In its latest update, the Port of Amsterdam informed that construction activities on the site of the new sea lock in IJmuiden are in full swing. More than 200,000 m3 of concrete have now been poured and still more will be poured in January and February, including concrete for the inner lock head and for the lock chamber.
Also in this period, work will continue on the completion of the lock gates and on the local control buildings – which are now taking shape.
The Port cited a summarizing list of the developments to take place in the coming months:
Lock gates
- After a 44-day voyage from South Korea via Cape of Good Hope, the lock gates for the new sea lock finally arrived in the Port of Amsterdam on 6 December.
- The lock gates – floating in the water – will be transported by tug from Rotterdam via IJmuiden to the OpenIJ Logistics Centre in the port of Amsterdam as soon as the weather permits.
- One lock gate will be moored in the lock chamber of the new sea lock to be completed on-site. The other two will be completed in the Port of Amsterdam.
Inner lock head
- At the inner head, final concreting works are underway before the sinking operation of this lock gate chamber.
- Partitions are being installed in the lock gate chamber of the inner head to ensure that the caisson will remain stable during the sinking operation.
Lock chamber
- In the months to come, the final concreting of the southern and northern lock chamber walls will be carried out.
- The top of the concrete walls will be covered by what are called cover slabs.
Local control buildings
- Work is also soon to start on the construction of the local control buildings situated on both sides of the Lock Operation Centre.
- One will be built near the inner lock head; the other near the outer lock head.
- The lock gates can be operated and controlled from these buildings.
- Together, the Lock Operation Centre (SOC) and the local control buildings are responsible for the control and operating of the new sea lock.
Cofferdam for the lock sill of the outer head
- The cofferdam for the lock sill of the outer head has been sunk to its required depth.
- The future outer gate will run on the lock sill when the lock must be opened or closed. The lock sill cofferdam has been sunk to a depth of 22 metres below NAP.
