New tank terminal Rotterdam: the impossible made possible

On behalf of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, a 1,230-meter-long deep-sea quay and a 1,080-meter-long inland shipping quay are being built at the Maasvlakte, where even the largest sea tankers can dock. Construction of the terminal began in early 2018 and the terminal is expected to begin operation in late 2019.

The main contractor, a combination of Mobilis, Van Hattum en Blankevoort & Boskalis, asked Voorbij Funderingstechniek and Volker & Staal Funderingen to realize the foundation. They commissioned High 5 Solutions to install the specific anchoring elements. They specialize in installing and removing anchors in special building structures using a unique sonic drilling technique.

Sonic anchor drill rig High 5 Solutions.

Cannot be accommodated with conventional anchoring
Speaking is Peter Bongers, director at H5S: "When we talk about the deep-sea quay, H5S realized no fewer than 56 GI (Grout Injection) anchors with an average length of 50 meters and a maximum load of 3,200 KN. Voorbij Funderingstechniek was responsible for installing 314 MV piles with an average length of 52.5 meters. The anchors and MV piles together provided the anchoring for this quay. 

With the deep-sea quay, there is so much load on the quay wall from depth water in front of it and load on top, that this cannot be absorbed with conventional anchoring. In terms of construction, the inland shipping quay is not comparable to the 1,230-meter-long deep-sea quay but does contain a combi wall. This combi wall is anchored with 360 H5S-made GI anchors with an average length of 47 meters and a maximum load of 2,800 KN."

The in-house developed test auger for the purpose of collapse tests. (Image: Jaap Hof)

Specialist project requires custom solutions
"Of all the anchors to be made, we made our own design calculations. The SI anchors are the largest and heaviest ever made and tested. All anchors are checked after installation in all three directions (X,Y,Z) with a so-called SAAF measurement. Given the heavy foundation and high loads, we have also developed the drill heads ourselves," Peter continues. "To demonstrate the holding power of the GI anchors, failure tests were carried out in advance for the anchors of the deep-sea quay. The maximum test load of these test anchors had to meet 1.5 times the estimated soil-mechanical failure force of 5,100 KN: that goal was more than met. To test the test anchors, we developed a proprietary test set with four jacks each capable of mobilizing 1,300 KN. To measure and record the mobilized force, this test set is equipped with calibrated pressure boxes. The anchors placed were applied using our in-house developed CAT 336 machine with a sonic (up to 180Hz) drilling motor. This specialized technique is ideally suited for this project, in which you have to deal with heavy anchors and heavy bedrock and, by adjusting the drill heads, it is still possible to reach the desired depth despite any obstacles."

High 5 Solutions has engineered and manufactured a total of four machines with a sonic drill head that can be transported in their entirety on a flatbed trailer. The technology is patented and is brand and type independent. "We can install or take out all types of anchors for sale in the market. The sonic drilling technique suits every conceivable project, from large infrastructure projects to construction projects in urban areas," Peter concludes.