Podcast | 'AI prevents bridges from collapsing'

Rijkswaterstaat is deploying AI on behalf of the major replacement task. But how do you do it? "It starts with good data," says Roeland Allewijn, Chief Data Officer and AI quartermaster at Rijkswaterstaat, in episode 5 of the podcast series Built by AI.

Rijkswaterstaat must replace thousands of bridges, viaducts, pumping stations and other engineering structures in the coming decades. The big question is when do you tackle what. You don't want to be too early, but you don't want to be too late either. AI is going to help the infrastructure manager a lot with that, Allewijn says.

But where do you start? "First, the data must be of good quality and accessible. In addition, we are working on good standards," says Allewijn. It doesn't stop there. "After all, as an organization you also have to properly record who is responsible for what."

Allewijn thinks AI will play a big role in making wise choices based on data. "In our objects there are all kinds of sensors. If you analyze that data properly, you can predict much better when a pump is failing, or a bridge is about to collapse. With AI, in short, you can act much better and faster."

Curious about Roeland's story? Listen here.

About Built by AI
Built by AI is a seven-part podcast series. In this second season, experts from various fields explore how artificial intelligence is helping—and can help—the design, construction, and engineering sectors achieve a leap in productivity. The series is hosted by Guido van Winden (known for “Keuzecast” and “AI, Your New Coworker,” among others) and Bart Brink (TKI Bouw en Techniek). In each episode, they welcome prominent industry leaders who demonstrate how AI is already offering them new opportunities today and shaping the future.

Listen to previous episodes

• Episode 1: 'I'm not from the AI police'
• Episode 2: 'Building digitally? Start at the pain points'
• Episode 3: 'Sustainable energy? We're making hundreds of theaters and schools more energy efficient with AI'
• Episode 4 'If we keep telling stories to each other about AI, it will remain very exciting'

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This series is a joint production of TKI Bouw en Techniek and the Construction and Installation Hub of the Koninklijke Jaarbeurs in the run-up to the Digibouw event. A wrap-up of this podcast series will be held during this event on November 19.

Visit Digibouw
DigiBouw 2025 will take place on Wednesday, November 19, and Thursday, November 20. View the full program here or register for free here.