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Handbook of nature-inclusive bridges and quay walls

placeholder avatar Aldo Rippen Author placeholder avatar Maurice Backerra Author placeholder avatar Jorine Noordman Author

Standard requirements and menu of additional measures for renewal, renovation and life extension of bridges and quay walls

This handbook includes the technical elaboration of the Nature Inclusive Building (NiB) for the (partial) rehabilitation of bridges and quay walls of the City of Amsterdam. The nature-inclusive measures for bridges and quay walls are part of the city-wide policy task to make nature and biodiversity part of the construction and development task of the city. Amsterdam desires resilience and good health for a sustainable future for people, plants and animals. A livable city and a healthy ecosystem on land, on water and in the air. The city must be resilient to changing climate. This is safeguarded in various policy documents, including the Amsterdam 2050 environmental vision and the Amsterdam municipality's 2020-2050 green vision. An important principle of these visions is the 'Green unless' principle, whereby public space is basically green except when other functions or qualities make this impossible.

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To implement the above, this manual distinguishes between generic customer requirements and project-specific nature-inclusive measures for the bridges, quay walls and adjacent ground level. The generic customer requirements (see Chapter 2) are translated one-to-one into the contract requirements, unless it is necessary to deviate from them. If so, sufficient justification must be given ('Green, unless'). In addition to the generic client requirements, there are project-specific additional measures for nature-inclusive construction. These measures are included in the menu (Chapter 3) and further detailed in the separate appendix document. These are aimed at an optimal approach to the ecosystem at ground level, on the structure and in the water, appropriate to the project-specific goals and the nature-inclusive task in the environment. The expertise of policymakers, ecologists, designers and engineers will be used to make the right decisions.

Publication: Municipality of Amsterdam, Bridges and Quay Walls Program
amsterdam.nl/bruggenkademurenaandegrachten.amsterdam

Publication date
October 2024

Coordination, text and editing: Marije Langstraat, Maurice Backerra and Jorine Noordman

Photos and Illustrations
Maurice Backerra, Gary Bakker, Ton Denters, Robert Dwars, Tom Feenstra,
Marije Langstraat, Alphons Nieuwenhuis and Koen Wonders


NOTE: The appendix has been added as of 10-06-2025. This is a separate document and can be downloaded via the link below.

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