Cutting work for historic quay wall in Balk
September 2021 - An inspection in 2018 revealed that the quay wall alongside the small Luts river in the centre of Balk was in poor condition. Not only was the masonry poor, the pile heads supporting the masonry segments are also rotten. The quay wall was in danger of subsiding as a result.
The historic quay wall is part of the listed area of the village of Balk and so renovation was urgently required. The masonry segments of the quay wall had to be preserved.
Wood replaced with steel
The wooden piles have now been replaced with steel piling. A prefab concrete cover will be installed on the piling and the existing masonry elements will be put back on top.
So the forces on the quay are considerable, requiring extra anchoring for the piling. The anchors used minimise the disturbance of the subsurface.
Steel cut to size for anchors
The anchors were supplied by Aannemingsbedrijf Weg- en Waterbouw Stienstra & Van der Wal to a design of their own. De Boer Snijbedrijf cut 3500 kg of S355J2 N steel plate to size for the anchors. The components were assembled and welded together by the customer.
The anchor is mounted on the anchor rod and gently vibrodrilled into the ground. When the correct anchor depth is reached, the anchor rod is pulled. The anchor then unfolds and fixes itself in the ground. The next step is to set the anchor to the right tension and remove the anchor rod.
Village of Balk restored to former glory
After the sheet piling was anchored, the existing masonry segments were placed on the prefab concrete skirt of the piling. The renovation of the quay wall has been completed and the trees that were on the quay have been put back into place. The village of Balk has been restored to its former glory.