CBX Tower
BESIX
Gemeenschappenlaan 100
Avenue des Communautés 100
1200 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: +32 2 402.62.11
Fax: +32 2 402.62.00
Email:
Contact:
M. Jean-Louis Govaerts
Email:
Website:
BESIX
is a subsidiary of the BESIX Group
(previously SBB), founded in 1909, consist-
ing of industrial companies in the construc-
tion, electro-mechanics and real estate sec-
tors.
BESIX
’s activities cover almost every field of
construction.
A solid knowledge and experi-
ence has been built up mainly through the
technologies used in marine construction.
BESIX
’s competencies can be seen through
the works in the ports of Antwerp, Ghent
and Zeebrugge in Belgium,
Gwadar in
Pakistan, Sharjah and Khor Fakkan in the
United Arab Emirates, the «Piet Hein-tun-
nel» in Amsterdam (Netherlands), the four
siphons under the Suez Canal (Egypt), the
gas terminal at Dabhol (India) and the jetty
at
Mellitah (Libya).
Not forgetting large
numbers of quays and quay
walls in the
Middle East, Africa and across Europe, like
the quay
wall of the Kluizendok at Ghent
(Belgium) and the extension of the quay
wall at Dunkirk (France).
BESIX
also operates in other sectors such as
infrastructure
projects, large
buildings,
industrial and environmental projects.
Chal-
lenges it has successfully met in these sec-
tors, including tunnel and bridge building -
in particular for the high speed train links in
Belgium and the Netherlands - and airport
construction
work at Brussels (Belgium),
Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Roissy at
Paris (France).
The company
won its first international
orders in 1945, initially in Belgian Congo
(now the Democratic Republic of Congo).
In 1966, six companies in the SBB-BBM
group combined their forces to bid for
major contracts in the
Middle East,
which
resulted in a solid footing in the African and
Middle Eastern
markets. Today, Six
Con-
struct is one of the leading construction
companies in the United Arab Emirates.
A new period of major expansion began in
1985,
with a series of prestigious projects in
the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Pakistan,
Russia,
Mauritius, the Czech Republic, Slova-
kia, Poland, Egypt, Botswana, Angola and
India.
At the end of 2002,
BESIX
decided to
strengthen its presence on its «Domestic»
market, defined as the zone within a 400 km
radius of Brussels, including active involve-
ment in public-private partnership (PPP)
projects in Belgium.
We also note the company’s return to Libya
and Qatar in 2002-2003. If experience and
knowledge are the foundation of
BESIX
‘s
success, it is its proactive market approach,
its flexibility and in particular its human cap-
ital that give to our company the added
value that enables it to stand its ground in a
fiercely competitive market.
Every working day the primary concern of
our 10,000 employees is to satisfy our cus-
tomers with innovative «Design and Build»
technical solutions,
maintaining optimal
quality
within the shortest possible dead-
lines.
General Information
Client
: TST CBX SARL, 125
Avenue des
Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris
Consultant
: SETEC Tpi, Tour Gamma D, 58
quai de la Rapée, 75583 Paris Cedex 12
General Contractor
: Besix SA, Avenue des
Communautés 1001, 200 Bruxelles
Structural design
: Besix SA,
Avenue des
Communautés 100, 1200 Bruxelles
Projet description and structural
concept
Preamble
CBX tower stands along the boulevard
Circulaire a few hundred
meters from the
Grande
Arche at the
Esplanade
of la
Défense in Paris. The urbanistic develop-
ment of la Défense
was decided after the
war with a concept aiming to separate the
pedestrian circulation on the surface from
the motorised below. Consequently, a slab
covers huge parking spaces and numerous
vehicle and railway tunnels. This slab,
which
consists of large esplanades, kiosks and
greenery, is bordered by office towers and
apartment blocks that are in a deliberately
modern architectural style.
Architecture
The CBX tower has the shape of an aero-
plane wing standing vertically and culminat-
ing at 140m above ground. The façade is
made of an entirely glazed curtain
wall
emphasising its crystal sobriety.
At the
esplanade level, a footbridge traverses the
building,
which is also the main entrance. The
function of the tower is exclusively for office
use and its space is organised as follows:
• Four underground levels dedicated to
technical rooms and few parking spaces.-
Three levels between the ground floor
and the esplanade level consisting of
service rooms, delivery docks, kitchen
and office restaurant.
• Three levels between the esplanade level
and the transfer level
with space for
reception, kiosks, terraces and more tech-
nical equipment.
• Twenty-seven office levels.
• Three top levels of terraces and technical
room.
Structural concept and particularities
The structure is entirely in reinforced con-
crete.
A central core incorporating lifts, stairs,
technical shafts and sanitary blocs provides
the bracing. The slabs are spanning from this
central core to the façade supported by cir-
cular columns spaced at 8.1m.
The project is located on a site crossed by
numerous
major underground networks
that have a determining impact on the
geometry of the infrastructure. This situa-
tion led to a complex foundation system
composed of a raft under part of the build-
ing and, under other parts, very large diam-
eter piles
with transfer beams receiving
huge loads.
At ground level, the tower is traversed by a
road and at level +3 (level of the esplanade)
by a public footbridge.
Moreover, at level
+5, the straight façade is moved to the out-
side by 2m with a change of column vertical
alignment.
Finally, also at +5, the central core is
enlarged. These criteria made it necessary to
foresee a transfer level composed of 2.2m
thick slab and deep beams.
Numbers
• Depth of excavation: 18m
• Height above ground: 140m
• Total surface area: 45000m²
• Quantity of concrete: 32000m³
• Quantity of steel reinforcement: 3600T
• Number of structural construction draw-
ings: 727
• Number of electromechanical drawings:
563
• Number of architectural drawings: 435
• Completion time: 31 months
• Completion time for one typical floor:
1 week
98
Company
Project
CBX Tower
SCIA User Contest 2005 / Commercial and industrial building
3
Categorie
