On safe ground MAGAZINE 2016 Welcome to the Content world of NGI Welcome to the world of NGI 2 Content 3 Building, Construction and Transportation 4 In 2016, NGI was involved in more than 1000 exciting projects and The Research Council of Norway. We have had a steady - Challenging ground conditions for the new both at home and abroad. From large, international and very increase in the number of employees with roughly 4 percent government building complex in Oslo high profile projects costing in the millions, to smaller projects every year since the early 90’s. Having hired 17 new full time - Geotechnical engineering for E6 Helgeland Nord that help to make a difference for our clients, partners and employees in 2016, we are now 230 employees in Norway at - New Ringeriksbanen and E16 will cut travel time collaborators. the start of 2017. - NGTS – Norwegian Geo-Test Sites 2016 continued to be a challenging year for the offshore oil This magazine presents NGI and our market areas. It gives Offshore Energy 8 and gas market. At the same time, NGI experienced a signifi- a taster of the kind of tasks, research projects and issues we - Better understanding of the forces on the seabed cant increase in activity towards the European offshore wind have solved for our clients and partners in 2016. Enjoy! - Groundbreaking work 150 meters below sea level market. Our significant experience in foundations for offshore - More knowledge means safer carbon storage structures give us sought-after competence and knowledge. Lars Andresen - Living on safe ground in the North Sea Among other things, a partnership with DONG Energy on their CEO Environmental Engineering 12 extensive offshore wind project at Borkum Riffgrund II in the German sector of the North Sea got under way in 2016. - Popular course in environmental sampling - Combating the long-term effects of firefighting We are particularly proud of our involvement at the site for FACTS ABOUT NGI - All set for a cleaner morning swim in the port Norway’s new government building complex, providing solu- - How do chemicals affect our water? NGI is Norway’s largest geotechnical specialist tions for the challenging soil conditions the entrepreneurs are Natural Hazards 16 facing. We are also proud of our innovation project IMIRO, community and a leading centre of research and which has been granted funding from The Research Council consultancy in engineering-related geosciences. - A fatal quick clay landslide called for expert assistance of Norway, together with Kjeller Innovasjon. It is also worth We work within the fields of Offshore Energy; - How to secure the Flåmsbanen railway? noting a couple of other research projects, namely Norwegian Building, Construction and Transportation; - Radar monitoring of rock slopes along the E 16 Geo-Test Site (NGTS) and Klima 2050 which we are conduct- Natural Hazards; and Environmental Engineering. - GRAM – when R&D can reduce the loss of life ing in close cooperation with a number of reputable partners NGI was formally established as a research Expertise 20 in Norway and abroad. The latter two projects will uncover institute on 1. January 1953, and in 1985 turned Diversity 21 new knowledge as to how better manage and mitigate risks into an independent, private commercial foun- from natural hazards in an increasingly wetter climate. dation. Our head office and laboratories are in International outlook 22 Oslo, Norway, with a branch office in Trondheim, Report from the Board of Directors 24 NGI’s geotechnical expertise is in demand in many parts of Norway, and an avalanche research station the world – from Bhutan to Bodø. In 2016, our office in Perth, on Mount Strynefjellet in western Norway. In Accounts 26 Western Australia, celebrated its second anniversary and addition, we have subsidiaries in Houston, Key Figures 27 moved into new premises in Perth’s Central Business District. Texas, USA, and in Perth, Western Australia, as well With the acquisition of a well-regarded laboratory in the as partnership agreements with well-established autumn of 2016, NGI’s office in Houston, Texas, enhanced companies around the world. NGI MAGAZINE / CONTACT its ability to provide geotechnical expertise and surveys for At NGI we practise applied research, which means our clients on the American continent. Our new partnerships that our results must be relevant and adopted by and MoUs with educational and research institutions in 2016 the market, as well as benefiting society, industry Nicholas Lundgard ensure that NGI will continue to have a broad network of and the public at large. Head of Communication contacts all over the globe. E [email protected] We are a recognized fulcrum for the public, technical M +47 904 71 442 NGI delivers applicable knowledge and research results of experts and academics in Norway, and a leading the highest quality, generating international attention. We international centre of expertise within geotechnical value, encourage and prioritize constant development of the engineering. Through our extensive research and Published by NGI, 6 April 2017 / Editor: Nicholas Lundgard expert advice, NGI helps to ensure that we can all Design: NGI / Printed by: Konsis Grafisk individual employee. As such, six of our employees at NGI are Cover Photo: Damian Heinisch currently committed to a PhD programme financed by NGI live, build and travel on safe ground. Photo of NGI Board of Directors p. 25-26: Rasmus Kongsøre / Ole Walter Jacobsen Portrait photos : Ole Walter Jacobsen / NGI Photo p. 6: SkyTEM, Photo p. 11: Statoil 2 NGI MAGAZINE 2016 | ON SAFE GROUND NGI MAGAZINE 2016 | ON SAFE GROUND 3 NGI Building, construction and transportation NGI plays an important role in several of Norway’s significant infrastructure projects. In 2016, 46 percent of the total turnover was related to the division for Building, construction and transportation. Challenging ground conditions for the new government building complex in Oslo The new E6 Helgeland TIMEFRAME | 2013 - 2016 Nord road will be wider LOCATION | OSLO, NORWAY and straighter, reducing the PROJECT MANAGER | ARNSTEIN AARSET PARTNERS | STATSBYGG, RAMBØLL number of traffic accidents. NGI was the responsible geotechnical consultant during environmental issues, identification of alum slate for deposit 2013-2016 for the ground works and foundations for the classification purposes, and sealants to limit chemical reac- brand new government building complex. tions in the alum slate. NGI provided advisory services in geotechnics and engineer- NGI played a key role throughout the construction phase. ing geology, from the pre-engineering phase to completion of At any given time, three to four of NGI’s experts were on the ground works and foundations. Statsbygg, the Norwegian site full time, following up on the geotechnical issues. Government’s property manager, is the construction client, and NGI’s work was done as a subcontractor to Rambøll. NGI designed and worked out the tender documentation in close cooperation with Rambøll, and followed up for contracts within the following areas: Geotechnical engineering for E6 Helgeland Nord Pre-engineering phase: • Characterization and mapping of neighbouring buildings. TIMEFRAME | 2015 - 2019 • Settlement monitoring. LOCATION | HELGELAND, NORWAY • Vibration measurements. PROJECT MANAGER | ALF KRISTIAN LUND PARTNERS | AAS-JACOBSEN, HÆHRE ENTREPRENØR AS • Geotechnical site investigations and groundwater level control. • Pipe and sheet pile walls, and securing workspace in existing Helgeland Nord is the first of three road construction projects The current and existing road is narrow and winding, with rock caverns. to be implemented in Nordland County, Norway. Together, limited capacity, frost-heave problems and frequent cross- they will constitute the new E6 running through the Helge- roads, which lead to inefficient transportation and heavy Ground works contracts: land region. The 62 kilometres of new road present a number financial costs. There have been a number of traffic acci- • Blasting and clearing open excavations. of geotechnical challenges. dents; as many as 40 a year on average for the E6 Helgeland • Stability improvement and securing – bolting, tieback anchors and reinforced sprayed concrete, etc. as a whole, several of which have been fatal. • Water sealing, pre- and post-injection and membrane. NGI’s office in Trondheim is providing geotechnical • Demolition of concrete structures in existing rock caverns. engineering for the project. NGI’s contract partner is Aas- The Helgeland Nord project involves the relocation of 3 • Profile extension of tunnels in existing caverns. Jakobsen Trondheim AS, the main engineering consultant 3 million m of soil, 1 tunnel and 23 structures. One of these • Drill and blast of new rock cavern in conjunction with for Hæhre Entreprenør AS. is Langvassåga, a bridge with three spans to be supported existing cavern. on solid rock, steel pipe foundations and friction-based • Boring pipe walls and mounting cushions and anchors. Hæhre Entreprenør is responsible for engineering, building steel pipes respectively. and operating the road for the first 15 years. The contract The bedrock on the building site mainly consists of black shale The ground conditions have is the first of its kind with the Norwegian Public Roads There are also geotechnical challenges connected with and alum slate, making the ground works very challenging. been particularly demanding as Administration and is worth more than NOK 1.9 billion. road cuts and fills. The largest road cut through soil is 45 Special consideration had to be given to rock stability, the building site mainly consists Construction will take place during 2015-2019. metres deep. of black shale and alum slate. 4 NGI MAGAZINE 2016 | ON SAFE GROUND NGI MAGAZINE 2016 | ON SAFE GROUND 5 NGTS – Norwegian Geo-Test Sites TIMEFRAME | 2016 - 2018 LOCATION | ØSTFOLD AND TRONDHEIM, NORWAY, AND SVALBARD/SPITSBERGEN PROJECT MANAGER | JEAN-SÉBASTIEN L’HEUREUX PARTNERS | NTNU, SINTEF, UNIS, THE NORWEGIAN PUBLIC ROADS ADMINISTRATION The R&D infrastructure programme Norwegian Geo-Test available for use in developing and improving geotechnical Sites (NGTS) consists of five national test sites.