Sols&Structures ANG 218 · Blake Bridge in the South West of the United Kingdom, carrying two lanes...

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PANORAMA MILLAU, STAY CABLES FOR POSITIONNING P. 2

FOCUS DAVE RETZSCH: REINFORCED EARTH,FROM RETENTION TO ARCHITECTURE P. 4

REALIZATIONS 1,080 TONS OF TENDONS ABOVE THE VINES P. 10

TRANSVERSE A CERTIFICATE FOR SHOTCONCRETE GUN OPERATORS P. 18

THE FREYSSINET GROUP MAGAZINE&StructuresSoils

In the name ofINNOVATION

P A N O R A M A

Strengthening in the United KingdomFreyssinet Ltd and its Corrosion ControlServices Ltd (CCSL) subsidiary have just completed the strengthening of Blake Bridge in the South West of theUnited Kingdom, carrying two lanes over the Parrot river close to the town of Bridgewater in the county of Somerset. The work consisted in placing new bearings and expansion joints, and strengthening the bridge structure by the application of carbon fiber boards on the underside of the deck.Cathodic protection was also installed on the piers and abutments.

Kickoff in LisbonThe European nations footballchampionship that Portugal will host in2004, was the reason why the governmentdecided to launch an enormous stadiumconstruction program and to renovateits facilities and transport andcommunication networks. The JoséAlvalade XXI stadium used by the LisbonSporting Club was built for the occasion,and its main feature is a 25,670 m2

roof suspended from 4 mast using

16 stay cables. This system, supplied andinstalled by Freyssinet-Terra Armada SA,uses a new generation Freyssinet anchordevice. A show tracing the history of the club and a match between Sportingand Manchester United were the twohighlights of the inauguration of thestructure on August 6 2003 - a celebrationattended by 50,000 spectators, including the Portuguese Prime MinisterJosé Manuel Durao Barroso.

Reinforced Earth Company Ltd. designed and supplied a 12m high,3,110 m2 precast TerraClass facing, which provided long approach retaining walls and bridge supporting abutments over the Puntledge River located near Courtenay, British Columbia onthe west coast of Canada. Since the walls were erected within an old growth rainforest,mature trees and ferns are proximal to the entire wall perimeter.Reinforced Earth building techniques minimized potential damageand impact to the surrounding vegetation during construction. The base of the structure is entirely founded on bedrock, thuseliminating the concern for potential soil erosion and silting withinthe river floodplain. The Vancouver Island mountain range liesimmediately to the east and water levels can vary considerably over short periods of time due to mountainous snowmelt.

Recordarch in PolandFreyssinet Polska is participatingin the construction of the newWolin Bridge in North-WesternPoland near the border with Germany. Works started in January2003 and forms part of a globalprogram to improve infrastructures and stimulate the development of tourism. This 25 m high steel archbridge is the largest of this type in Poland, with its 180 mlong and 12.8 m wide main span suspended above theDziwna river by 104 stay cables. Freyssinet Polska is doingthe prestressing work for the access spans (348 12C15tendons, 108 12CC15 couplers, giving a total of 180 t of steel),and is supplying the pot bearings and the stay cables.

3,110 m2 of TerraClass in Canada3,110 m2 of TerraClass in Canada

PANORAMA

33,000m2

Stay cable work on the Millau viaductproject in France started in earlysummer 2003 when Freyssinet installedcantilever suspension stay cables tosupport the deck placed by incrementallaunching. These permanent «launching»stay cables are temporarily fitted withdeviation saddles on the tower and the deck, to resist the large catenaryvariations during incremental launching.

Reinforcement on trialThe Reinforced EarthCompany South Africawas awarded thecontract for the designand supply of spandrelwalls for the maincrusher in an open cut diamond mine in Elisabeth Bay, in the Namib desert

(Namibia). The structures are 16.6 m high and 180 mm thick,and when they are completed, they will comprise 1,136 m2

of TerraClass facing. It was decided to use Freyssisol syntheticreinforcement because the presence of highly corrosive iodized chlorides in the local backfill prevented the use ofconventional steel reinforcement.

I N B R I E F

TURKEYREAS, Reinforced Earth’sTurkish subsidiary, is currentlycompleting the construction of retaining walls on theGerede-Gümüsova motorway.At the same time, thecompany is working on sixmajor projects with theMotorways Division and theCity of Istanbul, and it hasalready constructed about20,000 m2 of retaining wallsfor the city.

PANAMAAfter lifting the mobile formworktravellers, Freyssinet willsupply and install the entireprestressing (750 t) and stay cables (1,320 t) for thenew bridge under constructionover the Panama Canal.

SPAINMénard Soltraitement is currently working on threedifferent sites. The first twosites in Andalusia apply to the construction of theJerez western ring road and

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Terre Armée SNC has just been awarded the contract for supply and technicalassistance with the construction of Reinforced earth retaining walls (33,000 m2) for the section of the A51 motorway (Grenoble-Sisteron) climbingCoynelle hill as far as Fau Pass. The work will be started in March 2004.

the Los Barrios bypass close to Algesiras, dealingwith the construction of245,000 ml of vertical drains(6 to 16 m deep). The thirdis located in Martorell,near Barcelona, on the future high-speed line betweenMadrid and the Frenchfrontier, and includes thetreatment of 9,000 m2

of soil by stone columns.

UNITED STATESReinforced Earth, the Group’sCanadian subsidiary, wasawarded two constructioncontracts for TechSpan archesin Austin, in the state ofTexas, in July and September.

UNITED KINGDOMMénard Soltraitement isconstructing the foundationsfor the London section of the future Eurostar line(CTRL) (contact 310). 30,000 m of ControlledModulus Columns (CMC) were already built by mid-September.

Millau: Stay cables for positioning

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of retaining walls in France

September - December 2003 Soils & Structures 3

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F O C U S

Reinforced earth constructions areincreasingly being used as a form ofarchitectural expression. Dave Retzsch,landscape architect at Carter &Burgess, one of the largest architecturalpractices in the USA, gives us his viewof this new development.

Soils & Structures. - Over thepast few years, retainingwalls have started tobecome real “art walls”.Why do you think this ishappening?Dave Retzsch. - I thinkthat landscape architectsare now giving morethought to functionalissues like retainingwalls and making them

an integral part of theirdesigns. Thisdevelopment is theresult of changes in theway the professionthinks, especially whenit comes to urbanprojects where peopleare very sensitive to theimprovements we canmake to infrastructureand architecture.

Reinforced Earthproducts have provedvery popular with thegeneral public and havetherefore made a majorcontribution in thisdirection.From the financial pointof view, the economieswe can now make on aproject by using today’sconstruction

DAVE RETZSCH

Reinforced Earth:from retention to architecture

technologies andmethods are also givingus much greaterarchitectural freedom.Here again, ReinforcedEarth is a very goodexample. For projectmanagers like me, it’scomforting to know thatwe can createarchitectural structuresat an affordable cost –which means ourapproving agencies willaccept them – anddeliver faultless qualityconsistently.

How do you choose thearchitectural designs andpanel layouts for aReinforced earthstructure?Every project is unique,so when we set out todesign a new structure,we do so with no pre-conceptions. On theother hand, we prefer touse flexible constructionsystems that lendthemselves to a widerange of designs.In most of our projects,we are looking to createenvironmentallysensitive architecturalsolutions, which is partof what makes everystructure individual.From this point of view,Reinforced Earth’s widerange of designs and theopportunity to createcustomized shapes andpatterns gives us theopportunity to put a lotof innovative ideas intopractice.Reinforced earthstructures have a varietyof applications and theyare really integral tomany landscapearchitectural designs. At Carter & Burgess, we

DAVE RETZSCH

Reinforced Earth:from retention to architecture

ReinforcedEarth’s widerange ofdesigns and theopportunityto createcustomizedshapes and patternsgives us theopportunityto put a lotof innovativeideas intopractice.

4 Soils & Structures September - December 2003

FOCUS

take the view thatstructures - whether civilengineering structuresor otherwise - andretaining walls are allpart of an overallarchitecturalcomposition. All theseelements are interlinkedand must work togetherconsistently in thecontext of individualstructures or sites. That’sthe kind of thinking thatled to our design for theNorth CentralExpressway in Dallas.The project involved along expressway“corridor” – somethingwe know a lot about,having created theconcept – in whichstructures and retainingwalls coexist as part of a single design theme.

So in your view aretaining wall can neverbe treated in isolation?Well, that obviouslydepends on thestructures concerned.Sometimes the retainingwall is a separatestructure with its owndesign, but still formspart of an overallproject. For theInterstate 30 project inDallas, Texas (which alsoinvolved ReinforcedEarth USA), we arebuilding a large muralwhich we areapproaching in the sameway as a painter mightapproach a canvas. This retaining wall isdistinctive in its artisticconcept, but does not stand in isolationbecause it is integratedinto an overall design.

What is your opinion ofthe panel joints in MSEwalls, which, althoughthey interrupt the design,also seem to becomepart of the pattern?Since these joints are anintegral part of thetechnology, we are ableto work with them.Sometimes, we startwith the joint linepattern and it’s thatwhich inspires ourarchitectural design anddetermines the patternrepeats for the entirestructure. Other times,we might change theshape of facing panels to achieve a particularlook. Reinforced Earthtechnology is so flexiblethat we can create one-off designs, whilestill using the sametechnology.Another way of limitingthe perception of thesejoints has resulted fromthe permanent contactwe have with ReinforcedEarth USA and that’s the idea of creatinglarger panel sizes, which in turn providesadditional designpossibilities.

As a landscape architect,do you prefer to use cast-in-place or precastelements for retainingwalls?Actually, I don’t reallyprefer one over theother, but I certainlyappreciate the benefitsthat come with theprecast systems in termsof economy, consistencyand quality control.Precasting is thepreferred mean ofobtaining the customfinishes, patterns and

architectural motifs we are looking for.Even though precastinggives better results,every project isintrinsecally complexwith different designconditions that requireadapted solutions. So it’s good that we have the option toexploit several designalternatives. But the two techniques arecompatible and caneven complement eachother: Reinforced Earthstructures are flexible in the way they canadapt and complementother cast-in-placeelements as part of thesame project.

Do you see the increasingdemand for retainingwalls as linked to theemergence of sustainabledevelopment as aconcept?By allowing us toconstruct clean durablestructures that integrateperfectly into theirenvironment at thesame time as preservingnatural landscapecharacteristics,Reinforced Earth seemsto complement thesustainabledevelopment concept inmost cases. Given theseconsiderations and theother advantages theyoffer – elementprecasting, speed andflexibility of installationand so on – ReinforcedEarth structuresundoubtedly have agreat future ahead. ■


At the service of the environment andsustainable developmentTerraClass, TerraPlus, TerraTrel… the facings ofReinforced earth walls designed by ReinforcedEarth are available in different patterns, colours,textures and materials, which clearly demonstratesthe flexibility of the process. Main contractors cancreate simple or complex, round or straight shapes,and play with size variations and, for certain works,even create vegetal landscaped compositions.Works made in Reinforced earth can be blended inthe urban or rural environment and have becomegenuine works of art, in particular under the impul-sion of the USA since the beginning of the 1990’s.Reinforced earth is a preferred technique as far assustainable development is concerned since itmakes use of natural backfilling materials and ischaracterized by specific features such as cleanli-ness (no pouring of concrete; no heavy equipmentrequired for assembly), rapidity (optimised layingtechniques using precast elements) and preserva-tion of the environment (in particular owing to thesmaller-scale backfill).

1 – TerraClass (A16, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France). 2 – TerraTrel (interchange Spaak, Montpellier,France).3 – TerraPlus (Wholesale Club, Texas, USA). 4 – Composition TerraPlus-TerraClass designed by Carter & Burgess for the Central NorthExpressway in Dallas (Texas, USA) .

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R E P O R T C O N S O L I D A T I O N A N D P R E S T R E S S I N G

Over the last fiftyyears, Freyssinet

has created animage for itself

as a groupoffering itscustomers

the mostsophisticated

solutions to soiland structureproblems.This

passion forinvention and

perfection wasinherited from its

founders, and it is also

the fruit of anambitious

research policy.Food for thought.

I t does not matter if they wereawarded by outside organiza-

tions (Egis, FNTP) or other initia-tives (VINCI innovation award),but the distinctions received sincethe beginning of the year byFreyssinet for innovation are agood reason for satisfaction andpride, and Bruno Dupety, theGroup’s Chief Executive Officermakes no secret about it. He is notat all surprised about these awards.“Creativity and innovation formpart of our Group’s culture andform the heritage from our famousinventors” he says. EugèneFreyssinet, Louis Ménard andHenri Vidal each took steps in theirown time to ensure that new con-struction methods would becomeuniversal technologies. And thesenew technologies now form thefoundation for the Group’s knowhow. After the prizes awarded toRégébéton (Siemens prize 2002),and Carbon Fiber Fabric at the endof the 1990s, each of these awards(see p. 19) helps to illustrate theefforts made over many years.However, some distinctions areunavoidable: “When we talk aboutinnovation, says Bruno Dupety,most of the time we are talkingabout tools, methods and ways ofapplied to an original expertise toimprove its productivity and effi-ciencies. But innovation can alsomean an entirely different type ofinvention. Prestressing, stay cablesfor the Freyssinet system, Rein-forced earth, pressure meter anddynamic compaction all suddenly

“The main objectives of our innovation policy are to be at the

appeared among established con-struction methods at a givenmoment, and caused genuine rev-olutions. Making a distinctionbetween these perspectives is ofoverriding importance in a Grouplike ours.

Anticipate new customer needs

“Innovation, characterized by shortcycles, is based on experience andtakes its inspiration from real proj-ects. Its purpose is to improve tech-niques so as to be competitive onour markets and to lower produc-tion costs. Everyone is concerned.Research and Development takeplace before projects or contractsand they need extensive means.The cycle is three to five yearslonger. It is a strategic approach,since we must anticipate new needsof our customers, new means ofconstruction, or higher qualitativeperformances to be achieved, inorder to broaden our offer.”Freyssinet’s research policy imple-mented by the Group’s two Techni-cal Divisions is to set aside 3% ofthe 2003 salary cost for research.Projects adopted by General Man-agement prepare for the future andfuture contracts.This is the case of the “high per-formance tensile system”, whichwas awarded the FNTP first prizethis year for “research orientedtowards the development of deepwater offshore, for which we tookthe entire initiative and a creationthat is expected to develop into a

In the name of innovation

long term activity for the Com-pany” says Bruno Dupety. This isalso the case for soils, with Con-trolled Modulus Columns (CMC)that have recently been patented inthe United States. “This revolutionin foundation design that gener-ated sales of 8 million euro in 2003and that will probably also beapproved by the Véritas inspectionagency, passed unnoticed by thejuries. But as Bruno Dupety says,although we are delighted toreceive awards, the main purposesof our innovation and research pol-icy is to continue to make progressin satisfying our markets, so thatwe are always at the forefront of ourtechnologies and our businesses.“Like our prestigious founders, weare not worried about sometimesbeing ahead of our time. Theirexemplary tenacity has resulted inmany attractive companies makingsustainable long term profits.”

Soil: major progress every five years

Soil mechanics is characterized byits complexity and it is still a young science, says Pierre Berger, theFreyssinet Soils Division Manager.Over the last 35 years, MénardSoltraitement has been working ina specialty activity based on two ofLouis Ménard’s inventions, namelythe pressuremeter and a mathe-matical equation for modeling soilbehavior, and the Company hasremained innovative throughoutthis period, marked by a majoradvance approximately every ▼ ▼


DOSSIER

leading edge of our technologies and businesses at all times”.

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1. REINFORCED EARTH the construction principle for Reinforcedearth structures invented by Henri Vidal in 1963, has now becomevery popular compared with other existing technologies. Since thattime, applied research has continuously improved the technology.The last innovation to date, the HA Ladder reinforcements optimisefriction surfaces.

2. COMPOSITE CABLES made of carbon fibre cables and theirinnovative anchor system, or «high performance tensile system»,used in this case on Laroin footbridge (Pyrénées Atlantiques) weredeveloped to solve anchorage needs for offshore platforms that, in the future, will exploit very deep oil bearing deposits.

3. BOTTOM FEED, an innovative feed system for filling stonecolumns, designed by Ménard Soltraitement, makes vibro-replacement possible for port work and offshore work. This soilstabilization method originally limited to land applications wasrecently used in the Port of Dunkirk.


R E P O R T C O N S O L I D A T I O N A N D P R E S T R E S S I N G

five years. This Company’sactivities have never been sepa-rated from research, and every newcontract provides an opportunityto think about the optimization ofcalculation methods or technolo-gies.Structural research at MénardSoltraitement is organized aroundthese two main themes; calculationmethods are used by engineers whoaccount for one half of the workforce, and machines are of overrid-ing importance. We design themourselves, and they must be power-ful, reliable, lightweight, fast andeasily handled” said Pierre Berger,reminding us that extraordinarymachines were developed in thepast, such as dynamic compactionby 250 t masses used in the 1970s onthe Nice airport extension site.

1.5 million m2 of wallsof Reinforced earth made throughout the world every year

After the development of thedynamic compaction technique,the first technique for which apatent was deposited (1969) andthat resulted in a saving of 30 to50% on the construction of con-ventional foundations using a pile-cap supported on piles in sandyground, it was quite natural tosearch for processes adapted toclayey soils, and then to heteroge-neous soils and deeper and deepertreatments. Thus, the first step wasstone columns (1975), the MenardVacuum (1988) and then Con-trolled Modulus Columns (1994).Vibro-replacement is the mostrecent in this chain of continuous

progress, and illustrates the con-quest of new applications byimproving machines, and was firstused in San Diego, California, inearly 2003, and more recently atFlandres wharf in Dunkirk. Due tothe special bottom feed system forfilling stone columns, the range ofapplication of vibro compaction isnow extended to include offshoreand particularly harbour works,where its performances give it anadvantage over expensive and slowbackfill methods.“With reinforced earth, says PierreBerger, we have an ingeniousinvention that in the 1970s becamepopular very quickly because ithalved the cost price for construc-tion of reinforced concrete retain-ing walls. About 1.5 million squaremeters of Reinforced earth wallsare constructed every year everywhere throughout the world usingthis now mature technology, whichconsists of optimizing design cal-culations and structures and pro-posing solutions for all possiblecases – such as corrosive media,walls built under water or in theimmediate proximity of a verticalrock surface, etc. At the same time,the architectural nature of the tech-nique opened up other researchopportunities, aiming at betterintegration of surface panels in theenvironment, or the broadening ofsolutions offered to main contrac-tors (TerraPlus, TerraBlock sys-tems). The most recent of theseconcepts includes a surface panelssystem that, like a puzzle, is com-posed of immense frescos and isextremely successful on the otherside of the Atlantic.

Structures: continuousprogress with stay cables

“Innovation starts with the struc-ture” says Jérôme Stubler, theFreyssinet Structures DivisionManager, convinced through hisexperience with stay cables - look-ing at progress on the Normandybridge site (1995), until develop-ment of the HD stay cable, themost recent in the range used onSeohae bridge in Korea, Rion-Antirion bridge in Greece, and Mil-lau viaduct in France – but thesame is true for the genesis of theCohestrand and the collar systemsdeveloped for Aquitaine bridge. Inevery case, the impetus and thenprogress were based on a studyof the specifications. “NormandyBridge has twice the span of previ-ously constructed cable-stayedbridges, and it marked the first suc-cessful use of the patented Isoten-sion process, a new method ofplacing and tensioning stay cablesstrand by strand. Similarly, researchon the aerodynamics of stay cablesand means of damping vibrationscreated by the wind, have resultedin the development of damper sys-tems and special devices such ashelical spoilers welded to ducts.Once problems have been stated,the time necessary for the test andvalidation period for these keyideas is becoming continuouslyshorter. In 1999, an ambitiousapproach centered on a simplequestion – what information isnecessary to make an ideal staycable? – was backed by the will tosustain and consolidate progress.Three new processes were patent-ed after this study, to protect stay

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The durability and chemistry of materials are becoming increasingly important in civil engineering.

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DOSSIER

1. ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED for use on suspension bridges, Cohestrand can beused in ground anchors and in any application in which tangential forces arecombined with the axial force from the cable. It is also used on the most recentgeneration of cable-stayed structures, such as Sungai Muar bridge in Malaysia(see page 15).

2. THE MOST RECENT Reinforced Earth structural surface panel systembroadens the range of TerraPlus, TerraBlock and TerraClass systems, to increasethe choice of architectonic expression.

3. SEMI-RIGID AND CEMENTED INCLUSIONS, Controlled Modulus Columns(CMC) reduce the global deformability of a site. The process is particularlysuitable for soft or organic ground that will need to resist high loads with severesettlement tolerances.

4. ATMOSPHERIC CONSOLIDATION PROCESS for highly compressible ground,Menard Vacuum consists in of creating a vacuum in an area previously confined by a sealed membrane, using a system of pumps, and with a drains network.

5. RÉGÉBÉTON is a process for regeneration of degraded concrete based onapplying an electrolytic paste onto the surface of a structure. It was derivedfrom research started in 1996, and is capable of modifying the basic pH of the material, attacked over time by atmospheric pollutants and chloride ions.

cables against bending phenom-ena, to improve the leak tightnessof anchors, and to optimize place-ment systems.

5 to 20 years ahead of the competition, largely due to patents

Continuing research, particularlyto improve cable durability, led tothe development of Freyssinetanti-UV ducts, internal and exter-nal dampers, the Fire ProtectionProcess (FCP - Fire Cable Protec-tion) and the “high performancetensile system”.“Over the last 50 years, says Jérôme

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Stubler, Freyssinet has been pro-moting innovation in soils andstructures, and has kept a lead of5 to 20 years over its competitorsdue to patents and particularly toprecisely described know how”.Apart from these constraints par-ticularly due to the design of struc-tures, innovation also consists ofsearching for better cost effective-ness, using mature techniquessuch as bearings, prestressing andexpansion joints, for which it leadsto improved production solutions,or design or manufacturing tech-niques. For example in prestress-ing, the process for manufacturingof ducts on site starting from(PEHD - Plyduct system) stripsprovided a means of eliminatingtransport costs for these elements;Similarly, SmartGel cement groutwith programmed thixotropic andsetting is made on site.“Repair work will become increas-ingly important in the world, butwe are only at the beginnings”, saysJérôme Stubler. There is enormousscope for investigation and thesubject is ripe for innovation.Freyssinet is distinguished by itscontrol over conventional solutionssuch as shotcrete (concrete restruc-turing) and additional prestressing(structural strengthening), and alsoin the last few years by the processfor cold gluing of carbon fiber fab-rics for strengthening of all types ofstructures, that is very flexible inuse. Although we know how to cal-culate the forces of a structure withfairly good precision, we still have alot to discover about steel corrosionphenomena and concrete degra-dation processes. Durability andchemistry of materials are the nextchallenge in civil engineering.Freyssinet has recognized world-wide experience with the treatmentof concrete reinforcement bycathodic protection. The Régébétonconcrete decontamination processillustrates this skill, and has alreadybeen used on several sites. We usedto be mechanics, but we are nowalso chemists”. ■

Soils & Structures 9

R E A L I Z A T I O N S

THE FUTURE IP3 MOTORWAYlink between Viseu and Vila

Verde de Rala at the Portugal’snorthern border will pass through aregion with superb countrysideconsisting of deep valleys coveredwith vineyards, home of thefamous Port wine. The IEP (Insti-tuto das Estradas de Portugal - Por-tugal’s equivalent of the RoadsDivision) decided to constructviaducts in order to protect thisenvironment. The Corgo viaduct isthe most remarkable of theseviaducts, both in terms of its geom-etry and size, and work on it will becompleted at the beginning of year2004. Freyssinet - Terra Armada issupplying and installing its pre-stressing (1,080 t).The Corgo viaduct will be operatedfor 30 years by Norscut, a joint ven-ture composed of the FrenchEiffage, Egis, CDC Ixis and Con-tacto Holding companies, inaugu-

rating the virtual toll system in Por-tugal in which the State pays theconcession company an indem-nity proportional to the amount of traffic.

Cantilever construction

This elegant viaduct crossing theimposing Corgo river valleybetween the towns of Peso da Reguaand Vila Real was designed by thePortuguese engineer Armando Ritoand built by cantilever construc-tion. It comprises two parallel deckswith an average length of 625 m(each composed of five spans: threecentral spans each about 145 mlong and two 95 m long end spans,in which the 500 m radius of curva-ture is compensated by a constantcross slope of 7%. The depth of thereinforced concrete box beamsforming the deck varies between 8.5 m for segments adjacent to thepier and 3 m for key segments. The

tallest piers are supported on sur-face foundations and are up to 68 mhigh, so that the tallest cranes in theSpanish peninsula had to be used toconstruct them. “These piers aretemporarily fitted with four verticaltendons with unbonded strands, toassure lateral stability of the bridgeduring construction”, says Boris Var-gas, engineer at Freyssinet-TerraArmada. This arrangement, similarto that used by Freyssinet-TerraArmada for construction of thenearby Regua Bridge in 1996, willcompensate for overturning forcescaused by the increasing eccentric-ity of the centre of gravity as can-tilever construction progresses.

3 days per segment

Only the segments on the abut-ments and the end pier P4 are sup-ported on the bearings. The othersegments are built into the pier; theassembly is made rigid using eightpermanent 15C15 vertical tendonsto reduce the quantities of passivesteel in the piers and prevent crack-ing. Temporary prestressing con-sisting of 19C15 tendons is used forpier P4, and will be removed afterthe deck has been keyed.The successive cantilever construc-tion method was chosen due to thevery broken relief and the lack ofroads to carry materials to site.Thus, each of the eight spans sup-porting the decks is composed ofnineteen 13 m wide and 3.6 to

1,080 t of tendons above the vines

Prestressing is conventionally used forcontinuous bridge deck spans, and is usedeverywhere on the Corgo viaduct,

located in the North of Portugal, including in the construction of the central piers.

STRUCTURES/CORGO VIADUCT

A group contributionThe Reinforced Earth technology is also used on the IP3 site. Thusabutments of several viaducts including the Corgo viaduct com-prise reinforced earth retaining walls equipped with cross-shapedfacing (12,500 m2) and TerraTrel galvanized welded mesh facing(9,000 m2). Two TechSpan prefabricated arches were constructedclose to the town of Vila Real to create a passage under themotorway backfill. Finally, beams prefabricated by Freyssinet-Terra Armada were supplied and installed for two small under-passes in the same area.

3.45 m long cast in-situ segments(varying due to the curvature of thebridge) and they are connected toeach other by so-called span pre-stressing. Fifteen 25C15 and four19C15 tendons will thus beinstalled on the outer deck, com-pared with ten 19C15 and nine25C15 tendons for the inner deck.“The segment construction cycletakes three days, explains Boris Var-gas. As soon as the reinforcing cagesprefabricated near the site havebeen placed, Freyssinet’s teams caninstall the prestressing ducts andinsert the strands. Tensioning isdone between 6 and 12 hours afterconcreting of the deck”. Continuity prestressing consists oftwo longitudinal tendons.The Freyssinet team consists of sixpersons who will remain on siteuntil April 2004 to complete the pre-stressing and install WP type expan-sion joints, and has received oper-ational support from FreyssinetFrance specialists, particularly forgeneral site organization. ■


REALIZATIONS

Client: State of PortugalEngineer: NorscutConsultant engineer:

Armando RitoMain Contractor: NorinterSpecialized contractor:

Freyssinet - Terra Armada

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PARTICIPANTS

ILLUSTRATION OF THE TECHNICALPERFORMANCES OF THE FREYSSINET GROUPThis site also illustrates synergiesbetween its different entities. The Engineering Management of theSpanish-American Division based inMadrid produced the drawings and thedesign for prestressing of the viaduct,and the Group’s Engineering Division in Vélizy, France approved them.



SOILS/DUNKIRK

Innovative work forconsolidating asubmarine slope

The innovative consolidationsolution proposed by MénardSoltraitement and selected by

the Port Authority of Dunkirk, France,has been successfully implementedand work was completed as planned on November 20, 2003.

T HE EXTENSION TO QUAI DEFLANDRES (Flanders Wharf )

at the Port of Dunkirk requiredlarge quantities of dredging work to –16.50 m to enable containerships to dock under all tide condi-tions. This operation is well con-trolled technically and did notcause any problems. However, thiswas not the case for the stability of submarine slopes along theexcavations, and special cautionwas taken due to the memory of a 1987 land slip in Dunkirk thatcaused more than 200,000 m3

of materials to collapse into anewly excavated dock site.Expertises had showed that thiscollapse was due to the structure of the submarine soil composed

of sandy ground in which there wasa 2 m thick layer of silt between –13 m and –15 m, and also to differ-ences in the mechanical and per-meability characteristics of thesematerials, the sand being compactand porous and the silt being lesspermeable and looser. Thus, slid-ing of the upper sand bed had beencaused by liquefaction of silt underthe effect of tides.

Complex basic solution...

The specification produced by thePort Authority of Dunkirk plannedfor the construction of verticalsand drains in silty ground, from a platform above sea level made by placing fill , to guard against therepetition of a similar event.

Precision of a few centimetres"Construction precision, one of the essential factors for this site,was achieved using computer aided control, explained Loïc Tavernier. The 160 t crane operator placed stone columns with aprecision of a few centimetres in a horizontal plane using theDGPS satellite positioning system, while the depth was deter-mined from the inclination of the jib and the length of theunwound cable. The height of the column was determined fromthe volume of injected material that was measured continuouslyby sensors. Data specific to each column are recorded on a harddisk to enable perfect traceability of the work done.

The offshore solutionas planned andimplemented byMénard Soltraitementavoided long andexpensive constructionand demolition work of temporary dikes.


REALIZATIONS

"In our opinion, this basic solutionwas much too expensive and com-plex for several reasons, saidPhilippe Liausu, Assistant GeneralManager of Ménard Soltraitement.Firstly, driving long, large diametersteel tubes in compact sand usingconventional techniques intro-duced a genuine difficulty. And thechoice of working on dry landwould have required long andexpensive operations to constructand then demolish temporarydikes, since these dikes would havehad to be removed before dredgingoperations could start".

...replaced by an innovativealternative to win thecontract

After setting up a joint venture withDredging International and GTMTerrassement, Ménard Soltraite-

and liquefaction of the silt. Theyalso contribute to consolidatingthe ground. Once the stonecolumns are in place, final dredg-ing of the dock is possible down to the required depth without anyrisk of land slip. The client foundthis solution attractive andadopted it due to its innovativenature and its relatively easy imple-mentation.

Four operators to constructup to 50 columns per day

"The choice of working offshorewas not simple, explained Loïc Tavernier, works engineer and site supervisor, since we needed to construct 1,225 stone columns on a 3.50 m square grid over a 15,000 m2 surface, to achieve therequired permeability specifica-tions of more than 10 m/s."The solution consisted in using a rig designed by the company for a similar site in the Port of San Diego, California, in early 2003.The rig is suspended from the jib ofa cable crane carried on a floatingpontoon, with a vibrating head,forced into the water and theseabed by a tube string connectedto a hopper forming a closed lockpressurized with compressed air.The hopper is supplied with gravelfrom a second pontoon along a conveyor belt with a telescopicarm, adjustable in direction,length, and height. This material is then propelled into the tube to the vibrating head and injectedinto the soil under the effect ofcompressed air. Two operators on each barge did all the work, withan average daily production rate of 30 to 35 columns and a fewpeaks of 50 columns per day. ■

SOILS/DARLING ISLAND

Watertight foundations

A very recent site in Sydney(Australia) demonstrates the advantages of Freyssimix JetGrouting - flexibility, constructionspeed and perfect leak tightness.

DARLING ISLAND is the spectacu-lar setting for a new residential

development in the heart of SydneyHarbour. The proposed structurerequired the construction of a waterproof retaining wall connecting intobedrock to allow excavation of acombination of single and doublestorey underground basements forcar parking. A Diaphragm Wall orSecant Pile Wall consisting of alter-nating interlocking un-reinforced(‘soft’) piles and reinforced (‘hard’)piles was identified as the likely solu-tion. However, the underlying soilconditions consisting of loose back-filled rubble overlying bed-rock pre-sented difficult conditions for main-taining pile verticality, and an alter-native system was required. Recog-nising that, in order to achieve thedegree of water proofing requi-red,the challenge was to ensure thatadjacent piles maintained interlockeven at their deepest point, AustressFreyssinet’s successful proposal wasbased upon installing Freyssimix Jet

Grouted soft piles after the hard pileshad been constructed, vice versa tothe normal sequence. The primary600 mm diameter ‘hard’ piles (at1.0 m centre’s) providing the wallsstructural support. Austress Freys-sinet then ‘filled in the gaps’ with JetGrouted “Freyssimix Columns” toensure groundwater flow was cut-off. The columns were jetted using ahighly durable grout mix specificallydesigned by Austress Freyssinet’s inhouse team for works in marinegroundwater environments. Thebenefits of the Jet Grouting solutionincluded the ability to adjust bothsize and position of columns,thereby allowing for modifications inthe above structure to be incorpo-rated, and the ability to work aroundobstructions using a range speciallyadapted coring bits fabricated to suiton-site. The small specialist sitebased team which completed the300 linear meters of piled/jettedwall in 6 weeks, some 2 weeks aheadof program. ■

ment proposed an alternative withthe inclusion of stone columns in sandy ground, passing throughthe silt layer. The technique con-sisted firstly of dredging to the – 9 level, and then injecting a drain-ing material between levels – 10 mand – 15 m, working from a pon-toon floating in the dock. The 5 mlong and 80 cm diameter stonecolumns composed of siliceousgravel with a size grading of 4/12.5 mm, enable unlimited cir-culation of water between the sandlayers and prevent overpressures



Client: Abu Dhabi Town CouncilEngineer: DCIL

(De Leuw Cather Intl. Ltd).Main Contractor: Al Muhairy

(Abu Dhabi).Specialized contractor:

Ménard Soltraitement.

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PARTICIPANTS

Ménard Soltraitement teamsare taking part in enormousearthworks on the Gulf

border in the capital of Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI is the largest of theUnited Arab Emirates and is

organizing the next Gulf CountriesCouncil to be held in December2004. Its ruler, H.H. Sheikh ZayedBin Sultan Al Nayan, designed thegigantic project to redevelop thecorniche facing the Persian Gulf atthe northern tip of the town, so asto provide a worthy setting for hisguests and to make his capital,which is already one of the mostmodern cities in the world, evenmore attractive.An immense 980,000 m2 platformformed of hydraulic fill obtained bydredging the seabed (6.5 millioncubic meters of sand) was created,varying from 4 m thick at the pointof contact with the old corniche to12 m deep above the seabed. Therisk of erosion by the sea at the

point also made it necessary tobuild a sheet pile fill protection wall.

Avoiding cofferdams

Soil consolidation was necessarybecause the fill material was not sufficiently dense for building.Pierre Orsat, Ménard SoltraitementExport engineer, told us “MénardSoltraitement was called in and sug-gested that the dynamic com-paction technique should be used,because it avoids the constructionof expensive cofferdams – weneeded to work on land at below sealevel – and it enables us to work atthe final fill level”.Two zones were identified on thesite; the largest (95% of the area) incontact with the former corniche,was treated by conventionaldynamic compaction. However the

second zone located in the areain which sheet piles had to beinstalled, was a genuine technicalchallenge for Ménard Soltraitementengineers. “This zone only coveredfor 5% of the total area to be treated,but it mobilized 80% of our efforts”,says Pierre Orsat. The presence ofbedrock at the surface made itimpossible to embed the sheet piles,and consequently a 3 m deep well-compacted shoe had to be con-structed and protected by riprap atits end to keep the sheet pile wallin equilibrium. Consolidation wasdone by placing fill above sea levelin order to densify the soil. Onceconsolidated and dry, the soil couldthen be excavated down to therequired level. Ménard Soltraite-ment mobilized four dynamic com-paction rigs and 45 persons, in orderto complete the site within the allo-cated seven-month period. Thedeepest areas were treated by twocranes equipped with a 25 t mass ona 6 m square grid, the other areaswere treated using a 15 t mass on a6 m square grid. The guaranteedminimum settlement was 25 mm.

“Despite temperatures that some-times rose up to 60°C in themachines, this deep soil com-paction and stabilization projectwas a resounding success”, boastedPierre Orsat.This work were completed in Octo-ber. In the meantime, in Septem-ber, Ménard Soltraitement begananother 1,100,000 m2 soil consolida-tion project in the Emirate. ■

SOILS/ABU DHABI CORNICHE

A terrace on the Gulf

The area to be treated by dynamic compaction (in the foreground and adjacent) used four rigs operating with 25 or 15 t masses on a 6 mgrid depending on the thickness of the fill.


REALIZATIONS

STRUCTURES/MUAR BRIDGE

Engineering revolution in MalaysiaThe Muar Bridge in the Southof the Malaysian peninsula,may not break any records

in its length or height, but it is one of the world’s most innovative cable-stayed structures ever built.

THE PRELIMINARY AND DETAILDESIGN for the Muar Bridge in

Malaysia was done by the JeanMuller International company,and Freyssinet is supplying andinstalling the prestressing and staycables for this bridge that, whenopened in early 2004, will be one ofthe most modern cable-stayedbridges in the world.It is located in the southern partof the peninsula, and is a com-bined land and river structure. It is21.4 m wide and 632 m long with a132 m central span and two 66 mend spans supported on interme-diate piers for the river crossing,and is extended on each side of theriver by two long approach rampswith six spans each. Its foundationsconsist of precast prestressed con-

crete piles (600 mm diameter and40 m long) on the bank, and drivensteel tubes in the river bed (1 mdiameter and 50 m long).

Multitube saddles and Cohestrand

Although the deck consisting of a2.5 m constant depth prestressedconcrete box girder with stronglyinclined outer webs, is innovative,the most significant technicalprogress made with this bridge is inits cable-stayed arrangement con-sisting of 14 stay cables (varyingfrom 37 to 75H15) on each tower,arranged in a central layer. The firstinnovative feature is that all cablesare inserted in yellow HDPE (highdensity polyethylene) ducts design-ed and supplied by Freyssinet. The

outer layer of the stay cable duct isformulated with anti-oxidant addi-tives and benefits from sacrificialprotection against photo-oxidationwith a longer life than a standardblack HDPE duct.Another more decisive new featureis that the stay cables are supportedby innovative deviation saddles atthe towers. This arrangement sim-plifies the design of towers andimproves the general aesthetics ofthe structure, and was made possi-ble by the use of “multitube sad-dles” developed by Freyssinet andJean Muller International (see Soils& Structures No. 217), and theFreyssinet’s patented Cohestrand.These multitube saddles enableindividual guidance of the strandsfrom which the tendon is made andeliminate wear problems caused byfriction between strands.The methods used for constructionof the Muar Bridge deck are alsoinnovative, combining cantilever

Highlight on CohestrandThe Cohestrand is composed of seven 15.7 mm diameter highstrength steel wires (class 1770 or 1860 MPa) provided with amulti-barrier anti-corrosion protection obtained by galvanising itsconstituent wires, followed by a water repellent protection complexapplied covering all wires in the strand and filling interstitial voids,and finally extrusion of a 1.5 mm thick HDPE duct. The mechanicalproperties of the protection complex make it capable of resistingcompression (clamping or deviation) forces, shear (tangential)forces, and dynamic loads due to traffic. It has a remarkable set ofproperties – excellent protection against corrosion, bond andmechanical strength of the protection on the steel support of thestrand. The Cohestrand is entirely manufactured in the factory andtherefore satisfies stringent quality standards, and is easy to installwith inexpensive means.

Client: State of Johor JKRMain Contractor:

Ranhill Civil - Kuala Lumpur.Foundation work:

Antara Koh - Singapore.Design office and technical

support: Jean Muller International.Specialized contractor:

(stay cables, prestressing,bearings) Freyssinet Malaysia,assisted by Freyssinet International.

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PARTICIPANTS

construction and a self-launchingtruss. Each segment is cast on amobile traveller fixed to the previ-ous segments and supported on asteel box girder. When one span hasbeen concreted and its tendonshave been tensioned, travellers aremoved to the position of the nextsegment. ■



SOILS/RN 202 BIS

Protection from floods and earthquakes

Reinforced Earth was chosen to protect bearingsand retaining walls for the new RN 202 bis road viaduct in the Nice hinterland, (France), exposed to flashfloods from the Var river and earthquakes.

AVIADUCT CARRIES THE NEWRN 202 bis road between

La Manda and Saint-Isidore overthe Var river to the North of Nice.The Alpes-Maritimes DDE(Departmental DevelopmentAuthority) was the client for thebridge and chose Reinforced Earthto support the road on the longapproach ramp on the right bankby constructing a 1,126 m long wallwith a height of up to 12 m. Thechoice was made on account of theflexibility of the process, and itsarchitectural advantages. Aesthet-ics of this structure is an importantcriterion and was awarded to thearchitect Charles Lavigne. “No lessthan three different patterns areused in the complex architectural

facing, and manufacture of the fac-ings was awarded to a contractorwith a prefabrication plant close tothe site”, explains Pierre Sery, Man-ager of Terre Armée SNC.

A torrential river

The project is also unusual becauseto its complexity, which is due inpart to the nature of the river beingcrossed and the seismic nature ofthe region. David Brancaz, engi-neer in the Terre Armée SNC designoffice, explained “we needed todesign a structure capable of resist-ing an earthquake with an acceler-ation of 3.5 m/s, one of the highestacceleration anywhere in mainlandFrance.”The level of the torrential Var River

can rise by more than 5 m in a fewhours during certain times of theyear. In order to provide protectionagainst scour, the Reinforced earthwall was founded on a sheet pilewall, which was buried to a depthof 12.50 m and anchored at the topwith tie rods. The sudden level vari-ations can cause large pressure dif-ferences between the inside andthe outside of the structure whenthe flood level rises and then sud-denly drops. For this reason, a free-draining material will be used forthe backfill, and the back of theconcrete facing will be lined with acontinuous geotextile layer up tothe 100-year flood level.The use of other technical solu-tions on the left bank illustrates the

flexibility of Reinforced earth. Con-ventional concrete facings wereused for the retaining wall of thecomposite abutment, in which thesupport function and the earthretaining function are separated.The walls built along the temporaryabutment access road were cladwith TerraTrel galvanized weldedmesh facing panels which can, ifnecessary, be easily removed. ■

Client: Ministry of Development, Transport & Housing.

Engineer: Alpes-MaritimesDevelopment & EnvironmentDirectorate.

Main contractor: CarillionBTP/TP Spada/Triverio/Bos.

Specialized contractor:Terre Armée SNC (France).

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PARTICIPANTS


REALIZATIONS

SOILS/SEPON GOLD MINE

In the Laotian jungle

AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERINGand project management com-

pany Ausenco asked ReinforcedEarth Australia (RECo) to design astructure required for the SeponGold Mine, owned by Lang XangMinerals Ltd and located deep inLaotian jungles. RECo also suppliedmaterials to the site and full timeon-site construction assistance. Despite minor difficulties sourcingselect fill, the design of the 10 mhigh TerraMet (galvanized steelfaced) dump structure, and manu-facture of the materials was under-taken relatively quickly.When construction began, RECosent the first of two volunteersupervisors on the grueling jour-

ney to the site. Initially, long timeRECo foreman Geoff Slavin madethe lengthy trip. The journey con-sisted of various flights to reach theLaotian capital, Vientiane, followedby an extended (10 hour!) veryrough four-wheel drive journey onunsealed jungle tracks along thenotorious Ho Chi Minh Trail andeven a motorboat ride over thefamous Mekong River. After threeweeks, Geoff Slavin rotated withRECo’s James Bye, who stayed untilcompletion.Working in the hot humid condi-tions with the enthusiastic Laotianworkers was challenging butrewarding. Several times, the rollercame perilously close to falling off

the edge of the wall. Add to this thethreat of unexploded ordinance leftover from the Vietnam war and theregular tropical downpours; com-

pleting the works was a difficultjob! RECo is now negotiatinganother possible structure for thesite, this time at Sepon Copper. ■

STRUCTURES/COUPVRAY FOOTBRIDGE

An all-wood first

Freyssinet,working as

the main contractor,only needed slightlymore than twomonths to build the new Coupvrayfootbridge in the Seine-et-Marnedepartment, France.

ACCORDING TO THIERRY NON-NON, Freyssinet’s Wood Divi-

sion Manager, “the 34 m long sus-pension footbridge leaving a clear-ance height of 5.30 m for river traffic built by the small town of Coupvray (2,700 inhabitants) to create a new link between itstown centre area and its residentialarea is undoubtedly the first all-wood suspension bridge built in France”. At the beginning ofsummer 2003, work started by the

construction of the piers, followedby construction work for the sus-pension system in July, and thenthe deck. Two temporary IT15 sus-pension strands were first ten-sioned between the piers to enableplacement of the permanent sus-pension cables (composed of 64galvanized 44 mm diameter steelwires). The team fixed collars,hangers, and other elements nec-essary to make the deck (and par-ticularly steel bracing on the

underside), from a safe position on scaffolding installed on thesouth pier, at intervals of twometers on these cables. Once thefittings had been put into placeover the entire length of the sus-pension system, the temporarystrands were removed and the foot-bridge was brought into its finalconfiguration. “We installed thejoists and deck platform made ofred Northern Pine specially treatedin a drying oven for outdoors use(conform with biological risks cate-gory 4), wood lattice beamsdesigned to stiffen the deck werethen put into place before the finaladjustments to the bridge geome-try were made, and finally theguard rails and access stairs wereinstalled”, says Jean-Marc Vilpellet,the supervisor.The total construction time for thisproject was only slightly more thantwo months, and required a teamof four persons on average. “Thetechnique used helped us to savetime”, says Jean-Marc Vilpellet, andwe never needed to interrupt rivertraffic.» ■


T R A N S V E R S E

QUALIFICATION

A certificate for shotcrete gun operators

A lthough the shotcrete techniqueis more than a century old, it is

now developing as never beforethroughout the world for a widevariety of applications such as wallor embankment facing, construc-tion of tunnels, repair or strength-ening of structures. The Asquapro(Association for the quality of shot-crete and sprayed mortar) was cre-ated in France in 1989 to improveconstruction quality and to main-tain a high operator qualificationlevel. This organization has manymembers in public works (clients,main contractors, manufacturers,contractors, etc.) including Freys-sinet France.More recently, the Asquapro hasinitiated a certificate validatingqualification of shotcrete gun oper-ators according to clearly definedcriteria, following internal sessionsor training provided by contractors.For Philippe Zanker, Freyssinet

France’s General Manager, this cer-tification “is a guarantee of qualityfor customers”, since it provides themeans of having an independentexternal organization recognizeskills present in the company for along time (with prestigious refer-ences such as the Channel repair in1997, and more recently strength-ening of a factory in Le Tréport, inthe Seine-Maritime department inFrance). Moreover, as emphasizedby the Association managers, theAsquapro qualification increasesthe prestige of a physically difficultactivity.At Freyssinet, Alain Maguet andAlain Autissier have organized anannual training session in the shot-crete technique for the last threeyears. Freyssinet is also the firstmember company of the associationto receive the shotcrete gun opera-tors certificate. It was awarded to 10persons in the Group in 2003. ■

The high qualityconstruction work is largely due to the operators’ knowhow and technicalskills in shotcrete.

KNOW HOW

CCSL, corrosionprotection solutions

CERTIFICATION

PPC plant ISO9001:V2000

Corrosion Control ServicesLtd (CCSL) is a subsidiary ofFreyssinet Ltd specialized inthe diagnostic, preventionand treatment of corrosion inmarine environments, andhas recently been awardedseveral contracts using itsprocesses. Thus Durmon, asystem for measuring thepenetration of chlorides intoconcrete based on the use ofprobes embedded into thematerial and coupled with ananalysis software, will be usedin cooperation withFreyssinet Hong Kong onseveral new structures built ina marine environment inHong Kong.In Abu Dhabi (United ArabEmirates), the Britishsubsidiary decided to apply acathodic protection systemon the new Umm Al Narbridge (photo above) toefficiently prevent corrosionof the reinforcement in a hotand humid marineenvironment, and to avoidexpensive repairs later. Amonitoring and controldevice controlled from theUnited Kingdom by CCSLengineers was installed on thestructure at the same time. ■

PPC, the Freyssinet Group’slargest production unit, is located in the heart ofBurgundy, at the entrance tothe town of Chalon-sur-Saône, and its main activity is manufacturing, sale andtrade of constructionmaterials (road constructionjoints, bearings, etc.) and components for theanchorage of stay cables and prestressing. PPC is aEuropean company withinternational business(almost 80% of its productionis exported) and has anumber of high performancemachines well adapted to itsactivity that assure qualityproduction and assembly for the most complexindustrial requirements.PPC set up a certificationapproach several years ago to satisfy its high standards in terms of quality of itsmanufactured products andsupplied services, and to assure its customers that its activities comply withimposed standards andspecifications. The companywas already ISO 9002:1994certified, and in July 2003it was awarded the ISO9001:V2000 certification for all its activities. The ISO9001:V2000 standard replaces


TRANSVERSE

INNOVATION

Three new prizes reward Freyssinet’s creativity

Innovation is the fruit of an ambitious research anddevelopment policy and is extremely important in theFreyssinet Group. Theseefforts were rewarded by twoprizes awarded to Freyssinetat the VINCI 2003 innovationcompetition, and morerecently the first prize atFNTP 2003. The innovationsfor which the VINCI prizeswere awarded apply to theViajoint HP expansion jointand the “temporary cables”construction method. Thefirst innovation developed by Freyssinet and Interdescowas the development of a new road expansion jointdesigned to resist densetraffic and a severe climatedue to the use of a dual-component thermosettingbinder. Viajoint HP hassuccessfully been tested in the laboratory and is nowthe subject of full-scaleexperiments on the Cofiroutenetwork. The secondinnovation enables economicconstruction of suspensionfootbridges. It consists of installing two «temporarycables» along which twolightweight deck handlingcranes can travel.

With this device, the steelstructure of the futurefootbridge is launched with a different static supportsystem from the final system,making maximum use of the strength and flexibility of the steel. Finally, the latest award was the innovation first prize in a ceremony at the FNTP(Fédération Nationale des Travaux Publics) in Julypresided over by DanielTardy, President of theProfessional Public WorksAssociation in France and overseas, for the “high performance tensilesystem” developed byFreyssinet (for the anchorageof cables) and the Soficar and Bostik Findleycompanies (for carbon rods).This system is designed for use with cable-supportedstructures (bridges or offshore platforms) and combines carbon fibrecables with an innovativepatented anchor process based on gluing and wedging of compositerods. It was used for the first time on the Laroinfootbridge (photo above)near Pau (France).■

AWARDS

Meeting with Terre Armée licencees in Japan

the previous standard and is focused on the customer,enabling direct action on the company’s processeswithin a context ofcontinuous improvement.

“It is another step in PPC’sdevelopment, says PhilippeHéry, the company’s GeneralManager; we are nowbeginning an approach toinclude safety, risk preventionand environmental aspects in the management system,as well as quality”. ■


APPOINTMENTJEAN-PHILIPPE

FUZIER wasappointedmember of the presidium of the fib(fédération

internationale du béton -international concretefederation) during summer2003. Jean-Philippe Fuzier wasthe scientific manager of Freyssinet until December2002 and is now an adviser to Bruno Dupety, the Group’sCEO. He represents thecompany at internationaltechnical conferences and is the author of many scientificpublications. He is also the official representative of the fib in France, andparticipates in various workinggroups in this capacity. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Structural Concrete, the Federation’s journal.

“KAI” Sumitomo-Hirose.

Bruno Dupety, Freyssinet ChiefExecutive Officer, participatedin annual meetings of TerreArmée licencees in Japan,which were held in June for theHirose Group (independentsubsidiary of Sumitomo) and inSeptember for the KawashoGroup. He was accompaniedby Graham Simkin, specialadvisor for Reinforced earthactivities in Japan. Theseceremonies (traditionally calledKAI in Japan) have been heldregularly for the last fifteenyears, and each is attended by100 to 200 partner companies.They provide an opportunity toreport on the Reinforced Earthactivity in the country andthroughout the world duringthe previous year, and toanalyse developmentprospects. This year, theceremonies coincided with the30th anniversary of theReinforced earth licence issuedin Japan, and as usual thehighlight was the award of acertificate of excellence to theten partner companies with thebest performances.

Africa and Middle-East

EgyptFreyssinet EgyptGizaPhone: (20.2) 345 81 65Fax: (20.2) 345 52 37

KuwaitFreyssinet International & Co.SafatPhone: (965) 5714 974Fax: (965) 573 5748

South AfricaFreyssinet Posten Pty LtdOlifantsfonteinPhone: (27.11) 316 21 74Fax: (27.11) 316 29 18

Reinforced Earth Pty LtdJohannesburgPhone: (27.11) 726 6180Fax: (27.11) 726 5908

United Arab EmiratesFreyssinet Middle East LLCDubaiPhone: (971) 4 286 8007Fax: (971) 4 286 8009

Freyssinet Gulf LLCDubaiPhone: (971) 4 286 8007Fax: (971) 4 286 8009

America

ArgentinaFreyssinet - Tierra Armada SABuenos AiresPhone: (54.11) 4372 7291Fax: (54.11) 4372 5179

BrazilStup Premoldados LtdaSão PauloPhone: (55.11) 4538 1522Fax: (55.11) 4524 1585

Freyssinet Ltda -Terra Armada LtdaRio de JaneiroPhone: (55.21) 2233 7353Fax: (55.21) 2263 4842

CanadaReinforced Earth Company LtdMississaugaPhone: (1.905) 564 0896Fax: (1.905) 564 2609

ChileFreyssinet - Tierra Armada S.ASantiago de ChilePhone: (56.2) 2047 543Fax: (56.2) 225 1608

ColombiaStup de ColombiaBogotaPhone: (57.1) 257 4103Fax: (57.1) 610 3898

Tierra Armada LtdaBogotaPhone: (57.1) 236 3786Fax: (57.1) 610 3898

El SalvadorFessic SA de CVLa LibertadPhone: (503) 278 8603Fax: (503) 278 0445

GuatemalaPresforzados Técnicos SAGuatemala CityPhone: (502) 2204 236Fax: (502) 2500 150

MexicoFreyssinet de México SA de CVMexico DFPhone: (52.55) 5250 7000Fax: (52.55) 5255 0165

Tierra Armada SA de CVMexico DFPhone: (52.55) 5250 7000Fax: (52.55) 5255 0165

United StatesDrainage & GroundImprovement, Inc - MénardBridgeville, PAPhone: (1.412) 257 2750Fax: (1.412) 257 8455

Freyssinet LLCChantilly, VAPhone: (1.703) 378 2500Fax: (1.703) 378 2700

Ménard Soiltreatment Inc.Orange, CAPhone: (1.714) 288 8447Fax: (1.714) 639 8701

The Reinforced Earth CompanyVienna, VAPhone: (1.703) 821 1175Fax: (1.703) 821 1815

VenezuelaTierra Armada CaCaracas DFPhone: (58.212) 576 6685Fax: (58.212) 577 7570

Asia

Hong KongFreyssinet Hong Kong LtdKwung Tong - KowloonPhone: (852) 2794 0322Fax: (852) 2338 3264

Reinforced Earth Pacific LtdKwung TongPhone: (852) 2782 3163Fax: (852) 2332 5521

IndonesiaPT Freyssinet Total TechnologyJakartaPhone: (62.21) 830 0222Fax: (62.21) 830 9841

JapanFKKTokyoPhone: (81.3) 3571 8651Fax: (81.3) 3574 0710

TAKKTokyoPhone: (81.44) 722 6361Fax: (81.44) 722 3133

MalaysiaFreyssinet PSC (M) Sdn BhdKuala LumpurPhone: (60.3) 7982 85 99Fax: (60.3) 7981 55 30

Ménard Geosystems Sdn BhdSubang Jaya SelangorPhone: (60.3) 5632 1581Fax: (60.3) 5632 1582

Reinforced Earth ManagementServices Sdn BhdKuala LumpurPhone: (60.3) 6274 6162Fax: (60.3) 6274 7212

PakistanReinforced Earth Pvt LtdIslamabadPhone: (92.51) 2273 501Fax: (92.51) 2273 503

SingaporePSC Freyssinet (S) Pte LtdSingaporePhone: (65) 6899 0323Fax: (65) 6899 0761

Reinforced Earth (SEA) Pte LtdSingaporePhone: (65) 6566 9080Fax: (65) 6565 6605

South KoreaFreyssinet Korea Co. LtdSeoulPhone: (82.2) 2056 0500Fax: (82.2) 515 4185

Sangjee Ménard Co. LtdSeoulPhone: (82.2) 587 9286Fax: (82.2) 587 9285

ThailandFreyssinet Thailand LtdBangkokPhone: (66.2) 266 6088/90Fax: (66.2) 266 6091

VietnamFreyssinet Vietnam HanoiPhone: (84.4) 826 1416Fax: (84.4) 826 1118

Europe

BelgiumFreyssinet Belgium NVVilvoordePhone: (32.2) 252 0740Fax: (32.2) 252 2443

Terre Armee Belgium NVVilvoordePhone: (32.2) 252 0740Fax: (32.2) 252 2443

DenmarkA/S Skandinavisk SpaendbetonVaerloesePhone: (45.44) 35 08 11Fax: (45.44) 35 08 10

FranceFreyssinet FranceVélizyPhone: (33.1) 46 01 84 84Fax: (33.1) 46 01 85 85

Freyssinet International & CieVélizyPhone: (33.1) 46 01 84 84Fax: (33.1) 46 01 85 85

Ménard SoltraitementNozayPhone: (33.1) 69 01 37 38Fax: (33.1) 69 01 75 05

PPCSaint-RemyPhone: (33.3) 85 42 15 15Fax: (33.3) 85 42 15 14

Terre Armée SNCVélizyPhone: (33.1) 46 01 84 84Fax: (33.1) 46 01 85 85

FyromFreyssinet BalkansSkopjePhone: (389.2) 3118 549Fax: (389.2) 3118 549

Great-BritainCorrosion Control Services LtdTelfordPhone: (44.1952) 230 900Fax: (44.1952) 230 960

Freyssinet LtdTelfordPhone: (44.1952) 201 901Fax: (44.1952) 201 753

Reinforced Earth Company LtdTelfordPhone: (44.1952) 201 901Fax: (44.1952) 201 753

HungaryPannon Freyssinet KftBudapestPhone: (36.1) 209 1510Fax: (36.1) 209 1510

IrelandReinforced Earth Co. LtdKildarePhone: (353) 45 431 088Fax: (353) 45 433 145

ItalyFreyssinet - Terra Armata SRLRomaPhone: (39.06) 418 771Fax: (39.06) 418 77 201

Freyssinet - Terra Armata SRLMilanPhone: (39.02) 895 40 276Fax: (39.02) 895 40 446

NetherlandsFreyssinet Nederland BVNoordkadePhone: (31.18) 2630 888Fax: (31.18) 2630 152

Terre Armée BVBredaPhone: (31.76) 531 9332Fax: (31.76) 531 9943

NorwayA/S Skandinavisk SpennbetongSnarøyaPhone/fax: (47.67) 53 91 74

PolandFreyssinet Polska Sp z.o.o.MilanówekPhone: (48.22) 724 4355Fax: (48.22) 724 6893

PortugalFreyssinet - Terra ArmadaLisbonPhone: (351.21) 716 1675Fax: (351.21) 716 4051

RomaniaFreyrom SABucarestPhone: (40.21) 220 2828Fax: (40.21) 220 4541

SpainFreyssinet SAMadridPhone: (34.91) 323 9500Fax: (34.91) 323 9551

Tierra Armada Espana, SAMadridPhone: (34.91) 323 9500Fax: (34.91) 323 9551

SwedenAB Skandinavisk SpaennbetongMalmöPhone/fax: (46.40) 98 14 00

SwitzerlandFreyssinet SAMoudonPhone: (41.21) 905 0905Fax: (41.21) 905 0909

TurkeyFreysasKadiköyPhone: (90.216) 349 8775Fax: (90.216) 349 6375

Reinforced Earth Insaat roje Ve Tic. A.SÜsküdarPhone: (90.216) 4928 424Fax: (90.216) 4923 306

Oceania

AustraliaAustress Freyssinet Pty LtdSeven HillsPhone: (61.2) 9674 4044Fax: (61.2) 9674 5967

Austress Freyssinet Pty LtdMelbournePhone: (61.3) 9326 58 85Fax: (61.3) 9326 89 96

The Reinforced Earth CompanyHornsbyPhone: (61.2) 9910 9900Fax: (61.2) 9910 9999

New ZealandFreyssinet New Zealand Ltd -Reinforced Earth LtdAucklandPhone: (64.9) 2363 385Fax: (64.9) 2363 385

ZOOMA collection ofseismic equipment

The Freyssinet Group around the world

The Rion-Antirion Bridge projectbetween Peloponnese and the continent,managed by Vinci Construction GrandsProjets, is now at the peak of its activity.The design of this 2,884 m long multica-ble-stayed bridge is completely innova-tive due to its exposure to earthquake,and will be fitted with the latest earth-quake-resistant equipment.ThusFreyssinet started its work on site inspring, and is using paraseismic devia-tors (PSD) to protect stay cables againstexcessive bending, key blocking devicesin anchor blocks, etc. (Details of thesetechniques will be described in a futureissue of Soils & Structures).

FREYSSINET - 1 bis, rue du Petit-Clamart - 78140 Vélizy-Villacoublay - France - Phone: (+33 1) 46 01 84 84 - Fax: (+33 1) 46 01 85 85 - www.freyssinet.comPublication manager: Claude Lascols - Editor: Stéphane Tourneur ([email protected]) - Contributed to this issue: Isabelle Angot, Pierre Berger, Krzysztof Berger, Michel Bic, François Bignon, Jean-Luc Bringer, Bill Brockbank, Laure Céleste, Bruno Dupety, Jean-Philippe Fuzier, Philippe Héry, Alain Maguet, Sylviane Mullenberg,Patrick Nagle, Pierre Orsat, Jean-Claude Percheron, Jim Preston, John Ritchie, Pierre Sery, Graham Simkin, Andrew Smith, Jérôme Stubler, Jean-Marc Vilpellet.Editorial secretariat: Jean-Marc Brujaille - Layout: Idé - Photos: Axel Heise, David Houlston, VK Photo Studio, John de Rooy (focus and cover), Francis Vigouroux, Freyssinet andVINCI photographs. Freyssinet is a subsidiary of VINCI.

Although Freyssinet makes every effort to supply the most precise possible information, the publishers and their employees or agents cannot guarantee that this information isaccruate and cannot aceept any responsibility if it is.

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Sols&Structures ANG 218 · Blake Bridge in the South West of the United Kingdom, carrying two lanes...

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