Dutch expertise requested for quay wall repair in Antwerp port

A total of 6.5 kilometers of quay wall is being repaired and renewed in the port of Antwerp. Over a length of more than 2.2 kilometers, the concrete of the quay wall head is in poor condition, so that it has to be completely demolished, for which the head even has to be sawn in below the water line in some positions. This is where Van der Jagt Group's expertise comes in handy. Because when it is large, complex or special, clients in the Netherlands and Belgium have come to the right place with Van der Jagt Groep.

Van der Jagt Groep is lord and master at coming up with creative solutions for challenging demolition and renovation projects. "The project in the port of Antwerp is a fine example of this," says Machiel Wijland of Van der Jagt Groep. "The Belgian contractor on duty, Artes Group, was a new party for us. However, after several discussions back and forth, they were pleasantly surprised that we could take on all the work. In Belgium, they are more used to having a subcontractor for the sawing work, yet another doing the demolition work, etc. We tackle everything on this project, from sawing in the quay wall and demolition to drilling and gluing cuttings for the fresh quay wall head."

75 slices

In October 2023, Van der Jagt Group started the extensive project. "In total, it involves renewing over 2.2 kilometers of quay wall, divided into 75 sections of 30 meters each," explains Machiel. "Depending on the state of the wall, about 2 to 3.5 meters of concrete will be demolished from the top. In doing so, we first make a horizontal saw cut at the cut-off height to then remove the top portion of the wall with a demolition crane and hydraulic hammer. We collect the debris, temporarily store it on the quay and dispose of it. When the sawing and demolition work is over, we drill 80 holes in a diameter of 50 mm about 2 meters deep into the quay wall. In these we glue the cuttings, to which the braider braids the reinforcement cage to finally pour a fresh quay wall head."

Underwater sawing and drilling

Van der Jagt Group works on a cycle of one week (five working days) per slot. "We've been at it for almost a year and a half now, and it's still running smoothly," Machiel knows. "The challenge is mainly in the slots that have to be made underwater. The water level is at 3 meters, while we have to make the cut at 3.5 meters. This is not possible with an electric sawing machine, which is why we use a hydraulic sawing machine at these positions, for which we have also developed a special yoke. The same applies to drilling the cuttings. Normally we do that with a lavet attached to the crane with a pneumatic drilling motor, in this case we use the hydraulic circuit of the mobile crane. This brings different disciplines together, because we also blow air and water through the drill rod to rinse the hole clean, otherwise we will never reach a depth of 2 meters. 

On this project, too, Van der Jagt Group proves its added value. If it is large, complex or special, clients in the Netherlands and Belgium have come to the right place. "In January 2025 we expect to demolish and restore the last mote on schedule."