Largest anchor pile project in the Netherlands

The installation of more than 12,000 anchor piles for the sunken highway near Amstelveen is the largest anchor pile work for a Dutch infrastructure project. De Vries Titan is responsible for this work. It is working in a foundation combination with BAUER Funderingstechniek.

By order of Rijkswaterstaat, VeenIX is widening and deepening the A9 between Badhoevedorp and Holendrecht. In 2021, De Vries Titan was already involved in the pilot project to install anchor piles. This pilot project was intended to demonstrate that the piles were strong enough to meet the design requirements. From this trial run, they were selected to install the production piles. "This involves more than 12,000 anchor piles," says Jan Mekenkamp, contractor at De Vries Titan. "The project is divided into two phases, the north and south phase. We have now completed the north phase. This involves just under 6,000 piles. On average we do 5 to 6 piles per day. We drive the piles into the ground. We follow the profile of the sunken pit, gradually driving the piles deeper and deeper to the deepest point at 45 to 46 meters and then gradually going deeper again to about 25 to 30 meters. After excavation, the piles are incorporated into the underwater concrete floor. This is how they hold the sunken tank in place."

Trusted cooperation

The assignment was so extensive that De Vries Titan is carrying it out together with BAUER Funderingstechniek. A familiar combination, they work together more often on large infrastructure projects. "We have worked together on the projects Maas Delta Tunnel ramp South Rozenburg, the station area Groningen and the Amstelveen Line (also in cooperation with VSF). We are both specialists in this field. Together we have enough capacity and experience to carry out such large-scale assignments. We often visit each other because we have the same level of quality and we keep our promises," says Mekenkamp.

Additional motivation

The limited space, logistics and working with other combinations are the biggest challenges as far as Mekenkamp is concerned. "You have to get the planning and operations right. Because so many people and machines are involved, the available space fills up quickly. Special transports, such as longitudinal and heavy transports, we do as much as possible during the day and outside rush hours. We coordinate this with the other parties several days in advance." What makes this work beautiful for Mekenkamp are the different phases in the process. "We have been working on this project for a long time, a lot is happening, but only now is it beginning to take shape. Only now do we see how impressive and imposing the sunken highway we are building is. That is motivating, because now you can see more and more clearly what you are working on."

Polar

Benjamin Bekhof, managing director of De Vries, and Jan Mekenkamp are proud that De Vries Titan may help build the renovated A9. "Despite the many challenges, together we are building a sunken highway in accordance with the set quality requirements. Our slogan is 'Driven by craftsmanship', which is no different on this project. With BAUER we form a strong combination in which we guarantee quality and safety. In particular, we are proud of poldering in the polder, as we say. Fighting against ground and surface water, and at the same time poldering with all the other parties to make the project a success."