Monthly progress update for October on the Vàm Lẽo Sluice Gate Project: Trungnam E&C has completed 50% of the lock-chamber floor piles, 42.8% of the cofferdam sheet piles and 21.2% of the traffic bridge piles, fully leveraging waterborne mechanical capacity and strictly enforcing occupational safety discipline.
Accelerating construction of foundation and cofferdam works
The Vàm Lẽo Sluice Gate Project plays a strategic role in saline intrusion control, freshwater storage, tidal flood prevention and the sustainable protection of agricultural and aquaculture production zones in the Bạc Liêu area, now part of Cà Mau Province. Recognizing the urgency of the project ahead of the coming saline intrusion season, Trungnam E&C proactively developed a detailed Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule and organized continuous work fronts aligned with the tidal cycle.
As of the end of October, the main in-river work fronts have achieved the following positive results:
- Retaining wall piles and lock-chamber floor piles: A cumulative 235 of 470 pile axes have been completed, reaching the 50% design volume milestone. These piles are key load-bearing elements for the lock chamber and provide slope reinforcement against scour at the toe of the revetment. Reaching 50% completion establishes a solid technical basis for subsequent steps, including pile head treatment, casting of the pile cap and the lock floor base slab.
- Cofferdam sheet pile driving for the main culvert: 440 of 1,029 sheet piles have been successfully driven (42.8% of total volume). The steel sheet pile cofferdam serves as a temporary enclosure that localizes flow, resists direct river water pressure and creates a dry excavation area for earthworks and construction of the central culvert structure.
- Traffic bridge pile driving: 21 of 99 pile axes have been completed (21.2%). Work fronts are coordinating with surveyors to control pile tip elevations and are ready to receive additional prestressed precast piles for the bridge abutments and piers.
Heavy construction equipment capacity
Waterway bridge and hydraulic works in the Mekong Delta face deep soft clay, strong currents and tidal amplitudes that vary hour by hour. To fully master the complex floating construction environment, Trungnam E&C has mobilized a synchronized, state-of-the-art marine construction fleet to the Vàm Lẽo site:
- Positioning barge and heavy-duty crawler crane assembly: Dedicated barges are securely anchored with spudded mooring lines and equipped with long-boom crawler cranes that accurately position each steel sheet pile and pile axis, tens of meters long, at the design coordinates in the river channel.
- High-frequency hydraulic vibratory hammer: Enables smooth, rapid sheet pile driving through complex geological strata, minimizes transmitted vibration and ensures absolute verticality of the cofferdam walls.
- GPS and precision survey system: Trungnam E&C engineers apply electronic total stations and satellite positioning to guide pile alignment and keep tolerances within the limits set by waterway construction technical standards.
People and culture: “Safety – Progress – Quality”
Trungnam E&C commitment is not only displayed on site hoardings or equipment, but expressed through the daily discipline of every engineer and worker:
- Strict waterway occupational safety: 100% of personnel working on floating vessels and work platforms are required to wear life jackets, hard hats and safety harnesses. The site management provides adequate life rings, rescue motorboats, buoy markers and night warning lights to ensure safe navigation for local vessels passing through the area.
- Quality control at every stage (QA/QC): The QA/QC engineering team works closely with the Supervision Consultant to verify the origin of steel and cement, supervise concrete cylinder compression testing and complete inspection records before construction of each pile axis.
- Accelerating production of traffic bridge piles: The specialized prestressed reinforced concrete precast yard is operating at full capacity and concrete curing procedures are strictly controlled to supply the remaining 78 pile axes for the bridge abutments and piers. Channel dredging: Waterborne mechanical fleets (grab dredgers and suction dredgers) are deployed to dredge and clear obstructions in the upstream and downstream diversion channels, improving flow for construction diversion while facilitating waterway traffic.
Affirming Trungnam E&C position as a leading water resources infrastructure contractor
Having delivered numerous large-scale transport, irrigation and renewable energy infrastructure projects worth trillions of VND nationwide, Trungnam E&C has established itself as a leading contractor capable of flood and water control and of mastering complex construction technologies on soft ground and in river environments. A notable example is the Phase 1 tidal flooding mitigation project considering climate change impacts in Ho Chi Minh City, due for completion in 2026.
With October results meeting and exceeding planned milestones, the Trungnam E&C team continues to accelerate work at the Vàm Lẽo Sluice Gate site, contributing to the sustainable development of the Mekong Delta region.
