Technical conscience of the project

In the preliminary phase, Nobleo Bouw & Infra was asked to provide the technical design of the A9 Badhoevedorp - Holendrecht to arrive at an attractive integrated tender. Even after the tender, some of the 'Nobleans' remained involved in the project and are active in various important positions. Nobleo is even seen as the technical conscience of the project. An interview with Toon Hollanders, design coordinator at Nobleo Bouw & Infra.

In the tender phase, Nobleo was part of VeenIX. "With a team of 25 Nobleans, we fleshed out the technical design, including design management, design leadership and technical integration," says Hollanders. "It was an intensive and dynamic process characterized by extensive collaboration with the client and the client behind the client, or Rijkswaterstaat. And that is where we distinguish ourselves as Nobleo. We are not only a purely technical agency, but also strongly focused on integrality, communication and customer orientation. That is the added value we offered in the tender and are still offering now."

Spider in the web

Even during the DO and UO phases, and now during execution, Nobleo is still fulfilling several important roles, such as the integration management of subarea East (including at Ouderkerk aan de Amstel) with five viaducts, two large bridges, a sunken position at the Holendrecht interchange, earth retaining walls and noise barriers. Hollanders: "We are also providing integration management for the Schiphol Bridge, a highly complex replacement task of one of the largest bascule bridges in the Netherlands in a complex phasing. We are also providing main work planners for the roads team who are facilitating the road phasing of, among other things, the bypass along the construction pit for the sunken location in the heart of Amstelveen, without the road user noticing anything. Also within our scope was the coordination of structural safety. We took care of all technical reviews of the design calculations in the DO phase and now provide technical advice. Finally, we work closely with the engineering firms hired by VeenIX and with all the other disciplines within the project that add a lot of expertise. That is the beauty of our role, we are in fact the spider in the web and work together with all parties and (local) authorities to achieve the best result together."

Proper road phasing and incorporation

According to Hollanders, the design solution is characterized by road phasing that makes it possible to complete the project with minimal inconvenience to road users and the environment. "The design also has a low risk profile for the surrounding area. Rijkswaterstaat therefore deliberately chose a solution that inspired confidence. Moreover, by having a nicely incorporated design, we are showing that we have a lot of eye for the quality of the surroundings. The design is now almost complete and is being taken over by the site engineering and work preparation teams. They can also come to us with questions or knock on our door if technical challenges need to be solved, because we are also involved in these teams. Of course, always in cooperation with the other parties involved."

Hollanders and his team of Nobleans are proud to contribute to such an iconic project in Holland that almost everyone drives over at some point. "We enjoy it very much. It is a complex and dynamic project with many stakeholders and international parties. By mirroring and exchanging ideas, we come to surprising insights together."