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.
Alain Hurel and Thomas Devallez, the HR managers of the sea extension project in the port of Calais, share their experience with their joint job insertion efforts in the context of this construction site.
Today, public spaces are facing new challenges – societal, environmental, political, technological and economic – and must deal with the uncertainty of a changing world. How can public spaces be designed to meet the various expectations of society while also being able to adapt to future developments?
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.
Wood construction is currently gaining ground in all construction sectors. And this is only the beginning! In the context of decarbonisation of the building sector, the RE2020 is bringing bio-sourced materials to the forefront. Let’s take a look at a flourishing sector.
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.
Are European car manufacturers poised to switch to all-electric? On 10 September, MEPs in Brussels gave their support for draft legislation setting a 45% reduction in CO2 emissions from cars and vans under 3.5 tonnes by the year 2030, with an intermediate target of 20% by 2025. A much more ambitious roadmap than that of the European Commission, which tabled plans for a 30% reduction by 2030.
Nature provides an endless source of inspiration. Observing nature to inspire technological innovation is the very essence of biomimicry.
With environmental issues changing sites, Hésus offers construction industry professionals the chance to improve the management of excavated material using recovery solutions, combined with logistical expertise. This collaboration is already under way on Brézillon Environnement’s construction sites!
A subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France is a player in the wooden construction sector. Today, it is investing in new construction methods to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction industry and develop new solutions for the cities of the future.
