The Millau Viaduct Project-An Engineering Marvel One of the tallest bridge in the world with height greater than Eiffel Tower

1. Millau Viaduct
THE MILLAU VIADUCT PROJECT
AN ENGINEERING MARVEL
Presented By:
Shivam Sood: PP18085
Adarsh M.S : PP18086
Karan Dujari: PP18087
Shikhar Pandey: PP18088
Abhash Shrivastav: PP18089
Pushpak Pullawar: PP18090
Bhavya Agrawal: PP18091
Guided By:
Dr. T.K Ganguli

2. Question:
What are the challenges faced by the Project during the
life cycle and how it responded to those challenges and
opportunities?

3. Contents of the Presentation
1. Background
2. Project Timeline
3. Project Team and Stakeholders Involved
4. Intention behind Millau Viaduct Construction
5. Project Phases (Problems and Responses)
1. Pre-Construction and Planning Stage
2. Construction
3. Close-out
6. Conclusions and Keylearnings

4. 1987-1992
1993-1996
1998-
2000
March
2001 May,2001
8th
Oct,2001
10th
October,2001
20th February, 2002
• Change of Governance
• Introduction of BFOT
• The first inter ministry
decree is amended in
order to conform the
concession conditions
and allow the toll system
Signature of the
concession contract
Beginning of Construction
phase
Construction
Project Design &
Conception EFFIAGE won the bid for
the delivery of the
Project
• The council of the
state approves the
project via ministry
decree
• Decision to build the
deck with steel
rather concrete
Procurement
Control of
Construction
Est. of the expert
committee of ACDC by
Jean Francois Coste
Feasibility
Studies/Research
14th December, 2004
Project Delivery
Inauguration of the
Millau Viaduct and
beginning of the
operation phases after
couple of days
Plan Completion12 Years
Project Timeline

5. Project Stakeholders
● Local Authorities
● The Conceding Authority
The State (Ministry of Infrastructure) is the conceding authority. The ministry
opened the concession of the Viaduct to competition and awarded it to
EFFiAGE group which is both structure’s builder and concessionary.
● Eiffage
Eiffage is the third largest group in France in the field of construction, civil
engineering and construction related services. It is currently in fifth position in
Europe. It has a staff of 41,000 in France and the rest of the world and in the
financial year 2000 had an ex-VAT turnover of 6.25 billion Euros.

6. ● Eiffage Construction
In the case of the Millau viaduct, its subsidiary Eiffage TP, which is one of
the largest French civil engineering and earthworks companies, will be
responsible for all the concrete structures.
● The Arrondissement Interdépartemental des Ouvrages d’ Art
(AIOA)
Was given responsibility by the conceding authority to conduct monitoring.
the AIOA reports to the infrastructure directorate of Aveyron Department
which was also the construction manager for works on the A75 motorway
on both sides of the viaduct.

7. ● The Compagnie du viaduc de Millau
This company was specially set up for the purpose and draws on the
experience of the Eiffage concessions department. This company is the project
owner, and has responsibility for the overall funding of the operation and its
subsequent management. It conducts negotiations with the other parties
involved with the viaduct (Central Government, local authorities, etc.). The
Compagnie du Viaduc de Millau has awarded the works to two large
subsidiaries of the Eiffage group: Eiffage construction will be responsible for
concrete construction and Eiffel for metal construction.
● Eiffel Construction
The members that will make up the deck and pylons of the viaduct are to be
manufactured at Lauterbourg and Fos-sur-Mer. Teams from Eiffel will then
assemble and install all the metal elements of the viaduct on site.

8. ● SETEC
Was asked by Eiffage to manage the entire construction phase of the
viaduct. SETEC is particularly specialized in the management of large
infrastructure and building projects and it is responsible for monitoring,
consultancy and worksite coordination. SETEC will ensure that studies
and works are conducted to the highest standards. It will be assisted, for
monitoring the manufacture of the metal part of the structure, by the
engineering division of the SNCF (French national railways).

9. Intention behind Millau Viaduct Construction ?
● Millau Viaduct was the outcome of a government project,
commissioned in order to complete an important section of the A75
autoroute. Prior to construction of the viaduct, traffic travelling along
this route had to descend to the Tarn Valley and travel along the
Route National N9, passing through Millau (a city). This caused
particular problems (especially in terms of congestion) in the summer
holiday season due to the vast number of tourists travelling to
Southern France and Spain along this route.
● The government reacted to increasing traffic along this route in the
mid-1980s, quickly recognising the necessity for a method of
traversing the Tarn valley, and commissioning initial studies into four
available options in 1988.

10. ● "The Eastern Option" - Requiring two major bridges. Shorter and better for
through traffic, but providing poor access to Millau.
● "The RN9 Option" - Following the original path of Route Nationale 9
providing good access to Millau but at the cost of technical difficulties and
intrusion on the town
● "The Western Option" - Requiring four major bridges, technically easier but
expensive and providing poor access to Millau.
● "The Median Option" – Traverse the middle of
the valley.

11. The fourth option was selected by ministerial decree on 28 June 1989. It
encompassed two possibilities.
● The High Solution:
Envisaging a 2,500-metre-long (8,200 ft) viaduct more than 200 meters
(660 ft.) above the river.
● The Low Solution:
Descending into the valley and crossing the river on a 200-metre-long
(660 ft.) bridge, then a viaduct of 2,300 meters (7,500 ft.).

12. Project Phases
● Pre-Construction and Planning
Stage
● Construction Stage
● Project Completion Stage/Close-out

13. Problems during Pre-Construction and Planning Stage
1. The problem was to decide the way to cross the Tarn Valley for
which choice between the high and low solutions was an vital
concern as no proper design was present.
2. Lack of construction skills.
3. Technical issues ( Material to be used for the deck, requirement
of temporary piers, high wind speeds and seismic activities at
such height.)
4. Manufacturing, logistics and inventory control.
5. Safety of the workers, employees and other team members.

14. 6. Apart from indisputable proofs of the positive effects of viaduct
on local economic development some of them deplore
insufficient leadership from the state level.
7. There was lack of public funds available for the existing missing
link in A75 for which 2 millions francs was required,
management was in awe to get the funds as public funding was
not enough and expenses couldn’t be borne by them.

15. Responses to challenges and opportunities during Conceptualization
• After long construction studies by the Ministry of Public Works, the
low solution was abandoned because it would have intersected the
water table and had a negative impact on the town, cost more, and
lengthened the driving distance. High solution was decided by
ministerial decree. After the choice of the high viaduct, five teams
of architects and researchers worked on a technical solution. The
concept and design for the bridge was devised by
French designers and structural engineer Dr. Michel Virlogeux. He
worked with the Dutch engineering firm ARCADIS , responsible for the
structural engineering of the bridge.
• Effiage entered into the partnership with other companies to acquire
the construction skills it did not possess e.g.. Eiffel Construction
Metaliique for steel construction. Various structural components were
tested by CSTB in a wind tunnel.

16. ● Effiage chose steel in order to shorten the construction period
and hence allowing them to collect the toll sooner, also use of
steel will make the deck slimmer and hence aesthetically more
appealing.
● Effiage planned and manufactured the components and logistics
well in advance. Steel components were prefabricated at Eiffel’s
2 factories at Lauterbourg and Fos-ur-mer on either sides of the
valley and 2 production units in middle of the valley to produce
HS-Concrete for piers and abutments.

17. • Appointed 2 safety officers and employees were provided with
PPEs and trainings well in advance before the work begun,
distribution of Index Cards (Giving details and order in which
tasks should be carried out, and risks involved and how to avoid
them).
• Due to the construction of Millau Viaduct, the localities will
benefit economically. This project is also going to improve the
relationships among the local communities, state authority took
active approach in improving the connectivity for travelling
public, constructed 9 kms road including a bridge to link the
valley from both the sides and another road for motorists to
travel around the construction site.

18. • The decision to procure the Millau Viaduct under a concession/BFOT
scheme was made. The decision relates to the lack of public funds
available to provide the A75 missing link, namely the Viaduct. Again, in the
initial planning stage, the link was conceived of as a free highway without
any toll. As the public budget could not accommodate such expense the
only way to avoid postponing the project delivery – and its economic
benefits – was to find a source of alternative funding. That is why the Millau
Viaduct came to rely exclusively on private finance. More precisely, the
initial investment relied on the corporate funds of the Compagnie Eiffage
which then re-negotiated a loan from the banks at a lower interest rate,
once the construction risks disappeared (Coste, 2006).

19. CHALLENGES
• To build the tallest piers in the
world
• To put 36000 ton freeway on top of
it.
SOLUTIONS
• Use of GPS satellite system, work
on all piers were independent,
invited experts in the field of form
works.
• Installed 7 extra temporary piers,
Decks were pre-constructed, Safety
and quality tests. Assembling of
pre-constructed decks started from
either sides, launch followed well
established procedure and
precautions, weather forecast, Used
hydraulic system, high pressure
traversers, guided by GPS system.
Problems faced during CONSTRUCTION PHASE

20. • Safety of travelling public
• HR management.
• Minimum environmental
impact.
• Material management.
• Constructed another 9km road
for people who are travelling.
• Aimed for Zero accidents, Most
of the staff worked for one
company and its subsidiaries
which attributed to quality HR
management.
• Engaged services of 2
environment specialists, employed
fewer machines and truck, used
steel instead of concrete,
Monitored air & noise levels, local
water resources.
•Secondary tracks to ferry
materials, manufactured material
according to requirements at site,
Recycled oils and lubricants.

21. • Extreme weather conditions like
high wind speed, rain.
• Complexity of formwork.
• Weather forecasting is done
effectively and activities are
planned accordingly.
• Invited experts in field of
formwork, designed self
climbing formwork, GPS
technology, Used formwork that
can withstand high speed
concreting and high wind
speed.

22. Problems faced during and even after Close-out
● Safety and Maintenance of the Viaduct
● Type of coating to be given.
● To monitor functioning quality of viaduct.
● Commissioning
● Risk of Suicidal Events
● Increased traffic than that to forecasted
● Local nuisance for media attraction for the issues of local
farmers.

23. ● Maintenance frequency is increased with time and period of the
year keeping in mind the volume of passing vehicles.
● Coating was developed by Appia, a subsidiary of Eiffage after 2
years of research and test. Several activities like shot blasting,
applied bonding primer, heat sealed bituminous layer to surface
was done before application coating. (Type of Coating to be
used)
● Power, video, IT were installed for smooth functioning. Several
detectors were installed in order to detect minute movements
also to know wear & tear on structure. Measuring instruments
were installed to foundation slab for knowing different stress.
Cable stays were fitted with instruments that measured their
aging. (Safety & Monitoring)
Responses to Challenges and Opportunities during Close-out

24. ● The outer most lanes are kept for emergency use only
(Ambulance/Media/Emergency) since this prohibits the
passengers and tourists to stop near the edge of the bridge.
(Safety and Monitoring)
● It was extensively tested for safety by fleet of 30 heavy trucks
weighing total of 1000 tons. The test was lasted for three and half
days, and analyzed 21 different type of load stresses. (Testing
and Commissioning)

25. Conclusion and Summary
● The main factors of success as decisions related to:
The technical choices, in
particular decision to
build the bridge in steel
The people who
contributed to the
different phases of
Viaduct
The Initial Planning and
Route Selection
The procurement
decisions and
Concession
Critical
Success
Factors

26. Key elements that lead to success of Millau Viaduct are as follows
● The initial design of viaduct by four experts P. Godin, M. Rat, M Panet
and M. Virlogeux was challenged by state (public), design
involvement of the international experts and the British Architect Sir
Norman Foster improved the process.
● The Millau Viaduct project provides an encouraging example of how
effective planning and project management can result in phenomenal
success, even in the largest and most complex of scenarios.
● Despite the immense technical challenge posed by such a bold
venture, Eiffage were able to demonstrate the competency and
attention to detail necessary to facilitate effective project
management. Precise co-ordination of numerous contractors and
other entities, as well as appropriate selection of cutting edge tools
and methodologies paved the way for a highly successful project.

27. ● Extensive planning in the early stages of the project, as well as
consideration of the risks and uncertainties associated with such a
large-scale project all helped to ensure the management team were
able to easily respond to any difficulties or change in circumstances
over the course of the project. Of particular note, the communication
channels and "short command chain" both increased flexibility,
response times to changes in specification and general awareness
between the different entities involved in the project.
● The risk transfer methodology at that time proved profitable and
productive.
● The end result is an astonishing feat, both from a technical and a
managerial standpoint, and it is likely that the Millau Viaduct will stand
as one of our greatest technical achievements for quite some time

28. ● https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Millau_Viaduct
● http://flax.nzdl.org/greenstone3/flax;jsessionid=5DE5EB50010ADF134AE474
87620992E1?a=d&c=BAWEPS&d=D1579&dt=simple&p.a=b&p.s=ClassifierB
rowse
● https://sites.google.com/site/themillauviaduct/challenges
● https://sites.google.com/site/projectmillauviaduct/
● http://www.omegacentre.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2014/12/FRANCE_MILLAU_PROFILE.pdf
References

29. Thank
You