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For over fifteen years, well before the topic of sustainability became a factor, PNL has been making good money with the circular Krinner screw piles in the Netherlands. The alternative to traditional concrete foundations lends itself perfectly to projects in road construction and rail infrastructure. An interview with Emiel Pijnenburg, director of family company PNL.
Krinner marketed the screw foundation concept back in 1994 as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional concrete foundations. "We then introduced it in the Netherlands in 2008. Since then, the product has enjoyed growing fame," experiences Emiel. Especially in recent years, there has been a lot of interest. "What you see happening in the market is that the demand for sustainable solutions is only increasing. With the Krinner screw piles, we offer a ready-made answer from A to Z. We provide the complete picture from probing to assembly, including the geotechnical and static calculations."
PNL's screw pile consists of a galvanized steel tube with welded-on threads, designed to absorb horizontal and vertical loads in the ground. "The potential load absorption is in no way inferior to that of a concrete foundation," says Emiel. "PFAS bypasses us because earth moving is not necessary. The screw foundation is a soil displacement technique that is turned into the ground with special equipment. So when it comes to end of life, the foundation can also be easily disassembled and used elsewhere. That makes this technique circular. And the great thing is, there is no permanent soil damage because the soil recovers to its natural state."
Krinner produces the screw piles in increasingly longer lengths and larger diameters. "The piles can therefore take increasingly heavy loads, making this technology even more suitable for application in road construction and rail infrastructure," says Emiel with appropriate pride. He is therefore getting more and more requests from the infra and sees tremendous potential. "Anything that needs to be founded on or at the road or rail can be done perfectly with a screw foundation. Think of matrix signs, pylons, traffic lights, traffic signs, signal poles and noise barriers. Speed is important in this sector. With screw piles, inconvenience is kept to a minimum because there is no need to dig and the screw foundation is immediately loadable." In America, Canada and Germany, there are already plenty of foundations along the railroad with Krinner screw piles.
The screw piles consist largely of recycled and European processed steel and are delivered with an EPD certificate. "The latter is unique and no screw pile supplier has it yet," Emiel knows. "Moreover, the piles have been statically calculated. In combination with the geotechnical advice, we can fully statically seal a foundation in advance. It is absolutely the foundation for the future. They are sustainable, innovative, particularly environmentally friendly and ultimately cost-saving."
