References
Monacan institute of sports medicine
MONACO, 2005
The construction of retaining walls 38m high in a cliff and earthworks tunneled with explosives.
At the foot of the Hermitage Hotel opposite Port Hercule, Solétanche Sam is operating as group agent to undertake retaining wall work and earthworks for the Monacan Institute of Sports Medicine.
The construction of this structure is one of the most complex worksites as it is embedded in the cliff overhung by the Hermitage Hotel and bordered by a car park and cardio-thoracic centre.
Started in October 2002 at the cliff top, this very ambitious project has five main work phases entrusted to Solétanche Sam:
- Construction of capping beam and cutting up of the cliff into blocks with construction of vertical support (pinned RC shell) 17m high with 3m sections.
- Earthworks with explosives after peripheral sawing for some tens of meters high on both sides of Boulevard du Larvortto, maintained in continuous use.
- Construction of site cast columns with micropiles and RC, which are the foundation elements of the whole building.
- Construction of ground floor slab and two floors of infrastructure, close to technical gallery and very sensitive fiber-optic network.
- Tunnel excavation of five underground car park levels 12m high, with earthworks with explosives in area of RC columns and wind bracing. Construction of access tunnel from Avenue
This worksite was a real technical challenge, involving innovative methods, in particular:
- earthworks by cliff sawing into blocks and fracturing with hydraulic cushions from work decking,
- tunnel earthworks with explosives and peripheral sawing,
- top down excavation & construction method, in very restricted space.
There were many constraints:
- very sensitive urban environment (luxury hotel, medical center),
- presence of technical gallery, fiber-optic networks, boulevard in continuous use, crossing the work zone,
- limited hours and short time constraints,
- earthworks with explosives in restricted environment with superstructure under construction (very strong mini vibration),
- very awkward site and very high co-activity of workshops (earthworks, site casting, sawing, support shell, etc.).
Techniques
Regardless of site size, and providing it involves a significant proportion of works in the ground, Soletanche Bachy will handle the complete project, and all aspects of the works, including site supervision, excavations, foundations, civil engineering and all construction operations.
A ground anchor is a load transfer system designed to transfer the forces applied to it to a competent stratum. An anchor is said to be temporary if it has a lifespan of under two years and permanent if the lifespan is over two years.
A pile is a structural element driven into the soil for transferring loads and prevent deformation. Its slenderness ratio is not limited.
Pile shafts can be uniform and rectilinear, telescopic and belled out.
Piles can be installed either separately or in groups. They can also form a retaining wall, a mixed curtain wall, contiguous piles, secant piles and composite curtain walls, such as Berlin walls and similar. Piles are also used as precast beams to be placed in the structure of the building they support.
A retaining shell is a slim shell structure used during vertical excavations. Unlike retaining walls, the weight of a retaining shell has little effect on its capacity to balance the pressures.
Ouvrages
Suitable foundations are required for all building and civil engineering structures to ensure that they perform within the settlement criteria established in the design of the structure. Special foundations are used where shallow footings do not provide adequate support for a structure.
Major urban excavations are one of the specialist activities of Soletanche Bachy. Such excavations are required for basements to buildings that are usually part of the foundations of the structure and also used for under-street car parks, cut and cover tunnels for roads, rail, metro and storm water tank...
Voyage au coeur de l'ingénierie de pointe
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