International Marine & Dredging Consultants NV (IMDC), more, executant
Abstract
Before the Berendrecht lock (new entrance to the Port of Antwerp) was opened, a large scale in situ measurement campaign was organised to measure the siltation rate in the access channel in the
absence of traffic. The main goals of the measuring programme were:
define the different components of the waterflow (tidal variations, vortices, density currents).
evaluate the silt entrainment towards the new lock
evaluate the siltation and consolidation rate in the new entrance channel
define the characteristics of the settled mud.
To meet these requirements within the preset budgetary limits the following major measurements were executed:
detailed in situ measurements of velocities (magnitude and direction), temperature, salinity, turbidity and sand content over the complete water depth and a whole tidal cycle (13. hours) from 4 survey vessels,
two campaigns of velocity measurements with floaters: both surface floaters and deep-floaters were used,
during a complete neap- springtide cycle velocity, temperature and salinity were measured in 4 submerged self-recording stations.
in situ density measurement and sampling of the silt with three different techniques (radioactive density probe and 2 different samplers)
regular bathymetric surveys of the whole area with particular interest to the infill rate in a newly created silt trap.
The overall measuring campaign was performed in cooperation with the measuring department of the client and led to a better insight into the different phenomena which influence the siltation and water exchange rates. The measuring reports can be used as a calibration base for the future modelling efforts in the area.
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