Le Grand Paris Express:
Secure fixings for the underground model of the future
Far more than a transport network Le Grand Paris Express is set to become the backbone for the development of the entire capital region by offering unprecedented potential for innovation to communities, economic agents and the local population. The four new métro lines surround the capital and provide connections to the three Parisian airports, the business districts and research institutions, connecting around 165,000 companies to public transport links and transporting more than two million commuters every day.
According to the planning firm, Le Grand Paris Express will create new mobility patterns, alleviate traffic between the suburbs and improve connections between Paris and its surrounding regions.The stations’ functions were rethought from scratch to create rooms that aren’t solely dedicated to through traffic, and so the central métro stations will not only be used by commuters to embark and disembark in future but will also provide places for residents to shop, live and work.
In addition to the tunnel construction for line 16, the French construction company Eiffage has also been commissioned with building 26 associated structures and five stations. The circular Gare du Bourget will be one of the future hubs of Le Grand Paris Express. With a diameter of around 64 metres and a depth of approximately 30 metres, it is located at the centre of a triangle bordered by two railway tracks and a national road. These circumstances set tremendously high standards in regard to planning and implementation as well as the machines and equipment used on the project, which is why Eiffage relies on fischer when it comes to fastening technology.
The fischer injection mortar FIS EM Plus ensures secure and quick progress on the Eiffage building sites. “FIS EM Plus is a real problem-solver for us”, says Massir El Alama, Project Manager at Eiffage. “Other resins we used always forced us to blow out the drill holes for the reinforcing steel. This drilling and blowing out process caused vast amounts of smoke and dust, which not only makes the work unpleasant but also more complex and time-consuming. The FIS EM Plus mortar allows us to clean the drill holes with water instead, meaning we don’t have any problems with dirt and smoke that impedes other work. Another advantage is the fact we can simply store the mortar for longer periods without requiring a specially heated room or container. The epoxy resin mortar just mustn’t freeze”.
This massively reduced the risk of application errors on the construction site for us
Quality has always been a top priority at fischer, as is reflected by the extraordinary service life of every fischer product. Eurocode standards for standard constructions assume an expected service life of 50 years in the field of construction, which is why all design methods tend to be based on 50 years. However, even higher requirements apply to the Le Grand Paris Express project, as crucial and large infrastructure projects such as underground tunnels, viaducts, nuclear power plants etc. are required to have a guaranteed service life of 100 years. All constructions must meet this specification, and the products used must fulfil the expected service life of 100 years. When it came to chemical fastenings with the injection mortar FIS EM Plus, fischer specially commissioned a European Technical Assessment (ETA) in order to be able to provide the proof of product performance required for Europe.
fischer is aware of its responsibility towards clients and customers as a strong partner for large-scale projects such as Le Grand Paris Express. The quality of the products, competitive prices and high product availability play a key role in this, but that’s not all that’s involved in successful cooperation. Regular on-site presence as well as the quick and precise responsiveness of fischer’s technical department allow suitable solutions to be found that fully meet the individual requirements and circumstances of any project.
