Solutions - Ductal

LAFARGE DUCTAL ® NEWSLETTER – march 2012 – no. 12 

Solutions 

contents 

P. 2 - 4 I project 

> MuCEM - France 

P. 5 I project 

> New Miami Art Museum 

- U.S.A. 

P. 6 - 7 I sustainable construction 

> Rotman school OF 

MANAGEMENT - CANADA 

P. 8 - 9 I application 

> Rabat-Salé Airport 

- MOROCCO 

P. 10 - 11 I services 

> Architectural support 

- WORLDWIDE 

P. 12 I Precasting 

> Louis Vuitton Foundation 

- FRANCE 

The MuCEM footbridge is a technological feat; spanning 78 meters. Photo - © Lisa Ricciotti. 

A UHPC for sustainable 

architectural innovation 

Architects have been designing, prototyping, 

testing and constructing with Ductal ® ultrahigh 

performance concrete (UHPC) for more 

than ten years now. Their projects illustrate 

the spirit of partnership that Lafarge has 

sought to create ever since the material first 

appeared. These partnerships involve a strong 

collaborative approach by owners, designers, 

engineers, precasters and Lafarge experts - 

all working together, to develop high-quality 

construction methods capable of exploiting 

the full performance range of this innovative 

concrete. 

Today, numerous major projects around the 

world are helping to create the Ductal ® “legend”. 

In this issue of Ductal ® Solutions, we present 

five such projects: two museums, a foundation, 

a university and an airport terminal; each 

demonstrating the trust that owners’ place in 

Lafarge’s UHPC for their current and future 

projects. 

Through this issue, we take the opportunity to 

thank the architects and partners of Lafarge 

who bring Ductal ® UHPC to life. 

Jean Martin-Saint-Léon 

General Director Ductal ® 

Lafarge Group 

DUCTAL ® Solutions I march 2012 I 1

project 

The organic-shaped columns designed by the architect provide 80 different combinations. Photo - © Lisa Ricciotti 

2 I March 2012 I DUCTAL ® Solutions

Museum of European and 

Mediterranean Civilizations 

The first French national museum to exist outside of Paris, “MuCEM” stands 

out as an emblem of French culture while blending in with one of the most 

beautiful historic settings in the Mediterranean. It exploits all the advantages of 

Ductal ® in a celebration of solidity and gracefulness. 

“A sinewy, feminine project, all skin and bone” 

by MuCEM architect, Rudy Ricciotti 

Rudy Ricciotti, architect 

The MuCEM project consists 

of a polyhedron space 

72 meters long, partially 

covering an internal area 

52 meters long which 

houses exhibition space 

and conference rooms. This 

volume is enveloped by a 

close-fitting mesh produced, 

in the same way as the 

structure of the interior 

spaces, in Ductal ® perforated 

like a cross-section of 

marine rock. This mesh 

forms a screen for thefacing 

facades and filters 

the sun on the rooftop public 

terrace. From there, a Ductal ® 

footbridge crosses to Fort 

Saint-Jean, with a span of 

78 meters. In this project, 

Ductal ® is a celebration 

of solidity and gracefulness.. 

“T 

he project consists of a shared 

environment, minerality, unusual 

geometry and a climate filter. The MuCEM 

has structural thinness and a total absence 

of reflection and shininess, a reference to 

the surrounding Mediterranean. It doesn’t 

try to compete with the solid historic mass of 

Fort Saint-Jean, but it is a sinewy, feminine 

project, consisting only of skin and bone. 

It is an abstract cube, clad on its western and 

southern sides and roof, with a concrete mesh 

that filters the light, retains the sea spray and 

forms in itself, a museum-like artifact that one 

may view from the bridge. 

It’s a cube that you 

can walk around like a 

ziggurat, ascending slowly 

towards the roof and a way 

of sharing a public edifice 

which allows locals and visitors to experience 

the museum without having to go inside. The 

route has vantage points over the port, Fort 

Saint-Jean, the city and out to sea. 

This vertical casbah is linked to the Fort by 

a footbridge that is an exceptional technological 

feat, stretching out like a slender black ribbon 

or muscle. With a 78-meter span, it breaks 

all previous records. The entire structure is 

of this nature, forming a daunting technical 

challenge. It is also a people’s museum, 

a shared territory, one that allows us to 

understand where we have come from. It 

gives expression to an internal conflict that 

reflects an artistic struggle that will continue 

Sharing 

a public edifice 

to survive, to dream and be at the very edge 

of reason. 

This museum has quite a new architectural 

approach. Its highly sinuous, totally mineral 

skeleton experiments with a new relationship 

to the material, taut yet sensual. 

To achieve such results, we had to adapt 

our methods of building. We are in a 

completely experimental field, with structures 

that are designed in a climate of research 

and development, with a team of highflying 

engineers each bringing his own 

area of knowledge, his 

own answers, his own 

experience. 

To achieve a “world’s 

first”, we have to invent 

something new every day. 

For example, the way in which we transfer 

loads within structures, how we use poststressed 

concrete mechanically, and how we 

work with decks. 

Had the project been designed ten years ago, it 

couldn’t have been built. Thanks to the efforts 

of the structural engineer, Romain Ricciotti 

and his partner, Guillaume Lamoureux, it is 

an extraordinarily experimental project which 

will advance our collective knowledge of the 

behavior of concrete.” 


project 

MuCEM is an extraordinary demonstration project. Photo - © Nanick Guihodo 

“Precision, Equilibrium and Weightlessness” 

Interview with Patrick Mazzacane 

Director of UHPC operations at Bonna Sabla 

A project that 

employed 

techniques 

never tried 

before. 

How would you characterize construction of the 

MuCEM ? 

Patrick Mazzacane: As Rudy Ricciotti likes to say, this 

project is “all skin and bone”. This means stripping back 

the structure as much as possible in order to use the least 

possible amount of material while constructing a building 

that “stands up by itself”. 

We have employed techniques never tried before. The 

engineering consultants, Lamoureux & Ricciotti, had 

to devise construction methods which are the very 

opposite of traditional ones. Here, we started with the 

floors. To give you an example, each 4,000 m² floor 

slab must be encircled so that it acts as a diaphragm 

preventing horizontal movement in the event of an 

earthquake. Floors of this size normally require expansion 

joints every 40 m², but here, there are none at all! The floor 

slabs are supported by steel props, and then connected 

to columns which then have a steel cable passed through 

them so the entire construction can be pre-stressed by a 

post-tensioning process. At the top of this very lightweight 

structure, we positioned 35 four- meter tall hoists with 

13-meter spans to allow the installation of walkways 

sheltered by the mesh. This project is all about precision, 

equilibrium and weightlessness. 

What are the components that make up the building? 

P.M.: The design of the basic components is based on 

modules that generate a large number of combinations. 

Take the columns, for example: they can be Y-shaped or 

even N-shaped and range between six and nine meters in 

height. 20 basic designs provide 80 different combinations. 

The columns, with an organic shape, designed by the 

architect and “sculpted” by a craftsman, are as slender 

as possible thanks to the use of Ductal ® , and are designed 

to carry the entire load. The assembly technique that we 

used meant that production tolerances had to be less than 

2 millimeters on elements 9 meters tall! 

The concrete mesh is made up of 6 m x 3 m precast slabs, 

with an exact balance between the solids and the voids, 

which constitute 50% of the surface. The slabs have been 

calculated to avoid repeats while allowing for perfect joins 

between façade, angle and roofing elements. 

The feat consisted in delivering millimeter-perfect precasting 

and assembly, as well as achieving a visibly 

impeccable finish. One of the reasons for the choice of 

Ductal ® was its high resistance to a marine environment. 

This means that the metal fibers had to be sufficiently 

immersed to ensure that no trace of oxidation ever 

appears. 

Does the light weight of the structure weaken its 

resistance? 

P.M.: On the contrary. The building was subject to the most 

stringent requirements: a pioneering building method and 

maximum requirements in terms of both seismic strength 

and fire resistance, as specified and tested by the CSTB. 

To take the example of fire resistance, the Ductal ® that was 

used (except for the footbridge and the mesh) is a fireresistant 

formulation capable of withstanding temperatures 

of almost 1,000° C, thus preventing blistering in the event 

of a blaze. 

How did you deal with precasting? 

P.M.: The MuCEM embodies the full range of performance 

that Ductal ® is capable of delivering. But it demands the 

most accurate possible formulation. 

We had very little time to come up with the right precasting 

methods to enable our site teams to combine their skills as 

expert craftsmen with the industrial approach needed for 

a project of this scale. 

All the production took place at our Vendargues plant, near 

Montpellier. The Ductal ® material was entirely made in 

France, using no imported components, in full compliance 

with environmental and sustainable development goals. 


project 

The MAM opens itself up on all four sides to each of the distinctive settings within its location - © Herzog & de Meuron 

The new Miami Art Museum (MAM) in Miami, Florida, is part of 

a 29-acre Museum Park; a redeveloped waterfront space close to 

downtown, overlooking Biscayne Bay. 

The New Miami Art Museum 

Cross-section plan view 

of Ductal ® mullion. 

(unit of measure: mm) 

T 

he masterplan was developed by 

Cooper, Robertson & Partners – with a 

desire to capitalize on the availability of open 

green space adjacent to the waterfront while 

clustering venues such as the MAM and 

the Miami Science Museum along the more 

urban edge of the city. The museum opens 

itself up on all four sides to invite in each 

of the distinctive settings within its location. 

It will include public gardens and sculpture 

installations brought 

together by an extensive 

canopy surrounding the 

building. Designed by 

Herzog & de Meuron, 

the new Miami Art 

Museum will offer 

200,000 square feet of 

programmable space, 

including 120,000 

square feet of interior space - more than 

three times the size of the Museum’s current 

facility. It will also include approximately 

80,000 square feet of exterior program space 

for the display of works of art, educational 

activities, relaxation and dining. 

Ductal ® is used 

in a unique mullion 

application 

Lafarge’s Ultra-High Performance Concrete 

(UHPC), Ductal ® , will be used in a unique 

mullion application (vertical strips between 

window panes) that will support the large curtain 

wall glazing surrounding the building. 

Herzog & de Meuron chose Ductal ® for the 

mullions to blend with the cast in place elements 

of the structure and allow for a softer appearance 

with the vegetation. Ductal’s ® superior strength 

allows the mullion to be 

thin and sinuous so that 

views out to the veranda 

are not obstructed 

while also being able 

to withstand Hurricane 

force winds. The 

mullions are in a long 

span vertical application, 

some spanning up to 16 

feet. Ductal’s ® matrix is also extremely durable 

and will provide greater resistance against 

corrosion and abrasion in the salt air climate. 

Ultimately, the new Miami Art Museum, 

scheduled to open to the public in 2013, will 

provide room to showcase growing collections, 

an expanded exhibition space for world-class 

exhibitions to Miami-Dade County, and an 

educational complex. For more information, visit 

www.miamiartmuseum.org. 


sustainable construction 

The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, Canada. Rendering courtesy of KPMB Architects. 

Sustainable UHPC Curtain Wall System 

A new era in education 

The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto (Canada) 

has expanded with construction of a new 150,000 m 2 building that more 

than doubles the size of the original school. According to the architects, 

Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (KPMB), the design is a direct 

expression of Rotman’s core mission to promote creativity, innovation, 

and integrative thinking in 21st century business education. The overall 

concept advances the school’s long-term sustainability and business 

strategy, and will meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design 

(LEED) Silver requirements. 


350 panels in dark gray Ductal ® 

T 

he building’s curtain wall is partly clad 

with 350+ dark gray Ductal ® panels just 

30 mm thick (ranging from 0.5 to 1 m wide x 

3.5 to 5.3 m high), while another 100+ panels 

(19 mm thick) create an attractive interior 

feature wall. KPMB conceived of panels for the 

opaque sections of the curtain wall in a specific 

colour and texture, intended to complement 

the black slate rooftops of numerous heritage 

houses nearby. Ductal ® was chosen because 

of its ability to achieve these features and meet 

structural requirements, with subtle variations 

in the material - adding a natural quality to the 

panels, and their soft matte finish contrasting 

with the darker reflective 

qualities of the adjacent 

glass. 

The architect’s criteria 

was ambitious because 

the university preferred 

a long, thin, lightweight 

span façade panel up 

to 5.3 m, with a hard, 

durable exterior wall surface with little to no 

visible signs of wear from elemental impacts. 

Ductal ® provided a very thin, monolithic-plate, 

slab-type design with a custom-coloured and 

moulded surface aspect that would ‘plug-andplay’ 

with current curtain wall framing systems, 

and without intermediate jointing. 

Through a series of panel mockups, several 

iterations were developed to achieve the desired 

result. Ductal ® was fairly new to the precaster, 

so it was important to understand the material 

limitations and potentials before developing the 

final panel process and appearance. The panel 

pattern and size was derived from the need to 

keep the glass panels down to ±40% of the 

Ductal ® panels 

with specific colour 

and texture 

overall skin (due to energy performance criteria 

for LEED); have one operable window per 

office; and weave together the façade to break 

down its overall scale and create a restrained, 

whimsical backdrop for the university campus 

and Massey College nearby. 

The weight of the larger Ductal ® panels, along 

with the oversized unitized curtain wall panels, 

created some installation challenges that 

were easily overcome. Since the panels had 

a smooth exterior surface, the contractor was 

able to use vacuum cup lifters typically used 

with glass, allowing the shop processes to be 

maintained, meet the 

schedule and keep costs 

down. 

Due to a tight schedule, 

the ability to have a 

local precaster produce 

and deliver the panels 

on time while working 

closely with the curtain 

wall manufacturer/ installer was key to success 

– along with the need for a strong collaboration 

among all key parties. For instance; because 

the precaster was new to Ductal ® and the 

curtain wall manufacturer had never inserted 

Ductal ® panels into their curtain wall system, 

the project managers had to co-ordinate the 

transfer of knowledge and procedures for 

everyone involved, thereby ensuring that the 

final product met and exceeded the design 

and aesthetic parameters. 

For more information, see: 

www.rotman.utoronto.ca 

The panels with their soft matte finish, 

contrast with the darker reflective 

qualities of the adjacent glass. 


Application 

A Lattice Screen in Ductal ® 

at Rabat-Salé Airport 

Symbolizing the history of the city of Rabat-Salé and the prestige of the 

Kingdom of Morocco, the refurbishment of the airport of the administrative 

capital involves a first on the African continent: a “double skin” in Ductal ® 

that provides a new lattice-style facade, permitting the light to flow inside the 

building while providing a screen that offers protection from the sun outside. 

Light, transparency and fluidity 

Interview with Zhor Jaidi-Bensouda, 

interior designer and graduate of the ESAM in Paris, who is heading 

the project. 

A Lattice Screen in Ductal ® 

The dual architectural 

themes were the history 

of Rabat-Salé and the 

prestige of the Kingdom. 

8 I March 2012 I DUCTAL ® Solutions 

What did this project consist of? 

Zhor Jaidi-Bensouda: At the outset, the 

Moroccan Airport Authority called my 

interior design agency, Klarté, to redesign 

and modernize the interior of the Rabat-Salé 

airport terminal building. 

However, this 4,000 m² building was 

dysfunctional in several respects, arising from 

the cramped nature of the public concourse 

and the departure lounge as well as a lack of 

daylight and too few check-in desks for the 

number of passengers. 

The upgrading of these terminal facilities, led 

by a group of architects, meant tripling these 

areas, for which the dual architectural theme 

was to be the history of Rabat-Salé and the 

prestige of the Kingdom. 

We sought to emphasize light, transparency, 

fluidity and simplicity in order to enable 

recognition of the various zones (public 

concourse, check-in, arrivals/departures, 

baggage hall) and create views of the runway 

area. 

In addition, in response to a request from 

the owner, who wanted a building that would 

reflect the prestige of Morocco’s administrative 

capital, we symbolically represented the 

columns of the well-known Hassan Tower by 

contrasting stone with foliage on the airport 

terrace. The whole design underscores 

the modernity of the Ductal ® double skin 

composed of a star shape traditional in 

Moroccan culture and lit from below with 

multi-colored LEDs. 

How did ultra-high performance concrete 

stand out from other double skin solutions, 

given that this is an area of expertise of the 

contractor, Jet Alu? 

Z.J-B.: This double skin is designed to prevent 

a greenhouse effect inside the building and 

represent the simplicity and elegance that we 

had envisaged. 

We had to provide something that would at 

the same time cover the existing structure in 

a cladding with a traditional design that would 

ensure continuity between the interior and 

exterior spaces, act as a sun-screen on the 

south facade and provide a representation 

of Morocco as a modern, forward-thinking 

country. 

The quality of the finish, the whiteness, 

compliance with a traditional mashrabiya 

design, which requires 70% of voids, and 

the pioneering use of a building material new 

to the African continent were all factors that 

contributed to the decision to use Ductal ® . 

Zhor Jaidi-Bensouda, interior designer 

(ESAM, Paris) headed the project.

Symbolizing the history of the city of Rabat-Salé and the prestige of the Kingdom of Morocco. 

The First Ductal ® Double Skin in Africa 

“T 

he ‘double skin’ facade at Rabat-Salé Airport 

is a first in Africa. The challenge for us was 

to work with local companies and provide them 

with support throughout the engineering study and 

manufacturing stages,” explains Jean-Aimé Shu, 

international project manager for Ductal ® . 

This challenge was simplified by the size of JetAlu, 

a Moroccan public works contractor specializing 

in light facades and openwork architecture, whose 

subsidiary, “Be Arch” 

specifically deals with UHPC 

contracts. 

“Rabat-Salé Airport was our 

first project in Ductal ® in 

Morocco,” points out Hicham 

Bichara, its director. “It was 

combined with a glazed 

facade for the first time. The structure of this curtain 

wall had to be designed in such a way as to also 

take account of the weight of the supports for the 

Ductal ® mesh. 

“Prior to the manufacturing phase, we sent our 

engineers to France for introductory training in 

Ductal ® and associated techniques. The training 

served a number of purposes, including gaining an 

understanding of the manufacturing process just as 

much as developing the mold-making processes 

and applying protection to the material. The training 

proved vital in more ways than one – for example, 

there are no mold-makers in Morocco, so we had to 

produce the molds ourselves using materials (mainly 

silicon) that are unavailable on the Moroccan market. 

A proportion of 

70% of voids 

The Ductal ® teams came out to Morocco several 

times to help us with molding and casting the first 

units.” 

When the contract was signed, the Be Arch plant 

was still being set up. As a result, it was developed 

specifically with this project in mind, with the 

workbenches designed for molds. Special lifting 

beams were installed so that panels could be 

removed from their molds, transported and placed. 

Some of the panels measured 

5.25 m x 1.75 m. 

“The complexity of this project 

lay in the shape of the panels 

that were to be installed to 

produce this modern Lattice 

Screen with a very high 

proportion of voids and attached 

to a glazed facade,” explains Zhor Jaidi-Bensouda, 

interior designer on the project. 

“In the initial stages, we had several meetings with 

Lafarge engineers over the feasibility study, and 

particularly to approve the working drawings. During 

the construction phase, we paid particular attention 

to the quality of the finish, as well as to ensuring that 

the joints between the units were neat and narrow. 

This first Moroccan contract, completed in a very 

short turnaround time, was certainly a challenge. It 

required meticulous upstream preparation, precise 

mix proportioning and extremely tight project 

organization. But this allowed us to achieve a result 

that has now made me eager to work with Ductal ® 

again.” 


services 

Architectural support 

for Ductal ® projects 

Often, when an architect encounters Ductal ® for the first time, they want to know how to implement a 

Ductal ® design into their own projects. While each project has its own unique progression, they also 

share several commonalities but, the one thing that is consistent and essential, is the collaborative spirit 

of the team. 

Interview with Kelly Henry, 

LEED AP®, Architectural Project Manager, North America 

Kelly Henry, may be reached at: 

kelly.henry@lafarge-na.com 

Over the past decade or 

so, Lafarge has developed 

many independent tests 

that help to validate our 

material. 

In North America, what steps are required 

in order to realize an architectural project 

in Ductal ® ? 

Kelly Henry: First, the architect should contact 

a Ductal ® representative - to discuss their 

project, develop ideas and gain a thorough 

understanding of how Ductal ® elements can 

facilitate freedom of design. The engineer of 

record is typically involved in the development 

process too and will help to provide correct 

sizing for the Ductal ® elements. Furthermore, 

our team will work closely with the engineer; 

to ensure they are comfortable working with 

the material’s characterization design values, 

assisting as needed and verifying that the 

sizing is correct. 

When does the precaster get involved? 

K.H.: Once a project has direction we can 

assess, in advance, how it might affect the 

budget. It should be noted that realistic 

budget numbers can only be provided by a 

sublicensed precaster. We can recommend a 

precaster once we know the project location, 

size and casting requirements and then 

bring them into the discussion as early as 

possible, in order to finalize development of 

the design and determine its castability. The 

precaster will work closely with the engineers 

and architects to achieve the desired finish 

and our team is always available for technical 

assistance during the casting process. Once 

the Ductal ® pieces are cast, they are delivered 

to site and erected. 

What else should an architect know about 

designing with Ductal ® ? 

K.H.: Depending on the design, it is a good 

possibility that mock-up and test pieces will 

have to be produced. Some regions and 

building officials require extra data on the 

specific elements in order to pass them for 

placement onto a building. Over the past 

decade or so, Lafarge has developed many 

independent tests that help to validate 

our material and, in North America, the 

development of codes for architectural 

UHPC products is well underway. However, 

because these codes are not in effect just 

yet, there may be a need for specialized 

testing for certain projects. Upon successful 

completion, Lafarge will often showcase 

unique architectural Ductal ® projects through 

the creation of articles, website features, 

press releases, books/brochures and award 

submittals – all designed to celebrate the 

collaborative efforts of the entire project 

team. 


Working Alongside Architects 

Right From the Sketch Phase 

Interview with Alexandro Guitton 

Architectural Project Manager, France 

Alexandro Guitton, may be reached at: 

alexandro.guitton@fr.lafarge.com 

Our first role is to answer 

architects’ questions when 

they need information. 

What are the main questions you have to 

answer when you are providing support for 

architects who are working on projects in 

Ductal ® ? 

Alexandro Guitton: Our first role is to answer 

questions raised by architects when they 

need information. Particularly when they 

have arisen from discovering new projects 

in Ductal ® . They bring up technical questions 

to which we supply answers that are 

as closely related to their own projects as 

possible. 

During the sketch phase, we are able to 

offer them assistance in the choice of colors 

and textures; we can produce targeted 

samples and; supply technical documentation 

tailored to their architectural project. 

In the more advanced phases we put a full 

support service in place. 

What form does this technical support 

take? 

A.G.: In the first place, they can deal with 

a single, specialized contact person. It 

is my job to support French architects in 

each phase of their projects using Ductal ® . 

Beyond questions on esthetic matters, we 

can help the architect with the structural 

definition of the project. We have a partnership 

with firms of engineering consultants 

specialized in feasibility and pre-sizing calculations 

in UHPC, fixing systems, watertightness, 

and so on. 

We then present a whole panel of 

precasters whose teams have received 

training and are specialized in 

the production of Ductal ® . Proximity, experience 

of the same type of application, an 

ability to produce prototypes and the plant’s 

capacity to manufacture the volume required 

are all considered. All our partners 

are Ductal ® licencees. This is a guar antee 

of both the quality of service and the pertinence 

of costs. 

In addition to all of this, we also perform 

quality control on production by helping 

the precaster on suitability testing and finetuning 

the product. Our technical director 

also contributes his expertise when complex 

questions arise, whether following the 

suitability tests or during the actual construction 

phase. 

Providing Tailored Support 

from Design through Construction 

Interview with Jean-Aimé Shu 

International Project Manager 

What is different when you are providing 

support for an international project? 

Jean-Aimé Shu: When architects’ projects 

have an international dimension, they have 

specific needs that require very particular 

assistance at the beginning of the sketch 

phase. 

Our role involves giving them support 

as far upstream as possible. Thanks to 

our experience with the material and our 

international expertise, the Ductal ® team’s 

support allows architects to validate the 

choice of Ductal ® for their project on both 

technical and financial grounds. 

Our partnerships with expert engineering 

consultants enables us to quickly provide the 

elements that make it possible to fine-tune 

the first calculations. In many parts of the 

world, once the project has been defined, we 

are in a position to introduce the precasters 

who will be the most able to estimate costs 

and manage the production needed for the 

project. If it is a country in which the Lafarge 

Group doesn’t yet have connections, we can 

undertake a search for suppliers capable of 

meeting the safety and quality standards set 

by the Group. 

The challenge we face with architects working 

abroad is to offer a high-quality service 

throughout the construction process. They 

benefit from the fact that the Project Manager, 

who supports them during the design phase, 

will also be at their side for the construction 

phase. 

Jean-Aimé Shu, may be reached at: 

jean-aime.shu@lafarge.com 

The challenge we 

face with architects 

working abroad is to 

offer a high-quality 

service throughout the 

construction process. 


Precasting 

Louis Vuitton Foundation 

A Perfect Multifaceted Iceberg 

A cleanroom environment to manufacture 18,800 panels for the Louis Vuitton Foundation. 

T 

he building conceived by Frank Gehry is 

characterized by a structure made up of 

large glazed sections called glass canopies 

and parts in concrete called icebergs. 

“Several solutions were considered to 

produce these wall panels,” explain Christian 

Reyne, deputy director of the Louis Vuitton 

Foundation (project 

owner) and Nicolas 

Paschal, project director. 

“Metal and sprayed 

concrete were discussed 

but we chose Ductal ® , 

the only solution which 

met all our expectations 

in terms of finish quality, 

durability and mechanical 

resistance.” 

The first challenge was to develop a process 

for producing all the wall panels for the 

cladding, all with non-standard 3D geometry, 

so that they would match the curve of the 

9000 m 2 facade. The solution developed 

by Lafarge and prototype manufacturer 

Cogitech Design, in collaboration with project 

management consortium RFR/TESS, consists 

in a unique vacuum casting process using 

a flexible mold capable of adapting to any 

curve, combined with a polystyrene template 

manufactured to the required geometry. 

The MSV (Moulage Sous Vide) process was 

patented by Lafarge in 2008. 

“The diversity of the panels meant that we 

had to produce unique elements with a 

craftsman-like attention to detail while using 

an industrialized manufacturing process,” 

explains Patrick Mazzacane, director of 

Construction of the Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation had many 

challenges: 18,800 separate panels, all of them different, zero-defect 

tolerance, the creativity of its designer and the highest standards of 

quality expected by the owner. 

UHPC operations at Bonna Sabla. “The first 

operation consisted in establishing all the 

digital data for each panel. This enabled us to 

model the wave form in three dimensions, to 

ensure the automation of the tooling software 

governing the digitally customized mold of 

each element, and to precisely position the 

metal inserts required 

for assembling the 

panels.” 

Craftsman quality, 

industrialized 

manufacturing 

process 

Editorial committee: 

Annabelle Brizou 

is in charge of 

production at 

Bonna Sabla. “Each 

panel produced is 

scanned by a robot 

using structured 

light technology,” 

she explains. “It is then compared with 

the original digital data file to ensure its 

conformity. Installing the panels is like solving 

a jigsaw puzzle with millimeter accuracy. 

From the moment we stock the panels on 

pallets, we focus on making the workmen’s 

task easier by ensuring the traceability of the 

pallets and delivery to the site in the exact 

Editor-in Chief: Jean Martin-Saint-Léon 

Editor and contact: Lisa Birnie - lisa.birnie@lafarge-na.com 

Photo credits: Lafarge photo library - Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation / Mazen 

Saggar - Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation / Mohamed Khalfi - Bearch - Lisa 

Ricciotti - KPMB Architects - Herzog & de Meuron - Nanick Guihodo 

Design/production: All Write 

Translation: Nouvel Angle 

Printing: Imprimerie BM 

order of installation. But we also have to make 

sure that the panels are manufactured and 

stored under very stringent conditions: the 

time before demolding, conditions of curing, 

the time before the application of a waterrepellent 

anti-graffiti compound, and so on. 

Particular care is also given to control of 

the stability of raw materials to ensure a 

constant quality of whiteness, verified with a 

spectrocolorimeter. There are many aspects 

that make cleanness a high priority. “To meet 

the quality challenge, the production shop we 

designed specially for this project strives to 

meet the same criteria as a cleanroom,” adds 

the engineer responsible for producing these 

immaculate icebergs. 

facts 

Thanks to the mechanical properties 

of Ductal ® , the panels are only 25 mm 

thick and have an average weight of 

35 kg, making them easy to handle. By 

the end of January, 2012, 2,725 panels 

had been cast. 

www.ductal-lafarge.com 

12 I march 2012 I DUCTAL ® Solutions

Solutions - Ductal

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?