Over-Bruggen Program: Asset Management 2.0

"We are facing a backlog in the maintenance of our civil structures in the Netherlands, and that certainly applies to the South Holland region as well," says Erwin Kommeren, Technical Manager of the Over-Bruggen program at Rijkswaterstaat.
“With this program, we are focusing on carrying out major variable maintenance on twenty bridges in the region. The goal is to bring these bridges back to an acceptable condition and ensure they remain safe and operational for the next ten years—until they are scheduled for full replacement or renovation. That gives some breathing space to the broader replacement and renovation task ahead. At the same time, it requires a good deal of creativity on our part to determine the right measures for each individual structure, aimed at only a limited life extension. That’s why we are deliberately tapping into expertise from the market.”

Assetmanagement

INNOCY has been involved in the Over-Bruggen program since 2022. “Each bridge within the program is unique and requires a tailored approach,” continues Erwin Kommeren. “The biggest challenge for Rijkswaterstaat is identifying the precise condition of each structure. That’s why we greatly value the experience and expertise of INNOCY in the field of asset management. INNOCY supports us in shaping the problem identification phase.” Raoul Rampersad, asset management advisor at INNOCY, adds: “We gather technical condition data on the bridges from the regional asset managers. Based on the identified defects, we determine which measures are needed. These measures are then further developed together with the market at a later stage, to ensure the safety and availability of each bridge for another ten years.” Kommeren concludes: “At Rijkswaterstaat, we’re used to building new structures. The guidelines, standards and protocols we follow are based on life expectancies of 50 or even 100 years. But within Over-Bruggen, we’re aiming for a much shorter life extension, just ten years. That requires a completely different approach.”

ROK en NOK

INNOCY plays a broad role within the technical advisory team at Rijkswaterstaat. “At every level, we need to assess what is the minimum required to keep each bridge safe and operational for another ten years,” says Raoul Rampersad. “We provide advice across mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines, but also look at structural steelwork, civil engineering aspects, and even the asphalt. The project team is structured in such a way that all 20 bridges are addressed over time.” For each of the bridges, Rijkswaterstaat enters into a ten-year partnership with both an engineering firm and a contractor, through a so-called ROK contract (Framework Agreement on Collaboration). “Within that framework, we issue individual assignments per bridge through specific agreements (NOKs),” explains Erwin Kommeren. “What’s unique about this approach is that we commit to a partnership without a predefined scope for all bridges. That’s why we’ve included a moment in each NOK where, together with the engineering firm and contractor, we assess the bridge’s condition and determine the best possible approach with minimal disruption.”

The tender process for the Over-Bruggen program is already underway. “We now have four bidders and expect to have a contractor on board by the end of October,” says Kommeren. “The goal is to start construction on two bridges each year, while simultaneously preparing two more. So on average, we are working on four bridges at any given time. INNOCY plays a key role in all phases—from contract drafting and scope definition to execution, delivery, validation and verification of the final results.” “We believe this program offers a smart methodology to carry out bridge maintenance at a faster pace, while leveraging creativity from the market. It marks a shift away from reactive fixes toward controlled recovery. A solid step forward into asset management 2.0.”