Challenging mega job on the border of land and water

With the aim of increasing both production capacity and the number of jobs, De Vries Scheepsbouw Makkum is building on the Strânwei in Makkum to renovate and expand its existing shipyard. The work, started in December 2018 and carried out in phases, includes the construction of a 122-meter long, 37-meter wide and 28-meter high production hall, in which a dry dock 112 meters long, 22 meters wide and 8 meters deep will be realized. New offices and workshops will also be built between the new and existing hall. The first phase of the new building will be completed in early November of this year.

De Vries Scheepsbouw Makkum, part of Feadship, builds large yachts for individual clients, which requires great creativity and flexibility and appeals to special craftsmanship to realize the most diverse wishes of customers. It also expects this mindset from its partners. Two of these are Jorritsma Bouw and Kienhuis Bouwmanagement, specialists who, during the first phase, will sign for the construction details and overall management, respectively.

Logistical challenges

Evert van der Ploeg, project manager at Bolsward-based Jorritsma Bouw, describes the project as a unique job with ditto challenges. "Building a dry dock is a unique project for Friesland. In addition, this is a substantial construction that will be realized partly on land and partly in the water. And all in a very short time frame." It presents the necessary challenges in technical, but above all logistical terms. This is evident at www.stranwei6.nl, among other places, where the progress and all the ins and outs of the project are chronicled. "There are a lot of people working here in a small area," Van der Ploeg continues. "And they all have to go home healthy in the evening. That is why a safety expert is constantly walking around on behalf of our company, keeping a sharp eye on things during the work. Furthermore, we must ensure that the shipbuilders are not inconvenienced by the work during our presence. The show must go on. This is why the construction site is separated from the shipyard and why we have created a separate entrance for the supply and removal of equipment and materials."

This is a substantial construction that will be realized partly on land and partly in the water.

Large(s)

Large volumes and hefty dimensions are characteristic of the project carried out in Makkum. In early April, for example, in one weekend, using 300 mixers, approximately 3,300 m³ poured concrete for the dry dock's underwater concrete floor. "In addition, the large columns of the hall's steel structure rest on nine foundation piles, each 14 meters long, 5 meters wide and 3 meters high," Van der Ploeg said. "Components that, weighing some 525 tons, are also illustrative of the scale of the work."

Permits and more

Kienhuis Bouwmanagement from Almelo has been active as construction manager and superintendent within the Makkum project framework since April 2017. "In principle, we were recruited to take care of the permit process and preparations for the work," says head of business office/project manager Bas Lamers. "Together with, among others, Alynia Architects, structural engineer Ingenieursbureau Boorsma and Antea Group, responsible for the soil remediation and groundwork to be carried out on site, we rigged everything up. When it became known in March 2018 that a dry dock was also to be built, we adjusted the permit applications and the project design to reflect the changed situation. We then entered into contract discussions with Jorritsma Bouw, no stranger to our organization, and the construction agreement was concluded."

Puzzle pieces

Kienhuis has every opportunity in Makkum to put its ample expertise into practice. As a knowledgeable and experienced specialist, the firm provides, among other things, the specifications and sets the budgets, including forecasting and monitoring them. "We ensure that De Vries Scheepsbouw Makkum ultimately gets the product they want," says Lamers. "To succeed in this, flawless cooperation with the other partners is an absolute must. We may be the director, but we can't do anything without the actors. Playing together is very decisive for the final result. In that respect, the individual pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly here."