IRN NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2013
48
SITE VISIT GROUNDFORCE
in Switzerland, who are already talking to us about
two new projects. It’s a significant project, but also
a successful start.”
Mr Binétruy says he can envisage the Groundforce
technology being appropriate for around half of the
excavation jobs that Implenia undertakes. That could
be good news for Groundforce, given that Implenia
builds something like 90% of all basement projects
in Geneva.
European vision
For David Williams, managing director of VP’s
Groundforce division, the Geneva contract is
another step towards his vision of introducing
hydraulic strut shoring technology to the mainland
European market, substituting the temporary steel
frame solutions that are so prevalent there, and
particularly in Germany.
Groundforce has been working on this for three
years, with a European headquarters in Frankfurt and
stock yard in Hannover already established. Projects
have been carried out in Germany, Denmark and Italy
(where it is working with local partner Interwell, a
dewatering and excavations contractor).
“We have a number of contracts across Europe”,
says Mr Williams, “We recognised the German market
was most mature for trench shoring – the best place
for us to put our feet down.
“There are basement projects all over Europe – it’s
about finding the projects that the system will work
best on. It’s not the best for every job.”
Groundforce has also been selling the technology
further afield, with both United Rentals in the US
and Coates Hire in Australia recognising the rental
potential and adding the struts to their own rental
fleets. (United Rentals in particular is expanding
its specialist rentals activities, with trench shoring
playing a key role in that.)
In Europe, Groundforce takes a hands-on role in
projects, using its own engineers to come up with
designs for particular jobs.
“I want our European business to be as big as
Groundforce in the UK”, says Mr Williams, “We have
an ambition to double Groundforce by expanding
in Europe and would like to achieve that within five
years. We can’t be reliant on UK GDP growth alone.”
That would mean the division reaching annual
revenues of £75 million by 2018.
That kind of lofty financial target, however, is not
on the agenda at Chêne-Bourg, where the engineers
sit in the cramped site office discussing the technical
niceties of trench shoring.
One of them brings up the possibility of using
struts to reduce the thickness of concrete diaphragm
walls, thereby cutting material costs. David Williams
is quick to spot an opportunity; “I like the idea of
thinner walls and more struts…”
IRN
The lower level struts will need to be lifted as the concrete floor
slabs are poured.
The struts allowed
sufficient space for
a Komatsu PC240LC
excavator with long arm
to excavate the clay
material from the site.
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