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Chronolia Saving time with P A G E 4 2 | L A FA R G E | N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 7 | C R E S C E N D O FR ANCE This construction site on the French Riviera looks like any other with its busy workers and cranes transporting equipment and materials. It is, however, a pilot site, one of the first to use a revolutionary quick-set concrete called Chronolia TM , Lafarge’s latest concrete product. In a few months’ time, there will be thousands of square meters of office space, but for the time being this district of Nice is still a building site which springs into life at 8am every morning. “We are always looking for ways to reduce cycle times. We constantly need to save time,” explains Arnaud Comino, works foreman. So how can this race against time be reconciled with the time required for the concrete to achieve optimum performance? The answer is Chronolia TM . Efficiency On your marks! Arnaud Comino gives the orders on site. His men are busy with the formwork. At 11am, the laborers are pouring the cement. A few hours later, at 3pm, the concrete is ready for the formwork to be removed. It is a real revolution in the building world! “With this new concrete we can pour twice in the same day. After one stripping, we pour again straight away so it is ready the following morning,” explains Arnaud Comino. The project’s main feature is 30,000m 2 of floor for the offices (16,000m 2 ) and the four basement levels (14,000m 2 ). As the workers recognize, “completing the floors more quickly means that we can get on with work on the walls of the upper floors.” Simplicity Another benefit is that with Chronolia TM everything is ready to use. So, how is Chronolia TM different from “normal” concrete? It becomes perfectly resistant in record time! French Lafarge Concrete unit’s Marketing Director Guillaume Francqueville explains it in technical terms: “this new concrete is just as easy to use and has the same 2-hour workability time before pouring, but the setting time is much shorter, meaning that the formwork can be removed sooner. It rapidly develops mechanical strength so is ready for form removal within a third of the usual time. Chronolia TM offers a variety of applications on all construction sites. Formwork can be reused more quickly (thus reducing hire costs) and the new concrete makes it easier to deal with the unexpected, particularly in terms of the weather, and to meet deadlines. Furthermore, by reducing time on site, Chronolia TM helps to reduce nuisances. In a construction sector in which safety and time are key, Chronolia TM is the solution to a productivity issue that gives new meaning to the old adage “time is money!". ■ The exceptional properties of Lafarge’s new concrete, Chronolia, reduce time on site. CHRONOLIA Chronolia came out after five years of lab research aimed at meeting customer needs. It involves a new formulation and a new admixture technology. This unique formula is Lafarge’s closely guarded secret, but the key words remain the same: rapid strength and ready mix concrete. Wide use in all areas of construction, for all building industries: tertiary, collective and individual. Chronolia cuts the overall cost of the construction project due to a shorter production cycle and reduced overheads. Launched in 2007 in France, the United Kingdom and North America, Chronolia will be rolled out in Chile, South Africa and Spain in 2008. © ARR Mediatheque Lafarge / Serge Henri CONTRIBUTING TO A SUSTAINABLE WORLD
One of the largest construction projects at the moment is underway on Reunion Island against the breathtaking backdrop of the Indian Ocean. The Route des Tamarins braves the heights of the steep wild coast carved out by the ocean. Opening up the area will require a series of extraordinary structures. IN FIGURES 33.7km of motorway between Saint-Paul and l’Étang-Salé 9 interchanges (Saint- Paul, Plateau Caillou, l’Éperon, l’Hermitage, le Barrage, les Colimaçons, Stella, Le Portail, l’Étang- Salé) Investment of 850 million 4 outstanding engineering structures 3 tunnels 23 non-standard bridges Over 120 ravines crossed A road paved with challenges Carrying out such an enormous construction project in very difficult geological and climatic conditions is a real challenge both in terms of design and implementation. The highest levels of expertise and standards are required to build a 33.7km motorway when there are 120 ravines to contend with. Numerous engineering structures are needed to overcome the obstacle of these deep openings cut into the rock by the water. Four outstanding structures are on the agenda to tackle this huge challenge: the Saint-Paul viaduct, a 750-metre S-shaped infrastructure, and the Trois Bassins, Grande Ravine and Fontaine bridges which are 350m, 300m and 200m long respectively. The first two are the equivalent of the Eiffel tower in one piece! A technical challenge Construction groups Vinci, Eiffage, Colas and Razel have pooled their expertise to work on this remarkable project. Alongside them, Lafarge is supplying the concrete, aggregates and cement. “Lafarge is offering fully tailored solutions to its customers for this project,” explains Noël Le Floch, manager of Lafarge Sobex. “Two concrete plants with an annual capacity of 70,000m 3 were specially set up for them. As they cannot change cement once the work is in progress and as there is no P A G E 4 4 | L A FA R G E | N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 7 | C R E S C E N D O REUNION cement plants on the island, we also decided to secure a continuous supply from the Bamburi factory in Kenya.” It took months to develop the on-site manufacture of high-performance products which are extremely closely monitored and for which a quality charter has been signed. Lafarge also helped to finance a road built to access its concrete plants in order to reduce dust emissions. As of 2009, the motorway between Saint-Paul and l’Étang Salé will make it easier to drive around the western part of Reunion Island. Its main purpose is to provide better links between the north and south of the island at a time of strong demographic growth. The opening of the new road between now and 2015 will alleviate traffic congestion on the coastal road. This enormous €850 million construction project is expected to generate 1,500 direct jobs. ■ The project includes the construction of a 750-meter viaduct and three bridges over 200 meters long. RESPECTING THE ENVIRONMENT Another objective of the Route des Tamarins project is to build a road that fits harmoniously into its surroundings, which is why all the structures will be given landscape and architectural treatment. For example, the spans of the Saint-Paul viaduct increase the higher it gets, giving it an elegant flowing appearance. Care is also taken not to damage the flora and fauna and a comprehensive study was carried out on the cliffs in order to preserve the ecosystems. © Régis Bouchu / Actophoto CONTRIBUTING TO A SUSTAINABLE WORLD
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