Innovative quay renovation
in historic downtowns
Welcome to G-kracht. We renew quay walls in a sustainable, fast and vibration-free manner. Our method keeps disruption to a minimum and preserves the authentic look of the city. Discover how we make a difference in Amsterdam and beyond.
Our mission
We want to help preserve historic heritage with minimal impact on the environment. We renew quickly, vibration-free and with an eye for the city. Our proven approach in Amsterdam is also applicable in other cities.
Get to know us
For whom is our method suitable?
Many quay walls in Amsterdam are at the end of their useful life. Due to overdue maintenance and increasing loads, several collapses have occurred. To achieve an innovative and sustainable solution, the City of Amsterdam launched the Innovation Partnership Kademuren (IPK) in 2018.
G-force came out of the tender as the best rated partner, consisting of three organizations: Gebr. De Koning, Van Gelder and Giken Europe. Together we combine decades of experience with innovative techniques.
Our projects in pictures
Check out our ongoing and completed projects, such as the Singel and Kloveniersburgwal.
The 10 benefits of partnering with G-kracht
Our innovative method renews quay walls without completely removing the existing structure. Thanks to the Gyropress™ Method, we drill vibration-free tubular steel piles into the subsurface, through the existing structure.
Our innovative quay renewal method enables rapid replacement. Our pilot project on the Singel, with a length of 204 meters, we carried out between October 2022 and June 2023, a total lead time of 8 months. That's about twice as fast as regular renewal methods.
Because our equipment "runs" over the pipe piles and we do not have to make a temporary construction pit, the road along the quay to be renewed can remain open to vehicular traffic. The only working space we need on land is the parking strip between the road and the water. This advantage ensures that the adjacent properties also remain accessible for supplies, parcel services, moving truck, etc. Also, other streets in the area are not burdened more because of a road closure.
Because our equipment "runs" over the pipe piles, we also need relatively little space on the water. If there is sufficient space, we will use it, but if there is not, we can do with very little space. For example, in 2026 we will be working on Brouwersgracht, in the stretch between Herengracht and Het Singel. We only have 6 meters of working space available on the water here because the canal boats have to be able to continue sailing along during the renovation.
Our equipment operates completely vibration-free. This prevents damage to adjacent historic buildings and bridges. In UNESCO World Heritage area with a large number of national monuments only a few meters away from the quay wall, this is an important advantage.
Our equipment is low-noise. Our pilot project at the Singel proved that. Residents were deeply impressed by the silence with which the work was carried out. It, along with the vibration-free work, creates a lot of respect and appreciation from residents along the canal.
Because the new quay construction is generally no wider than the current quay, we do not touch any tree roots during the work and therefore no growth damage occurs. In addition, we have the option of segmented drilling of the tubular piles, where we drill short pieces of tubular piles under the existing tree crowns and then weld them together. In this way, the tree canopy is not damaged. For us, the precondition for tree preservation is that the distance between the front of the quay wall and the front of tree trunk is at least 1.30 meters. If the tree is closer to the quay wall, it is not possible at this time to pass the tree with our equipment.
At our pilot project on the Singel, our method allowed us to preserve all 7 trees present, without growth damage. At our next project on the Kloveniersburgwal, we will again preserve 5 trees.
NOTE. The City of Amsterdam sometimes has other criteria for whether or not to keep trees, such as the quality and expected remaining life of the tree.
Because the new quay construction is generally no wider than the current quay, all the space behind it remains available for cables and pipes, tree roots, underground containers and other elements in the public space. And because the subsoil in Amsterdam is scarce, it is usually full of anything and everything. So then, with our solution, all can remain in place.
Our innovative quay solution is particularly sustainable in terms of material use. The MKI value of a traditional quay wall is about 32,000, while our innovative quay has an MKI value of only 16,000. Thus, we halve the environmental impact of quay renovation in terms of raw material consumption.
All the necessary equipment is now available emission-free. It means that we can perform the entire quay renovation emission-free. At our project on the Kloveniersburgwal we will do the same, as a pilot. The limiting factor at many locations is the inadequate supply of electricity in the city. In many places, the grid operator cannot supply enough electricity. Although we are working hard to solve this bottleneck, it will still take several years before we can renew all quay walls without emissions.
Cheap is a relative term. Renovating an entire quay wall in a busy inner-city context remains costly. Yet our innovative renewal method turns out to be significantly cheaper than many traditional solutions, especially if "nuisance and nuisance to the surroundings" are included in a social cost-benefit analysis. The city continues to function as usual during a quay renewal with our method, and that is priceless.
United in strength and innovation
G-kracht, with shareholders Aannemingsmaatschappij Van Gelder, Gebr. De Koning and Giken Europe, launched in Amsterdam in 2019 to innovatively replace quay walls as an innovation partner of the municipality.
Meanwhile, we successfully tested our innovation in a pilot project and the innovation was fully validated by the City of Amsterdam and other stakeholders involved in 2023, resulting in a framework contract as of April 21, 2024 with a term of 4 - 8 years. Meanwhile, the first regular project is underway, with an expected completion date on December 24, 2025.
