15.1 m test beams
In-house development 2025, first used at the Steinwerder Kai replacement project in Hamburg.
8 units · 700 t per beam
Technology
Technology and equipment
We do not buy testing equipment, we build it. That is why our test force ends where the structural design says so, not where a catalogue stops.
Overview
What stands on site
- Jack assembly test force
- up to 15,000 kN, 27,000 kN and 40,000 kN
- HE1000 beams, reinforced, S460
- large load tests up to 40,000 kN
- HE700 beams, reinforced, S460
- small load tests up to 10,000 kN
- 15.1 m high load test beams, new 2026
- for large spans up to 14.7 m, up to 56,000 kN
- Load frame crown
- up to 18 anchor connections, up to 15,000 kN
- 700 bar hydraulics
- power units with electronic constant force control, power units with electronic constant displacement control, two-way jacks with compressive forces of 2 MN, 3 MN and 8 MN, two-way hollow piston jacks with tensile forces of 1 MN and 3.2 MN
- Force measurement
- calibrated load cells under every jack
- Displacement measurement
- calibrated precision probes below 10 µm, resolution 1/1000 mm
- Instrumentation
- vibrating wire sensors, fibre optic measuring system, extensometers, pile base load cells, inclinometers with up to eight levels
- Measurement technology
- PC controlled measurement and control system, data loggers, fibre optic measurement technology
In-house development
Measurement technology from our own development
Control, data acquisition and evaluation run on hardware and software we developed ourselves. With that number of readings, one screen is not enough.
12 m test beams
In-house development 2008, in use on sites across Europe ever since.
8 units · 500 t per beam
HE1000 girder system, S460
Reinforced steel beams for large load tests.
up to 40,000 kN
HE700 girder system, S460
Reinforced steel beams for small load tests.
up to 10,000 kN
Load frame crown
In-house development for high test loads in confined spaces, maximum 18 anchor connections.
up to 15,000 kN
Jack sets
Three in-house developments from 2005, 2011 and 2018, combinable depending on the test load.
15 MN, 27 MN, 40 MN
Special free-fall weights
Two own drop weights for dynamic load tests, graded to the expected pile resistance.
2 units · 7 t to 14 t
Dead load system
Where reaction piles are not possible, mass does the work.
up to 6,000 kN, around 600 t
Reaction system
Depending on test load, ground conditions and specifications, primarily two to eight reaction piles or up to 32 anchors.
project-specific structural design
Hydraulics
700 bar, electronically controlled.
- Total test force
- 40,000 kN
- Force controlled power units
- up to 700 bar, electronically controlled constant load
- Displacement controlled power units
- up to 700 bar, electronically controlled constant pile displacement
- Safety
- adjustable manual and electronic pressure limitation
- Jacks
- several identical two-way jacks
- Force measurement
- calibrated load cells directly under the jacks
- Control
- calibrated pressure transmitter and precision gauge
Measurement chain
One hundredth of a millimeter is not a rounding error.
Force is measured directly under the jacks, not estimated from oil pressure. Displacement measurement is redundant, each channel calibrated individually.
Control, data acquisition and evaluation software are developed in-house. This means load steps can be changed mid-test without losing the log.
Sensors
What is measured, and with what.
- Displacement measurement
- electronic dial gauges with laser technology, accuracy 0.02 %
- Precision probes
- below 6 µm
- Redundancy
- calibrated electronic precision dial gauges below 10 µm
- Resolution
- 1/100 mm and 1/1000 mm
- Strain measurement
- vibrating wire and fibre optic measuring system
- Sensors
- Rebar Strainmeter, Sister Bars, Concrete Embedment Strain Gages
- Toe pressure
- load cells, electrical and hydraulic
- Deformation
- chain extensometer, chain inclinometer with up to 8 measurement levels
- Data acquisition
- multiplexer, data logger, in-house software
- Dynamics
- two special free-fall weights 7 t to 14 t, several PDA units, wireless transmission
- Integrity
- PIT (hammer blow), CHUM ultrasonic, TIP Thermal Integrity Profiler
Anchors and micropiles
No project is too small for us.
For GEWI piles, grouted piles and round steel anchors we maintain our own test frames. Testing follows DIN EN 1537, in series or as a single proof test.
We also calibrate our own measurement equipment and hydraulics, documented and traceable.
Equipment
Equipment in action.
Project inquiry
Request a project
Tell us the project, the number of piles and the planned test load. You will receive a test concept with a quote within two business days.