SealteQ strengthens FC Groningen: stadium renovation begins

“VasteState Property Management, the manager of the stadium in Groningen among others, approached me in the summer of 2020. The manager asked if I could provide advice on the renovation and then create a plan to extend the lifespan of the roof structure. During my years at SealteQ, we have already completed many special projects – lighthouses, bridges, assignments for NAM and Gasunie, you name it – but a football stadium was not yet on our list.”

Not all parts of the roof structure are easy to reach, Marcel noticed after visiting the stadium. To access the hard-to-reach areas, aerial work platforms are needed. “How do you get large equipment onto the football field and stands if the doors aren’t big enough to pass through? Vitos, one of our partners, brainstormed with us. They clean the steel before we renovate.” Why not dismantle an aerial work platform and reassemble it on the second tier of the stands? “I thought that was a good idea and included it in my proposal. So, when we start working from the second tier next year, we’ll build one on the stands.”

What are We Going to Do at FC Groningen?

“In short, we clean all the steel, roughen up the old layers, remove rust where necessary, and apply two layers of coating to the structure,” Marcel explains. We don’t do this alone. Besides Vitos, specialized in cleaning, we also engage Machinefabriek Rusthoven. “Partners we have often worked with over the years. We know each other well, understand the trade, and complement each other – as in the case of the aerial work platform at FC Groningen – very well.”

The first team can continue to play in the stadium during home matches. That was a condition. The aerial work platform used on the field is driven back to the parking garage after each workday. The aerial work platform on the second tier will remain on the stands next year. “It’s not the eyecatcher you want to see in a stadium,” Marcel acknowledges. “That’s why we wrap the aerial work platform in green and white, the colors of FC Groningen. When football is played next year, the aerial work platform will be under an FC Groningen-green cover in the corner. As a visitor, you will hardly notice our presence.”

What Do the Coming Years Look like?

The stadium has three tiers, on which SealteQ works in different ways. “Under the roof, we work with a rolling scaffold. For the other tiers, we use a spider lift, from the field and the stands. We start with the top tier and half of the section above the field. In 2022, we will tackle the inner ring, the last part above the field, and under the roof.”

Not all of the roof structure can be renovated in bad weather. Marcel took this into account in his project plan. “We anticipated that we could always continue working in rainy weather. If it unexpectedly starts to rain, we work under the roof. There is room for that until the end of the assignment. This way, our work does not get delayed.”

FC Groningen Belongs to Everyone

“So, everyone has an opinion about it,” says Marcel. “For us and our client, the most important thing is to stay on schedule. I want the work to be carried out as planned. With a smart solution that causes the least disruption in the stadium. Each week, you want to have made the progress as planned. And it should be clear to everyone what needs to be done. Of course, we always take risks into account, but we don’t want setbacks. We can largely prevent that by making a good plan in advance.”

After the renovation, the stadium manager will hardly need to look at the structure for the next fifteen years. “This is due to our maintenance plan – the long-term work – in which we have proven to be strong. We build in inspection moments so that we continuously know the condition of the structure. This way, we ensure a longer lifespan,” Marcel explains. A good, both technically and financially sound solution for FC Groningen. With this, they can head towards the Grote Markt.