6,400 m2 of natural stone and1,600 m2 of FSC wood for IJboulevard Amsterdam

Now that the construction of bicycle parking IJboulevard has been completed, the beautiful walking boulevard above it has also been released for passersby. Just like the entrances to the bicycle shed, the walking area has been finished with high-quality natural stone. Across the entire width of the boulevard, a wooden staircase and decking has also been constructed. For the supply and assembly of the wood and natural stone, Van Hattum en Blankevoort called on VolkerWessels sister company Van Kessel Sport en Cultuurtechniek (part of Gebr. Van Kessel), which processed approximately 6,400 m2 of natural stone and 1,600 m2 of FSC hardwood in just 10 months of construction.

"We optimized the natural stone designs for the promenade and entrances and developed them into construction drawings. A special feature here is that the natural stone and wooden decking follow the curve of the IJ," says Marc Greep, Project Manager at Van Kessel Sport en Cultuurtechniek. "For the floors, walls, stairs, benches and other natural stone elements, we made 850 specific production drawings, which were cut to size and finished by the Spanish supplier. A light Azul Noche granite was chosen, which gives the project an extra quality boost. In some places the stones are rough and rough bush hammered or, on the contrary, finished smooth and even, depending on the location and function."
For the promenade, about 6,400 m2 of natural stone was delivered and bonded to the concrete deck of the bicycle parking lot. "Each tile weighs about 60 kilograms," says Greep. "Because we consider sustainable employability very important, we used our Arbo-friendly and in-house developed 'Kesselmakker' for the assembly. At the base of this Kesselmakker is a swiveling work table with a clamp with which the natural stone tiles can be easily turned. In no time at all, the underside of the tiles can be pre-glued, after which they are picked up and moved to the right place on the deck using a vacuum tile lifter."

Van Kessel Sport en Cultuurtechniek has a great deal of experience in the field of site design. In recent years, knowledge was gained, among other things, during the redesign of the Jaarbeursplein and the associated office garden in the Central Park office building in Utrecht. In addition, Van Kessel Sport en Cultuurtechniek specializes in creating roof gardens with retention roofs and water storage. Partly because of this, Gebr. Van Kessel is one of the most sustainable contractors within the VolkerWessels group.