Dörpen lock tail (Dörpen)

The ship lock system of Dörpen at coastal canal km 64.830 represents the entry lock of the Dortmund-Ems Canal. It was constructed in 1933/1934 in the course of the coastal canal construction, and was commissioned in 1935.

The chamber lock has a falling height of around 1.20 m (max. falling height 1.60 m) and chamber dimen-sions of 12.0 m (width) by approx. 112 m (length). The useful width and length for navigation is 11.90 m and 104.00 m, respectively. The lock has a mitre gate pair in the lock head and two mitre gate pairs in the lock tail. The entry mitre gates in the lock tail rotate towards the chamber, whereas the oppositely acting storm tide mitre gates rotate towards the downstream outer harbour and/or the river Ems.

IRS is in charge of the design of the modification of the lock tail and hence the extension of the lock in anticipation of the long-term plans for the new construction of the lock. The objective is to adapt the system so that it is passable for large inland cargo vessels.

For this purpose, the lock must be extended to a minimum useful length of 110 m. This is to be achieved by the new construction of a mitre gate pair around 13 m upstream of the existing entry mitre gates. The new mitre gates are to be installed in the existing recess of the storm tide mitre gates in the lock tail.

Project planning
Structural engineering

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