And finally… Dam good digging

The contractor specialises in soil removal, demolition and foundation works on properties built on peat and centuries‑old timber piles. Access is the first challenge: crews dig a 1×2m opening in a garden, pavement or roadside, then cut a passage through the exterior wall.

Steel beams and sheet piles stabilise the structure before a Bobcat E10 mini excavator is lowered into the void to begin removing soil from beneath the house. Material is shuttled back to the opening, where a larger Bobcat E55 loads it into containers, typically 15–25m³ per day depending on ground conditions.

The new E55’s extendable boom allows operators to reach further under the building from the street, while E10 diesel and electric models handle the confined, often waterlogged spaces below. Dijkboom also uses specialist attachments, including a custom stainless‑steel bucket that prevents mud build‑up.

On this project, the team is excavating to around three metres to create a full‑size basement beneath a 12×12m townhouse. High groundwater means machinery works constantly in sludge until drainage, sand bedding and a reinforced concrete slab are installed. The finished basement will offer around 2.4m headroom.

Before work begins, detailed soil and foundation surveys are carried out, and façades are monitored throughout to prevent subsidence. Although many Amsterdam and Rotterdam homes suffer from failing timber piles, this property’s foundation is in relatively good condition—and unusually, the site offers enough external space for machinery and containers. In narrower streets, Dijkboom must create the access hole inside the house, requiring residents to move out.

Demand for basements continues to grow as homeowners seek more space. Dijkboom has delivered everything from additional living areas to underground pools, garages and home cinemas. The company, part of Anton van Dijk Demolition, operates around twenty Bobcat machines supplied by dealer Inter‑Techno. Operator Klaas van der Vis says the compact excavators are ideal for the job: small, quiet and capable of working all day in challenging conditions.