First above-ground station along the route of the Rennes Metro B line
Beaulieu Station is the first above-ground station along the route of the Rennes Metro B line.
It is located adjacent to the university cafeteria, so it serves the Beaulieu campus. It abuts the viaduct with high-rise concrete walls composed of various shapes covered in precast panels set in white concrete. The Angevin Company contractor requested precast concrete from Guillerm to make these decorative elements.
Challenges
We had to precast all the panels and fit together to create something similar to a giant Tetris. The architectural constraint was as follows: all the horizontal joints had to be prevalent on all the facades so that the vertical ones had to appear seamless. The high-rise concrete walls were covered on three sides (inside, outside, and the edge.) So we took quite a bit of time to consider the installation and especially the order. Also we had to avoid any impact with the finishings and framework. The station is actually covered with a framework which supports part of the upper platforms. The precast elements must then contend with different reinforcements and anchors as well as be set on the steel beams when necessary. Finally, one of the more significant constraints was the fastening system. We had to fabricate 12 cm thick parts staggered 8 cm apart from the walls poured in place. So we chose Halfen FPA anchors. Then it was obvious we had to model all the anchor systems along with the wind and pinning anchoring to ensure perfect installation of the precast elements.
How have Tekla Structures and BIM benefited you? What other Trimble tools or software have you used:
Incorporating the concrete engineering, metalwork, and finishing models enabled management of all potential interactions with the precast elements. A diagram of the brace anchors for the high-rise concrete walls also enabled positioning of the anchoring elements.
Use of the Trimble Connect application also enabled coordination with the finishings contractors.
