Art is to drive as efficiently as possible

Transportation is planning for the day

For the reinforcement and renewal of the Afsluitdijk by Rijkswaterstaat, a lot of material is needed, but also a lot of material is released. Large quantities of sand, clay, gravel and (un)broken rubble and asphalt must be transported from A to B. This is when the Haarsma Group comes into action. On behalf of the Levvel construction consortium, they take care of the supply and removal and storage and transshipment of all the various products.

"By now we have been driving back and forth on the Afsluitdijk for three years," says Tjeerd Haarsma, director of the Haarsma Group and the second generation of Haarsma. Five years ago, he took over the company from his father, who made it big over the past 48 years. "We are active in many fields. From earthwork, nature construction, infrastructure to civil concrete construction, transportation and machine rental. We also develop projects ranging from residential areas to nature construction."

Planning for the day

In 2019, they drove the first two shipments of clay for the Afsluitdijk. "At that time we were working with Natuurmonumenten on the redevelopment of the Hegewiersterfjild near Harlingen. At the time, this place was being redeveloped as a resting and breeding place for meadow and shorebirds. The clay we excavated here was reused on the Afsluitdijk. In total, we transported just under 450,000 tons of clay to the Afsluitdijk at the time." Haarsma also transported the sand and clay dug from the construction pits at Den Oever elsewhere. "Everywhere along the route where soil material needs to be supplied or removed, we are called in. One day there are eight trucks, the next day as many as twenty. We try to look ahead and plan with Levvel as much as possible. But ultimately it's the planning of the day." A branch in which Haarsma is also strong is the processing of released asphalt and concrete waste. Within its Wegen Bouw Recycling division, Haarsma processes this into certified raw materials for road construction. In Franeker, it has its own loading and unloading quay where it can receive ships as long as 110 meters and a loading capacity of approximately 2,000 tons.

Fast switching

Transportation for a project like the Afsluitdijk means fast switching, arranging, thinking along and planning. "That is also what we are strong at. We keep our agreements, have our administration in good order and all trips well and digitally registered. The trick is to transport and combine things as efficiently as possible." Working with a family business like the Haarsma Group has the advantage of short lines of communication, according to Haarsma. "Levvel has one point of contact. And our planner has one-on-one contact with the contractor. A reassuring thought for the client."