News
Worksites
Super-sized drill Busy Lizzie lowered into the ground for the Lee Tunnel project in the UK
On Friday, December 16, 2011, TBM Busy Lizzie was lowered into the deepest shaft of the Lee Tunnel in London, with representatives from the client – Thames Water – and the MVB joint venture in attendance. The name of the TBM – a reference to Queen Elisabeth II – was chosen by local schoolchildren as part of a contest held by Thames Water. The Herrenknecht TBM was designed to deal with the complex geological conditions in London.
01/03/2012
Transporting Drinking Water Pipes by Helicopter for the JWSIP Project in Jamaica
On August 5, 2011, the VINCI Construction Grands Projets teams carried out a helicopter operation for the JWSIP (Jamaican Water Supply Improvement Project), A2 component, in Kingston, Jamaica.
08/22/2011
Gate LNG: Arrival of the first tanker at the new LNG terminal in Rotterdam
June 13, 2011 at 2:00 a.m. marked the arrival of the first tanker at
the new Gate regasification terminal in the port of Rotterdam in the
Netherlands. Construction of the Gate Terminal, undertaken in
consortium by VINCI Construction Grands Projets, Entrepose Contracting,
Techint and Sener, included construction of a processing area, two jetties, and three storage tanks with an annual
capacity of 12,000 million cubic metres of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
As part of this contract, VINCI Construction Grands Projets and
Entrepose Contracting designed and built the three LNG storage tanks:
each storage tank is 50 metres in height and 86 metres in diameter; and
each has a capacity of 180,000 cubic metres. Following a months-long
testing phase, the Gate terminal will enter into service in September
2011.
06/23/2011
CO2 Attitude: concrete action deployed in the field
The CO2 Attitude program was launched in January 2010 as part of
efforts to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Our objective is to
achieve a 20,000-tonne equivalent reduction of CO2 emissions by the end
of 2011. In 2010, we implemented 3 enhancement initiatives for 9
different projects in order to cut CO2 emissions.
05/31/2011
Journey's end for the Coentunnel caissons
On 28 March, the four caissons of the second Coentunnel arrived at
their final destination in Amsterdam (Netherlands). These elements will
form the basic structure of a 750 m, 8-lane, submerged road tunnel that
will double the capacity of the present tunnel. The underwater
immersion process involving all 4 tunnel elements will occur in late
May at the latest.
04/04/2011
Immersion of the 4 tunnel elements for the second Coentunnel in Amsterdam
The underwater immersion process involving the 4 tunnel elements
designed to contain the Coentunnel began on January 31, 2011. The
tunnel elements, each of which is 178 metres long, 30 metres wide, and
8 metres high, were prefabricated from January 2010 to January 2011 at
the Barendrecht dry dock, 10 kilometres south of Rotterdam. This zone
is separated from the river by a dike that is being dismantled to
enable the implementation of the immersion process. Since 1966, it has
been used on a regular basis for the casting of elements for a dozen
tunnel-construction projects in The Netherlands, including the Thalys
project. The elements will then be towed to their anchor site in
Amsterdam.
02/11/2011
Breaking ground at the Lee Tunnel shaft site
On September 30, 2010, Martin Baggs, Chief Executive Officer of Thames
Water, cut the first sod at the Lee Tunnel shaft site. The
ground-breaking ceremony was held at the construction site of the first
of four planned shafts, which will be 75 metres deep and 20 metres in
internal diameter. Tunnelling will start in 2012. On this project,
worth a total of €476 million, VINCI Construction Grands
Projets and Bachy Soletanche Ltd (VINCI Construction), in equal joint
venture with Morgan Sindall, have been mandated to design-build a 7-km
tunnel for storm and wastewater in East London.
10/08/2010
A86 Duplex: acceptance of the LV2 section of the tunnel
The 5.5 km LV2 section of the A86 Duplex tunnel between the A13
interchange in Vaucresson and Vélizy was handed over to
Cofiroute on 30 September 2010. The teams at Socatop (a consortium
including VINCI Construction Grands Projets, Eurovia and GTM TP Idf)
and VINCI Energies were proud to have achieved this new milestone 14
months after the LV1 section was opened to traffic. 15 million hours of
civil engineering and fitting work went into the construction of this
particularly complex structure, on which up to 2,200 employees were
working at peak construction activity.
10/04/2010
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