This product is worthy as it has the fire resistance, sound resistance and thermal resistance. This has the thermal resistance of 2.35 m².K/W.

It just can be stick with the concrete using a adhesive plaster as in the picture below.

Using this kind of product instead of using plasterboard and glasswool lot of time can be saved and also the cost.

Below are some photos of this test.

During explanation of the procedures of test and objective:

From the test done, it is obtained 1.9m3 which is almost double then the target. So the thermal bridge has to be identified in order to treat for efficiency of the building envelope.

A high volume of air transfer was found across the concrete bloc, concrete blocs are very weak insulator.

Also the reservations for wire are also reasons for the air circulation, so the reservations must be enclosed properly to avoid the air transfer.

As the windows covered maximum of surface areas and a remarkable air transfer is observed from wondows. A treatement has to be done for these windows and test must be done in order to obtain the objective desired (minimum : 1m3 )

Phase I
In the first phase the prefabricated aluminium blocs are implanted in the fixing lugs prepared for this. The fixing lugs must be on the appropriate height and the escapement between them must be correct as the blocs are prefabricated. The position of those blocs are found by the geometrical lines drawn in the project and the need of the blocs. However a adjusting screw is integrated on the lugs for the simplicity of the adjustment.

The blocs are either implanted by the work platform, nacelle or by using crane.

These blocs are fixed with angles at corners to made airtight and watertight. The small openings are then closed by silicon. windows are then put in place and finishing touch of facades is done.

If the blocs are implanted with accuracy the second phase starts:

Phase II

For the second phase the platform is adjusted to leave enough space to implant CCV shells. These blocs are also prefabricated and implanted in the same way as aluminium blocs. First the fixing lugs are implanted with accuracy and the implantation starts.

The pillars must be isolated to avoid the thermal bridge.

Once the blocs are implanted, the adjust must be done to have the predefined spacing between them. Below are some photos before adjusting.

Once the blocs are properly fixed the curtain is fixed on the openings left for this purpose. Then the finishing touch is given to have the good finishing of the facade.

Add of florescence for the test:

This water remains for some day and then the control of impermeable is done. In the control the company who treated the surface is present along with the construction company and the member of sub-contractors for garden etc.

If the infiltration is observed then the sub-contractor company who treated the impermeability finds the area of infiltration and it treats the surface.

Then retest is done in the same way with the another florescence color to verify the infiltration. If the surface is impermeable the verbal process of receiving support is delivered to the executing company by the sub-contractor who treats the surface.

click here for the sample of process verbal of support reception

I’l talk later ways to overcome this uncontinuous surface. In order to make the garden firt we applied the DELTERAXX just above the concrete surface already treated for impermeability, this material permits infiltration of water from on side (top) and is impermeable the other side (bottom). The water can go down and flow to the exit point.

Then extruded polystyrene (polystyrène extrudé ) is put on to gain the height of the soil which is quite expensive for quality soil as in the photos:

It is then covered by thin layer partly permeable to leave only the water to infiltrate and to resist the solid materials this is geotextile materials.

Knowing the exact position of plant the two bed of iron bars are kept just below the plant in order to fix the plant with the ground.

When all these prepartion are made, the soil is put from above to an predefined height.

In order to hold the trees properly welded two layers of iron bars (square) of dimension 2mX2m are posed where there are plants. Then the plants are planted.

In this project the impermeability is done by bituminous waterproofing which is the mixture of Asphalt and vapor barrier. This starts with a thin layer of enamel (varnish : eng; vernis :fr) of around 2mm thick. This helps to make the good contact between the concrete floor and the the vapor barrier, some millimeter thick bituminous product: elastophrène.

 Fig: enamel (vernis) , 1st layer

Fig: bituminous product, 2nd layer

When this is done an for the raised concrete structures like for solar pannels etc isolation is done by the rockwool and a layer of elastophrene as shown in the figure.

Till this stage on the floor two layers are already put on. This is followed by the isolation. The structure must be isolated otherwise condensation can take place inside the structure and it can damage the materials. Condensation takes place if there is high difference of temperature in short distance and lack of waterproofing materials. So to avoid calculation is done by taking account of thermal resistance of each materials. In this case of impermeability, a product called EFIGREEN A is used which has the resistance (R) of  4.40m²K/W. As it is width (e) of 0.120m, thermal conductance of this material is, lembda = e/r = 0.027 W/mK.

This value obtained is of the good materials that are currently used in market for low energy consuming buildings.

Fig: isolation (EFIGREEN A) , 3rd layer

Once the isolation is on place this is again covered by thin bituminous product called elastophrène.

Fig: Elastophrene , 4th layer

The 25mm of hot asphalt is then poured from above. The impermeability obtained is of the mixed properties of Asphalt and elastophrene.

Once the asphalt is poured a good finishing is required in the upraised concrete structures and on the edge of the structure as to avoid water penetration. This is done by the same bituminous product as show in the figure.

This will minimize the risk of water penetration in the isolation and in the building. The water penetration cause a big damage as it rest there till winter and it can turn into glace where the volume goes high and many fissures may create on the surface which is sufficient to damage the whole impermeability.

But in some areas impermeability is done without isolation. That means a layer of elastophrene is put just above the layer of enamel and asphalt is poured on. This can be done where there is no risk of condensation. That means if the zone just below is non heated zone like parking, there is no risk of condensation and isolation is not mandatory. In this project this is done in the area of future garden(in fig.) because the level below is parking (non-heated area)

This phenomena is shown in the figure below:

The VMC pipes are used to absorb the earth temperature. Earth has the temperature of a range 12-14°c only at some depth. So as to absorb this temperature  pipes must be at least 1.2m.

However this principal can be used for big house using the parallel pipes to absorb maximum earth temperature as shown in the figure below:

How it works:

In summer it absorbs the earth temperature of around 12°c in order to diffuse fresh air to house. In winter the exterior temperature is either negative or far less than 12° and this system is highly efficient as it brings the air negative temperature to 12°c.  As the average temperature for comfort in France is 19°C we don’t need to install big heaters to heat the air of 12°c to 19°c. The free earth energy is absorbed and the consumption of expensive electricity is thus reduced. This system is very useful for the people who have allergy to dust.

In order to absorb maximum earth temperature the pipes must be at least below 1.2m as I said before and the length of the pipes usually used is 40m anyway the longer is better. The air velocity must be very low (2.5m/sec) and the diameter of tube  between 15cm and  60cm. The slope of pipes must be less than 2% to assure the best air flow and the radius of curvature less than 50cm.

The best position of end of the tube can be your garden to absorb a fresh air by the tube as shown in figure:

After the success of a day of  security last year, vinci-construction decided to celebrate for a week (21/10/2013 – 28/10/2013) this year. Vinci construction aims of descending its frequency rate from 12 to 5 till the next year. In this week before starting the work everybody is asked to present in the gathering and interaction is made on different topics between workers and the managers. And different proposition are made to improve the efficiency of materials used, ways to minimize risk etc.  The main objective of this gathering is to minimize the accident of any type.

To work in security one has to be equipped with individual protection equipments. Individual protection equipments means a security shoes with a metallic toe to protect feet, a safety helmet, glasses, a security jacket, ear protection set and gloves.

In each project of Vinci construction a zone is separated for the circulation inside the project area which is called a “red carpet”. Either the whole circulation is colored in red or the two red parallel lines so as to emphasize the circulation zone. The red color was chosen as it matches with the logo and it is clearly visible. A red carpet is the zone where stocking is strictly prohibited; the public are not allowed to enter the site.

The working place must be surround by security railing otherwise they are not allowed to work.

Realizing the importance of security in the construction projects. Vinci-Construction set it’s slogan “if you don’t choose to work in security you don’t work with us“. Which is very purposeful and which has unique objective that everybody is expected to return his home as he came in morning.

The main aim of the code is to avoid propagation to avoid destructive fire , to facilitate evacuation and to facilitate easy exit to save live. To do so, the building is divided in compartments and each compartment has to have the safety exit. And because when on fire, the electricity is not available autonomy fire exit signals will help to evacuate the zone.

Eurocode also defines the types of construction materials like materials for ceiling (M3 , combustible medium inflammable; fire reaction 21 MJ/m²), wall materials(M2, combustible less inflammable, fire reaction 2 MJ/m²) and similarly for floor materials (M3, incombustible) . To avoid spread of fire in whole structure a fire protection product is applied in the outer surface of concrete as in picture.

As I talked above a fire resisting door is mandatory in the corridor which contains metal plate so as to block the fire propagation as in picture.

In the project I am working for it has more than that. It has a fire sprinkler system. It is a system of an active fire protection consisting of a water supply system which pumps water in case of fire alarm. The water will be stored on the roof and used when necessary. It works on the same way as in irrigation system.