IJmuiden Sea Lock Project – November Update

Concrete pouring operations for the floors of the new sea lock at IJmuiden continue throughout this month as well as the installation of reinforcement steel for the walls, reports the Port of Amsterdam.

According to the November update, the last diaphragm walls for the lock chamber are currently being placed and OpenIJ is making preparations to move the flood defense a little so that the last diaphragm walls for the seaward side of the lock chamber wall can be installed.

On the east side of the lock, work is being carried out in various cofferdams. The last concrete pouring operations for the floor are taking place and the reinforcement steel structure for the walls has now become visible, the port said.

The lock gate rebate is necessary to create a watertight seal with the lock gate. The space between the two lock sill cofferdams is left open to form a passageway through which a dredger can reach the area to start dredging away the sand out of the future lock chamber, added the port.

Also, the last diaphragm walls for the lock chamber are being installed in November. The last part of the lock chamber wall at the north-eastern corner could only be installed after the eastern part of the cut-off had been removed.

Now that the cut-off has been removed and the last corner of the construction site has been filled up with sand, the last diaphragm walls can be constructed. After completion of these operations, OpenIJ will continue with the construction of the guard wall connecting the new sea lock with the Middle Lock.

The port also reported that a sheet pile wall has been installed in the water south of the North Lock. This sheet pile wall will be anchored and completed next month. After that, the rocks will be removed from this newly constructed basin behind the sheet pile wall and an underwater search for unexploded ordnance will be carried out.

The area will be filled up in December in order to move the flood defense in a seaward direction. When these operations have been completed, the diaphragm walls of the lock chamber on the seaward side of the lock gate can be installed.