Week of 8 September
1. Smart lifting at DMMF (Australia)
In northern Adelaide, our BESIX Watpac team came up with an innovative approach to enhance efficiency and safety at the Deep Maintenance and Modification Facility (DMMF) project, which whill support specialised maintenance for Australia’s military aircraft. To install 16 mechanical exhaust flues on hangars destined for the Defence Force’s Boeing 737-variant aircraft, the team swapped a conventional 300-tonne crane for a helicopter. This method allowed each 200-300 kg flue to be lifted into place every six minutess, completing the job in just half a day instead of five. Well played, team!
2. Socogetra rebuilds Louheau railway bridge in record time (Belgium)
After the devastating floods of 2021, the Louheau railway bridge on the Liège–Verviers line in Belgium was left in poor shape. Temporary fixes kept trains running, but a long-term solution was needed, and our colleagues at Socogetra stepped up to the challenge. In just four weeks, they replaced the damaged structure with a 270-tonne metal bridge spanning 38.5 metres. To streamline the process, the steel elements were prefabricated by our partner MBB in Ocquier, while the reinforced and prestressed concrete elements were produced in Socogetra’s own workshops in Frameries. A complex and technical operation completed in record time, congratulations to the entire team!
3. Safety hero at the Port of NEOM (Saudi Arabia)
BESIX Middle East colleague David Naus, Senior Project Engineer at the Port of NEOM project in Saudi Arabia, has earned well-deserved recognition from the HSE site team for his exceptional safety leadership. David played a key role in managing the ship lift operations, one of the project’s most critical activities, guiding it from planning through to safe execution. He also championed the BE SAFE programme, actively encouraging his team to join the ambassadors group and consistently leading by example. His commitment to safety and professionalism has made a real impact on site, as HSE Manager Erkan Bozkurt summed it up perfectly: “Your proactive approach and consistent engagement with the team truly set a strong example for others to follow.” A big congratulations, David.
4. First parts Ringvaart Bridge arrive on-site (Belgium)
Exciting progress on the R4 ring road project in Ghent, where the BRAVO4 consortium is transforming 22 intersections to improve traffic flow and safety. After relocating the original Ringvaart Bridge to a temporary bypass earlier this year, the first parts of the new bridge have now arrived on-site by ship. This marks a key milestone in one of Flanders’ most iconic infrastructure projects. The future bridge will stand over 30 metres high, stretch 104 metres long and span 55 metres wide, featuring three lanes in both directions, a cycle path and an eco-passage. It’s scheduled to be moved into its final position in March 2026. Well done to everyone involved!
And then this... A fun day of golf with BESIX entities
Last Thursday, the annual Golf des Filiales event brought together colleagues from across the BESIX Group for a day of sport and connection in Genappe, Belgium. Organised by Franki Foundations, the event welcomed teams from Jacques Delens, Socogetra, BESIX Unitec, Wust, Vanhout, BESIX RED, Cobelba, BESIX Environment and BESIX Infra. It was a day filled with team spirit, laughter and great conversations. A big thank you to everyone who made it such a memorable occasion!
