volhoudbare

Volhoudbaar is a Dutch adjective describing the capacity of something to endure prolonged use, stress, or time without significant loss of function. It derives from volhouden, meaning to persevere or endure, and is used to characterize the durability or resilience of materials, components, systems, or processes under repeated demands or adverse conditions. The related noun volhoudbaarheid (endurance, survivability) appears in technical and design contexts.

Volhoudbaarheid is related but not identical to duurzaam. Duurzaam commonly signals long-term viability in ecological or societal terms, while volhoudbaar emphasizes sustained function and reliability under load. In practice, a volhoudbaar product is expected to resist wear, require manageable maintenance, and remain operational across its designed service life.

A few contexts illustrate its use. In construction and materials science, volhoudbare materials are evaluated for weather resistance, fatigue life, and degradation under aging. In engineering and product design, volhoudbaar ontwerp aims for high reliability, ease of repair, and predictable replacement of worn parts. In information technology, volhoudbaarheid describes systems that stay stable and perform over time, despite updates or external stress.

Assessment and testing typically include service life estimates, mean time between failures (MTBF), and maintenance intervals, often verified through accelerated life testing, stress testing, and environmental aging tests. Standards and terminology vary by field, so explicit definitions are common in technical documentation.

Note: volhoudbaar is understood in Dutch, but it is less common as a formal label than duurzaamheid. When used in contracts, product specifications, or policy documents, it should be defined clearly to avoid ambiguity about what is guaranteed regarding endurance and reliability.