Introduction

Experience with these structures has been obtained in many regions, for example, Australasia, South East Asia, South Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America. However, there is the impression that broader application is possible if knowledge of the performance of geotextile-encapsulated sand elements is more readily available. An initial step has already been taken in The Netherlands with [14] to make current knowledge of geosystems more accessible to a broader public, so that they can be incorporated in the planning stage as a structure variant. Furthermore, an extensive description of the available knowledge is provided by Pilarczyk [22]. Based on the work presented by Pilarczyk and other sources (see the bibliography) this manual will provide design rules for the most common geotextile-encapsulated sand elements. Where possible, the design rules have been validated and, where appropriate, the limitations stated. The target group for this manual comprises project managers, designers, administrators and supervisory bodies involved in the planning and execution of hydraulic and coastal structures.