Our history

CRUX has a young and dynamic history. Within almost 20 years of our founding, we have grown to become the leading independent geotechnical consultancy agency in the Netherlands.

2002
Almer van der Stoel and Holger Netzel both devoted their doctoral research to topics related to the North/South line in Amsterdam. Based on this basis, they founded CRUX Engineering BV in 2002, to be able to realize their shared ideas about the geotechnical profession in daily practice.

The company had a brilliant and versatile start; the first projects concerned, for example, geotechnical advice for the construction of the New Rijksmuseum, a piled embankment structure for a train track in the Far East and various works for Waternet, the water company for Amsterdam and its environs.

In the first years, Almer and Holger continued to work on realizing their mission: to provide high-quality and technically sound geotechnical and geo-structural design and implementation solutions across the breadth of the field, whereby risk management of settlement impact is always the starting point.

2005

Jacco Haasnoot became involved as the third partner.

2008

The company grew, and adding Delft as a second location was a logical step. In 2008, CRUX Engineering opened its doors here, and Jacco Haasnoot began leading this location. It marked a new phase in the development of the company.


CRUX would later be approached by the project organization of the North/South line for the role of 'trouble-shooter' and auditor. Risk management and ground improvement through ground freezing form an important part of the dossier. By this time, the company is an experienced party in the design of construction pits and piled embankment structures.


In collaboration with Waternet, a Building Protocol was set up for the risk management of its work in the city centre of Amsterdam. The CRUX approach to settlement risk assessment therefore also has a policy character and has formed the basis for the expansion of our company in the following years.

2010

During the Dutch crisis years, we expressly became a partner for contractors on civil engineering projects with regard to the design and management of geotechnical risks.
The branch on Asterweg in Amsterdam Noord welcomed new colleagues and found itself bursting at the seams. In 2010, we moved to our current office in Amsterdam IJburg. It is a new, sustainable and comfortable building, with many neighbours from the construction industry, and it is a nice place to work. The set-up and ICT facilities suit a modern consultancy firm.


In 2010, we opened our branch in the south of the country, in Eindhoven. Bas Snijders is the branch manager here.

2013

In January 2013, Bas Snijders and Auke Balder became partners.


Because CRUX calculates and consults about everything having to do with, on and in the ground, setting up an environmental department in 2013 was a logical step. This department is involved in consulting and managing working with contaminated ground, an almost daily phenomenon for construction work in urban areas. Today, they are an integral part of our business operations, with Arnold Bleumink as the first point of contact.


The earthquake problem in the north of the Netherlands has been one of the spearheads of our company since 2013.

2015

In January 2015, Johan Zwaan joined as a partner, and our colleagues in Delft relocated to the Delftechpark, a commercial park for innovative, knowledge-intensive companies.

2016

In July 2016, Guido Meinhardt became involved as the seventh partner. Maarten van Baars became branch manager in Delft.

2017

As of 1 July 2017, CRUX Holding BV, the parent company of CRUX Engineering, acquired a majority interest in BouwRisk, with the aim of achieving further growth in size and quality and of combining the expertise of the two subsidiaries. This should lead to an even more integrated approach, in particular with respect to settlement risk assessment of construction pits and (line) infrastructure, among other things.


In November 2017, the Delft location relocated to a new and larger office at Mijnbouwstraat 112 in Delft.


With the arrival of the highly experienced Gerhard Winters, CRUX has also had in-house hydrogeology since the end of 2017 to advise on pumping operations (including barrier function and permit applications), urban groundwater, water-related installations and contamination.



We are very proud of the past years, during which we have laid a solid foundation under our company. As an independent geotechnical consultancy firm, CRUX is currently involved in virtually all the (more complex) geotechnical projects and issues in the Netherlands, as a designer or as an expert. As a specialist, foreign firms now turn to us as well. We have been nominated with both our company and with high-profile projects for various coveted prizes, such as the Schreuders prize, the Beton prize, the Keverling Buisman prize and the Entrepreneur Awards of the city of Amsterdam and the Provence of Noord Holland.

The CRUX team currently has more than forty consultants and specialists, reaching a size that perfectly suits a specialized and decisive consultancy agency with sufficient critical mass. After the addition of Arjan Wisse, Bas Snijders, Auke Balder, Johan Zwaan and Guido Meinhardt, our management team now consists of eight partners, each with their own knowledge, skills and competencies. Together with the many talented and committed colleagues, the partners form a solid basis for now and the future.

CRUX continues to focus on the future and follows intriguing technical and social developments within its field. The substrate plays an increasingly important role in more sustainable building. Earthquake-resistant building and strengthening foundations and flood protection have our attention, as well as geo-risk management. There are plenty of challenges in the coming years.

We at CRUX are just as enthusiastic and engaged as when we started in 2002 with just our knowledge and three computers. CRUX is the honest construction partner where knowledge, transparency in the relationship, safety and sustainability are central. Together, we get to the heart of the matter!


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