The Seine-Scheldt project: nautical accessibility of new lock in Harelbeke

The paper presents the design of a new lock and weir in the city of Harelbeke as based on waterway guidelines and as submitted by three candidates subscribing to a design and build tender published by the waterway manager Waterwegen en Zeekanaal NV. The design vessel of the lock was an ECMT class Vb inland vessel which concerns a combination of a push boat and two barges with total dimensions 185 m x 11.4 m x 3.5 m. The design vessel was not equipped with a bow thruster. The nautical quality of the designs submitted was assessed by performing real-time simulations on the simulator Lara at FHR in case of a rather high water discharge over the weir. In the framework of this assessment it was noticed that the cross current in the fairway had an important impact on the nautical quality of the design. The cross current in the fairway corresponding to the final design submitted by the three candidates was thoroughly studied.