Rhine port: the raw material supplier

Foot in the water thanks to the right raw materials

The supply of the required building materials for the Rijnhaven project requires a specialized approach. For this, the main contractor calls on De Hoop Bouwgrondstoffen of Terneuzen, which, with a fleet of about thirty inland barges and an extensive range of certified hydraulic construction products, takes care of the supply of materials, supplemented by expert advice.

For the demolition and construction works in and around the Rijnhaven, De Hoop Bouwgrondstoffen mainly supplied three types of raw materials. The bulk of the bulk supply consisted of 50,000 tons of hydraulic engineering stone. In addition, 13,000 cubic meters of Argex 4/10 mm round and 1,000 tons of crushed stone 2/6 mm were delivered. The hydraulic stones are used for the barrier, the dike body that prevents the sand from washing away and holds the dammed sector in place.

"All raw materials meet all applicable NEN standards, carry a Declaration of Performance quality label (DOP, ed.) and all have a BSB certificate," says Jacobus van Keulen of De Hoop Bouwgrondstoffen. The NEN standards specify the properties of materials for their specific use. The hydraulic engineering brick also has the necessary BRL9312 certificate, which describes the procedures for certifying hydraulic engineering brick for use in earthworks, road construction and hydraulic engineering works.

Unloading with a lifting belt

In line with the sustainability goals of both the company and its customers, De Hoop Bouwgrondstoffen transports construction materials by water in nine out of 10 cases. "This was also the case for the Rijnhaven project," Jacobus continues. "Efficiency was an important guiding principle. A barge filled with sand sailed to Belgium and returned with the materials for the Rijnhaven."

The Argex clay pellets are used within the Rijnhaven project as embankment material, replacing the sand, because otherwise, due to the weight, the cantilever of the Luxor Theater was expected to sink. For the first time, De Hoop Bouwgrondstoffen did not use a crane for unloading, but the ship Damian, which normally unloads sand using a conveyor belt. "Argex is much lighter than sand. After some trials with the lightweight Argex material, we found that we could unload it with a conveyor without any problems. This made the project go faster and it also saved manpower." In addition to supplying building materials, De Hoop Bouwgrondstoffen also provided advice on the proper use and logistics surrounding the application of these materials.