The collapse of the Grimburgwal in the center of Amsterdam last September was partly caused by shipping. Because revolving ships churned up the bottom, the moat became deeper than the quay walls could handle.
Furthermore, the quay was weakened because boats were coming up against it. This is evident from independent research by a team from TU Delft, AMS, Deltares and SkyGeo at the request of the municipality. NH News writes about it.
The construction of the narrow quay and the renewal of the sidewalk are mentioned as other causes for the collapse. According to the researchers, the last push was probably the renewal of the street work in May and August last year. The street work caused an extra load on the quay.
From 2023, Amsterdam will need more than 40 million euros annually to tackle overdue maintenance on bridges and quays. There is no insight into structural means for this, says the Executive Board.
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