Foundation specialist Kandt experiences first-ever self-developed emission-free drilling machine

In Breda, TenneT and SC&M (collaboration Croonwolter&dros and Mobilis) are building a new 150 kV high-voltage substation to replace the existing one. Some 170 LeKa piles are being drilled into the ground for the foundations. This project is extra special for foundation company Kandt BV: their self-developed emission-free drilling machine is being used here for the first time.

Throughout the Netherlands - and especially in Brabant - construction and expansion of high-voltage substations is in full swing. This is familiar territory for Kandt BV. The family business from Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel specializes in foundation work, particularly in inner-city areas and at locations with limited space or height restrictions, such as at high-voltage substations. Normally, diesel-driven drilling rigs are used for this. Things are different in Breda: there, Kandt is working for the first time with the new emission-free drilling machine KSC10RB-02. A real first.

Beautiful story

“How this emission-free drill came about is actually a great story,” says Willem de Meijer, director of Kandt BV. “It started as a graduation project of Tom Littel, then an intern. The assignment was to develop a compact, emission-free drilling rig. We then went on to build this machine, where Tom Littel was able to arrange, direct and supervise his project himself from subsequent employment after his internship. Isn't that wonderful! With Kandt Special Crane, we designed and built this machine completely in-house, from the drawing board to delivery. It fits perfectly with the ambitions of Mobilis and TenneT to build emission-free wherever possible.”

Heavy drilling work

The machine is designed to perform smoothly even under tough conditions. In Breda, LeKa piles up to 21 meters long are being installed with diameters of 273 mm and 355 mm, in firm soil. “That means heavy drilling work,” said De Meijer. “In total, we installed 170 LeKa piles here without any problems.”

Widely applicable

Thanks to its compact design and emission-free nature, the drill is ideally suited for inner-city projects, work in or near natural areas and locations with height restrictions, such as along rail lines, near high-voltage cables and along highways. “An additional advantage is that the machine has no broker with a low center of gravity in terms of weight. As a result, there is no danger of overturning which is essentially the safest choice when choosing a pole type during design. Because of this the applicability is very wide, you can't work safer.”

In the starting blocks for emission-free construction De Meijer expects the emission-free drill to be used more and more often. “By developing and building this machine completely in-house, we show that we are at the forefront of making equipment more sustainable and responding to the growing market demand.” In addition to the smaller compact emission-free drill, Kandt BV has various other emission-free equipment including a heavier emission-free drilling crane: the TTD50. “With this we can install LeKa piles with a diameter of 219 mm to 711 mm completely emission-free. The demand for emission-free construction is increasing, including from clients such as TenneT. We are ready for that.”