Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH has been active in the Philippines since 1995, offering its specialist foundation engineering expertise for a wide range of infrastructure, energy generation and building projects across the country.
One of the recent projects is the construction of a new highway called Metro Manila Skyway, designed to minimise traffic congestion in the metropolitan area around the Philippine capital Manila. Bauer Foundations Philippines - the local subsidiary of Bauer Spezialtiefbau - has been involved in a number of construction phases and, since August 2019, has been working on the expansion of the highway between the cities of Sucat and Alabang in southern Metro Manila.
The road, which is constructed on pillars above existing roads, is currently being expanded from two to six lanes. In addition to this, the highway will be extended from Alabang to the city of Muntinlupa.
In this first phase of the expansion project, all toll roads in the southern Manila metropolitan area will be upgraded to relieve the major roads and permanently reduce traffic jams. As part of the order, Bauer is installing 188 bored piles with diameters of 2,800 mm and a maximum depth of 30 m. Also, 226 ductile piles with a length of 16 m will be installed using the PGF (pressurised grouted full displacement) system.
A special challenge on this project is that works need to be performed without interrupting traffic on a busy road. “Efficient traffic management and good logistical organisation are the most important factors for successful execution of this project,” said Mohammed Hussieny, senior project manager at Bauer Foundations Philippines.
Furthermore, Bauer Foundations Philippines has been commissioned to carry out drilling work for a geothermal power plant on the island of Leyte - the project is part of a large investment programme by Energy Development Corp (EDC), a leading provider of energy from geothermal heat in the Philippines. Over a period of four months, a Bauer BG 40 rig was used to create multiple drill holes with a diameter of 1,200 mm. The slurry stabilised drilling hole was executed up to a depth of 150 m, despite difficult soil conditions, and was successfully completed in March 2020.
Bauer Foundations Philippines is also involved in commercial developments. Among them is the Cebu Integrated Resort - a hotel, business and leisure complex on Kawit island, located off the coast of Cebu City. The project will provide both commercial and private investment opportunities. Apart from bars, restaurants, a shopping and convention centre, a casino, a theme park and a theatre, there are also three hotels planned for the site. In total, 17,864 sq m of mixed-in-place wall (MIP) were constructed up to a depth of 11 m as well as 1,267 stone columns with a diameter of 1,100 mm and a length of 12 m. The works started in December 2019 and were completed in April 2020.
In another project, the new 30-storey Seaview City building complex is being built on an area of around 200,000 sq m, located directly on Manila Bay. The development will offer new commercial spaces and luxurious residential units, plus an on-site entertainment and casino area. For preparation of the building foundations, 483 bored piles were installed over a total of 14 weeks. Three Bauer drilling rigs - BG 40, BG 15 and BG 14 - were used for the works, which began in November 2019 and were completed in March 2020.
“There are many more and increasingly complex projects being planned and implemented to fulfil people’s needs for better infrastructure, safe energy supply, living space and entertainment,” said Thomas Albrecht, director of Bauer Foundations Philippines. “Over the past 25 years, successful completion of demanding projects means that we have been able to establish ourselves in the region as a reliable partner for specialist foundation engineering projects.
Images: Bauer Group
