The Netherlands: Maasvlakte 2 Project Makes Progress in 2011

In 2011, all building phases will be executed  simultaneously. Activities are mounting.  By taking the necessary measures, the Port of Rotterdam Authority will prevent possible nuisance as a result of this work.

Over the course of 2011, all building phases will be activated at the same time. Besides the depositing of sand and rock, work will get underway on the quay walls, roads and viaducts will be constructed, the contractors will start developing the utilities infrastructure and a start will be made on the construction of the railway line.

On top of this, the new dunes will be finished and the existing Maasvlakte will be connected to the new area. This range of activities will not be causing any nuisance for the companies currently established at Maasvlakte. The Port of Rotterdam Authority will take a variety of measures to ensure that business runs as usual throughout the course of these projects.

In place

Most of the sand required for the construction of Phase One of Maasvlakte 2 is currently in place, which is clearly visible on the photograph. This explains the absence of the trailing suction hopper dredgers this winter. The large-scale depositing of sand from the sea has presently been rounded off. But we haven’t seen the last of the ‘sand suckers’: they will be returning later this year. Of the 240 million cubic metres of sand required for this project, some 50 million cubic metres still need to be deposited.

At the moment, the contractor has three sources for this sand: the sand pit in the North Sea, the sand that is freed up during the deepening of the Yangtzehaven and the sand that becomes available thanks to work on the LNG Terminal in the existing Maasvlakte.

A lot of rock

Now that so much sand is in place, there’s the matter of ensuring that it isn’t flushed away by the tide.

The construction of the hard seawall near the Maas Entrance therefore has top priority for contractor PUMA. Some four million tons of rock have already been transported over sea to the Maasvlakte 2 site, and this is steadily continuing as we speak.

Some 900,000 tons of rock have already been deposited under the waterline. And over 1.1 million tons of rock can be found on the hard seawall, which is still under construction. Half of the blocks from the block dam of the existing Maasvlakte – slightly over 10,000 – have currently been picked up and moved elsewhere. These massive cubes, which weigh 40,000 kilos a piece and stretch to 2.5 metres tall, will be recycled later this spring in the new block dam that will be protecting Maasvlakte 2.

The Blockbuster, which was especially designed and constructed for this purpose, is standing by to do the job.

[mappress]

Source: maasvlakte2, March 9, 2011