2024

UHPFRC Symposium - 21-23 October, 2024

French NG was a co-organiser for the 2024 UHPFRC Symposium which took place in the Palais de l'Europe in Menton, close to the city of Nice, on the French Riviera. You can read about the Symposium (Click Here) and the Final Programme is available here (Click Here). In photo below, you see all the participants in the Main Hall of the Palais de l'Europe.

News from the French Group of IABSE (AWARDS)

On the 11th of March 2024, the NG of IABSE represented in France by AFGC (French Association of Civil Engineering) organized its General Assembly. In the morning a conference was presented by : Arnaud LANA and Mathieu VUILLERME from EDF (Electricité de France) on the construction of the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant in the United Kingdom. The various speakers immersed us in the fascinating world of the Hinkley Point construction site. The challenges linked to Civil Engineering in the construction of these new reactors are immense and we were impressed by the technical challenges and the innovative solutions presented.

This conference was followed by a round table on the attractiveness of civil engineering professions.

In the afternoon, the Albert Caquot Prize and the 3 AFGC Prizes were awarded for the year 2023.

Jürg CONZETT receiving the Albert Caquot Prize and Medal from Claude LE QUERE on March 3, 2024

Albert Caquot Prize awarded to Jürg CONZETT

The Albert Caquot Prize rewards an engineer for his entire career, in particular for his scientific and technical work and for his projects and achievements, but also for his moral qualities and his influence in the construction world. This prize is awarded every other year to a French engineer and the other year to a foreign engineer. For the year 2023, the Albert Caquot Prize was awarded by Claude LE QUERE (AFGC President) to Jürg CONZETT.

Presentation of Jürg CONZETT: Born in 1956, Jürg CONZETT is a Swiss engineer who graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (E.P.F.L). He worked between 1981 and 1987 with Peter ZUMTHOR (Swiss Architect – Pritzker Prize 2009), then opened his own office with BRONZINI & GARTMANN in Haldenstein (canton of Graubünden). Designer of original bridges in which he subtly combines traditional materials, stone, wood, reinforced or pre-stressed concrete and cables with structural intelligence (funicular shapes, vaults, use of natural relief). His emblematic bridges are the Traversina footbridges, the Suransuns bridge, the Vals bridge and the Bennau footbridge. Also remarkable is the replacement of the deck of the Muota bridge in Ibach (2000 –2001). The original bridge of Robert MAILLARD was replaced by a concrete deck whose lines are reminiscent of the work of the Italian engineer MORANDI. Jürg Conzett's remarkable structures are mainly located in the Chur region and in Vals. The book “Structure as Space” – Engineering and Architecture in the works of Jürg CONZETT and his Partners – Editor Mohsen MOSTAFAVI relates the main constructions he was the designer and engineer. Jürg CONZETT is also the author of a thinking on the integration of road structures into the landscape. Inventive, innovative, and above all an engineer, he stands out for his original and vernacular work, combining civil engineering and architectural quality, which places him among the best European designers of art structures.

Awarding of AFGC Prizes - 2024

  

Left: Laetitia Van Schoors receiving the AFGC Prize and Medal from Bruno GODART (former president of AFGC and president of the French NG of IABSE).      Middle: Etienne Combescure receiving the AFGC Prize and Medal from Jean-Bernard DATRY (vice-president of AFGC and Vice-president of the French NG of IABSE). Right: Jean-Marie Brito (right) receiving the AFGC Prize and Medal from Renaud Leconte (Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Committee of AFGC).

During the General Assembly, the French NG of IABSE and AFGC have also awarded the “AFGC Prizes” intended to reward one or more engineers, researchers, academics or competent personalities for the achievement of a remarkable work in the scientific, technical or operational field. This Prize was awarded to:

• Laetita VAN SCHOORS (Gustave Eiffel University)
• Etienne COMBESCURE (SETEC)
• Jean-Marie BRITO (Ecole Centrale de Nantes)

Laetitia VAN SCHOORS is an expert in the field of polymer and composite materials. After her PhD on this subject at the University of Savoie, she joined the LCPC (which became IFSTTAR, then Gustave Eiffel University) as head of the “polymer sustainability” group. Since 2020, she has been research director at the “physico-chemical behavior and durability of materials” laboratory of UGE. She participated, between 2013 and 2016, in setting up a certified geosynthetics laboratory within LPEE in Morocco. She also works as an associate professor at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec (Canada). She has particularly contributed to research and expertise on prestressing and cable stay ducts, on the recycling of polymers and composites, on the definition of relevant indicators for predicting the durability of these materials with notable applications to guide the choice of geosynthetics for reinforced soils depending on the environment.

Etienne COMBESCURE, graduate of Ecole Centrale de Paris, is a design engineer who worked first at SETEC TPI, then at Freyssinet for 11 years including 5 years in Australia, and then again at SETEC since 2018. It operates in the field of bridges and complex structures and in all engineering activities (project design, execution studies, project management). His achievements include: the execution studies of the Megajoule Laser, launched bridges in Australia (Iron Cove) and Turkey, the development of a module on the opening of cracks and delayed deformations in Pythagoras ( the SETEC finite element code), external control of viaducts on the Haïfa and Greater Paris metros, etc. He has specialized for several years in interventions on suspension and cable-stayed bridges: expertise of the Masséna bridge on the ring road in Paris, Rochers Noirs viaduct in Corrèze, Varades bridge (44), Pont d'Eymeux Saint Lattier (38), Chavanon viaduct, …Etienne Combescure receiving the AFGC Prize and Medal from Jean-Bernard DATRY (vice-president of AFGC and Vice-president of the French NG of IABSE).

Jean-Marie BRITO, graduated from Ecole des Mines de Douai and began his career at the French National Center of Emergency Bridges (CNPS) where he stayed for nearly 20 years ; he was thus confronted with multiple emergency situations in several countries (floods, natural disasters, armed conflicts, etc.) with repercussions on infrastructure and participated in the establishment of around a hundred emergency bridges. In this context, he has also participated in numerous assessments and interventions to support the development of emerging countries. In 2013, he joined the French National Railway Company: SNCF Réseau as technical manager of bridges where he manages a team of materials experts (masonry, wrought iron, steel, reinforced and prestressed concrete) for inspections of structures in order to formulate diagnosis, or for defining the repair solutions. He is particularly interested in the issues of Internal Sulphate Reaction both in terms of detection / monitoring and research. He also supports “one-shot” operations for the replacement of structures over a very short period, which constitutes technical challenges.

11 January - Webinar and Conference

Webinar: On 11 January from 17.30 to 18.30 hrs, a webinar was organized by AFGC representing IABSE in France. About 50 persons participated in this webinar (click here). The subject of this webinar presented in French language was “Towards an integrated approach for the evaluation of existing structures: study of riveted lattice beams in French railway station halls from 1850 to 1930.” Speaker was Hannah Franz who is a PhD student at Gustave Eiffel University. She presented the main results of her doctorate that she will defend in 2 or 3 months.

Summary: The metal frames from the 19th and early 20th centuries (industrial halls, railway station halls, market halls, etc.) constitute an important resource for renovation, rehabilitation or reuse projects. Preserving these frames, by retaining or adapting their use, responds to economic, ecological and heritage issues. In order to improve the evaluation of the bearing capacity of old metal structures and the development of structural interventions, the research presented by Hannah Franz proposes to mobilize various levers based on experimental and numerical investigations, historical research, and heritage considerations. . A large case study was used to illustrate the approach: riveted lattice beams in French station halls from 1850-1930. Around twenty renovations of these halls have been carried out since 2005 and have led to the reinforcement of the lattice beams. What is the relevance of these reinforcements? What methods should be implemented to avoid or reduce them ?

Conference: The South-West delegation of AFGC organized on the 11th of January 2024 a full day of conferences in French Language on the following subject: “Prescribing concrete correctly Season 2: the new features of the NF EN 206+A2/CN standard and the updating of the AFGC recommendations for the eco-design of concrete”. 25 persons attended this day of conferences that took place at the INSA school of engineers of Toulouse. About 20 recommendations and 6 information notes are available (in French only) on the AFGC internet site for the AFGC members.

The conferences were given by some members of the AFGC Working Group on “Prescribing concrete correctly for civil engineering structures”. Five years have passed since the previous edition. The new recommendations for properly prescribing concrete take into account,in particular, the advances and normative modifications made in the following areas: low carbon concrete, recycling of materials,performance approach to concrete durability and environmental impacts. The AFGC's recommendations aim to transmit good practices and the technical elements necessary for the design of quality concrete, adapted to the technical and normative needs of the structure to ensure its durability. They are intended for owners, experts from engineering offices and project managers responsible for the design of a concrete structure project. They aim to explain the fundamental choices falling under the responsibility of each actor and facilitate the drafting of contracts by emphasizing all the elements to be provided by the specifier. They explain the consistency and purposes of the various standards and specifications in force and allow the latest developments in concrete to be taken into account.

You can know more about upcoming programs planned by the French Group of IABSE represented by AFGC here: Click Here.

Young Engineers (in French) can join these events: Click Here.

2023

21 - 23 October

UHPFRC 2024 international symposium, supported by IABSE.

2023 

The French Association of Civil Engineering representing the French Group of IABSE has just published a WIKI (in English and in French) on: "FINITE ELEMENT MODELING AND COMPUTATIONS IN THE FIELD OF CIVIL ENGINEERING"

This collaborative work elaborated by professionals confronted daily to the use of FE methods targets young engineers, who recently graduated from university and often studied exclusively the fundamentals of the FE calculations. Its objective is to answer some recurring questions (such as the mesh size, how to smoothen the peaks, …,) to avoid some issues, and to specify what the FE cannot do. The task force favored to name the project Recommendations and Advices rather than Guide because the document aims to share applications and discuss about finite elements and not create an exhaustive guideline.

This English version of the WIKI may be found for free at the following address: Click Here.

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Report on the French Congress of Civil Engineering: CFGC 2023

Paris-Saclay, 23-25 May, 2023, by Bruno Godart (Read Full Report: Click Here)

AFGC (French Association of Civil Engineering representing the French Group of IABSE) and AUGC (Association of Civil engineering Universities) colaborated to organize the Civil Engineering Congress from 23-25 May 2023, when the French Congress of Civil Engineering (CFGC 2023) was held in the new campus of the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris-Saclay, which was attended by 450 participants. The theme of the congress was focused on "City of the future and climate change" and the congress aimed to organize scientific and technical exchanges between all (engineers or technicians, architects, academics, researchers and students; deciders, designers, producers, professors or researchers). After the welcome speech delivered by Nathalie Carasco, President of ENS Paris-Saclay, the French Congress of Civil Engineering was opened by Claude Le Quéré, AFGC President, and Alain Sellier, AUGC President, on Tuesday, May 23.It also aimed to report on the state of progress in terms of technical innovations and research related to civil engineering themes, from thinking on urban planning to the construction and maintenance of works and infrastructures (buildings, bridges, stations, energy structures, underground spaces, etc.), including the environmental and societal dimension of the city of the future.

All the Young Researchers “René Houpert Prize” Recipients:Hannah Franz (UGE, MAST/SMC), Elodie Donval (UGE, CSTB), Ali Mezher (Université Paris-Saclay, CEA), Colin Lashermes (INRAE, UMR RECOVER), Lola Doussang (LMDC, Holcim), Théophile Bouillard (LMDC, ANDRA), Yohan Jacquet (Université Bretagne Sud, Institut de Recherche du Puy de Dôme), Margapuram Deeksha Arya (INSA Toulouse), Camille Martin--Cavaillé (ENS Paris Saclay, LMPS), Lola Doussang (LMDC, Holcim), Imane El Khaldi (GeM, Edycem).

The AFGC/AUGC Youth Prize awarded to Abdelfeteh SADOK (Société du Grand Paris) by Michel Placidi, with the presence of Claude Le Quéré and Alain Sellier.

News from the French Group of IABSE (AWARDS): Albert Caquot Prize awarded to Alain CAPRA

Alain CAPRA (left) receiving the Albert Caquot Prize and Medal from Claude LE QUERE (right), on May 3, 2023

The French National Group represented by the AFGC (French Association of Civil Engineering) has just awarded its Albert Caquot Prize which rewards an engineer for his entire career, in particular for his scientific and technical work and for his projects and achievements, but also for his moral qualities and his influence in the construction world. This prize is awarded every other year to a French engineer and the other year to a foreign engineer. For the year 2022, the Albert Caquot Prize was awarded during the General Assembly of AFGC on the 3rd of May 2023 to Alain CAPRA and was awarded by Claude LE QUERE (AFGC President).

Presentation of Alain CAPRA

Alain CAPRA graduated from the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC) in 1967. He was successively engineer in the technical direction of SOCOTEC from 1969 to 1979, Head of Group in the DRAGAGE ET TRAVAUX PUBLICS company from 1979 to 1987, Head of Group in BOUYGUES company in 1987, Director of Studies in SPIE-BATIGNOLLES Company from 1988 to 1993, Director of studies in CAMPENON BERNARD Company from 1993 to 2000 and Scientific Director of VINCI CONSTRUCTION GRANDS PROJETS from 2000 to 2007. He made tremendous operational contributions to the construction of a great amount of structures in France and worldwide. He made also several technical advances like the development of elastoplastic seismic dampers covered by several patents, and the development of a calculation method of steel reinforcement in finite elements (in 1978), a method used currently by many design offices. He was very involved in the development of design rules especially those based on Limit States, and wrote several books from 1981 to 2011 such as: Practical guide for using the Limit states rules for designing reinforced concrete structures, Dynamic calculation of structures in seismic zones, Modelling of structures for computer calculations, Structures in seismic zones. He was also Professor at the ENPC and at the CHEC (Center for High Level Studies in Construction) and member of several French Professional Associations.

Awarding of AFGC Prizes

During the General Assembly, the French NG of IABSE and AFGC have also awarded the “AFGC Prizes” intended to reward one or more engineers, researchers, academics or competent personalities for the achievement of a remarkable work in the scientific, technical or operational field. This Prize was awarded to:

• Franziska SCHMIDT (Gustave Eiffel University)
• Renaud LECONTE (DIADES)
• Emmanuel ROZIERE (Ecole Centrale de Nantes)

Franziska Schmidt (right) receiving the AFGC Prize and Medal from Bruno GODART (former president of AFGC); Renaud Leconte (right) receiving the AFGC Prize and Medal from Jean-Bernard DATRY (vice-president of AFGC).

Emmanuel Rozière (right) receiving the AFGC Prize and Medal from Emmanuel Ferrier (Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Committee of AFGC)

Conference on CIGEO, the deep disposal center for radioactive waste.

This awarding of prizes was preceded by a conference on the presentation and the progress of the construction of CIGEO: the deep disposal center for radioactive waste located in the City of Bures in the Meuse Department, by three engineers of ANDRA, the French National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management.

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Event: UHPFRC 2024

Topic: Designing, Building and Retrofitting with UHPFRC

Seven years after the 2017 Ultra-High Performance Fiber Concrete (UHPFRC) conference held in Montpellier, which focused on the know-how and applications carried out with UHPFRC, it is clear that projects and constructions using UHPRFCs have increase in Europe, in North America and Asia. The 4^th International Symposium on UHPFRC on the topic of ‘Designing, Building and Retrofitting with UHPFRC’ will take place from 21-23 October 2024, in the Palais de l’Europe in the city of Menton (close to Nice), with technical tour (UHPFRC realizations) to Monaco and the French Riviera. The objective of the Symposium organised by the French group of IABSE (AFGC), under the auspices of RILEM, fib and ACI Chapter of Paris, is to update additional experience acquired in the knowledge and use of UHPFRCS for the design of structures, elements and works; retrofitting and repair of structures; industrial realisation; and large-scale applications. The symposium will present the most recent concrete realisations in civil engineering, building and equipment and infrastructure in new construction and rehabilitation. It will deal with regulations and standards developed at the international level to facilitate the design, and justify the safety and reliability of structures. It will detail the performance offered by these materials towards the environment: use in the field of eco-design, saving of resources, durability, reduction of CO2 emissions, life cycle analysis, etc. The deadline for call for abstracts is by November 15, 2023. To contribute, send a two-page abstract to UHPFRC 2024 secretariat afgc@afgc.asso.fr. Selected papers will be presented based on relevance and originality to stimulate knowledge advances and UHPFRC applications.

2022

French Congress of Civil Engineering in 2023:   “City of the future and climate change”

Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay

The French Association of Civil Engineering (AFGC) representing the French NG of IABSE is organizing with the Association of Civil Engineering Universities (AUGC) the French Congress of Civil Engineering that will take place at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris-Saclay, from the 23 to the 25 of May 2023.    

Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay

This congress aims to bring together all the participants of the construction domain on the future challenges in terms of urban development and the city of the future in the face of climate change. It will give rise to scientific and technical exchanges between all Civil Engineering actors (engineers or technicians, architects, teachers, researchers and students), whether they are owners, designers, builders or researchers, and will report on progress in terms of technical innovations and research relating to all Civil Engineering themes: from the thinking on town planning to the construction and maintenance of structures and infrastructures (buildings, bridges, railway stations, energy structures, underground spaces, etc.), including the environmental and societal dimension of the city of the future.

For this congress, AFGC and AUGC have joined their forces to offer to the participants a sharing of major developments such as the construction of the Grand Paris Express (200 km of metro lines around Paris) and the facilities for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The objective is to discuss the driving role that Civil Engineering will have to play in the emergence of new constructive solutions adapted to the cities of the future.

This congress will also be the opportunity to award  the Young Researcher prize “René Houpert”, the best poster prize, the best video prize and the Young Engineer prize “AFGC/AUGC”.  

News from the French Group of IABSE (AWARDS)

Albert Caquot Prize awarded to Akio KASUGA: 

The NG of IABSE represented in France by AFGC (French Association of Civil Engineering) has just awarded its Albert Caquot Prize which rewards an engineer for his entire career, in particular for his scientific and technical work and for his projects and achievements, but also for his moral qualities and his influence in the construction world. This prize is awarded every other year to a French engineer and the other year to a foreign engineer. For the year 2021,  the Albert Caquot Prize was awarded during the General Assembly of AFGC on the 24th of March 2022 to Akio KASUGA of Sumitomo Mitsui Construction and was awarded by Bruno GODART (AFGC President) and Michel Moussard (chairman of the International Affairs Committee of AFGC).

Michel Moussard (left) and Bruno Godart (right) awarding the Albert Caquot Prize and Medal to Akio KASUGA, on March 24, 2022.

Presentation of Akio KASUGA by Michel Moussard:

“Akio Kasuga has devoted his entire career to structural engineering, particularly the design and construction of bridges. After graduating with a doctorate in engineering from Kyushu University, he joined Sumitomo Construction in Tokyo in 1979 as a junior design engineer, and rose through the ranks to his current position as executive vice president and Chief Technology Officer. From the start of his professional life, he has always had a strong interest in innovation through research and development. In 1990, he played a key role in the design and construction in Japan of the first extradosed bridge ever built, the Odawara Blueway Bridge Project, in Kanagawa based on a concept presented by the French engineer Jacques Mathivat in the FIP notes. Since that first important achievement, its activity has always been devoted to optimization and innovative design, both through research and development and through design and construction. Akio Kasuga notably contributed to the development in Japan of another French invention: corrugated steel webs, a concept introduced by Pierre Thivans in the 1980s, still within the very creative design office of Campenon-Bernard. More recently, he has developed the “butterfly web” concept, a type of openwork web in fiber-reinforced prestressed concrete without reinforcement, and a non-metallic bridge concept with cement-free concrete, in order to meet the challenge of sustainability. His whole research activity led him to file more than 80 patents in the field of bridge engineering. He has also taken on a number of responsibilities within our professional community: as a lecturer at the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Nagoya University, Kyusyu University, etc. with the publication of a large number of technical papers, and as a long-time active member of the fib, of which he is now president.”

 

Odawara Blueway Bridge (1994)   (Photo Akio Kasuga)

 

The Seiun Bridge (2004)   (Photo Akio Kasuga)

 

Awarding of AFGC Prizes:

During the General Assembly, the French NG of IABSE and AFGC have also awarded the “AFGC Prize” intended to reward one or more engineers, researchers, academics or competent personalities for the achievement of a remarkable work in the scientific, technical or operational field. This Prize was awarded to: Véronique Bouteiller (Gustave Eiffel University);  Mathieu ARQUIER (STRAINS); Guillaume DANAN (EGIS); Adélaïde FERAILLE-FRESNET (Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées).

Conference on the construction of off-shore wind turbines: This awarding of prizes was preceded by a conference on the construction of off-shore wind turbines in France by two engineers of EDF Renewable Energies: Stéphane BESNARD, Chief of the Department of marine;  structures and geosciences; Dalal HANI TAGHIA, Senior engineer for offshore structures.

New President of AFGC:

Claude Le Quéré, the new president of AFGC

The board of directors of the French Association of Civil Engineering elected on April 5, 2022 its new president  Claude LE QUERE for a four-year term. She succeeds to Bruno Godart who is retired from Gustave Eiffel University and who wanted to “pass on the baton”, after two terms and 8 years as President. Claude Le Quéré, a former student of the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, began her career at SETRA and then joined EGIS in 2010 where she is currently Director of the Structures Department.