StatRapid tests were recently carried out in Breda to check the load capacity of CSM panels, a first.
The development of Cosunpark in Breda consists of repurposing the former Sugar Union headquarters, constructing an underground parking garage, and constructing five apartment buildings. Two buildings will be built on top of a two-storey underground parking garage. The parking garage will be in a closed construction pit with CSM panel walls.
The main constructor H4D has chosen to base the building structure on CSM panels. However, the current Dutch geotechnical standards (EuroCode) provide insufficient guidance for determining the bearing capacity and settlement behavior.
Subsequently, the contractor, Ouwehand Bouw Gorinchem decided to conduct suitability tests on test panels. Allnamics carried out six test loads in two days in accordance with NPR 7201 class C on double CSM panels. The tests were Rapid Load Test, using the StatRapid device. The test load was increased in 6 load steps to a maximum of 11,000 kN. The settlement and elastic deformation were found to be minor.
Based on this favorable test result, Ouwehand Bouw Gorinchem has definitively decided to use CSM panels as foundation elements for the new building. The success of this test series shows that pile tests are of great added value for testing/validating and optimizing designs.