N.M. Heilig has designed and built a special belt conveyor over the highway as part of the renovation project of the 90-year-old ‘Afsluitdijk’, the dam that stretches 32 kilometers and protects the Netherlands against storms and flooding. The belt was designed to be transported, assembled and erected in a weekend and will transfer appr. 1.2 million cubic meters of sand during the course of the project.
SAND TRANSPORTATION ABOVE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HIGHWAY OF THE NETHERLANDS
In order to minimize the effects on both road and boat traffic, the enormous amount of sand needed for the reinforcement works is being transported above the highway from the IJsselmeer (lake) side. This is the first time that a system of this nature has been implemented on a large scale basis over a major highway in The Netherlands. This method has eliminated the estimated 4,000 ship movements through the locks between Kornwerderzand and Den Oever
One requirement was that the conveyor belt could be put into place within 45 minutes. And on top of that, the installation has to be able to move to different positions along the bridge, as Levvel Blocs are being placed along the entire 32 kilometer stretch of the Afsluitdijk.
HIGHEST SAFETY AND QUALITY STANDARDS
The belt is fitted with special low-profile galvanized steel hoods, an enclosed wooden floor and high side walls at the bottom of the bridge structure to eliminate the possibility of blowing or falling sand. The floor is also fitted with a rubber layer under the belt to easily remove any potential spillage.
The system is designed to handle sand, gravel and clay. It is remotely controlled from the loading barge, with safety interfaces between the systems. Electrical sensors monitor various aspects of operation, such as tracking of the belt. Special lighting was installed to minimize the effects on the local wildlife. Our team of project managers and engineers really enjoyed this project with its unique requirements and challenges.
