Innovative in CPT technology

CPT is a Dutch technology for which A.P. van den Berg has been developing high-performance solutions for more than half a century now. "We have taken the technology of probing further into the world," says Managing Director Mark Woollard. "Innovation is literally in our DNA and this not infrequently leads to outright firsts, such as the unique probing robot, for example."

A.P. van den Berg is a market leader in land probing and a global leader in offshore. "When it comes to land probing, there are many local markets. The method of land probing is determined by each country's history and preferences," Woollard explains. "In the offshore, on the other hand, a global player base applies. We are leaders in technology and have many patents to our name. The great thing is that there is plenty of cross-pollination between the two 'worlds.'"

Probing robot

Several years ago, A.P. van den Berg presented the probing robot. Woollard: "Mechatronics are going to play an increasing role in our world. A good example of this is our CPT robot in which the 'rolling in and out' of the CPT line is fully automated. The CPT master's workshop turns into an office environment on the vehicle, so to speak. This significantly eases the working conditions of the CPT master, an aspect that has been high on the agenda especially in recent years. Consequently, there is increasing interest in our CPT robot, not only in the Netherlands but we also receive requests from abroad. The first ones have already been put into use. In developing the CPT robot, we basically translated offshore technology into a ready-made solution for land probing. The technology of fully automated 'rolling in and rolling out' of the sounding line is now also being given an offshore 'jacket'. The cross-pollination we create between land and offshore probing is very important and valuable and offers incredible added value for our customers." 

Concrete piles printing

In the field of foundations, A.P. van den Berg has introduced an interesting penetration method of precast concrete piles to the Dutch market. To the originally Asian method, A.P. van den Berg has added its own knowledge from CPT technology. "It involves a foundation machine, the Pile Pusher Pro, which piles into the ground without having to vibrate and with virtually no noise," says Woollard. He sees plenty of opportunities in built-up areas, for example. "Moreover, the quality of a precast concrete pile is indisputable compared to a pile formed in the ground. The machine we have launched is similar, so to speak, to a large-scale mechanical sounding. Simultaneously with the pressing of the precast pile, various parameters are continuously measured, displayed real-time on a screen in the cabin and digitally recorded. The recorded data also provides valuable input for calculations of the realized pile bearing capacity. This therefore no longer needs to be determined afterwards with additional tests."

Needless to say, A.P. van den Berg closely follows developments in wireless communications. "We have a strong focus on the digitization of data transmission. This makes our equipment more stable, more reliable and allows for greater bandwidth. In this, we continue to develop so that the working environment is state-of-the-art. Also in the area of communication devices," Woollard concludes.