Sytze Veenland

Introduction

My name is Sytze Veenland. After completing my Master’s in Hydraulic and Offshore Structures at TU Delft, I started at ABT in September 2025. During my graduation project for Waterschap Noorderzijlvest, I delved into the modeling of piping in dikes, a failure mechanism in which dikes are undermined by sand erosion. This aligned perfectly with the work by ABT on the innovative piping measure called the Prolock Filter Screen.

What I do at ABT

I started at ABT as a geotechnical and water safety specialist. In addition to water safety issues related to structural piping measures, I was also given the opportunity to broaden my expertise into the field of geotechnics. These geotechnical activities range from performing settlement calculations for distribution center floors to drafting sheet pile recommendations for excavation pits for the construction of new basements.

I prefer working on complex issues involving the interaction between water, soil, and structures. Consider, for example, the reinforcement of urban quay walls, where foundation issues and soil erosion beneath the quay pose significant risks. I enjoy contributing to this by both setting up calculation models and actively contributing ideas for feasible and sustainable solutions.

My dream for the future

Within the Netherlands, we face major challenges regarding water safety and infrastructure. In my vision of the future, we can continue to realize these projects by coming up with more innovative and practical solutions; this keeps costs down and ensures goals are met. Moreover, by identifying water safety and infrastructure problems early on, repair often remains an option, and demolition and new construction need to be chosen less frequently. In this way, we keep our feet dry and remain on the path to a livable future.