The Frankfurt RhineMain economic region is the German hotspot for data centres. With digitalisation and the transformation of old industrial landscapes, their importance is growing rapidly and so numerous new data centres are currently being planned. For a large new construction project in Frankfurt, the Düsseldorf Stump-Franki branch was commissioned with the pile foundation. A total of 1166 Frankipile NG® piles with shaft diameters of 56 or 61 cm and lengths of up to 10 m were produced. The colleagues from Stump-Franki Planung GmbH were responsible for the static calculations as well as the preparation of the execution plans.
Challenge due to contamination and obstacles in the ground
The subsoil was heavily contaminated due to its location at a former chemical site. Branch manager André Schürmann is extremely satisfied with the team's performance in view of the numerous challenges: "Despite closely timed processes, difficult soil conditions and extremely high demands on occupational safety, we were able to meet all completion deadlines and hand over the construction site to the full satisfaction of the client."
In order not to jeopardise the planned start of the structural engineering work, the extensive demolition work on the foundations was carried out at the same time as the pile driving. In the course of the pile driving work, various obstacles and inclusions had to be driven through or cleared out. As Frankipile NG® piles fully displace the soil, no contaminated soil was extracted. These high-performance full displacement piles contribute significantly to the cost efficiency as well as the sustainability of civil engineering works, especially in inner-city areas, because they eliminate the need for excavation removal and disposal. At the same time, they minimise the health risks for those involved in the construction and those living nearby.
Practised LEAN Construction Management ensures greater efficiency
The construction site was organised according to the principles of LEAN Construction Management. Work processes were discussed several times a day, milestones and associated processes were visualised in the Last Planner system and a digital board was used to coordinate the daily construction processes. In addition, a reporting system was installed in which positive and negative comments were collected. This led in particular to occupational safety being lived collectively and optimised for all those involved.
