{"id":9019,"date":"2022-01-28T17:18:05","date_gmt":"2022-01-28T16:18:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/?p=9019"},"modified":"2022-12-22T16:27:19","modified_gmt":"2022-12-22T15:27:19","slug":"repair-of-the-waterproofing-on-the-banks-of-the-emborel-on-the-canal-du-midi-haute-garonne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/en\/repair-of-the-waterproofing-on-the-banks-of-the-emborel-on-the-canal-du-midi-haute-garonne\/","title":{"rendered":"Repair of the waterproofing on the banks of the Emborel on the Canal du Midi (Haute-Garonne)"},"content":{"rendered":"

January 28th, 2022<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Repair of the waterproofing on the banks of the Emborel on the Canal du Midi (Haute-Garonne)<\/h1><\/div>
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Soletanche Bachy France realise the preparatory work to detect and protect networks, build a cut-off-wall and repair the tow path bordered by plane trees.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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A brief history<\/h2><\/div>

Construction of the \u201cRoyal Canal of Languedoc\u201d between Toulouse and the Mediterranean was completed between 1666 and 1681, having been ordered in October 1666 by Louis XIV in a royal edict and overseen by Pierre-Paul Riquet.<\/p>\n

Although authorised by the king, Riquet refused to use forced peasant labour under the \u201cCorv\u00e9e\u201d regime, or more specifically the \u201cCorv\u00e9e Royale\u201d regime, as was common at the time for the construction of roads. For 15 years, Riquet employed men and women who he organised into sections to form workshops headed by a Comptroller General. At its height, the site employed 12,000 workers. This optimal and streamlined project organisation allowed several worksites to operate simultaneously. All work was manual and the canal was dug using shovels and pickaxes.<\/p>\n

It was not until 1789 that the revolutionaries renamed this exceptional engineering feat \u2013 considered the largest construction site of the 17th century \u2013 the \u201cCanal du Midi\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The operation<\/p>\n

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Following the appearance of localised leaks in the Emborel bank in recent years, Voies Navigables de France (VNF \u2013 French inland waterway authority) initiated the definition of a programme to tackle these problems due to the erosion of materials backfilled and compacted manually more than 300 years ago.<\/p>\n

The section of bank affected by the works programme is 170m long and located a few hundred meters from the Emborel lock, in the town of Avignonet-Lauragais.<\/p>\n

Geologically, the bank is composed of clay-loam embankments created by the disintegration of rock when the canal was dug. These embankments cover a hard marly-limestone substratum, considered to be impermeable.<\/p>\n

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Following a call for tenders, Soletanche Bachy France Sud, was awarded the entire contract by VNF and its engineer Egis<\/a>, including preparatory work to detect and protect networks, build a cut-off-wall and repair the tow path bordered by plane trees, now a popular route for cyclists and walkers.<\/p>\n

This posed a technical, logistical and environmental challenge for the SBF teams. But their firm grasp of the project and its issues has led to the definition of numerous actions which will be implemented to meet the project\u2019s requirements:<\/p>\n