Neuer Hafen Lock (Bremerhaven)

The seaside city of Bremerhaven has developed the area around the Old and the New Port into a maritime adventure world. The new construction of a lock connecting the New Port with the river Weser was part of this project and part of the invitation to tender. Thanks to this 14 m wide and 50 m long lock, vessels will be able to enter and exit the New Port largely independent of the tide.

The New Port lock comprised two gates on the outer lock head and one gate on the inner lock head. An innovative proposal with sector gates was implemented. Each gate consists of 2 sector-shaped skinplates, which rotate around a vertical axis. The sector gates are used to shut off the lock chamber for filling and emptying. Additional equipment for filling and emptying is not required. Seals towards the structure and between the sector gates prevent water loss. For silt prevention in the moving range of the gates, the gates were fitted with rinsing pumps. For ice prevention, air bubble installations were provided in the gate recesses and the seal stops were fitted with heaters.

The inside gate on the outer lock head was designed with a bridge for vehicle traffic. The gate on the inside lock head was designed with a pedestrian bridge. The bridges are moved together with the sector gates and are locked before being released for traffic when the gates are closed. The vehicle bridge on the outer lock head can be transferred between the two lock gates.

For controlling the traffic, the passages were equipped with barriers and traffic lights, and the lock was designed with entry and exit signals on both heads.

Scope of planning:
- Sector gates with filling curvature
- Pivot bearing for sector gates
- Access to sector gates
- Rinsing system for sector gates
- Pressurised air bubble installation for ice prevention
- Drive system with hydraulic cylinder
- Swing bridge for lock chamber passage
- Pivot bearing, locking system, bridge bearing, bridge rollers with guide rail
- Stoplog for draining the lock heads

Technical data:
- Usable length: 50.00 m and 62.50 m
- Usable width: 14.00 m
- Depth: 5.50 m to 6.50 m msl

Structural planning
Project planning
Technical equipment
Manufacture supervision
Test run

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