Conservation advice for bridges and locks in Amsterdam

Amsterdam, known for its canals and its many bridges and locks, has the challenging task of ensuring that these structures function and are maintained safely. Together with Pilz and Hollandia, Witteveen+Bos is drawing up conservation advice for a total of 48 movable bridges and locks in Amsterdam.

The scope is very diverse, ranging from iconic structures such as the Magerebrug bridge and the Amstel locks to structures outside the city centre. A multidisciplinary team consisting of civil engineers, electrical engineers and mechanical engineers has been deployed to draw up the conservation advice. The conservation advice is being drawn up in the Amsterdam Inspectorate Portal (AIP), which clearly records the physical condition of the structures and the risks.

This also includes the recommended measures including the plan year for the next 10 years, and ‘Further Investigation’ is prescribed where necessary. The ‘Further Investigations’, such as diving inspections, functional safety tests and detailed analyses, will be taken up next year. Based on the information from the conservation advice, the City of Amsterdam will have an up-to-date overview of its area, including advice. The information can be used as input by the programmers who are drawing up the Long-Term Maintenance Plan. As a result, Amsterdam can intervene as soon as a problem is identified so that the risks are kept under control and maintenance is always carried out on time.