Platform on civil engineering, underground infrastructure, energy, construction equipment & construction machinery
If there is one name on the street in the Netherlands, it is Nering Bögel. Or rather, in the street. The more than 250-year-old company provides innovative solutions for optimal infrastructure and specializes, among other things, in drains and gutters, gutters and grates, floor hatches, covers, gullies and manhole covers, check valves, couplings and oil and grease separators. Chances are that the first manhole cover you look up on any Dutch street bears their name. To the layman, all manhole covers and sewer grates may look the same, yet there may be differences. Richard Janssen, director and owner of Nering Bögel of Weert, explains.
"Manhole covers are primarily made of laminated cast iron," Janssen opens the conversation. "They serve to provide access to the sewer system, for inspection and unblocking. While the covers comply with European and national directives and approvals, five percent of the total are not suitable for the situation in which they are used. This is because conditions should determine the performance of street sewer products."
As an example, Janssen outlines what problems may arise, "First of all, noise pollution may occur. This phenomenon comes from a difference in sound that occurs. A car tire rolling on asphalt is basically noisy. Because of the continuity of the sound being made, this noise is not noticeable. We only hear it when a difference occurs, such as when the tire rolls over a manhole cover. We have a solution for eliminating the sound difference in the best way possible, which is to provide the manhole cover with a concrete filling. This reduces the difference in resonance between the road surface and the manhole cover and actually reduces noise." Another well-known problem is the reduced grip that manhole covers provide, particularly dangerous for cyclists and motorcyclists, as the tire only makes contact with the road with a small surface area. That's another place where the concrete-filled manhole cover comes in handy. "We can adjust the roughness of the concrete fill, giving the manhole cover good anti-slip properties. This not only reduces noise pollution, but also increases safety."
"Another problem is that due to unfilled space and water resonance, reverberation can occur in the sewer system. At that point, the sewer acts as a sound amplifier, annoying to local residents. Nering Bögel has a solution for that too, anyone interested should just give us a call. If we look at the problem of subsidence, we can see that it mainly occurs in places where there is heavy traffic. Something can be done about that too, by applying special conically shaped concrete bases, from NeBoplan."
Cast iron and concrete can be affected by gases formed in sewers, called H2S gases. "Concrete in particular can suffer from this," Janssen explains. "To cope with that problem, Nering Bögel has options for adapting the composition of the concrete mix to make it more resistant to the influences of these gases."
Sustainable production is a high priority in Weert. We see this reflected in many things (not least in the enormous amount of solar panels on the roofs of the buildings), such as the Multicloud. Janssen explains: "The Multicloud is a basic concrete whirlpool, which we can cleverly equip with accessories such as a cast iron odor screen, a plastic click valve or a stainless steel leaf trap, for optimum water drainage. The skid trap section of the gully is variable up to a maximum of twice the basic design. In this way, we can produce efficiently."
In conclusion, Janssen says, "By working with concrete and cast iron, we appeal to the desire to work cradle to cradle. Everything is 100% recyclable. We are also in the midst of adjusting the cement component in our concrete, experimenting with additives and partly substitutes in order to reduce the environmental impact that way."
