Integral project with an eye for young talent

In the Groningen village of Zoutkamp, Strukton is working on a special assignment: protecting the province of Groningen and its cultural heritage from high water. It is an integral assignment with many stakeholders, interfaces and opportunities for linkage, as well as being technically challenging. Despite the many complexities, Strukton also offers young talent the chance to develop on this project. And not without success, we may cautiously conclude. An interview with the two young planners Simone van den Hoven and Bas Klingenberg, and the experienced project leader Dennis Bettenbroek about the highlights of this integral project.

Given the complexity of the New Waterworks Zoutkamp project, Noorderzijlvest Water Board took the decision at an early stage to explicitly involve the market in the design. "Two parties were in the race to take the VO that had been outlined by an engineering firm to a DO," begins Dennis. "Our plan was rated the best, after which we were awarded the first phase: drawing up the DO together with the water board in a construction team construction. The second phase involves the drafting of the UO and its actual realization according to a more traditional UAV-gc contract. Because of the pleasant cooperation in the construction team phase, the water board also awarded us the realization contract, in February 2023 to be exact. And since May 2023 we have been outside working on the implementation."

Main pain file

For Strukton, New Water Works Zoutkamp includes the construction of a new pumping station with a capacity of 1,600 m3 per minute, the renovation and conversion of the Hunsingos Lock into a lock, and the installation of more than 700 meters of sheet piling/bank protection between the old and new pumping stations. "In particular, the local soil conditions consisting of a combination of swelling Groningen pot clay and extremely hard sand layers are known in the contractor world as a headache," says Dennis. "That is also the reason why we have hired practical knowledge from Nepocon and Hakkers, among others, to give this the right depth to calculate everything round and straight." Bas can also agree and adds: "The soil conditions presented particular challenges in the foundation of the new part of the lock. More than three-quarters of a year of engineering preceded this. Ultimately, we opted for a foundation on approximately 200 self-drilling anchor piles that are being installed 'as we speak'."

Many stakeholders

The soil conditions were not so much the challenge for the new bank protection, since the boards do not reach that deep, however, the amount of stakeholders. Most of the bank protection borders residents' plots. A subproject Simone is fully committed to. "The new sheet piling is put in front of the old shoring, then the old shoring is taken out and the plot is backfilled," she explains. "Given the stakeholders and the many cables and pipes in the underground, a complex job, but that's what makes it extra instructive for me." As a work planner, Simone is also involved in the renovation and conversion of the monumental Hunsingo lock dating from 1859. "The complex is being carefully restored and converted into a lock. Especially in the preliminary process there has been a lot of coordination with, among others, monument conservation, the National Cultural Heritage Agency and a restoration architect."

Open and safe culture

New Waterworks Zoutkamp is Simone's first project after graduation. "Pretty special when you are then immediately assigned to such an integral project where lots of disciplines come together," she says. "The project has everything to offer that I'm sure I can draw from later in my career as well. I have already seen so many things in a short period of time. Moreover, there is a very open and safe culture. The lines of communication are short. You walk right into the director's office." Dennis agrees and says, "She was actually thrown to the lions, but she got through it extremely well. That also says something about her qualities. And about the way Strukton deals with young people. They have understood that very well." Bas, too, can appreciate that approach. "Strukton gives us confidence and a bit of appreciation. The togetherness also gives us a foothold. We get the chance to discover the many facets of the company so that we can ultimately make the right choice. That makes the company very interesting to work for."

Strukton contributed a great deal of expertise to New Water Works Zoutkamp and included it in the DO. "In retrospect, it was a good choice by the water board to involve the market so early in the project," says Dennis. "Otherwise we wouldn't be where we are today. Construction always causes inconvenience, but I still feel that the village is happy with us." By October 2025, the entire structural work and most of the completion of the pumping station, lock and bank protection are scheduled to be completed. This will be followed by a period of adjustment and tuning of the systems. Final acceptance will then follow in March 2026.