Precast concrete indispensable in renewal of Hector Henneau Avenue bridge over R0 Brussels

Due to its poor condition, the Hector Henneau Avenue bridge over the Ring (R0) in Brussels is in urgent need of renovation. On behalf of De Werkvennootschap, BESIX, BESIX Infra and Socogetra are starting the work. The current bridge will be completely replaced by a new one, which will be twice as wide and will focus on the safety of vulnerable road users and a better flow of public transport and cars. A separate ecopassage will also provide a safe crossing for local wildlife. For the tunnels for that ecopassage, an appeal was made to Webeco, precast concrete manufacturer and member of FEBELCO, the sub-association within FEBE that represents manufacturers of concrete pipes and pits.

FEBE is the recognized trade association of manufacturers of precast concrete products and defends the industry's interests. The Belgian concrete industry produces a wide range of prefabricated elements for construction, ranging from simple, unreinforced products such as masonry blocks and pavers to the large structural elements such as bridge girders. Within FEBE, FEBELCO groups the manufacturers of concrete pipes and accessories. The trade association hereby represents all manufacturers of concrete products needed for the collection, transport, treatment, buffering and infiltration of water.

Prefabricated tubes

The special ecopassage realized in this project is not only located on the bridge. Thus, underground tunnels are also provided. In this way, animals can easily and moreover safely reach the surrounding forests without being bothered by traffic. To design and make these tunnels, the contractor called on Webeco, producer of precast concrete elements for the construction of the infrastructure works for utilities such as water, electricity and traffic. Says Alessio Husson of Webeco, "For this project, in consultation with the engineering office and the client, we made custom tubes. The largest tube measures 6,000 x 1,600 and weighs 30 tons. So this is definitely not an everyday project, but a challenge we are very happy to take on."

Custom mold

To accomplish this project, Webeco created a custom mold in-house to meet all of the client's needs. "Because there was a lot of customization involved here, we decided to customize a mold once for this project. This was accomplished entirely in-house," Husson said. The outlet nozzles were also fully customized. To counteract the deflection of the top plate, the tubes were fitted with a supporting column. Says Husson, "Using spiral formwork, we were able to provide these columns in our elements at the request of the design office." 

Concrete Water Products

Furthermore, the tubes are also equipped with overlay consoles that are precast to the elements. By placing the overlay brackets in advance, the road can be constructed directly on top of the elements. "Sleeves are definitely part of our core business within our Concrete Water Products business unit. This branch includes a full range of standardized concrete products for sewer and drainage works as well as an extensive program of customized constructions, with the result that we can offer complete DWA and RWA systems. We are therefore very pleased that we were able to contribute our part to this impressive project because this is, after all, one of our strengths," Husson concludes.