SUSTAINABLE & CIRCULAR
Discontinuous hot-dip galvanized steel is very commonly used in infrastructure applications to provide decades of maintenance-free use. The search for circular solutions offers significant opportunities for renovation and reuse of these ubiquitous galvanized steel components.
Under the leadership of Rijkswaterstaat, an investigation was conducted into the possibilities for direct reuse or renovation of guard rails. The project involving installers, crash barrier suppliers and galvanizers, supported by the specialized agencies TwynstraGudde and LBPSight, placed the entire chain under the “microscope of the circular economy. The approach has already been implemented in a validation project on Dutch roads.
Below is a quote from the final report published in 2021:
“We determined together that it is both technically and economically possible, thanks to an open attitude and everyone’s enthusiasm. Renovation of guide rails is logical but does not happen automatically,” said Henk Senhorst, project manager for Rijkswaterstaat. Rijkswaterstaat’s decision to switch to reuse and re-galvanizing was driven by a number of important evaluations. These showed that guard rails are often replaced for reasons related to other road maintenance, while they still have a remaining life span of +/- 24 years. These products can be directly reused on the road system. Used guard rails that are re-galvanized can be refurbished with significant benefits compared to new “raw” installations. They deliver:
– 40% reduction in environmental costs
– 70% reduction in CO2 emissions
– 10% reduction in costs
The flow chart below clearly illustrates what the new approach will look like.
The renovation of guide rails (guard rails) can be put into practice in a responsible manner. Renovating and reusing gives significant environmental benefits, with environmental cost savings of up to 70 percent. In addition, renovation is cheaper than producing new and fits within the strict safety requirements that apply to guard rails. This appears to be an exploration by Rijkswaterstaat, organizational consulting firms TwynstraGudde and LBPSight, contractors involved, suppliers of guide rails and galvanizing companies.
Making guide rails circular is one of the ways for Rijkswaterstaat to work circularly by 2030 and thus use as few primary raw materials as possible. The exploration of circular guide rails has looked at the entire renovation chain, whereby used guide rails are given a next life by disassembling, cleaning, dezincing and re-galvanizing the rail to then be reinstalled along the road.
Shared picture
TwynstraGudde and LBPSight as independent parties guided the process around the exploration, so that all interests were weighed up and everyone could contribute from their own expertise. This created a shared picture of the business case and all chain parties expressed their commitment. ‘With a working group of contractors, galvanizers, a renovation company and suppliers, we had intensive discussions to examine all aspects of renovation. This enabled us to establish together that it is technically and economically feasible. Thanks to an open attitude and enthusiasm from everyone, we succeeded. Now we are moving forward together to set up the validation project. Renovation of guide rails is logical, but it doesn’t happen by itself,’ says Henk Senhorst, project manager from Rijkswaterstaat.
Validation project
On the one hand, the validation project aims to gain knowledge and experience with the chain parties on technical and organizational aspects of the renovation chain. On the other hand, it aims to demonstrate that the renovation chain is the choice for the future on which the chain parties will focus. Meanwhile, a major maintenance project of a national highway has been selected with which the design of the renovation chain will be validated in execution in late 2020 and early 2021.
Parties involved
The following parties are involved and endorse working with reused guide rails: Rijkswaterstaat, Bouwend Nederland, BAM, Berm Beveiliging Nederland, Heijmans, Zinkinfo, Arosso, Laura Metaal, SafeRoad, Steel Constructions, and Van Doorn Geldermalsen.
