Earth-moving and infrastructure partner lays solid foundation for new RottaNova construction

Excavating a deep basement under remediation conditions, including pumping, constructing construction site facilities or performing demolition and earthworks in an inner-city environment: for VMV Projecten B.V. it is everyday business. The company from Renswoude established a solid foothold in the construction world over twenty years ago. Since then it has carried out more than a thousand earthmoving and infrastructure projects, such as currently for apartment building RottaNova in Rotterdam.

VMV Projecten B.V. is a reliable earthmoving and infrastructure partner for clients in the construction and real estate industries. The professional team provides every conceivable service, from engineering to soil remediation, earthwork, outdoor sewage, drainage, site paving, landscaping and site design.

From building pit to sheet piling

With more than a thousand infra and earthmoving assignments completed, VMV Projecten B.V.'s work underlies countless construction and real estate developments, says director Henk Hazeleger. "Particularly in the west and center of our country, homes, stores, industrial buildings and entire neighborhoods have been built on a foundation that VMV Projecten B.V. has remediated, paved, prepared for construction, paved, planted and/or provided with shoring. And then there are the activities that are no longer visible. Examples include the digging of excavation pits, the construction of sewers and the pressing or vibrating of sheet piling. In recent years we have specialized particularly in the excavation and preparation for construction of large and complex excavation pits. Thanks to our extensive range of machinery, we are able to carry out almost all possible earthmoving projects."

RottaNova in Rotterdam

A nice reference in this context is RottaNova; a new apartment complex with 258 owner-occupied and rented homes, spread over two residential towers of 67 and 61 meters. In the plinth will be stores, restaurants, creative business spaces and a public bicycle storage, with an underground parking garage of 2 floors and with 100 parking spaces underneath. RottaNova will be realized on the green strip between the Hoogstraat and Markthal in the center of Rotterdam. The design is by Frits van Dongen architects, commissioned by developer Van Herk Groep. NEOO is responsible for the development management, while J.P. van Eesteren and Dura Vermeer Bouw Zuid West as a construction consortium are responsible for the realization, commissioned by RottaNova Ontwikkeling B.V.

Twice excavated

VMV Projecten B.V. provided the construction site layout for RottaNova. "On behalf of the building consortium, we removed the original paving and provided the construction site with concrete slabs suitable for heavy traffic," explains project manager Gerrit van Kruistum of VMV Projecten B.V. "We then started the excavation work for the two-story parking basement." What is special about this project is that the basement has to be excavated twice, Hazeleger says. "After all, Rotterdam was created on this very spot about 750 years ago. The spot therefore has a lot of archaeological value. That is why archaeological research was carried out by BOOR, the archaeological service of the municipality of Rotterdam. And with success, because valuable finds were made during the excavation." As an example, Hazeleger and Van Kruistum mention the pristine remains of a sluiceway that was built in the Middle Ages in the fight against flooding. But also ancient weapons, tools, jewelry and kitchen utensils. "In total, we excavated about 40,000 tons (25,000 m3) of clay and peat, after which the tub was largely filled with clean sand for the piling. Once the piling is complete, we will re-excavate the building pit and prepare it for the foundation structures. We will also backfill the parking basement all around. In addition, where necessary, the construction site layout will be expanded."

Biggest challenge, according to Van Kruistum, is the busy inner-city construction site. "Because there is a market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, we cannot schedule transports on these days," Van Kruistum says. "Moreover, the construction pit has a considerable depth. As a result, we have to deal with outrigger frames between which the excavation must take place. Part of the construction pit was excavated under remediation conditions. In combination with the archaeological investigation and a piece of well drainage, our expertise comes into its own to the maximum extent."