December 2016 - Over the past six months, the swing bridges in the Afsluitdijk, the Netherlands suffered a number of malfunctions, which resulted in disruptions of both road and shipping traffic. Because these swing bridges are intended to remain in use until 2050, RWS GPO (the Major Projects and Maintenance unit of the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management [RWS]) commissioned Iv-Infra to draft a comprehensive recommendation on maintenance, including repair measures.
Cost-effective maintenance
What short- and medium-term measures will be necessary in the period up to 2050 to maintain the Afsluitdijk bridges safely and cost-effectively while keeping the number of malfunctions down to an acceptable level? Another question concerned advice on measures to be taken in the event that cost-effective achievement of the required safety and availability for the reference period cannot be demonstrated. Or, indeed, if it is demonstrated that the safety and availability required for the intended reference period cannot be achieved cost-effectively with the current structures.
Working together with our client (RWS GPO) and the responsible RWS units (Programmes, Projects & Maintenance and Central Netherlands), and in partnership with maintenance contractor Sherpa, our Inspection and Examination Plan was created. Between 29 November and 2 December, each of the four swing bridges was scrupulously inspected and examined, focusing on steel, engineering, civil structures, deformation measurements and soil protection. This will be followed by a period of further (structural) analyses, culminating in Iv-Infra’s final recommendation to RWS GPO in early 2017.
Photo's: Michael Limburg
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