'Our work you don't see, but its importance is all the greater'

Vibration-free drilling is increasingly becoming the standard. Franki Grondtechnieken is a specialist and is deployed on complex projects. This requires a high degree of improvisation and solution-oriented thinking.

The origins of Franki ground techniques date back to the early 1900s. Edgard Frankignoul founded the Compagnie Internationale des Pieux Armés Frankignoul after he acquired the patent for the Franki pile in 1909. Founded in 1934, Franki Grondtechnieken is part of Franki Foundations Belgium with sister companies in France and the United Kingdom. The entire Franki Group has been part of the BESIX Group since 2008. 

Basis of great projects

At the helm of Franki Grondtechnieken is Jan-Wim Verhoeff. He is proud of the work they do. With good reason, because a quick glance at the projects in which they are involved shows that they are not the least bit projects. Think of the North-South line, the Spoorzone Delft, the complete construction pit with foundations for the new building of the RIVM and CBG in Utrecht and the project Groene Boog or the connection of the A16 to the A13. "We literally lay the foundation for these projects," Verhoeff says. "You don't see our work, but its importance is all the greater. For example, the foundation piles of RIVM and CBG in Utrecht have a length of 60 meters and a diameter of 2 meters. The building must be stable enough to be vibration-free. As experts in special foundation techniques, such as vibration-free foundations and the installation of walls formed in the ground, we are called in precisely for this type of project. On the one hand for the execution of specific foundation works but also for the execution of complete construction pits where we take over the coordinating role of the main contractor. 

Underground puzzle work

In underground foundations, Franki's people regularly face major challenges. "Nice example is the North-South line where we did excavation work for the walls of the stations. It is in the middle of Amsterdam so little space while working with large excavators. That also requires a lot of attention to the safety of our personnel but also of the public. The supply of all the materials and equipment is also a logistical puzzle. This also applies to our work in Delft where we dug the underground tunnel walls for the railroad tunnel. But perhaps the greatest challenge in our work is that we dig in the blind, so to speak. Of course, thorough soil investigation is the basis of our work. However, that is no guarantee that you won't encounter anything at all. Because we have many techniques in-house, we can also come up with a solution quickly at such times. That is the great strength of Franki Grondtechnieken."