BESIX renovates a quay wall on the Albert Canal

BESIX wins contract thanks to maritime expertise and CO2 approach

In Schoten, a stone's throw from the centre of Antwerp, BESIX is renovating a 1,460 metre quay wall along the right bank of the Albert Canal. The contract, worth 8.3 million euros, was awarded to BESIX by De Vlaamse Waterweg, responsible for the management of the waterways in Flanders.

"The works will start in the course of 2021. The new bank protection consists of an anchored sheet pile wall, which will be built partly in front of, partly behind the existing construction. A new towpath will also be constructed," says Mark Beyst, General Manager Flanders & Brussels.

The tender specified that the award of the contract was not solely dependent on price. Price accounted for 50% of the points. The approach of the bidders to keep the CO2 emissions as low as possible counted for 30%, and the plan of approach together with the execution time of the works determined the remaining 20%.

These last two aspects actively contributed to winning the contract.

BESIX has adapted the construction methods and techniques for these works based on its experience in marine works. This allowed BESIX to propose a timeframe of 318 working days to complete the works. Methods to minimise CO2 emissions include an optimised logistics plan, extensive use of inland waterways and the monitoring of the logistics through a CO2 measurement plan.

"This type of tender is a perfect match for BESIX. We can make optimal use of our expertise for these works. We also have to commend our client's approach which ensured that the environmental criteria were almost as decisive as the price in the tender. This is an approach that we can only hope will become more frequent in the future," concludes Mark Beyst.