The construction of the new sea lock at IJmuiden, the Netherlands, continued throughout January with the works on the temporary flood barrier – which serves to keep the hinterland dry during storms.
The old water barrier is simultaneously being excavated. The walls of the gate chambers are being erected inside the cofferdams of the inner-head and outer-head gate chambers.
“ The installation of diaphragm walls will continue as well, this time for the new flood barrier toward the Middensluis sea lock. In the cofferdams on the north-eastern side, the cofferdam for the outer lock sill and the vertical recess are being developed at several different levels ,” reported the Port of Amsterdam.
Temporary flood barrier
Construction is underway on the temporary flood barrier on the south-western side (number 1 in the photograph), involving the conversion of a sheet pile wall in the water into a solid barrier.
According to the port, once the sheet pile wall has been installed, the strip of water behind the sheet pile wall will be filled up with sand and the stones in this section will be excavated.
When this is completed, another section of sheet pile wall will be added and anchors will be installed to provide an extra strong foundation for this construction, as well as to facilitate elevation.
Gate chambers
The last concrete pourings for the floor of the inner-head gate chambers were completed in December. The current work on both the inner-head and outer-head gate chambers is concentrated on the rear and lateral walls of the gate chambers.
Diaphragm walls
For January, the plan calls for diaphragm walls to be installed at the Tussendam dam (number 2 in the photograph) for the new water barrier, which will connect the new sea lock to the Middensluis lock in the future.
The concrete-pouring and anchor-handling work will continue at the site of the new sea lock, as part of the construction of the lock chamber walls.
Cofferdams in north-eastern section
Works are also underway inside the various cofferdams on the north-eastern side (number 3 in the photograph) of the sea lock, carried out at several different levels.
In the cofferdam of the outer lock sill, anchors are being constructed in order to facilitate the drainage of the 20-meter-deep cofferdam. At the end of December, concrete was poured at 9 meters below water level in the cofferdam for the vertical gate recess (which will be used to accommodate the door once the lock is completed).
This will allow the construction of the concrete structure for the water barrier (eventually to 8.85 above water level) to be leveled off at a later date.