News

Aranguez Flyover: launch of the steel frame structure

On Saturday, June 19, 2010, five weeks ahead of schedule, VINCI Construction Grands Projets teams erected the steel frame of the Aranguez Flyover, a 240 tonne and 54 metre structure, above Churchill Roosevelt Highway. In attendance for this operation were: Jack Warner, the Minister of Works and Transport of Trinidad and Tobago, Michel Trinquier, the Ambassador of France, and Nirad Ramrekersingh, President of NIDCO (the client).
06/28/2010

Work completed on M1 motorway in United Kingdom

After 31 months of work carried out by VINCI Construction Grands Projets, in partnership with Morgan Est and Sir Robert McAlpine, work to rebuild and widen the M1 motorway has been completed nearly seven months ahead of schedule. On May 21, 2010, all lanes were reopened to traffic at normal speed.
06/10/2010

Two million man-hours without lost time injury achieved at the LNG storage tank worksite in Rotterdam in the Netherlands

On April 26, 2010, VINCI Construction Grands Projets, Entrepose Contracting, Techint and Sener (members of the TSEV construction consortium) celebrated – with the client, Gate, and employees involved in the project – the safety milestone of 2 million man-hours without lost time injury.
05/18/2010

Trinidad and Tobago: launch of a new phase in the Aranguez Flyover project at the Churchill Roosevelt Highway

Following the construction and delivery of the Churchill Roosevelt/Uriah Butler highway interchange, which entered into service in May 2009, VINCI Construction Grands Projets is maintaining its presence in Trinidad and Tobago with a mandate to design and build the Aranguez Flyover (52.6 m long and 17.4 m wide), which will cross over the Churchill Roosevelt Highway.
04/29/2010

A recycling solution at the M1 central reservation worksite

A cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution (new to United Kingdom) is being implemented as part of the work carried out on the central reservation of the M1 motorway. This innovative solution recycles 100% of road planing material, which often contains tar, by neutralizing it in the extruded concrete (poured in slip forms) in the sub-base.
12/10/2009

Liefkenshoek: first tunnel boring machine to be commissioned October 9

The technical commissioning of the pressure-balance tunnel boring machine (TBM), built for the Liefkenshoek railway tunnel project in Belgium, will take place October 9, 2009, at Herrenknecht in Schwanau, Germany, in the presence of the customer, Infrabel. The first TBM is scheduled to go into operation two months later, around January 4. The second one is due to be commissioned in December. They will dig through the sand and clay to create two tunnels, each 8 metres wide by 5.9 kilometres long, under the Canaldock B1-B2 and the Scheldt River.
10/08/2009

LNG storage tanks in Rotterdam:
one roof out of three

On 3 June last, in Rotterdam (Netherlands), where 3 LNG (liquefied natural gas) storage tanks are currently under construction, each with a capacity of 180,000 m³, teams from VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Entrepose Contracting (VINCI Construction), successfully raised the roof of the 1st tank.
06/11/2009

(A)live on site at the Hallandsås tunnel worksite in Sweden

The (A)live on site program was deployed from March 3 to 13, 2009 at the Hallandsås rail-tunnel worksite for 72 employees of VINCI Construction Grands Projets, its partner Skanska, and its client Banverket (Swedish national railway). The program was delivered in English and emphasized issues relating to individual protection equipment, loading/unloading of handling equipment, and activities involving both personnel and machinery.
03/27/2009

M1 in the United Kingdom: 1 million hours achieved without a reportable accident requiring downtime

In January 14, 2009, the M1 widening team attained one million man-hours without a reportable accident, achieving a standard set in U.K. legislation. This amply achievement demonstrates the effectiveness of the safety policy in effect at the worksite. It is all the more remarkable when one considers that the project is being carried out in a constricted work space without traffic interruption, thereby preventing detours for drivers and maximizing their comfort, but resulting in major constraints for work teams on-site.
01/30/2009

(A)live on site at the LNG storage tank worksite in Rotterdam in The Netherlands

The (A)live on site program was deployed from December 8 to 17, 2008 at the worksite of the regasification terminal in Rotterdam for 60 VINCI Construction Grands Projets employees as well as personnel from Entrepose Contracting and Techint (partners), CFE and SMM (subcontractors), and Gate Teminal BV (the client). The program was delivered in both French and English and emphasized the risks of working at great heights (harnesses and raised platforms) and the importance of proper task organization.
01/15/2009

Viaduct spanning the Loing: load tests successful

On December 10 and 11, 2008, load tests were conducted on the Loing viaduct. This last inspection, also called a loading test, is executed prior to the commissioning of all new bridges. In this case, the structure’s resistance was tested by loading it with 16 heavy vehicles, weighing 28 tonnes each and positioned on both sides of a pile. Given that the floor beams in the centre of the span moved a mere 3 cm, which is in line with the estimates of the engineering firm, the structure spanning the Loing can be delivered.
01/08/2009

(A)live on site at the Cairo subway Line 3 worksite

The (A)live on site program was deployed from October 17 to 24, 2008 at the worksite of Line 3 of the Cairo subway; for the most part, the 52 consortium employees who took part in the program learned about the risks related to activities involving both pedestrians and machinery. Developed by VINCI Construction Grands Projets and launched in February 2008 at the Duplex A86 worksite, (A)live on site is a program designed to raise safety awareness by disseminating knowledge and promoting appropriate individual behaviour in the face of daily workplace risk.
11/24/2008

(A)live on site at the M1 worksite

The (A)live on site program was deployed from September 2 to 11, 2008 at the M1 motorway worksite in Great Britain. The M1 project, valued at €450 million, is designed to widen this busy motorway, upgrading it from a dual 3-lane to a dual 4-lane configuration over a 23-km stretch – without interrupting vehicle traffic. The work is being conducted along a narrow and separate band, ranging from 10 to 15 m in width (see photo), which includes the emergency stopping area. The speed limit along the entire worksite is 10 miles per hour (15 km/hr). (A)live on site focuses on issues relating to the proximity of pedestrians and machinery and traffic management in constrained spaces.
10/15/2008

(A)live on site at the Brightwater worksite in the United States

The (A)live on site program was deployed from August 13 to 21, 2008 at the Brightwater tunnel worksite; the 41 employees involved in the program learned about the risks associated with operating lifting equipment. Developed by VINCI Construction Grands Projets and launched in February 2008 at the Duplex A86 worksite, (A)live on site is a program designed to raise safety awareness by disseminating knowledge and promoting appropriate individual behaviour in the face of daily workplace risk.
10/07/2008

Technical innovation for the piles of the Kincardine Bridge in Scotland

VINCI Construction Grands Projets teams are using an alternative to the cutting off of reinforced concrete piles. This technique, called “automatic cut-off,” enhances worksite safety, saves time, and helps reduce foundation-construction costs.
10/01/2008

CO₂CRETE IMPACT™: concrete’s carbon footprint

The Engineering and Technical Capabilities Department at VINCI Construction Grands Projets has developed a new tool, CO₂CRETE IMPACT™, in collaboration with VINCI Construction France, Eurovia and its main suppliers. Using a small set of simple data, the tool can evaluate the carbon emissions of concrete with relation to its formulations and installation processes. CO₂CRETE IMPACT™ can also be used as a design tool that compares concrete’s technical variations to reduce its impact and optimize its cost-effectiveness. It is compliant with the carbon offset charter in effect at ADEME (the French environment and energy management agency).
09/08/2008

New Quality-Safety-Environment Policy

As part of the implementation of QSE management systems, VINCI Construction Grands Projets has consolidated its policies with regard to quality, safety and the environment into a single document. The objective of this consolidation is to promote a more coherent approach for all QSE-related initiatives and facilitate research and use of QSE policies company-wide.
09/01/2008

Coentunnel in Amsterdam: launch of the design phase

VINCI Construction Grands Projets (19%), in partnership with CFE and DEME, subsidiaries of VINCI Construction and with TBI, Dura Vermeer and Besix, will design and build the Coentunnel, a submerged, 8-lane road tunnel for a total amount of €470 million over a 5-year period. The project calls for upgrading the existing tunnel’s capacity, building a second submerged tunnel 715 m in length, and widening access roads over a 10-km stretch (A8 and A10 motorways).
07/28/2008

Operation “(A)live on site” at the
Trinidad-and-Tobago interchange worksite

From June 3 to 13, 2008, a new safety-awareness initiative for 90 people working at the CRH/UBH motorway interchange in Trinidad-and-Tobago was put into practice. This safety-related program is part of a project for which VINCI Construction Grands Projets has undertaken to design and build an incrementally launched bridge and related structures. In accordance with its safety-enhancing activities at the A86 worksite in early 2008, VINCI Construction Grands Projets aims to raise awareness regarding high-risk practices and encourage greater safety consciousness among project personnel.
07/21/2008

The Loing viaduct – a successful gambit!

Construction of the 1-km-long viaduct along the Loing was completed far ahead of schedule. The building methods used – including vacuum lifters and mobile conveyors – allowed work teams to install, in only 4 months, the 1,064 prefabricated slabs (representing a surface of about 19,200 m²) which constitute the deck of the bridge.
07/11/2008

Safety-awareness initiatives at the Duplex A86 worksite

A new awareness-raising campaign for the 108 truck and engine drivers at the Duplex A86 worksite, which focuses on minimizing risk at a personal level in day-to-day operations, has been successfully implemented.
04/21/2008

DyMaDoc, an innovative tool that has made its mark in the field

To date, 80 projects at VINCI Construction Grands Projets have used this knowledge-management tool. A total of 800 users (internal and external) connect to DyMaDoc, either with Lotus Notes or a web browser. This tool, which is simple to use and upgrade, is available to all participants on a project, allowing them to share their knowledge from the study phase to after-sales support.
04/08/2008

Safety: VCA Certificate renewed for 3 years

Following a 3-day audit at the end of February, VINCI Construction Grands Projets had its VCA safety certification renewed for the Northern European sector for a 3-year period. The audit found that the company is making “an evident commitment at every level” and deploying “efforts to promote information flow and training”. As part of certification initiatives, two training sessions, bringing together a total of 25 people, were held in 2007 on the following topics: regulations, working at heights, electricity, lifting operations.
03/10/2008

Night-time installation of the first beams on the M1 in the United Kingdom

On the nights of February 20 to 21 and 21 to 22, the first concrete beams were put in on the motorway at Nuthall. This operation, carried out between Junctions 25 and 28 outside Nottingham, marks a major step in the M1 widening project on which VINCI Construction Grands Projets and its local partners, Morgan Est and Sir Robert Mc Alpine, have been working since November 2007.
03/06/2008

Jamaica - NWP: 4,300 pipes received!

In January, at the North Western Parishes (NWP) work site, VINCI Construction Grands Projets received the 4,300 pipes that will be used in the construction of a 21.7-km drinking-water-supply system. These ductile iron pipes, which were shipped from France, are 6 m long, have a diameter of 500 mm, and weigh 800 kg apiece!
02/14/2008

Pride of place for sustainable development at the Kincardine Bridge worksite in Scotland

The Kincardine Bridge-building project was designed in such a way as to limit the impact of large-scale construction on local wildlife and plant life. From its northern to its southern edges, the project zone is framed by protected natural zones (salt marshes and mud banks) that are home to many animal species, notably, migrating birds.
02/06/2008

Safety first: exemplary results at the Goro Nickel worksite

With 5.4 million hours of work carried out without a single accident and no resulting downtime, the Goro Nickel processing facility treatment plant worksite in New Caledonia, for which VINCI Construction Grands Projets is handling civil engineering, is an eloquent testimonial of the tireless efforts deployed in the area of safety and of the success of these efforts.
02/01/2008