Located at the mouth of the North Sea Canal, IJmuiden sea lock is the Port of Amsterdam’s new front door. With a length of 500 meters, a width of 70 meters and a total depth of 18 meters, IJmuiden has become the largest sea lock in the world. Construction works started in 2016 and the new lock was designed with the aim to allow larger ocean-going vessels and the growing range of cruise ships a safe and smooth access to the port of Amsterdam.
Marine projects, such as the construction of the IJmuiden sea lock, are long-term projects – same as the partnership between SFT and client OpenIJ, the consortium awarded with the construction of this gigantic infrastructure project.
SFT was entrusted with the design and supply of a continuous fender-wall, a project that started in 2016 with the delivery 40 SPC Cone Fender Systems, each consisting of two Cone Fenders (SPC 700 G1.2) and a closed box panel (4,500-by-4,840 mm) with UHMW-PE pads. Later on, following the various design aspects of the development and to adapt to the different conditions on the in- and outside of the lock, SFT supplied another 21 sets of Cell Fender Systems (CSS 1250, G1.1) with closed box panels ( 4,500-by-4,840 mm) as well as an array of passive, hinge-connected lead-in panels covering a length of 100 m. The overall scope of the project also included Cylindrical Fenders, PU Fenders, Bollards and customized UHMW-PE Sliding Plates.
From a technical point of view, the correct design of these fender systems was of utmost importance, due to the interaction between the pile deflection and the fender system deflection. To overcome this challenge, our in-house engineering team integrated custom-made overload stoppers into all systems, that would allow for a controlled load transfer and activation of the pile structure without exceeding the rated fender deflection.
Reprinted from Marine Construction Magazine Issue III, 2023
