Port 2000 - The extension of Le Havre Port in the Seine Estuary - Environmental engineering accompanying and guiding the marine works
Type:
Presented during:
WODCON XVII: "Dredging in a Sensitive Environment" - 2004, Hamburg, Germany
Authors:
Paul Scherrer, Pascal Galichon, Luc Hamm, Eric Tancré, Eric Bosschem, Jan Vandenbroeck
Abstract: Port 2000 is the new port development in the Seine Estuary presently under construction.
The Seine estuary is a macro tidal estuary subjected to semi-diurnal tidal ranges up to nearly 8 m. Tidal currents peak to 5 knots. The site is exposed to SW to NW wave impact. The site is situated close to environmentally high valued protected areas.
Situated on the extreme north-west tip of the Seine estuary, the construction of the outer breakwater will reduce the hydraulic cross-sections for the tidal currents, leading to a temporary increase of the currents inducing an evolution on morphology of the estuary.
Detailed studies including numerical and physical hydrodynamic and morphodynamic models have been carried out in the preparation (general phasing of the works) and during the works (detailed phasing of the marine works) in continuous assessment of their environmental impact, allowing decision making on detailed phasing in a partnership between contractor and client.
Particular item are 1) The engineering of the general phasing 2) The realization of dredging works to accompany and direct the morphological evolution of the estuary and minimize its impact on nearby navigation channels and mudflats 3) The engineering and the monitoring of the construction of the subbase of the outer breakwater. This subbase is being constructed using a sand/pebble mixture resulting from the dredging works of the new navigation channel.
The construction of the subbase of the outer breakwater has been scheduled in advance of several months in respect of the construction of the upper part of the breakwater particularly to reduce environmental impacts on the estuary.
The paper will include the presentation of the three items above and their monitoring
Keywords: port construction, environmental engineering, managing erosion, gravel subbase