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.
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.
Sharing information so that all players on the project have a single vision of the construction. Welcome to the BIM age! See the innovative use we make of BIM on one of our sites. Today, we are in Églantines, in Morges (Switzerland), by Losinger Marazzi.
This is all the more relevant after a pandemic, several lockdowns and ongoing remote working: lifestyles are changing. This context is one reason, but there are others! The desires and expectations of the French whether they’re home owners or tenants, are changing, driven by ecological concerns as well as a quest for meaning, well-being and a balance between work and home life. Changes to the household structure also bring their share of “new needs”, as does the significant ageing of the population. It is now housing and cities that need to be adapted or even reinvented, and residents who want to take the plunge into change! In addition, is moving house really the only alternative when you want to benefit from a home adapted to the current needs of each individual?
Carbon sinks are essential tools for combating climate change. They raise issues of environmental protection and restoration as well as technological innovation. Some of them are natural, others man-made. But they all act to capture carbon and ultimately reduce air pollution. They have already been discussed in the “Carbon Resilience” trend note; in this article we will look at the prospects for technical development and the absorption capacity of the systems in place.
On the pavements of our neighbourhoods, the cries of children are becoming increasingly rare. They are replaced by the noise of cars and hurried adults who no longer seem to know how to stop, wander or stroll... How is this harmful to the accessibility of our cities? And is this disappearance of children from the public space inevitable?
Eighteen months ago, Hublo replaced paper-based notices with interactive touchscreens. After the first few trials proved to be a success, the project was expanded. Read on to learn about the roll-out process and the latest developments.
Interview with Françoise Cadiou, project manager at the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission
Founded 2013, PowiDian has developed solid expertise in the integration of renewable hydrogen energy production and storage solutions through the design of autonomous and intelligent power systems. In 2021, the company announced its intention to expand its activities into sustainable transport with the development of a hydrogen vehicle. This was supported by Bouygues Construction.
