Construction of Princess Amalia Harbour quays
Rotterdam
Ballast Nedam contributes to the growth of the port of Rotterdam. The Port of Rotterdam Authority has awarded the construction of some 2.4 kilometres of quays and earth-retaining walls in the Princess Amalia Harbour to the HOCHTIEF, Ballast Nedam and Van Oord consortium. With this, the Port Authority invests in major expansion of container throughput in Rotterdam.
Boudewijn Siemons, Chief Operating Officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority: ‘We are looking forward to working with HOCHTIEF, Ballast Nedam and Van Oord, on the basis of the values we share with them in terms of safety and sustainability.’
Ronald de Geus, managing director of Ballast Nedam Infra Projects: "By looking at the project from different disciplines and together with chain partners, various solutions have been developed in order to arrive at the most sustainable and efficient method. For example, we limit the nuisance to the surrounding area by transporting building materials over water. In this way we ensure that the operational processes of the container terminals can always continue during the execution of the project."
The new building work will be on either side of the harbour, which is approximately 2.5 kilometres long. In total, this includes 1,825 metres of deep-sea quay, 160 metres of inland shipping quay and 360 metres of earth-retaining walls. Barring 725 metres, this means that the entire harbour basin, which went into use in 2015, will be enclosed. The project also includes the construction of a 160-metre waiting area for general use by inland shipping vessels. The completion of the first 500 metres of quay wall is expected in late 2022. The final part of the project will be completed no more than eighteen months later.
In addition to the construction of the quays, which will have a retaining height of 29 metres, the work also involves dredging the quays to a depth of more than 20 metres below sea level. In order to accommodate the future container cranes, a rear crane track of approximately 1.8 kilometres will be constructed on piles.
The quays will be state-of-the-art. For example, they are equipped with a wide range of sensors to monitor forces and any deformations. In addition, ECOncrete blocks will be installed at two locations. These act as artificial reefs to stimulate underwater biodiversity.