Sarens was commissioned to install the new connection over the Canal and this time the team transported the entire bridge from its workshops in Ghent.
Recently, Sarens installed 5 more bridges on the Albert Canal. In total, nearly 80% of the bridges have been installed using the engineering projects and technical solutions of the company.
Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental services, was commissioned by the company Aelterman, a steel construction company specialised in bridges which has trusted the company for decades thanks to their expertise and services, to install the new connection over the Albert Canal in Wijnegem, a small town of 9900 inhabitants in the vicinity of Antwerp.
The elevated bridges over the Albert Canal boost the inland navigation and the economy while relieving the roads from heavy traffic. The Albert Canal transports nearly 40 million goods annually and is the main inland waterway in Flanders promoting sustainable freight transportation by water, which is more environmentally friendly than transportation by road.
Unlike all other arched bridges they have already placed on the Albert Canal, this bridge was transported in its entirety from the workshops in Ghent. In the past, arches and the bridge had to be transported separately on a pontoon due to height limitations under the bridges. This meant that an assembly site was always needed to put the bridge together.
This time, thanks to the raised bridges at the beginning of the Albert Canal, Sarens was able to manoeuvre the fully welded and painted bridge measuring 88m length x 18m width and 9m height, just under the existing bridges (clearance height 9.10m) to Wijnegem.
To do this, the team had to perform a few operations beginning with driving the bridge from the Aelterman Ateliers with 4x 10-axle SPMTs to a rented 90m x 22m pontoon. From that location, the pontoon was transported across the Scheldt to the port of Antwerp where the twin barge Karel-Victor also arrived just in time from their previous work in Duisburg. The bridge was then driven over from the 90m pontoon onto the Karel- Victor barge, dropped off and then jacked off until stretched out on deck.
A heavy connection between the bridge and the pontoon deck through square brackets was provided, as the crossing of the bridge along both ends meant that the pushers could not attach themselves against the pontoon, but could only push against the bridge. The underpass in the Teunis bridge in Antwerp, left minimal clearance at the top when transporting the bridge, and its ends were suspended in the water. The pontoon with a freeboard of 40cm passed slowly under the bridges and to manoeuvre well on the canal, push boats were attached to both ends.
Once the Sarens team arrived at the bridge location, the jacking started on the canal side, which was only partially closed off. After 3 days of jacking, the bridge reached the correct height.The team then started installing the bridge during a 12-hour period when the canal was completely closed to all shipping traffic. Anchor cables were released to both banks and, using winches, the pontoon carrying the bridge was positioned with precision at the designated jacking points.
Recently Sarens was commissioned to install 5 more bridges on the Albert Canal, in total nearly 80% of the bridges have been installed using the company’s engineering projects and technical solutions. The planning phases are always crucial as the team has to address the low lying bridges and the width of the locks during the transport of the bridges.
With its one-of-a-kind systems and custom-built solutions, Sarens’ knowledge and experience in developing projects are an inspiration for their clarity of vision for what is possible. Sarens typically employs a climbing system for on-site bridge installation thanks to its ease of set-up and operation, as well as its capacity to raise loads up to 6m without bracing.
Over the past few years, Sarens has established itself as a strategic player in similar projects. Recently the company has completed several major projects, including the installation of the OA14 bridge, weighing 5,850 tons, in Bettembourg (Luxembourg). Sarens has installed another pedestrian bridge between the Hazebrouck railway station (France) and its car park and an 8,400 ton railway bridge on the A1 motorway in Amsterdam (Netherlands). The company also replaced a railway bridge in Stockholm‘s (Sweden) city centre using the "floatover" method. One of the very last bridge projects took place in Dieppe, in the north-west of France, where they lifted and transported the century-old Colbert Bridge, classified as a historic monument, for a renovation that will leave it as good as new after 135 years.
About Sarens
Sarens is the global leader and reference in crane rental, heavy lift and engineered transportation services. With state-of-the-art equipment, value engineering, one of the world's largest inventories of cranes, transporters and special rigging equipment, Sarens offers creative and intelligent solutions to today's heavy lifting and engineering transport challenges.
With more than 100 entities in 66 countries operating without borders, Sarens is an ideal partner for small to large-scale projects. Sarens currently employs 5,000 highly qualified professionals who are ready to serve the needs of any client worldwide and in all market sectors. https://www.sarens.com/