Biggest global canal lock gate to use FiberCore FRP's

The gates will be 13 meters tall by 6 meters wide, and built using FiberCore Europe’s InfraCore-technology. These lock gates follow the trend for low-maintenance infrastructural works that has been set by the numerous FRP bridges already built with the same technology. The gates will be installed in the Wilhelminakanaal and are part of a major project to widen the canal to allow bigger ships to use it. This includes widening the locks to 10.5 meters.

The tallest lock gates will each be 13 meters tall by 6 meters wide, the height being driven by the nearly 8m difference in water level. To ensure high availability and low running costs, the gates need to be low in maintenance.

Structurally, the gates need to be able to withstand axial as well as bending forces, while also accommodating openings closed with paddles to operate the gates. FiberCore Europe’s proprietary InfraCore-technology offers all this, but also offers a low self weight. As a consequence the structure is fast to operate.

For the client, Rijkswaterstaat, InfraCore technology is no longer a trial but a proven construction technique with evident advantages over traditional materials. Rijkswaterstaat is part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, and responsible for the country’s safety and main infrastructure.

With a major part of the country located below the sea level, the government body is highly experienced with risk assessments. All linking to the port of Rotterdam, the Dutch canal network is a key part of the national infrastructure. Inland navigation features significant sustainable credentials over transportation by road, and is expected to see a significant rise in the future.

The full project is undertaken by a consortium of two main contractors, Heijmans and Boskalis. Heijmans is in charge of the construction of the new lock, while Boskalis will execute the works on the canal itself. The design of the gates was performed by FiberCore Europe’s in-house engineering office, and follows from an intensive collaborative design-phase between the various parties involved. Works on-site on the lock will start early 2014. The gates will be fabricated in 2014, to be installed in 2015.

It is believed that with this world premiere, the Dutch tradition of marine structures and flood protection is prolonged. FiberCore Europe successfully worked with Heijmans before, also for Rijkswaterstaat, on the world’s longest steel-FRP hybrid bridge. This bridge with a total length of 142 meter comprised a lightweight InfraCore deck fitted in between steel trusses on either side.

FiberCore Europe