IJmuiden Sea Lock Project – October Update

The start of the construction of the IJmuiden New Sea Lock control building and the relocation of the two waiting buildings on the North Lock are the most important events scheduled for this month, reports the Port of Amsterdam.

Work also continues on the diaphragm walls for the lock chamber and on the diaphragm walls for the dividing dam. In the two cofferdams, concrete pouring for the floors is underway while reinforcement steel for the walls is now being installed, added the port.

The follow-up activities include the application of a smooth finish to the surface of the lock chamber walls, the installation of anchoring beams, the drilling of anchors, and the installation of a coping with rounded edges. A coping forms the top course of the lock chamber wall and consists of a natural stone cover plate placed on masonry.

The dividing dam is also constructed of diaphragm walls. The dividing dam connects the New Sea Lock with the Middle Lock.

According to the port, work also continues in the cofferdams of the lock gate recesses. This October, the fourth and final layer of concrete will be poured for the floor of the outer lock head and the second layer for the floor of the inner lock head.

Each lock gate recess needs about 4,000 cubic meters of concrete. In both cofferdams, work will start on the installation of reinforcement steel for the walls. This will be followed by concrete pouring. Concrete will be poured in several layers: each layer being 3.5 meters high.

Construction of these walls will continue into the next year.