Underground car parks. Guide Book for The Netherlands - 2018

Comprehensive Design and Construction Strategies

Over the last decades, cities have grown significantly. The consequence is a higher building density, and the scarcity of space on the surface. Although a change of mindset is taking place, in many European cities, mobility still relies predominantly on individual cars and its inherent problem: parking spots. Clearly, residents prefer public spaces, such as parks, over parking areas, so that underground car parks (UCP) in urban areas seem the perfect solution. 

ArcelorMittal Sheet Piles contracted the renowned consulting engineering company Royal Haskoning DHV in the Netherlands to elaborate a guide book on underground car parks, with a special focus on the Dutch habits and customs. 

The guide book provides an overview of the common practice in the Netherlands regarding design, installation and permanent application of steel sheet piles for underground car parks.

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en English Underground_Car_Parks_Guide_Book_NL_2018_web.pdf
Sheet pile section
Bottom-up construction method
UCP Red
Cost for budgeting purposesl
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Design

The design is done according to the Dutch guide book CUR 166 and covers every aspect from design (step-by-step design process), installation and maintenance of sheet piles, anchoring and struts. The design section of CUR 166 is incorporated in the Dutch national annex of Eurocode 7 (NEN 9997 [c], available in Dutch only).

The sheet pile section shall be checked for the different limit states specified in the code. These verifications are based on the partial safety factor design: 

  • the ultimate limit state (ULS) checks the global and local strength, fatigue and buckling, 
  • the displacements / deformations are checked in the service limit state (SLS).

Construction

Installation of steel sheet piles in Dutch soils is usually quite simple and very fast. The main challenge for an excavation procedure is the dewatering and the temporary strut system.

They can be installed by impact driving, vibratory driving or pressing, optionally combined with water-jetting and/or predrilling. The selection of the most appropriate methodology depends on the soil parameters, sheet pile type and characteristics, required depth of the wall, requirements regarding vibrations, noise and deformations, available construction space for the installation of the sheet piles including head room, ….

Operation & Maintenance

Similar to all permanent civil works, two types of maintenance can be identified for permanent structures:

  • corrective maintenance: after some level of failure has occurred, 
  • preventive maintenance: done after a certain pre-determined period (time), number of applications or (pre-failure) state.

The selection of the appropriate maintenance strategy depends on several variables: 

  • structural sensitivity, 
  • economic loss in case of failure, 
  • cost of maintenance, 
  • cost of repair after failure.

Cost

Investors and operators should consider the sustainability of the project, which defines financial, environmental and social aspects. From the financial point of view, the key factor is the total cost of the structure. It encompasses all the costs incurred during the service life of the structure: 

  • land, 
  • financial burdens (loans), 
  • design, 
  • execution, 
  • operation & maintenance, 
  • dismantlement, 
  • disposal,

as well as the benefits that can be expected at the end of life
from

  •  re-use,
  • recycling of materials.