Completed projects

01/11/2011

The municipality wanted an ecologically exemplary development for the Plaza del Milenio in Valladolid (Spain). Lafarge teams approached architects to understand their expectations and offer bespoke solutions, adapting the concretes' formulation to the project's requirements.

Today the square - with its fountains, trees and cycle path where only a car park stood a short time ago - has become a popular area for walking. The paving was created from green and grey Artevia® and the cycle path from pervious concrete, facilitating the drainage of rainwater which is collected to water the gardens.

12/20/2011

The 15,000m² Palais des Papes, constructed in the 14th century, is the largest Medieval construction in Europe. Listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site, the "Popes' Palace" is now one of the most visited historic buildings in France, with some 650,000 visitors a year. Its renovation calls for experts in their fields and the use of traditional materials fitting their demanding needs.

Lafarge NATHURAL™ 100% natural white lime was selected for the renovation of the Palais des Papes' Tour de Trouillas, carried out by the city of Avignon. Pure and cement-free, supple, consistent and permeable to water vapor, it is being used for the jointing, the screed and the patina of the stones, as well as to restore the bulding's original appearance and height.

10/11/2011

Children living in Paris's 18th arrondissement (France) will soon be able to benefit from a cozy cocoon in which to spend their days away from mom and dad.

At the end of 2011 this is where the new daycare center designed by Paris agency ECDM will be opening. This protective environment, laid out over 2 levels and featuring plants and rocks, complies with the requirements of the City of Paris's "Climate Plan", with energy consumption of 50kWh/m²/year.

To achieve this, ECDM's architects designed a façade composed of panels prefabricated from Ductal®, the ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete developed by Lafarge. The lightweight properties of the material, which reduce the number of structural attachment points, mean that the building's envelope has almost no thermal bridges. This means the daycare center has a very good energy performance as a result of its optimized insulation. It also boasts an unusual silhouette, as if sculpted by the wind!

10/03/2011

Lafarge has completed 2 record continuous pours in Mumbai, during the construction of "Lodha World One", one of the world's tallest residential buildings.
In August 2011, over 13,500 m³ of concrete was poured to build the raft foundation. The first continuous pour required 5,236m³ and the second pour required 8,289.5 m³ - both a success despite challenging conditions: torrential monsoons and heavy traffic of congested Mumbai city.

The total project size is approximately 1.58 million sq feet and requires a total of 800,000m³ of concrete. This project is also an opportunity for Lafarge in India to produce and supply value added concrete implying mixing of microsilica in bulk using technological advancement.

09/22/2011

Lafarge Precast in Calgary, Canada produced 700 Ductal® ultra-high performance concrete panels for "The Atrium", a new office building in Victoria, Canada. White Ductal® premix was selected by architect Franc D'Ambrosio for its solar reflection properties, guaranteeing the building's energy efficiency. By using passive energy savings and daylighting strategies, the 20,400m² building is targeted to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, awarded by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).

The advantages do not end there - the thin, lightweight, ductile panels reduced seismic impacts to the project, thereby simplifying compliance with Canadian earthquake regulations. Finally, the highly moldable concrete facilitated the ability to produce an attractive architectural project with a customized, textured façade that harmoniously blends curves and straight lines.

09/07/2011

The Circa new art gallery in Johannesburg, South Africa, designed by architect Pierre Swanepoel, cleverly combines concrete and steel in the form of an ellipse giving the building an unique architectural character. Its 600m² surface spreads over 3 levels housing exhibitions, events, and lectures throughout the year.

The collaboration with Lafarge made it possible to optimize the association of the 2 materials. Agilia® self-placing concrete proved to adapt easily to the complex architectural and structural design of the building. Agilia® was used in particular to embed the walls of the building. The advantage of using this vibration-free concrete is that it avoided damaging the steel shutters of the façade.

08/01/2011

In northwestern France, Lafarge has delivered 18,000m3 of Chronolia® 24H concrete for the construction of a curved cable-stayed bridge. This impressive structure, 515m long and 85m wide, designed by architecture firm Lavigne and Chéron, is a first in France!

Supported by 144 cable-stays and 2 towers, each 100m tall, the bridge is expected to be crossed by 5,000 to 8,000 vehicles a day, while also providing pedestrian and cycle access.  

The formulation for Chronolia® 24H was specially optimized to meet the resistance and salinification stresses to which the towers are exposed.

06/06/2011

Lafarge has helped to construct the future hydroelectric power plant in Roanne (south-east France), which will eventually produce 7,200MWh a year. It was an unusual project, since the power plant is partly submerged in the River Loire. Its foundations rest 9m deep on the riverbed!

The particular conditions of the works meant Lafarge needed to keep up a sustained pace to ensure continuous delivery of the 7,000m3 of concrete. Agilia was selected to meet the requirements of the delicate task of pouring the foundations. Its self-leveling properties proved essential in facilitating the operation and its compactness prevented leaks. Teams on the surface, supported by frogmen, were able to complete the pouring in just 10 hours.

05/18/2011

In Romania, Lafarge has contributed to build the largest on-shore wind farm in Europe. Located in the south-east of the country, the turbines cover a total surface area of 2,700 acres, spanning the communes of Fântânele and Cogealac. The farm contains 240 wind turbines and generates maximum power of 600MW.

The construction contractor launched a call for selecting the best-in-class supplier in Romania for this unique project. Lafarge was chosen to deliver the concrete used to pour the foundations. To support a single turbine, 3 layers of different concretes were required, totaling 450m3.

In 2009 and 2010, the Group has supplied a total of more than 86,000m3 of Ultra series concrete offering better resistance and greater fluidity. Lafarge will provide additional volumes in 2011, since the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

05/09/2011

The 270 employees working at Lafarge's head office in South Africa are now enjoying their new premises north east of Johannesburg.

The buildings, constructed using the Group's solutions, required:

• 1,500 linear meters of Lafarge partition systems (Plasterboard, Metal Studs & Track);
• 35m³ of Artevia® Polished concrete for the entrance hall. 

Also reflecting the Group's commitment to sustainable construction, the buildings incorporate high energy performances components:

• thicker tinted glass for the windows providing better thermal insulation (cooler offices in summer and warmer in winter);
• motion sensors to replace switches, etc.

03/23/2011

In the UK, Lafarge has supplied nearly 900m³ of Artevia® Exposed decorative concrete to renovate the sea front in South Shields, a city in north-east England.

The project used 3 types of aggregate. These aggregates, which came from 3 different sites, provided 3 distinct colors to create a decorative band stretching nearly a kilometer along the promenade.

03/09/2011

The first of its kind in Qatar, the Arab Museum of Modern Art opened its doors in December 2010, encouraging creativity and a dialogue regarding modern and contemporary Arab art.

In keeping with the building's colors and rustic appearance, the floors around the museum and in the main entrance were produced using Artevia® Exposed decorative concrete. Covering a total surface area of 2,635m², the Artevia® solution which was used combines a subtle blend of beige and gray aggregates with a light gray concrete color.

02/07/2011

Artists in the 18th arrondissement of Paris (France) can now combine their creativity with their living space in a new building designed by young French architect, Charles-Henri Tachon.
Construction of the building required around 850m³ of concrete to create artists' studios benefitting from high ceiling space on the ground floor and accommodation on the upper floors enjoying clear views and a lot of light.

In order to satisfy the requirements of the worksite, Agilia®, Lafarge's self-leveling concrete, soon emerged as the clear choice. Its properties allowed vibration-free implementation, which is quieter and quicker.
The evenness of Agilia®, its finish qualities, its reliability and its high-level performance were decisive in the choice of material.

01/26/2011

In October 2010, the Center for Architecture in New York (United States) opened its first exhibition titled, "innovate: integrate", featuring innovative technologies that will help architects reach the environmental and economic goals needed to make a sustainable built environment for the 21st century. The exhibit featured 6 finalist entries of AIA-New York's "Open Call for Innovative Curtain-Wall Design". The highest honor was presented to Peter Arbour, Assoc. AIA, and RFR Consulting Engineers for their "Liquid Wall"; a unitized curtain wall system constructed with an innovative assembly of Ductal® ultra-high-performance concrete and stainless steel. Fabricated by casting methods which afford the designer an unlimited range of expressive possibilities, its performance qualities include improvements in natural day-lighting and ventilation, direct integration with building mechanical systems and 100% material recyclability.

For the exhibit - which remained open through January 15th, 2011 - a prototype was constructed and installed in the Center's double-height front window to permit public, street-side viewing.

01/13/2011

The Musée d'Art Moderne in Lille, in northern France, now has a new perforated Ductal® façade. The building, which was constructed in 1983, was renovated and enlarged in 2010.

The new façade of the extension, designed by architect Manuelle Gautrand, is composed of mesh panels made from Ductal® with a total surface area of 185m². The ductile properties of the material made it possible to produce large but thin openwork panels with randomly dispersed openings - something impossible to create using traditional concrete. The panels are up to 5.5m wide, between 3m and 8m high and a maximum of 7cm to 9cm thick.

The museum's artworks, which are often fragile, are now protected from harsh light thanks to the natural lighting provided by the perforated Ductal® panels (30% of their surface area is open).

12/22/2010

In the UK, Millhouses Park, located in Sheffield, England, inaugurated a new water play area in 2010: the "Splash" project. It was designed with 70m³ of Artevia® Stone, a new product from the Artevia® range launched in the UK this year.

Architects and the local community unanimously praised this new decorative concrete for its high wet slip resistance and its safe properties. Its texture also made an impact because, as it is less abrasive than classic Artevia® Exposed concrete, it offers a smoother surface, ideally suited for playing barefoot!

12/01/2010

As part of a humanitarian project carried out by students at the Ljubljana architecture school in Slovenia, Lafarge donated 55 m³ of concrete for the construction and 2 pallets of cement for bricklaying for educational buildings at a school campus located 40km outside Johannesburg in South Africa.

The Group's Slovenian BU therefore worked closely with its South African counterpart to bring the project, whose worksite lasted 8 weeks, to a successful conclusion. The architecture students constructed an auditorium, a working room and a library, with a total surface area of 160m².

11/10/2010

Lafarge inaugurated its first low-energy house in Angers (France) on last November 9th, demonstrating that concrete is a viable solution to sustainable construction challenges.

With a habitable surface area of 108m², the house was built in collaboration with French residential construction company Maisons Bernard Jambert and meets the requirements of LEB (low-energy building) certification with energy consumption of 48kWh/m² p.a. It is also in line with French Thermal Regulation 2005 (RT 2005) and is ahead of its time in relation to the 2012 regulation!

The Jambert-Lafarge house, which receives an A-rated energy label, was built by combining a bioclimatic design, the choice of a efficient construction system, good thermal insulation and air-tightness as well as the incorporation of high-performance technical equipment.

The house combines the Group's materials with well controlled common construction systems:

• Cements: The Classic, Multibat for the load-bearing walls.
• Concretes: Agilia® for the building's shell and the screed over the heated floor.
• Gypsum: PREGYMAX 29.5 for the insulation of the partitions, PREGYMETAL, SYNIA™, PREGYDRO™ for the partitions and finishes.
• Insulation: Unimat®.

10/19/2010

Lafarge, in collaboration with Al Futtaim Carillon and Orascom CI joint venture, delivered between October 2008 and July 2010, 150,000m³ of zero-defect concrete for the construction of the regional Cairo Festival City complex. Located outside Cairo, the complex is the first of its kind in the area to house a shopping centre, a leisure park, luxury residential villas and apartments, offices, hotels, etc.
In July 2010, the complex was awarded the standard of "Excellent" from the American Concrete Institute for the consistent quality of concrete deliveries, thus recognizing Lafarge as a high-volume and high-quality supplier, superior to the country's standards.
A second delivery of around 100,000m³ is to be completed in April 2011, meanwhile the opening of the Cairo Festival City is planned for 2012.

09/30/2010

As part of the renovation of its town center, the municipality of Cholet (Maine-et-Loire department) called in Lafarge to decorate the central square in Les Arcades Rougé district. To best respond to the site's technical and architectural constraints, the town hall chose Artevia® decorative concrete. Produced using 120m³ of Artevia® Houat ochre rock, the square blends in perfectly with the historic yet modern character of the town thanks to its "natural stone" look.

09/23/2010

In May 2009, Lafarge in Serbia launched a competition aimed at young architects from the region for the refurbishment of a city square in Beocin, whose cement plant was celebrating its 170th anniversary (under the Lafarge name for the last 8 years).
This resulted in the inauguration of Beocin's new city square in June 2010. Fitting in perfectly with the surrounding urban landscape, the square stretches over a total surface area of 2,800m² of Artevia® concrete and 700m² of green spaces.
This gave Lafarge an opportunity to promote its innovative products, while reinforcing its relations with architects and improving the quality of life of local communities.

07/16/2010

For the 8th year running, Lafarge continues its partnership with the Paris Mayor's Office for the Paris-Plages summertime operation.
The Group provides the 2,000 metric tons of sand needed to realize the beaches on the banks of the Seine, which it transports via river from its Sandrancourt quarry.
Lafarge also highlights all the advantages of concrete for outdoor facilities by supplying 8 large slabs of Artevia™ decorative concrete, which are distributed across the grass beach.

07/06/2010

Lafarge supplied the concrete and aggregates for 5 new stadiums built for the 2010 World Cup: Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town (68,000 seats), Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth (48,000 seats), Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane (46,000 seats), Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit (43,500 seats), Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban (70,000 seats).

The Group supplied a total of 337,000 m³ of concrete and 540,000 tons of aggregates for their construction.

For instance, the new Cape Town Stadium was a gigantic project and nonetheless handed over 2 months ahead of schedule!
Two concrete plants on-site, 20 trucks, 4 pumps and 17 cranes have been provided. Amongst the different specialist concretes provided, there was the Ultra Post Tension®, a high performance concrete only on the South African market.

04/16/2010

The Olympic cauldron at Whistler is made of Ductal®, Lafarge's ultra-high performance concrete. Situated in the Whistler Medals Plaza, the scene of nightly victory ceremonies during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Winter Games, it will remain as an important part of the Olympic legacy. The cauldron is 5.5 m high, with a 1.3 m base; designed by Tim Fagan, industrial designer (Bombardier), assembled by Dominique Alary (Lumid Lighting Tools) and produced by Bill Gockeler (Artisans In Concrete).

05/11/2010

After being approached by French TV show "Tous ensemble", Lafarge contributed to building a house to help a family of farmers in the south west of France.

With support from local transport firms, Lafarge donated 26m³ of Agilia® concrete to the project: 14m³ of Agilia MI Foundations and 12m³ of Agilia MI Metal Slab. The house was constructed in just a week, in accordance with the show's format, and all the contractors and participants were volunteers.

03/23/2010

The Gamba Acoustique Group contracted Lafarge Concretes to construct the company's head office in Labège (Haute-Garonne). Agilia® concrete was chosen by Gamba Acoustique for the floor of the building in order to minimize the low-energy building's environmental footprint. When covered in tiles, Agilia® stores and releases heat, reducing energy consumption.

03/17/2010

For the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, Lafarge is partnering the Pavillon de la France which has been designed and constructed by architect Jacques Ferrier.

A symbol of France and its art of living, the Pavillon de la France has benefitted from the most up-to-date innovations in architectural design, building materials and respect for the environment. Based on the concept of the "sensual city", it evokes all 6 senses: taste, sight, hearing, touch, smell and balance/movement.

The Lafarge space, representing touch, was produced using Ductal®, the Group's ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete, and PLAtec® plasterboard.

03/10/2010

From Africa to Asia via the West Indies, the Commonwealth member nations represent 30% of the world's population. That type of sports event requires space and special infrastructure!

The state of Delhi, which will host the Commonwealth Games from October 3rd to 14th 2010, is therefore undertaking construction of various wide-ranging projects.

Lafarge Concrete in India won the contract for the construction of 3 facilities:

• The Talkatorasports hall: 35% of VAP Mega®Fill concrete was supplied to renovate the sports hall which will host the combat sports.
• The Indira Gandhistadium: the BU supplied 65% of the concrete required to construct the stadium which will host the volleyball, badminton and gymnastics competitions.
• The Shivajistadium: 6000m3 of VAP Mega®Fill were supplied for the project over 12 months. This stadium will host the football competition.

03/03/2010

The Hawk Lake Bridge, in Ontario (Canada) has an advanced precast bridge deck system that utilizes the innovative new ultra-high performance Ductal® Joint Fill solution. The bridge is 13.8m wide by 27.2m long; constructed with a combination of 12 side-by-side precast box girders with eleven Ductal® joints, precast Ductal® approach slabs and precast Ductal® guardrail curbs. Precast elements by Lafarge teams in Winnipeg. The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) received a PCA (Portland Cement Association) Concrete Bridge Award for this project on February 25th, during the Concrete Bridge Conference in Phoenix.

Advantages and benefits of this system includes: simplified fabrication and installation processes, superior freeze/ thaw resistance, extremely low porosity, improved flexural strength, superior toughness with resistance to harsh climates and continuous flexing from truck loadings across the joints.

01/08/2010

With severe delays, the A46 highway widening project is finally on its way in Newark, England. For this, Lafarge has installed a mobile batching plant to supply 75,000 m³ of concrete. The country is stimulating the local economy and improving road conditions in the region.

12/29/2009

Artevia® products are being presented in Brazil on the occasion of the Casa Cor exhibition in the State of Minas Gerais. Architects, designers and other construction and decoration professionals can pace the exhibition park's alleys and sidewalks made from Artevia® Color, Poli and Relief concretes in honor of one of the country's greatest architects, Oscar Niemeyer. At the end of the exhibition, the Artevia® concrete installations will continue to decorate the Lagoa de Pampulha gardens, a place of exhibition, thus bringing beauty, comfort and safety to visitors.

A symbol of elegance and style, the annual Casa Cor itinerant exhibition is a reference for Latin-American architecture, decoration and design. It represents an added value for all exhibited brands.

06/23/2009

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.

06/23/2008

Lafarge Canada Inc. Ready Mix is supplying 85,000 m3 of concrete for the construction of the Millennium Water Complex project, which will provide accommodation for athletes competing in the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. Ultra Green and Agilia® concretes will be supplied, with volumes of 45,000 m3 and 40,000 m3 respectively.

The Millennium Water Complex project is a LEED-certified project. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an American standards system for high environmental quality buildings whose criteria are, among others, energy efficiency, management of water consumption, heating efficiency and the use of locally sourced and recycled materials.

To qualify as a LEED project and to meet the very tight deadlines imposed by the customer, the Lafarge team has been required to show ingenuity with a specific Agilia® formulation for this project...

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

05/16/2002

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.