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"We were able to put our subject matter expertise to full use here," says Tim Janssen of NobleoBouw & Infra. "We were even behind the alternative for the bicycle tunnel that landed in the contract after it was awarded."
Nobleo Bouw & Infra has been involved in the new N69 since the tender. "With a team of our own structural engineers, structural designers and a design leader, we made the designs for all the structures, obviously in close consultation with the people from Boskalis," Janssen explains. "This ultimately led to the winning bid for Boskalis. After being awarded the contract, we further fine-tuned the designs and incorporated them into the integral design. So we went through all the phases from VO, DO to UO and finally the 'onsite engineering'."
Design and spatial quality were important criteria on the front end, according to Janssen. "It resulted in sleek designs with minimal use of concrete. From that came quite a complex structural challenge. We had to go to extremes constructively to design all the structures with sufficient robustness and safety. Topped by both architectural stream valley bridges, two true showpieces. They are statically indeterminate artworks built in phases. The largest consists of ten fields totaling 312 meters; the other includes eight fields and is 250 meters long. These are in-situ cast prestressed structures, including a series of integral structures. Two fields and a transition structure were realized in each phase. The end result is stunning. A great crowning achievement for the integral project team."
Nobleo Bouw & Infra also co-initiated a so-called "opportunity" in the project. Janssen: "In the tender, there was the opportunity to make improvement proposals on the original design. One of our employees was behind the idea of a mini-variant of both stream valley bridges as an alternative to a bicycle tunnel that was less desirable in terms of social safety. The mini stream valley bridge of 50 meters in length also turned out to be more favorable from an ecological perspective, traffic and nuisance for the environment. Reason enough for the client to seize the opportunity and include it in the contract. That's where our strength lies: working as a team to think integrally about projects and looking beyond our own scope. This is appreciated and we were able to express it beautifully with the N69. The project and the cooperation with Boskalis therefore went perfectly."
