Unique prefabricated retaining wall construction for Dordrecht new housing estate

As a manufacturer of high-quality precast concrete retaining walls, Bosch Beton is active on many GWW fronts. One of the projects to which the Barneveld-based company recently contributed is the installation of a number of sustainable noise barriers along the A16 and N3 motorways for the new construction district Amstelwijck in Dordrecht. Commissioned by main contractor Heijmans Infra BV, Bosch Beton designed, delivered and installed more than 1,000 retaining wall elements. A perfectly fitting custom solution developed in-house as a ballast construction for the noise barriers.

The realization of the popular new residential area Amstelwijck, located on the outskirts of Dordrecht, is progressing steadily. To protect the residential area from noise pollution from the nearby freeway, provincial road and railroad, it was necessary to install durable noise barriers. The complexity of the job prompted Heijmans to call on the extensive expertise of Bosch Beton. "We were asked to help think about a suitable ballast construction for the noise barriers using retaining walls," says Lennart van de Loenhorst, Account Manager Ground, Road and Hydraulic Engineering on behalf of Bosch Beton. "That ultimately helped result in the optimal solution for the Municipality of Dordrecht." 

Full-length durability 

The noise barriers are the result of intensive sustainable thinking and action. The released soil was reused and a smart irrigation system was installed to keep the plants alive even in dry periods. By issuing a lifetime guarantee for the cleverly designed retaining wall construction, Bosch Beton also embraced its own commitment to sustainability. In total, the company designed, produced and installed more than 1,000 retaining wall elements (varying in height from 75 to 150 centimeters) that fully meet the specified requirements. In addition, various retaining wall corner elements were used for the required emergency exits. "Thanks to the custom-made retaining wall elements, including adapted heel and foot lengths, a whole was created that offered the best solution both structurally and in terms of durability," Lennart said. "This is because the elements were manufactured using a more sustainable concrete recipe, in which the proportion of cement was significantly reduced."

Complete unburdening

Heijmans' choice of Bosch Beton was largely due to the carefree environment that the latter offered during the rollout of the noise barrier project. Not only did Bosch Beton's own engineers think along from A to Z during the construction of the ballast solution, the flexibility surrounding the lightning-fast production of specials was also of great importance. "As was the fact that we completed the delivery and installation of the retaining walls within just ten weeks," Lennart says. "A lightning-fast turnaround due in part to the just-in-time delivery of the retaining wall elements to the construction site."