Platform on civil engineering, underground infrastructure, energy, construction equipment & construction machinery
As an interdisciplinary provider of engineering services and field investigations, Geonius was engaged at an early stage in the widening of the A2 motorway. The project demonstrates the versatility of the company and shows how one discipline became the flywheel for a broad, multidisciplinary collaboration.
In mid-2023, Geonius“ Infra division joined Boskalis” design team. Two road designers and a draftsman were seconded and worked on the preliminary and final design. “The road design included not only paving but also earthwork and modeling of the entire design,” says Rutger Ros, road designer at Geonius. "The design had to not only comply with the guidelines, but also be feasible and cost-efficient. Moreover, because of our experience on this kind of extensive project with the necessary road phasing, we emphasized the interaction between the temporary and final situation. Whereby the temporary situation was included early in the final design as an interface to avoid bottlenecks in feasibility."
The Environmental Division was also soon called in to perform environmental soil testing. “Several sites were suspected of soil contamination that we started investigating,” says Rick Tempels, environmental project manager at Geonius. “As the project progressed, several locations were identified as suspect. Reason for Boskalis to commission us to conduct a comprehensive historical desk study, which ultimately led to a fivefold increase in our original assignment. Contaminants were found on the plots, ranging from asbestos and heavy metals to remnants of old business activities and occasionally war ammunition.”
For the widening of the road, the construction of portals, structures and fauna passages, the Geotechnical Division carried out between 200 and 250 soundings and various borings. “This sometimes took place in hard-to-reach locations and under challenging conditions,” Kevin Kalisz, geotechnical project manager at Geonius, now knows from experience. “For example, during the Weekend Break (the 56-hour closure of the A2 motorway, ed.) we carried out CPTs on a slope between trees, among other things. All probing rods had to be brought down manually. At yet other locations we worked with a CPT platform attached to a crane on an embankment, and of course our CPT vehicles were also frequently used. During the Weekend Break we were working with five fieldwork teams simultaneously. An intensive job, but proud that we pulled it off. Hats off to the dedication of our people in the field. A lot was asked of them.”
A spearhead of Geonius is its own geotechnical laboratory. All soil samples were analyzed in the Geolab. Among other things, compression tests, grain size distributions and triaxial tests provided essential input for the design of structures. “The advantage of having our own laboratory for our clients is that we are not dependent on waiting times and there is direct coordination,” Kalisz adds.
Geodesy has been involved in the project since February 2024. “We started by mapping the existing infrastructure and viaducts, establishing a stable surveying base and laying out the working boundaries and cables and pipes,” says Erik van Eert, manager of Geodesy. “Gradually the execution got underway and we ensure the necessary coordination. The Geodesy Department acts as the connecting link between design and realization. Our team takes care of the dimensioning and surveying work and supports the survey team during execution. In this way we ensure that everything is built in the right place within the set tolerances. During the Weekend Break, we were present with many dimensioners, serving the execution.”
This project shows what Geonius is strong at: the flexibility and power to act as one organization. “Our people rotate fully into Boskalis” project teams. Should new questions arise, we are able to switch quickly and add expertise."
