Top performance in (system) foundations

Since its founding in 1979, Van Berlo has become an absolute market leader in the realization of industrial and superflat concrete floors. The expert in industrial floors also specializes in foundation techniques and the prefabrication of foundation beams, dock and loading pit constructions, among other things. This combination in particular means that interesting savings can often be realized. Among others, the new XXL distribution center in Echt-Susteren and DHL's new plant in Wijchen are 'living' proof of this.

Mini Vibro poles

With its Foundation Engineering division, Van Berlo produces over 200,000 Mini Vibro-piles annually. "These are piles formed in the ground with which we can often give our clients' schedules a positive boost," says Glenn Verhoef, commercial director at Van Berlo. "This is because we can produce a large quantity of piles in a short period of time. Normally we calculate with 250 piles per day per machine (piling rig), but on DHL's project in Wijchen we set an absolute record in 2017. Here we produced as many as 1,059 piles of an average length of 7.71 meters in one day with one machine. Truly a top performance. The advantage of this technique over applying a precast foundation pile, for example, is that we can start quickly, can make many more meters in proportion and the whole can already be loaded within two weeks."

System foundations

The Van Berlo System Foundations division is now also well underway. Verhoef: "With just under 20 employees, we annually pour about 5,500 m3 of concrete in our factory. We produce here, among other things, prefabricated foundation beams and footings, dock and loading pit constructions for logistics halls. This involves a serious annual production of about 660 tees for dock construction and as many as 29 kilometers of precast foundation beams. The advantage is that we produce these products under conditioned conditions in the factory. Then it's a matter of setting them on site and filling them with concrete. More than 30 employees are continuously working on site to set and pour precast elements. In this way we realize more than 45 projects per year, including DC Dokvast in Echt-Susteren. The greatest achievement of our team here is that we completed the complete foundation, dock and loading pit structures and loading pit floors for this distribution center of over 100,000 m2 in just five weeks (!). Thus, we saved contractor Heembouw a time gain of at least about seven weeks by prefabricating the foundation."

Sustainability and circularity

Despite the fact that Van Berlo processes a lot of concrete, the family business is committed to sustainability and circularity. "Products that we pour on Friday afternoon, we make from a concrete mix with less cement: low impact concrete. This is because these elements are not removed from the molds until Monday morning and thus have longer to cure than products we pour during the week," Verhoef explains. "Our concrete plant was also KOMO certified last month and we are doing plenty of trials with recycled and circular concrete. For example, we already process concrete granules in concrete for the Mini Vibro piles and in our (system) foundations. In addition, we are developing a new type of concrete mix in our own lab with a view to sustainable and crack-free floors." So to be continued!