To improve traffic safety and the living conditions, in Almelo the existing railway line has been moved below groundlevel for more than a kilometre between the viaduct over Wierdensestraat and railwaystation Almelo De Riet.
The diaphragm walls, the anchoring and the GEWI piles for the underwater concrete floor were constructed by Volker Staal en Funderingen.
By installing a temporary track, the Dutch national railways were able to continue getting passengers to their destinations during the works.
With frequently passing trains right next to the work, the guide beams for producing the diaphragm walls were placed and then the associated diaphragm wall panels were excavated. Due to the proximity of the passing trains, the crawler crane was fitted with a guide for the grab in order to controle its movement.
After installing the Gewi test piles, roughly 1,300 Gewi piles were installed, subsequently the Gewi anchors were then inserted into the diaphragm wall. A total of roughly 645 anchors were installed through the concrete on the diaphragm walls.
The many interfaces with the environment, logistics and planning made it a complex and challenging job.
