Dirk van der Tol
Discipline Project Leader
Education: MTS (Technical Secondary School), Mechanical Engineering, HTI (higher technical institute)
Age: 52

What does a discipline project leader do?
In this case the job involves structural engineering, specifically structural steelwork. The projects that I oversee concerns steel structures. When I began working for Iv-Groep 24 years ago, all of the work revolved around this discipline. Iv-Groep's arsenal has expanded tremendously since then and other disciplines have been added.

What challenges does a project leader face?
Your job as a project leader is to keep a watch on the bigger picture and to consult intensively with other parties and with the client. A large part of my work consists of supervising people and it's something I enjoy enormously. The transfer of knowledge is the central consideration. Within Iv-Groep we are aware that lots of our knowledge and skills have not been set down on paper, but are in the heads of our people. It's important for us to pass on this knowledge to the next generation.

What makes the Panama project so interesting?
In 2008 Iv-Infra produced the draft call for tenders and engineering for the construction of 16 lock gates for the new lock complexes. For its size alone this is an awesome undertaking, because it includes massive slabs. The project poses various engineering challenges. We have to take into account strength and fatigue factors and also the risks of earthquakes and ship collisions. Last but not least, the prestige of the Panama Project made this an amazing job. It's what every engineer dreams about.

Is Iv-Groep an attractive employer for people over 50?
Yes, definitely. I joined Iv-Groep at a time when I already had some work experience. What appealed to me most was the diversity of projects. At IV-Infra we don't just work only on heavy steel structures but also on complex new structures and bridges. So our field of work is very wide. Combined with the in-depth knowledge of engineering, it makes Iv-Groep a unique and challenging employer.

Hendri Koop
Engineer
Education: Delft University of Technology, Civil Engineering
Age: 26

What is your job as an engineer?
As an engineer I work on the structural design and engineering of steel and concrete structures, mainly in the infrastructure fields. This means locks, dams, bridges and so on.

What kind of work are you doing in the Panama project?
In the phase of the draft tender and the engineering of the lock gates, my main task was to calculate the structures of the lock gates. Now that we have embarked on the next stage of engineering and construction, I am stationed in Panama as a project engineer together with some colleagues. We maintain contact with the canal authority and the contractors and exercise careful supervision over the project.

What makes lv-Groep projects so appealing?
They are mostly large projects and often of a multi-disciplinary nature. This makes cooperation with the other Iv divisions essential and this is precisely what makes the work interesting. You learn from other people and together you create complex structural designs. A distinctive feature of projects at Iv-Infra is that technology and quality are always top priorities. This emphasis makes us very good at what we do and our clients appreciate this.

How would you describe the working atmosphere at Iv-Groep?
There is a good and productive atmosphere. Our department has a healthy mix of young people, all of whom are extremely eager to learn, and experienced people who are willing to share their knowledge of the profession. It's also an open and highly accessible organisation.

‘Much of our know-how is not written down anywhere, but is embedded in the brains of our people. This know-how and expertise is transmitted to a new generation through intensive communication and collaboration.’