2020 Success Stories

GBM Works is a Delft University spin off with a mission to contribute to the Global Goals for Sustainable Development by offering innovative solutions for energy production infrastructure of the future, starting with energy production at sea.

GBM stands for “Ground Breaking Machines” and started in 2017, when during his graduation, founder Ben Arntz developed an idea to silently drive piles.

The organization works in an environmentally conscious way, with respect and in harmony within and outside the organization, has an eye for the personal development of colleagues, a good work/private balance and is open to the ideas of others. Headquarter and laboratory facilities are located at the former powerplant of Eneco in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

As a bold goal, GBM Works has defined that by 2025 it will have introduced an established technology of installing monopiles at sea, without negative consequences for the environment. With the patented technology, GBM Works’ offer to the nearshore and offshore market is twofold:

1. Engineering services to projects related to installation and decommissioning of foundations
2. Rental of a (portfolio of) machine(s) to execute the above works

Engineering services can be offered based on expertise built on the physical dynamics of soil and water, using a simulation model validated with 500+ tests. After this year’s development project SIMPLE II accomplishments, the company is looking for a full-scale test side at sea, where the prototype can be demonstrated.

GBM Works’ new installation technology

The new technology is based on a combination of two principles

1. controlled fluidization of the soil within the monopile and
2. vibrating the pile with an integrated vibratory hammer.

In this way the soil resistance is removed which normally prevents the penetration of the pile into the soil. The machines GBM Works is developing for the respective principles are called the Jet-gun and Vibro-drill. Initially the Jet-gun will be introduced in combination with a traditional vibro-hammer, positioned at the top of the pile.

The test results in 2020

The Jet-gun technology was tested Q3 2020 at the Maasvlakte and compared with traditional vibratory hammers at a 1:4 scale. The results are very convincing:

1. In addition to significant reduction of noise levels, the Jet-gun installation technology of GBM Works proves to install 2x deeper and 4x faster, performances that make the construction of wind farms more environmentally friendly, but also much more efficient and therefore cheaper.
2. By measuring the strain in the monopile itself, an indication has been drawn on both sound emissions and fatigue generated by the compared installation methods. Based on these performance indicators, one can conclude that significant reduction can be expected using the Jet-gun.
3. Ultimately GBM Works wants to introduce the Vibro-drill technology which enables to transmit vibrations at the low end of the pile. A dummy tool has successfully brought down to the bottom of the pile and lifted again after installation at target depth. It proves that risks like clogging and rapid segregation can be overcome.

Using GBM Works’ Jet-gun technology in combination with the existing vibration technology contractors reduce their installation time, their risk not reaching target depth, can eliminate costly mitigation measures and can potentially avoid over-dimension of the piles to compensate for fatigue.