BESIX_0605_INSIDE 02_ENG_DEF

INSIDE 101 

BESIX Group quarterly internal magazine // SPRING 2017 

6 

BESIX acquires 

Heijmans Belgium 

Managing 

megabuilds 

12 

16 

Iconic Headquarters 

for BNP Paribas Fortis 

24 

Introducing iTWO: 

smart technology

2 

EDITO 

Dear colleagues, 

Welcome to the 101 st issue of BESIX Inside Magazine. 

An occasion to celebrate a fantastic ending to a fantastic 

year. 2016 was in many ways record-breaking. For me 

personally, I deem it a fitting moment to pass the torch 

to a more than capable successor, who will lead this company 

to new and exciting heights. 

BESIX has become a strong 

multidisciplinary conglomerate, 

with a turnover and profit growth 

that any market players would envy. 

Johan Beerlandt 

CEO BESIX Group 

did: with the acquisition of the shares of all major Belgian activities 

of Heijmans NV, we strengthened our position in our 

home market. With its widespread network of subsidiaries 

and diversified services, BESIX keeps guaranteeing a local 

approach, with specialized niche solutions. 

What’s even better is that our operational excellence transcends 

the financial aspect. By continuously questioning our 

own methods and operational processes, we keep improving 

ourselves. Doing so, we hold on to that ever-important 

competitive edge. With our recently launched initiatives 

‘DARE CHANGE’ and ‘UNLEASH’, our employees are 

encouraged to become even more efficient, inventive and 

creative. 

Now, after 42 years of dutiful service, I can look back with 

pride on what we have accomplished. BESIX has become 

a leading multidisciplinary conglomerate, with a turnover 

and profit growth that many market players would envy. 

The strong figures of 2016 form a perfect embodiment of 

the Group’s aspirations. 

While we had to suffer a financial setback in 2015, this 

year, we have risen to unprecedented heights. Top line we 

established a record with a turnover of nearly €2.4 billion, 

and bottom line we also did fantastic with a profit margin 

in excess of 5%. As a consequence of these results, we 

are able to invest in further, sustainable growth. And so we 

BESIX lies too close to my heart to leave it behind entirely. 

Therefore, I look forward to give my full support to my 

successor. I will oversee our activities in the capacity of 

Chairman of our Board of Directors. With the foundations 

laid for continued growth and further diversification, 

I am giving a fresh face the opportunity to take the lead. 

Rik Vandenberghe, former CEO of ING Belgium, has accepted 

to take up this challenge. I’ve known Rik for over 10 years, 

and he has always charmed me with his passion for the 

job and the company. He now has enough years left in his 

professional life to live his passion and bring our group to 

renewed heights. One thing is certain: he has my full support 

to make his mission a success. 

JOHAN BEERLANDT 

CEO BESIX Group

BESIX INSIDE 101 // Spring edition 2017 

3 

I am confident that together 

we will build a great future 

for BESIX. 

Rik Vandenberghe 

CEO BESIX Group (as from April 2017) 

To some, Rik Vandenberghe’s appointment might come 

as a surprise. He isn’t an in-house hire, but his many 

strengths will undoubtedly turn his appointment into 

a pleasant surprise. 

Rik’s first experience with BESIX goes back to 2004, when 

he acted as financial advisor to the Group within the framework 

of the management buy-out. Later on, when he was 

in charge of the ‘Real Estate Finance’ department of ING 

Belgium, he was closely involved with the activities of the 

Group, through financing several of its real estate projects. 

In that context, he met CEO Johan Beerlandt and acquired 

a considerable amount of know-how about our sector. 

On top of that, it is a sector that fascinates me, and one 

I already have some experience in,” says Rik. “I want to 

continue the successes of Johan. I’ll take up my role at 

BESIX as I did in the past: as a coach, a facilitator and a 

leader. What I don’t know yet, I’ll soon pick up on, as I am 

a quick learner. But I cannot succeed without a great team 

and I look forward to meeting all of you. I am confident that 

together we will build a great future for BESIX,” tells Rik 

Vandenberghe. 

“To be honest, I didn’t necessarily want to leave my former 

employer, but to lead a company of this stature is an opportunity 

of which many people can only dream.

4 

Bart Verhulst, René Marnef and Herman Sauwens 

represent the three activities of Heijmans Belgium which 

will become part of BESIX Group. The three presented 

themselves at BESIX’s Annual Meeting on 23 Februari 

2017. Read more about the Group’s continued efforts to 

diversify in this 101 st issue of Inside Magazine.


CONTENTS 

5 

ON THE COVER 

Johan Beerlandt and Rik Vandenberghe at 

the BESIX Group New Year reception in Brussels, 

where Rik Vandenberghe gave his maiden speech. 

// INSIDE 

BESIX acquires 

Heijmans Belgium 

// TRENDSPOTTING 

Managing megabuilds 

6 

12 


Iconic Headquarters 

for BNP Paribas 

Fortis 

16 


Introducing 

iTWO: smart 

technology 

24 

// TRENDSPOTTING // INSIDE 

// BEHIND THE SCENES 

Towards a customer-centric 

construction sector ................................... 10 

Managing megabuilds: towards project 

success in a demanding context ................. 12 

Innovation platform launch ......................... 20 

BESIX and Mourik get the green light 

for ‘Doen’ ................................................. 41 

// FOR A BETTER WORLD 

The road to sustainablility 

New mobility policy drives employees towards 

better alternatives ..................................... 36 

Nothing is wasted: a second life for paper.... 39 

Building a better world? 

It’s part of our DNA! .................................. 43 

Social economy ......................................... 44 

// OUTLOOK 

New projects won ..................................... 48 

BESIX acquires Heijmans Belgium ............. 06 

An iconic headquarters for 

BNP Paribas Fortis .................................... 16 

BESIX delivers a new public transport 

terminal in Utrecht ..................................... 22 

Towards a digitalized future 

Introducing iTWO ...................................... 24 

United Readymix celebrates 

tenth anniversary ...................................... 26 

BESIX continues to reach for the stars ........ 30 

Socogetra in the big leagues ...................... 32 

In dire need of help? 

West Construct to the rescue! .................... 33 

City Dox: A new district alongside 

the Willebroek canal .................................. 34 

A modern and efficient workplace .............. 35 

Lux TP right on track with 3 new 

rail projects .............................................. 38 

A ‘Cantou’ home in Forest .......................... 40 

Dubai Canal .............................................. 18 

// TECH TALK 

Franki Grondtechnieken ............................. 28 

// ZOOM 

Our teams on site: 

a tour de force in construction..................... 42 

Ski Egypt: Let it snow ................................ 45 

Maypole ceremony in Andermatt, 

Switzerland ............................................... 45 

Further expansion into Africa ..................... 46 

EJD in the spotlight: Foodmet stands out 

at the ‘FEBE Elements Awards’ .................. 46 

The Velsertunnel reopens with a nod 

to its past ................................................. 47 

Cooking with Vanhout ................................ 47 

// PERSONALIA 50

6 // INSIDE 

STRONGER THROUGH DIVERSIFICATION 

BESIX ACQUIRES 

HEIJMANS BELGIUM 

From left to right: Johan Beerlandt, CEO BESIX Group, Jean Polet, General Manager BU Europe BESIX Group and Bert van der Els, former CEO of Heijmans Group 

In 2016 BESIX launched its Triple 3 strategy 

with an objective to reach €3 billion in turnover, 

with three new revenue streams divided as 

follows: 1/3 Europe, 1/3 International and 

1/3 Recurrent and with three new products 

by 2022. In search of further diversification 

in our home markets, BESIX acted on the 

plan and reached an agreement to take 

over all Belgian activities of the Heijmans 

Group, except for the real estate activities. 

The Heijmans business represents a turnover 

of around €250 million and brings in 7 new 

product lines in growth markets. A giant 

leap forward for the Group, this acquisition 

allows us to better respond to the major 

challenges of the coming years: mobility, 

intelligent networks and the healthcare sector. 

STRONGER ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE MARKET 

Partly thanks to a boost from Europe, the market for 

infrastructure works will grow significantly in Belgium, the 

Netherlands and France in the next few years, in the form 

of PPPs or other arrangements, for road, rail and waterway 

infrastructure. BESIX had already made an important step 

in this market by acquiring Socogetra, but penetrating 

the Flemish and Dutch market has proved difficult. 

With the purchase of Heijmans Infra, BESIX is strengthening 

its position in the infrastructure market in Flanders. BESIX 

is also taking full control of BELASCO NV, a joint venture 

between Heijmans Infra NV and DCA NV, including 

three asphalt production facilities in Ghent, Bilzen and 

Puurs with a combined annual output of over 400k tons. 

Heijmans Infra, headquartered in Schelle, is a leading 

player in the Flemish region with major references and 

activities in both the public and the private sector. 

The company also has extensive experience with projects 

under the PPP approach, such as the R4 project in 

Ghent, on which it has already worked with BESIX.


7 

With more than 300 employees and a clear focus 

on innovation and quality, Heijmans Infra and 

BELASCO will make a positive contribution to 

BESIX’s development in crucial projects currently in 

the pipeline such as the extension of the Brussels 

ring road, the creation of the North-South Limburg 

line and a variety of public transport projects. 

OPENING UP A NEW GROWTH MARKET 

With the purchase of Van den Berg, BESIX is becoming 

active in a new niche market of high-quality solutions 

for underground infrastructure and telecommunications. 

Van den Berg has a well-established reputation and many 

years of experience in cable and pipeline infrastructure 

projects for the transport and distribution of water, gas 

and electricity for all utility players. The company has 

recently also specialised in several other markets: from 

the installation and maintenance of cables in tunnels, rail 

and high-voltage projects, directional drilling and fibreoptic 

networks to broadband communication networks. 

With its widespread network 

of subsidiaries and diversified 

services, BESIX guarantees 

a local approach and brings 

specialized niche solutions to 

the market. This acquisition 

enables us to further expand 

our position in Flanders, where 

Heijmans Belgium’s activities 

are well established. 

Johan Beerlandt 

CEO BESIX Group 

REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION BOOST 

Heijmans Bouw specializes in high-quality residential 

and public housing and utility projects. Well-established 

in the health and education sectors, Heijmans Bouw will 

help to expand the BESIX Group portfolio in Belgium. The 

company’s latest impressive achievement is the renovation 

of the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp. The opening 

concert (with Queen Máxima of the Netherlands as 

guest of honor) was held on 26 November 2016. 

Heijmans Bouw mainly operates in the province of 

Limburg and the region of Kortrijk, where the BESIX 

Group currently has little penetration. The company 

is equally quite active in the Antwerp region. Thanks 

to BESIX’s financial strength, Heijmans Bouw can 

expand its portfolio of municipal PPP projects. 

This acquisition would not have been possible without the help of 

the entire Eubelius team, E&Y, Lazard and our own BESIX colleagues: 

Geert Aelbrecht, Johan Beerlandt, Gerd Casteleyn, Daniel de 

Moffarts, Frédéric de Schrevel, Vincent Delcour, Wim Eggerickx, 

Jef Lembrechts, Nathalie Meert, Johan Melort, Thierry Migeotte, 

Michel Moser, Tom Neyrinck, Eric Perard, Nathalie Ronsmans, 

Stefan Schramke, Carlo Schreurs, Julien Stubbe and so many others. 

Thank you! 

SMOOTH TRANSITION PERIOD 

The names and corporate identity of the different companies 

will be adapted according to the terms and conditions 

agreed with Heijmans Netherlands. Heijmans 

Infra will become BESIX Infra, BELASCO and Van den 

Berg will keep their names and we are still looking for 

a suitable name for Heijmans Bouw. All companies will 

take on the BESIX corporate identity. 

Joining forces with Van den Berg therefore means that 

BESIX can also become active in cable and pipeline 

construction with key applications for the energy, 

water and telecom sectors on behalf of actors such as 

Elia, Telenet, Infrabel, Proximus, Eandis and De Lijn. 

The expertise gained in tunnel cabling will also be used 

in renovation projects such as the tunnels in Brussels. 

The strong growth in data traffic and the various 

expansion projects in the utility sector make for 

a very promising outlook. 

The various competition authorities are currently being 

consulted in accordance with the relevant legislation. 

The actual transfer will take place once their approval 

has been obtained. Over the next few months, 

BESIX will focus on deepening its knowledge of 

the various businesses and getting to know the 

local management and employee representatives 

better. More detailed information will follow at the 

end of the approval periods, but we would like to 

welcome our new colleagues to our group already.


The acquired companies are all active in industries which will 

demonstrate strong growth in the coming years in order to support 

the Belgian economy: mobility, smart networks and healthcare. 

We are confident about the various potential synergies with the BESIX 

companies which will facilitate our further growth in Belgium and abroad. 

Jean Polet, 

General Manager BU Europe at BESIX Group 

Managing director 

René Marnef 

Tramline 4, Ghent 


Bart Verhulst 

HEIJMANS 

INFRA 

Key activities 

Infrastructure specialist active on 

the Flemish/Brussels market: 

• Roads, streets, alleys, public 

sidewalks, parkways, sewer 

and drainage systems,… 

• Road pavements, both in 

concrete and asphalt 

• Airports and other 

infrastructural facilities 

Market position 

Top 3 player, competing against 

Colas, Aswebo, Stadsbader, Viabuild 

Strategic fit with BESIX Group 

• Unique opportunity to secure 

a road partner on the Flemish 

market to complement Socogetra’s 

position in Wallonia; 

• Pipeline of large infrastructure projects 

in Flanders that include roadworks 

(i.e. Oosterweel, Brussels Ring) 

Offices 

Headquartered in Schelle, with offices 

in Bilzen and asphalt plants in Ghent 

and Puurs, producing 400k tons 

of asphalt per year. Recycling 

facilities in Zwijndrecht and Bilzen. 

Key references 

BRABO1, the first PPP project for public 

transport in Flanders; R4 Ghent South, 

in a consortium with BESIX, Ghent 

Tramlijn 4: UZ Gent; Grimbergen sewer 

system Tangebeek; N9 Ledeberg,… 

Key customers 

Serves clients active in public as well 

as private sector: Aquafin, AWV, De Lijn, 

Redevco, Infrax, Farys, Coca-Cola,…


9 

VAN DEN BERG 


High-quality infrastructure solutions 

for basic fulfillments such as 

transport and distribution of water, 

gas and electricity and broadband 

communications networks: 

• Rail and high voltage 

• Horizontal directional drilling 

• Cables and ducts 

• Fiber Optic Systems 

• Low Voltage indoor/outdoor 


Strong niche position in the Belgian 

market for specific long-term contracts 

Strategic fit with 

BESIX Group 

• New market, fits with 

BESIX’s Triple 3 strategy 

• Possibilities to expand activities both 

technologically and geographically 

Offices 

Headquartered in Schelle; office in 

Bilzen and storage facilities in Oelegem 


Liefkenshoek railway tunnel; Stevin: 

cabling for high-voltage line; 

directional drilling AWW Schoten 

Key customers 

Utilities, telecom, industry and public 

service industry, such as: Elia, Telenet, 

Infrabel, Proximus, Eandis,… 

Liefkenshoek railway tunnel, Antwerp 

Queen Elizabeth Hall, Antwerp 


Herman Sauwens 

HEIJMANS 

BOUW 


General building contractor 

working on: 

• Building construction projects 

• Infrastructure and 

technical services 

Active in residential and nonresidential 

housing construction 


Its potential equals that of other BESIX 

subsidiaries, such as Vanhout and EJD 

Strategic fit with 


• Increased coverage of 

the Belgian market 

• Can further expand to municipal 

PPP with the help of BESIX 

balance sheet/bonding 

• Could increase our maintenance 

activities through PPP projects 

• Could diversify development projects 

of BESIX RED in new regions 

Offices 

Bilzen (Limburg) and Kortrijk 

(West Flanders) 


Renovation of Queen Elizabeth 

Hall Antwerp; Stadium Complex 

STVV Sint-Truiden; Heilig Hart 

Clinic, Menen; Residential care 

facility Demerhof, Bilzen 

Key customers 

Governmental institutions, customers 

in healthcare, education, culture

10 // TRENDSPOTTING 

TOWARDS A CUSTOMER-CENTRIC 

CONSTRUCTION SECTOR 

In the previous edition of Inside magazine, we discussed 

how, in the digital transformation we are going through, 

it is more important than ever to connect with customers. 

The human touch remains essential in building and maintaining 

excellent customer relations. In order to strengthen our 

client-oriented approach, the ‘BESIX Potential Academy’ 

alumni organized a special edition of our BPA 2 program.


11 

On 16 November 2016, 56 BPA 2 alumni and 5 client 

representatives gathered for an inspiring workshop on 

‘Client Centricity’, facilitated by topic experts. Lively 

discussions and exciting talks about Client Communication, 

Client Expectations and Client Experiences were 

followed by a BESIX Client Challenge. Participants were 

divided into 9 groups and gave focused presentations 

about their take on how we could progress at BESIX 

to an improved customer-oriented approach. 

Our goal? Create a relationship based on trust and 

become the partner of choice for our clients of today 

and tomorrow. We need to evolve into a full-lifecycle 

service provider, by forming strategic partnerships with 

financial institutions, architects and O&M operators 

on the one hand, and by further developing the 

necessary competences in-house on the other. 

The input from the session will be transferred to the 

different working groups of the Dare Change program. 

They can take the next steps such as looking at principles 

of co-investment, creating new recurring revenues and 

investigating co-product development with our clients. 

We are more than a 

building contractor. It is 

high time we position 

ourselves as a fulllifecycle 

service provider. 

What stemmed from this Academy? 

An action plan, made up of four 

focal points: 

→ Identifying client needs and 

understanding how we can add value 

→ Creating recurring revenue due to 

partnerships with existing clients 

→ Identifying new global clients and 

exploring new geographic regions 

→ Investing in the analysis of client 

projects and exchanging employees 

and expertise

12 


MANAGING MEGABUILDS: 

TOWARDS PROJECT SUCCESS 

IN A DEMANDING CONTEXT 

Megaprojects play an important role in the portfolio 

of the BESIX Group. They are synonymous with 

huge budgets, mobilizing a large workforce and 

encouraging us to be more creative, more innovative 

and more efficient. Working on ambitious projects 

like these helps us to explore new technologies 

and drives us to aim higher every day. Learn how 

we proceed with projects of this magnitude. 

Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE


13 

Megaprojects have the ability to change the structure 

of society. They contribute to an updated city plan (the 

Burj Khalifa, Dubai’s international airport), to an increased 

comfort of life (the Cleveland clinic in Abu Dhabi and Melun 

hospital in France), to a city’s entertainment facilities 

(Ferrari World and Legoland Dubai) or to the safety of a 

specific region (the Netherlands’s North Sea Protection 

Works). Bringing together a wide variety of people – 

experts, contractors, engineers, bankers and lawyers, 

to name but a few –, these projects range from high-rise 

buildings and big infrastructure to civil and marine works. 

BESIX has built up a broad experience in megaprojects 

and has several new contracts in the pipeline. 

In preparing for these ambitious projects, our teams 

take a number of key points into account. 

RISK MANAGEMENT 

Large projects often feature a high-risk profile. Long 

planning horizons and complex interfaces make 

planning and budgeting a lot more challenging than for 

standard projects. Often, the scope or ambition level of 

megaprojects changes over time, further challenging a 

successful and timely delivery. To avoid cost overruns, 

delays and, above all, unsatisfied clients, proper 

project management and coordination are key. 

ADNOC, Abu Dhabi, UAE 

“When BESIX is in charge of megaprojects, we take on a 

coordinating role. Bringing together all parties involved is 

one of our strengths,” knows Didier Bosredon, Director 

Large Project Operations at BESIX with 37 years of 

experience in the construction business. To identify and 

solve problems, a thorough understanding of the technical 

execution is essential. “On-site, the project manager 

manages a small company. He oversees a large number 

of tasks. The checklist is long: lots of administration and 

reporting, huge logistics for plant/materials/waste, safety 

and security for a small city, permanent inspections and 

quality controls, new players every month, regular visitors,... 

But team management has absolute priority. The Cleveland 

Clinic project gathered about 18,000 workers and between 

40 and 50 subcontractors. For such projects, team 

spirit (between customers, subcontractors and BESIX), 

transparency, flexibility and decision-making are key.” 

Digital real-time tools, such as virtual animation, 

3D planning and document control, help to 

effectively communicate with key players and provide 

progress reports in terms of budget and timing. 

Royal Atlantis Resort, Dubai, UAE

14 


Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi, UAE 

THE BESIX WAY 

→ We come up with innovative solutions 

to build architects’ newest and most 

challenging concepts 

Grand Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt 

→ We always look for economical and/or 

planning alternatives without sacrificing 

quality 

→ We translate the expertise of both our 

in-house engineering department and 

external engineering offices into hands-on 

solutions to optimize the project 

More information can be found on the BE PRO platform 

on the BESIX Intranet. 

Docks Bruxsel, Brussels, Belgium


15 

King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 

BESIX does so 

much more than 

building these large 

infrastructures. 

After translating the 

architect’s vision into 

a detailed design, 

our teams execute, 

oversee and even 

maintain the works 

when requested. 

Al Wakrah Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar 

Didier Bosredon 

Director Large Project Operations at BESIX 

EDF Lab, Paris, France 

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT 

A Project Director takes on only two or three 

megaprojects in his/her career, and each one 

is unique. Our recipe for megaproject success? 

Knowledge sharing, risk management and a thorough 

understanding of the client’s needs and wishes, 

including local requirements and regulations. “A good 

start is half the battle,” continues Didier. “A successful 

project starts with an efficient engineering phase and 

a meticulous risk analysis. We create added value 

thanks to our in-house design, engineering and BIM 

capabilities, but also by sharing expertise between 

different regions, using our internal resources for key 

parts such as foundations, facades and MEP.” 

Dubai Water Canal, Dubai, UAE


AN ICONIC HEADQUARTERS 

FOR BNP PARIBAS FORTIS 

IN THE HEART OF BRUSSELS 

For more information, 

contact Waldo Vanhentenrijk: 

wvanhentenrijk@besix.com 

At the Warandeberg, a unique location 

in Brussels, BESIX is building the 

new headquarters for bancassurance 

group BNP Paribas Fortis. The project 

includes 4,500 workplaces, increasing 

BNP HQ’s current capacity by 70%. 

The current building dates from the 

seventies and does not meet modern 

demands. Therefore, the client opted for 

a new building on the same – premium – 

location. BESIX is ready to meet this 

challenge through a Bouwteam approach, 

now that the old building has been 

demolished. Works should start in May. 

A HUB OF SUSTAINABILITY 

The building will be equipped with highly qualitative 

materials and state-of-the-art technologies that enable 

increased comfort for the staff and optimization of the 

environmental performance. Installing solar panels 

on the roof and seasonal storage of thermal energy 

(STES) will help BESIX to achieve the sustainability 

certificates ‘BREEAM Excellent’ and ‘Passive House’. 

FUTURISTIC FACADE 

The design pulls out all the stops with the building’s 

futuristic facade, a defining feature for the building’s 

appearance. The structure consists of a grid of 

vertical columns made of white prefabricated 

concrete with green granules, a key signature that 

adds extra character to the facade and forms a direct 

reference to BNP Paribas Fortis’s brand identity. 

The prefabricated structure is a real technical feat 

for BESIX, due to the high aesthetic demands, 

thermal properties and tolerances regarding the 

connections with the building and the glass facade.


17 

WHAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE 

→ Our experience in large and 

complex buildings. Within the 

‘bouwteam’ formula, we offer our 

expertise in implementing methods 

and market knowledge of pricing, 

suppliers and planning to the 

client as well as the designers. 

→ Our BIM expertise, to finetune 

the relation between the design 

and construction phase. We are 

currently investigating to what 

extent the BIM drawings can be 

used for the facility management. 

→ Our expertise on geotechnical soil 

analysis. We work towards a safe 

and economical design by using 

our knowledge of local geotechnical 

conditions and complex and advanced 

calculation models for the proper 

reinforcement of the foundation plate. 

AN AREA WHERE BESIX HAS LEFT ITS MARK 

Chancellery Fortis. renovation 

and extension 2008-2010 

Park Atrium, built 1911, rebuilt 1994 

Ravensteinstraat (former Rue Courbe), 1911 

CHALLENGING LOGISTICS 

The integration into the existing dense urban area, with 

respect to adjacent buildings and traffic, was one of the 

main criteria for the building’s design and height. Its specific 

location, completely surrounded by streets and with the 

Centre for Fine Arts (BOZAR) as a neighbor, forces us to 

pay particular attention to environmental management. 

The lack of local storage forms an additional challenge and 

makes just-in-time delivery essential. In addition, BESIX 

foresees in intermediate storage just outside the city center. 

BUILDING IN THE ‘BOUWTEAM’ FORMULA 

For this project, BESIX operates according to the 

‘Bouwteam’-formula, in which the client, designer and 

contractor work together closely from the start to pursue 

an optimal economical solution for the client. Within this 

formula, BESIX places its knowledge of price scales, 

expertise in implementation methodologies, market 

knowledge of suppliers and planning at the client’s disposal, 

as well as its engineering expertise. The project is still in 

the Bouwteam stage. Together with BNP Paribas Fortis and 

the architects we are optimizing the design. We hope to be 

awarded the contract for the construction works shortly. 

Baron Horta Street stairs, 1923 

Baron Horta Street stairs, 1923 

Companies: JV BESIX - Eiffage 

Contract type: Build, according to ‘Bouwteam’-formula 

Contract value: approximately €200 million 

Location: Brussels, Warandeberg, Rue Montagne du Parc 

Period: 2017-2021 

Architects: Baumschlager Eberle, Stijfhals & Partners, 

Jasper-Eyers 

Client: BNP Paribas Fortis 

Surface area: 103,500 m 2

18 // BEHIND THE SCENES 

BEHIND THE SCENES: SIX CONSTRUCT 

A NEW LANDMARK IN 

MODERN DUBAI 

Last November, Six Construct celebrated 

the official completion of the Dubai Canal. 

The project encompassed the construction 

of the Dubai Creek extension as a fully 

navigable channel from the Dubai Creek at 

Al Ras to Jumeirah, through the Business Bay 

development. Various bridges were built at a 

height that will allow luxury yachts and other 

boasts to pass underneath. Four new water 

taxi stations formed the icing on the cake. 

Dubai can now be toured by boat, attracting 

business, development properties and tourism. 

RETHINKING OLD METHODS 

The new deep sewerage 

system was built using the 

NDRC method (non-destructive 

road crossings – directional 

drilling – micro-tunneling), 

pushing concrete GRP 

pipes over distances of over 

100 meters, limiting the impact 

on the surrounding traffic and 

neighborhoods. A remarkable 

strategy, as this method is 

usually put into practice to cross 

a single road, highway or railway. 

ON THE MAP 

The Canal, with a width 

between 80 m and 120 m 

and 5 m in depth, has been 

extended all the way from the 

Sheikh Zayed Road across 

Al Safa Park, Jumeirah 2 and 

Business Bay, culminating at 

an artifical crescent-shaped 

island along Jumeirah Park. 

By using innovative directional 

drilling techniques and diverting 

the canal route for excavation 

works, we were able to reduce 

the impact on day-to-day 

traffic and local residents’ 

wellbeing to a minimum. 

Hussein Saad, Operations Manager 

and Felix Warny, Project Director 

Six Construct


19 

PROLONGED SUCCESS 

The team’s innovative thinking 

with respect for timing, budget 

and QHSE turned out to be a 

winning combination. BESIX 

won an additional package to 

complete the 9-km-long canal 

stretch from Ras Al Khor, within 

the Business Bay area, up to 

Sh. Zayed Road. These works 

started in February 2016 and 

had to be completed within 

the same timeframe as the 

initial scope of the Dubai Canal 

extension, 31 October 2016. 

A TECHNICAL FEAT 

The realization of this project was a massive challenge 

as it cuts right through a high-profile residential 

area, skirting some of the city’s main traffic arteries. 

Six Construct went to great lengths to minimize 

the construction process’ impact on residents, by 

tailoring both planning and methods of execution. 

The diversion of the underground services (electricity 

and sewerage) was imperative in order to excavate 

and build the 3-km-long canal. A large dewatering 

system was put in place, and excavated material was 

used to reclaim land where the canal reached the 

sea, creating a beach protected by a breakwater. 

ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND 

The existing natural park at the creek’s end was 

left untouched, avoiding the area were flamingos 

settle. Making sure that this natural habitat 

remains unaffected by the future passage of 

marine traffic was a top priority for the team. 

Despite the project’s extremely tight deadline, 

we were able to pump more than 6 million of 

hypersaline water from the canal lagoon to a 

specially designed basin for proper dilution 

prior discharging into the sea. This was 

carried out under a strict and complicated 

monitoring system to respect and preserve 

the natural environment and avoid any impact. 

In addition, corals were relocated to a nearby 

reclaimed island breakwater and were under 

continuous monitoring to assess its health. 

Hussein Saad, Operations Manager 

and Felix Warny, Project Director 

Six Construct 

3.2 km new canal length // 2,800,000 m 3 excavation // 2,700,000 tons rockfill 

7,200 Nos precast quay wall blocks // 25,970 m 3 diaphragm wall 

8.5 km of new sewer mains built at depths of 8-10 m below current road level 

3 pedestrian bridges // 3 pedestrian bridges allowing luxury yachts 

and other boats to pass underneath 

Six Construct - Parsons-Halcrow 

Client: RTA, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority 

Project amount: €160.2 mio 

Project period: June 2014 – November 2016 

Scope of works: diverting electricity and sewerage, excavation, building quay walling, 

a sea pier and a marina

20 // TRENDSPOTTING 

INNOVATION PLATFORM LAUNCH WAS A HUGE SUCCESS 

YOU DID IT! WE DID IT! 

After finalizing the selection criteria, organizing relevant 

content and translations, and customizing the layout, 

the Ideation platform was officially presented to all 

employees of the BESIX Group on 12 December 

2016. After some initial hiccups, the participation 

rate rose to 400 users the first week. Right after the 

Christmas break, we saw an exponential growth to 

950 users at the moment of the first cut-off date 

of the first ideation wave on 24 January 2017. 

LIVELY COMMUNITY 

Around 35% of all employees of the 

Group have already discovered the 

platform, and 220 people actively 

contributed by entering ideas, 

providing comments and adding 

votes. The platform remains open 

– always – to receive your votes, 

comments and feedback. New ideas 

can be posted again as soon as we 

have completed the assessment of 

the first batch of selected ideas. 

Our challenge is now to evaluate 

as quickly as we can the 324 

ideas, and see where we can fit 

them in. The invitations for the 

bootcamp (5 long-term ideas) and 

enhancement sessions (15 shortterm 

ideas) were sent in February. 

UNLEASH! 

In the last Inside Magazine, you could 

read how digital the (near) future 

of construction will be, what new 

technologies are ready to disrupt our 

industry. These global trends were 

also identified by renowned instances 

as the WEF, the Boston Consultancy 

Let us know how you feel 

about Unleash and send 

your feedback and suggestions 

to unleash@besix.com. 

220 people have added contributions 

324 ideas have been published 

4,066 votes have been cast 

909 comments have been added 

group and McKinsey, and are now 

more realistic than ever. We already 

see those developments in many of 

the ideas that were submitted on 

the Ideation Platform, and they will 

lead to new ways of working that will 

undeniably increase our performance. 

We also need to find new businesses 

and new markets to reach the targets 

lined out in the triple 3 strategy: 

increase turnover, new home markets, 

and create a new product. Innovation 

is one of the means to get there. 

The 7 challenges that were identified 

last year inspired the community to 

a very broad spectrum of ideas. In 

the future, we will try to bring more 

focus to those campaigns, keeping 

in mind the 2 main objectives: to use 

innovation to increase our performance 

on the one hand, and to develop 

new businesses on the other hand. 

Innovation is one of the 

values that identify our 

Group. We constantly 

seek innovative ways to 

enhance our performance. 

Patrik Peynsaert, 

BESIX Group Innovation 

Coordinator 

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US 

Knowing that the workload is high, in all 

divisions of our Group, we need to avoid 

that creativity will be moved to the second 

plan. So in the first instance, we want 

to facilitate your initiatives – whenever 

they arise – by providing information, 

creating an expert network, improve 

communication and sharing tools, 

showing the way to technical knowledge 

and defending necessary budgets. 

We want to create the best possible 

atmosphere and give your idea/initiative 

the best possible chance to succeed.


21 

BESIXPEDIA 

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE 

Unleash is mainly intended 

to collect and discuss 

new ideas. Want to share 

existing experiences? Visit 

our interactive sharing 

platform BESIXpedia! 

On BESIXpedia you will not only 

discover proven best practices and 

real-life experiences. It also contains 

the links to BESIX complementary 

knowledge databases and sharing 

solutions, including IMs, TKM, 

Technical Library and Salesforce. 

“We thank you to include your 

sources whenever you publish your 

contribution and to set up a link 

with any of our other databases 

and solutions whenever relevant,” 

tells Frédéric de Schrevel, Executive 

Sponsor of the program. 

YOUR CONTRIBUTION COUNTS! 

Just like Wikipedia, BESIXpedia thrives 

on contributions of its users. If you 

have had an experience, a situation, 

a story or a best practice which might 

help your colleagues in the future, 

be sure to upload it on BESIXpedia. 

BESIXpedia is an online collaboration tool which 

allows for all BESIX colleagues to share their real-life 

experiences with each other. This interactive platform 

aims to close the gap between the internal knowhow 

and its distribution within our organization. 

We need you to make BESIXpedia 

part of our DNA and contribute to 

this shared pool of information. 

We thank the team who made 

this possible: Yves Dawans 

(TKM and GM Operational and 

Engineering Support), Frédéric 

de Schrevel, Lucas Conings 

(mentor of the project), Peter Van 

der Straeten (IT think tank and 

support), and the BESIX Young 

Potentials who came up with the 

idea: Jens Van de Maele, Anthony 

Vandewouwer and Hugo Kruk. 

We all know Wikipedia 

and enjoy the abundance 

of information it offers 

on multiple subjects of 

all kind. I encourage 

everybody to follow 

the example of the early 

adopters who already 

made several contributions 

on the platform. Please 

bear in mind that your 

experience can only 

become a BESIX reference 

when you share it. 

Frédéric de Schrevel 

Executive Sponsor of 

the BESIXpedia program 

BESIXpedia is not a database, nor a project 

management tool, it is a collaborative tool 

for sharing real-life experiences, focusing 

on best practices and lessons learnt. 

TIPS & TRICKS ON POSTING, COMMENTING AND SHARING 

HOW TO FIND BESIXPEDIA 

→ BESIXpedia isn’t only for 

engineers. You can upload 

anything, from IT tutorials to HR 

hiring tips. 

→ Link to TKM or IMS: interweave 

BESIX knowledge platforms for 

maximum reach. 

→ Join the conversation by 

commenting posts! 

→ Add photos and videos to your 

post, to illustrate your case and 

to make it more attractive. 

1. Open the BESIX Group Intranet. 

2. Go to your Me@ company page. 

3. Click on the tab ‘My Work Tools’ 

where you will find BESIXpedia. 

Or surf to 

https://my.besixgroup.com/ 

besixpedia


BESIX DELIVERS 

A NEW PUBLIC TRANSPORT 

TERMINAL IN UTRECHT 

At the end of December 2016, a visit of the Dutch royal 

family celebrated the delivery of the largest multimodal 

station in the Netherlands. As many environmental factors 

and various stakeholders influenced the construction 

of this key hub, works were planned in six phases. 

THE BUSIEST RAIL HUB IN 

THE NETHERLANDS 

Thanks to this new multimodal station, 

the population of Utrecht, the fourth 

largest city in the Netherlands, will 

enjoy a considerable upgrade in urban 

comfort. OVT Utrecht Central becomes 

the biggest hub in the country with a 

daily flow of 230,000 passengers and 

100 million travelers a year. The new 

terminal is expected to add another 

75,000 passengers to the amount of 

daily commuters in the next ten years. 

1 

2 3 4 5 6 

2011 2016 

FINISHED 

FINISHED FINISHED FINISHED FINISHED 

FINISHED 

Building phase 1 

January 2011 – 

February 2013 


August 2011 – 

September 2013 


February 2013 – 

summer 2015 


October 2013 – 

summer 2015 


March 2014 – 

summer 2015 


Summer 2015 – 

autumn 2016 

Highlight: delivery 

of the station 

concourse 

Highlight: new staircase 

to the center 

of the bus terminal 

Highlight: entrance 

to the station at the 

side of the annual fair 

Highlight: Entrance 

at the center side 

and the Grand Cafe 

Highlight: interdistrict 

link is 

completed 

Highlight: Last stage 

of the remodeling and 

opening of Utrecht 

Centraal 

Keeping the train station and the 

shopping facilities operational at all 

times was challenging, keeping in mind 

that more than 230,000 commuters 

use the terminal on a daily basis. 

Planning had to be adjusted to foresee 

all these issues, but together with 

the client ProRail, the team found 

the perfect workflow. This wasn’t a 

trial by fire for BESIX Nederland, as 

they experienced a similar situation 

for the realization of the Bijlmer 

ArenA station in Amsterdam. 

“Why we were the right choice for 

the job? The answer is manifold: 

our experience with track works, 

environmental management and 

our way of dealing with passengers 

during the construction and renovation 

works, conducting fitting and lifting 

operations with limited space, our 

intense work preparation for jobs 

that could only be carried out at 

night or on weekends. But also our 

extensive know-how, creativity and 

inventiveness in difficult situations, 

as well as our professionalism, were 

key factors to keep all stakeholders 

happy,” tells Emiel Braeckman, 

Project Manager at BESIX. 

The works included various demolition 

activities, execution of railway tracks, 

modifications to the existing station’s 

shell concrete structure and the 

building of a brand new station, 

including shopping spaces, an access 

road and part of the Katreinetoren 

to create space for the new station 

and ancillary buildings. The added 

bonus? A brand new bicycle park with 

4,500 storage slots. BESIX supplied 

and installed escalators, lifts and 

façade maintenance equipment. 

BESIX cooperated with Franki 

Grondtechnieken, using their expertise 

for the pile driving works to build the 

covered bicycle storage facilities. 

For this, the company used screwed 

tube piles with grout injection. 

Contract amount: €94.4 million 

Client: ProRail 

Architect: Crouwel 

Consulting Engineer: Movares Nederland


23 

ROYAL VISIT 

The importance of the project was recognized 

by the visit of the Belgian ambassador in June 

2015 and the royal presence of H.M. King Willem- 

Alexander of the Netherlands in April 2016. 

The visit of H.M Queen Mathilde of Belgium and H.M. Queen 

Máxima of the Netherlands to the renovated terminal at the 

end of November was the ultimate reward for our efforts. 

A perfect prelude to the official, celebratory opening of 

Utrecht Centraal which took place on 7 December 2016. 

“It has been a great honor to personally welcome 

the members of the royal families on this illustrious 

project. Their presence gave us all a great sense of 

accomplishment and was a fitting culmination of six 

years of hard work. The team of BESIX OVT Utrecht is 

rightly proud of this achievement. For me, the royal visit 

was the icing on the cake for my last official working 

day at BESIX after a career of 42 years,” says Emiel. 

With the departure of this great man, 

we say goodbye to a cornerstone for 

BESIX in the Netherlands. It has been 

an honor to work with him, and we 

thank him for his commitment to BESIX. 

Finally, we wish him the best in this 

new chapter of his life. 

Jean Polet 

General Manager BU Europe, BESIX Group 

THANK YOU, EMIEL! 

THANK YOU, EMIEL! 

→ Started his career at BESIX 

in 1974 as an assistent site 

superintendent in marine works 

in Belgium 

→ Worked several years abroad (United 

Arab Emirates, Qatar and India) 

→ Thanks to his experience, 

he was appointed Project Director 

in the massive Bijlmer ArenA 

Station Project in Amsterdam 

Emiel Braeckman, 42 years at BESIX 

→ Other notable projects Emiel 

worked on include: Dodo in 

Utrecht, the parking lot at Kruisplein 

and Station OVT Utrecht


TOWARDS A DIGITALIZED FUTURE 

INTRODUCING iTWO: 

smart technology makes comprehensive real-time data a reality 

The term ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) may seem a bit odd at first, but its 

objectives are both simple and essential. It entails a mega-software program that 

is fully integrated and homogeneous and meets most of the company’s needs. 

Today, AX is used in a number of our Group entities. The problem that arises 

is that AX isn’t a product specifically designed for the construction sector and 

it only covers part of our needs. That is why the current system has not been 

extended to the whole group as it does not meet the main objective of an ERP. 

Following a meticulous analysis, 

involving a large number of employees 

within the Group, BESIX opted for 

the iTWO software developed by 

RIB, a German company whose 

solution was developed specifically 

for the construction industry. iTWO 

is expected to be utilized throughout 

the entire Group by 2022. 

A COMPLETE AND 

STANDARDIZED SOLUTION 

The iTWO software offers many 

advantages. It connects all processes, 

leading to a central and in-time 

availability of data from estimating 

up to project delivery. The wellthought-out 

processes, with high 

interconnectivity within a centralized 

system, allow people to efficiently 

work together while focusing more 

on the real value-adding tasks. And 

iTWO takes it even further: it allows 

to gradually enhance traditional 

construction processes with 

ultramodern 5D functionalities. 

The system is already in use 

within many other construction 

companies, including STRABAG, 

Hochtief, Porr and YIT. Drawing 

from former experiences, the 

software is flexible enough to be 

able to adapt to companies of 

different sizes and complexities. 

In addition to the implementation 

of iTWO, the Group entered in a 

partnership agreement that will 

see BESIX become a technology 

partner of RIB. This partnership 

will make it possible to continue to 

develop the solution according to 

our future needs and those of other 

important players in the sector. 

While most activities will be covered 

by iTWO, it is not necessarily the case 

for certain support functions, such as 

human resources or finance. However, 

this does not call into question the 

principle of an ERP: if certain needs 

can’t be covered by iTWO, other 

software will be used, provided that 

they can be interfaced with iTWO. 

IMPLEMENTATION AND 

GOVERNANCE 

The project is expected to be launched 

during the second quarter of the year, 

under the leadership of a steering 

committee involving both operational 

and support functions representatives. 

After a period of preparation, training 

and testing of practical cases during 

the year 2017, in which most of the 

The implementation of 

standardized processes 

and of a software 

developed specifically 

for the construction 

sector – which also 

integrates 5D technology 

– should optimize the 

management of our 

projects in all their 

phases. 

Michel Moser 

CFO BESIX Group 

5D, A FUTURE GAME- 

CHANGING TECHNOLOGY 

iTWO allows you to gradually enhance 

(and optimize) the current traditional 

processes with ultramodern 5D 

functionalities. Virtually building 

the project before building it 

physically will optimize the control 

on schedules and costs throughout 

the complete construction process.


25 

Construction processes covered by 

the new ERP application, iTWO 

ESTIMATING 

• Quantity take-off 

• BIM integration 

• Resource library management 

• Tender management 

• Cost analysis 

• Sales price management 

• Risk management 

PROCUREMENT 

• Supplier management 

• Procure to pay 

• Item management 

• Procurement planning 

IN DEVELOPMENT (2017) 

• Inventory management 

EXECUTION 

• Scheduling 

• Controlling & forecasting 

• Variation order management 

• Subcontract management 

• Customer billing 

• Progress measurement 


• Time tracking 

PLANT 


• Warehouse management 

• Equipment data management 

• Contract/Invoice management 

• Workshop management 

(to be covered by thirdparty 

application) 

Outside the scope 

of iTWO 

HR: METRILIO 

FINANCE: AX 

• Fixed asset management 

• Accounting 

• Cash management 

Group’s entities will be involved, 

iTWO is expected to be deployed by 

Jacques Delens (July 2018) and Six 

Construct (end of 2018). The Belgian 

activities of BESIX nv as well as 

Qatar are expected to follow in 2019. 

Deployment across the entire Group 

will take another three years and 

should be completed in 2022. 

The project should see the shortterm 

involvement of about ten people 

from BESIX who will have to be 

available on a full-time basis for up 

to 5 years. Many other people will of 

course be involved as the software 

is implemented in the group. 

A FUNDAMENTAL PROJECT 

The investment cost to deploy 

the solution throughout BESIX is 

estimated to be around €20 million. 

This expresses sufficiently our desire 

to have the most advanced tools 

firmly established in each entity. 

That is why it is important that all 

employees embrace the transition of 

software, and adopt it in their daily 

tasks. We count on the flexibility and 

motivation of each and everyone 

of you. We will inform you regularly 

about the evolution of this project. 

For additional information, questions 

and/or suggestions, you can send 

an email to itwo@besix.com.


UNITED READYMIX CELEBRATES TENTH ANNIVERSARY 

10 YEARS 

OF OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE 

The joint venture between United Development 

Company PSC (UDC) and BESIX/Six Construct 

reached another operational milestone: the 

tenth anniversary of its ready-mix provider 

in Qatar, United Readymix WLL (URM).


27 

Despite the challenges in 

significant projects, we are 

pleased that the company 

has maintained its healthy 

liquidity levels, while it 

continues to penetrate 

profitable markets that could 

generate substantial growth 

and market share increases. 

Elias Sfeir 

General Manager of URM 

INDUSTRY LEADER 

Founded in 2006, URM is the industry 

leader and main producer of readymixed 

concrete for the island adjacent 

to The Pearl-Qatar. Driven by the 

2022 FIFA World Cup, the Qatar 

National Vision (QNV) 2030 and the 

increased demand in Qatar, URM 

has been able to expand and open 

four more branches in Lusail City, 

Al Rayyan, the Industrial Area and the 

Airport. This is part of the expansion 

strategy to secure and supply various 

prestigious development projects 

in the neighboring cities of Doha, 

including the stadium host cities of 

Al-Khor, Al Rayyan, Al-Shamal, 

Al-Wakrah and Umm Slal. 

URM’s project portfolio displays more 

than a decade of expertise in highrise 

towers, roads, expressways, 

stadiums, convention centers and 

railways. Ongoing similar projects 

include Midmac – the renovation of the 

Khalifa Stadium & Museum built by Six 

Construct - Midmac, QDVC-ALSTOM’s 

Lusail LRT project, Six Construct- 

Boom Construction’s Rayyan Road 

Project, Hyundai Engineering’s Lusail 

Expressway, QD-SBG’s CP07B Lusail 

infrastructure and Six Construct’s 

Exit Taxiways & Aircraft Parking. 

URM IN NUMBERS 

→ 10 state-of-the-art batching plants 

→ 500+ employees 

→ 5 locations across Qatar 

→ an average monthly production capacity 

of 130,000 m³ for 2 months of uninterrupted 

supply to 30-40 clients simultaneously 

ON THE PATH OF SUCCESS 

With an astonishing increase of 59% 

on the previous year, URM’s turnover 

in 2014 amounted to $89 million, 

compared to $56 million in 2013. 

Thanks to a continued focus on 

cost control, synergies generated 

through the acquisition of the 

new plants & equipment and the 

increase in economies of scale, the 

company was able to continue on 

this path of success in 2015 with an 

annual turnover swell of 19%. In the 

third quarter of 2016, URM’s sales 

increased in a similar manner.

28 // TECH TALK 

FRANKI GRONDTECHNIEKEN 

HIGHLIGHT OF FRANKI GRONDTECHNIEKEN, 

THE DUTCH ENTITY 

PILE INDUSTRY 

ON THE RISE 

After several years of crisis and recession, it is safe 

to say that the construction market is flourishing 

once again. Because the activities of Franki 

Grondtechnieken are situated at the start of the 

construction process, the upward trend is already 

apparent in its books. Thanks to a close follow-up 

on offers, the company managed to obtain a number 

of great projects. It is high time to reflect upon the 

foundation industry in the Netherlands and the 

position of Franki Grondtechnieken in that market.


29 

Franki’s market in the Netherlands 

can be roughly divided into two 

types of projects: diaphragm walls 

and large diameter bored piles on 

the one hand, piles on the other. 

DIAPHRAGM WALLS AND LARGE 

DIAMETER BORED PILES 

Diaphragm wall projects are relatively 

scarce and only a few players perform 

this technique in the Netherlands. 

Thanks to the skills of Franki 

Grondtechnieken, the company is 

able to position itself as the expert 

in this field on the Dutch market. 

→ A fine example of pooling 

resources between the various 

entities of Franki: at the end of 

2016, BESIX finished the dike 

reinforcement project KIS, where 

various diaphragm walls and a 

large number of large diameter 

bored piles were installed. 

→ Franki recently acquired the contract 

for the execution of the diaphragm 

walls for the ‘Garenmarkt’ in Leiden. 

→ Following the successful installation 

of the circular diaphragm wall of 

‘Lammermarkt’ in 2015, Franki 

Grondtechnieken obtained a second 

parking project in Leiden for the 

installation of diaphragm walls for 

‘combinatie Parkeergarages Leiden’, 

a joint venture between BESIX 

and Dura Vermeer). The works 

will be carried out in 2017. 

PILES 

Together with the construction 

industry, the piling market is also 

on the rise. Franki Grondtechnieken 

has once again managed to acquire 

many challenging new projects. 

In addition to standard projects, 

Franki is often a go-to partner 

because of its wide expertise in 

different techniques. Thanks to 

Franki’s large palette of techniques, 

we are able to suggest alternative 

solutions that provide both the client 

and Franki with more attractive 

offers. For 2017, the following 

contracts were already obtained: 

→ Noordgebouw Utrecht 

(the foundations are 

under construction); 

→ the Onyx tower in Eindhoven; 

→ Bright Rotterdam; 

→ two structures for ‘parkstad 

Limburg’. 

GLOBAL PACKAGES 

In the past Franki Grondtechnieken 

used to focus exclusively on 

foundations. At present all-inclusive 

excavation projects are more 

often delivered because looking 

at the bigger picture allows to 

optimize processes. Franki can 

finish the excavation according to 

the agreed principles, giving the 

contractor more time to prepare 

the construction phase. 

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY 

To stay ahead of our competitors we dedicate a lot of time and energy to 

innovation. The installation processes are continuously monitored and adjusted 

where necessary. For example, the most recent piling rigs are equipped with 

tracking devices which make it possible to read the accurate pile locations 

up to 2 cm. As a result, we are able to prevent errors in implantation or 

pile deviations. In 2016, we conducted a full-scale instrumented scientific 

pile load test on Franki Atlas piles. The results allow us to calculate this 

type of pile with more favorable design parameters. This gives Franki 

Grondtechnieken a great competitive advantage over other pile systems.


BESIX CONTINUES TO 

REACH FOR THE STARS 

Wust and Socogetra are planting the Group flag in the Galaxia Park, 

dedicated to space-related activities and new technologies, with two 

key projects. The 20-hectare estate, flanking the E411 motorway at 

Transinne (Belgium), is already home to the Euro Space Center. Major 

redevelopment work has been undertaken to accommodate hightech 

companies and in doing so strengthen the Park’s international 

role. This will include the future logistics center for Europe’s shortlyto-be-launched 

Galileo GPS satellite navigation program. 

The European Commission has opted to locate 

the ‘Galileo ILS Center’, the strategic center for 

the Galileo program, at the Galaxia Park, created 

and managed by IDELUX at Transinne. 

The Galileo ILS Center will be a unique center 

designed to contribute to providing the geolocation 

services to be offered over the coming 20 years, 

starting with the commissioning of the system, 

planned for 1 January, 2017. Initially, and until 

all 30 satellites have been launched, the Galileo 

system will be interoperable with the two existing 

systems: GPS (USA) and GLONASS (Russia). 

Wust, as part of a temporary joint venture, signed 

the contract in September 2016, starting work after 

just a few weeks. The foundation stone was laid 

on 28 October in the presence of Gherardo Calini 

(Market Development Manager of the European 

GNSS Agency, European Commission), and federal 

and regional authorities including Jean-Pierre Marcelle, 

representing the cabinet of Jean-Claude Marcourt 

(Vice-President of the Walloon Government and Minister 

for the Economy, Industry, Innovation and Digital). 

The site is classified as a 

technology monster, in terms of 

security equipment, access control, 

and the materials used, ... mirroring 

Europe’s space know-how! 

Frédéric Junger 

Site Manager at Wust 

AN EXAMPLE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

In the design of the building, the use of many heating 

and lighting technologies results in very low energy 

consumption. The 250 solar panels covering 400 m²


31 

GALILEO 

The Galileo program is the new European global 

satellite navigation system based on the ‘GPS’ 

system originally designed for the US military. 

and producing 65 kWp complete a geothermal heating 

solution based on large heat pumps. LED lighting is 

present in both the radiant ceilings inside the building 

and in the stone flooring. The building is clad with 

natural materials like local stone, zinc and wood. 

Eventually 30 satellites (24 operational and 6 in 

reserve) will circle in approximately 23,000 km 

orbits. On the ground, some fifteen monitoring 

stations will be spread around the globe to 

communicate with these satellites. To ensure the 

proper functioning of all electronic equipment 

used on the ground at these so-called 

‘remote’ sites, all maintenance operations will 

be managed from one site: the ‘Galileo ILS 

Center’ (Integrated Logistics Support). 

A green roof will be installed on both the inclined lower 

part and the higher office part, offering, with natural 

materials, a transition between mineral and vegetation. 

RACE AGAINST TIME 

Given the system’s commissioning date, the construction 

deadlines are, once again, extremely tight. The building 

has to be ready by August 2017, a challenge similar 

to the one that our site manager, Frédéric Junger, has 

already met when overseeing the build of the new 

offices at Les Plénesses for Wust’s Malmedy staff. 

Customer: IDELUX intermunicipal authority 

Entrepreneur: Wust (in temporary joint venture) 

Contract amount: €7.2 million 

Total surface area of 2,300 m² including: 

→ +/- 795 m² of storage area 

→ +/- 890 m² offices 

→ a part dedicated to technical equipment maintenance 

→ a high security basement area

32 


SOCOGETRA 

IN THE BIG LEAGUES 

SOCOGETRA IS WORKING ON THE 

CENTRAL COURTYARD OF GALAXIA 

PARK, IN A CUSTOMIZED PROJECT 

EVOKING A ROCKET LAUNCHPAD. 

IDELUX wanted first and foremost a 

central meeting area for this business 

estate nestling in lush greenery. So 

before even erecting the new buildings, 

Socogetra built a central courtyard 

evoking a rocket launchpad. Last June, 

the Socogetra teams completed the 

central courtyard of Galaxia Park. 

CREATING CUSTOMIZED ENVIRONMENTS 

IN PUBLIC SPACES 

This evocation is a reminder that public authorities 

are paying increasing attention, in addition to 

functionality, to the thematic atmosphere of public 

spaces. Here the aim was to recreate a unique and 

recognizable industrial technological atmosphere. 

The design offices think up specific atmospheres for each 

public space which are intended to touch the people 

frequenting them and create a distinctive ambiance. Here 

the central courtyard evokes the sun in its center, with the 

different planets orbiting around it. A unique industrialtechnological 

atmosphere is created by using customized 

prefabricated concrete elements like anthracite-coloured 

floor tiles and white stripes in made-to-measure precast 

concrete (on which the names of the planets have been 

added) and red metal structures evoking a launch pad. 

Customer: IDELUX intermunicipal authority 

Engineering design: Agua 

Entrepreneur: Socogetra 

Contract amount: €1.9 million


// INSIDE 33 

IN DIRE NEED OF HELP? 

WEST CONSTRUCT 

TO THE RESCUE! 

West Construct NV specializes in civil, marine and 

industrial works, but also takes on maintenance 

and urgent intervention contracts. The team 

guarantees flexibility and swift action when it comes 

down to an urgent intervention, always keeping 

safety and quality of service as top priorities. 

On 6 October 2016 at 10 pm, 

the emergency response team of 

West Construct NV was called by 

the Waterways department and 

Zeekanaal NV regarding a problem 

at the Kruispoort bridge on the 

canal around Bruges (Belgium). 

One of the supports of the movable 

bridge was broken, causing an 

uncontrolled slam of the colossus 

when closing the bridge deck. 

Given the severity of the situation, 

West Construct immediately took 

action after an emergency meeting 

with both clients. We – along with 

our subcontractors responsible for 

welding and diving – implemented the 

necessary primary measures to protect 

the bridge. Following the nocturnal 

studies by EBS (Expertise Beton 

Staal) we performed a ‘just in time’ 

delivery of the necessary materials, 

equipment and qualified personnel. 

Prior to disposing of the bridge via 

the waterway, we needed to support 

the counterweight of 100 tons at the 

base of the bridge. Constructions 

were fabricated on-site and welded 

by a team of eight accredited 

specialists, while the intervention 

team of West Construct made a barge 

with a Liebherr 855HD cable crane. 

Thanks to the extensive collaboration 

between all parties involved, we 

were able to lift and discharge the 

damaged bridge deck on the barge. 

The job was finished on 9 October 

2016 at 11.30 am, and the waterway 

was again open to navigation. 

Special thanks go to Tessa Van 

Hove (foreman), Lode Bouton 

(foreman), Marnix Ottevaere (Project 

Leader), Frederik Van Cleven 

(Main Project Leader) and the 

West Construct intervention team 

for their outstanding efforts. 

A new chapter 

for West 

Construct 

In November 2016, Peter Van der 

Donckt started as Deputy General 

Manager of West Construct. 

Together with the team, he will 

be responsible for strengthening 

West Construct as a dynamic 

construction company, focusing 

on Industrial, Marine and Civil 

works in Flanders. Peter, 46, is an 

industrial engineer and he holds 

a degree in Business Economics 

at the Catholic University of 

Leuven, as well as a postgraduate 

certificate in prevention 

counseling level 1. 

Welcome to the Group!


CITY DOX 

A NEW DISTRICT ALONGSIDE 

THE WILLEBROEK CANAL 

The first project for BESIX in Belgium 

with a Lean Management approach 

In May 2016, BESIX started the works 

for the multipurpose site City Dox 

in Brussels, in joint venture with 

Jacques Delens. In their continuous 

quest to improve efficiency on-site, 

the City Dox team completed a Lean 

Management training course. Both on 

the Neherkade (the Netherlands) 

project and the hospital at Melun 

(France), lean processes were 

already successfully integrated. 

In Belgium, the implementation 

of a Lean Management approach 

on-site was a first for BESIX. 

MORE THAN PLANNING 

Lean Management eyes to involve all stakeholders: designers, 

planners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers,… The main 

goal is to fine-tune coordination of the works: a joint exercise 

in maximizing efficiency. We examine which activity will be the 

leading indicator for the delivery date and which resources 

and manpower we must use to accelerate that process. This 

creates a better understanding of the planning and directly 

involves each party. The scheduling phase is visualized by 

color-coded sticky notes. An efficient way to translate tasks, 

risks and progress into a visual workflow. The goal? To better 

meet clients’ needs by streamlining our building processes. 

A NEW IMPETUS 

City Dox in Anderlecht, alongside the Willebroek canal, 

is part of a sustainable urban development project and 

will give the polluted industrial site a new impetus. In the 

first phase approximately 30% of the 5.4 ha plot will be 

used for the construction of a nursing home with 180 

beds, 71 service flats, 91 residential homes and an office 

complex. The project for real estate developer Atenor 

represents a contract of approximately €40 million. Works 

are expected to come to a close in the course of 2018.



35 

A MODERN AND 

EFFICIENT WORKPLACE 

Cobelba delivers an office building certified BREEAM ‘Very Good’ in 

one of the largest mixed projects ever undertaken in the Namur region. 

After three years of design work 

in ‘bouwteam’ and 17 months of 

construction, Cobelba has delivered, 

for Brussels promoter Eaglestone, a 

remarkable office building in Jambes 

(Belgium), which will house Atradius 

(formerly Assurances de Crédit), 

one of the largest private employers 

in the Namur region (325 people). 

This construction is part of an 

Eaglestone mixed project covering 

3.2 hectares that will eventually 

include offices (1,500 workers) and 

housing (250 inhabitants) around 

a green area, a semi-public park 

and a pedestrian plaza which will 

be the cornerstone of the project. 

The positive revitalization of an entire 

neighbourhood is taking shape. 

This first office building, designed by 

DDS Architects, opened its doors at 

the start of 2017 to the 300 Atradius 

employees who enjoy 5,600 m² 

(ground + 4 floors) office space and 

a 137-vehicle underground car park 

(4,300 m²). The building’s structure is 

95% prefabricated, with the special 

technologies of the office floors 

consisting of active ceilings (hot-cold). 

The building is certified BREEAM 

‘Very Good’ and reflects the latest 

trends in sustainable development. 

The worksite was managed by Etienne 

Lambilliotte, Joël Puissieux, Corentin 

Van Roey and William Degembe. 

Atradius was looking for new working 

space on a turnkey basis, reflecting 

today’s concerns for sustainability, 

mobility and employee well-being. The 

building’s success is paying dividends 

in the form of future projects. 

The customer, 

Eaglestone, is very 

satisfied with the 

Cobelba teams’ 

work and has 

already proposed 

examining another 

12,000 m² project, 

again in ‘bouwteam’. 

Etienne Lambilliotte 

Project Manager, Cobelba

36 // FOR A BETTER WORLD 

THE ROAD TO SUSTAINABILITY 

NEW MOBILITY POLICY 

DRIVES EMPLOYEES TOWARDS 

BETTER ALTERNATIVES 

Companies are increasingly 

confronted with the mobility 

problem. On the one hand, 

it manifests itself to a significant 

degree in gridlocked traffic 

and the major congestion 

issues of European roads, 

and, on the other hand, in the 

negative impact cars have 

on the environment. There is 

increasing focus on company 

cars, especially in Belgium. 

In Belgium, company cars are one 

of the few instruments within the 

scope of employers’ wage policy 

to providing employees with a 

substantial income benefit due to its 

friendly tax regime in this respect. 

But this system is jeopardized, given 

the fact that the legislative force is 

attempting to discourage the use of 

company cars by taxing them more. 

Committed to lowering our 

environmental impact and decreasing 

stressful traffic congestion for 

our employees, we launched 

a new Mobility Policy.


37 

IN THE WORDS OF 

OUR EMPLOYEES 

Thanks to the new mobility 

policy of BESIX, I was lucky 

enough to choose from a wide 

range of bikes that met my 

expectations. My personal 

motivation for coming to work on 

my bike rose together with the 

increased kilometric allowance. 

THE CHOICE IS YOURS 

With your mobility budget, you are free to 

choose from a variety of transportation 

options for the next 4 years. How you 

spend the budget is entirely up to you. 

Depending on your personal needs, 

possibilities and desires regarding mobility. 

Options include: 

→ Public transportation 

→ Leasing a bicycle 

→ Going to work by private car 

→ Using a company car (if applicable) 

→ Using a fuel card (if applicable) 

→ Renting a temporary rental car 

→ Monthly cash payment 

The main goal? To give employees a chance 

to help reduce our carbon footprint and make 

a choice matching their own personal needs. 

Lydia Sauvenière 

General Ledger Accountant, BESIX Finance 

Last year I had to change my 

car. Because I lived close to the 

site I didn’t need a company car, 

except in my free time. With this 

new policy, I could go the site by 

bike and I opted for a mobility 

allowance, which increased my 

salary every month, combined 

with a Flex Car. I made use of the 

Flex Car during my holidays. Since 

I opted for the disbursement of 

the budget, I had the opportunity 

to choose a company vehicle if 

I changed to another worksite, 

which I recently did. 

Anouk Kerstens 

Technical Office Architect, BESIX 

BESIX LEADS THE WAY TO 

SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY 

We are one of the first companies in Belgium 

to tackle the issue head-on. Every employee is 

assigned a mobility budget, expressed in points. 

An innovative approach made possible through 

a tailor-made Mobile Application, available for 

iOS, Android and Microsoft, which meets the 

demand of employees for alternative choices. 

BESIX wants to provide its employees with 

attractive alternatives, by stimulating alternative 

ways of transportation such as the use of 

public transportation and/or bicycles.


LUX TP 

RIGHT ON TRACK WITH 

3 NEW RAIL PROJECTS 

THE KLEINBETTINGEN PROJECT: 

Environmental sanitation of track-bed: 780 rm 

THE SCHIEREN PROJECT: 

Environmental sanitation of track-bed: 7,400 rm 

THE ESCH-BELVAL PROJECT: 

Foundation works – piles: 70 rm 

Foundations for catenary posts: 11 pce 

Lux TP has been working with the 

Luxembourg National Railway Company 

for years. Our teams have just delivered 

three new projects in Kleinbettingen, 

Schieren and Esch-Belval. For a total of 

€ 9 million, these projects shared the same 

delivery date and tight schedule. Working 

on all three sites simultaneously, Lux TP 

put its most experienced teams on the job. 

It was a tremendous logistical 

challenge, but we succeeded 

in completing the works in less 

than one month. Our reward? 

A more than satisfied client, who 

congratulated us on our flawless 

execution and superb services. 

Steve Feyder 

Financial and Administrative Director of Lux TP 

“Our crew, together with the companies Baatz and Poeckes, 

took on the challenge to complete the three projects in a 

record time,” tells Steve Feyder, Financial and Administrative 

Director of Lux TP. “Our teams worked every day of the 

week, 20 hours a day, from 4 in the morning to midnight. 

It was a tremendous logistical challenge, but we succeeded 

in completing the works in less than one month. Our 

reward? A more than satisfied client, who congratulated 

us on our flawless execution and superb services.”



39 

THE ‘NOTEPAD’ PROJECT COMBINES ENVIRONMENTAL CARE 

WITH SOCIAL ECONOMY 

NOTHING IS WASTED 

A SECOND LIFE FOR PAPER 

At the end of 2015, BESIX Foundation placed the 

Notepad project, which was initiated two years earlier 

by the BESIX Young Community (BYC) and submitted 

for the 2014 Chairman’s awards, back on track. 

This project was based on an indisputable finding: 

our business requires us to print large numbers of 

plans, the majority of which will end up in the waste 

bin. What can we do to reduce our waste? 

In partnership with TWI, a social 

enterprise (sheltered workshops) 

based in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, 

BESIX Foundation collected the old 

plans of projects TREBEL, Herstal 

Viaduct, Franki headquarters and 

worksites, which would otherwise 

have ended up in the bin, in 

order to produce... notepads! 

Savings for the 

company, a gesture 

for the environment 

and work for everybody. 

“This first test run was a success, 

with 564 notepads produced from 

our worksite plans. Eventually, these 

notepads will replace the BESIX 

promotional notepads!” says Julien 

Coubran, QHSE Advisor at BESIX, 

BYC member and project coordinator. 

AN ONGOING PROJECT 

Buoyed by this initial success, 

BESIX Foundation is continuing the 

collection process. Many new sites 

have started collecting: City Dox, 

WIM, STIB Haren. We encourage 

all our sites and subsidiaries to take 

part and start collecting used plans 

before they end up in the bin. 

THIS PROJECT OFFERS NUMEROUS 

ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL 

AND HUMAN BENEFITS 

→ A purchase price 31% below 

that of the current notepads 

→ Reducing our consumption of raw 

materials (and our CO 2 

footprint) 

→ Lowering our production 

of waste paper 

→ Promoting our image with 

our customers for projects 

targeting environmental labels 

like BREEAM / LEED / HQE 

→ Partnership with a Brussels social 

enterprise in line with our values 

Want to join in? 

Contact Julien Coubran - BESIX QHSE department 

or Donatienne de Spirlet - BESIX Foundation


A ‘CANTOU’ HOME IN FOREST 

On the eve of the Christmas holiday season, Jacques Delens delivered 

the two extensions of the Val des Roses nursing home in Forest, Brussels. 

BRAND NEW ‘CANTOU’ 

UNITS TO GROW OLD IN 

In Occitan (a regional language 

spoken predominantly across a wide 

area of Southern France), the term 

‘cantou’ means ‘by the fireside’. The 

principle of the cantou is that, unlike 

a traditional nursing home, which 

is designed rather like a hospital, 

bedrooms open onto the residents’ 

living area. On leaving their rooms, 

they step directly into areas where 

they are in contact with other 

residents. The Val des Roses care 

home specializes in caring for elderly 

persons suffering from behavioural 

disorders, confusion, or Alzheimer’s 

disease. Works were carried out in 

two phases. The first consisted of 

building three new units with 44 rooms 

arranged in horseshoe patterns 

around day rooms for everyday 

activities. These dayrooms were built 

using mushroom slabs making it 

possible to achieve 300 m² areas. 

Phase two involved the demolition 

of two existing wings and the 

reconstruction of a building containing 

all the technical premises, the 

restaurant and multi-purpose hall, the 

industrial kitchen, the administrative 

offices of the social services 

department, a nursery with 32 children 

fostering intergenerational exchanges 

with the nursing home residents and 

two ‘cantou’ units containing 32 rooms 

identical to those of phase 1. 

A TEAM UP TO THE CHALLENGE 

The main difficulties encountered 

during this second phase were, 

first, the unexpected discovery of 

contaminated soil, requiring technical 

and administrative procedures to 

be undertaken quickly so as not to 

interrupt the construction activities, 

and second, ensuring the continued 

operation of the remainder of the site. 

All this called for excellent organization 

of deliveries and special precautions 

to avoid interruptions of electricity, 

heating, telephony, fire detection 

systems, etc. A challenge fully met by 

the Jacques Delens teams on site!



41 

COLLABORATION AS ADDED VALUE DURING TENDER PHASE 

BESIX AND MOURIK 

GET THE GREEN LIGHT FOR ‘DOEN’ 

At the end of November 2016, BESIX and Mourik signed a MoA* in Amsterdam 

(the Netherlands) to work out the engineering phase of the ‘DOEN’ initiative, 

as the joint venture NU. The project, which includes the renovation of the 

Nijkerker bridge, received the name ‘DOEN’, Dutch for ‘to act’. The client, 

Rijkswaterstaat, consciously opted for an innovative way of tendering, in which 

there are less restrictive rules between all parties involved and in which the 

project’s price and scope aren’t leading directives of the selection procedure. 

The new selection criteria? Client-understanding, 

communication and collaboration. Components of the 

procurement process encompassed presenting our 

vision of the project, a collaboration assessment with 

the team of Rijkswaterstaat and our interpretation of the 

client’s needs. The contract will be drawn up in a later 

stage by all parties involved, including arrangements 

on scope, costs and risks. The result? A fitting 

procurement process saving both time and money. 

CONTACT BEATS CONTRACT 

Jan Hendrik Dronkers, Director General of Rijkswaterstaat, 

explains how they break with the traditional tendering 

procedures. Although a contract is required to settle 

arrangements, contact beats contract. “A shared 

behavior and culture, mutual equality and respect, 

professional communication and keeping both interests 

at heart must come first,” tells Jan Hendrik. 

INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS 

BESIX, along with trusted partner Mourik, is determined 

to bring the project to a successful conclusion: “This way 

of collaborating allows us to deliver added value in the 

tendering phase by working out integrated solutions,” 

says Jeroen Philtjens, Director of BESIX Nederland. 

RENOVATION OF THE NIJKERKER BRIDGE 

The 50-year-old Nijkerker bridge needs to be 

renovated in the third quarter of 2018 to last another 

30 years. The contract was signed during a threeday 

state visit of the Belgian royal couple to the 

Netherlands. The Nijkerker bridge was originally 

designed for traffic class 45. Since 1965, however, 

the traffic intensity has increased considerably. 

* Memorandum of Agreement

42 

// TECH TALK 

Our teams on site 

A tour de force in construction 

OUR TEAMS ON SITE 

A TOUR DE FORCE 

IN CONSTRUCTION 

Working day and night, our site teams 

go to great lengths to enhance the 

comfort of everyday life. In this edition 

of Inside magazine, we highlight 

two recent successful operations. 

Limmel lock, the Netherlands 

BICYCLE BRIDGE IJZERLAAN 

In the night of 3 and 4 December 2016, BESIX successfully put in 

place the new steel deck of the IJzerlaan bike bridge in Antwerp 

(Belgium), stretching over the Albert Canal. The operation went 

flawlessly, thanks to another remarkable piece of precision 

engineering of the BESIX engineering team. 

The new lock, which replaces the existing one which is nearly 

100 years old, will be the first lock in the world that is built and operated 

through a PPP-project (granted as a DBFM contract to BESIX/ 

REBEL by Rijkswaterstaat). The end of the works is scheduled for 

early 2018. 

The Flemish Minister for Mobility and Public Works, Ben Weyts, and 

the alderman for Mobility in Antwerp, Koen Kennis, visited the site 

and stressed the importance of the infrastructural works. The bicycle 

bridge is part of several projects by BESIX in the vicinity of the 

IJzerlaan, which include the widening of the Albert Canal and the 

renovation of the N1 IJzerlaan/Ing. Menneslaan. These works are 

preparing the region for the construction of the Oosterweel junction. 

DRAW DOOR FOR THE LIMMEL LOCK 

On 27 November 2016, BESIX successfully hoisted the steel level 

door of 180 tons in-between the two 22m-high towers in Maastricht 

(the Netherlands). This feat was accomplished in less than 24 hours. 

IJzerlaan bicycle bridge, Antwerp, Belgium



43 

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD? 

IT’S PART OF OUR DNA! 

JACQUES DELENS AND SOCOGETRA WIN AEDIFICAS AWARD 2016 

Last November, the Aedificas Foundation 

awarded its annual prizes for the 

fourth year running. The Foundation 

is an initiative of the Confederation of 

Construction and honors companies 

– in collaboration with non-profit 

organizations – that commit themselves 

to improving the lives of the deprived. 

Jacques Delens and Socogetra are two 

of the four winners of the 2016 edition. 

Jacques Delens & Poverello: EJD contributed to 

the renovation of a dormitory and several individual 

rooms in Brussels by finding suppliers and following 

up on the works. Poverello also received donated 

furniture and financial support for the installation 

of a rainwater tank and the installment of double 

glazing in their main center in Ixelles, Brussels. EJD 

also provided Poverello in Banneux with materials. 

Socogetra & Chèvrefeuille: Chèvrefeuille provides 

shelter and support for mothers and future mothers 

in distress in Ixelles. Socogetra helped to finance four 

apartments under the supervision of the non-profit 

organization. The apartments are available to mothers 

and their children looking for a temporary place to stay. 

Jacques Delens and Socogetra were awarded during 

the prize-giving ceremony of Aedificas in Brussels. 

Their projects were selected by an independent panel 

of judges based on their socially responsible character 

and for their cooperation with a non-profit organization 

that is dedicated to giving shelter to the less fortunate. 

Associations that cooperated with the winning 

companies each received a donation of €5,000. 

ADVOCATES OF SOLIDARITY 

This wasn’t the first Aedificas award for BESIX Group: 

in 2014 already, Jacques Delens was honored for its financial 

support to and active contribution in the construction of an 

inclusive residential community in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert 

for the non-profit association ‘Les fauteuils volants’, 

intended to welcome young adults with motoric disabilities. 

The same year, Wust was honored for its support to the 

‘Racynes’ association in the context of the sustainable 

construction of six lodgings on the fields of a children’s farm 

in Oupeye, meant to house young people from deprived 

families. In 2015, Cobelba-BESIX, in cooperation with 

‘Le Perron de L’Ilon’, was given the Aedificas Foundation 

prize for their contributions to the redevelopment of 

a new workshop for the non-profit organization, that 

stimulates both social and professional reintegration 

through training programs in the catering industry.

44 // FOR A BETTER WORLD 

SOCIAL ECONOMY 

In line with its CSR objectives, BESIX Group actively 

promotes social economy. Supporting the social 

inclusion and professional integration of people 

who face discrimination or are at risk of social 

exclusion, the Group firmly believes that creating 

opportunities for social economy operators is vital 

to stay competitive and to create added value. 

Since 2009, BESIX Foundation 

supports, among other initiatives, 

sheltered workshops and centers for 

the professional and social integration 

of the disabled or people who have 

difficulties integrating in the job 

market. After a thorough analysis 

in 2014, our own CSR network 

set up a concrete action plan. 

CONFIDENCE AND AUTONOMY 

Over the years, our regional entities 

have engaged in successful 

collaborations with social economy 

players on numerous occasions, 

both for specific tasks on-site 

and at the office. The sheltered 

workshops were given the 

opportunity to prove their skills and 

meet our expectations in terms of 

budget, deadline and quality. 

“I invite you and your colleagues, 

BESIX Group’s purchasers, to consult 

these organizations as soon as you 

need quotations for a specific service 

in your offices or on-site,” said Johan 

Beerlandt, CEO of BESIX Group. 

BESIX & SOCIAL ECONOMY 

→ BESIX, Franki Foundations and Jacques 

Delens ordered sweets of artisan bakery 

Farilu for the St. Nicholas event 

→ BESIX, Jacques Delens and Wust are 

working with ‘L’Atelier de l’Avenir’ in 

carpentry. This association notably 

participated in the works for the Belgian 

pavilion at Expo Milano 2015. 

→ BESIX Vlaanderen works with ‘De Groene 

Kans’, a social company active in the 

Westhoek region within the domains 

gardening and landscaping (picture). 

→ Vanhout works with ‘Alito’ for the realization 

of gardens and site surroundings 

→ BESIX Group recently selected Village N°1 

for the maintenance of the surroundings 

of its headquarters in Brussels 

More info? Contact Donatienne de Spirlet, BESIX Foundation, at 

info@besixfoundation.com. You can ask for a list, classified 

by region, of social economy companies working in Belgium in 

carpentry, maintenance of surroundings, painting and cleaning.


45 

SKI EGYPT 

LET IT SNOW 

Thrill-seekers will rejoice at the finalization 

of the SKI Egypt project, an indoor ski resort 

and snow park encompassed in the Mall 

of Egypt project. At the end of November 

2016, BESIX commenced the preparation to 

set up the unique snowmaking system. On 

December 1st it started to cool the building, 

and mid-December desert temperatures 

were transformed into a crisp -2°C. During 

the night between 15 and 16 December the 

first snow was produced. In the course of the 

last 12 months, the scenery of SKI Egypt has 

drastically changed from a building site into 

a one-of-a-kind world-class ski resort. 

The secret to our 

success? Drive 

and passion. 

“The whole team is proud to have built 

something that many now believe to be a 

new icon and landmark of Cairo and Egypt,” 

tells Vladimir Nikitovic, Project Manager at 

BESIX. “The road up to this moment was 

incredibly difficult with the need to overcome 

economic and political instability towards the 

SKI Egypt completion date. The secret to our 

success? Drive and passion.” 

Samih Sawiris, CEO of Orascom and Johan Beerlandt, CEO of BESIX Group 

MAYPOLE CEREMONY IN 

ANDERMATT, SWITZERLAND 

RADISSON BLU CELEBRATES AFTER 

BEING NAMED HOTEL OPERATOR 

The completion of the structural works 

for the Gotthard Hotel and Residences in 

Andermatt, Switzerland, was celebrated 

with a Maypole ceremony at the end 

of November 2016. Samih Sawiris, 

Chairman of the Board of Directors of 

Andermatt Swiss Alps AG (ASA), and 

Johan Beerlandt watched the festivities 

together with Lucas Conings, Deputy 

General Manager Contracting Operations 

at BESIX and Franz-Xaver Simmen, CEO 

of Andermatt Swiss Alps AG. During the 

party, international hotel chain Radisson 

Blu was officially presented as the new 

operator of the four-star hotel. 

Gotthard Hotel & Residences, Andermatt, Switzerland 

BESIX completed the carcassing in a 

record time of 13 months. As the completion 

was planned for the beginning of 

December, works have been perfectly on 

schedule. 

Both the interior of the buildings, and the facades, 

will be finished with wood and stone to 

reflect their natural surroundings as closely as 

possible. The hotel, with a total of 179 rooms, 

12 lofts, a restaurant, a bar, banquet and 

meeting facilities as well as a wellness center 

with a gym and an indoor pool, is now part of 

the Radisson Blu chain, which comprises over 

300 hotels in 69 countries. 

SKI Egypt, Mall of Egypt, Cairo, Egypt

46 

FURTHER 

EXPANSION 

INTO AFRICA 

EJD IN THE SPOTLIGHT 

FOODMET STANDS OUT 

AT THE ‘FEBE ELEMENTS AWARDS’ 

A bright new year, and the good news keeps 

pouring in. BESIX has just opened a new 

branch in South Africa on 10 January 2017 in 

Johannesburg, the country’s biggest city. We 

take much pride in our new location, since 

this branch will be strategically focusing on 

the Southern and Eastern African region. 

To fulfill this ambition, it was decided in the 

latter part of 2016 to exploit this exciting and 

potentially lucrative development market by 

setting up a regional branch in Johannesburg 

that warrants a completely different perspective 

as opposed to efforts driven from a 

department in the Head Office. 

Last November, Foodmet, a Jacques Delens project, 

scooped an Award in the category ‘Precast in 

Buildings’ at the annual Federation of the Concrete 

Industry (FEBE*) Awards Ceremony. The building 

is the pilot project of the redevelopment master 

plan for the ‘Slaughterhouses’ site in Anderlecht, 

Brussels. Foodmet includes commercial space, 

a restaurant, an urban farm, a parking lot, a logistics 

area and a hall which will accommodate food 

markets. 

Foodmet captured the award because of its 

large, precast concrete panels which are adorned 

with large cutouts in geometrical shapes. Its 

remarkable approach to both design and functional 

implementation give Foodmet a unique identity. 

A well-deserved award for the EJD team! 

“With this objective in mind, we have 

decided to locate the office on the spot, 

serving not just as an excellent platform of 

connectivity to the Southern and Eastern 

African region, but also complying with the 

local requirements of the current business 

development initiatives in South Africa,” 

tells Jacob Corneelsen, Business Acquisition 

Manager Marine Works at BESIX.

BESIX INSIDE 101 // Spring edition 2017 47 

THE VELSERTUNNEL REOPENS 

WITH A NOD TO ITS PAST 

Opening of the Velsertunnel, the Netherlands 

The renovation works of the iconic Velsertunnel, listed 

as Dutch national heritage, have been completed. 

After a preparation phase which lasted two years, 

the actual renovation works were carried out by the 

Hyacint combination (BESIX, Dura Vermeer, Spie and 

Croon Electrotechnics) in only 20 weeks! 

Despite the relatively short closure period, people 

were very impatient to see the tunnel’s new look. 

6,000 runners were able to sneak a peek during 

the ‘Velsertunnelrun’, a race of 7.68 km of which 

768 m runs through the newly renovated tunnel. On 

8 January, the tunnel opened to the public again 

on the occasion of the ‘Days of the Public’, during 

which 10,000 spectators marveled at pictures of the 

renovation and heavy building equipment. 

Ultimately, on 16 January, the renovated Velsertunnel 

could finally reopen. Rijkswaterstaat, wanting to 

recreate the original opening of 1957, had a parade 

of old-timers drive through the refurbished tunnel. 

A celebratory nod to the past! 

COOKING WITH VANHOUT 

Koken als ‘s 

Vanhout published the 4th edition 

of its cookbook. It carries the 

name ‘Buitengewoon Lekker, 

Koken als Vanhout’s’. 

The past three years, Vanhout 

shared its kitchen with its employees, 

their families, construction 

partners and sympathizers. 

Meanwhile, this unique concept 

has become an integral part of 

Vanhout’s strategy. A long-term 

strategy in which they strive daily 

to build lasting relationships with 

their clients. 

“People work better together 

when they get to know each other 

better. A close team benefits the 

quality of our projects. Cooking 

together can lead to constructive 

partnerships, which has been 

demonstrated frequently in the 

past years. But most of all, we 

just really enjoy creating a new 

book every year!” 

In this edition, Vanhout employees 

have once again shared their most 

original creations. Their recipe for 

success? Teamwork! 

GET YOUR OWN COPY OF 

VANHOUT’S COOKBOOK! 

The first 10 people to send an 

email request to 

communication@besix.com 

will receive a copy of the 

book, so be quick! 

Please note that the cookbook 

is only available in Dutch.

48 

// OUTLOOK 

New projects 

won 

DE BLEKERIJ DIEST 

Residential project opposite the railway station 

of Diest. 

Buildings, Vanhout 

PUMP STATIONS AND GATES 

MARCHIENNE-AU-PONT, 

MARCHIENNE AND VIESVILLE 

Modernization of pump stations and gates 

of 3 locks. Sanotec takes on the electromechanical 

works. 

Marine Works, BESIX - Sanotec 

BNP PARIBAS FORTIS HEAD OFFICE BRUSSELS 

New BNP Paribas Fortis head office along the 

Montagne du Parc with a capacity for 4,500 

people on a total surface of 103,500 m². 

Buildings, BESIX (in JV with Eiffage) 

RE-ELECTRIFICATION AND LINEAR 

CIVIL ENGINEERING LAVAUX-HABAY 

Re-electrification and linear civil engineering 

works of the LAVAUX – HABAY line (Line 162 

between Namur and Luxembourg) and works 

at the railway station of Marbehan. 

Infrastructure, Socogetra 

PROJECT IMPÉRIALE JAMBES 

Transformation of the old Bister mustard factory 

into a mixed-use building with 28 residences, a 

multifunctional hall and 200 m² office space. 

Buildings, Cobelba 

RENOVATION UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL OF 

SAINT-LUC WOLUWE-SAINT-LAMBERT 

Renovation works of the fertility clinic of the 

University Hospital of Saint-Luc and renovation 

works of the department of physical medicine. 

Buildings, Sud Construct 

OFFICE BUILDING MONS 

A new office building with a total surface 

of 4,000 m² on the Initialis site, which will 

function as a new base for the departments 

Charleroi, Mons, Tournai and Le Rœul of the 

Construction Confederation Hainaut. 

Buildings, Bagetra - Cobelba 

RESIDENTIAL PROJECT AND 

WAREHOUSE PERWEZ 

Construction of a residential project 

and a warehouse. 

Buildings, Sud Construct 

RINGROAD MARCHE-EN-FAMENNE 

Phase 6 of the ringroad works 

in Marche-en-Famenne. 

Infrastructure, Socogetra


49 

NEW BERTH MINA KHALID PORT SHARJAH 

New berth in breakwater reclamation 

area at Mina Khalid Port. 

Marine Works, Six Construct 

INFRASTRUCTURE WORLD EXPO 2020 DUBAI 

Realisation of the infrastructure 

for the Dubai World Expo 2020. 

Infrastructure, Six Construct & Orascom 

U.A.E. 

OFFICE BUILDING ETERNIT 

KAPELLE-OP-DEN-BOS 

A new and energy-neutral office building for 

Eternit. 

Buildings, Vanhout 

BELGIUM 

RESIDENTIAL PROJECT GEMBLOUX 

Residential project of 97 flats, 900 m² 

commercial space, 36 student rooms 

and 115 underground parking spots. 

Buildings, Cobelba (in JV with Lixon) 

SUBSTATION BRUSSELS 

Construction of a new traction substation 

in Schaarbeek. 

Infrastructure, Socogetra 

RECONSTRUCTION BELGIAN PAVILION NAMUR 

Reconstruction of the Belgian Pavilion for the 

Expo Milano 2015 on the esplanade of the 

Citadel of Namur. 

Buildings, Cobelba 

LE GRAND MANÈGE NAMUR 

Realization of a new complex complete with a 

philharmonic concert hall. 

Buildings, Cobelba (40%) - Wust (60%) 

REFURBISHMENT BRUSSELS 

Refurbishment of a technical RGT Room and 

extensions for the European Parliament Building. 

Buildings, Jacques Delens 

RESIDENTIAL PROJECT UCCLE 

Residential project ‘Engeland’: a combination 

of homes and flats. 

Buildings, Jacques Delens

50 

// PERSONALIA 

PERSONALIA 

NEW COLLEAGUES 

ABREU Jesus 

ALBERTYN Steven 

ALVES Mario 

BAZIN Nicolas 

BECKERS Chiel 

BERGHMANS Steven 

BRUYNEEL Bart 

BURY Nathalie 

CARESMEL Tony 

COLOT Martin 

CROCHET David 

DEBY Benoît 

DECLEVE Arnaud 

DEVILLE Pieter-Jan 

DE KEYSER Sonia 

DEWILDE Wim 

DOSSOGNE Thierry 

DUART Jean-François 

EJJEH Maamoun 

EL MASSOUDI Mohamed 

FERY Didier 

GERARD Simon 

GREANT Albert 

HOUET Marie 

HUYBRECHTS Tom 

KEYAERTS Jean-François 

Six Construct (Egypt) 

BESIX 

WUST 

Atlas Fondations 

VANHOUT 

VANHOUT 

VANHOUT 

WUST 

Six Construct (Qatar) 



WUST 

EJD 


BESIX RED 





BESIX PARK 

WUST 

SOCOGETRA 


WUST 



LAMBERMONT Myriam 

LARCHER Benoît 

LEROY Thibault 

L’HOYES Michiel 

LUNIANGA Alain 

MADSEN Lars 

MA Jingxing 

MAERTENS Stefaan 

MOPSUS Alexandre 

MUSELLE Bernard 

NOUBISSI Wilfried 

PEIRTSEGAELE Sigried 

PEUPIER Laura 

QUINZAIN Guillaume 

RENIERS Milan 

RIBBENS Kelly 

ROBERTSON Hughes 

SALMAN Hilal 

SEZGIN Ersin 

SPAEPEN Willem 

STRUYVE Thomas 

TRANCHANT Eric 

VAN AELST Yannick 

VAN DER DONCKT Peter 

VAN DIEVOET Maxime 

VERMEERSCH Thomas 




VANHOUT 






COBELBA 






BESIX PARK 

Six Construct (Egypt) 

Six Construct (UAE) 

WUST 

VANHOUT 


Six Construct (UAE) 


West Construct 

EJD 

West Construct 

Welcome and all the best 

with your new job! 

FROM 

TO 

TRANSFER 

CONIGLIO Mario Six Construct (Qatar) EJD 

CORNEELSEN Jacob BESIX Six Construct (South Africa) 

DE KINDER Joris Six Construct (Egypt) BESIX 

DESCARTES Jean-Claude BESIX Six Construct (Qatar) 

FERREIRA Antonio BESIX BESIX Switzerland 

GAILLARD Frédéric BESIX (Montenegro) BESIX 

MONTEIRO Humberto Six Construct (Egypt) BESIX France 

NAGELS Bart Six Construct (UAE) BESIX Group 

RONSMANS Nathalie West Construct BESIX 

SANTOS Sergio Six Construct (Egypt) BESIX Switzerland 

STREPPEL Manfred BESIX Nederland Six Construct (Egypt) 

VERSELE Pierrick Six Construct (Saudi Arabia) BESIX 

WROBLEWSKI Dominik BESIX Poland Six Construct (Egypt)


51 

15 – 20 – 25 – 30 – 35 – 40 

YEARS OF SERVICE 

BEHAEGHEL Dieter BESIX 15 years 

BERRETTA Angelo Franki Foundations Belgium 15 years 

DAMSEAUX Didier BESIX 15 years 

DE BIE Steven BESIX Group 15 years 

DECAMPS Stéphane BESIX 15 years 

DETHIER Joël WUST 15 years 

ENGELS Sébastien WUST 15 years 

GRAAS Laurent BESIX RED 15 years 

LAMBERT Philippe WUST 15 years 

MARTIN Ludovic WUST 15 years 

PANG CHEI KIT Ken BESIX 15 years 

PENALOZA Andres BESIX 15 years 

RAVYSE Bert BESIX 15 years 

SERVAIS Nicolas SOCOGETRA 15 years 

SFEIR Elias Six Construct (Qatar) 15 years 

STREPPEL Johannes Six Construct (Egypt) 15 years 

SUEUR Didier BESIX 15 years 

VANDENDUNGEN Rudi BESIX 15 years 

VANDENHENDE Ronald BESIX 15 years 

VANDER MEULEN Hubert BESIX 15 years 

VERMEERSCH Karel BESIX 15 years 

WISLET Gino WUST 15 years 

CIARDO Cosimo BESIX 20 years 

COLLARD Philippe WUST 20 years 

DUBOIS Philippe COBELBA 20 years 

DUMONT Pierre SOCOGETRA 20 years 

GUEBEL Freddy COBELBA 20 years 

LIBAN Armand SOCOGETRA 20 years 

LIPPENS Sven Six Construct (UAE) 20 years 

MINOT Roger COBELBA 20 years 

PEYNSAERT Patriek BESIX 20 years 

RAFI Mehdi BESIX 20 years 

SEYKENS Koen VANHOUT 20 years 

TARNUS Jean-Paul COBELBA 20 years 

TORTOLANI Gino EJD 20 years 

WALRAVENS Wilfried EJD 20 years 

BAUDOUX Christine BESIX RED 25 years 

BUSUITO Antonio WUST 25 years 

CALLEBAUT Paul Six Construct (Sri Lanka) 25 years 

DELMARCHE Franz BESIX 25 years 

DEMEULEMEESTER Jan BESIX 25 years 

JERME Thierry WUST 25 years 

KAVAK Halit WUST 25 years 

MICHAUX Hugues EJD 25 years 

MIJNENDONCKX Paul VANHOUT 25 years 

VAN HOYWEGHE Erik BESIX 25 years 

WEILER Jean-Paul SOCOGETRA 25 years 

DESADELEER Agnes EJD 30 years 

VAN DEN LANGENBERGH Jef VANHOUT 30 years 

FERNANDEZ Juan Carlos BESIX 35 years 

HENROT Marie-Louise BESIX 40 years 

MULLER Manfred WUST 40 years 

MONTOISY Pierre BESIX 40 years 

MOORTGAT Guido BESIX 40 years 

VAN VAERENBERGH Rudi BESIX 40 years 

VERDICK Bart VANHOUT 40 years 

WARNY Felix Six Construct (UAE) 40 years 

Thank you for your 

contribution and all the 

best with your further 

career in our Group! 

BRAECKMAN-D’HONDT Emiel 

MESA TEJEDOR Manuel 

RETIREMENT 


CEDRON Jean-Pol 


DONCKELS Roger 

WUST 

HANS Marc 

WUST 


NEUFKENS Jenny 


VAN DAMME Ronny 

WEST CONSTRUCT 

VERDULT René 

VANHOUT 

Thank you for your 

loyalty to the 

BESIX Group and 

enjoy your retirement!

INSIDE 

BESIX SCOOPS FIRST PRIZE 

DURING MOBILITY WEEK 

PROMOTING ALTERNATIVE WAYS 

OF GOING TO WORK 

Our efforts and aspirations towards a greener 

mobility approach haven’t gone unnoticed. On 31 

January 2017, the Brussels Minister of Mobility 

bestowed BESIX with the ‘getting to work without 

a car’ award, within the framework of the Mobility 

Salon. This €2,500-prize rewards the actions 

taken by BESIX during the Mobility Week. 

Following the initiatives taken throughout the 

year, numerous employees took part in the 

Mobility Week: trying out electric bikes and public 

transportation as an alternative way of transport, 

taking part in the ‘Mobility’ edition of our Smart 

breakfast, etc. 

“This award is first and foremost the 

accomplishment of every employee at BESIX 

and we would like to thank you all for that,” 

says Julien Coubran, Mobility Coordinator at 

BESIX. The prize money will be reinvested to 

develop and further improve our infrastructure 

for our staff opting for sustainable means of 

transportation, such as a bike or going by foot. 

COLOPHON 

CONTACT 

Published by Nathalie Meert 

Chief editor Thierry Dossogne 

Editorial staff Geert Aelbrecht, Fabian Boucher, Wim Claesen, 

Thierry Dossogne, Gunter Egghe, René Jordens, Nathalie Meert, 

Jean Polet, Carlo Schreurs, Celine Verloigne 

Creation & Production www.linknv.be 

Collaborators Frédéric Berthe, Lilo Castellaci, Véronique Cortvrindt, 

Julien Coubran, Bart De Bruyckere, Johan De Cat, Mieke De Grande, 

Olivier De Ridder, Johan De Rouck, Xavier Debruche, Mathieu Dechamps, 

Stanislas Dehem, Lionel Delhaye, Patrick Delperdange, Stijn Dhoore, 

Virginie De Mey, Donatienne de Spirlet, Werner De Vos, Xavier Farina, Jean-Louis 

Govaerts, François Guiot, Marie-Louise Henrot, Frédéric Kennes, Raphaël 

Legendre, Bert Lenaerts, Isabelle Liefferinckx, Ines Meyus, Fabio Montellier, 

Juan Nolet, Olivier Paulus, Xavier Raucroix, Carlo Schreurs, Fabian Sinapi, Philip 

Smits, François Springuel, Thomas Vandenbergh, Fabienne Van Ophalvens, Klaas 

Van Wolvelaer, Caroline Verkest, team EJD, team Franki Foundations Belgium, 

team Socogetra, team Vanhout, team West Construct, team Wust. 

BESIX Group SA 

Av. des Communautés 100 

B-1200 Brussels 

T +32 (0)2 402 62 11 

F +32 (0)2 402 62 00 

communication@BESIX.com 

@BESIX Official, @BESIXjobs, @BESIXByc 

www.linkedin.com/company/BESIX 

@BESIXOfficial

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