One planning for steel and concrete construction

Integral approach to shell construction

While at one location Rijnstaal is putting the finishing touches on the assembly of the shell of the building, elsewhere on the construction site of the new Ashram College the finishing touches are being put in place. All activities fit together perfectly.

This seamless connection is mainly due to the integral way in which the sister companies Rijnstaal and CT deBoer approached the structural work. "From the first moment, we tackled it as one total package," says Joeri Verhoeven, assistant project manager of CT deBoer. "Rijnstaal handled the engineering, production and delivery of the steel structure; CT deBoer the assembly. In addition, the main contractor placed the planning of the shell with us. That was quite a challenge. On the other hand, the advantages of this integral approach immediately became clear. From the very first moment, we processed everything in a 4D planning. Both during the preparation and execution of the work, everyone could see at a glance when supply and removal sites were available, when a crane was free for use and when a section had been delivered."

Theoretical and practical

Rijnstaal and CT deBoer have worked closely together for many years and have been located in joint premises in Nieuwegein for the past three years. The companies have great independence and their own specializations. At the same time, they are in tune with each other. "With a construction area of 13,000 m2, three floors and the processing of almost four hundred tons of steel, the shell of the Ashram College was among the larger jobs," Verhoeven says. "That's when the benefits of our joining forces are greatest. We have excellent planners on board, who put together that perfect planning using the latest techniques. But we also have the people from the field. They see the construction site in front of them and know the practical challenges of the work. Construction at Ashram College really benefits greatly from this."