Knowledge, expertise and equipment of Kandt Aannemings- en Funderingsbedrijf at project Dijkversterking Stad Tiel

Dikes. They are indispensable in our water-rich country. They protect our vulnerable hinterland from flooding during periods of high water. So too along the busiest river in the Netherlands: the Waal. The dike near Tiel no longer meets water safety standards and is therefore being reinforced. The project Dijkversterking Stad Tiel, part of the High Water Protection Program, is now in full swing. 

The section being addressed runs from the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal to the Inundation Canal. Over a length of about 2.6 kilometers, the dikes will be made stronger and higher. The work is being carried out by FPH Ploegmakers on behalf of Waterschap Rivierenland, with Kandt Aannemings- en Funderingsbedrijf B.V. as subcontractor.

Extensive preliminary process

"From the time we were connected until the time FPH Ploegmakers was awarded the work, we were able to contribute ideas, calculations and advice to FPH Ploegmakers on the installation of sheet piling, anchors, purlins and everything else involved for about nine months," says Bonno Stuivenberg, Project Coordinator at Kandt. "After this, we started fine-tuning together in the preparation and during the work to arrive at the right execution." Years of experience in installing sheet piling, identifying the challenges at an early stage and providing solutions to them, together with the fact that Kandt has the right expertise and equipment for this project, ensured that the project was awarded to Kandt, according to Bonno.

Knowledge and expertise

"What makes this project so special is that there is an old city wall, a harbor with (residential) boats, a lot of buildings including monumental buildings, but also a new apartment complex to be built with a new pile foundation to be realized close behind the anchored sheet pile structure to be installed. It was also quite a challenge to install sheet piling through an existing inlet culvert 12 meters below ground level. Challenges enough for this unusual job. The right knowledge, expertise, specialist equipment and accurate cooperation are therefore of great importance," says Bonno.

Extremely suitable equipment

Kandt installed as much as 3,400 tons of sheet piling. "Just delivering it was a logistical challenge in itself," says Bonno. "Because the steel market was quite uncertain at the time because of the war, the client wanted all the materials on the job prior to the start, so that delivery time no longer affected the schedule. In order not to overburden Tiel's road network, all the sheet piles were sailed by three cargo ships to the port of Tiel, after which we unloaded them with a large telescopic crane onto trucks on the quay, which took them further to a depot location."

The sheet piles were installed using, among other things, fast and maneuverable hydraulic sheet pile cranes, wire cranes, a top pusher and a Silent Piler. The latter two were used to install the sheet piles along existing houses or near monumental buildings without vibration and with as little noise as possible. Some of the sheet piles were also pre-drilled with an Avegaar rig, in order to have less resistance during pressing and thus avoid vibration nuisance. Another distinguishing factor of Kandt: the specific equipment designed and built by themselves, always focusing on market demand. "Furthermore, we also drilled LeKa piles in the project, as foundations for the Coupure Nieuwe Havendijk in the Echteldsedijk, which can be fitted with bulkhead beams at high water. In addition, we provided welding of the anchor purlin along the entire dam wall. This involved welding in accordance with execution class 3, because there are high safety requirements for the dike construction."

Working together accurately

"Good and precise cooperation is the basis of a successful end result," Bonno believes. "We don't say for nothing: beautiful work is made together. There was direct, constructive and pleasant cooperation with all parties involved. With these kinds of challenging projects, you just know that you have to think along flexibly in the work, because during execution you run into issues that you couldn't have dealt with in the preliminary stages," Bonno says in conclusion.