The Flemish transport company De Lijn has outsourced the design, the realization, financing and maintenance of three bus depots via a DBFM procedure (Design – Build – Finance – Maintain).

Commissioned by THV Linea Recta II (Democo and Denys), Sweco Belgium took care of the design and the monitoring of the work on the depots in Hasselt, Leuven and Sint-Niklaas.

In Hasselt, the 4.7 ha large depot provides room for some 170 buses. The sites in Leuven and Sint-Niklaas relate to depots for 140 and 100 buses respectively. In addition to the design of new roads and associated rainwater buffering and drainage, the assignment also encompasses the complete design of a maintenance centre, service building and workplace, plus fuelling, car/bus wash and gas oil storage facilities.

BIM
The entire design was realized in 3D in accordance with BIM methodology: from infrastructure and architecture, through stability to (special) techniques. The as-built file will also be presented to De Lijn in 3D. This allows for considerable efficiency gains, reduces errors and makes further maintenance more manageable.

Sustainable four star buildings
25% of the total electricity consumption and heating of each depot is to be produced in a renewable way. Multiple heat pumps were provided, which are connected with a BES field (Borehole-Energy-Storage). The ‘Office Building Assessment’ methodology is used for service buildings; a tool of the Flemish authorities for assessing the sustainability of a building. The target score is the maximum rating of four stars.

Background
This assignment is definitely not a first for Sweco Belgium. For example Sweco has already previously taken care of the design of bus depots for De Lijn in Grimbergen, Sint-Truiden, Broechem, Oostmalle etc. In 2011, they walked away with the PPP Award for the bus depots’ cluster project in Bruges, Overijse and Zomergem, for the most promising project in Public Private Partnership.