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JACBO GmbH, based in Cologne, has found its successful niche with the construction of pile foundations. Find out more below about the market positioning, the success story and the future plans of our "specialist".

"What we offer on the market today must be perfect," explains JACBO Managing Director Michael F. Koppers. He knows that the days of the all-rounder are over in the construction trade. Consequently, he has tailored his company to a niche market: Drilled pile foundations for all load requirements.

Pile foundations are used when the ground beneath the foundations or ground slab is so poor that the building cannot be constructed safely. The alternative would be to completely excavate the ground and replace it with suitable material. Thanks to the introduction of new pile construction technologies, the prices for these types of foundation systems have fallen to the extent that they can be provided at a lower cost than conventional ground replacement solutions, especially as pile foundations virtually exclude the possibility of subsidence of the building, generating added value. (See also the article "Gründungsverfahren" (Foundation Process) in the "Baugewerbe" journal No. 23-24-2005, page 26 ff) . A practical JACBO example is the reconstruction of the Cologne exhibition centre, where the high loads of the halls were transmitted safely onto supporting strata through approximately 1500 foundation piles made from reinforced concrete.

A solid foundation is necessary for subsequent construction work. Our work is based primarily on the vibration-free and time-saving partial-displacement auger drill technique. JACBO also provides other types of pile drills with various diameters and areas of application. The solutions can be adapted relatively flexibly to the relevant construction project and the conditions at the construction site. In the Netherlands, even single-occupancy houses are usually built on piles. JACBO Pfahlgründungen GmbH was founded in 1995 in Weeze, in the Lower Rhine region of Germany, and currently has offices in Cologne and Schüttorf in Lower Saxony. The two offices act independently from one another and each have a Managing Director. Together they employ a total of twelve salaried employees, plus several four-man crews.

In addition to structural engineers, estimators and construction managers, the company's business administration is based at Schüttorf. The 16 operative employees always work in crews on-site where the four machines are located. Each crew consists of four operatives, which are driven from one construction site to another in a van. "We follow the work around," says the Managing Director.

Source: "Baugewerbe" online archive.