Ports and marine services
Ports and marine services
Ports play a crucial role in our economy. At Antea Group, we use our extensive expertise to optimally develop various processes, such as the preparation of master plans, the navigability of inland waterways, research into the nautical depth of ports, as well as to design both wet and dry infrastructure. We also apply our knowledge of marine processes and design in offshore projects.
Port infrastructure and development
Flanders has four seaports and one of the densest waterway networks in Europe. This important asset, on the economic, shipping and recreation level, is constantly being developed. The nautical requirements and the protection against flooding play a crucial role in this.
We assist you every step of the way in this process: with feasibility studies and design as well as site supervision. Our experts have experience in all disciplines, such as designing waterways in nautical areas, environment-friendly river bank structures, quay walls, jetties, dikes and fish passes.
Dredging studies
Alluvial deposits in ports and waterways are a frequent and continuous problem, resulting in time-consuming and expensive dredging operations. We help you choose optimal and cost-efficient dredging techniques, combined with sustainable strategies for treating, managing and disposing of the dredged sludge. Our advice is based on quantitative analyses of the sediment supply to and the transport in watercourses, the morphodynamics in coastal areas (longitudinal and transverse transport) and the study of the consolidation of cohesive sediments in the context of dredging operations. We further develop the dredging profiles to be achieved down to the permit or implementation level in line with the intended project.
Shipping assistance
For over 20 years, we have been deepening our technical expertise in terms of shipping assistance. The optimum use of water and its environment as a supporting medium is studied in this context. The place that shipping occupies in our water environment is part of the expertise of our water experts - who work with external nautical experts and several international experts. The economic position of inland shipping and its relation to the inland waterway network, the nautical boundary conditions for the development of port configurations, or the socio-economic evaluation of a new sea lock are just a few of the current research projects that we are working on.
Nautical depth research
Ships often do not dare to sail through silt or do not sail through sufficiently deeply. We carry out various studies to research this complex problem, including physical research with scale models and numerical research with hydraulic and sediment models, as well as measurements at sea and in the ports. This includes research and modelling of the rheology of sludge soils (nautical depth) as a key factor for guaranteeing the manoeuvrability of ships, and the boundary conditions of the soil within which safe access to ports can be guaranteed.