Delft3D — The Complete Guide: Free Open-Source Modelling of Coasts, Currents and Sediment
Delft3D is a suite of models from the Dutch research institute Deltares for the marine and coastal environment: currents, waves, sediment transport, shoreline change and water quality, in two and three dimensions. Its computational kernels have been released as open source, and it is used in coastal protection, port and marina projects worldwide.
Delft3D
Deltares
Coastal and marine engineering — currents, waves, sediment transport and shoreline morphology.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- Hydrodynamics — tidal, wind-driven and density currents, layered or depth-averaged.
- Waves — the wave module is based on SWAN and coupled to the flow.
- Morphology — sediment transport and bed change over months and years.
- Water quality — salinity, temperature, pollutants and ecological processes.
- Two families — Delft3D 4 on structured grids, and Delft3D FM on unstructured meshes.
What to know
The computational code is open and free, including for commercial work. The graphical interfaces are distributed by Deltares and run mainly on Windows; for the FM Suite interface, check the current terms on the website. The learning curve is steep, and the model must be calibrated against measurements.
Related tools
For a single storm event and dune erosion — XBeach. For waves only — SWAN. For a finite element alternative — TELEMAC-MASCARET.
XBeach
Deltares
Storm impact on the coast — overwash, dune erosion and barrier breaching in a single extreme event.
Get it from the vendorSWAN
Delft University of Technology
Nearshore wave model for shallow water — essential input for jetty and breakwater design.
Get it from the vendor
TELEMAC-MASCARET
EDF / Consortium
Hydrodynamic system for rivers and coasts on unstructured meshes — flow, waves, sediment and quality.
Get it from the vendorSWASH
Delft University of Technology
Non-hydrostatic coastal flow model — waves in harbours, overtopping of structures and estuary currents.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
Delft3D is one of the most complete professional packages for coastal engineering, and it is available for free — for anyone willing to invest in learning and calibration.