Floating jetty decorates Old Ferry Harbor Terneuzen

The Oude Veerhaven in Terneuzen, located on the Westerschelde, has undergone a true metamorphosis. The old 'fixed' jetty has been replaced by a new, wider, 130-meter-long floating jetty over which pedestrians can stroll and ships can moor. Another multidisciplinary project, typical of Van der Straaten Aannemingsmaatschappij B.V. of Hansweert.

After a long preparatory phase, the design of the new floating jetty was determined in mid-2019 and Van der Straaten was commissioned for the complete execution from A to Z, both the entire design, permit application, manufacturing, conservation and assembly including dismantling of the existing jetty. "We started by carrying out a No Explosives Explosives (NGE) soil survey," says Leon Koster, project manager at Van der Straaten. "Historical preliminary research shows that the Oude Veerhaven is classified as a suspect area. Since earth-moving work was involved, an NGE survey was a requirement. No NGE were found in the work area so we could then get started."

At the steel workshop in Hansweert, the necessary preparations were made for the construction of the new, steel scaffolding.

Work scaffolding

Van der Straaten completely dismantled the existing wooden scaffolding. Koster: "That is, we removed the superstructure, dismantled the purlins, braces, kesps and pulled about eighty scaffolding poles. Meanwhile, in our steel workshop in Hansweert, the necessary preparations were made for the construction of the new, steel scaffolding. The new scaffold is composed of four sections 32.5 meters long and 6 meters wide. These sections consist of two tube floats with a diameter of 1420 mm, fitted with UNP profiles and tubes on which the scaffold deck is mounted."

Over its entire length, the floating jetty is divided into two sections. "The 2-meter-wide section is intended for mooring Multraship's ships, while the 4-meter-wide section is publicly accessible," says Koster. "The narrow deck section is fitted with a plastic grid floor with non-skid coating, while the freely accessible section is finished with closed composite decking, also fitted with a non-skid coating. The mooring area is equipped with hardwood rubbing boards, hawser bollards and electrical and water supplies."

Pleasant residence area

Almost ready-made, the scaffolding sections were sailed on pontoons from Hansweert to Terneuzen at the end of 2019. The new jetty can move with the tide via floating windows over five newly installed steel tubular piles (diameter 1016 mm and 27 meters in length). "In the slope of the dike we realized a concrete abutment with a bearing for the footbridge," explains Koster. "The access from the dike to the jetty consists of two bridges 21 meters long and 4 meters wide, a fixed bridge from the abutment to a support pile structure in the water and a hinged bridge to the floating jetty. The jetty has an exclusive appearance thanks to the railings constructed from curved sheet steel balusters with wooden top rail and intermediate rails of stainless steel wires. Lighting columns, seating, waste bins and lifebuoys make the new jetty a pleasant place to stay. Another multidisciplinary project for us, in which we were once again able to make the most of our knowledge and expertise."