Pillars of salt dam reach highest point
Construction of the new salt dam near Sea Lock IJmuiden reached its highest point this week. This involves the two enormous pillars of the structure, which will soon be sunk into the water. The installation should ensure that the salt that enters the sea lock can be transported back to sea.
Flag raised on the pillars of the salt dam. Photo: Ko van Leeuwen
Contractor Van Hattum and Blankevoort worked on the pillars for almost a year, resulting in two imposing pillars, each 27.5 meters high. About 1,000 m3 of concrete was used for each pillar, divided into eight sections of 3.25 meters, on a base 1.5 meters high. Anchors were placed during the concrete pouring to enable the pillars to be lifted and placed in their final position in the Inner Spuikanaal next spring. Currently, the piers are still hollow to facilitate lifting; after placement, they will be filled with sand.
Salt Dam
In addition to the piers, construction of the walls of the salt dam has also progressed, and over the past period the Inner Spuikanal has been deepened to -23 NAP at the salt dam site. Construction trenching in the Inner Spuikanaal has begun to ensure that the piers can be placed accurately in the correct location.
There goes the Port token. At the head of the southern concrete pillar. Photo: Ko van Leeuwen
Commitment
ORAM director Kees Noorman donated his Port Medal to the foundation of the new salt dam earlier this month. To be exact in the southern pillar. "This structure will soon guarantee the functioning of the port even in drier periods," Noorman said. "I also see it as a result of the commitment shown by Rijkswaterstaat to keep the Amsterdam port functioning in optimal condition. In doing so, after Sea Lock IJmuiden, this project is yet another example of Dutch hydraulic engineering. A specialty that the rest of the world knows us for and what we need to propagate."
Selective abstraction
The salt dam, which will become operational in 2024 in the Binnenspuikanaal of the IJmuiden Lock Complex, is crucial for the selective extraction of saltwater from the North Sea Canal. It prevents further salinization of the canal due to the use of IJmuiden Sea Lock. Through this lock considerably more saltwater flows into the North Sea Canal than through the Noordersluis, which has negative effects on ecology, nature, agriculture and horticulture, and drinking water. The salt dam acts as a letterbox to drain the salt water. Because saltwater is heavier than freshwater, it sinks to the bottom, and through an opening at the bottom of the salt dam, the saltwater flows back to the sea through the Spui and Pumping Station complex. Freshwater is stopped by the salt dam and remains in the North Sea Canal. The salt dam is expected to be commissioned on schedule by the end of 2024.
