Korea gets movable barrier designed by DHV- by David Foxwell
A new Nakdong Barrier, a barrier on the Nakdong River in South Korea, is to be built using a design developed by engineering consultancy DHV. The current barrier is 20 years old and, because of the effects of climate change on the river, needs to be extended.
Construction on the project, which involves an investment of €125m, will begin in mid-2010, with the project due to be completed by mid-2012. DHV, together with Samsung Engineering & Construction and the Korean engineering consultancy Yooshin, is responsible for the winning design.
The purpose of the barrier is to increase the drainage of the Nakdong River. By directing excess water, the river can be better managed. The barrier is to be built on the edge of the port city of Busan, which, with 4.6 million inhabitants, is the second largest city in Korea and the country’s most important port.
According to Wim Klomp, DHV’s project director, ‘The barrier can be compared to the Haringvliet barrier in the Netherlands. The big difference is that the flood threat in Korea doesn’t come from the sea, but from the rivers themselves. This means that the barrier’s curvature is turned toward the sea.’
The client is K-water, which is part of the Korean directorate for public works and water management.
