Digital tool for earthquake damage repair Groningen

Twee mannen kijken naar de plattegrond van een huis

Digital tool accelerates building reinforcement in
Groningen earthquake area

The problem is known to us all: natural gas extraction in Groningen has caused significant damage to buildings. Repairing this damage and reinforcing the structures is therefore a high priority. Since no building is the same, and environmental factors constantly vary, each building requires a unique set of reinforcement measures. If the necessary measures have to be determined for each building individually, it would take at least 20 years to complete all renovations. So the question arose: how do we select the most suitable measures without this becoming a time-consuming process?

Nomination Dutch

Interactive Award

Dutch Design
Award

Industry

Construction

Phase

Validate, Develop, Grow

Solution

Community platforms

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Solution

The digital measures catalog

In a socially charged context, we developed a methodology together with Haskoning and VolkerWessels company Visser and Smit Bouw to generate large-scale, customized reinforcement recommendations: the Groningen Measures Catalog. The web tool brings together more than 150 reinforcement measures. The measures are divided into different problem areas in buildings and then categorized by family, type of measure, and variants. Each measure contains important technical information, such as costs per square meter, material specifications, structural function, and impact on space usage.

Result

Speed, uniformity, and scalability

We have made significant steps in simplifying and clarifying the complex renovation process. The joint effort of various stakeholders within construction, government, and the community in Groningen has resulted in a much quicker implementation of measures and improved safety for residents. Currently, over 575 professionals across 20 organizations are using the tool. By utilizing the catalog, engineers and executing parties ensure that knowledge and practical experience on reinforcement measures are shared. No one needs to reinvent the wheel; parties select an existing and proven measure.

Our approach

Engage users

The first thing we needed to do was to understand the process in detail. So, we worked alongside engineers and mapped out the process and the needs of all stakeholders. By combining standardization at the core of the process and the product with digitalization, we replaced a largely manual and labor-intensive process—which requires a lot of expertise—with the digital Groningen Measures Catalog. Based on practical experiences with the tool, we continue to improve the process. All with the aim of restoring Groningen as quickly as possible and making it earthquake-resistant.