News
Events
Baptism of the first TBM for the Liefkenshoek
The first of the two pressurised-mud tunnel boring machines built for
the Liefkenshoek rail tunnel in Antwerp (Belgium) was baptized on 5
January. Named Schanulleke (from the name of a character in the Belgian
Suske & Wiske comic strip), it will dig one of the two (7.3m
interior-diameter and 5.9m-long) tunnels for the project. The second
TBM, Wiske, arrived on the worksite on 19 January and will be baptized
at the beginning of March.
01/27/2010
Official ground-breaking for the Aranguez Flyover project
On December 21, 2009, Colm Imbert, Trinidad and Tobago’s
Minister for Construction and Transport, officially launched the
Aranguez Flyover construction project. The project calls for VINCI
Construction Grands Projets to design and build a steel-concrete
composite bridge, 54 m long and 17 m wide. A ceremony to mark this
event was held at its offices near the CRH/UBH interchange (a
structure completed by VINCI Construction Grands Projets teams in May
2009).
01/13/2010
Innovation Awards: (A)live on site garners the Safety prize
The 2009 edition of the Innovation Awards culminated on January 5 in
Paris with the awarding of the final prizes. VINCI Construction Grands
Projets was awarded the Safety prize, which was presented by Jacques
Tavernier, Chairman and CEO of Eurovia. The judges’ panel was
particularly impressed with the effectiveness and true innovation of an
approach (carried out on an international scale but adapted to local
needs) that uses film shot on location at worksites to raise awareness
among employees regarding risky workplace behaviour. Jean-Philippe Bréot, Director, Quality Security Environment,
shares his views on (A)live on site.
01/06/2010
Clackmannanshire Bridge Garners a Structural Award
On October 9, 2009, Clackmannanshire Bridge was awarded a prize for
best transport infrastructure by the Institution of Structural
Engineers during a ceremony held at the Natural History Museum in
London. The prize rewards the structural design by Scott Wilson Group,
through its subsidiary, Benaim, which was implemented in conjunction
with Morgan VINCI Group and the engineering and technology division of VINCI Construction Grands Projets.
10/15/2009
Morgan VINCI wins 2009 Green Apple Award
Morgan VINCI Joint Venture, made up of Morgan Est and VINCI
Construction Grands Projets, has won a 2009 Green Apple Award in the
Environmental Best Practice category. The awards ceremony will take
place on November 17, 2009, at the British House of Commons. Morgan
VINCI was also selected to represent the UK at the European Business
Awards for the Environment, to be held in Brussels in 2010.
09/10/2009
Algiers subway system honoured on national holiday
On July 5, 2009, on the occasion of the national holiday in Algeria, a
train travelled the entire length of the Algiers subway line from
Tafourah Grande station in the northern part of the city to
Haï El Badr in the south. Travelling on board the train were
Algeria’s Minister of Transportation, Amar Tou, the Secretary
General of the Government, and the President of the FLN (Front de
Libération nationale) as well as about 30 journalists and
100 invited guests.
07/16/2009
Inauguration of the Grande Ravine viaduct
at La Réunion
The Grande Ravine viaduct was inaugurated on Saturday, June 13, 2009.
In attendance for the event were: the senator for La
Réunion, Gélita Hoarau; the Vice-President for
the region, Pierre Vergès; and general councillor, Isabelle
Poudroux. The viaduct is one of four exceptional engineering structure
on the Route des Tamarins that will help relieve traffic
congestion in the western part of the island. On the morning of the
inauguration, residents of the neighbourhood and visitors were welcomed
at the site by VINCI teams and learned about the various phases of
viaduct-construction project thanks to a special exhibition. In the
evening, the Grande Ravine viaduct was showcased in bright lights every
half-hour, and a show bringing together 200 artists was held at the
Montée Panon stadium.
06/19/2009
Trinidad and Tobago: flowing freely over the interchange!
On 1st May last, some 10 km to the east of the capital, Port of Spain,
the CRH/UBH motorway interchange was inaugurated and brought into
service by Colm Imbert, Trinidad and Tobago's Minister for Construction
and Transport.
06/02/2009
Environment:
Excellent rating for the EIB’s new building
Following its post-construction evaluation in March 2009, the new
European Investment Bank (EIB) building was awarded a rating of
“Excellent” in accordance with the BREEAM (Building
Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method).
This evaluation marks an improvement over the previous assessment,
carried out during the preliminary design phase. Following the initial
assessment, architectural and technical planning was adjusted
throughout the project to integrate comments made in the BREEAM
evaluation. Previously, the new EIB building had been the first
building in Luxembourg, and even in continental Europe, to achieve the
rating of “Very Good.”
05/25/2009
Lusail Car Parks: 2 million hours achieved without an accident requiring downtime
On March 19, 2009, the Lusail Car Parks project achieved the safety
milestone of 2 million hours without an accident requiring downtime.
This feat was celebrated during a ceremony attended by 600 people
employed by the dozen or so companies at work on the site. On this
occasion, the best workers and team leaders for the month of March
received Safety Award certificates.
05/19/2009
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
VINCI Construction Grands Projets supported World Day for Safety and
Health, which was held on April 28, 2009. This International Labour
Organization (ILO ) is designed to promote a culture of
safety in the workplace. This year, the campaign focused on efforts to
offset potential negative impacts that current economic conditions may
have on safety and health at work, which remain basic human rights.
Every year around the world, 2 million people lose their lives at work:
that is 5,800 deaths a day. In addition, 332 million people are injured
at work every year – that is 920,000 people a day.
05/11/2009
First train run for the Algiers subway system
Officially, on Monday, April 6, 2009, the first train ran on Line 1 of
the Algiers subway system, covering 4 km. On board were 200 attendees,
including: the minister of transportation, Amar Tou; the minister of
the interior and local communities, Yazid Zerhouni; and the minister of
energy and mines and OPEC chairman, Chakib Khalil. This is a major
stage in the project and also marks the near-completion, for VINCI
Construction Grands Projets, of civil-engineering and architectural
development mandates at all subway system stations.
05/06/2009
Pumping station in Qatar: signature of the contract in Doha
On March 17, 2009, Stéphane Abry, Director of Hydraulique
Internationale at VINCI Construction Grands Projets (at right in the
photo) and Eng Nasser Al Moulwi (at centre), Executive Director of PWA
Ashghal, the public works authority in Doha (the client), signed a
contract for the construction of a pumping station in Qatar. The
signing ceremony was held in Doha and was attended by: Ghanem Bin Saad
Al Saad (at left), Chief executive officer of Qatari Diar;
Gérald Mille, Chief executive officer of QDVC; Alain Dupont,
Director of engineering at Entrepose Contracting; and Christian
Tricoire, Project Director.
04/28/2009
AFAQ 1000NR certification from AFNOR
Jean-Philippe Bréot, Director, Quality Safety Environnement Manager at VINCI Construction Grands Projets (at right in the
photo) received the AFAQ 1000NR certificate from Jacques Beslin,
Delegate Executive Director at AFNOR Certification, placing the company
at the “Maturity” stage on the sustainable
development rating scale. The ceremony, which was held on April 3, 2009
at the head office of AFNOR, at La Plaine Saint-Denis, was attended by
Hélène Maguet, who oversees construction issues
at AFNOR Certification, and by employees at VINCI Construction Grands
Projets and VINCI who were involved in certification efforts.
04/15/2009
Research: Laurie Buffo-Lacarrière rewarded for her thesis on the quality of concrete
Laurie Buffo-Lacarrière received second prize at the
Excellence SMA university contest for her thesis titled
Prévision et évaluation de la fissuration précoce des ouvrages en béton (forecasting and assessing early-age cracking in concrete structures).
The prize is worth €1,500. The Excellence SMA university
contest was launched in 2003 by the corporate foundation of the SMABTP insurance company to reward, on an annual basis,
doctoral theses that contribute to enhancing quality and preventing
problems in the construction industry. The judges panel for the 2008
prizes consisted of building and public works professionals and
academics and was chaired by Denys Breysse, professor at
université de Bordeaux I and president of Association
Universitaire de Génie Civil.
02/27/2009
Auction sale of paintings to benefit the Child Cancer Foundation in Budapest
During an in-house event that brought together roughly a hundred guests
at the Budapest subway worksite, VINCI Construction Grands Projets held
an auction sale of paintings by the spouse of a project participant,
thereby raising €6,420.
02/25/2009
Opening of the Nanterre inter-company daycare
VINCI Construction Grands Projets took part in setting up the
“Petits Chaperons Rouges” inter-company daycare,
which has opened its doors on December 1, 2008. By offering a child-care
solution to personnel with kids, the new daycare allows them to balance
their professional and personal lives more effectively. VINCI
Construction Grands Projets has reserved places at the daycare for
employees who have put in a request.
12/09/2008
Inauguration of the Clackmannanshire Bridge in Scotland
The Clackmannanshire Bridge, formerly known as the Kincardine Bridge
– the world’s second-longest incrementally launched
bridge – was inaugurated on November 19, 2008 by Alex
Salmond, First Minister of Scotland, in the presence of the 11th Count
of Elgin, who had been present at the age of 7 for the launch of
construction on the first Kincardine Bridge in 1931. The 11th Count of
Elgin is descended from Thomas Bruce, 7e Count of Elgin, a British diplomat who oversaw the shipping of sculptures from the Parthenon to the British Museum in the early part of 19th century. This
€145-million project, which VINCI Construction Grands Projets
(50%) carried out in collaboration with Morgan Est, consisted in the
design and construction of an incrementally launched bridge over the
River Forth as well as 2-km access roads on both sides.
12/02/2008
Sustainable development: the first AFAQ 1000NR evaluation
As part of its integrated Quality-Safety-Environment (QSE) approach,
VINCI Construction Grands Projets has called on AFNOR Certification
Group to carry out an evaluation in accordance with the principles of
1000NR (which outlines new responsibilities in support of sustainable
development). On the four-level rating scale (Commitment, Progress,
Maturity, Benchmark), VINCI Construction Grands Projets is on the
second step of the podium, at the Maturity stage.
11/07/2008
Name of River Forth Bridge finally announced
On October 1, 2008, the bridge on the River Forth at Kincardine in
Scotland was officially named “Clackmannanshire
Bridge.” Clackmannanshire is one of the three Scottish
counties located in the vicinity of the bridge. Scotland’s
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, Stewart
Stevenson, launched a public consultation in January 2008 calling on
people to put forward their suggestions for a name. Road signs are
currently being installed in the area around the new bridge.
10/28/2008
Cairo subway: baptism of the Cleopatra TBM
The baptism ceremony for the Cleopatra Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) was held on September 3,
2008. The event was attended by Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nasif,
Minister of Transportation Mohamed Mansour and representatives of the
client, the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT). The ceremony took
place at the launch pit (see photo). Lead contractor VINCI Construction
Grands Projets (28.5%) is currently fulfilling the civil engineering
mandate for Phase 1 on Line 3 of the Cairo subway in conjunction with
Arab Contractors, Bouygues and Orascom.
09/23/2008
Launch of the final segment of the Trinidad-and-Tobago interchange
The 10th and final segment of the frame was launched on August 26, with
each segmental launch corresponding to the installation of a single
bridge span requiring approximately 4 hours. The steel frame, which is
the main combined structure in the interchange, weighs a total of 2,500
tonnes and is 600 metres long and 16 metres wide. It was pushed into
place onto the southern abutment using two hydraulic jacks, with the
capacity to push 140 tonnes each, anchored to concrete beams. Many
notable figures were in attendance for the event, including Works and
Transport Minister Colm Imbert and Kaisha Ince, President of NIDCO
(National Infrastructure Development Company), the client.
09/12/2008
Focus on bridge pre-construction at the CBDG annual meeting
The Concrete Bridge Development Group (CBDG) invited William Paschetta,
Chief Design Engineer with VINCI Construction Grands Projets, to its
annual meeting in Oxford on June 25th to deliver a presentation on current bridge pre-construction methods. CBDG is a British association of builders and organizations in the concrete industry whose mission is to promote concrete bridge-building and related training initiatives and to identify future Research & Development needs.
07/07/2008
Major Projects Conference:
carbon-offset initiative
This past April, as part of VINCI Construction’s Major Projects
Conference, 200 staff members met in the Sultanate of Oman where VINCI
Construction Grands Projets is currently building the Wadi Dayqah dams. In accordance with its sustainable development policy, VINCI Construction Grands Projets has decided to offset the carbon emissions of its flights between Paris and Muscat.
06/18/2008
Lionel Linger, engineer and concrete specialist, has been awarded the AFGC prize
On March 20, 2008, Lionel Linger, an engineer and concrete specialist
with VINCI Construction Grands Projets, received the AFGC prize. The
prize, awarded by the Association Française de Génie Civil (AFGC), recognizes engineers, researchers, and
academics for outstanding work in a scientific, technical or
operational field.
05/21/2008
Partner satisfaction study carried out by IFOP
At the end of 2007, VINCI Construction Grands Projets, in conjunction
with the polling firm, IFOP, carried out a satisfaction study among its
856 partners. The participation rate was 58% (or 498 respondents), 4 percent higher than for the study conducted in 2005. On April
28, 2008, the study’s results were sent by Pierre Berger,
President of VINCI Construction Grands Projets, to all of the
company’s partners.
05/16/2008
Shareholders visit the A19 worksite
On March 18, 2008, during their visit to the A19 worksite, shareholders
discovered various aspects of the project: the viaduct on the Loing,
passageways for wildlife, excavation machinery at work on a highway
segment, and operations at the asphalt-production plant. Shareholder
visits, which are quite numerous throughout the year, are an
opportunity to hold regional meetings with member of the VINCI
shareholders club and acquaint them with the Group’s latest
projects and achievements.
04/10/2008
FASEP contract in Istanbul: intermediary report submitted with Hervé Novelli in attendance
On February 18, 2008, WMI (Water Management International, a subsidiary
of VINCI Construction Grands Projets) submitted its intermediary report
to the water-management authorities of Istanbul on the occasion of the
visit by Hervé Novelli, then France’s secretary of
state for business and external trade, accompanied by a delegation of
business people. Also attending the event were the Mayor of
Istanbul and the Ambassador of France to Turkey. This contract is an
opportunity for WMI to demonstrate its extensive expertise and ability
to deliver positive results in the upgrade of the drinking-water
network in the target zone, namely, the Sultanahmet sector of the city.
04/03/2008
2008 ENSAM FORUM
Innovative participation at the forum des Arts et Métiers,
held on March 26 and 27, 2008 at Parc Floral in Paris VINCI Construction Grands Projets took part in the 28th edition of the
ENSAM forum. The company’s kiosk, which brought together all
of the Group’s subsidiaries, included an innovative feature:
a video-recruitment studio. This is a first!
04/02/2008
Budapest metro: the “Zsuzsa” TBM arrives at Bocskai station
On Friday, March 7, the tunnel-boring machine (TBM)
“Zsuzsa” made its arrival at the Bocskai station on
what will be Line 4 of the Budapest metro system in Hungary. A ceremony
was held to celebrate the event, with the mayor of Budapest,
Gábor Demszky, in attendance. “Zsuzsa”
began operations in May 2007. To date, 2,200 m have been excavated. A
second TBM is scheduled to arrive in four weeks.
03/28/2008
Baptism of the “Rainier” TBM at the Brightwater tunnel site
On February 13, five months after the baptism of
“Helen,” the team at the Brightwater site
celebrated the baptism of “Rainier,” the second
tunnel-boring machine (TBM). During this event, at which the TBM was
powered up for the first time, project director Lionel Suquet paid
tribute to the teams for the work accomplished in the previous months:
over 300 m excavated to date and a ring-assembly pace as high as eight
per day.
03/26/2008
Heathrow’s Terminal 5 gets a royal inauguration
On March 14, the Queen of England officially inaugurated Heathrow
Airport’s new Terminal 5, which is due to open to the public
on March 27. VINCI Construction Grands Projets, in a joint venture with
its longstanding partner in the United Kingdom, Morgan Est, built all
seven railway and road tunnels needed to link the new structure to the
four existing terminals.
03/21/2008
“National Science and Engineering Week”: introduction to civil engineering in Kincardine
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), a London-based British
association of civil engineers, regularly holds an event known as
“Bridges to Schools,” which aims to promote the
civil engineering profession to schoolchildren. This year, the event is
held from March 10 to 20 in partnership with work teams at the
Kincardine bridge construction site.
03/14/2008
A first for the island of Trinidad: launching a bridge without disrupting traffic
On February 18, 2008, Colm Imbert, the Minister of Construction and
Transport for Trinidad and Tobago, attended the launch of the main
bridge of the CRH/UBH interchange. The launch, which took place almost
two weeks ahead of schedule, was carried out without traffic
interruption. The deck located between the first and second piers was
shifted into position, thereby providing a bridge over the 3-lane
Churchill Roosevelt motorway connecting Port of Spain with the eastern
end of the island.
02/27/2008
“Team Grands Projets”: custom training for managing major projects
After 15 months of studies and cooperation, VINCI Construction Grands
Projects will be launching its management of major projects training
course, baptised "Team Grands Projets" in the first quarter of 2008.
02/25/2008
Last incrementally launched span for the Kincardine Bridge
On February 20, the Morgan Est/VINCI Construction Grands Projets joint
venture launched the last span of the Upper Forth Crossing at
Kincardine, which crosses the River Forth in central Scotland.
02/20/2008
Recognition for the motorised rescue chamber at the VINCI 2007 Innovation Awards
The judges’ panel, made up of members of the Executive and
external guests, expressed its appreciation of the investment made to
forestall risk in all its forms. The rescue chamber ensures security
for 20 people from smoke and toxic gas in case of fire in a tunnel,
allowing them to maintain contact with rescue teams outside. This tool
was created by VINCI Construction Grands Projets teams as part of the
works for the Hallandsås railway tunnels in Sweden.
02/18/2008
Visit by President Mubarak to the Naga Hammadi dam in Egypt
On this eagerly awaited visit on January 12, Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak was accompanied by the Minister of Irrigation and Water
Resources and the Minister of Electricity. The President was pleased to
see the progress at the worksite; provisional acceptance is set for end
of May 2008.
02/12/2008
Folding fusegates recognized at the EDF’s Sustainable Development Awards
Awarded last January 16 in the “Climate and Energy”
category, this prize recognizes Edison – a Hydroplus (VINCI
Construction Grands Projets) external partner – for its
commitment to research and development. Fully aware of the growing
interest in folding fusegates, Edison (an EDF subsidiary in Italy) has
decided to promote this innovative technology and entered it in the
EDF’s contest on sustainable development. Folding fusegates,
which are a patent-protected technology, are developed and marketed by
Hydroplus.
02/08/2008
Stade de France celebrates its 10th anniversary!
On January 28th, Stade de France invited some 800 people who saw the
stadium in a brilliant new light. To celebrate this event, several
promotional ventures have been launched: 2008 invitations will be sent to each future event held in that year. The tickets will be sold at a €10 price for 10 different events at the stadium, with plenty of prizes for spectators (candlelit dinner on the stadium field, a free one-year subscription…).
01/31/2008
Open-house day at the Upper Forth Crossing at Kincardine
On November 28, 2007, VINCI Construction Grands Projets and partner
Morgan Est organized an open-house day at the Upper Forth Crossing at
Kincardine worksite in Scotland.
01/18/2008
Brightwater: baptism of the tunnel boring machines
On September 12, 2007, one of the two VINCI Construction Grands Projets
tunnel borers boring machines (TBMs) at the Brightwater site in the
U.S. was baptized.
11/27/2007
Felicia opens its doors
The Felicia shopping centre in Iasi, Romania, developed by Soconac, got
its official public opening on October 10, 2007. In attendance for the
ceremony were Florence Dobelle, economic consultant at the Embassy of
France in Romania, and representatives from VINCI Construction Grands
Projets and from Carrefour.
11/27/2007
Duplex A86 in France: light at the end of the tunnel
Excavation of the second segment for Duplex A86 linking Pont Colbert
(in Jouy-en-Josas) to highway A13 (Vaucresson-Le Chesnay) over a
distance of 5.5 kilometres was completed on Thursday, August 23, 2007
with the tunnel borer’s spectacular exit at the A13
interchange.
08/23/2007
Inauguration in Libya
On August 19, 2007, VINCI Construction Grands Projets teams inaugurated
the Al Gardabiya and Assdada pumping stations on the Libyan coast; in
attendance were Saif El-Islam Ghadafi (son of Colonel Moammar Ghadafi),
Libya’s pPPrime MmMinister El-Baghdadi El-Mahmoudi, Abdul
Majeed El-Gaoud, secretary of the people’s committee for the
GMRA (Great Man-Made River Authority), and Yves Thibault de Silguy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of VINCI.
08/19/2007
Delivery of dam upgrade project in Jindabyne, Australia
Hydroplus successfully upgraded the Jindabyne dam in New South Wales
for a total of €4.8 million, including design and
construction.
03/21/2007