12 May 2022 | News
Circular development at its best. On 11 May, Business Park Amsterdam Osdorp, contractor KWS and consultant Tauw began phase two of the construction of a circular road for the park. The project is not using standard road foundations but a foundation of area-specific soil and sand. This method calls for a flexible approach. To preserve as much soil as possible in the area, the ditches were dug first and the sand that was released in the process was laid in the cunettes (trenches) that underpin the foundations. Normally, the roads are built first and then the ditches are dug – thus this process has been reversed. A mortar mixed with another binding agent (Geosta®) was applied and mixed with the sand in the cunettes. This was then compacted; over 28 days, a kind of concrete slab is forming, which will serve as the road foundation. Once the foundation has hardened, an asphalt layer is applied.
Why this is special
This process saves us not just from having to supply, but also having to dispose of some 40,000 m3 of soil. That’s around 3,200 truck journeys for a truck holding 25 m3: 1,600 journeys each for supply and disposal. The benefit for the environment and also for road safety in an urban area is clear. Another advantage of this type of foundation is that it makes for a stronger road, which means a thinner layer of asphalt is needed, and the road has a longer lifespan. Afterwards, the soil can simply be milled and reused. And so, it comes full circle. That’s circular area development.