The Philipsdam, part of the Delta Works, not only separates fresh and salt water in Zeeland but also protects the Netherlands against high water. The Krammer locks enable navigation through the Philipsdam and therefore form an essential part of this defence mechanism. After 37 years of service, the renovation of this lock complex is necessary. The full renovation of the complex has been awarded by Rijkswaterstaat to the ZEEKR joint venture. On behalf of BESIX, the main contractor within ZEEKR, SBE is working on the design of steel-structural modifications and the modernization of the technical systems.
The Krammer locks form an important part of the Philipsdam, which is part of the Delta Works, the Dutch flood-defence system. The Philipsdam separates the fresh waters of the Krammer and the Volkerak from the salt water of the Eastern Scheldt. This creates a freshwater fringe lake with a stable water level, which benefits, among others, agriculture and horticulture on the mainland.
After a construction period of approximately ten years, the lock complex was officially opened nearly four decades ago. The complex consists of two pusher-vessel locks for commercial navigation with a navigation width of 24 metres and a length of 280 metres, as well as two smaller yacht locks for recreational boating. The Krammer locks are the largest concrete structure ever built by Rijkswaterstaat and form an essential link in the Rotterdam–Paris shipping corridor. The two rolling gates of the lock measure 26 × 12 × 4 metres and each weighs roughly 400 tonnes. Around 60,000 vessels pass through the locks each year.
After nearly four decades of operation, a major renovation of the Krammer locks has become urgently necessary. The renovation of the entire lock complex has been awarded to main contractor BESIX and has a contractual value of over 417 million euros. To successfully meet this challenge, BESIX has established the ZEEKR joint venture, within which SBE will collaborate primarily with partners Demako (electromechanical works) and Iemants (steel construction). The works will start at the end of 2025 and are scheduled for completion in the autumn of 2028.
The overall mission of this project is to ensure the availability, flow capacity, and sustainability of the Krammer Locks during and after the renovation. Together, we aim for a safe, efficient, and predictable extension of the service life. This is achieved through ownership, public orientation, and optimal information provision.
This renovation will significantly increase the capacity of the pusher-vessel locks by replacing the current leveling system using bypass culverts with leveling via butterfly valves in the rolling gates. For the pusher locks, a new freshwater-saltwater separation system will be designed using an air-bubble screen to replace the current system. The existing system is based on density differences and the use of storage basins. Furthermore, maintenance will be required less frequently, the complex will be remotely operable, and it will comply with the latest standards and directives, including the Machinery Directive.
SBE is responsible for the preliminary design, detailed design, and execution design of the steel-structural modifications of the rolling gates, including:
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