Platform on civil engineering, underground infrastructure, energy, construction equipment & construction machinery
The reconstruction of the De Nieuwe Meer junction is a striking example of Geonius' multidisciplinary services: providing integrated and practical solutions for complex infrastructure issues. Immediately after the contract was awarded, it became clear that the TriAX construction consortium needed extra capacity to support the design and implementation. Geonius was asked to lead the design team for the final road design and to contribute specialist knowledge in the fields of geotechnics, geodesy, and laboratory research.
Geonius delivers expert, well-thought-out, and above all practical designs, always taking into account constructability, safety, and sustainability. “Thanks to our experience with similar large-scale projects, we know what challenges are involved and how we can translate these into concrete solutions,” says Martin Sneekes, infrastructure design manager at Geonius. “This results in a design that is not only technically sound, but also feasible and efficient to implement, and is coordinated with all stakeholders. In doing so, we make grateful use of the information gathered in the field by our geotechnical and geodesy divisions.”
The way in which the various areas of expertise and disciplines come together makes Geonius“ services truly unique, according to Sneekes. ”We reinforce each other in every phase of the project.“ The geotechnical engineering division has been active on the project since 2023. ”In total, we have carried out more than 300 soundings and almost 200 boreholes, often under challenging conditions such as near the railway, with a separate boom setup on embankments and from pontoons on the water,“ says Johnnie Nikkels, geotechnical project manager at Geonius. ”Each group of soundings was considered internally as a separate project, with the feasibility and safety being coordinated in advance in close consultation with TriAX. Together with the construction consortium, we sought sustainable solutions for, among other things, equipment deployment and sounding positions. We used a wide range of equipment and regularly carried out night work within the existing traffic measures to make the project as a whole run more efficiently."
Geonius carried out the necessary preliminary drilling due to the many cables and pipes in the subsoil. In addition, various soil samples were taken in the field for testing in its own laboratory. Tests were carried out in the laboratory on grain distribution, grain shape, Proctor tests, densities (minimum/maximum), and triaxial tests (strength tests). Mixture samples were also prepared in the laboratory and tested.
In addition, seventeen monitoring wells equipped with telemetry have been installed in the field to automatically record groundwater levels. “This data is immediately available to the project team via an online portal, providing up-to-date insights and better risk management,” says Nikkels. The geodesy department at Geonius is also involved in the project, particularly in supporting the construction consortium during busy periods, according to Erik van Eert, geodesy manager at Geonius.
Finally, Geonius also supplies software for tracking the progress of the installation and inspection of foundation piles, pile mattresses, and reinforced soil. The company developed this application in-house. “The project demonstrates that we are able to provide extra capacity at short notice during busy periods,” says Van Eert. “Or, conversely, that we can apply in-depth specialist knowledge to specific challenges.”
