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Client case · Heijmans

Mapping water use in the concrete and steel supply chains

Student Consultant helped Heijmans gain insight into water use in the concrete and steel supply chains. The result: an upstream supply chain analysis, an advisory report and a methodology that can also be applied to other material chains.

Student Consultant Heijmans

Situation

Sustainability beyond CO₂

Heijmans is a large Dutch construction company, active in property development, construction and infrastructure. In the built environment, sustainability is not only about CO₂ emissions, material use and circularity, but also about water use in the supply chain.

Heijmans wanted to investigate how much water is used within key material chains: not only within its own organisation, but also upstream, from raw material extraction to the production of materials used in construction projects. To do so, Student Consultant carried out two consecutive projects.

Concrete and steel involve many links, from raw materials and production processes to suppliers, transport, energy flows and data sources. Heijmans wanted to deepen existing insights and bring together information from different sources in a consistent way.

This required a clear scope, clear definitions and a suitable method of analysis. Because water is a topic still very much in development, the scope and methodology were refined further during the project in close collaboration.

How can insight into water use within the concrete and steel supply chains be deepened further?

Approach

A five-step approach

  1. Sharpening scope and definitionFirst, the team determined what counts as water use: only direct use, or also use linked to energy consumption? In the end, water use was approached as water that does not return in the same form or to the same system.
  2. Breaking the chain into stepsThe chain was broken down into measurable steps. By combining EPDs of purchased products, specialist literature, supplier information, interviews and input from in-house specialists, a broader picture emerged of the processes that influence water use.
  3. Gathering information from sourcesFor concrete, the team worked closely with concrete suppliers and in-house concrete specialists; for steel, with steel suppliers. This also revealed where the data gaps were: not all suppliers had readily usable information on water use, which also made the project exploratory.
  4. Aligning with HeijmansBecause the topic was broad, the consultants regularly discussed with Heijmans which elements fell within the scope. They worked on site every week and quickly gained access to the right people.
  5. Analysis and adviceThe findings were brought together in an upstream supply chain analysis, setting out the water use, the sources used and the main processes for each link, and in an advisory report with guidance for future sustainability and procurement questions.

Result

Supply chain insight and a reusable methodology

  • Twomaterial chains mapped: concrete and steel
  • Chain analysisUpstream water use per link, with sources and main processes
  • MethodologyA basis for applying the approach to other material chains as well

At a glance

  • Twomaterial chains mapped: concrete and steel
  • Chain analysisUpstream water use per link, with sources and main processes
  • MethodologyA basis for applying the approach to other material chains as well
Client case
Heijmans
Published
23 July 2026

Looking back

The second assignment, for the steel chain, came about partly because the first project had gone well. Heijmans was able to put the approach and insights developed into practice.

Project team

  • Lynn Vrijenhoek

    Lynn Vrijenhoek

    Project Manager & Consultant

    BSc International Business Administration

  • Michelle Staals

    Michelle Staals

    Consultant

    MSc Economics

  • Sjoerd Deneer

    Sjoerd Deneer

    Coach

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