The 2026/3 issue of Cement contains a variety of interesting articles. This issue includes, among others, a feature on the De Maasbode project in Rotterdam, Paris Proof concrete, the so called Knowledge Triangle in concrete construction, and the role of a Lead Structural Engineer.
Building Robustly with Precast Concrete
Connection of precast elements in De Maasbode, Rotterdam, leads to significant capacity improvement
Authors:
Jorrit van Ingen MSEng RC, WSP
Robin van Gerwen PMSE, WSP
In today’s housing market, characterized by persistent price increases, limited supply, and growing shortages, the realization of De Maasbode in Rotterdam can be considered a bright spot. The residential tower contributes 94 homes to help address this societal challenge.
A striking feature of the building is the three-storey family homes located along an internal street on the upper floors. The construction method is equally remarkable, as the tower has largely been built using precast concrete.
Read the full article in Dutch
fib Bulletin 109 on Testing and Monitoring Existing Structures
Authors:
Rob Vergoossen MSc, Haskoning
Jasper Doorgeest MSc, Rijkswaterstaat Major Projects and Maintenance (GPO)
The recently published fib Bulletin 109, “Existing Concrete Structures, Life Management, Testing and Structural Health Monitoring”, provides practical overviews and guidelines for the testing, assessment, and monitoring of concrete structures.
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The Glass Half Full
Column – Maurice Hermens
“AI may seem suddenly ubiquitous, but it is the result of decades of development. [...] We must recognize that all major developments started with small steps.”
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How Can Concrete Become Paris Proof?
From Grey Concrete to a Green Process
Authors:
Ronald Wenting RO MSc
Kars Haarhuis MSc
Pierre Hendrikx MSc
ABT
Achieving Paris Proof concrete requires a broad approach. It is not only about reducing the CO? impact of the material itself or increasing the reuse of concrete, but also about process improvements, design choices, optimization strategies, and safeguarding sustainability ambitions.
To gain insight into all these aspects, a “Concrete Compass” has been developed.
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Shrinkage: Theory Versus Practice
Learned Something New (6)
Author:
Jeroen Meijdam MSc, Boskalis
Shrinkage plays a major role in the structural behaviour of concrete structures. If shrinkage is greater than assumed in the design, for example because a different concrete mix is used, it can introduce significant risks.
A practical example involving a bearing corbel clearly demonstrates these risks. To mitigate them, close cooperation between the concrete technologist and the structural engineer is essential.
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Engineering Intuition?!
Column – Rayaan Ajouz, Talent of the Year
“If we continue to expect engineering intuition to develop automatically while engineers spend most of their time behind a screen, we are making things unnecessarily difficult for ourselves.”
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Damage Detection in Tooth-and-Notch Connections Using Monitoring
Lessons from the Naardertrekvaart Bridge
Author:
Amco de Jong MSc, Dura Vermeer
Half-joint connections are known to be sensitive to degradation. The greatest vulnerability is located in the internal corner, which, because of its position in the joint, is almost impossible to inspect visually. A monitoring system offers a promising alternative to visual inspection, but interpreting the measurement data in order to determine the condition of the half-joint connection is not straightforward. The monitoring system on the Naardertrekvaart Bridge and the graduation research into measurement data provide a first insight into how damage to half-joint connections can be determined from the measurement data. It also provides insight into the potential of different monitoring strategies.
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Concrete in Focus – An Egyptian in Paris
Student Housing: La Maison d’Égypte, Paris, France
Author:
Kirsten Hannema MSc
Located directly alongside Paris’s ring road on the campus of the Cité Internationale Universitaire, the distinctive Maison d’Égypte immediately stands out. The student housing complex is recognizable by its two monumental precast-concrete end façades featuring “engraved” hieroglyphics.
The building evokes associations with the massive stone architecture of ancient Egypt while also fitting into the context of contemporary Parisian residential blocks. The ochre-coloured, textured concrete was specially developed for this project.
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Without a Lead Structural Engineer, Building Is a Gamble
Opinion
Author:
Prof. Cees Kleinman, Higher Technical Institute (HTI)
Ensuring structural safety has received considerable attention for many years. Yet progress appears limited. Part of the solution lies in appointing a single lead structural engineer for every project, combining the roles of design engineer and coordinating engineer. This would improve responsibility, coordination, and the safeguarding of structural safety.
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The Young Structural Engineer
In this section, we meet Paul Brink. He discusses one of his first projects – the transformation of the former V&D department store in Leiden – and shares his views on the structural engineering profession.
Read the full article in Dutch
Read in Structural Concrete
Structural Concrete Vol. 27/1 (February 2026) contains a variety of papers. This article presents Dutch summaries of a selection considered particularly relevant for Cement readers:
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