Velsertunnel

The limited execution period prompted the team to prepare the Velsertunnel works with surgical precision. During 12 dedicated “scrum” sessions, specialist teams from BESIX and the client, Rijkswaterstaat, reviewed every detail of the project requirements. A 3D model of the Velsertunnel was then developed based on detailed scans of the existing infrastructure.

Contractors and subcontractors subsequently collaborated within this digital model using Building Information Modelling (BIM). The intensive use of BIM helped prevent no fewer than 1,032 potential clashes and complications. For example, BESIX worked with a subcontractor to develop specialised milling machines, reducing the milling phase from an estimated three weeks to just three days. Thanks to this meticulous preparation, the Velsertunnel renovation was completed in a record time of only five months.

During the preparation phase, attention was paid not only to the renovation works themselves but also to the surrounding area. As the A22 motorway, which passes through the Velser Tunnel, provides access to several key economic hubs, Hyacint worked closely with Rijkswaterstaat to develop an alternative road network.

Thanks to these alternative routes, additional delays caused by the works were limited to just five minutes. In addition, two dedicated team members were permanently available to answer questions from local residents and other stakeholders through social media, videos and community meetings. As a result, the project benefited from broad public support and was delivered in a positive and constructive atmosphere.

Around 80 white-collar staff and 400 blue-collar workers contributed to this Design, Build & Maintain project. The teams were primarily made up of experienced specialists who had also been involved in the construction and renovation of the Coentunnels beneath the North Sea Canal in western Amsterdam.