The Hague, Netherlands, Also Employs Gyropress Method™ for Canal Quay Wall Renovations

Ripple effect of project to renovate the quay walls of Amsterdam’s World Heritage canals

2022.10.11 NEWS RELEASE

The Gyropress MethodTM, a rotary cutting press-in method for tubular piles using GYRO PILERTM of GIKEN LTD. (Head Office: Kochi City, Kochi; President: Shinnosuke Moribe; hereafter “GIKEN”), has been adopted for a project to renovate the quay walls of canals in Den Hague, Netherlands. The press-in process of the pilot phase of the project has now been completed. Having been adopted for a project* to renovate the quay walls of World Heritage-listed canals in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the superiority of the press-in technology has attracted attention and has been recognized. As a result, this method was adopted by nearby local government bodies as well.

Through this project to renovate the quay walls of canals in Den Hague, the city plans to renovate walls over approximately 24 km of canals by 2040. After the pilot phase, GIKEN is aiming for ongoing adoption of the press-in method and expanded sale and rental of machinery.

The popularity of press-in technology has been accelerating in Europe since it was adopted for the quay wall renovation work in Amsterdam. The technology is also expected to be adopted for other large projects going forward, including for the renovation of canals in other local government areas. This new project represents a clear step forward to achieving the long-term vision of an overseas sales ratio which is 70% of the total, and sales of 100 billion yen in 10 years, as detailed in the GIKEN Group’s Mid-Term Management Plan. The pilot work in Amsterdam was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other matters, with work expected to start in September.

* A new technology development project to renovate the quay walls of canals in the World Heritage-listed Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Refer to previous news releases(GKN20NW006JA and GKN21NW008JA) for information on the project, its background, and the partnership with the City of Amsterdam, Netherlands.

■Project Details

Of the approximately 62 km of quay walls under the jurisdiction of Den Hague, approximately 24 km is in need of renovation. The existing walls are made of brick and other materials shored up by wooden pile foundations. With the majority of the walls built more than 100 years ago, they have deteriorated with age. New streetcar routes and increasing levels of traffic have also led to greater loads on the quay walls.

Den Hague is planning to renovate a section of quay walls approximately 24 km in length by 2040. Over a period of two years from 2018, were used to renovate a section of approximately 3.7 km. However, those methods required a lot of space for construction, which impacted things like the surrounding transportation environment and created a serious challenge to implementation of the plan.

ⒸOpenStreetMap contributors
(Source: https://www.openstreetmap.org, https://opendatacommons.org)

■Selection Basis

Different methods impact traffic movement and occasionally require removal of trees

The other methods that were used required existing quay walls to be removed and new retaining walls to be built. Temporary works were also extensive, requiring placement of steel sheet piles around areas being renovated to enable water to be pumped out, and expanding the work area to accommodate large excavators. Depending on the location of the renovations, there were also concerns that economic activity of the area would be impacted by obstructing movement of boats, or that the views would be compromised by removal of trees.

Gyropress MethodTM maintains traffic movement and scenery

Using the Gyropress Method™, tubular piles are pressed in while rotating with the assistance of cutting ring bits attached to the pile toe. This method enables the piles to penetrate existing structures and hard earth to build a robust and resilient implant structure.

Because this method enables piles to be pressed in directly to existing quay walls, the work of removing those existing walls is avoided and the preliminary drilling work using large excavators is not required, which reduces construction costs and lead times. The compact machinery also enables “space-saving construction” and “temporary work platform free construction,” so movement of people and goods is not obstructed and removal of trees is not required. These points have also been highly rated.

■ Details of Pilot Work

The GYRO PILERTM F301-G1000 is used to construct retaining walls by pressing in 52 tubular piles (609.6 mm in diameter) over 44 m spans to strengthen existing quay walls.

■ Proposal from partners in project to renovate quay walls of Amsterdam

Participants in The Hague project, who have accepted the construction contract as a joint enterprise, are group company Giken Europe B.V. (Head Office: Almere, The Netherlands; President: Atsushi Ohira) with local construction companies Gebr. De Koning and Van Gelder Group B.V. that are also partnering in the Amsterdam quay wall renovation project. Together with Giken Europe, the local partners proposed the technology to the City of Den Hague, which expressed interest in the Amsterdam project and eventually decided to adopt the technology as well.

The role of Giken Europe in the project will be to dispatch technical instructors and provide the press-in machinery for rent.

■Future expectations

Many cities in the Netherlands are facing the challenge of renovating quay walls that have deteriorated with age. As with this new project, many locations have limited space for construction and they want to protect their landscape as well. With the participation of many local government bodies and construction companies in an onsite tour of this project in April, it is evident that the Amsterdam project to renovate quay walls is increasing interest in press-in technology and is driving penetration. Both of these projects will further raise recognition and understanding of press-in technology, and will lead to its adoption in new projects, including large-scale projects under the Delta Program*, and the sale of machinery.

*Programs aimed at sustainable flood risk management in the Netherlands, etc. An average annual investment of approximately EUR 1.3 billion is planned until 2032 for levee reinforcement constructions and other projects.

■Project Summary

Project NameBouwteam pilot kademuur Lijnbaan, Den Haag
LocationLijnbaan, 2512 VA Den Haag
Project OwnerDen Hague City
Prime Contractorcollaboration (combination) of Van Gelder and Gebr. De Koning
 
ContractorGebr. De Koning
EquipmentGYRO PILER™ F301-G1000
Specification of pile materials52 tubular piles (609.6 mm diameter, 9.5 m in length)
DurationFrom February to the end of August, 2022

■Profile of GIKEN Group
GIKEN developed the SILENT PILERTM, the world's first reaction-based hydraulic pile jacking machine, installing piles with no noise and vibration. GIKEN Group now actively promotes the Press-in Technology worldwide and contributes to the construction industry by proposing and implementing innovative solutions. The innovative technology of press-in provides a unique solution and the adoption of this technology has grown to more than 40 nations and regions.


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