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With more than 120 years of experience in civil engineering, Gebr. De Koning understands the ropes. Yet the family business is anything but complacent. The continuous drive for new solutions results in wonderful reference projects and unique joint ventures. For example, Gebr. De Koning is closely involved in the Kademuren Innovation Partnership in Amsterdam, in which innovative techniques are being used to renew vulnerable quay walls, and in the first emission-free dyke reinforcement project in the Netherlands.
Gebr. De Koning profiles itself as an extraordinary contractor at the intersection of land and water. "With our seven disciplines, also called strengths - civil concrete works, hydraulic works, foundation works, earth retaining structures, equipment, design, management and maintenance - we do not shy away from any challenge," says Leo van Dijk, commercial manager at Gebr. De Koning. "It is precisely when things get more complicated that we are at our best. So we often look for the combination of disciplines. Specifically for structural hydraulic engineering, we participate in a number of beautiful and unique projects."
Gebr. De Koning has elevated the renewal of existing quay walls to a true art. "With the combination G-force, consisting of Van Gelder, Giken Europe and Gebr. De Koning, we will be using innovative techniques to renew vulnerable quay walls together with the City of Amsterdam starting in September this year," explains Van Dijk. "In doing so, we will use the Gyropress technique in which the quay wall of small tubular piles are pressed into the ground while rotating. This method is vibration-free, low-noise, can be carried out with compact equipment and requires no further auxiliary structures. We have already successfully applied this technique in a similar project in The Hague, although the starting point was different, namely tree preservation. As a combination of Urban Innovation, Van Gelder and Gebr. De Koning, we designed a new quay wall in close collaboration with the municipality of The Hague, sparing a series of monumental trees. That project was successfully completed this year and to the full satisfaction of all parties involved."
Gebr. De Koning is also active in quite a few leading dike reinforcement projects. Van Dijk: "In the Gorinchem-Waardenburg project, we are installing sheet pile structures for the Graaf Reinald alliance. We do this both vibration-free and low-vibration, depending on the environmental characteristics. We are also involved in strengthening the Waal dike between Tiel-Waardenburg on behalf of combination Mekante Diek, a project that is still in the design phase." Gebr. De Koning is also active on the Stenendijk in Hasselt, the "last stone wall in the Netherlands" still standing as protection against dike breaches. "It will be the first emission-free dike reinforcement project in the Netherlands. The stone wall is a National Monument and, despite the heavy sheet pile walls we are installing here, as part of the Dijkzone Alliantie Stenendijk, it must not suffer any damage. Because the project is located next to a Natura2000 area, we are deploying our electric sheet piling machine that pushes the sheet piles into the soil completely emission-free."
Finally, Gebr. De Koning is also innovative in greening quay structures. "With our Urban Deltas division, we place floating islands that create habitat creation and thus significantly improve water quality. A win-win," Van Dijk concludes.
