Amsterdam Scenes # 30, a photo from Noord-Holland, South

Photographer's Note

In the background, you see Amsterdam Central Station but today, the picture (and WS as a "bonus") is about the new metro-line:

The Municipality of Amsterdam is developing the North/South Line, a new metro line that will connect Amsterdam North with the Amsterdam South/World Trade Centre (WTC) Station in 2011. Construction began on the 17 January 2003. The project will cost approximately US$1 billion. The metro line will run from Amsterdam Noord to Central Station, the inner city and De Pijp to Zuideramstel. It will measure nine and a half kilometres long.
In the north the line will run partly above the ground before descending below ground level just in front of the river IJ. Along the length of the metro line, the two tunnel tubes run parallel horizontally. The route is too narrow for parallel tunnels at one point and thus the two tubes will run vertically parallel, one above the other. The line alignment will reach a depth of 20 to 34m below the narrow streets, historical houses and bridges, and sewer.
A downward construction method with diaphragm walls has been employed in the construction of the underground stations. During excavation, cast in-situ concrete roof/floor slabs are used as the lateral support for the diaphragm walls. Starting from the top, excavation and concrete slab casting are carried out alternately.
The construction of the underground metro line is being completed through the adoption of an open excavation method for the shallow depth sections of the metro line, and a downward construction method with diaphragm walls or drilling method utilizing tunnel boring machine for the deeper sections of the metro line.
For the construction of the underwater sections of the metro line, pre-cast concrete boxes are being sunk into the river, with or without prior riverbed excavation.
The metro line is being bored from the Damrak. Following the street pattern under the inner city of Amsterdam, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) prevents any houses from being razed. The boring taking place 20m to 30m below the ground will be unnoticeable to passers-by.
The TBM will be put together in the construction site located in the water of the Damrak. The TBM has a diameter of six and half metres as well as a length of 40m. The head of the TBM consists of a shield and an eight metre long hollow steel cylinder. This is where the tunnel-builders work. The shield protects the tunnel builders from the ground and the groundwater.
The TBM covers approximately eight metres in one day. Metal rails are also being laid in each new partition. Over these will ride the work train, transporting the material and workers.
Because there are two metro tunnels being constructed, two TBMs are needed. The two TBMs are not operating at the same time. When the first TBM has been operating for approximately three months, the second TBM will be brought into the ground. The boring, including all of the preparation and finishing, will take about 50 months.

RGatward, avigur_11, HOBO, Tue, jmdaoudal, bpelvan, papagolf21, jhm, wilkinsonsg, Steft, bertolucci, aznegrao, supereira, PLD_images, chinchini, jrj, ishai, maphoto, Leonie, weswang, Signal-Womb, kiara, Galmeida, elihesamian, Jeppe, rhizomes, trekheijnsbroek has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

RGatward (20108) 2005-03-31 12:38

Very interesting note, and what a project! I hadn't heard about it. I'll see it in a couple of weeks, since I've got a 7 hour wait between planes at Schiphol, when I plan to wander around my favourite part of Amsterdam, just west of the north end of Herengracht, where all the cosy bars and junk shops are.

Anyway, nice interesting shot.

fooeleen (713) 2005-03-31 12:59

hi Hans, thanks for the note. i wonder if any of the beautiful building at the background might be affected. very interesting.

avigur_11 (22553) 2005-03-31 14:32

It is very good news for amsterdam to have a new metro line. I like this smi industrial shot with this Central Station which I like very much. Composition is very detailed and very interesting. Very good job, Hans.

HOBO (5282) 2005-03-31 15:29

Thanks for the perfect note, Hans. A colorful view of a place which looks like out of reach; the wooden boards seems not only to limit visibility but access too - so curiosity comes up; what's behind. I like it.

alvaraalto (42804) 2005-03-31 16:19

Hi Hans,
Zo te zien was je in de bouwput. Toevallig hoorde ik vandaag dat ze weer verder konden onder het station.
Mooie foto met deze ongewone POV.
groet Rob

Tue (92514) 2005-03-31 17:18

Tja, zo ziet het Stationsplein er nu en de komende jaren uit... Wat een zooitje is het er nu...
Maar het geeft wel de gelegenheid voor zo'n leuke foto met alle bouwwerkzaamheden op de voorgrond. Leuk idee! :-D

jmdaoudal (82) 2005-03-31 23:54

Very informative shot and also a good facing between the modern world at work for a modernisation and the ancient if we consider that railways are now "ancient".
Nice scene of course and good details on all the composition.
I like it
Jean Michel

bpelvan (3798) 2005-04-01 2:14

Hi Hans,
This is a very good shot of a construction site showing the whole order of the complexity. The DoF is perfect here. Despite all the staff in front, the magnificence of the background architecture is seen very well.
Good job and thanks for sharing...

papagolf21 (152607) 2005-04-01 3:58

Bonjour mon ami Hans,
Merci pour le grand intйrкt de la note d'accompagnement. Vous pourrez dire а vos petits enfants : "j'y йtais lors de la construction du prolongement du mйtro, et j'ai mкme fait partagй а mes amis de TE, une photo des travaux en cours".
C'est trиs bien de nous prйsenter ainsi ce qui se passe dans votre ville, c'est tout а fait dans l'esprit de TE.
Amitiйs.
Philippe

jhm (211736) 2005-04-01 5:41

Dag Hans,
Ha ha ook eens werken in Amsterdam, deze plaats zal ik blijven herkennen op de achtergrond, ik vind dit altijd een mooi gebouw. Wat de metro werken betreft, ik bezit honderde foto's met de fameuse mol, ik heb jaren deze werken in Belgiл gevolgd en op foto gezet, en weet ik er wel iets vanaf.
De bekisting is wel degelijkgoed beveiligd zoals de wet het voorziet.
Als u er nog heeft laat ze maar komen.
Groeten,
John.

wilkinsonsg (8662) 2005-04-01 6:55

Very comprehensive note allied to a very detailed shot - you could submit both for a magazine article :)

keribar (43841) 2005-04-01 23:48

Hello Hans,

At first I did not recognize the value of the picture when I looked at the thumbnail, but I decided to open it anyway, and what a difference then. Really it is a great picture (journalistic perhaps ) but it shows very well and in such a colorful way the works going on in Amsterdam. Your note is also very interesting, you took some time in order to inform us. Many thanks - Izzet Keribar

bertolucci (14052) 2005-04-02 10:50

Hi Hans, this is an excellent marriage between architecture, industry and [email protected] It's very well & creatively composed and brimful of interesting details. I was about a year ago in A'dam and they were making some preparations then - look at it now!
Great job & thanx for sharing, also for the very interesting note.
Goed weekend,
Bert

aznegrao (10316) 2005-04-02 15:12

Hi Hans!!
Gosto desse enquadramento, o efeito obtido e fantastico. Gosto das cores e texturas.
Rgds.

Steft (6109) 2005-04-03 6:24

Mooie foto, een foto vol met actie. De compositie met het centraal station zo hoog en daarna alle lagen op de voorgrond is erg geslaagd, erg verassend.

supereira (9576) 2005-04-03 7:47

I like the architecture of the building.Good contrast between the sky and the building.I lie the colors and contrasts between them.Good textures,light and sharpness.I like the detail of the persons.Well done!

Zepi (22848) 2005-04-04 10:45

Hello Hans!
Magnifique prise de vue !
Beau cadrage j’aime ce genre de compositions urbaines
Superbe palette de couleurs, c’es trиs graphique!
Une belle contribution, merci pour le partage !
Amicalement
Sйbastien

MvS (4163) 2005-04-04 17:48

Hans,
This kind of construction work is quite suitable for pictures, and yours is a good example.
A lot of workers involved in their tasks, nice colours and shapes from the construction and the central station in the back.
Thanks,
Magnus

PLD_images (7149) 2005-04-05 20:25

Very nice one Hans,

I enjoy the contrast between the new and the old. Well-managed light and real good overall sharpness. There are a lot of geometric mosaics here and they are colorful and bright in the shot.
Nicely seen and done.

chinchini (31529) 2005-04-06 2:05

Bonjour Hans,
Quelle note documentaire pour accompagner ta photo de trиs bonne facture !
L'arriиre-plan est magnifique. Les bвtiments de la gare centrale ont une trиs belle architecture.
Merci pour le partage.
Pierre

jrj (34843) 2005-04-06 6:12

Excellent info of the new metro, that must be a real challenge in Amsterdam. Great info and a very interesting shot to go with it. Original compo and sure a new way to see the central station of amsterdam. Good job Hans

maphoto (8082) 2005-04-06 21:49

Very nice composition hans, the back ground is just great, wonderful perspective, great work ! Thanks for sharing.

sev (51) 2005-04-07 14:31

thanks for your notes ... i learned a lot about the new metro line in Amsterdam !
Amsterdam is a very attractive city
well done Hans !

Leonie (8809) 2005-04-07 16:50

Hello Hans,
Interesting pic of the heart of Amsterdam...the colours are very strong and nice! I wish they'd build a metro here in Dublin, the traffic is horrendous during peak hours and the public transport is a disaster. Thanks to God the landscapes are still so nice.. ;-) Greetz, Lйonie

weswang (18247) 2005-04-09 12:15

Hi Hans, What a combination: a historic architecture and a busy construction area. You have nicely divided the scene into a few different layers of scenes: the basement, the men at work, the building, and the blue sky. Very nice DOF and very nice detailed. Well done.

Signal-Womb (13048) 2005-04-09 19:01

Quite a busy scene here Hans and one that keeps the eye busy, well done.

jp80 (8443) 2005-04-13 10:30

Hi Hans,
bveautiful colors and sharpness for this difficult composition. You managed to reproduce perfectly this scene, which was no simple to do. I like the way you croped the pic. Well done !

Pascal

Galmeida (12559) 2005-04-14 19:04

Good guidelines and a excelent report picture of a changing urbain life scenery. Great quality picture and daily life composition. It's not for a photograph easy to show in real picture this disturbing local and momment, generally only television or newspapers. But here you made the WAVE of changing the urbain scenery in a great composition shot.

Very well done and a resulting very well done composition of momments in town.

Congratulations!
Fernando.

elihesamian (26149) 2005-04-21 12:33

It's a great industrial shot in center of your city,Hans!
excellent sharpness and quality,details are very fine and colors,too,I enjoy it.
Excellent note,Thanks,Hans!
nicely composed and strongly managed the all elements in this shot.

PS:
Ok,you was not in break,in vacation,...just left the site for a few days,...hope all things be ok in your life,...I'm trying to underestand a thing,but I don't find clearly a reason that maybe return to TE,is it about some friends who are gone?!

Best Regards
M

Jeppe (18654) 2005-05-11 16:45

I can reconize this kind of sight from around here - lots of constructions work going on - Some years ago did Copenhagen get its Metro after lots of expence (money) and trouble.

Thanks Hans for giving us one more of your fine Amsterdam scenaries.