Lock Gates at The Port of Tilbury
Tidal flood defences in London and the Thames estuary include the Thames Barrier and 350 kilometres of flood walls and embankments, smaller barriers, pumping stations and flood gates. This system of defences protects 1.25 million people and £200 billion worth of property.
The original Tilbury Barrier is one defence in this infrastructure, originally constructed in 1980; it sits at the entrance to the Port of Tilbury Lock and is deployed in times of tidal surge. The Tilbury Port flood barrier and Tilbury Lock flood defences have undergone a number of capital maintenance works since their construction.
Tilbury Lock is 34m wide by 305m long and operates using 3 sets of mitre gates, each consisting of two gate leaves, which were originally installed in the 1920s.
What work was done by Qualter Hall at the Port of Tilbury Lock?
The Port of Tilbury and the Environment Agency (EA) entered into an agreement to provide the Port with new gates to maintain operational efficiency.
Replacing all three sets of mitre gates lent the ability to interchange them if required, and the design also facilitated a replacement solution for the original Tilbury Barrier by using the outer gates as a flood defence. The new gates and associated works were commissioned under the TEAM2100 framework.
Works undertaken by Qualter Hall at Tilbury Lock:
- Full MEICA design concept and detailing for the operating systems related to the 3 new mitre gates.
- Supply of hydraulic, electrical, control systems and mechanical equipment to operate the gates.
- Design and manufacture of bespoke mounting frames to support the hydraulic cylinders
- Design and supply of operating/control rooms (1 per gate leaf). These house hydraulic power packs, electrical MCCs, PLCs and operator’s desks.
- Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT): Full factory assembly and integrated testing was conducted to reduce overall on-site risk. The entire system including electrics, hydraulics, mechanisms and control room, were constructed at our Barnsley facility and comprehensively tested prior to shipping to the client site.
- Installation of hydraulic components on site in Tilbury. Prior to this, our installation team travelled to the gate supplier’s facility in Holland to install and test the hydraulic equipment for the shot bolts.
- Full MEICA installation: Due to the critical nature of the works involved, a 3-day port outage was planned per gate changeover to ensure that the lock would be clear of vessels. During this time the Qualter Hall team worked on a 24-hour basis.
- Site Acceptance Testing (SAT): Extensive testing was conducted on the Port of Tilbury site to ensure complete and proper functionality prior to client sign-off.
- Operator training provided by our Site Services and Controls personnel.
- Removal, refurbishment and reinstallation of 8 sluice operating mechanisms. Work scope included strip down, report, rectification including manufacture of new components where necessary, repainting and reinstallation.
What is TEAM2100?
The Thames Estuary Asset Management 2100 programme (TEAM2100) is the Environment Agency’s 10-year programme to refurbish and replace tidal flood defences in London and the Thames estuary.
Many of the flood defences in London and the Thames estuary are over 30 years old, and in some cases over 100 years old. Investigations by TEAM2100 into the condition of individual defences and the system as a whole inform a work programme of refurbishment, replacement and long-term management.
This integrated project team is contracted to carry out the initial part of the Environment Agency’s Thames Estuary 2100 Plan. This was developed to manage tidal flood risk in the Thames Estuary throughout the 21st century, with planned works to improve tidal flood defences in London, Kent and Essex.
Qualter Hall is the lead MEICA contractor on TEAM2100 for the eight Major Barriers on the project, collaborating alongside engineering and programme management consultants and client Jacobs, construction partner Balfour Beatty and other specialist contractors including KGAL Consulting Engineers.
About the Port of Tilbury
Tilbury is the largest multi-modal port in the South East, and the largest port on the Thames. Sitting on the north bank of the Thames, 22 nautical miles east of central London, it is within easy access to the M25 and 18 million people within a 75 mile radius. The port covers over 1,000 acres and has an annual throughput of 16 million tonnes, estimated to value around £8.7 billion. Offering operational support for a multitude of cargo types, the port supports ro-ro, containers, forest products, grain and bulks as well as cruises and property solutions. Read more.
