It's the world's longest sea-crossing bridge: 55 kilometres of motorway spans the Pearl River Estuary in the South China Sea before dipping into an undersea tunnel. The Chinese President Xi Jinping has today officially opened the gigantic infrastructure linking Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. A colossal engineering structure, involving the Bouygues Construction subsidiaries Bouygues Travaux Publics, Dragages Hong Kong and VSL for the construction of a 9.4-kilometre section.
A bridge of strategic importance 5714 prefabricated segments of 250 different types, laid down at the rate of 18 per day, shaft grouted friction piling method to cope with difficult ground conditions – a technical first in Hong Kong –, sea-based installations and specific logistical arrangements to maintain the waterways throughout the duration of the works... Some notable innovations for the construction of this extraordinary bridge structure. It is now possible to reach Hong Kong from the main cities of the Pearl River delta in 30 minutes, compared with four hours by land and one hour by boat. A real basis for stimulating commercial ties between the two sides of the crossing.
According to the UN News Centre, over two thirds of the global population will live in towns and cities by 2050. What with the increase in population and evolving ways of life and of consumption, urban centres are undergoing an in-depth transformation, accompanied by changing requirements in terms of mobility.
The so-called ‘tertiary’ decree, applicable since 2019, imposes a gradual reduction in the energy consumption of this type of building up until 2050. Like any new regulation, this involves a period of adaptation - especially as the objectives set are ambitious. However, the ‘Syndicat professionnel des entreprises de la transition énergétique et numérique’ (Serce) (Professional Union of Energy and Digital Transition Companies)considers them to befully attainable.
Today, 300 million tons of plastic are produced each and every year worldwide, including more than 60 in Europe, where packaging accounts for the vast majority of single use plastic. Where does it go and how can it be used in 3D printing?
The aim of the Ademe’s Obec (‘Objectifs Bâtiments Energie Carbone’) programme is to support the trialling of positive energy & carbon reduction buildings (E+C-). It has just presented its initial findings and it is fair to say that they are surprising. Here is why.
(Français) Face à l’augmentation du nombre de seniors dans nos sociétés et à l’évolution de leur style de vie, il est nécessaire de repenser notre vision de l’habitat pour concevoir des logements qui répondent à leurs nouvelles attentes. Retrouvez les propositions de notre think tank, parrainé par le sociologue Serge Guérin, pour contribuer au bien vieillir à domicile.
In mediaeval and Renaissance Rome, the people did not hesitate to use ancient buildings as a source of iron, bricks and other construction materials, just as Spanish settlers did in Aztec and Inca cities, stripping stones from ancient temples to build their own cathedrals. Tomorrow, will we be able to recover reusable components and materials from a building, to be reinvested in a new building instead of throwing them away or recycling them at great cost? This is the idea of the building as a materials bank.
Isabelle Grillaud, R&D Innovation manager at Construction Privée, presents the concept of electricity and control using PoE (Power over Ethernet). The concept recently won the innovation competition.
The refurbished market has been booming in recent years in every sector and - is reflecting changes in consumer habits. Increasingly, people are opting for everyday products and items which have already been used.
Every day, concrete endures attacks of all kinds (carbon dioxide from the air, chlorides, etc.). These aggressive substances corrode the concrete's metal reinforcements and cause deterioration. Unavoidable? Yes. Disastrous? No – not if you know exactly when to do renovation work.
