, in Cuba. This experimental phase is a key milestone in the culmination of the project “Complementary studies for a comprehensive solution to flooding in the Havana Malecon”, an international initiative that combines applied research, technology transfer and technical training.

The objective of these tests is to determine the overtopping of the waves over the Malecón wall and to evaluate the effectiveness of various structural solutions designed to mitigate the impact of flooding caused by cold fronts and hurricanes. To this end, a physical model has been built in the laboratories of IHCantabria that reproduces, at a scale of 1/60, a 2-kilometer stretch of the Havana coastline.

The experimental process begins with the evaluation of the current situation, and then progressively incorporates and tests different coastal protection alternatives, such as free dykes. These tests will make it possible to compare the degree of protection offered by each solution under extreme wave conditions, generating technical evidence to support decision-making by the Cuban authorities.

A group of professional experts in laboratory testing of maritime structures, including Álvaro Álvarez Vázquez, Antonio Tomás Sampedro, Beatriz Rodríguez Fernández and César Vidal Pascual, are participating in the execution of these tests.

Transfer of knowledge that guarantees the sustainability of the project

To ensure the sustainability of this project, its development has also included a professional training component, in four training stages. This is a technical training program in advanced coastal and maritime engineering technologies, aimed at strengthening the capacities of the team of Cuban professionals from the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH), the Western Hydraulic Engineering Services Company (ESIHO) and the Hydraulic Research Center of the Technological University of Havana (CIH-CUJAE). The training courses have been carried out at IHCantabria’s facilities and online, in November and December 2023, in May and November 2024, and in May of this year.

At the moment, the fourth and last formative stage is being executed, with the participation of teaching and research staff from the Universitdad de Cantabria and IHCantabria, together with a group of Cuban professionals, integrated by Patricia Ruth de Horta Brito (CIH-CUJAE), Daniela Córdova De Horta (CIH-CUJAE), Luis Fermín Córdova López (technical director, CIH-CUJAE) and Juan José Díaz (project director, representing ESIHO). During three weeks, this team will exchange knowledge and analyze the results of the tests, to ensure an adequate follow-up of the 3D physical modeling studies, in order to advance in the definition of sustainable solutions adapted to the urban coastal context of Havana.

A technical visit for the final validation of these tests and the entire project is scheduled for the end of this month, with the participation of representatives of the promoting institutions ─INRH, CIH-CUJAE, ESIHO─; as well as the entities awarded the project, which are: the Fundación Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de Cantabria (represented by IHCantabria) and The Associated Engineering Partnership (Dar TAEP, with which R5 Marine Solutions), also participates. The partnership between IHCantabria and Dar TAEP is called International Consultant. The implementation of this project is financed by non-reimbursable funds, contributed by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.

With the development of this project, IHCantabria has reinforced its commitment to international scientific cooperation and to the development of effective tools to promote resilience to climate change in vulnerable environments.

Areas of Havana’s Traditional Malecón, Cuba, that are typically affected by extreme wave events. These areas are being considered in the three-dimensional physical tests currently being carried out by IHCantabria / Photos: Courtesy of Juan José Díaz

Facility of the Cantabria Coastal and Ocean Basin (CCOB), where IHCantabria personnel are conducting 3D physical model tests to evaluate different coastal protection alternatives against extreme wave events affecting Havana’s Traditional Malecón, in Cuba