Foundations and Railway Construction
GSF Rail Infra is a small and ambitious engineering and construction firm focused on innovative foundation solutions and mini noise barriers. Our philosophy is to achieve great results combining a small and agile core-team with intensive collaboration with our partners.
We are based in the Netherlands where we develop and prove our products before exporting our know-how abroad. We have two main products, the GS-foundation and the SoundSafe Noise barrier.
Our company develops and optimises our unique products and installs these in the Netherlands for our clients. In other countries we work on a licensing basis, where we provide the know-how and installation equipment to local parties for the production and installation of our products.
Ground-displacing Shield Foundation (GSF)
This novel foundation type uses high frequency vibrations to install a relative short foundation in the top soil layers without causing any nuisance. The shape of the foundation is such that it activates a large amount of soil to absorb rotation and forces exerted on the foundation. This means that a relatively small and light foundation is capable of supporting large (rotating moment) loads.
The main benefit of this foundation type is that we can install up to 6 foundations per hour, and that they are immediately load bearing. This significantly reduces the needed time for catenary system installations. Foundations are therefore no longer a bottleneck in efficient catenary system construction processes.
A second significant benefit is that there is no need for earthworks when placing the foundation. Furthermore, thanks to its small installation footprint (1,5m x 0,35 meters) the foundations can be placed in tight spaces or on narrow embankments.
The last major benefit that we want to highlight here is that the installation only requires a single excavator and two mechanics. This means that in markets where a lack of available manpower is a significant factor, our method frees up personnel and machinery for other jobs.
5 Kilometer Initiative
By utilizing the fast installation of the foundations we have developed, together with our local partners, optimised construction processes for the Netherlands and Germany. Using these processes we can install a fully functional (turn key) 5 kilometer long stretch of catenary and overhead wire system in a single weekend from a green-field situation.
This process allows us and our partners to meet the demand by local network operators for high output electrification construction processes that arise from the desire to (further) electrify (or renew) the existing railway infrastructure.
SoundSafe (Movable)
Our SoundSafe noise barrier product development has culminated in our latest product, the SoundSafe Movable. This is a combination of an adapted GS-foundation and a novel load bearing arm which allows mini noise barriers to be placed at distances very close to the track (platform distance). The foundation is still placed in line with the catenary masts, but the noise barrier is much closer to the source of the sound. This allows the noise barrier to be placed in almost all circumstances, without requiring changes to the (earth) track.
Furthermore, the load bearing arms are equipped with hinges, which allows the whole noise barrier to swivel away from the track. This allows for a fast retraction of the entire noise barrier and support structure, freeing up the space for maintenance such as undercutting of the ballast.
We will be able to install at least 500 meters of this system in a single weekend, which allows us and our partners to meet the desires, and obligations, of local network operators and governments to significantly reduce health damages from noise pollution.
Current and Future Markets
The GS-foundation has proven itself in the Dutch market and now that we have the European NEN-certifications they are now being introduced in Germany and South Korea.
The SoundSafe Movable is undergoing certification testing in the Netherlands and is expected to be certified sometime in the coming year.
We are open to interested parties in other countries that would like to use or license our products.
