Renovated Noorderbrug route pushes boundaries

In Maastricht, construction company Strukton Civiel demonstrated a fine example of civil engineering in the summer of 2017. A new, 180-metre-long bridge section of the Noorderbrug route will then be put in place all at once, including pillars and foundation. Solines supplied the steel pipes for the foundation piles that will support the new bridge section.
The project is part of the infrastructural modifications intended to improve the flow through and around Maastricht. In the new situation, the road route after the bridge over the Maas will run west instead of southwest. In order to minimize disruption of the traffic system during this radical adaptation, a unique solution was chosen. The new bridge section will initially be built right next to the Noorderbrug connection. The existing route will therefore remain in operation. The new foundation piles will be installed under the existing bridge in the meantime.

Limited working height

Our customer was contracted to apply the foundation piles under the existing bridge, vibration-free and with low noise. Depending on the available height, pipe sections in different lengths are drilled into the ground with injection lance and drill point. Subsequently, the next pipe section is welded onto the first pipe section. Finally, the pipes are filled with reinforced concrete.

Short pipe sections cut to size

For this project, our customer chose custom-sawn pipes from Solines BV, including welded-on drill points, and all the drilling piles were fitted with an injection lance. By having all the required materials delivered prefabricated, our client was able to install the foundation piles very efficiently for this project.

A total of 421 pipe sections with Ø 508 x 8.8 mm were delivered in grade X60. All the sections were sawn to size for this project, ranging in lengths from 3.60 m to 10.40 m. In addition, the pipes were fitted with a bevel to facilitate welding them together on site.

Spectacular insertion operation

As soon as the new foundation and the new bridge section have been completed, the spectacular insertion operation can start. This is planned for the period of 7 to 21 August. This daring piece will continue day and night and can be followed from an observation stand and online. The bridge over the Maas will be closed to traffic during those two weeks.

Source: www.noorderbrugmaastricht.nl