Hendriks precon footing formwork saves on labourEfficiently pouring 8,000 footings

Many drivers will breathe a sigh of relief once the Antwerp Ring Road opens. Work on the Oosterweel Link on the left bank of the Scheldt River is gathering momentum. Full use is being made of noise screens to prevent future noise pollution. Hendriks precon supplied smartly designed formwork to construct the footings on which the noise screens are mounted.

Large-Scale Operation

Work is underway on the Antwerp Ring Road. The large-scale interventions by the municipality of Antwerp and the Flemish Government are required to improve traffic circulation. The renovations will also drastically improve the road’s integration into the city and the landscape, and reduce noise and air pollution. The North junction as well as the South junction will be dealt with.

The current focus is on the ring road’s segment designated as the Oosterweel Link, in particular the component on the left bank of the Scheldt River. Artes, CIT Blaton and Mobilis have joined forces in the THV Civiel Linkeroever building combination for this purpose. This combination is responsible for all structural work.

As part of the work on the Oosterweel Link, almost all existing civil works will be rebuilt, the entire road network will be reconstructed and a new parallel connection will be constructed. Furthermore, there will be significant investment in safer bicycle connections, ecoducts and noise screens.

Reducing Noise Pollution

The noise screens will, together with other noise-reducing measures, reduce noise levels along the motorway by half. Leo Gielbert (Formwork Expert) and Rob Heijmans (Foreman) at Mobilis spoke to us about these noise screens: ‘Initially the screens were designed to be 4.00 m high. However, in order to further reduce noise pollution, 8-metre-high screens were ultimately selected. To be able to mount these taller screens safely and with stability, it was decided to mount them on footings.’

Time and Money-Saving Formwork

A total of 8,000 footings are required for the noise screens. We settled on steel formwork to be able to pour them quickly, efficiently and safely. ‘That not only saves on wood, but it also avoids a lot of work that would otherwise have to be spent putting the formwork together,’ says Leo Gielbert. ‘The original design was a small-sized footing with parallel sides. When we approached Hendriks precon for the formwork, they suggested that the design be modified to include tapered sides. This meant that the formwork did not need to be unbolted each time to remove the footing and that the formwork could be reused faster and much more easily. That in turn saves valuable person hours. A few hits with a hammer are sufficient to remove the footing from the formwork.’ In total, Hendriks precon supplied 40 formworks that each can be used some 200 times.