Sonic drilling technology also proves extremely effective underwater 

Ever since its founding in 2015, High 5 Solutions has specialized in sonic drilling of ground anchors. The innovative player does like a challenge and has recently also convinced Port of Rotterdam Authority of the sonic drilling technology for the installation of underwater anchors.

Ports are increasingly faced with new customer needs and desires when it comes to quay walls and structures. The desire is to be able to accommodate ever deeper pitching ships or to place a higher top load. This makes the Port of Rotterdam apply innovations to strengthen and deepen quay walls. Over the past three years, the Port of Rotterdam Authority has guided and encouraged market parties in developing this solution for Rotterdam quay walls. This summer the time had come for three market parties, including High 5 Solutions, to test their solution in practice. The venue: the public unloading quay in the Seinehaven.

Long development path

High 5 Solutions has been developing underwater anchors since 2018. "The process obviously involves more than just converting a machine," begins Herbert Nieuwenhuis of High 5 Solutions. "It involved a long period of preparation. We made a design, thought about the safety and environmental risks, devised work plans and systematics, and so on. After all, as a market player you want to show that we not only master the application, but also everything that goes with operating as a contractor in such a complex environment as the port area. One of our most important aspects in this respect was to keep deployment of culverts to an absolute minimum."

One pass

High 5 Solutions' starting point in the development of the underwater anchors was not to change the concept on which they typically install the anchors above water. "This prevents us from getting bogged down in all kinds of new standards and guidelines," Herbert rightly states. The self-drilling anchor system in combination with the sonic drilling technique has already amply proven itself "above ground. Yet there is a substantial difference from underwater anchors. "Instead of separate process steps such as burning holes, mounting anchor chairs and drilling in the anchors, the underwater anchor is applied as a single unit. In this case, the broker of our sonic drill moves into the water and the hole in the sheet piling, the anchor chair and the anchor are inserted in one pass."

Much more information

The machine in question is a CAT 352 F that had already been converted to a sonic drill and modified specifically for this project. "The machine is equipped with a cassette and positioning system, and has 3D control, so that the drill master can also follow all the movements of the broker and the drilling rig," Herbert explains. "And this is also new for him, because he now has to work from a screen." And that is proving to be a success, as the practical trial at Seinehaven was more than successful, according to Herbert. "We successfully installed several underwater anchors from the quay at a depth of 7 meters. Thanks to the sonic drilling technique, there was hardly any soil or grout leaching out of the drilled hole. In the process, the effects on the surrounding area were also kept to a minimum."

High 5 Solutions' drilling technology will eventually be applicable at greater depths. "After further development of our equipment, we can drill both from the quay and from floating equipment to depths of about 18 meters," says Herbert, who is proud of the successful result in the Seinehaven. "It is typically one of those projects that gets our H5S blood flowing faster. With the learning points that come with a steep learning curve of a living lab, we are even more convinced that this system can be successfully applied in the future. For that, all colleagues and partners deserve a big compliment for their enthusiasm and positive contributions. Projects like this can only succeed if we all share the same goal."