More dialogue needed on bank protection in sustainable neighborhoods

Edish company offers sustainable option with 100% recyclable concrete

In making neighborhoods more sustainable, there are still gains to be made when it comes to bank protection. So says Gijs Jansen, director of concrete shoring producer Filamat in Ede. According to him, it is important to enter into discussion with involved parties, so that the sustainable management of banks comes closer. After all, ponds, canals, ponds and streams are abundant in Dutch neighborhoods.

Gijs Jansen sees the solution of sustainable bank protection in concrete shoring. "I notice that many municipalities and managers still choose wooden bank protection. But wooden posts and planks require cutting down forests. Therefore, it does not fit into a sustainable neighborhood. We produce concrete shoring from fiberglass-reinforced concrete slabs. These slabs last much longer than wood and will soon also be completely recyclable."

Individuals
As an individual private individual with a limited number of meters to be shored up, it is not easy to realize a durable solution at acceptable costs. This is another reason why dialogue and cooperation is needed, according to Gijs: "I think more dialogue and especially direction by private cooperations is important, so that a good and sustainable solution can be chosen even for limited lengths. Connection in the neighborhoods can then be picked up by area directors."

Long lifespan
Therefore, according to Gijs, the profit is in this concrete shoring. "That's why I advocate more dialogue. I understand that for many people it is not clear which bank protection is best. There are therefore different products on the market: not only is there wooden shoring, but also shoring made of plastic or steel. No single type is proven to last as long as concrete shoring. Our GVC sheeting often lasts even longer than 30 years. So you don't have to worry about it anymore, and after the technical lifespan it can be made into new concrete shoring with limited effort."

Circular concrete
Several research institutes, such as the MPA in Stuttgart and the KIN-Lebensmittelinstitut, already demonstrated that concrete shoring is safe for flora and fauna. Back in 2017, Filamat and the University of Aachen launched a study on the 100% recycling of fiberglass-reinforced shoring and piles. Gijs: "When projects need to be replaced after decades, we collect the old parts. Within a few months, we expect to have a method ready to reduce the material to a very fine grain at an acceptable cost. With these fine grains, we can produce new shoring parts again." This brings the sustainable district a big step closer.