Drilling and sawing specialist Stenabo divides lock wall into 12 pieces

The Kapel concrete drilling company worked 10 days full continuously on this drilling and sawing job.

Creating space

To determine the way of working, Stenabo always takes several factors into account. "This is usually done in consultation with the client and/or the main contractor, in this case Herbosch-Kiere," explains Raoul Nabarro. "Together we always look at the resources available on site. On this project, there was a crane and pontoon present which allowed us to saw quite large pieces. In principle, we can saw pieces even heavier than 34 tons, but that was not an option for the works on the Berendrecht lock. This is because the largest pieces were under a bridge. To create enough space, the bridge was raised a few centimeters, but with even larger and heavier cut concrete pieces, it became almost impossible to get them safely out from under the bridge and lift them onto the pontoon."

Technically, Stenabo had no surprises in store for the repair of the Berendrecht lock, but it was certainly not an everyday project. "Sawing in itself is done by experienced people, but the setting is always different. And that makes it interesting and challenging. Working on a lock remains a unique experience. From inside the drywell, we sawed a part that is normally underwater. The thought alone is special. On the inside of the lock, you had the structural work of the lock itself that we had to take into account. The setting was quite special, partly also because of the jacked-up bridge."

The large 16-by-7-m concrete lock wall was divided into 12 smaller sections using a wire saw.

Special project

In addition to the concrete drilling and sawing work, Stenabo's own team also performed the chemical anchoring, allowing new concrete reinforcement to be placed in the side walls and floor. The Kapel concrete drilling company worked 10 days full continuously on this drilling and sawing job. "We regularly work as a subcontractor on the renovation of quay walls, for example. But the repair of a lock wall happens rather rarely. This is an important part of the port infrastructure that is indispensable for the optimal functioning of the port of Antwerp. That's what makes this project so special for us," explains Managing Director Stefan Nabarro.
Raoul Nabarro confirms, "We are always very proud of projects like this. Time pressure was certainly a challenge here, but because other construction sites were down because of corona, we were able to carry out the necessary preparatory work for the Berendrecht lock. As a result, the work itself went very smoothly. The communication with Herbosch-Kiere was also very positive. Working in shifts for ten days and 24 on 24 is very stressful and can weigh on the mind, but the cooperation remained very streamlined."