Category: Anchoring

Destia builds the Vantaa light rail using Robit tools

Posted on by Jari Silver 
Picture above: At the Tikkurila tram  line construction site, from left:  Project Manager Alexei Kesonen (Destia),  Drill Master Raivo Forsel (Robit) and  Site Manager Kai Jaakkola (Destia)

After decades of planning, the Vantaa light rail project in Finland has entered construction. Preparatory works began in spring 2025 in the Tikkurila railway station area, and by the end of the year, construction sites were launched elsewhere along the route as well. 

Two alliances, one shared goal 

The Vantaa light rail is being built using an alliance model, in which the client, engineering partners, and contractors operate as a single integrated team. In Vantaa, the project is divided into an eastern and a western alliance. On the west side, Destia acts as the construction contractor, with Ramboll and Sitowise responsible for engineering.

The western alliance section runs from the airport to Jokiniemi and includes a tram tunnel passing beneath Tikkurila railway station.

Tikkurila – a demanding transport hub

At Destia, the ground improvement works for the Vantaa light rail project are led by Project Manager Alexei Kesonen.

“One of the most challenging sections of the entire project is the Tikkurila station area, where an under-ground concrete tunnel of about 800 metres is being built. This requires extensive excavations, in which Robit’s drilling tools play a critical role,” Alexei explains. The tunnel will link rail traffic at Tikkurila with the future tram line, with the tram stop located underground.

Towards the end of the year, a pipe pile wall project is underway in Tikkurila. Some 400 piles of a Ø 610 mm drilled pile wall are being drilled 1–2 metres into the bedrock. The piling work is performed with Robit casing systems – Robit® DTH SR pilot and ring bits – together with an 18” Down the Hole hammer.

In addition to pipe pile walls, excavations are supported by sheet pile walls and combi walls. At its deepest point, the pipe pile wall reaches 13 metres.

“All excavation walls will later be anchored with cable anchors, drilled using a DTH hammer and Robit’s through-drilling reamers and pilots. The tunnel excavation will also include 220 mm rock sockets. 323 mm pipe piles support the tunnel base slab. All critical drilling equipment comes from Robit, and it has performed reliably,” Alexei says.

Pipe-pile-wall piling ongoing

On-site support from Robit

Robit Sales Manager Jonne Merikanto adds that,  in addition to supplying tools, Robit supports the tram project by sharpening the customer’s pilot  bits and servicing hammers at its Suutarila facility. Robit’s Drillmaster Raivo Forsel is also available to Destia whenever needed. “Destia has such skilled drillers, though, that they rarely need assistance,” Raivo notes with a smile.

A central location brings its own challenges

The Tikkurila construction site is located close to the railway, in the heart of the city. “This places significant constraints on the work, most notably public transport operations, traffic management, and limited working space,” Alexei explains.

“In demanding sites like this, the alliance model has proven to be an excellent solution. Its greatest strength lies in flexibility and the ability to respond quickly to changing conditions. The model allows the client, engineers, and contractors to jointly develop and adjust plans almost in real time to find the best possible solution for each situation.” 

“At this early stage of excavation, the greatest challenges are likely to be underground. We expect significant volumes of pressurised groundwater and sections of poor-quality rock. The collaborative nature of the alliance model is crucial for managing and resolving these geotechnical challenges efficiently.”

Foundation works at Tikkurila station will continue well into 2026. In spring, the pile walls will be anchored at a 45° angle into the bedrock using Robit’s through-drilling Prime DT systems.

At the same time, construction of the Vantaa light rail will expand in stages to other sections of the route. If everything proceeds as planned, tram operations in Vantaa will begin in late 2029.

From left – Robit's Drillmaster Raivo Forsel with Site Supervisor Ahti Liivak , Site Manager Kai Jaakkola, and Site Supervisor Santeri Niemi from Destia

FINGEO RELIES ON DOMESTIC WEAR PARTS IN DRILLING AND PILING

Posted on by Jari Silver

Fingeo is a Finnish drilling and piling contractor with solid experience. They also carry out more extensive projects, including civil engineering. For drilling consumables, the company relies on the quality, reliability, and competitive price of domestic Robit.

Founded in 2008, Fingeo Oy is now part of the E.M. Pekkinen Oy group.

“Our goal has been to develop our operating methods and provide a high-quality overall service. Fingeo has traditionally been strong in drilling and piling contracting. In recent years, we have expanded our service offering to include extraction by wedging and blasting and rock reinforcement by shotcrete, grouting and bolting. “We now also offer comprehensive foundation work contracts, which makes it easier for the client as the same contractor takes responsibility for the work from start to finish. We have the flexibility to handle smaller projects as well as larger ones. Our extensive experience in soil and rock drilling, together with other civil engineering professionals, ensures an overall sustainable contract and smooth project management,” says Veli-Antti Pekkinen, Project Manager at Fingeo Oy.

Construction continues to be strong in the Helsinki region

While Fingeo’s operations mainly focus on the Helsinki metropolitan area, several projects, particularly demanding piling contracts for industrial and bridge projects, are carried out throughout the country.

“In the future, we will increasingly offer our services in different parts of the country, especially in challenging projects and large turnkey contracts. We have plenty of work for the rest of the year as construction in the capital region continues to be strong on the ongoing sites. As for new projects, the future is not quite as clear,” says supervisor Jukka Jääskeläinen.

Wide variety of work methods, skilled staff

For drilling and anchoring, Fingeo uses a large variety of methods and a wide range of special equipment.

“Our pipe piling projects range from a few piles to construction sites with several thousand piles. Tensile anchoring is used, for example, in trench shoring to absorb tensile forces. Our areas of expertise also include specialities like offshore drilling from a raft and combi walls for trench support.”

“The backbone of our equipment consists of pipe piling and anchoring machines and drill rigs, of which we have about a dozen units. While the machinery is state-of-the-art, our motivated and highly skilled staff is key to successful projects. Our team has an excellent working atmosphere. Our minimal turnover rate speaks for that,” says Kai Jaakkola, supervisor.

Robit – the trusted partner for consumables

Drilling and piling is a consumable-intensive business. Fingeo’s main supplier in these applications is Robit, with its products manufactured domestically in Lempäälä.

“At the moment, we get practically all our wear parts from Robit: for quarrying, that includes rods and bits; for piling, we use their reamers, pilot bits, and DTH hammers. We appreciate their domestic manufacture and great customer service that ranges from sales to delivery to problem-solving. Robit actively develops technically advanced products, and the manufacturing quality is high. Their consumables allow us to drill further, resulting in cost savings. And while Robit’s products are definitely at the top of the market, they are also competitively priced. It’s quite a rare equation,” Jääskeläinen and Jaakkola say.

NEW TRAM LINE CONSUMES 100 KM OF STEEL PILES

Posted on by Jari Silver

A project is underway in Helsinki, Finland to build a completely new tram line, along with new municipal infrastructure and green spaces. The contractor Destia is using a wide range of Robit wear parts for soil and rock drilling in the project.

The alliance model project will involve the construction of approximately 4.5 kilometres of tramway and associated street areas and municipal engineering between Nihti and Pasila. The project will also include the renovation of street areas as well as improved pedestrian and cycling connections. Preconstruction started in Nihti in July 2021.

A massive groundwork project

An alliance group led by Destia is working in challenging street conditions in the middle of urban Kalasatama. The group’s share of the construction work on the new line comprises some three kilometres of road, the entire cross-section of which will be rebuilt in the course of the project.

“The section will be built on a pile slab structure, covering a total area of over 36,000 square meters, or about the size of five football pitches. During the project, about 100 kilometres of individual piles 15 to 20 meters in length will be used for road foundations,” says Alexei Kesonen, Project Manager for Foundation Engineering at Destia Oy.

At the same time, a ramp will be built for the possible future construction of a tunnel to Sörnäinen.

“The support structures of the ramp and tunnel walls combine three techniques: pipe pile wall, sheet pile wall and combi wall. Based on excavations, each was chosen to save time and, of course, to achieve a highquality result. The ground on the site varies widely from soft clay to hard rock to bouldery fill.”

“A wide variety of drilling equipment, sheet pile drivers and piling rigs are needed on site, allowing the choice of optimal working methods. With skilled workers, the right equipment and careful planning, even the largest projects can proceed on schedule,” says Kesonen.

Using domestic wear parts is an asset

Destia has a long history of solid cooperation with Robit on wear parts for soil and rock drilling.

“You can always trust the quality of Robit’s products and their service level as a domestic manufacturer. Speed of delivery is also excellent, which is an absolute must, as the schedules are tight, and work cannot stop because of missing parts. Robit supplies us with drilling consumables directly from their factory in Lempäälä. Of course, we also store them onsite, which ensures there is no downtime.”

“The pipe piles are installed using Robit’s 18″ DTH hammers, 508 mm SR XL2 ring bits, 508 mm SR pilots and L-model impact shoes, which arrive on site pre-welded to the pile ends. For the installation of combi wall piles, Robit Prime ring bits and pilots are used. For the supporting wall anchors, we are using Robit’s DT (Drill Through) technology, which allows us to drill the pilots into the rock through the ring bit assembly,” Kesonen says.

Construction of the new tramway line started in the summer of 2021. If all goes according to plan, the line will be operational by the end of 2024, greatly streamlining cross-town traffic: you can get from Kalasatama to Pasila by tram in 15 minutes. The route will also conveniently link trams to trains and the metro at several transport hubs.

Picture: Construction Engineer Alexey Selivonchyk of Destia presenting the Robit SR pilot.

Hydro power from the Himalayas

Posted on by Jari Silver

Starting some 4,000 metres high up on a Himalayan glacier, The Alaknanda River winds its way down towards the south through the state of Uttarakhand, gaining momentum, finally meeting with the Bhagirathi river to form the mighty Ganges. Some of that momentum will be harnessed by a hydroelectric plant, now under construction in the Chamoli district in Northern India.

The 444 MW hydropower construction project includes a diversion of the river into a headrace tunnel and a diversion dam of 65 m height across the river. This will create a gross head of 237 m for power generation.

A project this size requires also a number of adits, or access tunnels, to be built. The ground conditions for tunnelling work has proven to be quite challenging: the TBMs would have to drill through loose soil mixed with large – or small – boulders made up of very hard quartzite.

Machino International was selected to supply and install the piperoofing system for the TBM entry adit with Robit’s tools.

– We had heard a lot of positive feedback about Robit’s piperoofing system from previous projects, such as the IL&FS Kiratpur Ner-Chowk highway tunnel and the IRCON railway tunnel at Jammu & Kashmir. Also, Robit’s Sales Manager S.K. Back paid a personal visit on-site to meet our client and made a convincing case for Robit, says Director Vibhore Agarwal, Machino International.

Thanks to the timely supply and high quality of Robit’s ring bits and pilot bits, the goal of installing the 12-metre casing system was reached in time. Once completed, the hydroelectric plant will significantly improve the supply of electricity in the area by providing clean, renewable, low-carbon energy.

Lemminkäinen builds a new metro station with Robit

Posted on by Avidly Help

Overview

The so-called West Metro is a major expansion to current underground railway system in the Finnish metropolitan area, stretching it all the way to Espoo. Lemminkäinen is in charge of building the Koivusaari metro station, complete with a kilometer of tunnel. As usual, Robit delivers the goods.

The project, involving much earth-moving and digging, takes place in an urban, unforgiving environment. “The location is challenging, so it is essential that all components needed for the work have high quality and reliability”, says Annina Peisa, Construction Manager at Lemminkäinen. “Our suppliers have a substantial impact on the success of our projects”.

Lemminkäinen and Robit have been co-operating successfully for the past ten years, and this site is no exception. The installation and drilling tools required for making excavations and supporting the walls with RD piles this are supplied by Robit. Thanks to our dedicated, knowledgeable service, the construction is well on the way, and expected to be finished on time.

No wonder Peisa is pleased: “Robit is a very customer-oriented partner”, she says. “If we have any problems in our projects, Robit will provide us with quick and professional service. They will come and check the situation on site as needed.”

Customer description

Lemminkäinen is a construction group specializing in building construction, infrastructure construction and technical building services. Its main markets are Finland and the Baltic Sea region. The Group employs about 8,400 people, and its turnover in 2011 was approximately EUR 2.2 billion.