EFQUANET EFFICIENT DRINKING WATER DISTRIBUTION
1-STEP® FILTER TURNS WASTEWATER INTO PROFIT
In Western Europe, people take it for granted that hardly any water leaks out of the drinking water supply system. However, this is not the case in many other regions of the world. In Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe as well as in the UK and the US, large quantities of drinking water are lost due to frequent leakages. It is therefore important to reduce such losses as much as possible, especially in countries where water is a scarce resource. That aim can be achieved, thanks to extensive experience in designing, constructing and managing high-quality water supply networks gained by Dutch drinking water companies, contractors, materials suppliers and engineering firms over many years. The Allied Waters Collab EFquanet will now put that experience to good use by focusing on efficient drinking water distribution worldwide. EFquanet is a joint venture of Witteveen+Bos and the KWR Water Cycle Research Institute. Both firms combine practical experience with extensive research, enabling them to provide effective advice on reducing leakages. The collaboration has already yielded benefits in the form of an assessment tool for trenchless technologies, as well as various innovative plans for designing better pipeline systems, managing them more efficiently and effectively, and reducing water losses as much as possible.
Waternet, the integrated water cycle company for Amsterdam and the surrounding area, has been using the 1-STEP® filter at its Horstermeer Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) since 2013 in order to upgrade the quality of treated effluent to industrial reuse standards. This modular and compact fixed-bed activated carbon filter simultaneously and effectively reduces the concentrations of total suspended solids, phosphorus, nitrogen, heavy metals, and priority and emerging substances. Measured over a period of almost five years, the treated effluent at STP Horstermeer has an average total nitrogen concentration of 2.2 mg/l and a total phosphorus concentration of 0.18 mg/l. The effluent easily meets the stringent requirements defined in the European Water Framework Directive, and can be used for irrigation purposes as well as directly fed into membrane filtration processes used in the production of industrial process water. The beneficial reuse of both municipal and industrial wastewater can be maximised by implementation of the 1-STEP® filter. Witteveen+Bos collaborated with Nijhuis Industries, Waternet, Cabot Norit Activated Carbon and Delft University of Technology on the development of this comprehensive tertiary treatment solution. The project partners are offering the 1-STEP® filter as a patented black box solution to municipalities and industries worldwide.
+ cor.merks@witteveenbos.com
BRIDGE COMPETITION IN ESTONIA An international consortium consisting of Plein06, Witteveen+Bos and Novarc Group has won the international design competition for an iconic openable pedestrian bridge in the centre of Tallinn’s old harbour. The design contest was held to mark the centenary of Estonia’s 1918 Declaration of Independence. The design contest and the future design and construction of the bridge are co-funded by the EU. The bridge is planned for completion by the end of 2018.
+ cor.merks@witteveenbos.com
The design is a cultural act, a piece of art, and an innovative engineering structure. New Balance 100 will be Estonia’s first dynamic, movable bridge, and will therefore represent an architectural and cultural milestone for the country. The aesthetical and innovative solutions ensure that New Balance 100 will be a high-profile object in public space, in terms of both appearance and function. It will be the perfect symbol to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Estonia’s Declaration of Independence. + oskars.zivtins@witteveenbos.com
A 3D CONCRETE PRINTED BICYCLE BRIDGE
FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT In October 2017, Kadam Environmental Consultants (KEC) and Witteveen+Bos signed a framework agreement for environmental projects in India. KEC focuses on environmental engineering services and has an extensive network of industrial and publicsector clients in India. Following the signing of the agreement, the first two work orders have been issued to Witteveen+Bos for engineering assistance on soil remediation projects undertaken by two dye plants in the Vadodara region. We are confident that this agreement will lead to a developing relationship and business opportunities for KEC and Witteveen+Bos in the rapidly developing Indian market. + bjent.van.der.enden@witteveenbos.com
HUMAN CITIES COALITION TOWARDS LIVEABLE MEGACITIES At the Amsterdam International Water Week in October 2017, Witteveen+Bos and a number of other leading players in the Dutch water infrastructure sector signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The signatories committed to making megacities all over the world more liveable, with specific attention devoted to slums and their residents. The partners are joining forces in the Human Cities Coalition (HCC), which is devoted to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: making cities and communities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. One of the Coalition’s spearheads is the ‘Roadmap for Human Cities’, a step-by-step plan aimed at involving slum residents in major (water) infrastructure projects focused on providing access to basic amenities. The partners will start by exchanging knowledge and expertise without consideration for their competitive position. They aim to play a leading role by pursuing close collaboration and coordination between players in the Dutch and worldwide infrastructure sector, working together with local communities and government authorities.
In June 2017, work started on the realisation of the world’s first 3D concrete printed bicycle bridge at the laboratories of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands. On 17 October 2017, the resulting 60-metrelong bridge was installed as part of a new ring road around the town of Gemert. Witteveen+Bos was responsible for the structural design and engineering. Three-dimensional concrete printing is a unique production method that requires less construction materials and no formwork. This results in less waste and reduced consumption of scarce resources. Pre-tensioning has been applied to safeguard the cohesion of the 3D-printed concrete. This technology has great potential for other applications in construction projects. A 1:2 scale model of the bridge was successfully tested as part of the development process. Witteveen+Bos is also involved in several other 3D concrete printing projects. The innovative and practical nature of the technology, the resulting savings in materials usage and the reduction of CO2 emissions all help to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals to which Witteveen+Bos is committed. + hans.laagland@witteveenbos.com
+ diederik.bel@witteveenbos.com
Witteveen+Bos Witteveen+Bos News Nieuws November mei 2017