focus on research, development and innovation at eurovia · diverse social, environmental, and...

Focus on Research, development and innovation

at Eurovia

Paving the way for new ideas. www.eurovia.com

In response to a rich variety of projects, including single-lane roads, city-centre tramway lines, and major motorways, we carry out each mandate differently in accordance with diverse social, environmental, and geophysical constraints. Every project is distinct and requires a specific approach, which is why our research, development and innovation (RDI) strategy is geared toward targeted solutions. As a result, innovation is always linked to real-world application. Above all, innovation consists in delivering a practical solution by our teams in the field to our clients.


Contact - Sabrina Thibault [email protected]

T/ +33(0) 1 47 16 48 36

18, place de l’Europe 92565 Rueil-Malmaison cedex France

In the past, Eurovia focused on mechanical issues such as the resistance and durability of materials; in more recent times, the Company has also turned its attention to other areas of research, including environmental protection, occupational health and safety, sustainable infrastructure, and improved productivity at worksites, quarries, and industrial sites.

"Over time, we went from the mechanics and chemistry of road materials to environmental awareness, data management, instrumentation, and the study of the life cycles of roads," states Ivan Drouadaine, Director of Eurovia’s research centre at Mérignac. "And as we developed this multidisciplinary approach, we expanded onto the world stage and into new business lines such as road signs and markings and rail works. All our product launches comply with a set protocol: laboratory testing, experimental trials, test checks and rechecks, participation by the technical network, final validation and market launch."

Solutions range in terms of complexity. Some are achieved rapidly by leveraging technical expertise; others are the result of advanced scientific research that brings together specialists from many different science disciplines.


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Paving the way for new ideas.

www.eurovia.com

RDIThe budget for experimental trials ranges from €5 million to €10 million.

Over 70% of the budget is devoted to technology and solutions designed to improve the performance of infrastructure from an environmental standpoint.

Innovation in the field: Eurovia’s technical networkTo ensure the application of innovations in the field, Eurovia relies on its technical network of 650 engineers who are present wherever the Company operates. In large part, we owe our solutions to the close proximity between our specialists and local operating realities.

Our technical network carries out a range of functions, it: recommends appropriate solutions as early as the bidding process; performs studies when projects are awarded to Eurovia; oversees and monitors technical quality assurance at worksites; provides the required technical assistance on projects; and delivers technical training to all employees in all geographical delegations and divisions.

Its role is also to promote innovation transfer by sharing information and accounts collected in the field with all locations where Eurovia operates.

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Our research centre: pre- and post-project innovation TO ENSURE THAT THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS IMPLEMENTED AT OUR WORKSITES ARE APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE, OUR SCIENCE RESEARCHERS CARRY OUT EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATIONS. The research centre is involved on projects prior to and following their implementation.

Prior to project implementation, the research centre undertakes studies and development activities in a growing number of areas of enquiry: the mechanical properties of roadways, the environment, bitumen chemistry, health, and the compilation and analysis of data collected by sensors and chips. More recently, thanks to Eurovia’s acquisition of railway expertise (through its subsidiary, ETF), the research centre has extended its scope of enquiry to rail-specific issues.

The Mérignac centre does not specialize in fundamental research.It focuses on Company projects and carries out wide-ranging tests that include identifying aggregates, investigating fine bitumen chemistry, and conducting mechanical tests and image analysis. The centre features an outstanding equipment fleet that comprises more than 100 testing devices – fully half of which were created by the research centre.

The researchers assess results, prepare and supervise experimental trials in the field, and take part in disseminating new products and processes. Lately, the research centre has been building expertise in the analysis of data captured by road-embedded sensors. It is also fine-tuning its analysis skills by developing its own software applications designed to interpret testing and experimental trial data and make practical use of them.

Post project implementation, the research centre acts as a Company-wide high-level expert centre able to address particularly complex situations and facilitate technology transfer. By technology transfer, we mean our research teams’ ability to adapt tests or instruments to the needs of the road industry.

Worksite and production sites (quarries, plants) remain central to the research process. Certain road segments are used as trial sites: new products developed through research at Eurovia are tested there, as are evolving products that are already in use.

Our research centre personnel take part in the Company’s technical training opportunities, allowing them to stay current with developments in the field.

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The research centreLocation: Mérignac – 4,000 square metres including 1,900 square metres of laboratory space. 35 researchers, including 12 research engineers and 23 research technicians.

150 patent applications.

6,000 test per year.

ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and Laboroute certification.

ISO 17025 accreditation for 20 tests.

1,200 visitors per year, including all the young engineers employed by Eurovia.

Outstanding equipment: three dynamic presses including a triaxial press, a scanning electron microscope, a videogranulometer, and a Kundt tube specially designed to gauge the sound properties and noise-attenuation performance of asphalt mixes.


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A major contributor to road innovationEurovia’s research is focused on materials. Its objective is to respond to market expectations with maximum effectiveness, which means making the improvements to materials that the market demands.

"In 2003, when we created our research centre, the market expected materials that were more environmentally friendly," states Ivan Drouadaine, "As a result, innovation focused on materials that were less polluting, more visually appealing, and less energy-intensive."

Budget constraints then shifted expectations toward materials with the best price-effectiveness ratio. More recently, public health issues have come to the fore; in response, the research centre has conducted a complete review of materials in use at Eurovia in an effort to identify all health-related hazards.

Innovation therefore requires constant assessment and reengineering of existing products to design variants that meet client needs. In addition, thanks to rigorous analysis, innovation also leads to breakthrough solutions.

That is why new expert profiles have made their appearance at the site, including researchers who specialize in rheology, the mechanics of materials, environmental chemistry, and, more recently, data management.

Research centre experiments – conducted as part of a methodical testing process in conjunction with and for Company operations – produce results for which industry application is a natural outcome. To date, more than 150 patents have been filed. Generally, internal dissemination of innovations is carefully monitored in efforts to optimize the competitive advantage they provide. Eurovia also shares its solutions and technology developments with all VINCI Group entities.


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Some key productsSmartvia® Smartvia® was developed at the research centre and won the “new digital technology” trophy at the awards ceremony held by Fédération nationale des travaux publics (the French national federation for public works). The concept calls for the use of data-capture devices, such as sensors, on roadways and railways. Data collected in this manner provide real-time information about the state of roads and railways and changes over time. In turn, this information can be used to enhance visibility, define scope of work more accurately, reduce material and energy requirements, and manage traffic conditions in real time using expert software that takes into account all constraints and parameters. This process results in multiple benefits, including cost reductions and environmentally friendly solutions. Our “smart road” concept was first tested in the field in 2011 in conjunction with the general council in the region of Yvelines in France..

Mixes: Sequoia®, which uses plant-based binders. Tempera®, a second-generation warm mix.. Recyvia®, an on-site or in-plant roadway-recycling process. Kerovia®, an anti-kerosene binder. The new standard that separates soaking from rinsing (in other words, which sets mechanical and chemical dissolution processes apart) reveals that close attention must be paid to the granular phase to ensure optimal adhesion between asphalts and aggregates..


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PartnershipsEurovia’s innovation policy is resolutely multidisciplinary, open, and partnership-based. Partnerships are a key defining component of Eurovia’s RDI approach since they foster openness and direct contact with the outside world.

Accordingly, Eurovia contributes to research programs in France and Europe, including OPTEL on evolving emulsion technology, CIRCOM on compaction automation, SCORE on the cold recycling of asphalt aggregates, SAMARIS on recycling in Europe, and NRCC on new roadway concepts. More specifically, Eurovia pursues partnerships with entities that provide skill sets it does not possess.

Partnerships include inter-company ventures: in 2011, a partnership between Eurovia and Soprema, a company specializing in sealants, insulation, and revegetation, led to the development and market launch of Novaplast®, a waterproofing process for engineering structures consisting of thin waterproofing membranes. This process was first implemented on the viaduct spanning the Adour river (on motorway A63) in France. In Japan, Eurovia has partnered with Mitsubishi to create NOxer®, a process that uses photocatalysis to eliminate nitrogen oxides produced by vehicle exhaust, a leading cause of air pollution. Other projects have been carried out in partnership with Total, Calcia, EDF, Lafarge, Michelin, Rhodia, and other companies.

In addition, while the research centre does not strive to be a joint business-academic venture, it has established partnerships with many universities and research institutions. Examples include collaborations with the Arts & Métiers engineering school campus in Bordeaux, France in the field of thermal research and the Saint Petersburg State University in Russia on air-treatment solutions.

These partnerships bring together skill sets that may at first glance appear to be unrelated. For instance, a partnership was established with a research institution in Wyoming in the U.S. that specializes in hydrocarbons; subsequently, analysis tools developed by this institution were put to use in our bitumen-related research efforts.

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Protecting natural surroundings Concern for the environment has become a priority for clients and road users. Taking this concern into consideration as part of product development at Eurovia requires significant research efforts and a spirit of dedication that has characterized the Company since its inception and to which the research centre has brought its own vitality.

CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN DEVOTED TO RECYCLING.To preserve natural resources, Eurovia has been developing its waste and material recycling capacity since 1970. The Company uses recycled matter as a substitute for natural aggregates and has become one of the leaders in today’s market by developing new recycling solutions such as Recycan® and Recyclovia®.

Eurovia is developing its expertise in the re-use of industrial by-products in an effort to endow them with good environmental properties for on-road use. After devising the Scormat® range of products – road materials made from recovered household waste bottom ash – Eurovia is now developing new uses for waste quarry materials.

Eurovia has also carried out research designed to minimize pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

For instance, in partnership with the Japanese company, Mitsubishi Materials, we developed an innovative air depollution process: NOxer®.

SINCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS A MAJOR ISSUE FOR THE PLANET AS A WHOLE, WE HAVE DESIGNED PRODUCTS THAT ARE LESS ENERGY-INTENSIVE.To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Eurovia has created the Tempera® warm-mix process and the new Viasphalt BT® low-temperature mix.

Cold mixes also reduce emissions. The Ecolvia® cold asphaltic concrete solution, based on a bitumen emulsion developed by Eurovia, can be used to create pavement surface courses using very little energy and producing very little gas and fume emissions. In addition, Eurovia is the leading producer of foamed bitumen in France. Grave mousse, a base course material that makes use of unheated aggregates, can be stored for several weeks.

Eurovia has developed a road binder consisting of plant-based raw materials that displays the same technical properties as bitumen binders. Our efforts in this area have helped to enhance our knowledge of bio-sourced binders and allow us to provide clients with visually appealing surface coatings.

In 2010, faced with the major issue of preserving biodiversity and in efforts to meet international commitments in this regard, the government of France launched its review of its national biodiversity strategy. It implemented a voluntary compliance program, which Eurovia joined in May 2011 along with 150 other associations, communities, and businesses, thereby displaying its commitment to fostering biodiversity through tangible projects. As part of its efforts in this regard, the Company is working jointly with Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (France’s national museum of natural history), which brings together internationally renowned experts in this field.

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RECYCLING

Aggregates: Eurovia produces approximately 25% of recycled aggregates and 40% of artificial aggregates on the market in France. In Germany, 80% of aggregates extracted from existing roads were re-used in 2013 as compared with about 40% in 1987, thereby generating savings of nearly 7,000 tonnes of asphalt.

Recycan®: a trench backfill that does not require input of raw materials, which translates into a 70% reduction in heavy-vehicle transport needs at worksites..

Recyclovia®: pan in-place recycling process that refurbishes surface courses and reinforces pavement structure to a depth of about 15 centimetres. Nearly 1.3 million square metres of roadway have been refurbished since 2010. A single machine is used to reprocess and lay the product..

POLLUTION

NOxer® : this process neutralizes nitrogen oxides (NOx) from automobile exhaust that cause rises in pollution levels as well as acid rain and summer smog. When they come into contact with NOxer®, nitrogen oxides are for the most part eliminated. This innovative process eliminates 10 to 40% of nitrogen oxides that cause respiratory problems when they exceed critical thresholds.

Tempera®: a warm-mix product range that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40% and generates energy gains of 30 to 40%. It does so by reducing asphalt-production temperature by up to 50°C. Thanks to this process, Eurovia is the leader in warm-mix production with 1.5 million tonnes implemented by the end of 2013 in many countries in Europe and in the United States and Canada.

EUROVIA IS FULLY COMMITTED TO USING INNOVATION TO ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE IN URBAN SETTINGS.

Noise pollution is a major concern in cities. Consequently, Eurovia continues to develop noise-attenuation barriers and low-noise asphalt mixes such as Viaphone®. Noise-attenuation barriers are also an ideal testing ground for depolluting coatings derived from NOxer®..


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Enhancing road safetyAt Eurovia, road safety is a priority concern..

AS A ROAD PAVEMENT SOLUTIONS SPECIALIST, EUROVIA HAS DEVELOPED MATERIALS THAT ENHANCE SKID-RESISTANCE. We have developed a high skid-resistance surface dressing for hazardous areas that reduces the incidence of accidents on wet roads by two-thirds: Viagrip®. Research on this product is continuing in hopes of improving its formulation and diversifying its applications. A cold-mix formula designed for small surfaces – which does away with the need to move the machine – is currently undergoing testing.

Also, we have created a range of pavement coatings that are extremely skid-resistant and can be used with various applications; these solutions include the Microvia® and Rugovia® asphalt mixes, Drainovia® porous asphalt, and Gripfibre® cold microsurfacing mix.

Since its acquisition of Signature, Eurovia has also become a major player in road signs, providing horizontal (road markings) and vertical (lighted panels) signage. Eurovia has developed visual warnings to reduce roadway hazards, including site-appropriate horizontal and vertical signs, high-visibility road markings and equipment that are easier to see at night and in rainy conditions, and colour coatings such as Viacolor® and dyed Gripfibre®. These developments are the fruit of advanced research in resin chemistry.

In addition, Eurovia implements road safety equipment. For instance, Eurovia has designed structural and implementation plans for surface coatings that result in high-quality roundabouts that blend perfectly into their surroundings. Other road safety innovations include concrete, wood, and metal barriers designed to reduce the severity of crashes, dedicated traffic lanes in urban settings, and permanent and temporary traffic-separation devices (such as concrete dividers) that enhance road safety for all users (including motorists, pedestrians, bicycle riders, and public transit passengers).


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Managing road assets Road infrastructure represents a considerable initial investment for communities, but it also generates significant maintenance costs. Current pressures on public funding have led Eurovia to develop solutions designed to extend the useful life of pavement coatings and, through the targeted monitoring of roadway obsolescence, minimize related maintenance costs.

To increase the useful life of pavement coatings, Eurovia has developed the use of polymer-modified asphalts. They reduce vulnerability to temperature variations, a major cause of wear and tear. Eurovia is pursuing research on the performance and storage of polymer-modified asphalts and developing new formulations.

The forecasting of maintenance needs is a major business development of recent years. Ensuring material traceability through the use of embedded chips provides more accurate control over future recycling possibilities as early as the project implementation phase. It is also a means of gaining a better understanding of the behaviour of materials and, therefore, devising technical improvements. Saving time in this way also helps communities save money. Information collected in this manner can be used to enhance client services and cast new light on road asset management.

Construction and maintenance timetables also have financial and practical impacts. The length of construction projects should not hinder maintenance efforts. Accordingly, Eurovia has developed processes that help restore traffic quickly, including the Recyclovia® in-place roadway-recycling solution and warm mixes that are restored to ambient temperature levels more quickly, thereby enabling quicker road-traffic resumption.

The Autocan® trench fill solution also enables the rapid resumption of traffic. As for microtunnellers, which are used for example by Valentin (a Eurovia subsidiary in Île-de-France), they completely do away with the need to open trenches. As a result, carrying out roadwork results in only minimal disruption to local economic activity.


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Improving productivity and performanceEurovia possesses longstanding experience in the development of roadway products and techniques that compress project life cycles and adapt coatings and structures to geophysical criteria (subsoil layers, climate, environment) and proposed uses.

Innovation has perfectly fulfilled its role as a productivity and performance accelerator. The Company continues to develop new materials in efforts to optimize its price-effectiveness ratio and reduce impacts on health and the environment.

In future, the key to productivity and performance improvements will lie in the optimal management of intermodality, that is to say the combination of transport systems. Research and development on railway systems at the Mérignac centre began approximately a dozen years ago with work on tramway infrastructure. At first, these research efforts focused on the interfaces between road and tramway systems, including intersections, pre-fabricated infrastructure and its use in building tramway platforms, re-engineering special processes, and, more generally, the transfer of roadway solutions to the rail sector.

Since Eurovia’s acquisition of ETF, a company specializing in rail works, the research centre has tested the use of asphalt in railway construction and instrumentation to create models and technical variants providing improved effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. With endorsement from SNCF (France’s national state-owned railway company), experimental trials were carried out on segments along the Tours-Bordeaux rail line. As a result, several tests were conducted on under sleeper pads (USPs) in collaboration with the SNCF laboratory and a French manufacturer of USPs.

The research centre is also actively working on new rail and tram structures and taking part in developing tools to control ballast granulometry at all times. Also since the acquisition of ETF, the research centre has made innovative proposals with respect to the recycling of wood and concrete sleepers and ballast.

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2005Aspha-min® warm mixes garnered the 2005 innovation grand prize awarded by SMCL (France’s tradeshow for mayors and local communities).

2007Eurovia Lietuva was awarded the new technology prize by Lithuania’s road-ways authority. The prize rewards efforts by Eurovia Lietuva and Eurovia’s techni-cal directorate in deploying Company processes such as Gripfibre®, Rugovia®, and Viasaf® in the Lithuanian market.

2008Eurovia was awarded a special jury prize as part of the 2007 environment com-petition organized by France’s national federation for public works for its Gaïa.BE® environmental evaluation tool. The competition entry was sponsored by the Île-de-France/Haute-Normandie technical management team and the Emu-lithe de Villeneuve-le-Roi and Viafrance Normandie divisions.

2009The Turkish roadworks association (ASMUD) invited Eurovia to take part in the 5th asphalt symposium in Ankara. The Company made 2 demonstrations at this event, one involving warm mixes and the other, the Recyclovia® in-place cold recycling process.

The anti-rutting asphaltic concrete Rexovia® was awarded a certificate by SETRA, validating more than 10 years of research and experimental trials carried out in accordance with the ASFA (the French association of motorway companies) road innovation charter.

2010The plant-based binder Sequoia® was selected by SETRA as part of an initiative designed to support road innovation.

2011 In a ceremony held in Washington, the International Road Federation presented a Glo-bal Road Achievement Award in the “Research” category to Eurovia’s research team for its Viasphalt® BT warm mastic asphalt solution.

Smartvia® was awarded the "new digital technology" trophy at the French national federation for public works awards ceremony.

2012In February, Viaphone® was awarded first prize by the Czech construction aca-demy.

2013Vigiroute® is deployed worldwide.

Well-earned recognitionIn the past 10 years, Eurovia’s RDI achievements have earned recognition and many awards.

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