Speakers

Agnes van Uitert (ProRail)

Agnes van Uitert has been System Specialist in Geotechnics at ProRail since 2020. From this position, she is substantively involved in projects, policy formulation and the development of innovations in the field of subsoil and track bodies.

After graduating as an Engineering Geologist, Agnes van Uitert joined Arcadis in 2005. Here, she worked on several leading projects in the field of Geotechnical Engineering as well as vibration forecasting for both track vibration and construction vibration.

Alfred Roubos (Port of Rotterdam Authority)

Alfred Roubos is a port engineer at the Port of Rotterdam Authority and a researcher at TU Delft. Over the past 17.5 years, he has gained in-depth expertise in quay walls, jetties, mooring posts, banks and dredging. He played a key role in numerous innovative projects and is actively committed to sharing this knowledge widely with the industry. He is therefore involved in various national and international committees and working groups, including CROW, NEN, CEN, BS and PIANC. Alfred strongly believes in the power of cooperation: when engineers join forces, it turns out time and again that we achieve better designs with less material.

Diana Portillo Arreguin

Diana Portillo Arreguin is an advisor and researcher at Deltares with five years' experience in geotechnical engineering for flood defence. She works on piping and dike macrostability, combining data analysis, experiments, and modelling. Her expertise spans soil-structure interaction in soft soils to current research on flood defence stability. Diana holds degrees from UNAM and TU Delft and is committed to advancing flood resilience and public safety.

Herbert Polinder (Boskalis)

Herbert Polinder obtained his master's degree in Geotechnical Engineering in 2019 with a graduation research on the influence of time on overconsolidation of clay. He has since worked for six years at Hydronamic, Boskalis' in-house engineering company, where he is mainly involved in road reconstructions and the reuse of dredged, clayey soil.

Ivo Huiskes (RWS)

Ivo Huiskes works at Rijkswaterstaat as technical advisor/specialist Tunnels and also lectures at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences.

Jan van Dalen (DaeD Engineers)

Jan van Dalen, chairmanof the Geotechnical Standards Committee and the formal representative of the Netherlands in the international Eurocode 7 committee, has worked for clients, contractors, Engineering firms and TU Delft from the disciplines of Geotechnical and Underground Construction since graduating from TU Delft in 1989. In addition to his commitment to a wide variety of projects, he has done a lot of work for a large number of national committees within which knowledge has been developed and recorded.

Jeroen Beute (Fugro)

Jeroen Beute is a geotechnical consultant with more than 5 years of experience at Fugro. After completing a master's degree in Geo-Engineering at TU Delft, he chose to apply this theoretical knowledge in projects. In doing so, he always tries to understand the client's request as well as possible to come to the most efficient design. In addition, Jeroen has a strong affinity with sustainability. Based on this interest, he has been active for several years in Fugro's Sustainability Core Team, which focuses on sustainability in geotechnical projects.

Joost Gevaert (Bedrock)

Joost Gevaert studied geotechnical engineering and applied geophysics and worked for Arup for 4 years as a geotechnical engineer and computational designer.
During his time at Arup he worked a lot on bringing computational design into the world of geotechnical engineering, and on bridging the gaps between geotechnical engineering and structural engineering.

Bedrock is the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). Bedrock's FOSS forms the foundation for the geotechnical engineering, computational design and software development services that Bedrock offers.

Joris Bol (Boskalis)

Working as a geotechnical engineer for Boskalis for the last ~10years. Mostly supporting dredging and reclamation projects in both tender and execution phase.

Lennart Stelling (Witteveen+ Bos)

Lennart graduated from TU Delft in 2022 with a master's degree in Geotechnical Engineering. Since then, he has been working at Witteveen+Bos as an engineer in the Department of Hydraulic Engineering and Geotechnical Engineering.

Maarten Proffitlich (Fugro)

Maarten Proffitlich is a consultant, project leader and geotechnical engineering manager at Fugro, with over 25 years of experience in design and implementation of foundations, construction pits and infrastructure. He specialises in geotechnical risk management, foundation investigations and pile load tests using the Osterberg-Cell method. Besides involvement in major projects at home and abroad, Maarten plays an active role in committees and working groups, including as chairman of the CROW 'open steel tubular piles' working group.

Marques Da Rocha José Miguel (DEME Group)

José graduated in Civil Engineering from the University of Porto in 2010. He worked in Portugal, Hungary, and Brazil before joining DEME Group in 2014 as a Geotechnical Engineer. Since 2021, he has been based in Belgium as Geotechnical Manager. He has contributed to major marine and infrastructure projects in Singapore, Dubai, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and India. His expertise includes land reclamation projects, ground improvement works, and geotechnical design, with involvement in EPC and design-build projects, feasibility studies, and construction support, including the PEI project. José is a Chartered Civil Engineer and a member of the ICE.

Matteo Ambrosi (IQIP)

Matteo Ambrosi is a geotechnical advisor at IQIP, specialising in foundation installation methods and tools for offshore and onshore applications. Prior to joining IQIP, he worked at Fugro as an offshore geotechnical engineer.

Nathan de Baat (Sweco)

Nathan de Baat graduated from TU Delft in 2021. Since then, he has been working at Sweco as a geotechnical consultant and involved in a variety of projects. One of these forms an important thread in his career namely the National Network Analysis, which investigated the quality of the railway network on behalf of ProRail. In addition, Nathan plays an important role in the structured automation and digitisation (A&D) of geotechnical calculations/work. In his role, Nathan is not only a developer, but also a coordinator within the team and the business unit.

Niels de Vos (IQIP)

Niels de Vos is a Program Manager at IQIP's R&D departments for the development of new foundation installation methods and equipment, with a background in Civil Engineering.

Reza Shahbazi (Haskoning)

Reza Shahbazi holds an MSc in (Civil) Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Tehran (graduated in 2012). He is a Geotechnical Specialist at Haskoning with over 12 years of experience in geotechnical design across a wide range of projects. His work includes major international assignments such as Princess Elisabeth Island (Belgium), the world's first offshore energy island. He has extensive experience in the design of maritime and coastal infrastructure, including quay walls, shallow and deep foundations, breakwaters, dikes, and deep excavations. In his role, he applies advanced geotechnical methods to deliver reliable and sustainable solutions, in line with Haskoning's mission of enhancing society together.

Robbert Melis (URETEK)

Robbert Melis is Technical Advisor at URETEK Benelux and combines architectural expertise with customer-oriented advice. After an HBO degree in architecture and experience as a draughtsman and project leader at various architectural firms, his interest in personal customer contact grew. At URETEK Benelux, Robbert finds the ideal balance: innovative technical solutions for complex foundation problems, with the aim of unburdening customers and achieving sustainable, reliable results.

Rodriaan Spruit (Municipality of Rotterdam)

Since February 1998, Rodriaan has worked on a wide variety of projects. From site preparation and soil depots to quay walls and tunnels. Besides (geotechnical) consultancy, he also has extensive experience in carrying out test loads on piles and anchors, vibration measurements and unique measurements developed specifically for projects (such as in-situ anchor load determination, anchor slope measurements, failure tests on HDPE pipes, friction between HDPE foil / drainage mat and geogrid strain measurements). From these practical measurements, he (co-)worked on the development of various sensors and measurement techniques.

From 2010 to 2015, he combined consulting work with PhD research at TU-Delft (concluded 9 November 2015 with PhD). Rodriaan chairs the committee working on the revision of the sheet piling manual.

Ronald Brinkgreve (TU Delft/Seequent)

Ronald is part-time Associate Professor at Delft University of Technology and Distinguished Scientist at Seequent - The Bentley Subsurface Company. He specialises in numerical methods and constitutive models in geotechnical engineering.

From 1984, Ronald studied Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology, graduated in Geotechnical Engineering in 1990, completed his PhD studies at the same university in 1994, and then joined the newly founded PLAXIS B.V. Throughout his career, Ronald has played a prominent role in PLAXIS developments, the last few years of which as part of Seequent - The Bentley Subsurface Company.

Apart from PLAXIS, Ronald has been back at TU Delft part-time since 1997. Starting as a lecturer, he has progressed to University Senior Lecturer in this position. Ronald gives various lectures in the Master's programme in Geotechnical Engineering and supervises students with their graduation assignments.