Ruhr District, North Rhine-Westphalia:

Emscher interceptor

Description

The Emscher River has consistently been used as a drainage artery since the beginnings of industrial development of the Ruhr District. Now that the mining activities in the northern zone have substantially drawn to a close, the river is to be remodelled back to a natural watercourse. The main element of this task is the construction of the Emscher interceptor, a main sewer with a length of 55 km.
The Emscherkanal Joint Venture under the leadership of DC Water & Environment, Essen, was assigned the contract to prepare the detailed design for the largest section, from Dortmund to Bottrop. The project includes some 80 chambers with diameters between 12 and 25 m. The interceptor is to be laid at diameters ranging between DN 1600 and 2800, and at depths ranging from 17 to 35 m in a closed-cut system. Pipe lengths generally between 300 and 1.200 m will be hydraulically jacked forwards.
Particularly intensive consultations and design work were required to match the complexity of the project caused by the complicated geology at the bottom layer of the “Emscher Marl”, as well as by the pre-dominant location within the Ruhr conurbation.
Furthermore, innovative materials are being used for this construction project, which will be combined with an effective ventilation system so as to combat the substantial corrosion risk.