WG26 PIANC - Project Review - by W. Meinhold Ems-Barrrier, Federal State Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany p.1
PROJECT’s NAME : Ems Barrier, Germany
This project relates to: an existing project of a storm surge barrier
Project Owner: Federal State Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Niedersächsischer Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft und Küstenschutz (NLWK) Contractor Company : Pool of factories "Ems Barrier" (PHILIPP HOLZMANN AG, JOHANN BUNTE GmbH&Co., GEBR. NEUMANN GmbH&Co. KG, ANTON MÜSING GmbH&Co. KG); Special pool of factories for the hydraulic steel structures: LAVIS, Aschaffenburg (bridges and lifting gates), HOLLANDIA, Krimpen/NL (rotary segment, segment gate and pumps), R. JANSSEN, Aurich (energy supply, technic for controlling and operating) Project Management, Design and Construction Supervision: Project Team "Erection of an Ems Barrier" within the NLWK
Period of Construction: 1998 to 2002 Estimate Cost of entire Project: ca. € 220 000 000
Location: Country: Germany City/Region: Federal State Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) Concerned river: Ems
Contact Addresses: Niedersächsischer Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft und Küstenschutz (NLWK): Jahnstrasse 1, D-26491 Norden, Phone: ++49 4931/947-0 Project Team Ems Barrier (Projektteam Emssperrwerk): Zum Sperrwerk, D- 26802 Moormerland/Gandersum Phone: ++49 4924/913-3 Fax: ++49 4924/913-444 Email: [email protected] Internet: http://www.ems-sperrwerk.de
References: Publication in : STAHLBAU 69 (2000) Heft 12; Verlag Ernst & Sohn, Berlin 2000
Web sites that contain information on the project: http://www.suedliches-ostfriesland.de http://www.dollard-route.de
Location in the North-West of Germany on the river Ems close to Gandersum
Location of the project in Germany General view (computer picture) WG26 PIANC - Project Review - by W. Meinhold Ems-Barrrier, Federal State Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany p.2
1 - PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Ems Barrier is situated in the North-West of Germany nearby Emden at the river Ems. The barrier was put into operation in 2002. It consists of seven barrier spans. The barrier improves the stormflood-protection at the Ems substantially. Additionally to the flood defence of the Ems-region there is a second purpose for piling up the river Ems to transfer ships between PAPENBURG (harbour and shipyard) and EMDEN.
The maximum storage level of NN +2,70 m, which now exists, allows to transfer ships with a draught of max. 8.50 m, a width of 38 m and length of max. 300 m. Normally the navigation (ship traffic) uses two of the seven, altogether existing openings: the main shipping fairway arch and the inland navigation arch (see picture p.3).
– Water levels close to the Ems Barrier: MTnw NN - 1.70 m MThw NN + 1.60 m HThw NN + 6.60 m (Storm flood and wave effects)
– Material quantities for some general civil engineering works: Building pit sheeting, bank-protection works, foundation – Sheet piling and steel piles (ca. 10 000 t) 3 – Dredging works (ca. 400 000 m ) – Riprap (ca. 150 000 t) Underwater concrete for the pier- and sill foundation (ca. 12 000 m3) Reinforced concrete (ca. 46 000 m3) Steel for the service brigdes (ca. 1 650 t) Hydraulic steel constructions and drives (more see capt. 2)
Location plan of the Ems Barrier WG26 PIANC - Project Review - by W. Meinhold Ems-Barrrier, Federal State Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany p.3
2 - DESCRIPTION of the hydraulic steel structures of the barrier:
The barrier has a length of 476 m between the bank lines. The barrier structure is built in underwater and reinforced concrete. It consists of seven openings altogether. Two of the openings are used for the purpose of navigation. The main shipping opening is equipped with a rotary segment gate, the inland navigation opening with a segment gate. The five lateral openings situated on both sides are equipped with vertical-lift gates. All the gates are moved by double-sided oil-hydraulic drives and controlled from the control room, situated at the northern end of the barrier.
Bird view of the barrier during its erection
– Review of the spans of the barrier and the different gates:
Opening/arch width [m] sill-depth under NN ± 0,0 [m] gate-type ------1st (northern) lateral opening 50,0 - 7,0 1 vertical-lift gate Main shipping fairway arch 60,0 - 9,0 1 rotary segment gate Inland navigation opening 50,0 - 7,0 1 segment gate 2nd lateral opening 63,5 - 7,0 1 vertical-lift gate 3rd ... 5th lateral openings 63,5 - 5,0 3 vertical-lift gates ------
Design elements and gates of the barrier
– Cost of the mobile gates (steel part, hydraulic drives, electrical equipment): approximately 10 % of the entire project WG26 PIANC - Project Review - by W. Meinhold Ems-Barrrier, Federal State Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany p.4
– Some technical data and design elements of the rotary segment gate in the main shipping opening and of the lift gate in the 2nd lateral opening:
Rotary segment gate in the main shipping opening Two circular-movement plates Gate dimensions diameter 24,0 m length 60,0 m thickness of the plate 1,5 m width of the sector of circle 17,7 m high of the sector of circle 18,5 m high of the sector of circle 3,9 m weight each 220 t weight 857,0 t water ballast each 240,0 t water ballast 2400,0 t fixed ballast each 48,0 t buoyant volume 750,0 t thickness of the water retaining steel plates of the gate: 15 mm (near the piers) 70 mm (in the middle of the gate) max. cylinder forces (double sided oil-hydraulic drives): 5300 kN (compression) 9500 kN (tension)
Vertial-lift gate in the 2nd lateral opening span of the system 64,20 m system-high lattice 7,15 m clear width 63,5 m high of the gate 10,50 m weight 480 t Thickness and material water retaining front 14 mm (St 52) max. dimension of the lattice-piles 11067 x 40 mm
– Views/cross sections with the foundation and the position of different design elements of the barrier
View of the main shipping and inland navigation opening from West; water and structure levels Cross section rotary segment gate
Closed barrier in case of storm surge Cross section Northern lateral opening (Vertical-lift gate) WG26 PIANC - Project Review - by W. Meinhold Ems-Barrrier, Federal State Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany p.5
– Loading cases and combination of forces
– Actual pictures of the gates and the hydraulic drives
Rotary segment gate in normal position Vertical-lift gate (1st Northern lateral opening, sea-side)
Segment gate of the inland navigation opening in upper position Vertical-lift gates (view inland-side) WG26 PIANC - Project Review - by W. Meinhold Ems-Barrrier, Federal State Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany p.6
A passenger ship passes through the main shipping opening
3 - ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
– Operating experiences: The Ems Barrier was put into operation in October 2002. For that reason determining operating experiences are not existing until now. The "Niedersächsischer Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft und Küstenschutz (NLWK)" of the German federal state LOWER SAXONY runs and maintains the plant. Meanwhile some equipments are supplemented or improved. For example sacrificial anodes for cathodic corrosion protection have been installed at the rotary segment gate additionally.