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.
The Olympic and Paralympic Games represent a wonderful opportunity to rethink the regions through ambitious urban projects. This event associated with the Greater Paris area will enable the capital to perfect its status as a global city and accelerate the transformation of the Ile-de-France department. Spotlight on the impact of the Olympic Games on our cities and on the economic benefits derived from the magic of Olympism.
Dr. Al-Hussein’s research has proffered a number of contributions to the industrialization of the building construction process through the development of modular and offsite construction technologies. He's telling us about it!
Improving thermal insulation, reducing the carbon footprint, optimising energy performance… The solution to all these linked objectives lies in the design phase with the choice of materials. A dilemma or a boon?
Romain Bonnet, in charge of R&D projects in the Environment and Eco-design Division, introduces us to the multi-partner approach VIBEO (Intangible Value of the Buildings and Well-Being of the Occupants)
Bouygues Construction and Centrale Lille formed Chaire Construction 4.0 in 2017. Its aim was to support the digitisation and industrialisation of the sector. Thomas Danel, a PhD student in this field, has been working on a prototype for a remote-controlled crane. He talked to us about his project.
The year is 2032 and a billionaire media mogul writes a shocking book about making a fortune in under a decade by solely investing in virtual real estate and ultimately becoming one of the largest property owners in the Metaverse. He makes his fortune from the capital gains on reselling his virtual properties and from renting out his best positioned plots in these alternative worlds. The virtual property programmes that are set up there involve the best meta-space designers to create striking meta-architectural experiences. Is this fiction or a future reality?
Around 28% of the world’s animal and plant species are now under threat of extinction . This includes one in four mammal species, one in seven birds and more than one in three amphibians, as well as a third of conifer species. Scientists are warning of an ongoing collapse of biodiversity, with some even talking about a “sixth mass extinction”. The principal causes are the destruction and fragmentation of the habitats of these species, the overexploitation of ecosystems, the development of invasive species, climate change and pollution and eutrophication (the introduction of nitrogen, phosphorus and other excess nutrients into the environment). Many of these factors are caused by human activities, which have such a strong and rapid influence that the biosphere is unable to adapt to them. What action can we take to halt the trend and prevent ourselves from crossing critical thresholds? Pierre Lopez, Sustainable Construction Project Manager at Bouygues Bâtiment Nord-Est, gives us his point of view on the construction sector.
