Testbed for deepening quay walls with the aid of underwater anchor points

The Port of Rotterdam Authority will make the public loading quay at Seinehaven available as a trial location for the testing and development of underwater anchor point systems and installation methods. The installation of underwater anchor points in quay structures is an effective method for deepening the existing quay. It is more economical and more sustainable than new construction, takes less time to realise and has a lower impact on regular operations. However, the current techniques for installing underwater anchor points come with certain limitations – particularly at greater depths. By providing this new testbed, the Port Authority hopes to stimulate the further development of this technique.

This initiative is in line with the Port Authority’s policy to promote the efficient and sustainable development of the port area. The Port Authority manages some 80 km of quay walls in the port of Rotterdam.

TenderNed
The tender guidelines for the selection phase, including further details on the development process, will be published on TenderNed in the course of this month.

To ensure that parties in the sector have as much freedom as possible to submit new ideas and develop them further, the project will follow a phased development process that allows stakeholders to gradually gain confidence in the solution presented by the market.

The development process has been divided into five distinct phases: Selection, Planning (elaborating ideas into a final design), Development (the realisation of the solution, including the development of the associated equipment), Testing (a trial at the Testbed) and Commercial Implementation (which involves a framework agreement).