Speakers
Below you will find more information about the speakers presenting during the symposium. Three talks will introduce the main themes from different industry perspectives: a client, an engineering firm, and a contractor. Each speaker will share their company’s viewpoint on various circular strategies. Following these presentations, the floor will be given to a pioneering speaker in the field, who will share an innovative perspective on the political side of circularity.
Speaker Topic
Below you can find an overview of our speakers per topic:
Re-use
Wietse de Jong
Project Manager
Wietse de Jong is a project manager at Rijkswaterstaat, working on large-scale infrastructure projects with a strong focus on circularity. He leads the development of the Circular Yard in Dordrecht, where steel bridge components are stored, refurbished, and reused, and has been involved in pioneering projects on girder reuse and circular viaducts.
With a hands-on background from construction to project management, Wietse brings a practical and system-level perspective to circular design. In his keynote, he will discuss how circularity can contribute to resilient infrastructure in a complex and uncertain (VUCA) world, and what is needed to make this shift possible in practice.
Re-use
José Paredes Pineda
Astrid Elzas
Structural Testing Specialist
Materials Specialist
José Paredes Pineda is a structural engineer at Nebest and holds an MSc and EngD from Delft University of Technology. He specializes in testing and assessing existing concrete structures. At the symposium, he will share how field testing of reclaimed concrete girders enables their safe reuse, contributing to more sustainable infrastructure.
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Astrid Elzas is a materials specialist at Nebest with a PhD from Delft University of Technology. She focuses on material behaviour, failure analysis, and testing of metals. Her talk explores the reuse of structural steel, highlighting how testing and regulations impact the feasibility of circular design.
Re-design
Deborah Dekker
Freek Schaap
Structural Engineer & Sustainability Advisor
Senior Design Leader
Deborah Dekker is a structural engineer and sustainability advisor at BAM, with a background from Delft University of Technology. She focuses on integrating circularity and sustainability into everyday engineering practice. At the symposium, she will introduce BAM’s perspective on sustainability, circularity, and redesign, supported by project examples.
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Freek Schaap is a design leader at BAM with extensive experience in projects ranging from offices to high-rise residential buildings. He will present an in-depth case study of the renovation of Rijnstraat 8, highlighting the role of circularity in large-scale redevelopment.
PIONEER SPEAKER
More information coming soon...