One of the key components in the construction of the Fehmarn tunnel had its baptism of fire in the days leading up to the weekend’s storm surge. The giant floating concrete gate, which will act as a “sluice gate” between the working harbor and the tunnel factory, had to be towed into place before the forces of nature really took hold.
Could float and be moved
Until recently, the giant floating gate stood as a monolith in the center of Basin B, where it was cast. But now the floating gate has experienced its first move and is now located in the opening between the harbor and the basins. Thus, it has been proven that the gate can both float and be moved.
Adjustable with eight cavities
The floating gate is a concrete colossus measuring 50 meters in width and 21 meters in height. It has a special function: to close when the basins are filled with water during the transport of a tunnel element. The gate is equipped with eight cavities, and it is through these that the water level in the gate can be raised and lowered, making it possible to move it around.
Made it before the storm
– We were there during the entire transport of the floating gate for the first time – and we managed to move it the days before the storm came, writes Femern A/S in a post on LinkedIn.
Also read:
Casts floating gate of 20,000 cubic meters
Moment of truth for floating concrete giant
In the video below, you can see how it went when the 20,000 cubic meter concrete block was moved for the first time.
