Duties of a technical department in

the port of antwerp

Departement of Infrastructure

ir. Tom Van Autgaerden (Antwerp Port Authority)

Todays Agenda

Organisation/ duties of Infrastructure

Different types of quay walls
Differtent types of bridges
Modification of existing waterfront
structures 2 different techniques
Larger container ships: some
consequences

Antwerp Port Authority

Board of directors

Management team

Administration

Central staff
services

Harbour masters
office

Operational
services

Infrastructure
department

Present view of the port - infrastructure

16km

9Total surface : 13.357 ha

9Quay length : 150 km
9Railway length 1113 km
9Road length : 400 km
9Covered storage : 498 ha
9Movable bridges: 24
9Locks: 6

Growth

Infrastructure
Infrastructure
Department

Dry infrastructure

Wet infrastructure

Management &
maintenance of dry
infrastructure:

Management &
maintenance of wet
infrastructure:

Roads

Quay wals

Warehouses

Sealocks

Buildings

Bridges

Ca. 120 FTE

Ca. 45FTE

Port
development & renovation

Planning, design and

project management for
new port development
projects

Construction upgrading

Ca. 10 FTE

Personel = engineers, foreman, craftsman, secretary, contractors,

Departement Wet Infrastructure

inspections

Locks

Quay

Bridges

Scour effects

damages

operators
Surcharges

management

Cranes

Maintenance long term/ short term

Repair long term/ short term/ immediately
Technical Advise (dos/ donts) & study: in - external
Modify/ adapt structures

Advise- study

Different types of quay walls

Sheet piles
Slurry wall
Danish wall
Caisson type wall
Gravity wall

Gravity Wall

Gravity wall

Sheet piles

Slurry wall

Northsee terminal

Danish wall

Caisson wall
Isometric Caissons

Locks in Antwerp

Locks
Zandvliet Lock
Berendrecht Lock
Boudewijn Lock
Van Cauwelaert Lock
Kallo Lock
Royers Lock

Royers Lock (1907)

Lock
operator

Characteristics
Length between outer gates : 182.5m
Width : 22m
Sill depth : -6.41m
Water level on Scheldt : -0.8m..+5.85m*
Nominal water level in docks : +4.18m
Statistics 2004
# lockings
# passages
- seagoing vessels
- barges

5001
587
28596

* Max level for

lock operation

Van Cauwelaert Lock (1928)

Characteristics
Length between outer gates : 270.0m
Length between inner gates : 225.9m
Width : 35m
Sill depth : -9.83m
Water level on Scheldt : -1m..+6.5m
Nominal water level in docks : +4.18m

Lock
operator

Statistics 2004
# lockings
# passages
- seagoing vessels
- barges

3750
235
23043

Traffic
control

Lock
operator

Traffic
control

Berendrecht Lock (1989)

Characteristics
Length between outer gates : 500.0m
Length between inner gates : 454.2m
Width : 68m
Sill depth : -13.50m
Water level on Scheldt : -1m..+6.5m
Nominal water level in docks : +4.18m
Statistics 2004
# lockings
# passages
- seagoing vessels
- barges

2497
7241
11008

Kallo Lock (1976)

Characteristics
Length between outer gates : 360.0m
Length between inner gates : 308.5m
Width : 50m
Sill depth : -12.50m
Water level on Scheldt : -1m..+6.5m
Nominal water level in docks : +3.60m
Traffic control &
lock operator
Statistics 2004
# lockings
# passages
- seagoing vessels
- barges

4281
4971
17649

Different kinds of movable bridges

MOVABLE BRIDGES
N

Draw bridge
Swing bridge
Scherzer bridge
Bascule bridge
Strauss bridge

Swing bridge - principle

24

Scherzer bridge

Oosterweel bridge

Mexico bridges

25

Draw bridge Siberiabridge south

26

Strauss bridge: Noordkasteel bridges

27

Bascule bridge

28

Elements damaged due to collision

80m
130m

400m

Elements damaged due to collision

Departement Wet Infrastructure

inspections

Locks

Quay

Bridges

Scour effects

damages

operators
Surcharges

management

Cranes

Maintenance long term/ short term

Repair long term/ short term/ immediately
Technical Advise (dos/ donts) & study: in - external

Modify/ adapt structures

Techniques for the renovation

of quay walls
Post panamaxships in the older parts of the port ?
Two techniques used in port of
Antwerp :
1. Deepening of existing structure
with VHP grouting technique
(VHP = Very High Pressure)
2. Construction of Combi Wall
in front of existing structure

Techniques for the renovation

of quay walls

VHP-grouting Technique
Drilling of vertical holes in the quay wall
Injection beneath the quay wall with grout under
very high pressure (200 to 800 bar)
Grout = mixture of water and cement
Soil is mixed with grout to form new foundation for
the quay well

Techniques for the renovation

of quay walls
POSSIBLE RISKS

VHP-grouting Technique
sand loss due to opening in grout screen

Combi Wall Technique

sand loss due to opening in combi wall

Techniques for the renovation

of quay walls: Americadock north

Techniques for the renovation

of quay walls: Americadock north

Techniques for the renovation

of quay walls: Americadock north

Techniques for the renovation

of quay walls
EXISTING TERMINAL EQUIPMENT
(e.g. crane rails, fixed installations)
VHP-grouting Technique
Fixed terminal equipment does not have to be
modified
Combi Wall Technique
Fixed terminal equipment has to be modified,
because distance to berth changes

Techniques for the renovation

of quay walls

COSTS

VHP-grouting Technique
Cost : ca. 16,500 EUR/m quay
Combi Wall Technique
Cost : 10,000 EUR/m quay wall

Delwaidedock past vs future

Bulk: DWT 125.000

P& O

Noordnatie

Hessenatie

Today- MSC home Terminal

3.900.00000 TEU

Delwaidedock

Built in late 70s

Mass concrete
21.8m

No reinforcement
Bollardpull: 100 ton

12.5m

Delwaidedock last year

Delwaidedock- past vs future

Today- MSC home Terminal
Bulk

5000 TEU

8000 TEU

12500 TEU

125.000

70.000

105.000

152.000

Length
(m)
(overall)

295

275

346

<390

Draft (m)

16

14

14.5

14.5

Height
(m)

26

21.7

24.50

29

43.5

40.3 (16 ctn)

42.8 (17 ctn)

45.20 (18 ctn)

Height
(aw) (m)

10

+/-20

25

32

Surface
(m2)

2950

5700

8650

12480

DWT

Beam (m)

8000 TEU

7
17

Delwaidedock - consequences
Larger containerships lead to:
Higher windforces/ higher power/ no tugs
Higher bollardpull/ higher bottom velocities
Instability of quay wall elements/ scour effects
Adaptation of quay wall/ scour protection

Badly fixed bollards ??

Delwaidedock FEM design

Stress analysis

deformation

Delwaidedock bollard testing

Determine weld
thickness

Delwaidedock bollard testing

Delwaidedock bollards

New bollard: 200 ton

Current bollard: 100 ton

Delwaidedock present situation

2 km quay wall
10.000.000 EUR
Scour protection : 50%
Adaptation quay wall:
50%

Delwaidedock demolition of concrete

Delwaidedock positioning of frames and

rebars

Delwaidedok positioning the anchors (strands)

Delwaidedock positiong the anchors (strands)

Length: 23m

Strands: 16 (150 mm2)

Capacity: 200 ton

Delwaidedock- new situation

Delwaidedock installing a scour protection

Open stone
asphalt
mattresses
0.3m *35 m * 10m
(+/- 200 ton)
Joints filled with
concrete

Preparation of mattresses

Delwaidedock installing a scour protection

Thank you for your kind attention

Questions ?