Foundation works in Ghent.

A wind turbine is extremely tall, so it must be properly anchored in the earth. There are two ways to go about this. The piles on which the foundations are built, are either drilled or driven. If drilling occurs, a hole is drilled in the ground and then filled with concrete. When driving, a pile driver knocks piles into the ground. For the wind turbines on the grounds of ArcelorMittal, the piles are driven. A spectacular and extremely photogenic process, as you can see in the images below.

The remainder of the construction of the foundations is done according to the following steps:

• Once the piles are in the ground, the construction pit is excavated. The base is finished off with blinding concrete to prevent the construction yard from becoming a mud pool. This allows for a clean working environment.

• The reinforcement of the foundation is braided with concrete rods.

• The formwork for the foundation is placed. This means that a wall is built around the braided reinforcement.

• The formwork is filled with concrete.

• The concrete is allowed to dry for 28 days, after which the formwork is removed and the foundation is finished.