Widening of the A15 Maasvlakte-Vaanplein

Widening of the A15 Maasvlakte-Vaanplein

The ‘Widening A15′ project involves expanding the capacity of some 37 kilometres of the A15 motorway between the Maasvlakte and the Vaanplein interchange. This section of the A15 is the most important connection between the Rotterdam port and its industrial area, the surrounding residential areas and the (European) hinterland.

The project comprises the following components:

• Traffic flow and safety on the A15 will be improved by additional lanes and traffic management systems;
• A new, larger lifting bridge will replace the current Botlek Bridge over the Old Maas.
• The maintenance of the A15 will be covered by the project for almost 25 years.

Since this project also includes the management of these 37 kilometres of A15 (DBFM contract), it is therefore the largest contract in the history of the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management that has been put out to tender in one go.

Geotechnical challenges on soft soil

The combination A-lanes A15 had Arthe Civil & Structure execute the following activities:

• Geotechnical design of the embankments (settlement and stability)
• Geotechnical design of piled embankments Vaanplein and Benelux
• Analysis of the influence of the construction of the embankments to be raised on nearby objects (influence of the surroundings); including the foundations of existing structures and cables & pipes)
• Detailed geotechnical design on locations with little working space in a short time frame. This involved designing with lightweight embankment materials (EPS and Bims) and a sheet pile wall anchored with geogrids
• Design of reinforced soil constructions
• Design of widening of existing constructions
• Geotechnical site-engineering
• Testing of water works in accordance with the TAW

2015 – Bridge abutment foundation on a basal reinforced piled embankment

Geotechniek apr 2016 paalmatras A15