The Netherlands is a country of bridges. There are more than 1200 in the capital Amsterdam alone. The country's largest bridge builder has found the formula for success: Flexibility, fine craftsmanship and Fiberline bridge decks.

Haasnoot Bruggen BV is the largest bridge construction firm in the Netherlands and since 1962 has built more than 10,000 pedestrian, cycle and road bridges nationwide. Haasnoot previously used only wood and steel but in 2001 the company built its first bridge using a deck made of GRP composite. Haasnoot's Chief Executive Arjan Bakker explains the reasons they turned to using this new material:

"We were looking for a material with high strength and outstanding durability. The Netherlands is bordered by the North Sea, which means that bridge decks must be resistant to salt water. Our climate generally - combined with heavy use of road salt – also necessitate the use of corrosion-resistant material. In addition, it is vital that the deck is not made of a water-absorbent material like wood as this can have major consequences for bridge weight."

Arjan Bakker - www.haasnootbruggen.nl

Since 2001 Haasnoot has built more than 2000 bridges using Fiberline decks. According to Arjan Bakker, GRP composite has proven to be the most cost-effective material on the market, combining minimal maintenance costs with extremely long service life.

"The low level of maintenance required with GRP composite is also an important factor for many public authorities as it enables them to avoid much of the traffic disruption that usually results when bridges are closed for maintenance," says Arjan Bakker.

Made in the factory – assembled on site
Traffic disruption is also minimized by the speed with which bridges can be manufactured industrially and then assembled on site on pre-installed foundations. This is only possible using a lightweight material for the bridge deck.

"All our bridges are factory-built and then simply transported to their final destination. GRP composite is ideal for this purpose as it weighs significantly less than conventional materials such as steel and concrete," says Arjan Bakker.

Sustainable solution with massive potential
Today, 92% of all bridges supplied by Haasnoot are equipped with Fiberline decks, and both companies are convinced it is only a matter of time before bridge builders in the rest of Europe become aware of the advantages of GRP composite.

"Bridge solutions made of GRP composite are the future. Not only because GRP composite is lightweight, strong and durable but because products made of GRP composite are energy-efficient to both manufacture and use. A study carried out by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment has found GRP composite to be a highly sustainable alternative to conventional materials like steel, aluminium and concrete in a life cycle perspective," says Fiberline's CEO and owner Henrik Thorning.

See Fiberline's selection of planks and bridge decks

Read the Dutch life cycle analysis of a bridge (PDF)