Surgical precision in Montpellier…

Montpellier’s university hospital (CHU) encompasses several sites, including Lapeyronie Hospital, which owes its name to King Louis XV’s surgeon. Located downhill from natural terrain, it flooded regularly in heavy rain and required securing. The CHU thus launched large-scale works, entrusted to SADE.

Protective measures in a high-risk context

To begin with, the competent authorities initiated emergency works:

• Building of an embankment along the hospital site
• Raising by 3.5m of three access points to the hospital (car park, staff entrance, etc.)
• Laying of a stormwater collector

A new phase entrusted to SADE

To complete the site’s stormwater management plan, SADE was called on to build a collector to drain water into the existing Colombière retention basin. The project consists of two orders.

The first works order, currently being executed by the Montpellier Agency teams (Marseille Regional Division), began in May 2022 for a duration of 1 year and consists in:

• The open-air laying of a 2000mm-diameter pipe along 80m
• The building of a collector along 120m, composed of casings poured on site (4m x 2m) and connected to the retention basin
• The building of a circular chamber to link Order 1 and Order 2 facilities together
• Works to the intake and outflow points of the basin, with excavation using RENO mattress

Casings were chosen in order to facilitate storage at a depth of 3m.

For the execution of the Order 2 facilities, the Marseille RD called on the expertise and resources of SADE Special Works to dig a 2000mm-diameter collector along 180m at a depth of 7.5m, a task achieved in 9 months by microtunnelling. Requiring just two shafts, for operations and exit, this underground technique enabled the continuity of the site’s activities and traffic flows.

SADE and its teams were congratulated for the successful completion of these works in a letter from the CHU’s Managing Director.