Woven Geotextiles Terralys as first foundation of the world's largest lock
Location of work/project:
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Summary:
Belgium, Port of Anwerp (Deurganckdok)
Beaulieu Technical Textiles
Deurganckdok is the realization of the second lock in the port of Antwerp. The construction on the left bank of the Scheldt began in 2011 and ended in 2016. Our geotextiles Terralys have been deployed on the ground and serves as separation layer in this immense construction project.
The realization of the second lock of the port of Waasland in Belgium – the dock complex on the left bank of the Schelde in the port of Antwerp – was a colossal project. The work began in October 2011 and was completed end of 2016. Our geotextiles will be deployed on the ground during one of the phases of this immense construction project.
In this pharaonic project, Terralys LF 46/46 geotextiles were placed at the bottom of the lock. This woven fabric of 40,000 m² serves as a separation between the bottom and the concrete slabs placed above.
Other asphalt-incorporating geotextiles were applied as final upper layer. This ultimate layer is primarily to protect the bottom of the lock against the propellers of large freighters. All these layers, based on the Terralys geotextiles, form the effective ground of the lock.
The bottom of this gigantic lock is lined with 40,000 m ² Terralys LF 46/46! It is estimated that 4.7 million m ³ of soil was excavated in order to obtain a huge foundation for the construction of the lock. Here are some points of comparison to give you an idea of the magnitude of this project:
The lock is 500 m long, as far as the Antwerpse Meir, or 4 x the height of the Antwerp Cathedral.
The lock is 68 m wide, the equivalent of a 19-band highway.
The lock comprises 22,000 tons of construction steel, about 3 x the steel of the Eiffel Tower.
The lock also contains 795,000 m³ of reinforced concrete.