The Plastics Experts

The sewer tunnel Emscher (AKE), also called Emscher Canal, is the main construction project for the reconstruction of the Emschersystem from open to closed sewage disposal in the context to restore the Emscher. The total investment volume of this project amounts to approximately 4.5 billion Euro.

It is a parallel to the river Emscher emerging, subterranean sewerin the Ruhr area. The 51 km long channel begins in the north of the sewage treatment plant Dortmund-Deusen and ends in Dinslaken at the WWTP Emschermündung.

The sewer is a reinforced concrete tunnel with an inner diameter from 1.4 to 2.8 m. Two tubes are laid section by section parallel to obtain a larger total cross-section.

Due to the fact that the planned slope of sewers is greater than that on the surface, three underground pumping stations are going to be built 40 m deep, with a diameter of 50 m. In Dortmund, the channel starts at a depth of about 8 meters.

The pumping station Gelsenkirchen lifts the wastewater around 12 m from about 30 m depth. The pumping station WWTP Bottrop promotes the waste water from 32 m depth to the surface of WWTP Bottrop. The Emscher channel continues at a depth of about 20 m to the direction of Dinslaken. Close to the the city limits of Dinslaken the pumping station of Oberhausen lifts the waste water from a depth of 40 m, and passes it to the WWTP Emschermündung.

To protect the concrete structures of the pumping stations, as well as the access shafts against possible corrosion, AGRU high quality concrete protective liners are used.

The installation activities were carried out by companies (STRABAG AG waterproofing department and IAT GmbH), which have a long-term experience with the professional installation of AGRU concrete protective liners.