Week of 22 April
1. VIP visit on site for Toots Thielemans metro station (Belgium)
Two weeks ago, BESIX Group CEO Pierre Sironval visited the site of the Toots Thielemans metro station (formerly known as Constitution) in the heart of Brussels to witness the impressive progress the team has made. In addition to the 233-metre-long metro station itself, this complex project includes two tunnel elements and the renovation of the Lemonnier tram station.
Currently, the team is working on the deepest levels in several zones of the project, with excavation, bracing, steel reinforcement and concrete works alternating in both the Jamar Tunnel and metro station. To preserve the historical Palais du Midi, a complex and dense underpinning system is being implemented during excavation works under this architectural heritage. Lastly, the above-ground access is now connected with the future station, bringing the team one step further in this impressive project. Keep up the good work!
2. Start bored piles for Portonave’s port infrastructure upgrade (Brazil)
Our team in Brazil celebrated a great milestone last week! With the execution of the first bored piles, they have now entered a next stage in the project. Did you know that our Group’s deep foundations specialist, Franki Foundations, is also playing an instrumental role in this stage, by providing the teams in Brazil the necessary expertise and equipment?
In the port of Navegantes, BESIX and ECB are upgrading Portonave’s maritime infrastructure to enable larger vessels to dock in the port. This includes the construction of a new quay wall at the same location of the existing one and with minimal disturbance to the port’s activities.
Congratulations to our BESIX and Franki Foundations colleagues!
3. How to build a house in 9 working days? Ask CIRCL! (Belgium)
Together with Yally, a developer specialised in circular and turnkey home, CIRCL transformed two bicycle parking in Edegem into an affordable 140 m² turnkey house in a circular way... and this, in only 9 working days! CIRCL is an entity of Vanhout that provides affordable, circular and door-to-door house design and build. To minimise disturbance, the works were carried out during the Easter break in Belgium.
Circularity and sustainability are close to the heart of CIRCL. Up to 70 % of all materials used in the realisation of a CIRCL house are bio-based and 40 % of the materials are recycled. In addition, they’re implementing the most energy-efficient technologies, such as solar panels and a heat pump, and thorough insulation, energy costs and consumption are also minimized.
4. Sustainability at Socogetra & LuxTP
Last week, 70 colleagues of Socogetra participated in an inspiring meeting on Climate Energy Challenges, hosted by Smart2Circle. The event was offered them an excellent platform to share stimulating ideas and find innovative solutions for a more sustainable construction sector.
Further to the souhth, direction Luxembourg: LuxTP had the pleasure to test a Mecalac E12 excavator, the first electric one. The E12 not only offers reduced vibrations and noise, but also boasts lower maintenance expenses and can be fully recharged in just 8 hours, allowing it to operate all day long without needing a battery recharge!
Good job, Socogetra and LuxTP!
And then this… Art competition among children of BESIX Middle East’s employees
Last Sunday, it was World Creativity and Innovation Day, the ideal moment to showcase the creativity present in Group. Or shall we say present among the children of our Group’s employees! BESIX Middle East recently held an art competition, for which the employees’ children were invited to depict the BESIX Middle East projects. Just take a look at a couple of the drawings in the gallery below, they’re so cool!
Can you recognise all the projects?
