Heavy-lifting

Jan De Nul lifts 2,500-tonne lock gate in Zeebrugge

Jan De Nul Group used its heavy-lift vessel Gulliver to disconnect, lift and transport the second lock gate from the Pierre Vandamme lock in Zeebrugge, Belgium, to the inner port for renovation. The gate weighs over 2,500 tonnes and has the surface of one-quarter of a football pitch (60 x 10 x 24 metres).

The operation on 25 May was carried out in the presence of the Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters. The works were commissioned by the Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works and are part of the large-scale renovation of the Pierre Vandamme lock, the crucial point of access to the inner port of Zeebrugge.

The Pierre Vandamme lock dates from 1984 and consists of two lock gates, each with two rolling gates and two movable bridges. The lock gate closest to the sea was lifted from the gate chambers by Jan De Nul in 2018 and, after having been renovated in the inner port, re-installed in the summer of 2019. Now, the same will be done with the most landward gate.

After six weeks of preparations to make the lock gate ready for lifting, heavy lift vessel Gulliver of Jan De Nul Group could now lift the door out of its position. The Gulliver is a pontoon derrick that can lift a weight of over 3300 tonnes. The whole operation is a sequence of several partial operations that were meticulously planned and prepared. The works started at 3 o’clock at night and took about nineteen hours.

Lock gate renovation

A consortium of Jan De Nul, Algemene Ondernemingen Soetaert, Almex Metaal and Demako will renovate the lock gate in the inner port of Zeebrugge.

The lock gate was transported to the ICO terminal in the inner port. Once on land, a scaffold is placed all around the gate to remove oysters and sludge. The consortium will replace several mechanical parts and install new technologies such as a compressor and agitation screws. Also, the steel structure will be taken on and adapted, including the installation of four extra butterfly valves. The door will be repainted to protect it against corrosion.

After the renovation works, the lock gate will be transported back and mounted into the gate chamber. During the renovation of this lock gate, the Vandamme lock will remain operational thanks to the three remaining lock gates.

This article first appeared on SWZ|Maritime, a maritime technology-focused sister publication of PCJ. 

Author: Mariska Buitendijk

Add your comment

characters remaining.

Log in through one of the following social media partners to comment.

Jan De Nul lifts 2,500-tonne lock gate in Zeebrugge | Project Cargo Journal
Heavy-lifting

Jan De Nul lifts 2,500-tonne lock gate in Zeebrugge

Jan De Nul Group used its heavy-lift vessel Gulliver to disconnect, lift and transport the second lock gate from the Pierre Vandamme lock in Zeebrugge, Belgium, to the inner port for renovation. The gate weighs over 2,500 tonnes and has the surface of one-quarter of a football pitch (60 x 10 x 24 metres).

The operation on 25 May was carried out in the presence of the Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters. The works were commissioned by the Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works and are part of the large-scale renovation of the Pierre Vandamme lock, the crucial point of access to the inner port of Zeebrugge.

The Pierre Vandamme lock dates from 1984 and consists of two lock gates, each with two rolling gates and two movable bridges. The lock gate closest to the sea was lifted from the gate chambers by Jan De Nul in 2018 and, after having been renovated in the inner port, re-installed in the summer of 2019. Now, the same will be done with the most landward gate.

After six weeks of preparations to make the lock gate ready for lifting, heavy lift vessel Gulliver of Jan De Nul Group could now lift the door out of its position. The Gulliver is a pontoon derrick that can lift a weight of over 3300 tonnes. The whole operation is a sequence of several partial operations that were meticulously planned and prepared. The works started at 3 o’clock at night and took about nineteen hours.

Lock gate renovation

A consortium of Jan De Nul, Algemene Ondernemingen Soetaert, Almex Metaal and Demako will renovate the lock gate in the inner port of Zeebrugge.

The lock gate was transported to the ICO terminal in the inner port. Once on land, a scaffold is placed all around the gate to remove oysters and sludge. The consortium will replace several mechanical parts and install new technologies such as a compressor and agitation screws. Also, the steel structure will be taken on and adapted, including the installation of four extra butterfly valves. The door will be repainted to protect it against corrosion.

After the renovation works, the lock gate will be transported back and mounted into the gate chamber. During the renovation of this lock gate, the Vandamme lock will remain operational thanks to the three remaining lock gates.

This article first appeared on SWZ|Maritime, a maritime technology-focused sister publication of PCJ. 

Author: Mariska Buitendijk

Add your comment

characters remaining.

Log in through one of the following social media partners to comment.