The unique large-scale test facility for dam and levee models in the hydraulic engineering laboratory of the TU Dresden has already proven itself methodically in several research projects and has been continuously developed and optimized. Complex issues of dam and levee protection combined with high-performance measuring and control systems for different flood scenarios were addressed in order to develop a profound understanding of the correlations between geohydraulics, geophysics and soil mechanics of such structures under in-situ-related conditions. Furthermore, new technologies (e.g. soil sensors for determining the water content, non-destructive methods for dike monitoring or image recognition) can be tested under laboratory conditions deducing recommendations for practical application. The hybrid approach supports the validation of mathematical-numerical models and keeps the focus on practical issues.