The combination works to build a sustainable future by providing solutions to global challenges. One such solution is dike reinforcement due to the challenge of rising sea levels, falling soils and climate change. A challenge that we too are always ready to help with.
Combination ‘Hof op Marken’ is a collaboration between de Vries & van de Wiel(DEME-Group) and JLD Contracting BV for the project Dijkversterking Marken commissioned by Rijkswaterstaat. In the project they are working with the KE-chain platform. The project team uses the digital forms and workflows to optimize digital collaboration during the reinforcement, during management & maintenance of the dike. With KE-chain, the project team was inspecting digitally within three days, they can collaborate more easily within a task, they have more overview and therefore less chance of failure costs. Saskia van Dorp, project engineer management & maintenance, system engineer at the combination likes to tell how they did and experienced it.
Dike reinforcements and management & maintenance of dikes
The basis of management & maintenance is the client’s (green) management plan, Saskia says. We also use CROW guidelines for dike reinforcement. Of course, we additionally use our own expertise and practices.
To monitor the state and condition of the acreage, the levees are surveyed. That survey is our first inspection of the condition of the acreage. These inspections reveal the condition of the dike and where the dike needs what attention. During this inspection, abnormalities are recorded and an assessment is made of whether and where the minimum condition is not met. On this basis, management & maintenance is carried out or consultations are held with the client. This is when recovery is not immediately possible.
KE-chain is used for the demonstrable realization of the dike reinforcement and the management & maintenance of the dike. So for the recording, assessment, execution, monitoring and processing into reports of these reinforcement measures.
Traditional: Lots of separate files and manual transfers
Traditionally, management & maintenance involved a lot of paper, digital photos, Word and Excel files. The information was managed in a project folder with photos, for example, in separate photo folder. The results of the measurements and inspections were in another Excel file, separate from the photos.
The measurement results were manually put into Excel, so the corresponding photos were somewhere else. Working with many separate files and transferring information manually is error-prone. Then, of course, this happened in the past and could have involved misreading information, missing papers, or duplication of work.
My favorite feature of KE-chain is that as an administrator, I can give everyone their own task and at the same time you keep an overview because you can see who each task is assigned to.
KE-chain: Paperless, personalized tasks and organized
We wanted to do this differently, which is why “the Combination” sought cooperation with KE-chain. We don’t want to process physical piles of inspection forms for the levee reinforcement either. The specific project setup went very quickly. Our project team was digitally inspecting outside within three days.
Our project team was digitally inspecting outside within three days
Together with the KE-chain team, we set up the first digital forms and workflows. In doing so, we were greatly helped to think from the back to the front and not the other way around. Thus, together we translated the Excel way of working into KE-chain. This is all arranged to your liking. For example, you can also create sub-areas if the inspections take place per sub-area. KE-chain is very flexible in terms of customization.
Now we are really working together digitally with the same information from the inspections. You always see the latest information and can also work with multiple people in the same form at the same time. The inspection data is recorded directly into the digital form and from there you work your way up to the report. For each anomalous situation, simply add a registration line including, for example, the location, photos and comments. Missing papers of data and performing duplicate work is thus avoided.
