Antwerp Port Authority has asked Witteveen+Bos to investigate the possibility of deepening and relocating the Europaterminal quay wall.
The purpose of deepening the Europa Terminal is to accommodate ships with a larger draught.
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Hydraulic, sedimentological and morphological studies were conducted as part of an environmental impact report (EIA). Various design variants were studied in order to provide insight into the effects of the design and of any maintenance dredging.
The study constisted of a desk study, data analysis and a hydrodynamic modelling study. Using various measurement series and extensive validation and calibration, a numerical model was created that provides reliable predictions. With this model, the effects of the deepening of the terminal on the environment were analysed.
Topics involved effects on water movement, morphology, salt intrusion and impact on environmentally valuable areas.
Based on these results, an optimized design was drawn as well as estimates of the needed maintenance dredging volumes. Finally, a management scenario was proposed for dredging and dumping activities.
An integral approach was used in all steps of this study. When assessing the effects, the nearby nature areas (including the brackish salt marshes) were carefully considered. This led to design adjustments that reduced the impact on the nature areas.