Sediment accumulation creates dangerous shallow spots for shipping. Especially in the area of the Brunsbüttel locks, continuous depth measurements and dredging are required. However, along the rest of the canal route, the underwater slope and the riverbed are also regularly surveyed by a sounding vessel. At intervals of several years, shallow spots here too must be removed by dredging.
The beacons at the transitions from the Elbe and the Kiel Fjord to the Kiel Canal, the various signals at the approaches to and within the locks, the switch signals, the route lighting along the entire canal, and the hardware and software used in the traffic control center are indispensable for shipping safety. These systems must not only function; they must also be available at all times. Many of these installations have been developed specifically for the Kiel Canal due to its unique requirements.
The changing stresses on the mooring dolphins of the lock approach walls and the switch dolphins also demand substantial repair work. Pulling out or installing the dolphins requires the use of large floating equipment.
In recent years, all wooden dolphins at the switches – each composed of sixteen individual piles – have been replaced with robust single-pile steel dolphins. This investment has paid off, as maintenance and repair efforts have been significantly reduced.
In addition to the lock facilities in Brunsbüttel, Kiel-Holtenau, and Gieselau, a variety of berthing options for ships and boats, operational and rescue routes, ferries, bridges, and tunnels must be reliably available to both commercial and recreational users. In total, there are several hundred individual structures and facilities that demand extensive maintenance and repair. Special technical expertise is often necessary to perform certain tasks (e.g., work under compressed-air conditions, operations in supply tunnels beneath the lock structures, or climbing at heights of 40 meters), and large or specialized equipment is frequently required.
When planning and coordinating all tasks, it must be taken into account that many duties can only be performed when the facilities are closed to shipping. Any schedule can quickly become obsolete if unforeseen technical defects arise or vessel movements alter the previously set priorities.
All these special tasks and challenges can only be mastered thanks to the specialized facility knowledge of our WSV employees.
Left image: Maintenance work on a damaged lock gate
Right image: Robust technology from the “Kaiser era” (here: protective chamber)