Lanka Hydraulic Institute Completes its 4th Coastal Engineering Project in Algeria

Lanka Hydraulic Institute Ltd (LHI), the pioneer engineering consultancy firm, successfully completed yet another coastal engineering project in Algeria. A 2.5km long coastal segment in Mostaganem, in west Algeria has been studied to develop sufficient beach fronts and be converted  to a self-sustaining beach marina with ample recreational facilities including a pleasure port. This project comes immediately after the completion of a fully fledged commercial fishery harbour in Messida, Algeria. The project also goes to the record as second Coastal Stabilisation project received from Mediterranean region after LHI’s famous beach restoration project in Cannes, France in 2013.

Following the higher emphasis the Algerian Government placed in developing its tourism infrastructure, fishery harbours, pleasure ports, and beach protection, such schemes have increasingly been in the  spotlight. LHI previously completed three harbour development projects in Algeria, and a few more are in the pipeline. LHI is a fully Sri Lankan business entity operating in the fields of coastal, water resources and urban water engineering. 

The company maintains a state-of-the-art hydraulics laboratory with capabilities in engineering design, field measurements, physical modeling, and mathematical modeling; and carries out consultancy work for both domestic as well as overseas clients in the Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian, East Asian, African and European Regions. During its 30 year long history, LHI has contributed enormously to the coastal and water sector with more than 350 consultancy projects completed worldwide.

The LHI owns a large 25m x 35 m free spanning basin in the banks of Bolgoda. Being one of the largest test basins in South Asia, it is equipped with computer controlled wave makers to replicate in-situ ocean waves and tides or recreate river currents of standard and extreme storm events. This enables the design of structures such as breakwaters, jetties, coast protection structures, weirs and dams to be accurately and practically checked. LHI undertakes high-end studies in the design of hydraulic/coastal structures, and the collection of field data in the coastal / water sector; and is one of a kind in the region competing with the similar laboratories in the west. The designs are carried out using sophisticated globally accepted mathematical models and stand-alone or supportive scaled physical model studies conducted in the basin. 

A significant feature of LHI is the fact that all projects are handled in-house using Sri Lankan expertise. Key project staff consists of 5 PhD and 3 MSc qualified senior engineers having ample international and local experience, backed with a technically proficient supportive staff. LHI handled 15 major projects last year including Mathematical Model Studies for the Proposed Fishery Harbour at Mussanah-Oman, Resort Development in North Male Atoll-Maldives, and Physical Model Studies of the Mundra LNG Terminal – India. LHI also successfully completed back to back 2D and 3D physical modeling projects for fishery harbours namely: Dibba, Kumzar, and Mahout in Oman. In addition, the modeling of fishery harbours: Rakhyute, Sadah and Shuwaymiyah have been well secured for the year 2016.In Sri Lanka, LHI has been involved in water supply projects in Ratnapura & Matara, flood mitigation projects in Galle & Kandy, and field and modeling investigations for the Port City Project.