Extend the life of concrete, value it, repair it

Northern Concrete Repair Afternoon. 

Concrete maintenance is not only a very sustainable way of dealing with buildings and structures, it is an indispensable component in the enormous task facing the Netherlands in the coming decades. Especially when it comes to replacing and improving concrete structures in our built environment. Many structures are getting older and the loads they are subjected to are much heavier than they were ever designed for. Replacing everything is simply not possible; there is insufficient money, manpower and resources available for that. We will have to extend the life of many structures with proper maintenance to keep the Netherlands running. 

In the Concrete Maintenance Platform (BOP), five organizations from the maintenance industry work together to share technical solutions, knowledge and insights on extending the life of concrete. On March 21, during the 16th Northern Concrete Repair Afternoon organized by the BOP in Zuidwolde, they will do just that. 

Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials worldwide and also in the Netherlands. Especially in the construction boom (after 1960) an enormous number of artworks and structures were erected, with a planned life expectancy of up to one hundred years. However, with the action of corrosive (scattering) salts, increased traffic, trucks and more recently the electrification of vehicles, replacement or repair will be needed much sooner (see also the articles below on Rijkswaterstaat and the research on reinforcement corrosion). BOP argues that the task we face will become very difficult if more attention is not paid to maintenance. Moreover, with the deadlines of 2030 and 2050 (energy-neutral and climate-neutral) looming, we need to move from a linear economy to a circular economy. Extending the service life of concrete structures can make a substantial contribution to this. After all, the longer a structure can be maintained at a top quality level, the less new concrete will be needed.

Concrete Maintenance Platform

Five organizations representing the entire concrete maintenance and repair chain work together in BOP. They have one mission: together to be the best in the field of concrete repair and let the market benefit. The industry participants, who are further on in this
edition to present in more detail, are:

• Trade Group of Certified Concrete Repair Companies (VBR);
• Association of Advisors on Concrete Maintenance and Repair (VABOR);
• Association Suppliers of Concrete Repair and Protective Products (VLB);
• KB Knowledge Center (experts on cathodic protection);
• Concrete Repair Specialist Training Foundation (OtBS).

BOP's role is to monitor the common interest of the industry parties and to communicate to the outside world the strength that this cooperation represents. That strength consists of the entire chain, from consultants and other experts to suppliers, concrete repairers and educators, working together constructively with a common goal: to take concrete maintenance knowledge sharing to the next level.

Meanwhile, the demand for concrete maintenance is growing. Clients and managers, often by necessity, want to extend the life of concrete structures. This is a challenge, because for objects whose expiration date has "expired" and which are eligible for maintenance, there is often insufficient money available. Moreover, knowledge and expertise are not always there for the taking. It is up to BOP to demonstrate that maintenance and repair really do have a positive effect on the life span of the structure. 

Concrete Repair Afternoon 

On March 21, the 16th edition of the Noordelijke BetonReparatieMiddag (NBRM) will be organized. Wim Jansen, already active in the repair industry at the time, was the driving force behind the first 15 editions. "That first time was in 1992 at Westerbork. As a board member of the Concrete Association, we wanted to better represent the interests of our region from Kring Noord. Events and knowledge sessions of the Concrete Association were always in the West Netherlands. Because of the distances and costs, few members from the north went there. That is why the initiative was taken at the time for the first NBRM. That there was a need is shown by the fact that this biennial event has been well attended for 32 years." Last year, for the first time - successfully - the Concrete Maintenance Platform also organized a Southern Concrete Repair Afternoon.