GB- 207/couve OK 20/10/00 18:46 Page 2

March 2000 / No. 207

Freyssinet
M A G A Z I N E

Sydney

2 tower
buildings
in Sydney
GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40 Page 1

Contents
Contents AMERICA
ARGENTINA
Freyssinet S.A.
Buenos Aires
Phone: (54.11) 47 60 05 97
Fax: (54.11) 47 30 35 81
EUROPE
BELGIUM
Cinec N.V.
Vilvoorde
Phone: (32.2) 252 07 40
Fax: (32.2) 252 24 43
EUROPE
Terra Armata S.p.A.
Roma
Phone: (39.06) 806 87 275
Fax: (39.06) 808 82 64

NETHERLANDS
Tierra Armada S.A. Benelta Samaco B.V.
Buenos Aires Bruxelles Waddinxveen
Phone: (54.11) 43 72 72 91 Phone: (32.2) 743 82 23
Phone: (31.18) 26 30 888 United Kingdom
Fax: (54.11) 43 72 51 79 Fax: (32.2) 736 82 51
Fax: (31.18) 26 30 152
DENMARK
BRAZIL
Premoldados Ltda A/S Skandinavisk
Spaendbeton
Terre Armée B.V.
Breda TechSpan®
Phone: (31.76) 531 93 32
Sao Paulo
Phone: (55.11) 3873 27 34
Fax: (55.11) 262 85 02
Vaerlose
Phone: (45.44) 48 08 25
Fax: (31.76) 531 99 43 turnkey
Fax: (45.44) 48 12 45 NORWAY
Freyssinet
Rio de Janeiro
FINLAND A/S Skandinavisk
Spennbeton
arches
Phone: (55.21) 221 85 00
Fax: (55.21) 852 79 26
OY Jannibetoni AB
Vaerlose
Öslo
Phone: (47.2) 37 80 00 p. 15
Terra Armada S.A. FRANCE POLAND
Rio de Janeiro Freyssinet International
Phone: (55.21) 233 73 53 Freyssinet Polska SP Zoo
& Cie
Fax: (55.21) 263 48 42 Varsovie
Vélizy
Phone: (33.1) 46 01 84 84 Phone: (48.22) 843 30 52
CANADA Fax: (33.1) 46 01 85 85 Fax: (48.22) 852 02 30
Reinforced Earth
Company Ltd Freyssinet France PORTUGAL
Ontario Coignières Armol-Freyssinet Ltda
Phone: (33.1) 30 13 91 99
Phone: (1.905) 564 08 96
Fax: (1.905) 564 26 09 Fax: (33.1) 34 61 65 47
Lisbon Portugal
Phone: (351.21) 716 16 75
Fax: (351.21) 716 40 51
Freyssinet Ltée
Montreal
PPC
Saint-Rémy Terra Armada Ltda The Santarém
Phone: (33.3) 85 42 15 15
bridge
Phone: (1.450) 466 65 66 Lisbonne
Fax: (1.450) 466 60 03 Fax: (33.3) 85 42 15 10 Phone: (351.21) 792 37 97
Fax: (351.21) 792 37 01
COLOMBIA
STUP. de Colombia
Bogota
Ménard Soltraitement
Nozay
Phone: (33.1) 69 01 37 38
ROMANIA
Freyrom S.A. TURKEY
p. 18
Fax: (33.1) 69 01 75 05
Phone: (57.1) 257 41 03 Bucarest Freysas
236 37 86 FYROM Phone: (40.1) 220 35 50
Fax: (57.1) 610 38 98 Fax: (40.1) 220 45 41 Istanbul
Migal Inzinjering Phone: (90.216) 349 87 75
Tierra Armada & Konsalting SPAIN 349 87 74
Bogota Skopje Fax: (90.216) 349 63 75
Freyssinet S.A.
Phone: (57.1) 236 37 86 Phone: (389.91) 236 4188
Fax: (389.91) 236 4188 Madrid Reinforced Earth
Fax: (57.1) 610 38 98 Phone: (34.91) 323 95 50 Company Ltd
GERMANY Fax: (34.91) 323 95 51
EL SALVADOR Istanbul
Fessic S.A. de C.V. SBT BrückentechniK GmbH Freyssinet S.A. Phone: (90.216) 492 8424
Plüderhausen Barcelona Fax: (90.216) 492 3306
La Libertad
Phone: (503) 2 78 07 55 Phone: (49.71) 81 99 00 0 Phone: (34.93) 226 44 60
2 78 86 03 Fax: (49.71) 81 99 00 93 Fax: (34.93) 226 59 98
Fax: (503) 2 78 04 45 Bewerhete Erde Tierra Armada S.A
Madrid
AFRICA
GUATEMALA Plüderhausen
Phone: (49.71) 81 99 00 70 Phone: (34.91) 323 95 00
Fax: (49.71) 81 99 00 75 Fax: (34.91) 323 95 11 EGYPT
Presforzados Tecnicos S.A.
SWEDEN
Freyssinet Egypt F
Ciudad Guatemala HUNGARY Gisa
Phone: (502) 282 481 AB Skandinavisk
Fax: (502) 282 481
Pannon Freyssinet
Budapest
Spaennbeton
Malmö
Phone: (20.2) 303 69 65
Fax: (20.2) 345 52 37
345 81 65
T
MEXICO Phone: (36.1) 209 15 10

Freyssinet de Mexico S.A.

Fax: (36.1) 209 15 10 Phone: (46.40) 98 14 00

SWITZERLAND
SOUTH AFRICA s
IRELAND
de C.V.
Mexico D.F.
Phone: (52.5) 250 70 00
Reinforced Earth Co.
Kildare
Freyssinet S.A.
Moudon
Freyssinet S.A. (Pty) Ltd
Olifantsfontein
Phone: (27.11) 316 21 74
p
Fax: (52.5) 255 01 65 Phone: (353) 4543 10 88 Phone: (41.21) 905 48 02 Fax: (27.11) 316 29 18
Fax: (353) 4543 31 45 Fax: (41.21) 905 11 01
Tierra Armada S.A. de C.V. Reinforced Earth Pty Ltd Interview
Mexico D.F. ITALIE UNITED KINGDOM Johannesburg
Phone: (52) 5250 17 26 Freyssinet UK Phone: (27.11) 726 6180
: (52) 5254 54 00
Fax: (52) 5254 86 65
Freyssinet Italia S.r.l.
Roma
Iver
Phone: (44) 1753 652 844
Fax: (27.11) 726 5908 Menard
Phone: (39.06) 6880 29 22 Fax: (44) 1753 655 479 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PERU
STUP del Peru S.A.
Fax: (39.06) 687 39 38
Reinforced Earth Reinforced Earth
Company Ltd
Soltraitement,
Freyssinet Italia S.r.l Company Ltd
Lima
Phone: (51.1) 372 21 86
Milan
Phone: (39.02) 895 402 76
Telford
Phone: (44)1952 201 901
Abou Dhabi
Phone: (971) 24 80 694
soil specialists
Fax: (51.1) 372 25 66

UNITED STATES
Fax: (39.02) 895 404 46 Fax: (44)1952 201 753 Fax: (971) 24 80 695
p. 4
The Reinforced Earth
Company Although Freyssinet makes every effort to ensure that the information that it provides is as correct as possible, the editors,
Vienna employees and agents cannot guarantee the results or be responsible for them in any way.
Phone: (1.703) 821 11 75
Fax: (1.703) 821 18 15 Freyssinet Magazine, 1 bis, rue du Petit-Clamart 78148 Vélizy Cedex - France. Phone: 01 46 01 84 21. Fax: 01 46 01 86 86.
Internet: www.freyssinet.com
VENEZUELA Publication manager: Françoise Muteaud. Contributed to this issue: Roger Bailey, Miguel Castello Benito, Laure
Tierra Armada Ca Céleste, Stéphane Cognon, Jean-Baptiste Domage, Bob Druitt, Pierre Faure, Jean-Philippe Fuzier, Peter Heijmans, Henri
Lagarde, Roger Lacroix, Laurence Languin, Mario Marques, Paul McBarron, Yvonne McDonald, Sylviane Mullenberg,
Caracas Carlos de Oliveira, Manuel Pelletier, Pierre Salanne, Pierre Segrestin, Pierre Sery, Gee Hoi Tan.
Phone: (58.2) 574 90 38/10 61 Artistic management: Antoine Depoid. Layout: Grapfik Tribu. Computer graphics: Alain Kugel.
Fax: (58.2) 574 77 50 Project leader: Stéphane Tourneur. Editorial secretariat: Nathalie Laville.
Photos: Francis Vigouroux, André Bocquel, Patrice Février, Adrian Hall, Freyssinet photo library.
Cover page: Macquarie Sreet Building Australia, photo Adrian Hall. Photo-engraving: PAO Family. Printing: SIO.

Freyssinet magazine 2 March 2000 / No. 207

GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40 Page 2

Contents

ASIA ASIA
HONG KONG MALAYSIA
Freyssinet Hong Kong Ltd Freyssinet PSC (M) Sdn Bhd
Kowloon Tong Kuala Lumpur
Phone: (852) 27 94 03 22 Phone: (60.3) 782 85 99
23 39 83 70 Fax: (60.3) 781 55 30
Fax: (852) 23 38 32 64
Freyssinet Asia
Reinforced Earth Pacific Ltd Kuala Lumpur
Kowloon Phone: (60.3) 282 95 88/75 88/
Romania South Korea Phone: (852) 27 823 163 05 88/96 88
Fax: (852) 23 325 521 Fax: (60.3) 282 96 88

A bridge A world INDIA Freyssinet APTO (M) Snd. Bhd.

Kuala Lumpur
TAI Aimil joint venture
over the reference New Delhi
Phone: (91.11) 695 98 18
Phone: (60.3) 282 95 88/75 88/
05 88/96 88
Fax: (60.3) 282 96 88
Danube in consolidation Fax: (91.11) 695 94 56

INDONESIA
Reinforced Earth Management

p. 19 p. 8 PT Freyssinet Total
Technology
Kuala Lumpur
Phone: (60.3) 634 6162
Fax: (60.3) 634 7212
Djakarta
Phone: (62.21) 830 02 19/22 PHILIPPINES
830 56 89/90 Freyssinet Philippines S.A.
Fax: (62.21) 830 98 41 Quezon City
720 69 36 Phone: (63.2) 921 3789
Fax: (63.2) 921 1223/6124
IRAN
Khake Mossalah Iran SINGAPORE
Téhéran PSC Freyssinet (S) Pte Ltd
Phone: (98.21) 920 150 Singapour
Fax: (98.21) 920 150 Phone: (65) 272 96 97
Fax: (65) 272 38 80
JAPAN Direct: (65) 276 39 59
F.K.K.
Tokyo Reinforced Earth Pte Ltd
Phone: (81.3) 35 71 86 51/54 Singapour
Fax: (81.3) 35 74 07 10 Phone: (65) 467 4977
35 71 44 69 Fax: (65) 467 0728
Terre Armée K.K. SOUTH KOREA
Tokyo Freyssinet Korea Co, Ltd
Phone: (81) 427 22 1134 Seoul
Fax: (81) 427 22 1134 Phone: (82.2) 515-41 82/4183/4184
Fax: (82.2) 515-41 85/67 07
KUWAIT
Freyssinet International et Cie Yongma Corporation
Safat Seoul
Phone: (965) 571 49 74 Phone: (82.2) 299 04 94
Fax: (965) 573 57 48 Fax: (82.2) 299 04 96

LEBANON TAIWAN
O.P.C. Freyssinet Taiwan Engineering
Beyrouth Taipei
Phone: (966.1) 463 04 62 Phone: (886.2) 274 702 77
Fax: (966.1) 463 04 62 Fax: (886.2) 276 650 58

THAILAND
Freyssinet Thailand Ltd
Bangkok
France France Phone: (662) 266 6088/6090
Fax: (662) 266 6091

The Chartrouse 12,000 m2 VIETNAM

Freyssinet International et Cie
suspension bridge of mechanically Hanoi
Phone: (84.4) 826 14 16

p. 12
Fax: (84.4) 826 11 18
stabilised earth walls Freyssinet International et Cie

p. 19 Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: (84.8) 829 92 28/29 31 09
Fax: (84.8) 822 35 08

France
Australia
Tarascon- OCEANIA
Two tower buildings
Beaucaire with more than AUSTRALIA
Austress Freyssinet Pty Ltd

bridge 40 storeys Sydney

Phone: (61.2) 9674 40 44
Fax: (61.2) 9674 59 67

p. 14 p. 16 Reinforced Earth Pty Ltd

Hornsby
Phone: (61.2) 9910 9910
Fax: (61.2) 9910 9999

Freyssinet magazine 3 March 2000 / No. 207

GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40 Page 4

Interview

Process

Menard Soltraitement,
soil specialists
Menard Soltraitement specialises in identifying problems, treating,
improving and stabilising a site to make it suitable for construction.
With its Menard Vacuum Consolidation® and its controlled modulus
columns, this company develops innovative and high performance
processes. Interview with the co-founder, Jean-Marie Cognon.

Freyssinet Magazine: often be 40 meters or more. They are

Menard Soltraitement is well known made of plastic, and may be flat or cylin-
internationally for its expertise in soil drical, or they may consist
improvement. What processes do you of sand or gravel columns depending on
use? the nature of the site. This solution signif-
Jean-Marie Cognon: Firstly, note that icantly increases the ground consoli-
our business is to provide an overall dation rate, but requires a large over-
treatment for a site, even of the poorest burden on the ground, introducing
quality, to make it suitable for construc- corresponding risks of collapse. This
tion. The first step is to stabilise it so that is why we have developed the Menard
it can resist the frequently very large Vacuum® Consolidation process, an
loads (like civil engineering structures or exclusive process that was patented
industrial buildings) in complete safety. in 1992.
The oldest of our processes for this pur-
pose is dynamic compaction, which con-
sists of allowing masses of several tens of
tonnes to drop freely from a height of up
to 40 meters. This technique consists of
densifying deep soils through the creation
of very high energy vibration waves. One
example where it was used is the Nice
Jean-Marie Cognon, Airport site for which we constructed a
co-founder of Menard special machine with a mass of 200
Soltraitement. tonnes. But this technique only works on
“The merger with sufficiently permeable sites.
the Freyssinet Group On impermeable sites, and particularly on
is a source of technical soft clay which is one hundred less perme-
synergies, particularly able than concrete, the conventional tech-
in the field of materials.” nique is to construct a vertical drainage,
frequently in association with pre-loading,
in other words the addition of a temporary
overburden to apply pressure to the
ground water. The depth of drains can

Freyssinet magazine 4 March 2000 / No. 207

GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40
Interview
Is this the same principle used for
vacuum packed coffee which is more
compact than a normal packet?
J.-M. C.: Exactly. In this case, the conven-
tional overburden is replaced by a sealed
membrane placed on the ground. A vac-
uum is then created using a double system
of water and gas pumps connected to the
drains network. This system considerably
reduces consolidation times and material
quantities to be moved. It provides unde-
niable technical advantages. Soil failure is
impossible, so that the
system can be used with conventional
loading to achieve a strength greater than
its theoretical strength within a short
period. Pre-consolidation is uniform since
there is no reduction of stress with depth.
Furthermore, due to the negative pressure,
an overburden can be quickly added that
can almost always cancel out secondary
settlement in ten years. Finally, machinery
running on tyres can roll freely over the
membrane during the pumping period -
and this is an important advantage in site
organization.
You were recognised as Engineer
of the Year in 1995 for inventing the
Menard Vacuum® Consolidation.
What is its development now?
J.-M. C.: We have already used this pro-
cess on several motorway sites, on the
Freyssinet magazine
Page 5
access line to the Channel tunnel, the
Kimhae sewage treatment plant in Korea,
etc. The situation on the Kimhae treat-
ment plant was particularly difficult since
the plant is located on a river bank site
where the thickness of compressible sedi-
ments (mainly clay) may be as high
as 50 meters. During the construction
period, it was necessary to anticipate
expected consolidations under the large
weight of the future plant. We installed a
20-acre membrane, and the total settle-
ment recorded after not much more than
two years was 5.5 m, the equivalent of a
2-storey building! Loading tests carried
out after construction of the plant con-
firmed that this method, which is now an
international reference, was fully effective.
Based on the results obtained at Kimhae,
we were awarded a second order for the
nearby Jangyoo plant where we are work-
ing under similar conditions (see article
page 8).
What about the most recent innova-
tive process developed by Menard
Soltraitement, columns with con-
trolled modulus. What is it?
J.-M. C.: This is a method of reinforcing
soil by the use of semi-rigid inclusions.
Columns are made by a special soil pump-
ing screw using a technique that does not
include any vibrations or driving.
5 March 2000 / No. 207
“Menard Soltraitement's business
is to provide a global treatment
for a site, even the poorest quality,
to make it suitable for construction.”
The tool is screwed down to the required
depth and is then raised slowly, without
producing any excavated material; this spe-
cial screw is used to inject a special mortar
containing elastic material into the soil –
the modulus of deformation of these semi-
rigid inclusions is about 5 to 30 times less
than the modulus of concrete.
Therefore, the advantages of this system lie
in the technique used to make the columns
which has no effect on the environment
and which avoids the need to “excavate
earth”, and in the performances of the
material which, in combination with our
know-how in calculation and construction,
enables us to control soil deformation very
precisely. This process is particularly suit-
able for very large loads like industrial
buildings, storage warehouses and heavy
slabs on grade. It is also a more efficient
alternative than traditional ballasted
columns on some soil types that are too
soft or organic.
Menard Soltraitement has just
joined the Freyssinet Group. What
advantages do you see in this
merger?
J.-M. C.: This merger provides us with an
exceptional opportunity to disseminate
our know how further afield. Menard has
a very good technical reputation, but we
are a small company with less than 50
employees. We have outlets in six coun-
tries, whereas Freyssinet and TAI have out-
lets in about forty countries. Therefore,
their international network represents a
genuine source of commercial synergies
for the development of our activity.
Although the merger is very recent, coop-
eration has already started. We will train
engineers in the Group from different
geographic areas, to give them a good
knowledge of our processes so that they
can quickly be included in Freyssinet's
and TAI's offer throughout the world.
This merger may also be a source of tech-
nical synergies, particularly in the field of
materials. In short, we have everything to
gain.
GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40 Page 6

In brief

Netherlands Italy

Europaweg Reinforced structures

overpass in Brenner Pass
Construction of the Europaweg Freyssinet has been awarded a contract surface chippings, and installing
overpass in Rotterdam requires for the maintenance of six girder bridges safety barriers. On the underside,
11,500 m2 of mechanically dating from the end of the 1960s concrete will be made up before
stabilised earth walls, between Bolzano and Chiusa. The work paint is applied on all structures.
making it the largest consists of renewing the waterproofing The site operations commenced
reinforced fill site ever on the upper surface of the structures, in October 1999 and are due
undertaken in Holland. replacing expansion joints and the to complete in 2002.
It crosses over the internal
road in the European container
terminal and port railways.
Ballast Nedam is constructing
the site and is achieving
a construction rate of 1,000 m2
per week. The Voorblj Prefab
Beton company of Amsterdam
manufacture the panels for
the Reinforced Earth Company.

Poland

Cable stayed
footbridge
Freyssinet supplied
and installed the stay cables
for the steel footbridge
crossing the Bystrzyca river France
between Wroclaw and Legnica
in Poland. The structure
comprises two 34 m spans Ciments Calcia plant
separated by two V-shaped
central metal masts. The deck The Ciments Calcia company, company has decided to modernize
is supported by 24 stay cables the French subsidiary of the travelling crane in the clinker
anchored the Italcementi Group, makes hall and intends to replace it
every and markets hydraulic binders. during 2000 by a higher capacity
4 m, each It operates a plant located automatic travelling crane.
consisting in Gargenville in the Yvelines Freyssinet will completely renovate
of two department. Raw materials the structure (rails, seatings,
strands. and clinker are stored in different bedding concrete, fasteners)
The storage compartments served and reinforce the crane beams
strands by a 240 m long manually with shotcreting over a length
were controlled travelling crane, of 80 m. The work started
tensioned capable of handling stored on November 8 1999 and
by materials and feeding plant should finish by the beginning
Isotension®. grinders. The Ciments Calcia of March 2000.

Freyssinet magazine 6 March 2000 / No. 207

GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40
In brief
Australia
TerraMet® walls for the Pilbara
iron mine
The Reinforced Earth Company
(RECO), the subsidiary of Terre
Armée in Australia, has just
completed a new retaining
structure Western Australia’s
Pilbara region. This 17 m high
wall is designed to retain
the unloading platform
for 240-tonne mining vehicle;
it resists high braking forces
and vertical loads. It is made
using the TerraMet® system
that uses semi-elliptical
galvanised steel facing
panels. These elements
are perfectly suitable
for this type of application
for which architectural
finishes (specific
to the urban environment)
would be superfluous.
United States
Charles River bridge
The Central Artery Project,
also called the Big Dig site,
in the State of Massachusetts
is a construction site to modernise
the road network, and is designed
to improve the extremely dense
traffic in Boston. The Charles River
bridge is entirely asymmetrical
and has many innovative features.
Although its 227 m span makes
it a medium span bridge, its 56 m
width is a world record. It will carry
ten traffic lanes. The two lanes
on the east side are located
outside the two main cable
planes, and are cantilevered
from the rest of the deck.
Thus, the stay cables placed
on the east side of the bridge
Page 7
are bigger than the stay cables
on the west side. The longitudinal
layout is also very unusual.
Unlike the central span, the layer
of stay cables for the rear span
starts from the central reservation
and spreads out towards the three
branches of the inverted Y tower.
The project benefits from the
advantages of Freyssinet stay
cables that are easily replaceable,
provide corrosion protection
applied in the factory, and
are easy to install. All cables
will be equipped with IED+
(internal elastomeric dampers)
that in particular eliminate
vibrations related to the combined
action of wind and rain.
Freyssinet magazine 7 March 2000 / No. 207
Malaysia
Reinforced
Earth walls
The Malaysian government is having
the Ampang elevated motorway built
under a concession agreement.
This motorway is designed to relieve
traffic congestion along the very busy
road from Jalan Ampang to Kuala Lumpur.
Out of the 7.4 km section of this road,
5.8 km are built above the Sg Klang
and Sg Ampang rivers. The motorway
includes six lanes and seven interchanges.
Reinforced Earth participated in its design
and provided practical and economic
solutions. Reinforced Earth worked
in close co-operation with the design
office to design, supply and build retaining
walls for access ramps, mostly in floodable
areas. The walls must be adapted to
a wide variety of soils. Reinforced Earth
also made 20 retaining walls reaching
heights of up to 10 m, giving a total
area of 20,000 m2.
Spain
Reinforced
Earth factories
Apart from designing and implementing
its processes, Reinforced Earth owns
two manufacturing plants in Spain.
The first is in Loeches, and is used
for the production of large elements
such as prefabricated arches and beams.
This plant was created in 1992 and uses
a daily average of 16 tonnes of steel,
125 m3 of concrete and 1,500 kg
of 15.2 mm diameter prestressing strands.
The equipment and organisation offer
a fast and high quality production capacity.
Checks on the strength of concrete are
carried out systematically in the plant
laboratories. The other site in Mejorada
is older and is specialised in the fabrication
of mechanically stabilised earth panels.
The production capacity of the plant is
flexible and may be as high as 1,000 m2 per
day. More than 100,000 m2 of panels were
produced in this plant during the year 1999.
GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40 Page 8

South Korea

digest

Main figures
Kimhae sewage treatment plant
• Surface area: 80,000 m2.
• Maximum compaction: 5.50 m,
the equivalent of a 2-storey building.
• Compaction observed during loading
and unloading the structure: 3 cm.
• Structure opening date: January 2000.

Jangyoo sewage treatment plant

• Surface area: 85,000 m2.
• Maximum compaction: 6 m.
• Work start date: August 1998.

8
GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40 Page 9

South Korea

Menard Soltraitement

A world
reference
in consolidation
The Kimhae
and Jangyoo
sewage treatment
The Menard Vacuum®
plants treat sewage
for more than
500,000 inhabitants. Consolidation process
used in consolidation of
digest

soils for the Kimhae and Jangyoo

sewage treatment plants in South
Korea was a resounding success.

Freyssinet magazine 9 March 2000 / No. 207

GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40 Page 10

South Korea

T
he Menard Vacuum® process devel-
oped and used by Menard Soltrai-
tement was used for one of its most
impressive applications in the Land of the
Calm Morning in the Pusan region, which
is the second largest built-up area in South
Korea. Existing infrastructures have
become obsolete with the demographic and
economic boom and fast urban develop-
ment in Korea in recent years. They no
longer satisfy the needs of the population
that was previously rural.

Atmospheric
soil consolidation

The town of Kimhae 20 km to the west of

Pusan in South Korea has a population of
more than 500,000 inhabitants, and decid-
ed to build a new sewage treatment plant.
This 80,000 m 2 plant is located on the
banks of a branch of the Nak Dong river,
the second largest river in the country.
There is a vast alluvial plain covering more
than 500 km2 in this area, possibly unique
in the world, in which the thicknesses of
compressible sediments composed mainly
of clay and silt vary from 20 m to 50 m.
Sangjee Menard, a French-Korean joint
venture between Menard Soltraitement,
the world specialist in soil improvement,
and Sangjee Co Ltd, an engineering com-
pany specialized in soil mechanics, was
created in 1992. In 1995, it was awarded
the soil consolidation contract for the
Pusan treatment plant.
The solution chosen in preference to the
use of driven steel piles consists of found-
ing the future plant on natural soils pre-
viously consolidated using the Menard
Vacuum® Consolidation process together
with the Dynamic Compaction technique.
The objective is to use atmospheric con-
solidation to induce the predicted settle-
ments due to the weight of the future
treatment plant, in advance during the
construction period. The patented atmo-
spheric consolidation procedure devel-

Above left, parameter recorder.

Facing page, vertical drains and 46 meter high mast.

Freyssinet magazine 10 March 2000 / No. 207

GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40 Page 11

South Korea

Placement of imposed load on the membrane. One significant advantage of the technique is that machinery running on tyres can travel freely
on the membrane during pumping.

oped and used by Menard Soltraitement is
called Menard Vacuum®, and it consists of
replacing some or all of the conventional
preload with backfill by a waterproofing,
drainage and pumping system. This cre-
ates a vacuum of the order of 0.70 to 0.80
bars, equivalent to about 4 m high back-
fill.
There are four main advantages of the
atmospheric consolidation process used
with a dense network of horizontal drains,
a network of vertical drains and a dewater-
ing system under the membrane. Firstly, the
action of the vacuum is equivalent to 4 m
fill, and takes place without any risk of soil
failure. Secondly, the operation does not
introduce any lateral creep displacement.
Thirdly, the vacuum action extends in
depth, without any reduction as far as the
bottom of the drains (unlike a conven-
tional backfill in which the stress reduces
according to the “Boussinesq formula”).
Fourthly, the Menard Vacuum® process is
economically more attractive than conven-
tional techniques, for example founda-
tions on piles.
cycles of treatment plant structures were
only 3 cm, which is less than 0.25% of the
total settlement obtained during the con-
solidation phase, and 0.05% of the total
thickness of compressible clay. The Kimhae
treatment plant has been operational since
January 2000. The inauguration ceremony
took place at the end of December 1999.
The new Jangyoo treatment plant
Buoyed by this success, Sangjee Menard
was awarded another contract to perform
soil improvement work for the sewage
treatment plant for the new town of
Jangyoo. This plant is close to the first site
in Kimhae and has an area of 85,000 m 2
site. Its conditions and characteristics are
identical to those on the Kimhae site. The
Jangyoo site was started in August 1998
and is now under construction, the settle-
ments obtained are even greater than at
Kimhae, and are as high as 6 m in some
locations.
Participants
Client: City of Kimhae.
Contract Management and Main Contractor:
Daewoo Engineering and Construction.
Design office: KECC (Korean Engineering
Consultants Corporation).
Specialized contractor: Menard Soltraitement.
The Menard Soltraitement company is a leader
in soil improvement techniques, and performs
engineering and geotechnical work throughout
the world. The company is ISO 9001 certified for
design and construction, and more than half of
its turnover is earned overseas. Its Sigmatec
Ingénierie subsidiary calculates and verifies
complex geotechnical projects, making use
of the most advanced digital computer software.
Menard Soltraitement teams make a special
purpose investigation and propose the most
economic technical alternatives for each major
project.
A considerable effort is made every year in the
research (4.5% of the turnover) necessary for
the development of techniques.

An unequalled success

Considering the exceptional nature of the

site, the results observed on the Kimhae
STP site are unequalled and form a world
reference in terms of consolidation. The
maximum total settlement obtained was
about 5.5 m, namely the equivalent of a 2-
storey building. Loading tests carried out
after construction of the treatment plant
provided conclusive proof of the method
and the technical expertise of Menard
Soltraitement engineers. The settlements
recorded during loading and unloading

Freyssinet magazine 11 March 2000 / No. 207

GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40 Page 12
Camargue
The Chartrouse
suspension bridge
Replacement of the suspension system
for the Chartrouse bridge and use
of a new technique - the coherent strand.
T
he Chartrouse estate in the Camargue
to the north of Salin-de-Giraud,
owned by French Farms (Fermes
Françaises), extends from dry land as far as
an island on the Rhône river. These sites
are accessed by a suspension bridge with a
span of 88 m and a width of 3.2 m.
The structure is about eighty years old,
and its cables were in an advanced state of
corrosion. Freyssinet has just replaced the
entire suspension system after having put
it into a safe condition in 1998. The origi-
nal Gisclard suspension was replaced by a
conventional suspension and the maxi-
mum load capacity was increased from 12
to 19 tonnes.
This site was an opportunity to use the
coherent strand technique, which is the lat-
est innovation in suspension cables.
Replacement
of the retaining cables
A load transfer system was used to replace
the bridge retaining cables. New stirrups
and sleeves were installed adjacent to exist-
ing stirrups in the lower part. Steel cross-
beams were fixed to temporary stirrups at
the top of the tower and positioned on the
original cables.
These elements were used to gradually
transfer forces from the old cables as they
were replaced. When this operation was
complete, the original attachment stirrups
were cut and the cables were put into place
with their stirrups. These cables, about 20
Freyssinet magazine 12 March 2000 / No. 207
France
meters long, are composed of seven stay
cable type unbonded strands in galfanised
ducts, and were prefabricated on the
ground and raised using lightweight
means. They were tensioned gradually
until they had taken the load from the
original cables. The old cables were then
slackened.
All these operations were carried out sym-
metrically on each tower to limit unwant-
ed forces in the structure. At the end of the
operation, all temporary devices were dis-
assembled and the old cables were cut and
removed. Eventually, each 7T15 retaining
cable had replaced two old single strand
cables.
Placement of the new
suspension and hangers
In the same way as retaining cables, the
90 m long parabolic load bearing cables
were prepared on the ground. The strands
were placed on steel supports and grouped
in a hexagonal bundle. The parabolic load
bearing cables were fitted with collars at
intervals of 6.7 m, and the collars were fit-
ted with an inclined male clevis used to
transfer hanger tensions. The coherent
strand used by Freyssinet on the structure
is specially designed
to support tangential forces adjacent to
the collars.
Like the stay cable strands, the coherent
strand is galfanised (made of galfan which
is an alloy of steel and aluminium provid-
GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:40 Page 13

France

ing three times more corrosion protection

than galvanising) and covered with a black
HDPE duct. In this case, this duct is fully
bonded to the strand. A general bi-
extruded light coloured casing protects
the bundle from physical aggression and
ultraviolet rays. This casing was installed
in segments, as the collars were put into
position.
The hangers composed of galfanised and
unbonded single strands were fitted with
keyed anchorage devices at both ends.
Each cable was put into place equipped
with its hangers. For the retaining cables,
the use of temporary transfer crossbeams
installed at the top of the tower was neces-
sary. The cable was adjusted to length and
was initially raised (on the island side)
using lightweight devices and was then
raised (on the land side) using a mobile
and pre-adjusted crane.
The gradual transfer of the deck load from
the old suspension system to the new sus-
pension, using temporary hangers, could
then take place. At the end of the transfer,
the final hangers were fixed to the deck
and the temporary hangers were disassem-
bled.
At the same time, the old cables were
slackened, disassembled and cut. The
operation was completed by the place-
ment of final cable attachment stirrups to
the tower and adjustment of the deck
geometry.
Reinforcement
and painting of the deck
In addition to this change of suspension,
the deck was reinforced by the placement
of longitudinal steel members (HEA 220)
supporting a new wooden platform. A
bituminous coating of the entire metal
structure of the bridge (deck and tower)
completed the operation and a loading
test with a 19-tonne truck demonstrated
the effectiveness of this work.
The Chartrouse bridge is a promising
beginning to the use of coherent strands.
Participants
Client and contract management: les Fermes
françaises.
Main contractor: Freyssinet.
Suspension cables were replaced by the use of temporary transfer beams
at the top of the tower.
The coherent strand
Coherent strands used on suspension
bridges resemble the individually protected
stay cable strand. The suspension cable
is anchored at its ends and is fitted
with a large number of collars to which
the hangers supporting the deck
are attached. Its parabolic funicular
shape is induced by the loads transmitted
from the hangers. Due to the presence
of the attachment collars, the corrosion
protection system needs to have
a number of mechanical properties
including resistance to collar tightening
forces, the capacity to transmit
the tangential force resulting from
the inclination of the hanger from the
normal to the cable, and the capacity
to resist dynamic traffic loads.
The coherent strand satisfies these
three criteria, consisting of a 15.7 mm
diameter strand provided with
a multi-barrier protection consisting
of galfanisation, a hydrophobic bonding
product covering all wires of the strand
including the central wire and bonding
to the steel, and a 1.5 mm thick HDPE
The hangers
were composed
of galfanised
unbonded
single strands,
and were fitted
with keyed
anchor devices
at each end.
layer (from the inside towards
the outside). It is perfectly compatible
with the Freyssinet anchorage system
and is equally applicable to large
suspension bridges or more modest
structures, to new structures, for making
existing structures conform, or making
repairs. More generally, apart from
the field of suspension bridges for which
it was developed, the performances
of the coherent strand protection system
make it an ideal material for anchor rods
in the ground, and for external and internal
prestressing of concrete.

Freyssinet magazine 13 March 2000 / No. 207

GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:41 Page 14
A new bridge over the Rhône
Tarascon-Beaucaire
bridge
The stay cable bridge that bypasses the towns
of Tarascon and Beaucaire to the south
has just been keyed.
T
his 410 m long bridge with a 192 m
central span crosses the Rhône leav-
ing a clear height of 8.5 m for ship-
ping. It eliminates the heavy transit traffic
passing through the two towns and carries
traffic to and from the business areas in
each town. The prestressed concrete deck is
supported by 96 stay cables distributed in
two side layers and anchored in two nar-
row-waisted towers with a maximum height
of 67 m. Its 12 m wide decks carry two traf-
fic lanes.
Freyssinet participated in the construction
of this bridge as a subcontractor to the
Léon Grosse company, and supplied and
installed the stay cables, prestressing,
bearings, road expansion joints and the
elastomer-urethane waterproofing for
the edges.
Freyssinet's work also included other ser-
vices to install stay cables for mobile
equipment maneuvered using SL230 type
lifting jacks and the placement of tempo-
rary stay cables for each span during
construction, adjusted using 540 annular
jacks.
Freyssinet magazine
The use of temporary stay cables
Two methods were used for construction of
the bridge. 45 m deck segments were cast on
falsework at each end of the bridge, were
partially prestressed and the falsework was
then removed. In typical sections, the struc-
ture was built by successive cantilever con-
struction using mobile travelers fixed at the
back on the previously cast deck and sup-
ported at the front by temporary stay cables.
When the concrete strength in the segments
was sufficiently high, the temporary stay
cable was relaxed and the final stay cable
was tensioned simultaneously using the
Freyssinet Isotension® process. The tempo-
rary stay cables were adjusted while the
concrete was being poured to cancel gener-
al bending moments in the deck. These
operations were carried out symmetrically
about each of the two towers.
Galfanized tendons
The final stay cables installed on the
Tarascon-Beaucaire bridge incorporate the
14 March 2000 / No. 207
France
most recent developments in tendons, and
particularly the use of galfanized strands (see
inset p.13). The strands are grouped in bun-
dles and are enclosed in a light gray duct
reinforced by a double spiral webbing. At the
bottom, the stay cables are anchored into the
deck and the anchors are injected with wax,
ensuring perfect anti-corrosion protection.
Apart from the installation of the stay
cables, Freyssinet also performed deck and
bridge tower prestressing work using 19T15
longitudinal tendons and 12C15 tendons.
Participants
Client: Bouches du Rhône department.
Engineer: General Council Engineering
Departments; Roads Management,
Arles District Transport and Development.
Works supervision: SETRA
and CETE Méditerranée.
Consultant: Michel Virlogeux.
Architect: Charles Lavigne.
Main contractors: Léon Grosse –
Bauland Group.
Specialized contractor: Freyssinet.
GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:41 Page 15

Wales

Millennium Coastal Park

TechSpan ®

turnkey arches
The Reinforced Earth Company Ltd, Terre Armée's subsidiary in the United
Kingdom, has recently completed a precast arch using the TechSpan® process.

One prize and two nominations

B
ridging over the twin track railway ning, design, contractual flexibility and value
between Swansea and Fishguard engineering culminating in a project deliv-
by two landscaped tunnels was The excellence of the project has been recog- ered within budget and to a tight timescale.
a crucial element of the 22 km long nised and rewarded by the prize awarded The harmony achieved between Client,
Millennium Coastal Park construction by the Institution of Civil Engineers, South Designer and Contractor is testimony to the
project in South Wales, built on a stretch of Wales Association, and by its entry in two success of the project.”
derelict industrial land. Without the Land different categories for British 1999 indus-
Bridges moulding the park above the rail- trial construction prizes. Participants
ways, the project would have been sepa- Comments by the project manager's con-
rated into three different parts by the main sulting engineer: “The submission of the Client: Carmarthenshire County Council.
line railways. The challenge for Ove Arup Millennium Coastal Park, Land Bridges, for Consulting Engineers: Ove Arup & partners,
& Partners engineers was to cover the rail- the Civil Engineering category is based Cardiff.
way as much as possible, while blending upon its success as a total Engineering Project Manager: Birse Construction Ltd.
into the landscape with a minimum quan- Project from conception to completion. It Specialised contractor: Reinforced Earth Company
tity of fill. demonstrates the integration of pre-plan- Ltd.
Reinforced Earth Company proposed the
TechSpan® arches system instead of a cast An average of sixteen elements were placed every 10 hours while assembling
in-situ concrete structure. The project man- TechSpan® arches.
ager appointed the Reinforced Earth
Company to carry out the design and sup-
ply of TechSpan® structures and to provide
technical assistance during assembly.
The design utilised Finite Element
Methods to accurately model structural
behaviour and minimum material usage.
The portals of the Land Bridges were
designed as scalloped ends to reduce the
visual impact of the structures in the new
park. The total length of Land Bridges was
200 m, and they were 16 m wide and 6 m
high. 135 standard TechSpan® units are
used for the main body of the tunnels, and
48 truncated units are used for the scal-
loped ends. The standard units are 2 m long
and 0.35 m thick and weigh 19.7 tonnes
each. Each rise of the arch comprised two
units which meet at the crown of the arch
in a special galvanised steel knuckle joint.
On average, 16 elements were placed every
10 hours, representing a tunnel length of 16
m.

Freyssinet magazine 15 March 2000 / No. 207

GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:41 Page 16

Australia

Sydney

Two tower buildings

with more than 40 storeys
Austress Freyssinet was chosen to perform
the post-tensioning works for two tower buildings
with more than 40 storeys.

T
wo of the largest structures cur-
rently under construction for the
future Sydney Olympic Games
are built by post-tensioning. Building
giants, Multiplex and Civil & Civic, have
both chosen Austress Freyssinet as their
specialist sub-contractor for the post-
tensioning works to both landmark 40
storey plus towers, the former awarding
the contract on a design and construction
basis. Design work is being carried out in
Austress’ Sydney head office.
The layout for the two tower buildings
is similar and is based on the architectural
concept used throughout the world today
for the construction of office tower build-
ings.

Building project in Sydney:

155 Macquarie
and 88 Philip Street

The famous Italian architect Renzo Piano

drew up the major real estate project
including a commercial building on Philip
Street and a residential building on
Macquarie Street. The commercial build-
ing has 4 underground carparks and a 42-
storey tower building with a total floor
area of 70,000 m2. The residential building
includes 6 below ground levels and 18 sto-
ries, including a penthouse suite on level
16. The floor area is 28,000 m2. The ellipti-
cal shaped concrete framed commercial
building comprises has a thin elliptical

The Macquarie Street building was designed

by the architect Renzo Piano, and includes
apartments and shops.

Freyssinet magazine 16 March 2000 / No. 207

GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:41
Australia
central concrete core with a post-tensioned
slab and band beam floor system. Each
floor consists
of 450 deep and 900 wide band beam
spaced at 2.5 m centres and spanning
11 m from the core to the perimeter of the
building. The slab typically consists of 120
mm thick conventionally reinforced slabs
spanning between the bands.
The residential building is rectangular and
is built on Macquarie Street in front of the
Botanic Gardens. It consists of two con-
crete cores and a 200 mm thick post-ten-
sioned flat plate slab spanning 7.5 m. Stud
rail has been to achieved the required
punching shear capacity at some columns.
In June 1998, Austress Freyssinet was the
successful bidder for the supply and instal-
lation of the post-tensioning and the
preparation of the shop drawings. All slabs
were poured on conventional plywood
formwork system with a concrete strength
of 32 MPa.
During the tender and design phases,
Austress Freyssinet’s engineers worked in
close co-operation with Lend Lease Design
Group Engineers to determine technical
methods of increasing construction pro-
ductivity whilst achieving the desired level
of quality. This included rationalisation of
the concrete and slight modification of the
post-tensioning to suit the construction
requirements.
Park Plaza
This office building has a total of 53 levels,
including 4 underground carpark,
4 retail levels , and 45 level office tower. The
primary tenant is a bank that will occupy
over 43% of the office space. The retail areas
will include a large number of fashionable
boutiques and cafes. This 210 m high build-
ing will be one of Australia's ten tallest
buildings when it is completed in March
2000. The total area of the post-tensioned
floors will be about 120,000 m2, the area of
each floor being 1,750 m 2. The structure
comprises a concrete central core with a
post-tensioned slab and band beam floor
system. The tower itself starts at level 6.
The floor consists of 450 mm deep and
1,200 mm wide band beam spaced at 0.5 m
centres and spanning 12-14 m from the
central core to the perimeter edge beam.
The slabs typically consist of a 120 mm
Freyssinet magazine
Page 17
The 210 m tall Park Plaza tower building
will be one of Australia's ten tallest buildings.
post-tensioned slab spanning between the
bands and contain a newly developed spe-
cialised anchorage used for the first time
on this project.
The construction cycle comprises typically
four pours per floor, so that concrete can
be poured at a rate of one and an half floor
per week. To minimise the formwork costs
on the project, a steel profiled formwork
system, Bondek®, was utilised between the
bands to support the slab during the con-
crete pour. The internal band beams and
perimeter edge beams were conventionally
formed using plywood on a table form-
work system. Each beam contains four 12.7
mm tendons and each slab contains two
12.7 mm tendons at 1,200 mm centres.
In June 1998, Austress Freyssinet were
awarded the design and construct contract
by Demartins and Gasparini (DMG) that
had been awarded the frame contract from
the main contractor Multiplex
Constructions. During the tender period,
the Austress Freyssinet’s design division
assisted DMG to develop cost effective
floor system for the construction of
floors in order to respect calendar con-
straints and the requirements of the
building codes. This included rationalisa-
tion of the concrete and reinforcement,
simplification of the formwork and devel-
opment of a new anchorage system to
reduce the post-tensioning installation
times.
Macquarie Street participants
Client: Lend Lease Developments; East Asia
Property Group.
Consulting Engineers: Taylor Thompson &
Whiting.
Main contractor: Lend Lease Group.
Specialised contractor: Austress Freyssinet.
Park Plaza participants
Client and Contract Manager:
Multiplex Construction.
Main contractor: DMG.
Consulting Engineers: Hyder Consulting.
Specialised contractor: Austress Freyssinet.
17 March 2000 / No. 207
GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:41 Page 18

Portugal

Bridge over the Tage

The Santarém bridge

This major bridge over the Tage will relieve traffic congestion
on the Santarém and Almeirim motorway interchange.

The new bridge over the Tage in Santarém
will carry route No. 10 and provide a con-
nection between the towns of Santarém
and Almeirim; it will carry the A1 North
motorway across the Santarém inter-
change and its junction with the AE8
motorway in Montemor-o-Novo.
Apart from the construction of the bridge
over the Tage, the work also includes the
construction of the East and West access
spans, two viaducts over the Ribeira das
Fontainhas, six overpasses and three
underpasses.
The cable stayed structure
The project between Santarém and the
Almeirim interchange is about 8 km long,
and is composed of two 7 m wide double
carriageway roads in each direction with 1
m to 2.5 m wide hard shoulders and a 3 m
central reservation.
The Tage crossing consists of a 570 m
long bridge comprising a 486 m cable
stayed part with a 246 m central span.
The deck is suspended from two 51 m
high towers made of reinforced concrete
as far as the first stay cables. Beyond this
area, the stay cables are fixed to a com-
posite steel and concrete structure. There
are 36 type 55HD15, 61HD15 and
73HD15 stay cables per tower forming a
single central planes with a length vary-
ing between 31 m and 131 m. They con-
sist of unbonded, easily adjustable and
replaceable strands, placed inside a dou-
ble spiral HDPE duct, to resist ultraviolet
rays and wind and vibration phenomena
related to
the rain.
Stay cables were installed using tech-
niques already tested on other recent sites
such as the Vasco de Gama bridge in
Portugal or the Ting Kau bridge in Hong
Kong. The cables were tensioned using the
patented Isotension process. Armol
Freyssinet installed a total of more than
518 tonnes of cables on the bridge. The
first stay cable was installed on June 15
1999, and the last was installed on
December 28 1999.
After installation, the stay cables were
instrumented to enable subsequent ten-
sion checks to be made by different offi-
cial Portuguese institutions, and particu-
larly the LNEC and the University of
Porto. Force sensors are installed on dif-
ferent stay cables and are connected to
computer hosts through a modem.
Prestressing
The entire structure, namely the main
bridge, access spans and the various
bridges included in the project, contains
1,300 tonnes of internal bonding pre-
stressing tendons. 19K15 type cables were
used throughout the 4,308 m length of the
main bridge access spans and for the
viaducts over the Ribeira das Fontainhas
(220 m and 669 m viaducts). Longitudinal
prestressing is provided by continuity
tendons placed inside girder webs and
t r a n s v e r s e
prestressing in the cross beams and in the
deck top flange. A total length of 77.2 km
of metal ducts with diameters varying
between 63 mm and 108 mm (7K15 to
25K15) is used in bridges forming part of
this project.
Participants
Architect: J.L. Câncio Martins.
Contract Manager: J.A.E. Construção.
Main Contractor: Consortium Conduril / MSF.
Specialised Contractor: Armol Freyssinet.

Freyssinet magazine 18 March 2000 / No. 207

GB-MEP 207 Freys Mag OK 20/10/00 18:41 Page 19

France

A51 Motorway

12,000 m2 of mechanically
stabilised earth walls
The route followed by the A51 motorway is difficult, requiring
the construction of a large number of retaining walls.
he lower urban part of the A51 motor- which structures could be adapted to com-

T way contrasts with the mountainous

part of the same motorway for which
many bridges and tunnels were necessary.
Much of the length of the A51 motorway was
built under difficult geotechnical conditions
with extremely narrow construction widths,
and required the construction of a large
number of sub-vertical fill or backfill retain-
ing walls. This is particularly true between
the Le Serf and Coynelle where Terre Armée,
a subsidiary of Freyssinet, participated in the
construction of 12,000 m2 of mechanically
stabilised earth walls up to 14 m high. These
important retaining structures were neces-
sary due to the proximity of the railway and
the N75 highway. The Reinforced Earth
technique was chosen for this project due to
its many advantages, including flexibility (by
pressible ground), the high resistance to stat-
ic and seismic forces, the concrete quality
(concrete had to resist frost and salt) and the
aesthetics of the structures.
Two types of surfaces were used. The first
type was smooth, and included TerraClass
surfaces composed of 14 cm thick cross
shaped blocks, and TerraSet surfaces com-
posed of 1.7 m wide in 2.1 m high rectangu-
lar panels. The second type was “Green
Walls” consisting of inclined concrete slabs
supported between two concrete piers thus
forming compartments that can be filled Participants
with topsoil and designed to support plant Client: AREA.
cover over the entire surface of the wall. A Contract Manager: Scetauroute.
total of 7,000 m2 of TerraClass surfaces, Main Contractor: Perrier-GFC J.V.
916 m2 of TerraSet surfaces, and 4,000 m2 of Specialised Subcontractor: Terre Armée.
Green Walls were constructed.

Romania

Arch Bridge

A bridge over the Danube

This is the first bridge of this size to be built
in Romania.

A
new bridge is being built in the
Constanta Region to cross the canal
between the Danube and the Black
Sea. This bridge will carry the main road
access to the town of Cernavoda (strategic
area in which Romania's nuclear power
stations are located) and to Cernavoda
railway station. This is the first arch bridge
of this size to be built in Romania.
The main structure is a 23 m high metallic
arch bridge with hangers inclined at 60°. It
has a 172 m span, and 17 m clearance above
the canal, enabling heavy shipping traffic to
European standards. The structure is sup-
ported on 20 m piers and 40 m piles on
the left bank and 20 m piles on the right
bank. The 13 m wide deck carries two traf-
fic lanes. The 56 hangers (28
on each side) supplied and installed by
Freyrom in co-operation with Freyssinet
are made of 12HD15 type cables, with
individually protected stands placed in a
white HDPE duct. A total of 13 tonnes of
hanger cables were used according to the
techniques developed by Freyssinet and
already proven on many cable stayed
bridge sites. The structure will be put into
position by rotation.
Participants
Client: RENEL.
Design Office: EuromEtudes.
Main Contractor: CCCF.
Specialised Sub-Contractor: Freyrom
in co-operation with Freyssinet.

Freyssinet magazine 19 March 2000 / No. 207

GB- 207/couve OK 20/10/00 18:46 Page 1

The new bridge over the Tage river

in Portugal will provide a connection
between the towns of Santarém
to Almeirim.
As a specialised contractor Freyssinet
supplied and installed the stay cables
and prestressing.