The first of four dune viaducts on the Maasvlakte 2 has been completed on December 16. It is a complex of access roads and slopes of the extended N15. This road follows the outer contour of the Maasvlakte and gives access to the business Distripark and Slufter terrain.
The dune viaduct will be the link between a landscape of dunes and of industry. The viaduct is designed in such a way that it provides balance in a large variety of contrasts: nature and industry, rest and activity, recreation and work, mechanical and organic shapes, slopes and flat landscape. The walls of the road with their curves cite for instance shapes from nature. The sturdy bridges and viaducts match the industrial character of the area.
The colors of the parts are also contrasting: the retaining walls are colored white and the bridges anthracite. The curved precast retaining walls are made of self-compacting concrete with white cement. The anthracite is made of the same type of concrete, but with the addition of gray pigments to the cement. The color pigments have been applied in the concrete from the perspective of sustainability. There’s a lot of wind on the Maasvlakte and therefore conventional concrete coatings of sand grains would be radiated soon. With our technical solution, the color will remain bright by any weather condition.
The railway viaduct is poured in one piece of concrete of 3900 cubic meters in total. Five large concrete pumps have been running for twenty-four hours continuous to pour the concrete. The viaduct will be illuminated with LED lighting.
Road traffic will use the viaduct from spring 2012 onwards. The viaduct has several large spans for one or two tracks for trains. Later in time the viaduct can be expanded into a full operating rail yard.
