The cross-border section of the Lyon-Turino railway line is a new railway line of about 67 km linking Saint Jean de Maurienne in France to Suze in Italy and Bussoleno where it connects to the historic Turino-Modane line. In particular, the line requires the excavation of a 57.5 km single-track twin-tube tunnel known as the “Montcenis base tunnel”.

On the French side, the civil engineering of the base tunnel is divided into 3 operational worksites.

The construction management of the 08-operating site, led by a consortium formed by Egis tunnels (leader)/ Ingérop/Alpina/Géodata, includes the construction of the following works:

• The construction of a site platform at Villard Clément at the head of the future French side
• Preparatory construction for access to the future tunnel head (high-level temporary lining, mass earthworks, special ground reinforcement work),
• Excavation and lining of the two tubes of the base tunnel and the linking galleries over about 3 km,
• The construction of a cut-and-cover tunnel about 140 m long at the connection between the entrance to the base tunnel and the cut-and-cover tunnel under the A43 motorway already constructed as part of another construction package,
• The construction of the networks and water drainage system at the tunnel exit, the backfilling and definitive site installations

Characteristics

• Multiple interfaces work with the existing (buildings, infrastructures, networks) and other construction sites of the project (construction civil engineering sites, processing of excavated materials)
• Carrying out additional geotechnical and topographical studies, ICPE (Classified facilities for Environmental protection) files

Assistance to the project owner for the LSE (Water Law) and CNPN (National Council for the Protection of Nature) files.

The Chilterns Tunnel is a 15.8km bored tunnel. There will be four vent shafts and one intervention shaft located along the proposed line of route – Chalfont St Peter, Chalfont St Giles, Amersham, Little Missenden and Chesham Road. Its southern portal is located near Maple Cross. Its site will also house a compound during construction with all material from the bored tunnel coming here to be treated prior to being used elsewhere along the line of route. The northern portal is adjacent to South Heath.

Rendel/Ingerop are responsible for developing and delivering the Scheme Design of the Civil Works in Stage 1 followed by the Detailed Design in Stage 2, for the Design-and-Build contractor, ALIGN. Align is comprised of the three Civil Contractors in Joint Venture (Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, Volkerstevin).

The services provided include design of the Colne Valley viaduct and other structural elements (e.g. abutments); design of associated approach embankments; geotechnical modelling, ground risk assessments and earthworks; soil-structure interaction analysis for piled foundations and earth-retaining structures; geological interpretation of GI data; development of ground models; highway designs for road diversions, realignments, new junctions, new access roads to compounds and transformer sites, highway scope definition, pavements, emergency hard standings, road drainage and vehicle swept path analysis;  track alignments; production of 2D drawings and 3D BIM models of the designs to meet the ultimate client’s BIM and data management requirements; Environmental assessments; hydraulic modelling for river realignments / diversions; acoustic modelling for the design of Noise Barriers.

Rendel, Ingerop’s UK subsidiary, provided Management Support Consultancy services, which included value engineering design to accelerate construction, on the US $2.9 billion Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project (PMBP).

Funded by the Government of Bangladesh, PMBP is a two-level, steel truss bridge with a four-lane highway on the upper level and provisions for a single-track railway on the lower level. The upper and lower levels act compositely with a reinforced concrete deck slab. The bridge has a total length of 6.15 kilometres and a width of 22 metres at upper deck level. As well as rail and road, the bridge carries utilities including a high pressure gas pipe and telecommunication lines. The project is considered one of the most challenging construction projects in the country’s history, as in response to very challenging foundation conditions, it features driven piles over 125m long.

It is the largest bridge in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river basin, located approximately 40 kilometres southwest of Dhaka. It connects the south-western region to the rest of Bangladesh to encourage and facilitate economic growth through the transport of people, goods, natural gas and telecommunications.

In addition to the construction of the bridge itself, there is an elaborate system of associated road constructions including two toll plazas and bridge end facilities, a 13.6 kilometre, four-lane, dual carriageway approach road, culverts, small bridges, underpasses, service roads and service areas for residential accommodation. Complex riverbank protection/training works of 14 kilometres in length were also constructed. The social and environment impacts were carefully managed via the implementation of a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP).

Rendel provided Management Support Consultancy (MSC) which included project management of the entire scheme including contractual and commercial advice; engineering and technical support and advice; budgetary and financial management; quality control and assurance; advising on dispute settlement; and the implementation of the social safeguard plans (environment, resettlement, etc.).

Rendel also managed several specific supplementary engineering studies. These included re-detailing of the main bridge precast roadway deck slabs to improve the buildability and enhance longevity; and the design and implementation of a dehumidification system through the interior of the 6.15 kilometres truss main bridge in association with Ingerop, who modelled the completed assembled truss module using 3-D CFD.

Rendel also completed the original Padma River Crossing Pre-feasibility Study in 2000.

Rendel was responsible for the independent design checking, site supervision and contract administration following the FIDIC rules (Contract No. 2). We carried out an independent design check of all works including the main bridge and the approach viaduct to UK HA Standards (Category III) and Eurocodes as well as the checking of highway and M&E design.  Rendel supervised the construction using an experienced, site-based team supported by visiting expert advisors. This included ensuring that the design complied with the employer’s requirements and specified design criteria and that the works were constructed in accordance with the contract, which incorporated the FIDIC Conditions of contract for Plant and Design-Build (First Edition 1999).  Rendel was also responsible for supervision of the adjoining Bulgarian infrastructure works.

Applicable codes, standards and specifications:

FIDIC, EN, BS, HA DMRB (UK Highways Agency- Design Manual for Roads and Bridges), HA MCHW (UK Highways Agency -Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works), UIC (International Union of Railways Standards)

The pioneering 30-year concession for Lekki-Epe Expressway Toll Road was Nigeria’s first ever Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. The project comprised the rehabilitation and upgrade of 49 kilometres of existing two-lane dual carriageway to a three-lane highway, the introduction of three toll plazas (with a maximum 22 lanes/plaza) and the construction of a new 20 kilometres-long highway along the south coast of the Epe peninsula.

Rendel, Ingerop’s UK subsidiary, provided a wide range of management, commercial and technical consultancy services for the engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance of the Lekki-Epe Expressway Toll Road Concession.

Rendel’s involvement included technical due diligence and audit, restructuring of the initial contract documents, strategic procurement advice and acting as concession manager and employer’s representative for the EPCM Toll Road Contract as well as engineer for the Toll Equipment Contract.

The project consists in constructing a toll way that doubles up the existing congested A9 freeway over 19km near Montpellier. The main characteristics are:

• 3 lane divided carriageway running parallel to the existing A9 freeway over 10 km at the eastern and western ends of the project and running parallel to the proposed high-speed railway line over 8km,
• 1 system interchange at each end of the project with widening of the existing freeway (over 4km at each end),
• upgrade of Vendargues interchange,
• grade separation of local roads,
• rest areas,
• modification of the existing tell facilities.

The contract comprises designing and constructing the proposed toll way.

Additional services include: assistance to ASF with public consultation, project management, etc.

The purpose of the technical audit of the road construction supervision projects (under FIDIC MDB Conditions of Contract), financed by the European Investment Bank, was to allow an independent team to form a professional opinion on the compliance of road works with the technical specifications and standards described in the relevant contract documents, for the entire Moldova Roads Sector Programme (including both, projects funded by International Financial Institutions and donors, and through the government’s own budget). Over 30 construction contracts, including over 700 kilometres of the road construction and rehabilitation projects, were audited during four audit missions carried out from 2014 to 2017.

The overall scope included:

• Audit of works supervision (quality of works supervision, conformance with the terms of the contract, etc.)
• Audit of works execution (pavement core sampling and independent laboratory testing, visual inspections, compliance with specifications, etc.)

Rendel provided the following project input:

• Audit of the execution the roads, drainage, structures and earthworks, visual inspections, analysis of the compliance with the specifications for roads, drainage, bridges and earthworks
• Coordination of the pavement core surveys and testing
• Preparation of the list of the defects including the maintenance related defects, advice and recommendations for the remediation actions
• Comments on the detailed design approach and the works methodology
• Preparation of the relevant sections of the annual audit reports

Full rehabilitation of 33.8km of single carriageway National Road, under traffic, including the placing and compaction of 125,650 m³ of stabilised subbase, 65,000 m³ of G1 basecourse and 405,000 m² of double seal. Rehabilitation and improvements to 3 bridges and 11 drainage structures. Construction of 50,000 m² of community access roads using local contractors and community-sourced labour.

Analysis of materials and test results, pavement design for a 20-year life, preparation of drawings, taking off of quantities, tender adjudication, resident engineer duties, quality engineer duties. All of this done in joint venture with two emerging firms. Construction phase carried out under an Environmental Management Plan.