Product & services Brands & products Steel categories Steel piles and infrastructure products Customer cases Ocean Space Center: Pioneering Maritime Innovation in Trondheim

Customer case

Ocean Space Center: Pioneering Maritime Innovation in Trondheim

September 19, 2024 6 min read

Case details

Product RD® pile walls
Country Norway
Company Fundamentering AS
Industry Building structures and infrastructure

The RD® pile wall solution was chosen due to the undulating bedrock profile and its hard characteristics. It was considered a safe and stable solution. Fundamentering AS has for a long time been one of SSAB’s largest pile customers in Norway, especially within the large diameter pile aspect.

Case details

Product RD® pile walls
Country Norway
Company Fundamentering AS
Industry Building structures and infrastructure
Illustration: Existing and planned development at Tyholt in Trondheim.

The Ocean Space Center is currently under development in Trondheim, Norway. The country is positioning itself as a world leader in maritime research and innovation. This ambitious project, led by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in collaboration with SINTEF Ocean, is designed to address key challenges in the maritime sector, with a strong focus on sustainability and technological advancement.

The center will house cutting-edge laboratories and testing facilities that will advance research in marine engineering, oceanography, and related fields. Key facilities will include advanced wave tanks, towing tanks, and simulation environments, all geared toward improving the design and operation of ships, offshore structures, and marine energy systems. It aims to bring together experts from academia, industry, and government to foster innovation and drive the maritime sector forward. The construction site is next to the existing Marine Technology Centre at Tyholt. Statsbygg is managing the project and it is expected to be completed within five to six years. With this marking a new era for oceanic research and education in Norway.

The RD® pile wall solution was chosen due to the undulating bedrock profile and its hard characteristics. It was considered a safe and stable solution.

Project manager Runar Stjern, Fundamentering AS

Illustration: A subsurface model of the RD® pile wall construction constraining the workplace.
Photo: Overview during the RD® pile wall construction seen from the Tyholt tower (Sondre Smeland – SSAB)

Foundation work represents a critical aspect of the construction process. Given the scale and complexity of the facilities planned, the foundation work needs to be robust and innovative. The project utilizes advanced construction techniques to ensure stability and longevity, given the demanding environmental conditions and the high-tech nature of the buildings. The local companies, Trym Anlegg and Ruta Entreprenør, have been awarded contracts totaling 600 million NOK to carry out the construction. Sweco was appointed as the designer for the project and Fundamentering AS the pile contractor. Their part of the project totaled 37.5 million NOK.

The foundation work not only includes the physical base for the buildings but also the preparation for the advanced equipment and laboratories that will be installed, which require precise and stable environments to function effectively.

Almost 10,000 m of SSAB’s RD® pile wall in dimensions 320/10 and 12.5, 400/12.5, and 500/14.2 encloses the working area where 400/12.5 contributes the most. Some parts have HEB encased inside the piles. The wall is also anchored with a tie rod and bar tie to ensure support from the earth pressure. There were high demands in the project with execution class 3 for all the welding work and a noise limitation of 60dB when installing and working on the wall. Several mitigation measures were initiated, among others, noise barriers and continuous monitoring during execution. Hard clay posed challenges to the noise response and a deep crevasse forced an alteration to the design with the extension of the pile wall to 26m and more anchoring points.

The RD® pile wall solution was chosen due to the undulating bedrock profile and its hard characteristics. It was considered a safe and stable solution. Fundamentering AS has for a long time been one of SSAB’s largest pile customers in Norway, especially within the large diameter pile aspect.

 
Photo: Noise limitation measures during installation. (Runar Stjern – Fundamentering AS)
Photo on the right: Installed RD® pile wall with support beams ready for anchoring points at first excavation depth. (Runar Stjern – Fundamentering AS)
Main image at the top of the page: Research tanks where it will be possible to simulate waves, currents, and other oceanographic processes.