06.01.2017
Earlier this month, a start was made to pump out the water of the cofferdam of the underground parking garage Boerenwetering in Amsterdam, designed by ZJA. A steel frame prevents the sheet piling walls from bending inwards as a result of the absence of water pressure. This steel frame consists of 50 tubes that transverse across the canal. The steel frame gradually becomes visible, while the cofferdam is slowly being pumped dry.
Once the cofferdam has been pumped dry, an area of 260 by 30 meters and 10 meters deep becomes visible. Then, construction of the parking garage will start using as many precast concrete elements as possible. The precast columns are currently being produced in Germany by Max Bögl, to be transported to the construction site later this year. Once all the work is finished and the underground parking garage is completed, the canal will again be filled with water.
Completion of the parking garage is expected by the end of 2017. The Boerenwetering parking garage can then accommodate 600 cars and 60 bikes. At street level some 300 parking spaces will disappear, allowing more space for pedestrians, cyclists and landscaping. It is the first time that a parking garage is constructed under an existing canal in Amsterdam.