The Noordwaard in Werkendam is 4500 hectares and consists mainly of polders. The national program "Ruimte voor de Rivier", which protects the river area against high water, has chosen Noordwaard by watershed. That means that this area over a length of 10 kilometers and a width of 4.5 kilometers will become depolderd. Agricultural area is transformed into a nature reserve. In addition, the river area is made more beautiful and attractive and also more space for recreation and nature shall be realized. The purpose of this area development is to achieve a decrease of the waterlevel, at Gorinchem, of 30 centimeters in the case of high water. This effect leads all the way from Fort Steurgat of the Nieuwe Merwede to the Boven Merwede in Gorinchem. Some parts of the area will be under water several times a year.
Commissioned by GMB Civil B.V., Martens will design, manufacture, supply and install precast concrete elements of the dyke ring pumping station, agriculture polder pumping station, nature polder pumping station, flush pumping station and the transformer pumping station.
The project NoordWaard counts for Martens in total:
- 16 pumping stations.
- 1 passage structure made up of a quantity of concrete precast elements.
- 5 tensioned culverts.
- 26 slabs for foundation.
- 29 headwalls.
In these concrete elements it is all about visibility work, where a solid color and a smooth finish is required. The accessibility to the construction sites in the area is also a complex matter. Roads and bridges leading to the various locations in the polder are not calculated on the exceptional size and weight of the concrete pumping stations. These massive elements measure each 8000mm in length, 4000mm wide and 4000mm deep and weigh about 60 tons. Therefore Martens planned, supervised and conducted, together with sister company Teuben, the transportation of these special concrete elements. The transportation in this river area is by road and by water.
By a tight schedule, speed and good communication with all involved parties, the pumping stations, passage structures, slabs for foundation and headwalls have, according to the requirements, reached their destination. Now they can do their important job till far into the future.
