Corrosion reserve of 6 mm as major challenge

Super strong anchoring system

Worldwide, many bridges, locks, quay walls, stadiums and other structures are equipped with the Anchor Schroeder ASDO anchoring and bar system. The German company, founded in 1920, is known for its quality, reliability and know-how. For the Nieuwe Sluis Terneuzen, it has supplied hundreds of anchor rods ranging in length from 2 to more than 70 meters.

"At an early stage, we were involved by contractor combination Sassevaart in the design of the New Lock Terneuzen," says Cor Janse, engineer at Bender International. Bender International has been in existence since 1982 and specializes in the supply of technical steel products for, among other things, hydraulic engineering, utility construction and mechanical engineering, and is a partner of Anker Schroeder ASDO. "We have been working with ASDO as a partner for 40 years and are the exclusive representative mainly for the Netherlands. Together we have been able to use our know-how and expertise for many wonderful projects. Recent examples include the Sea Lock in IJmuiden and the Maas Delta Tunnel."

Lots of math

In the early stages, the design phase of the New Lock Terneuzen, Bender and ASDO were asked for technical advice for the lock construction. "Together with the engineers of contractor combination Sassevaart, we looked at the best dimensioning of the laying anchors. In particular, the main challenge in the entire construction system for the New Lock Terneuzen was the corrosion requirements. The so-called corrosion reserve had to be at least 6 mm per side almost everywhere, to ensure the long service life. In practice, this means that you get a very robust system of thicker steel." This corrosion reserve applied not only to the bars, but also to all parts of the overall connection. "The fact that not only the bars, but also all other parts had to have that 6 mm corrosion reserve made it more complicated to design. There was a lot of calculation involved. Our strength is that we use Final Element Analysis (FEA) to calculate everything and thus demonstrate that the entire system is strong enough." In total, hundreds of ASDO bars with a total weight of 2,000 tons were dimensioned, produced and delivered. The screw threads range from M42 to M175 mm. People from Bender and ASDO were also closely involved in the installation of the entire anchoring system.  

Bender and ASDO look back on a good and pleasant cooperation with contractor combination Sassevaart. "For this beautiful large project we were able to use our years of experience and knowledge. Thanks to the good cooperation, we were able to provide the client with a good solution as part of securing the lifespan and quality of the Nieuwe Sluis Terneuzen."