Accoya Canal Lining

Certain environments are particularly punishing: few are harsher than the banks of canals, where wood is used to hold back the earth. In this application the wood’s exposure to water, microbe rich soil and – most obviously at the waterline – air, is particularly challenging. In the Netherlands, canal linings were traditionally made using tropical hardwoods but, with this no longer being an option, an alternative is needed. Accoya® was trialled for this purpose with excellent results. Even after 10 years in the water, the Accoya® trialled emerged with no discernible degradation at all.

Within the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslânm, the Diepe Dolte canal lining has been replaced with a long-term, durable solution, Accoya H2H® boards. The boards, developed and supplied by Van Swaay Duurzaam Hout, offer a unique combination of durable modified wood and softwood.

Performance and sustainability were key requirements when selecting the material for the flood defence structure, and with a 25 year warranty in ground/freshwater applications, Accoya H2H® boards offer an innovative solution matching the requirements of the project. In total, 120 linear metres of Accoya wood has been installed.

The new lining for the Diepe Dolte canal situated in Venlo Venlo comprises boards approximately five meters long, six centimetres thick and 20 centimetres wide. The lower part of the board is made from untreated spruce, with the upper part of the board at the air/water limit, constructed from Accoya wood. This is due to the air/water border being the point which endures the toughest conditions; therefore, Accoya wood is used because it has Class 1 durability. To ensure that no decay takes place, the softwood part of the board and the finger joint of the H2H® product are at all times kept below the waterline.