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NEWS
New developments in the Construction industry
YIT starts third phase of the Smolny prospekt premium apartment complex in St Petersburg
YIT has started the third and the final phase of the Smolny prospekt apartment complex in the historic centre of St Petersburg. Comprising a total floor area of nearly 19,000 square metres, the third phase consists of approximately 150 apartments ranging in size from studio apartments to five-room homes. The third phase is estimated to be completed by the end of 2017 and its value is nearly €150 million.
The first phase of the project, started in late 2012, involves the renovation of three historical buildings that will house approximately 30 apartments. The original facades of the buildings, which date back to the 1800s and early 1900s, will be maintained. The second phase, consisting of the construction of approximately 250 apartments, was started in autumn 2013. Visit: www.yitgroup.com
Sacyr and OHL submit the best proposal for the construction of motorway in Santiago de Chile
Sacyr Concesiones and OHL Concesiones have submitted the best proposal for the construction and operation of the Américo Vespucio Oriente (AVO) urban motorway in Santiago de Chile, with a budget of €710 million (US$970 million).
Highlights of the works include a tunnel under Cerro San Cristóbal and the Mapocho River, the improvement of existing surface roads in La Pir·mide; and two underwater carriageways from the south of Puente Centenario up to Príncipe de Gales.
This motorway will help to reduce travelling times for commuters through the eastern section of the Chilean capital and will improve the service level through a structured thoroughfare, which currently bears high congestion levels. Visit: www.sacyr.com Visit: www.ohl.es
The construction group STRABAG SE is building a designer outlet centre near Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Canada, for Vancouver Airport Authority and McArthurGlen, Europe’s leading owner, developer and manager of designer outlets. McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport foresees the construction of more than 65,000m2 (35,000m2 gross leaseable area) in a prime location on YVR land for more than CAD 100 million (€70 million).
“Thanks to several large infrastructure projects, for example in tunnelling, we are already very familiar with the local, Canadian market. Furthermore, it is a tradition for us to follow our clients to various different countries all over the world,” says Thomas Birtel, CEO of STRABAG SE.
McArthurGlen designer outlet Neumünster near Hamburg, in Germany, which has been successfully finalised and handed over to the client last year, serves as a reference project. Visit: www.strabag.com
Bouygues to construct self-sufficient housing complex in Grenoble
Michel Destot, MP and Mayor of Grenoble, and Yves Gabriel, chairman and chief executive officer of Bouygues Construction, have signed a research, development and innovation partnership agreement for the construction of an experimental demonstrator in the form of a block of approximately 90 apartments that will aim to achieve self-sufficiency in water and energy and to optimise waste management. The first demonstrator of the ABC (Autonomous Building for Citizens) concept, developed by Bouygues Construction, will be built as part of the PresquíIle development zone in the heart of the Grenoble EcoCité.
The ABC concept seeks to achieve self-sufficiency in energy and water and to optimise waste management. By combining renewable energy production, energy storage and improved control of consumption, ABC introduces a new way of thinking about and experiencing housing that is very well integrated into its natural environment, from which it draws the resources it needs to operate. Visit: www.bouygues-construction.com
INDUSTRYNEWS
NCC eco-certifies first ‘Excellent’ building in Finland
NCC’s building Aitio Vivaldi is the first Finnish building that has been awarded a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certificate. The Helsinki based office building is the third in Scandinavia to be granted a BREEAM certificate on this level. BREEAM is a globally leading certification scheme that is regarded as one of the most demanding environmental assessment systems for buildings.
A great number of environmental issues have been regarded in the planning and construction phase of NCC’s Aitio Vivaldi project. For instance, the energy efficiency and operational cost is reduced with careful design and solar panels. The local environment and green profile of the building is strengthened by bird and bat nests that have been placed on the green roof of the building. Visit: www.ncc.se
Astaldi to build motorway in Romania
The Astaldi Group has won the contract, worth about €56 million, to design and build Lot 1 of the Nadlac-Arad Motorway in Romania.
The works involve the completion of slightly more than 22 kilometres of Motorway route, linking the city of Arad to the town of Nadlac, one of the most important crossings to Hungary. The works are to be completed in 12 months from January 2014.
The Astaldi Group has been active for more than 20 years in Romania, where it works mainly in the sector of airport and motorway transport infrastructure. On 19 December, Astaldi completed and delivered Lot 4 of the Orastie-Sibiu Motorway (16 kilometres)) and is currently building Line 4 and Line 5 of the Bucharest underground (totalling 77 kilometres of line and 11 stations). Visit: www.astaldi.com
VINCI to supply and install the stay cables for the third Bosphorus bridge in Turkey
Freyssinet, a subsidiary of VINCI Construction, has signed a contract with Hyundai Engineering & Construction – SK Engineering & Construction joint venture – to supply and install the stay cables and dampers for the third Bosphorus bridge in Istanbul, Turkey.
The structure will be part of the North Marmara Motorway, which will bypass the city and cross the Bosphorus to the north of Istanbul, thus relieving road traffic in the city and on the two existing bridges. The crossing’s innovative design will include a 1408 metre central span with a 58 metre wide deck carrying 2 x 4 traffic lanes and two railway lines in the middle.
With this new project, Freyssinet will set a new record for the world’s longest cablestayed bridge, following on from the Normandy bridge in 1994 (856 metres) and the Russky Island bridge in 2012 (1104 metres, the current world record). Visit: www.vinci.com
HOCHTIEF to rebuild Halstenbek secondary school
HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions and the Municipality of Halstenbek have signed contracts for the reconstruction of the Wolfgang-Borchert-Gymnasium (secondary school). The company will plan and construct the new school building and operate it until 2033. The contract for this publicprivate partnership (PPP) project is worth some €31 million: 21 million for construction and 10 million for operation.
The new secondary school for around 1000 pupils is one of Halstenbek’s projects for the future. The contractor, HOCHTIEF PPP Europa, will begin preparatory measures in mid-February and actual construction will start in April. HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions and HOCHTIEF Hamburg will be handling all planning and construction, while part of the operating services will be outsourced to SPIE.
It is expected that completion of the new building and commencement of classes will be as early as September 2015, and the entire project is due to be finalised in summer 2016. Visit: www.hoctief.com
