An all-round sheet pile specialist!

A fitting name for a foundation company! Specializing in the installation of steel sheet piles and tubular piles, the family business Sterk works on quay renewals, dike reinforcements, cofferdams, combi walls and much more. Small, large, "simple" or complex: Sterk makes it, and makes it well. And that's not just words. Sterk Heiwerken has received the Royal Supplier designation, which is only awarded to companies that stand out for their quality, solidity and continuity.  Speaking is Peter van Halteren, general manager of the Sterk Group.

What makes us Strong?
"We see ourselves as a wide-ranging specialist. Yes, we mainly deal with sheet piling and tubular piles, but in this field we can do almost anything! We have almost all techniques for setting sheet piles in house: vibration arm (high frequency) or vibration-free. The latter we can not only broker with a pressure block or with a silent piler but also by means of the relatively new resonance technique. We are also versatile and flexible in terms of types of projects. People in the industry often associate Sterk with the somewhat larger and more complex works, but we work just as much on smaller jobs. We are also equipped for this mix of different types of projects. One look at our schedule and you see jobs from one or a few days where there is a single crane, to jobs that take months where multiple machines are used." Thanks to an in-house industry, Strong Waterworks, this can be done not only from land, but also from water. All with its own pontoons and tugs. Sterk Metal specializes in construction work, mostly associated with sheet piling. This department makes many (prefab) structures such as brake and guide work and performs certified specialist welding. In Sterk Metaal's large welding hall, the process can be safeguarded as carefully as possible, allowing strict requirements to be met (NEN-EN 1090-1 up to execution class III). The waterfront location in Drachten is ideal. "We almost always transport these large constructions by water ourselves. This keeps construction, transport and installation with one party: Strong."

Powerful in innovation
Another pillar of the Strong identity is innovation. For example, the company has a long history of developing its own new hydraulic cranes for foundation work. "In terms of machinery, we want to be a forerunner. We translate the knowledge from the field into the development of new products. Last year we commissioned another new self-developed machine. This crane is full of innovations and technical ingenuity. It was a process of years to bring this machine to a unique and well-functioning final product but it has been worth it." Clearly, Peter's technical background and interests play an important role in this. "But without our technical team, input from the machinists and various partners (assembly, powerpack, etc.) we are nowhere. We all do it together and I am proud of that," says Peter. "Currently we are in the process of building a second machine."

Project-based solutions
"Our specialist knowledge is almost taken for granted for us, but we see that by doing so we contribute to smarter or cost-saving solutions. Yes, we watch the market to observe trends, but we also develop a lot on our own initiative. For example, there are several small innovations that we implement in our products, because we gain a lot from that if we can successfully implement that and then market them." Peter concludes, "We also make project-oriented solutions, such as a special welding container so that we could also meet strict welding requirements on location (hanging from a sheet piling construction at no less than seven meters above the water). We think along with the customer to achieve the best result. Whether it is a sheet pile for a private individual who wants a house with a basement, or a dyke reinforcement of many kilometers." 

Learn more: www.sterk.eu