GEWI piles for Blankenburg Connection

BAUER Funderingstechniek is installing GEWI micropiles with threads as part of Rotterdam’s new 4km-long A24 highway that includes two tunnels under the Scheur River
June 17, 2020 Read time: 2 mins
BAUER is installing the deepest GEWI piles in the Netherlands to date

The work by BAUER Funderingstechniek - the Dutch subsidiary of German parent firm BAUER Spezialtiefbau - is for the Blankeburgverbinding (Blankenburg Connection) tunnel project west of the city between the A15 and A20 highways.

Rotterdam, with a population of around 650,000, is the second largest city in the Netherlands and Europe's largest seaport, making it an important freight transport hub. The Blankenburg Connection will relieve truck and general traffic congestion.

BAUER has been delivering GEWI material to the site since July 2019 and by May is due to have installed 4,500 piles. But preliminary pile load tests were conducted in 2018 to investigate the primary friction properties of the three soil strata at the site. Soft clay, followed by firm clay and medium-dense to dense layers of sand were detected down to a depth of up to 20m.

The design of the GEWI piles for the tunnel ramps was adjusted based on the results of the pile load tests. Installation of the pile foundation for the southern ramp of the future 30m-deep Maas Delta Tunnel began last summer.

"In total, 11 teams with 11 KLEMM KR 806 rigs are currently being used in the joint project with our partner De Vries Titan," said Maarten Daalmeijer, project manager at BAUER Funderingstechniek. "This way we are sure to keep to the tight schedule.”

BAUER is installing the deepest GEWI piles in the Netherlands to date. Penetration of 64m below the NAP (Normaal Amserdams Peil - Amsterdam Ordnance Datum) -  a height reference point for the Amsterdam water level.

Road Structures

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • BSP’s productive piling and compaction tool
    September 14, 2015
    BSP International Foundations has unveiled the latest in its line-up of Rapid Impact Compactors (RIC). The new RIC-16000 unit joins an established four-model range offering drop-weights from 5tonnes up to 16tonnes. Depending on prevailing ground conditions this model is capable of significant ground consolidation to depths of more than 8m. RICs have been successfully used to consolidate gravel, sands and some silts. The ability to dump and compact sand or stone to significant depths simplifies remediatio
    Read More
  • Bertha readies for more Seattle SR99 Alaskan Way Viaduct tunnel work
    July 27, 2015
    Bertha, one of the world’s largest tunnelling machines will resume work underneath the US city of Seattle in November, nearly two years after breaking down. Bertha, at 17.4m diameter, began her journey in July 2013. She was boring a path to relocate a 3.2km stretch of the elevated State Route 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct, built between 1949 and 1953 and which carries around 100,000 vehicles daily. The elevated section will be moved underground allowing the creation of public space along Seattle’s downtown w
    Read More
  • The Hague’s Victory Tunnel opens
    February 22, 2021
    The Victory Boogie Woogie tunnel is part of the new 4km Rotterdamsebaan.
    Read More
  • Geosynthetics give extra strength to soil reinforcement
    March 14, 2012
    Using geosynthetics for soil reinforcement is highly effective but requires a high quality and trusted geogrid. When it comes to deciding which geogrid is best for a specific project, a number of product parameters must be taken into account. In the design of steep slopes, the most important parameter is the available long term design strength (Pdes). Recently, Colbond has significantly increased this factor for its high performance Enkagrid product, recognised with a newly updated BBA (British Board of Ag
    Read More

Highlighted Content