"We put the impossible in motion"

The company has been around since 1932. CT deBoer (Civiele technieken deBoer) BV has always been in concrete and hydraulic engineering. Director and owner Anton van Vliet explains, "About 40 years ago, the specialism of jacking technology was added. First with a few bridges in the Netherlands as assignments, but soon the company went international."

Today, CT deBoer BV is unmissable in infrastructure projects involving jacking, sliding and pressing of bridges and tunnels. "We also have a strong presence in utilities, for example with auxiliary structures to support temporary phases."

"After removing the support structure, we lower the bridge deck to the proper height and jack everything into place."

Innovative steel and auger work

As a great example of CT deBoer BV's presence in utilities, Van Vliet mentions the Zalmhavenentoren project in Rotterdam. "For that, we built a so-called 'hoist shed'. Basically a 'box' around the tower, a shed, with which prefab building elements are lifted and placed. We make sure the hoist shed climbs up one floor every week. This way of working is a nice mix between jacking technology and steel construction and shows perfectly what our companies are capable of," Van Vliet outlines.

The modular steel components from which the hoist shed was built were manufactured by sister company Rijnstaal Nieuwegein BV. "We are ironclad in auxiliary structures," Van Vliet continues. "We build enormous supports for pouring large concrete bridge decks in road construction. With the jacking of such decks, that's a nice combo. We make sure that the formwork is perfectly supported, which is a real specialty of CT deBoer BV. After removing the support structure, we lower the bridge deck to the right height and jack everything into place. With that we provide a strong combination of services. We have a lot of system equipment to support buildings and jack up bridges and viaducts. Everything is engineered by us in-house, developed and produced by Rijnstaal. We never compromise in fact."

The lifting shed is a nice mix between jacking technology and steel construction and perfectly demonstrates what our companies are capable of.

The invisible giant hand that grabs and lifts everything

"CT deBoer BV sets the impossible in motion, like an invisible giant hand that grabs and lifts everything," Van Vliet continues. "That is why we are involved in several renovation projects of steel bridges in Western Europe that need to be reinforced and refurbished. We replace a lot of bearings on bridges and viaducts ... then you will have to lift things anyway. This way, bridges and viaducts do get a second life. Meanwhile, we can plant our flag on the map at a lot of bridges. We are currently involved in the renovation of the Waal bridge near Nijmegen, for example. The hoist shed in Rotterdam is a nice project and soon we will start in Belgium with the 160 cm lifting of a 6,200 ton canal bridge, in the E314 near Zolder. We've been working like this for years, together with Rijnstaal."

In conclusion, we ask Anton van Vliet about his passion for this work. He answers, "I always chose civil engineering, I wanted to build and create. In 1998 I entered deBoer as an intern and I have never left the company. The engineering, our wonderful club of people and our clients drive me. In 2008 the moment came that I could become the owner of this beautiful company, together with companion Theo Hendriks. And the nice thing about that? Theo too once started here as an intern, just like many others within our company."