At Antwerp’s Europa Terminal, one of Europe’s most ambitious marine engineering projects is under way: the construction of a new quay wall.
Equally complex is the dismantling of the existing structure – a task entrusted to Dutch contractor Adex Groep, which is using a self-leveling pontoon equipped with a 320-tonne demolition machine, aptly named Genius.
The old quay wall stretches 1,200 metres and rests on 49 massive concrete caissons, each 30 metres in diameter and height, and most of which are submerged. “These caissons, filled with sand and reinforced with grout, must all be removed because they obstruct the new quay wall,” explains Davy Kies, head of technical services at Adex Groep.
Adex adapted its equipment to cope with the six-metre tidal swell in in the Westerschelde estuary: extended booms, elongated spud poles, and a revamped pontoon with an automatic leveling system that continuously monitors and adjusts load distribution via pressure sensors.
Central to the operation is an Epiroc HB 7000 hydraulic breaker, configured specifically for underwater work to work at depths of up to 24 metres. Complementing this is a concrete shear capable of removing reinforced concrete blocks up to one cubic metre.
“We cut or vibrate up to 1,000 tons of concrete per day from the old quay wall,” says Willem van de Nagel, the operator in the cab. “After we remove about six metres of height from each caisson, another pontoon-mounted crane clears the debris. Three hours of demolition gives them a full day of cleanup.”
“Hydraulic breakers are powerful but underwater work can be sensitive,” says Davy Kies. “Working 24 metres underwater with heavy demolition tools is only possible through precision engineering and trusted partnerships.”
