Energy piles: energy from foundation piles

With a wealth of experience over the last seventy years, Funderingstechnieken Verstraeten is the specialist
in soil displacement, vibration-free techniques. The company is investing heavily in making the
equipment and is involved in a wide variety of projects throughout the country. In cooperation with TU Delft, Funderingstechnieken Verstraeten also participates in the development of the energy pile.

"Back in 1953 we managed to install the first vibration-free pile, the forerunner of the current Fundex pile," begins Davy Maes, general manager of Funderingstechnieken Verstraeten, part of the Fundex Piling Group. "Over the years we have continuously improved and fine-tuned the technique and are seen in the market as the specialist in vibration-free techniques. Here we mainly use the Fundex and Tubex pile, but also have a number of other related techniques. Our portfolio is nicely filled. We travel with our machinery throughout the Netherlands and have a number of nice projects in the pipeline. For example, in addition to working for (large) infrastructure contractors, we are also much active for grid operators where we make the foundations for new wind turbines and electricity pylons."

Funderingstechnieken Verstraeten is fully committed to making its machinery more sustainable, according to Maes. "We are busy renewing and adapting our equipment with cleaner engines and the use of more environmentally friendly fuels. We are also involved in the development of the energy pole based on the Fundex pole, with which we recently carried out a project. So we are taking responsibility in many different ways to reduce CO₂-emissions significantly."