Working Group 250 years of Civil Engineering Heritage in Europe Constructions - Church structures - Lighthouses - Energy - Stadiums - Industry - Tourism Return to Table of contents
Proposal of church structures in France (1/2) Eglise Saint Augustin. Saint-Augustin Church. Paris, France (1871). Saint Augustin church is the first church in Paris whose structure is entirely in iron. Architect: Victor Baltard. www.structurae.de Picture : Jacques Mossot Eglise Notre-Dame. Notre-Dame Church. Le Raincy (Seine Saint Denis), France (1923). Construction of this church began in 1922, as an exceptional monument because using reinforced concrete for the structure, a very significant innovation. Then it was considered as the first modern church in France. Construction of the church finished in 1923. Because of limited technology available at construction time, durability of the concrete was low, then important restoration works were carried out between 1988 and 1996. Le Raincy church is registered at the French Survey of the Ministère de la Culture. Architect: Auguste Perret www.culture.gouv.fr/inventai/ Eglise Notre-Dame. Notre-Dame Church. Royan (Charente Maritime), France (1958). Notre-Dame Church in Royan was built using reinforced concrete, with a very thin innovative roof and thin pillars in order to offer wide ssurfaces opened to outside lights. The exceptional roof comprises a thin shell 8cm thick, bearing on 2 parabolic arcs, which allows the church nave to be completely lighted. Main dimensions are 46 m long, 22,5 m large, 36 m high on the edges, 28 m high in the centre. The tower of the church is 60 m high Engineers Bernard Lafaille and René Sarger. Architect : Guillaume Gillet. www.bernezac.com Picture : Bernezac Communication Web general references : www.planete-tp.com www.stucturae.de
Proposal of church Structures in France (2/2) Undergroud Basilique Notre-Dame. Basilique souterraine Notre-Dame. Lourdes (Hautes-Pyrénées), France (1958). For reasons of integration in the site, this underground Basilica requested a super-flat vault, without any pillar in the basilica. The solution proposed by E. Freyssinet comprises a presstressed vault bearing on 29 external arc-pillars. This exceptional Basilica is 200 long, 81 m large, with the vault 10 m above the Altar. Designer: Eugène Freyssinet Engineer: Jean Chaudesaigues, Contractor: Campenon-Bernard Picture : Campenon-Bernard Courtesy Association Eugène Freyssinet Eugène Freyssinet. Une révolution dans l art de construire (196 p). Presses de l Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées. Paris. 2004 Association Eugène Freyssinet. 15 rue de Rome 75008. Paris. association.freyssinet@wanadoo.fr Web general references : www.planete-tp.com www.stucturae.de
Proposal of energy industrial Construction in France (1/1) Centrale nucléaire de Civaux. Civaux nuclear power plant. (Vienne), France (1996). This nuclear power plant is located near Poitiers. It was the most powerful in France, 1.450 MW each Unit. Cooler towers, in prestressed concrete, are 180 m high, 153 m in diameter at the base. Minimum thickness of the shell is 16cm. www.groupe-vinci.com Picture: Photothèque VINCI CNISF (France) Georges Pilot. February 2005.
Proposal of industrial Constructions (1/1) Halle Freyssinet.Freyssinet hall. Paris, France (1929). This Building was built for the Paris-Orleans Railways Company in order to dispatch operations of goods and merchandises. It comprises 3 longitudinal vaults, 310 m long, 16 to 25 m high, using thin cylindrical concrete shells allowing natural lightning in the inner building. It is an outstanding reinforced concrete construction for this period, comprising 2 exceptional innovations by Eugène Freyssinet: vibration of the fresh concrete and pre-stressed canopies in the thin concrete shells. This is the first building in the world for this category, opening the field of the revolutionary concept of pre-stressed concrete structures. Engineer : Eugène Freyssinet (1879-1962). www.parisceinture.com Picture : Paris Ceinture actualités Hall d assemblage de l Airbus A 380. Airbus A 380 assembling hall. Toulouse (Haute Garonne), France. Taking into account the exceptional characteristics of the new Airbus A 380 aircraft, a specific assembling hall was constructed in Toulouse (Hall Jean-Luc Lagardère). This huge building is 490 m long, 250 m large and 46 m high. Construction used the up-lift process (The roof is constructed at ground level, then erected progressively at final height. Its construction needed the use of 32.000 t of steel (4 times the Eiffel Tower) and 250.000 m3 of concrete. www.cimolai.com Picture : Cimolai Costruzioni Metalliche Web general references : www.planete-tp.com www.stucturae.de
Proposal of lighthouses in France (1/1) Phare de Cordouan. Cordouan lighthouse. Le Verdon (Gironde), France (1790). This lighthouse, the oldest in France, is located at the entrance of the Gironde estuary, south-west of France. The lighthouse is important because it governs the ship traffic in the estuary, until the Bordeaux Harbour. It is a stone masonry construction, 67,5 m high, built on a 41,65 m diameter base-tower. The Cordouan lighthouse was the first to be equipped with the Fresnel lenses system, in 1823, modified in 1854, still operating The Cordouan lighthouse is register as historical monument (1862). Engineer: M. Teulère www.littoral33.com/cordouan Picture: Coutesy Jean-Marie Calbet, Association pour la sauvegarde du phare de Cordouan Association pour la sauvegarde du phare de Cordouan sauve.cordouan@wanadoo.fr CNISF (France) Georges Pilot. January 2006.
Proposal on Stadiums in France (1/1) Stade du Parc des Princes. Parc des Princes Stadium. Paris, France (1972). This stadium is built South-West of Paris, partly on the Boulevard Périphérique. It was constructed through precast units in reinforced concrete, then linked together as prestressed elements. Transverse shells are particularly remarkable. Parc des Princes Stadium has a spectator capacity of 50 000. Engineer : Pierre Richard Contractor: Bouygues Bâtiment Ile de France www.bouygues-construction.com Picture : Bouygues-Construction Parc Omni Sports de Paris-Bercy. Paris-Bercy Stadium. Paris, France ( This stadium has a spectator capacity of 17 000. The building is also used for art performances. The innovative roof is composed of a wide truss system. The rest of the structure uses reinforced concrete. Contractor: VINCI-construction grands projets www.groupe-vinci.com Picture : Photothèque VINCI Stade de France. Saint-Denis (Seine Saint-Denis), France (1997) This Stadium was built on the opportunity of the Football World Cup organized in France in 1998. The steel roof comprises an elliptically shaped canopy suspended 42 m above the pitch. Efforts are transmitted to vertical pillars by steel rods. Stade de France has a spectator capacity of 80.000. Contractors: Bouygues Bâtiment Ile de France, VINCI Construction. www.bouygues-construction.com www.vinci-groupe.com Picture: Bouygues-Construction Web general references : www.planete-tp.com www.stucturae.de
Proposal of tourism Structures in France (1/2) Le Panthéon. Paris, France (1790). Originally built as Sainte Geneviève Church, it is now a monument devoted to gratitude to prominent French great Persons. This building is the largest one built in Paris until construction of the Eiffel Tower (1900). It is 110 m long, 82 m large and 84 m high. This stone building comprises 3 domes, including the highest one (84 m), which was constructed using stone blocks cut at the designed dimensions in the quarries and directly assembled on the work site. Main architect: Jacques-Germain Soufflot La Tour Eiffel. Eiffel Tower, Paris (1899.) The Eiffel Tower was built between 1987 and 1989, on the opportunity of the Exposition Universelle (Paris World Fair), held in 1900. At this time, its height was 312 m, corresponding to the challenge of a 1.000 pieds construction, the first in the world. This steel tower comprises around 18.000 metallic pieces, gathered using 2.500.000 rivets. Around 6 millions of tourist are visiting the Eiffel Tower every year. Engineers: Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier Contractor: Eiffel Company www.tour-eiffel.fr Halles centrales d alimentation. Food central Halls. Paris, France (1854-1856). Central food business for Paris was installed, as soon as middle ages, in the centre of the city. Due to increase of the population, this activity became increasingly a huge problem of available space and transport. In 1851, new installation was decided: Victor Baltard introduced a new design using metal structures and glass roofs (cf Gare de l Est in Paris). 10 Pavilions were built during the Period 1854-1856, with completion of the new installation in 1868. In 1963, Food Central Halls left Paris Centre and moved in the Paris suburbs (Rungis). Then, All Baltard pavilions were destroyed, excepted one, rebuilt in Nogent sur Marne, where it is now used for cultural activities. General reference : www.planete-tp.com www.stucturae.info www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/inventai/presenta/bddinv.htm
Proposal of tourism Structures in France (2/2) Le Grand Palais. Paris (1899). This huge building was built for the Exposition Universelle (World Fair), held in Paris in 1900. It comprises mainly a steel structure, covered either with masonry or with glass. The façade is 240 m long. One of the most interesting pieces of art is the Great Dome, an exceptional glass roof, 40 m high. Disturbances in the structure, due to differential settlements of foundations, needed an important rehabilitation programme, now finished. Grand Palais is used for art exhibitions as well as for many other activities. Architects : Deglane, Louvet, Thomas Contractors: Daydé et Pillé, Moisant-Laurent-Savey, Sté des Ponts et travaux en fer Picture : Nicolas Janberg Le Musée d Orsay. Paris (1900). At time of construction, this building was a huge railway station, combined with an hotel. It was built in conjunction with the Exposition Universelle (World Fair), held in Paris in 1900. It comprises a steel structure, completed with a monumental stone façade. It was the Terminus of the Réseau Paris-Orleans, the South-West railways network. National traffic ended in 1939, then the station was used until 1977 for local train traffic. Then the building was re-arranged as a Museum, the Musée d Orsay, devoted to 19 th century Art, now one of the most visited Museum in Paris. Architect: Victor Laloux www.structurae.de General reference : www.planete-tp.com www.stucturae.info