Final 500 piles for enormous pile mattress

Over the past year, around 3,000 piles have already been driven into the ground for the pile mattress, which is being constructed on both sides of the A10 Zuid between the Schinkel and Amstelveenseweg. The foundation structure owes its name to the ‘mattress’ made of layers of synthetic fabric with a thick layer of sand in between, which is placed on top of the piles. Together, this creates a strong foundation comparable to a concrete slab. In many locations, the mattress has already been completed, but not yet on the southern side of the A10 Zuid near the Infinity building. In June and July 2026, we will install the final 512 foundation piles for the pile mattress there.

The piles – each around 19 metres long – will be installed in rows along a stretch of approximately 200 metres. Two piling rigs will be used for the work. This is a precision operation because space is limited and several traffic flows converge at this location. To create sufficient working space, we previously relocated the bus lane and moved the Amstelveenseweg bus stop around 100 metres further east. Part of the ground, mainly the embankment, also had to be excavated in sections to make room for the pile mattress. At the same time, we reinforced the existing foundation of the A10 Zuid.

The pile mattress for the widening of the A10 Zuid consists of around 3,500 piles in total. Combined, these piles measure approximately 60 kilometres in length – equivalent to driving around the Amsterdam ring road twice. Square concrete caps weighing around one tonne each are placed on top of the piles. Sheets of synthetic fabric (geotextile) are then rolled out on top of the concrete, followed by a one-metre-thick layer of sand. The fabric is then folded back over the sand, creating a kind of package – or mattress. Another layer of granular material is added on top. We expect the entire pile mattress to be completed by the end of 2026.

We are widening the A10 Zuid between the De Nieuwe Meer junction and the Amstel junction. Two additional lanes will be added to the existing four lanes in each direction, resulting in a total of six lanes per direction. This will separate through traffic from local traffic. Four lanes will be available for through traffic, while two lanes (the S108 and S109 access and exit roads) will be reserved for local traffic.