Key projects

The monumental Route des Tamarins construction project was delivered in a difficult geological and climatic environment and represents quite an achievement, both in terms of design and execution. The road includes no less than 33.7km of expressway, 23 bridges, 9 intersections and 3 tunnels and is designed, in time, to become the major artery of the île de la Réunion.
For this European project, carried out in collaboration with several companies, including Vinci, Razel, Eiffage and Bonin, Lafarge provided its international expertise in relation to building materials used in exceptional structures. Construction of the Route des Tamarins used 150,000m³ of concrete, 600,000 tons of aggregates and 60,000 tons of cement.

05/14/2009

Villa E1027, designed by Eileen Gray, the innovative early 20th-century architect and interior designer, is a concrete building which has been listed as an historic monument since 2000. Abandoned for many years and even lived in illegally for a time, Villa E1027 suffered serious internal and external damage over the years.
To restore the structure, Pierre-Antoine Gatier, head architect for historic monuments and project manager, drew on the Lafarge Research center's unique expertise in building materials.

Lafarge's involvement was divided into 2 stages and lasted several months:

• Site survey: Lafarge carried out a meticulous survey of the damages threatening the Villa's structure.
• A precise analysis of samples gathered from the site in order to identify the concretes, renders and paints used and find the exact formulation of the original materials.

As a result of this expertise and analysis carried out by 5 Group specialists, the architect in charge of the renovation project was able to draw up a specification for materials which was as precise as possible and which respected the building to be restored.

04/24/2009

Each year the Pont du Diable is crossed by more than 250,000 walkers who come to visit the gorges of the Hérault in France, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti and engineer Romain Ricciotti to handle this high level of traffic, the Pont du Diable footbridge is an innovative construction thanks to Ductal® ultra-high performance concrete:

• the footbridge spans more than 70m reaching a static height of 1.80m, without any intermediary support, arches or stays,
• it comprises 15 prefabricated concrete sections, without any steels,
• the fluidity and superior mechanical performance of Ductal® meant the bridge deck needed to be just 4cm thick, a technical performance never before seen for a construction of this size!

Ductal®'s discretion, performance and lightness also allow the Pont du Diable footbridge to blend seamlessly into this typical southern French landscape.

05/14/2008

Hidden away in the hinterland of the Var coastline (France), the building realized for the art dealer, Enrico Navarra, nestles into the slope so as to blend into the natural vegetation of the Provencal landscape.
The villa Navarra practically boils down to its roof: an immense visor stretching 40 metres between the trees, with a cantilevered surface of 7.80 metres opens up the house to the wild landscape.
An exceptional work, both aesthetically and for its technical complexity, this ultra-thin roof made of Ductal® concrete is a world first. It is the fruit of the boldness and expertise of Rudy Ricciotti, laureate of the National Architecture Grand Prix 2006, Romain Ricciotti, structural engineer, and Lafarge teams.
The ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced Ductal® concrete has innovative properties and, once again, is capable of the most impressive of architectural feats.

03/06/2008

For a long time the designer Martin Szekely was seeking to confront himself to an "emblematic" material, like concrete regarding the world of constructions. Ductal®, the ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete, suits to the "Concrete" series of objects (tables and desks).

According to the designer, the object is not derived from a drawing but results from the inherent qualities of concrete. Thus, "the form of the tops, all in curves, recalls that the material was, at a certain point, in an almost liquid state", confirms Szekely. Concrete is worked "like a skin", whose thickness is just 8 millimeters (0,31 inches)!

As a result, the objects are thin, light, and solid, with an impeccable finish and a notion of "visual economy". The building material of a silky grey pale becomes delicate...

02/26/2008

Stefano Pilati, creative director for the famous Y.S.L. fashion brand, and the Moatti &Rivière agency have created a new architectural concept which will be rolled out throughout the 62 Y.S.L. boutiques worldwide.
Ductal®, the ultra-high fiber-reinforced concrete, is mixed with crystal, brass and glass to produce particularly thin and simple pieces: chairs and shelves with a 1.5 cm.-thickness, and a floor arranged in a herringbones pattern. The historic Y.S.L. Saint-Sulpice boutique in Paris (France) has been selected to inaugurate this new design with an iconoclastic spirit.

06/21/2007

Construction of the cycle racing track and sports complex at Barra, near Rio de Janeiro, called for more than 1,300 m³ of Lafarge's Especial II concrete. It was used for surfacing, cycle tracks and the construction of piers, floors and access roads. The remarkable fluidity and extremely high resistance of Especial II concrete were determining factors in its selection for this large-scale project.

06/07/2007

The city of Calgary pays close attention to the latest architectural trends and encourages the design of innovative buildings. The Glenmore/Legsby footbridge, an architectural gem, was built entirely out of Ductal®. Its quality finish, excellent resistance to weathering and easy maintenance makes this construction the pride of the city.

05/03/2007

The U.S. Department of Transport, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Lafarge worked in close collaboration to incorporate Ductal® into this high-tech bridge construction project. Thanks to its recognized resistance and durability, Ductal® was used to build the supporting beams of the Mars Hill Bridge in Iowa.

04/05/2007

Ductal® was the star of the project to renovate the swimming pool at Clichy-la-Garenne. This material, which combines solidity, ductility and esthetics, was used to build the "sunshades" which decorate the glass façade of the swimming pool. These shades regulate the pool's ambient temperature and lighting.

02/07/2007

Architect Franck Hammoutène received the Équerre d'Argent award for his extension to the Marseille City Hall. The extension created museum space and new council chambers as well as 20,000 m² of esplanades and public gardens. The architect and his team used 8,000 m³ of Lafarge concrete - including 600 m³ of Agilia® - for this project, which blends in with the topography of the site thanks to an intelligent combination of mineral and plant elements.

11/13/2006

30 years after the first stone was laid, innovative Agilia® concrete opened the way to completing the church of Saint-Pierre de Firminy, designed by Le Corbusier.

07/20/2006

The construction of a casino at Niagara Falls required massive investments. Agilia® cement and a Lafarge silicon cement were used for this 232,300 m² construction.

05/17/2006

Environmental considerations played an important role in the construction of a four-lane bridge in Calgary, Canada, that spans a protected zone. UltraHorizontal™ concrete was used for the road surfacing and Agilia® for the lighting fixtures and other structures.

04/20/2006

The student dormitories at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada, make great use of the Group's products: buildings, decor and finishes are all in Lafarge concrete!

02/10/2006

Ductal®, the high-performance concrete marketed by Lafarge Cement, was chosen for the renovation of the access halls of the P0 parking structure at Orly Airport south of Paris. The ductility and strength of this range was enough to convince the architects. 600 Ductal® panels were produced to cover the 1,100 m² of access halls at the western terminal, which reopened on January 3, 2006.

01/20/2006

Eight of the best architects in Chile participated in a major architectural project to dream and design their ideal house. Lafarge participated in this project, code-named Ocho al Cubo (Eight Cubed), by supplying 2,500 m³ of concrete.

01/13/2006

Ductal® made some new friends at the 2006 Salon International Du Meuble in Paris as designers were won over by its unique structural and aesthetic properties. Bookshelves, tables and even bathtubs were among a selection of bold creations which combined finesse, lightness and original textures.

01/01/2006

Georgia Aquarium, one of the state's top tourist attractions, is home to more than 100,000 fish. Lafarge's decorative Artevia® Color concrete was used to finish the façade of this ship-shaped building.

09/20/2005

The Solaire residential tower in New York City is the first environmentally advanced building in the United States. It is designed to consume 35% less energy than a conventional building and meets sustainable construction criteria. Lafarge supplied reinforced concrete with fly ash additives.

06/27/2005

The Shawnessy light rail transit station in Calgary is sheltered by a series of elegant Ductal® canopies. The 24 unique, shell-like canopies each measure 5.1 meters by 5.5 meters but are only 20 millimeters thick! They protect the platform and passengers from the elements while remaining light and airy. The Shawnessy station won the 2005 Award of Excellence for Design & Construction in Concrete from the A.C.I. (American Concrete Institute/Alberta Chapter).

06/24/2005

Everett Station sits on a series of pre-cast concrete arches made with Type III cement. These arches support the structure and ensure a distinctive architectural signature for the concourse below.

05/19/2005

The Fairmont Chateau Hotel sits beside Lake Louise in the heart of Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. 10,000 m³ of concrete, made with Lafarge G.U. type cement from Lafarge's concrete plant in Canmore, Canada, was used in the construction of the hotel.

03/29/2005

This residential building in Vancouver, British Colombia, incorporates a variety of Lafarge products: Agilia® Architectural, Agilia® Vertical and Agilia® Horizontal. Lafarge concretes were used for the interior and exterior walls. The use of Agilia® to pour the suspended slabs was a first in North America.

05/26/2005

The 7 new wind turbines installed at Pubnico, Nova Scotia, generate enough power to supply 12,000 nearby homes. Lafarge supplied the Agilia® concrete used for the foundations. These wind generators serve to reduce CO2 emissions by around 90,000 tons per year.

02/04/2005

Lafarge products aren't restricted to "industrial" uses. They also lend themselves to projects requiring a decorative touch. The use of Artevia® to surface residential paths and driveways in Atlanta illustrates this esthetic dimension.

12/23/2004

Lafarge launched a project in India to improve access to housing for low-income families. As part of the "Affordable Housing for Masses" project, Lafarge India built a prototype 20 m² house which offers a considerable reduction on the usual price per square meter. This project allows the Group to demonstrate the benefits of using cement and concrete to construct individual low-cost houses in rural, semi-urban and urban zones.

12/07/2004

Lafarge South Africa supports the Eco-City project run by Eco-City, a non-governmental organization, and the W.W.F. (World Wide Fund for Nature). The project constructs low-cost housing which respects environmental considerations and is accessible to low-income families. Lafarge South Africa donated 300 tons of cement and 70 m³ of concrete for the construction of the first 30 houses, which are designed to keep energy consumption to a minimum.

12/07/2004

Lafarge contributed to the construction of the Nicolas Hulot School for Nature and Man in the Morbihan, France. The architecture of the school was designed around environmental considerations and is intended to meet High Environmental Quality standards. Lafarge Cement, Lafarge Concrete and Lafarge Aggregates all donated construction materials that met these requirements. The school is a center where everyone can receive information and education and training in biodiversity.

11/24/2004

Concrete paving can't be beaten when it comes to withstanding the heavy traffic on the New York State Thruway. Lafarge concretes were selected thanks to their recognized advantages of long-term resistance and quality.

09/01/2004

The School of Information Technology and Engineering of the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, understands that modern materials can have a real impact on energy bills. The use of Lafarge Ultra-Series and Weathermix products allows them to keep heating and air conditioning costs to a minimum.

07/06/2004

A large amount of colored concrete was needed to build this driveway in Dellwood, Minnesota. The choice of Lafarge Portland cement means that the concrete maintains its coherence and architectural integrity without any sacrifice in terms of durability or frost-resistance.

07/02/2004

Peter Sowerby Homes, a prestigious residential building company, used more than 600 m3 of Agilia® in this house in the Trent Valley. The architect decided against conventional concrete for the foundations, preferring to use Agilia® Trenchflow to stabilize the ground. Agilia® Force was used for the structure, which nestles into a hillside, and one of the walls was constructed with Agilia® Vertical.

07/01/2004

This luxurious glass and concrete building on Nun's Island offers a spectacular view of the St. Lawrence River and the city of Montreal. It also allows Lafarge concretes to demonstrate their mechanical performance and aesthetic qualities.

03/23/2004

The Lake City Station was one of 14 new stations built during the project to extend the Vancouver Sky Train. The supporting columns of the station were built with colored, self-consolidating Agilia® concrete, perfect for vertical structures.

02/18/2004

The prestigious Museum of Glass, designed by Arthur Erickson, is built with pre-cast Lafarge concrete. Its galleries, exhibition spaces, education center and amphitheater all provide exciting opportunities to watch artists in action and experience original works of art.

02/10/2004

Architects Finn Geipel and Giulia Andi of the L.I.N. Agency chose ultra-high performance Ductal® concrete to add the finishing touches to the permanent exhibition at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal Museum in Paris.

01/12/2004

The Washington Convention Center covers 6 city blocks in downtown Washington D.C. It owes its avant-garde style to pre-cast concrete and to the use of Lafarge NewCem® cement in the cast-in-place concrete. The exceptional interiors owe their finish to Lafarge Rapid Coat.

11/28/2003

The new Palais de Justice law court in Pontoise was designed by G.T.M. Bâtiment‑Carillon B.T.P. It required 1,400 m³ of Agilia® white cement, which was specially formulated for this project. Thanks to the use of Agilia® Formes and Agilia® Horizontal, the architect's drawings have turned into a perfectly finished building.

10/27/2003

Sherwood Corners is an office building in downtown Mississauga in Ontario, Canada. Thanks to its facade of "Terra Walling", made from Lafarge cements and aggregates, this construction blends in with its surroundings. The warm color of "weathered Cotswold" gives this building a timeless appearance.

06/26/2003

Are Soweto's Freedom Towers a reflection of South Africa's multicultural melting pot? Five of the towers are made of white aggregates mixed with black concrete and 4 are of white concrete mixed with black aggregates. A stunning symbol!

05/02/2003

Ductal® was selected to build the composite supporting structure, which also uses 16-meter vertical posts with a diameter of just 32 centimeters! Its exceptional compressive strength, which ensures the structure's reinforcement, and high resistance to fire made Ductal® the obvious choice!

09/28/2002

The façade of the Alan Earp Residence at Brock University blends brick and concrete. Inside, ultra-light concrete is used to provide a high level of sound insulation and enhance acoustic comfort. The project received an architectural merit award from the Ontario Concrete Association.

05/16/2002

The designers of Toronto's Bayview tower were inspired by the New York skyline, particularly the Chrysler tower and the Empire State building. GU cement, produced through a Lafarge joint venture, was used to bring their ideas to life.

04/22/2001

Over the years, the sculptured sandstone façade of the MacDonald luxury hotel, built in 1915 in Edmonton, Alberta, had fallen into ruin. The renovation project ran into a major obstacle: it couldn't find a craftsman who could sculpt sandstone! The builders called on Lafarge to design a custom concrete that would reproduce the original characteristics of the sandstone façade.