New Ampsin-Neuville floodgate complex commissioned (Belgium)

The modernisation and expansion of the Ampsin-Neuville floodgate has been successfully completed at the end of June 2024. This large-scale project, which began in summer 2018, includes the installation of two new floodgates, including an impressive 225x25-metre floodgate with a capacity of 9,000 tonnes, and five weirs. These improvements will eliminate the last bottleneck for shipping traffic on the Meuse, greatly facilitating passage.

Colleague-competitor DUCHENE was responsible for the civil engineering part of the project, while BESIX Unitec was responsible for the electro-mechanical part. The contracting authority for this work was SOFICO, supported by the Wallonia Mobility and Infrastructure Public Service (SPW Mobilité et Infrastructures).

New control centre

A crucial part of the modernisation was the construction of a new control centre between the two new floodgates. BESIX Unitec fitted the control room with a CCTV and Scada system, enabling the floodgate operators to operate the floodgates efficiently and safely. The control centre was commissioned on 8 November 2021 and provides enhanced control and monitoring of the floodgate complex.

Phased implementation of works

The project started in June 2018 with the study phase and design of both floodgates in terms of mechanics, hydraulics, electricity and controls. Construction was carried out in several phases in order to have one operational floodgate at all times during the works so that shipping traffic was not interrupted. The small 225x12.5-metre floodgate was renovated first and commissioned in autumn 2021. Works on the large 225x25-metre floodgate were completed very recently.

BESIX at the forefront of implementation

BESIX Unitec was commissioned by the client to supply and install all the drives for the hydraulic groups and cylinders, all the mechanics to link the drives to the new floodgates, and to completely renew the electrical installation – from high-voltage installation down to sensor level – and controls. This will allow the floodgate complex to be fully automated. In addition, the complex was also equipped with a completely new intercom, speakers and CCTV system, as well as a redundant fibre and UPS network.

For the five weirs, the works were limited to the renewal of the electrical boards with a new control and regulation that takes into account the domino effect of the various weirs along the Meuse.

Franki Foundations, another entity within the BESIX Group, also played a role in the realisation of this major project. During the implementation of the project, they completed nearly 800 bored piles, micro piles and more than 300 anchors and injections for waterproofing. Impressive figures.

In short, the completion of the modernisation and extension of the Ampsin-Neuville floodgate marks a major milestone in the improvement of the Walloon waterway network, with benefits in terms of navigation, traffic safety, ecology and economic development.

Congratulations to all the teams who worked on the implementation of this project!

Photographer: Marc Detiffe T 0032475294547 | Copyright: Marc Detiffe T 0032475294547