More than 60 years of expertise forms a solid foundation for artworks in the RhinelandRoute

'Cracking piles,' is how the work is officially called. More than 60 years ago in the family business, the head of the pile was removed by hand. Adriaan van der Jagt, director and owner of the Van der Jagt Group, is the third generation in the family business.

"My grandfather started it, then indeed everything was done by hand. Today we have developed machines for it, the so-called 'pile-cracker combinations'."

The van der Jagt Group is working in phases to prepare the piling and drilling piles at a number of structures in the RijnlandRoute. "In total, we are talking about more than 1,200 piles," van der Jagt said. "We started a year and a half ago. We are working next to the A4 near Leiden, where the flyovers for the new Hofvliet interchange are located."

Making cuttings available

Per day, the Van der Jagt Group delivers between 30 and 50 piles. "The pile driver places the piles, after which we -in stages- ensure that the concrete heads are removed. In this way we make the cuttings available, to be included in the construction. Quite a bit of effort is expected. We sometimes work with two pile-cracker combinations to meet the requested schedule." 

Besides cracking the approximately 1,200 piles with diameters of 500 and 600 mm, Van der Jagt does much more for construction consortium COMOL5. "We also master all disciplines in the field of drilling and sawing," Van der Jagt explains. "We are therefore gratefully employed in various activities that occur on the project."

As the crow flies

Van der Jagt takes us for a quick bird's eye view of the structures where his company is deployed. "Near the A44, that's at the Robert Boyle viaduct, the Plesmanlaan viaduct, at the Old Rhine Bridge, where a new one is being built, at the Ommedijkseweg viaduct and at future Ommedijk interchange, partly at the sunken location of the new N434, where we have demolished heads for the diaphragm walls, and at the bored tunnel. In addition, also at the tunnel entrance on the A4 side." As mentioned, the work is in phases and the Van der Jagt Group is firmly in the ground with both boots until the work is completed.

In conclusion, Van der Jagt says, "We are and remain a real family business. That means that we are all very proud of our work. When traffic soon crosses the RijnlandRoute, no one will see the work we have done there. The knowledge, however, that we literally helped lay the foundation for all that beauty, gives a good feeling!"