Case study: Last-minute pump pit for Stapelplein new construction project
Once the habitat of Ghent's port industry, it will soon be home to many residents of Ghent: the ‘Oude Dokken’ of Ghent are currently undergoing a full transformation into a new, vibrant part of the city. The 125 homes of the Stapelplein new-construction project will also help shape this area. Main contractor STRABAG enlisted the help of Deschacht at the start of the project, and also knocked on their door with an unexpected request just before completion.
From sewer plans to pump station
Initially, Deschacht was involved in the Stapelplein project to draw up the sewerage plans. Luc Watcant, construction team project manager for East and West Flanders at Deschacht: “Everyone mainly knows Deschacht for sewer pipes, but many do not yet know that we can offer just about everything from below ground to the roof. Afterwards, halfway through the process, we were asked to design the rainwater infiltration system for the site's inner courtyard. Quite a while later, about 2 months before the project's completion, it suddenly turned out that the connection diameter of the wastewater system could not be realized by gravity. A pump pit therefore had to be installed at the last minute, and STRABAG knew that we could help with that as well.”
Complete package of both pit and pump
Philippe Demeere, project manager at STRABAG, quickly thought of Deschacht to supply the manhole in question: “STRABAG has worked with Deschacht on several occasions, and that has always gone very smoothly. Of course, it was also convenient that they could provide not only the manhole but also the pumping system, and moreover could handle the entire coordination and connection. In the end, they were responsible for the complete installation of the pump pit, from design to placement. As a result, everything was completed very quickly, which was necessary at this stage of the project given the tight deadline.”
Dry, freestanding setup
For the installation and commissioning of the pumping station, Deschacht collaborated with pump installer Eco Solutions. The design was developed entirely by Deschacht's internal engineering department. Dirk Stuyven, head of the engineering department at Deschacht: “Because the sewerage on the road surface had to be raised, the need for a pumping station was only discussed late in the project. For this reason, we had to provide a freestanding pumping station. We supplied a custom-made double-walled HDPE collection tank, on which we dimensioned 2 pumps with a perfect head and capacity. Given the limited installation height and the heavy weight of the pumps, a dry installation was chosen, which means the pumps are located on the outside of the system. The advantage is that the pumps are always accessible should maintenance be required.”
Always one party liable
Deschacht’s comprehensive approach offers clients like STRABAG a significant added value that can come in very handy at a later stage. Watcant: “A pump sump that does not work or functions poorly can cause a lot of damage. Just think of buildings getting flooded. Sometimes architects specify that the pump must be connected by an electrician, but who is responsible then if things go wrong? If you can entrust many aspects to a single party, there is no room for doubt and you immediately know who to contact. That can prevent many problems.”
- Head office: Noorderlaan 139, 2030 Antwerp
- Number of employees: 323
- Activity + scope: class 8 general contractor, specialties: commercial construction & industrial construction
STRABAG Belgium is part of the European construction group STRABAG SE and has been active in Belgium for more than 55 years. In the meantime, the company has grown into one of the leading Belgian construction companies, with a broad customer portfolio in both the public and private sectors and extensive experience in the construction of schools, hospitals, residential care centers, offices, industrial sites, Designer Outlet Centers, and PPP projects.
