Status repor t and fu ture prospects for the BG Consu l t ing Eng ineers Group — 201 1 Ed i t ion

WWTP Sophia Antipolis

From waste water to drinking water?

TransRUN, canton of Neuchâtel

Two towns come together

Interview

“I’m passionate about BG”

Nature as a partner

Collective intelligence as a resource

Working together for a sustainable worldwww.bg-21.com

BG 2011 ■ 3

Editorial

ProF. Dr. LaurenT VuLLIeT,CEO BG Consulting Engineers

In its report on engineering last year, UNESCO pointed out that society’s scientific and engineering skills are extremely important to its economic and social devel­opment. Leading international economic researchers also confirm time and again: there’s a shortage of engineers. The OECD has established that whilst the number of people studying scientific and engineering disciplines is increasing overall, their relative share of the total number of students is falling. Engineers’ professional organisations come to similar conclusions. At the end of the 90s the ETH Lausanne warned that from 2002 the number of civil engineers retiring each year in Switzerland would exceed the number of young engineers joining the profession from schools and colleges.

What can we do to prevent losing out on the next generation of talent? Our survey (pages 4 and 5) reveals that there are many possible approaches. The image of the scientific and engineering professions must be improved. Making the engineering profession more attractive not only requires a higher profile for natural science subjects in primary school, but also requires a reform of university training. We must also increasingly encourage women to opt for engineering career train­ing. It is also important to create both the political as well as the economic framework conditions that will provide for intelligent use of resources.

The BG Group is making its contribution towards this end. We are endeavouring to create good working conditions and to offer all employees the opportunity to prove their potential in a wide range of interesting projects – and to do so within interdisciplinary teams and at the international level. Our BG Academy is wholly committed to continuous professional devel­opment, and we are also involved in professional organisations, university teaching and local commu­nities. In addition, we are getting our views across in the wider discussions that society engages in. But doesn’t it make logical sense for the promotion of scientific and engineering skills to be supported by the whole of society and not just the small circle of engineers?

Our society faces a major challenge.

Laurent Vulliet

“The image of the scientific and

engineering professions must

be improved.“

Nature as a partner

Collective intelligence as a resource

Working together for a sustainable worldwww.bg-21.com

4 ■ BG 2011

“Promote careers for women”How would you promote the engineering profession to young people about to choose which subject to study?Moser-Boroumand: We explain to young people that engineers — both male and female — make an important contribution towards shaping the world in which we live. We have to show them that science and engineering have a major influence on all areas of life.

Women are under-represented in the engineering professions. How can that be changed?Moser-Boroumand: On the one side, by tackling the problem early on: even be-fore they reach the stage of choosing a profession we should encourage young women to take up engineering subjects and boost their confidence in their own skills. They also need women from the en-gineering professions as role models. On the other side, we must promote scientif-ic careers for women on all levels and create institutions that ensure that the work-life balance is maintained.

“Creating tangible results”How would you promote the engineering profession to young people about to choose which subject to study?Griner: The engineering profession pro-vides an optimum combination of theory and practice. An engineer is responsible from the initial plan on paper right through to the last bolt being tightened on the building. There are only a few professions that provide for this kind of start-to-finish approach to projects. In addition, many of the methods used in the engineering sciences can also be ap-plied in other career areas.

What prompted you personally to begin studying engineering?Griner: I was particularly motivated by the opportunity to apply my interest in mathematics and the natural sciences in a practical context. As an engineer I cre-ate tangible results from which I expect to derive particular satisfaction. Analys-ing problems, formulating solutions by applying logic and know-how and then putting these solutions into practice — that sounds like a very exciting profes-sion to me.

“Key to corporate success”How would you promote the engineering profession to young people about to choose which subject to study?Gillmann: The engineering profession is an exciting, highly diverse and open field. It constantly poses new challenges to us and demands innovative solutions in the interplay between clients, partners and colleagues. By applying specialist tech-nical know-how and creative ideas, we have the chance to shape the future.

As an employer, what opportunities does a company have to make the engineering profession more attractive?Gillmann: Engineers are vital to a com-pany’s success. This means they need to be valued accordingly — this includes pay-ing attractive, performance-related sal-aries. In addition, we have to open up our companies to young people, whilst simul-taneously working more closely with uni-versities and with institutes of applied sciences in order to demonstrate to stu-dents the full range of the diversity within the profession.

FarnaZ MoSer-BorouManD,responsible for promoting science amongst young people at the ETH Lausanne

JannICK GrIner,President of the Students’ Association at the ETH Zurich (VSETH)

JaCKy GILLMann,President Losinger Construction AG

Why not engineering?The engineering profession is suffering from a shortage of new talent. What

are the reasons for this? What can universities, industry and politics do about it? Six personalities involved provide answers and ideas from their perspective.

Opinions

BG 2011 ■ 5

“a role of vital importance”How would you promote the engineering profession to young people about to choose which subject to study?Kounitzky: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said: “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood, or get tools ready and delegate jobs, but instead instil the longing in them for the endless vastness of the sea.”

I would show the young person what they can create as an engineer and the vital role they can play on behalf of soci-ety.

In your opinion what are the key levers for raising the engineering profession from the doldrums?Kounitzky: We have to do more than just encourage young people to study the re levant courses. We also need to ensure that newly qualified engineers stay in the profession and don’t switch too early to professions that have a “better image” such as key account management or management, or even “disappear” into banking and insurance. To do this we must enhance the importance of the en-gineering profession — including the ma-terial benefits.

rICHarD THuMMeL,Head of Training, Ecole des Ponts ParisTech

“The engineer is a creator”How would you promote the engineering profession to young people about to choose which subject to study?Thummel: The term “engineer” is multi-faceted. One thing that all engineering activities have in common, however, is that the individual produces a design or a construction, in other words he or she creates things. Being involved in the cre-ation of a product or a work is very satis-fying, perhaps even more so when you have a position of responsibility. The en-gineer is a creator.

What do you see as the reasons for the shortage of engineering trainees?Thummel: The lack of social recognition for engineering as a profession, together with the widespread mistrust of techno-logical progress, can make it unattractive to study engineering. But technological progress is vital to achieving sustainable development.

How does your institution promote the attractiveness of the engineering professions?Thummel: Our institution has a good reputation in the world of construction engineering. The challenge here is to also raise the profile of our other areas of ex-pertise. We focus on practical training where projects are carried out by the stu-dents themselves — if possible on behalf of companies.

“Creating good support relationships” How would you promote the engineering profession to young people about to choose which subject to study?Dell’Ambrogio: By then it is normally al-ready too late. The decision is often made when the student is still a teenager. Nevertheless, you can try. Good support at the university and excellent job pros-pects with good earnings are key in this context. It is also true that the univer-sities could make their courses more attractive by offering scholarships or charging lower fees.

What do you see as the reasons for the shortage of engineering trainees?Dell’Ambrogio: There are various related reasons: the selective role of mathemat-ics, the general lack of interest in the en-gineering professions shown by women, the economic fluctuations on the labour market or even the high level of mobility demanded by these professions.

What measures are being taken by central government to increase the attractiveness of the engineering sector?Dell’Ambrogio: Because the fundamental decision to choose an engineering pro-fession is taken at an early stage, this puts demands on the cantons responsible for the primary schools in particular. Cen-tral government is promoting these pro-fessions first and foremost through per-formance mandates, for example in the ETH area or the academies.

aLexanDre KounITZKy, Managing Partner, A. Cavegn AG Personnel and Corporate Management Consultants

Mauro DeLL’aMBroGIo, Secretary of State for Education and Research

6 ■ BG 2011

Contents

More space for BG

Page 9

BG-Inside

“I’m passionate about BG”

Page 11

Interview

“Hacène energises the whole office”

Page 8

People

Tricky work at night

Page 14

Brotteaux-Servient Tunnel, Lyon

From waste water to drinking water?

Page 16

WWTP Sophia Antipolis

Protection against the mountain

Page 20

Protective structures, Sörenberg

on THe CoVer PaGe: Jean-Daniel Marchand hands over the

Chairmanship of the Board of Directors of the BG Group to Jens Alder.

BG 2011 ■ 7

Lavey+: green electricity in fashion

Page 30

Hydroelectric plant expansion

Two cities come together

Page 26

TransRUN, canton of Neuchâtel

Shortages in water supply?

Page 34

Water supply strategy

The Doubs is more than just a river

Page 22

Water planning for the Doubs

Conversion of a gentle giant

Page 36

Montbrillant Postal Centre

Building in and with nature

Page 32

Chambord Country Club

review of 2010

Page 40

Annual report

Sustainability award for art

Page 43

Closing comment

all addresses – all numbers

Page 42

Contacts/Imprint

8 ■ BG 2011

People

Hacène Bekhouche on Khalid essyad:Khalid Essyad joined BG in 1993. Right from the start our contact was on a very personal level. I remember how we were sat opposite each other eating in the restaurant for the first time. Khalid still had long hair at that time but even then had a broad intellect. You can talk to him about food, engineering or sport: he knows about every-thing. So even back then I took on board everything he recommend-ed to me.

Evenings with wine and views. In 1995 the political situation in Algeria was precarious. Nevertheless, Khalid and I were onsite and continued to work — under strict security precautions. We ex-perienced some frightening events; these still provide a bond between us today. Kha-lid is a friend to me. That’s what’s great about the engin-eering profession: you work together on projects and de-velop friendships in the pro-cess. When he comes to Alge-ria he lives with me in my sixth-floor apartment with its wonderful views of Algiers. In the evening we have a drink and chat together — that’s when we hit on our best ideas. But in the mornings I have to check that he’s getting up!

The tidal wave of education. His hobby is the concept phase of a project; it sets his brain firing on all cylinders, and he has an in-credible number of ideas. However, Khalid is also a skilled teacher. Once we were in a room in Annaba in front of 100 people. The area had suffered flooding and we had a concept as to how this could be prevented in future. I was impressed with the way he set out the concept: he used hand gestures to provide such a vivid presentation on water hydraulics that the people in the room actually felt they could see the floods in front of them! We always say that if Khalid didn’t exist then you’d have to invent him! J

“Hacène energises the whole office”

Khalid essyad on Hacène Bekhouche:My earliest memory of Hacène Bekhouche is actually a feeling: I was immediately impressed with his energy. He energises the whole of-fice in Algiers when he’s there: there’s a buzz about the place, the phone is constantly ringing, people are smiling and things get done! It’s the same with the clients and partners.

A protecting hand. Hacène visits Switzerland roughly once a month. In between times we telephone each other. He always opens with “Salut, Khalidou” — that’s my nickname — and I then say, “Cou-cou, it’s me.” But even over this long distance we immediately know how things are going for each other. On projects, he’s like a father

looking on from a distance and holding out a protective hand over his children. That’s great for his teams, who are autonomous to a large de-gree but are nevertheless carried forward by his mo-mentum. However, he does also expect the individual to make a contribution: when I go to him and say, “Here’s a problem, we need to take a look at it,” he says: “You’re right, it is a problem. You’ll find the solution.”

A tactful diplomat. Ha- cène is a diplomat. Despite or

perhaps particularly because of his conversational nature, a debt to his Mediterranean roots, he understands his counterpart in an in-stant. I envy him this ability to empathise. I remember for example a project presentation he was giving: there were 200 people in the hall, every one of them highly sceptical about our project, and the situation was in the balance. But Hacène used precisely the right words, the right tone and was able to turn the tide — the project was saved. That I find impressive. Yet given all his success he remains modest — and he’s an extremely loyal individual, both to his friends as well as to BG. J

HaCène BeKHouCHe: “If Khalid did not exist it would be necessary to invent him!”

Hacène Bekhouche: Born 1951 in Algeria, studied civil engineering at the EPF Lausanne. Joined BG in 1978 and today is Head of BG Algeria. Spends two thirds of his time in Algeria but lives with his wife and two grown­up daughters in Switzerland.

Khalid Essyad: Born 1965 in France, studied hydraul­ ics at Grenoble. Has been working for BG since 1993 and is active today as a hydraulics specialist around the world. Lives with his wife and two daughters in Lausanne.

BG 2011 ■ 9

new technologies

Video instead of trainIn total, 550 employees work in the BG Group’s 25 branch offices. For each project, BG assembles the optimum team. The main criteria for this are the employ-ees’ experience of and know-how for the specific task. Less importance is attached to differing work locations. This is in part thanks to BG’s new video conference sys-tem, which has been installed in all larger branch offices in Switzerland and France. The system enables those attending a meeting to sit around one table without them having to travel long distances. Up to four locations can be linked simul-taneously. It also allows participants to make presentations to each other or de-sign, discuss and amend documents to-gether. J

new office premises

More space for BGDuring 2010 and 2011 BG moved into four new premises at the same time: in Paris, Aix-les-Bains, Geneva and Zurich. This development is a demonstration of the growth strategy the Group has embarked on.

Expansion in Zurich. The area on Zu-rich’s city boundary, close to Oerlikon railway station, is a highly prosperous business location. This is where ARP and BG have been working at a new address,

arounD THe SaMe TaBLe. The new BG video conference system is proving successful in practice.

BG-Inside

neW oFFICe PreMISeS In ZurICH. Plenty of space and light to foster creativity.

offering twice the amount of space, since the end of February 2011. They are strengthening their existing range of services in Zurich and at the same time pressing ahead with expansion in a number of individual areas. With modern, light-flooded rooms, plus a large recep-tion area, the new location offers the ideal infrastructure for working on fur-ther exciting projects.

Paris ready for change. Similarly, the expanding workforce prompted BG in Paris to relocate. The move makes BG ready to take on new orders in the Paris region. The new office premises were of-ficially opened on 19 October 2010. More than 130 invited guests took up the invita-tion — despite a fierce snowstorm. To-gether with the representatives of the management teams from France and Switzerland, they celebrated this mile-stone in the development of the BG Group. J

oFFICIaL oPenInG oF THe oFFICe PreMISeS In ParIS. From left: Thierry

Philipp (Ville de Paris), Loïc Paclot and Jean van den Esche (Chambord Nature Passion),

Manon Follain and Sophie Minon (BG), Prof. Roger Frank (Ecole des Ponts ParisTech).

10 ■ BG 2011

BG academy

Knowing what to do and how to do itas those providing further development of social skills — extremely important when dealing with clients, partners and colleagues. One example of this is the introductory course for new employees. The course, held at the Group’s head-quarters in Lausanne, begins at midday

BG Academy, the unique “Corporate Uni-versity”, welcomed its first “students” at the beginning of 2011. BG Academy com-bines all the internal and external train-ing opportunities for the Group’s employ-ees. These include courses offering specialist engineering know-how as well

Combined forces. BG, ARP and Beyel-er Ingenieure are not simply an optimum fit from the geographic viewpoint. There are complementary strengths in all areas of activity, and the companies endorse a

Franz Gallati, formerly head of engineer-ing for the canton of Schwyz, was ap-pointed Head of the BG Group in the German-speaking part of Switzerland at the beginning of 2011.

Consolidated location. With the ap-pointment, the BG Group is adapting its management organisation in the German-speaking part of Switzerland to the new corporate dimensions: In 2009 two engi-neering companies, Beyeler and ARP, joined the BG Group. Whilst Beyeler adds strength to the branch in Berne, ARP will be developing its offices in Zug, Zurich and Schwyz. The BG Group is thus further expanding its services in the German-speaking Swiss market, a market in which it has been operating since 1989.

similar culture. Today, the BG Group is able to offer a range of services under one roof not found anywhere else in Swit-zerland. J

ManaGeMenT TeaM oF BG’S GerMan-SPeaKInG reGIon oF SWITZerLanD. Franz Gallati a, Jürg Schweizer b, Pius Neff c, Kai-Uwe Schweizer d and Karine

Rausis e. The expanded team includes Heinz Suter f, Thomas Lüssi g, Peter Bisang h and Heinz Bucher (not in photo).

BG in the German-speaking part of Switzerland

on course with new management

with all participants being welcomed in person by the CEO. This is followed by in-formation and practical exercises on sub-jects such as document management, quality management or finance. The new-comers receive the necessary instruction from older and experienced BG employ-ees.

Following dinner, the evening is given over to role playing designed to encour-age interpersonal exchanges. This helps to integrate the new employees within interdisciplinary teams and they are made aware of the importance of good relations with clients and partners. At the same time, the participants are gradually familiarised with the values of the BG Group. The following morning is devoted to further practical exercises and ends with an open feedback session. The knowledge gained from this will help BG to continually improve its courses. J

ParTICIPanTS on the first BG Academy course.

BG-Inside

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db e

a

g

c

f

BG 2011 ■ 11

“I’m passionate about BG”

On 30 June 2011, Jean-Daniel Marchand will be handing over the Chairmanship of the Board of Directors of the BG Group to

Jens Alder. Alder is a well-known figure, as a former head of Swisscom. In this interview, the two men discuss the past,

present and future of the BG Group.

Interview

12 ■ BG 2011

Mr. Alder, what was your first thought when you were asked to become the Chairman of the BG Board of Directors? Jens Alder: To be honest, I knew nothing about BG at that time and had to find out information about the company first. But what I learned I immediately liked: an in-novative company driven by highly quali-fied engineers. Since I am an engineer myself, I was extremely attracted by the offer.

As a telecom specialist you have never been involved in construction and planning before. What makes this sector interesting for you?Alder: In the telecom sector I’m familiar with everything and everyone, because it’s very much a world on its own. I’m now looking forward to having the opportun-ity to immerse myself in other worlds too. However, I essentially asked myself the opposite question: what can I contribute towards the further development of BG? It’s true that I know very little about this specialised area, but I have been working with management in complex structures and strategic corporate development for at least 15 years. These are areas of ex-perience that I can bring to bear.

Mr. Marchand, you joined Bonnard & Gardel as a young engineer and

over 35 years you have worked your way to the top. In Mr. Alder you now have an outsider taking the top job at the Group. Does that concern you?Jean-Daniel Marchand: No, not at all. I support the choice of Jens Alder. BG has always had outside directors — for ex-

that’s something I very much value. How-ever, the change wasn’t easy. As CEO you take the decisions and have control. By contrast, a member of the Board has to stand back and let the CEO manage. The Chairman of the Board of Directors is the CEO’s coach, supporting him in key decisions and developing the corporate strategy together with him. You have to understand and accept this new role. If you do, then it will work.

In addition to your role at BG you preside over the Boards of Directors of other companies at home and abroad. How do you reconcile all this?Alder: This is a question that I have actu-ally asked myself. On the one hand, it’s a question of flexibility: you have to be able to change perspective several times a day — but that’s something I have already learned as a CEO. On the other hand, I obviously have to take care to avoid any conflicts of interest arising from the various mandates. I will be devoting my efforts to a single engineering company: BG. Of all my mandates, this is possibly also the one I am most passionate about, because I’m an engineer myself. Although my training took place in another field, all engineers somehow speak the same lan-guage and share common values.

Jean-Daniel Marchand: When you look back, what objectives did you strive to achieve as CEO and Chair-man of the BG Board of Directors?Marchand: I pursued three main object-ives: to firmly establish BG throughout Switzerland, to develop the company in

Jean-DanIeL MarCHanD: “Over recent years BG has grown from being a company based in the French-speaking region of Switzerland into a Swiss-wide company.”

Marchand: “We must meet the needs of

our clients even more comprehensively.”

alder: “BG is a jewel that we must protect.”

ample Etienne Jornod who came from a totally different sector as CEO of a phar-maceutical company and who made a sig-nificant contribution to our company. We engineers know our trade, our clients, our competitors. But we need an outside view to help us determine the right strat-egy for the company’s future. That’s no different today than it has been in the past.

Mr. Alder, you have been a full-time director for a couple of years and you now operate exclusively at the strategic corporate level. What changes has this meant for you?Alder: Lots! As a CEO my work was div-ided into half-hourly sections, my day was determined by outside influences. As a member of the Board I am freer, and

new areas of expertise that hold promise for the future, and to strengthen our ac-tivities abroad.

We’re well on course for the first ob-jective: BG has grown from being a com-pany based in the French-speaking part of Switzerland into a Swiss-wide com-

BG 2011 ■ 13

pany. The second objective, the new are-as of expertise, is an ongoing objective that you can never tick off the list. For example, over recent years we have strengthened our business in the energy sector. It is crucial for BG to identify to-morrow’s problems and to develop solu-tions for them today. The third objective is a long-term one: BG has been present abroad for many years and is expanding on a step-by-step basis.

Mr. Alder, what will be the first steps you will take?Alder: As a newcomer to BG I would like to remain in the background. There is so much expertise in this company and first of all I need to become more familiar with

gotiating highly complex tasks for our clients and are well positioned in the areas of water, energy and mobility, which hold good prospects for the future. We do however also face challenges. We must meet the needs of the clients even more comprehensively, including when it comes to the economic, political, legal and communications aspects. We must be an attractive employer to attract the best minds — multi-disciplined, multilin-gual people who are open to different cul-tures and are looking to big achievements with BG at home and abroad. Alder: I come back again to the question of the structures. In an expanding com-pany it is crucial for the structures to be developed and strengthened in parallel.

At BG, it is vital that these reflect the multidisciplinary working methods across the various locations, since this team-work is one of the company’s great strengths. That’s a challenge that I will be taking up.

Precisely how will the handover take place?Alder: I actually started work last winter and my introduction was smooth and gentle. I was able to meet the Board of Directors, the CEO, numerous employees and I have already met many of the cli-ents and partners. I already feel part of BG now. Marchand: Jens Alder is now well ac-quainted with BG. The handover has therefore been carefully prepared, and the formal handover is essentially the completion of this process.

Mr. Marchand, what will you be doing on that very familiar “day after”?Marchand: I don’t specifically know yet, but it will undoubtedly be an exciting time. After handing over the Chairman-ship I will start with travelling and visiting my children, who move around quite a bit. I also still have several Board of Director mandates with other companies. Last but not least, I will be taking on a few con-sultancy mandates on behalf of BG. J

Jens alderJens Alder was born in Horgen (Zurich) in 1957, studied electrical engin­eering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich and gained an MBA in France. From 1999 to 2006 Alder was CEO of Swisscom. Today Jens Alder is a full­time director. In 2011 he will be taking over the Chairmanship of the BG Group Board of Directors.

Jean-Daniel MarchandBorn in 1946 in Ste­Croix (Vaud), studied at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPF) in Lausanne. After a few years abroad, Marchand joined BG in 1975. In 1991 he was appointed a member of the management of BG Lausanne, in 1998 Chairman of the General Management (CEO) of BG and in 2008 Chairman of the BG Group Board of Directors.

JenS aLDer: “In an expanding company it is crucial for the structures to be developed and strengthened in parallel.”

alder: “Teamwork is one of the great strengths

of the BG Group.”

it. But there’s one thing that I already sense today: following years of strong growth, BG now needs to consolidate on the structural level, while actually con-tinuing to grow at the same time. This will all be done on a well-considered basis and in a cautious way. BG is a jewel that we must protect.

How do you view the opportunities and threats for the company?Marchand: I believe that BG has a glitter-ing future ahead. We are successfully ne-

14 ■ BG 2011

Brotteaux-Servient Tunnel, Lyon

Tricky work at night

Renovation work in a road tunnel is always a complex undertaking –

particularly if it takes place in the heart of a major city and a booming

business quarter with a high volume of traffic.

Lyon, on the left bank of the Rhone, in the Part-Dieu district: “Oxygène”, construct-ed on the “Cours Oxygène” mega shop-ping centre, is the name of the skyscraper that soars 118 metres up into the sky alongside adjacent towering buildings. As the new showpiece was growing sky-wards in the second largest commercial district in France (after La Défense in Paris), currently providing 40,000 jobs, a team from BG got to work underground. Its mandate: to update the operating and safety equipment in the Brotteaux-Servient Tunnel.

Being just 300 metres long, the tunnel does not hold any records. Nevertheless, any amount of superlatives are merited for this Lyon project, as the work to up-

“Tunnel upgrades require interdisciplinary

teams of specialists.”

“We worked only at night.”

grade the tunnel structure and its tech-nical installations was carried out in a challenging environment. Laurent Chan- tron works for BG Lyon, where he is the chief planner for the project: “For any tunnel upgrade, teams of specialists from a wide range of fields have to work to-

WHAT is “GrAnd LyOn”?The name of the association of 58 municipal

districts in the Lyon conurbation, and the developer of the tunnel project.

gether in precisely coordinated activities. In the case of Brotteaux-Servient the whole project was even more challenging as a result of outside factors.”

night shift. BG’s task was to negotiate challenges on all levels. “In order to avoid major disruption to traffic we only worked at night,” explains Laurent Chantron. “The tunnel was closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night.” Nevertheless, inter-ruptions to traffic during the daytime were unavoidable on very specific occa-sions.

The work also had to be coordinated with construction of the “Oxygène” tower, as this is located above the Brotteaux-Servient Tunnel. An extension of the tun-nel roof was essential. This serves as a forecourt for the tower and at the same time covers the delivery entrance to the “Cours Oxygène”. This access road was

BG 2011 ■ 15

nexT To THe “oxyGène” ToWer is the Brotteaux-Servient Tunnel that passes beneath the second-largest commercial district in France.

enD oF THe nIGHT SHIFT. Laurent Chantron, Stéphanie Loiseau,

Ghyslain Le Bihan and Dominique Billoudet from BG Lyon have led

the 14-month (night shift) project to a successful conclusion.

fitted with a 9-metre-wide and 4.5-metre-high automatic gate that protects the shopping centre from fire and smoke in the event of a fire in the tunnel. The gate can withstand a temperature of 1,000 de-grees Celsius for four hours — a record for an automatic gate of this size!

Traffic management. On the day of our visit, the traffic is flowing smoothly through the tunnel. In addition to improv-ing safety, care was also taken to avoid traffic jams forming below ground. The BG team has installed a system that con-

“Where there’s a risk of traffic jams, tunnel

users have priority.”

tinually monitors the volume of traffic and automatically controls the traffic lights at the junctions in the surrounding area. If a traffic jam starts to build up, the traffic using the tunnel gets a green light and has priority over other traffic. J

16 ■ BG 2011

WWTP sophia Antipolis

From waste water to drinking water?

Just off France’s chic Côte d’Azur lies Sophia Antipolis – a huge industrial park with a worldwide reputation. On its route to the Mediterranean, the park’s treated waste water

feeds an important source of drinking water. The require- ments for the waste water treatment plant (WWTP) are cor-

respondingly high – a real test for the specialists at BG.

BG 2011 ■ 17

THe Journey To THe Sea IS noT a DIreCT one. On its way to the sea, the waste water from Sophia Antipolis feeds into idyllic water landscapes and important sources of drinking water.

Sophia Antipolis is a purpose-built town à la Silicon Valley. It is located in the South of France between Nice and Cannes, approximately ten kilometres from the coast. Constructed from the ground up in the 70s, today it is home to around 1,400 companies with approximately 30,000 employees — engaged primarily in the telecommunication, information technol-ogy, pharmaceutical industry and bio-

technology sectors. When the town was planned, the planners thought of every-thing: right from the outset Sophia Antip-olis had a complete infrastructure with leisure facilities, training centres, access roads — and a waste water treatment plant (WWTP).

More and better. The town has grown since and more waste water is being gen-

erated. Despite several alterations over recent decades, the WWTP has become too small. And that’s not all: its treatment quality also no longer offers the stand-ards envisaged by the operator. For ex-ample, there is the question of micro-pollutants, a subject which has been engaging the minds of WWTP specialists the world over for some years. In the 70s the term “micropollutants” did not even

18 ■ BG 2011

exist, let alone the technology for getting to grips with the problem. Today, how-ever, there are solutions and the WWTP operator, the “Syndicat des Bouillides”, has enlisted BG’s help in upgrading the Sophia Antipolis WWTP to reflect state-of-the-art technology. With good reason, as in this case one person’s waste water is another person’s drinking water.

numerous plants and animals that live in water courses and are environmental life-lines to the region. However, the Brague has another important function: it is one of the three rivers that feed the ground-water resources for Antibes. The city of Antibes lies south-west of Sophia Antipo-lis on the Côte d’Azur, and has a popula-

tion of approximately 75,000. In other words, treated waste water is turned into drinking water just a few kilometres downstream of the WWTP. Residues of precarious substances could prove haz-ardous here.

small but important. The Bouillides and the Brague therefore have important roles to play for the region. However, they are not exactly fast-flowing water courses: the beautiful dry weather that attracts sun seekers from all over Europe to the South of France causes the rivers to shrink to rivulets, and in some cases they even dry out completely. This is due

What are micropollutants?To the experts, the term “micropollutants” refers to minimal traces of chemical substances in water. These substances are residues from products such as biocides, cleaning agents, medicines and contraceptives.

Whilst large dirt particles and many other substances are now removed from the water in the WWTP fairly reliably, some micropollutants slip through the filter mesh. Since micropollutants can comprise countless chemical substances and their conversion products, it is extremely diffi­cult to identify and conduct research into them.

Although according to the definition the substances only occur in minute concentrations of between one billionth and one millionth of a gram per litre, they can have negative consequences for the environ­ment. It has been proven, for example, that hormone­active substances, such as the active agents in the “pill”, have a detrimental effect on the ability of fish, birds of prey and mammals to breed. It has not yet been adequately established whether micropollutants are also hazardous to human health.

In France, 33 micropollutants are categorised as priority substances posing a risk to the environment or to individual species; another 19 are on a “watch list”.

DeLICaTe WaTer CourSeS: The natural world of the Brague benefits from improvements in waste water treatment.

There are two alter-natives: ozone and

active carbon filters.

partly to the relatively small catchment area, plus the karst and therefore perme-able subsoil. For the WWTP these are so-called “poor receiving water courses”. Because they carry little water, the water from the WWTP is not sufficiently diluted. Residues of pollutants therefore remain in the water courses in proportionally high concentration levels, polluting the

although the receiving water courses are small,

they are important to the environment.

Winding route to the sea. The treat-ed waste water from Sophia Antipolis flows towards the sea. Its journey to the Mediterranean is only approximately ten kilometres. The water then mixes with the Mediterranean, any residues are di-luted and so it’s a case of out of sight, out of mind. Or maybe not? The route to the sea is not simply an enclosed pipeline. The treated waste water from Sophia Antipolis first flows into a stream called the Bouillides, which in turn flows into the small river Brague. The two idyllic water courses are important: they are home to

BG 2011 ■ 19

eco-system — and the drinking water of Antibes.

Precaution is appropriate. The op-erators of the WWTP are aware of their major responsibility. With the support of BG, the WWTP is now being expanded: capacity is being doubled, so that new districts from the surrounding area can

ozone: disinfection and combating micro-pollutants. Thanks to the operator’s pi-oneering spirit and extremely conscien-tious approach, one of the first treatment plants in France to combat micropol-lutants is being built in Sophia Antipolis. In Switzerland these types of plant could soon become standard in some areas. The Clean Water Act is currently being revised and is now set to include add-itional limits for micropollutants. In the knowledge that the corresponding WWTP upgrade could become a mandatory re-quirement in the foreseeable future, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment initiated pilot trials back in 2006 — with France providing the technological input for these. There were two processes on the agenda for discussion: ozone treat-ment and active carbon filters. The ozone process was tested, for example, in Re-gensdorf in the canton of Zurich — with good results.

Crossing borders. The technology was born in France, tested in Switzerland and is now being used again in France. The Syndicat des Bouillides is thinking ahead and acting on its special respon-sibility to the downstream users of drink-ing water and for preserving the region’s ecological assets. BG has tied this into Swiss know-how from pilot projects and

FurTHEr inFOrMATiOnwww.bafu.admin.ch/gewaesserschutz

www.eaurmc.fr www.sophia-antipolis.org

WWTP SoPHIa anTIPoLIS: This water feeds a source of drinking water just a few kilometres downstream.

CLean TeaM: Bruno Vanstaevel, Vincent Franchetau, Pierre Miescher and Michel

Gambotti have helped Sophia Antipolis to develop one of the most advanced waste

water treatment plants in France.

Just a few kilometres south, waste water

is turned into drinking water.

be connected, nitrogen and phosphorus can be removed more effectively, and germs are eliminated. To ensure this hap-pens, ozone is now being added. Ozone has the capacity to bond quickly with other substances and consequently con-vert these into new substances which can be broken down more readily. Ozone simultaneously removes bacteria and viruses from the water. This property is also exploited in modern bathing facili-ties, which disinfect the bathing water using ozone. However, ozone can also rectify a problem which has only recently come to light: micropollutants. As yet, lit-tle research has been carried out into mi-cropollutants; in particular, little is known about the impact of untreated water on humans and the environment. However, what little is known, is disconcerting: for example, substances containing active hormones from medicines and contra-ceptives end up in rivers daily and have a detrimental effect on the ability of fish to breed. That is why precautionary meas-ures are now planned both in Switzerland and in France.

Opportunity grasped. The Syndicat des Bouillides which operates the plant, and in particular its Chairman Marc Dau-nis, has grasped the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone with the help of

research work. A delegation from France has visited several of the Swiss pilot plants and consequently been in a pos-ition to take a decision based on practical knowledge: from 2012 an ozone plant will be in use in Sophia Antipolis. In future it will treat every cubic metre of water with five grams of ozone. The water will remain in the ozone area for five min-utes — it will then be clean and can flow into the Bouillides, the Brague, the groundwater resources for Antibes and into the sea. J

20 ■ BG 2011

Protection against the mountain

The holiday destination of Sörenberg in the district of Entlebuch in the canton of Lucerne has suffered repeated

landslides and debris flows in the past. Protective structures are intended to protect people and buildings in the future. ARP is providing an optimum team to handle the contract.

Protective structures, sörenberg

no CLIMBInG BarS. The large coarse screens hold back the debris that slides down the valley. A total of 3,000 cubic metres of concrete will be poured for the protective structures in Sörenberg.

BG 2011 ■ 21

Sörenberg, 14 May 1999: following signifi-cant rainfall and simultaneous snowmelt, around 200,000 cubic metres of earth slides down the slope near Nünalpstock. Debris flows from these landslides travel as far as the residential area. Houses are damaged and large rocks finally come to a halt on the cantonal road on the valley

Lucerne is responsible for the project. “Four engineering groups submitted bids for the contract. The key criteria for the decision on awarding the contract, in addition to the price, included proof that all the specialist technical skills required were genuinely covered,” comments Schaltegger. In the end the contract was awarded to the engineering firm of ARP, part of the BG Group since 2009. ARP’s multidisciplinary project team provides ideal cover for the skills required. “We also had the advantage of having includ-ed geologists in our team to strengthen our offer in that particular area. It means we can offer all the necessary skills under one roof,” explains Marc Reinhard, the responsible project leader at ARP.

use of local materials. A large pro-portion of the total of 3,000 cubic metres of concrete has already been poured for the solid coarse screens and debris collector which will absorb the landslide material. “The collaboration with ARP is going well; in Mr. Reinhard we have a con-tact person with expertise in this field, and meetings are always purposeful,” says Alfred Schaltegger, expressing his satisfaction. In view of the fact that the construction site is located at altitude, the work has to be discontinued in winter. In addition to a further material barrier, another approximately one kilometre of protective and conducting dams still have to be built. “By primarily using bulk mate-rial from the local area for the dams, we avoid the need to transport materials over large distances and the correspond-ing emissions,” explains Marc Reinhard.

Alfred Schaltegger already has the com-pletion of the project in sight: “The schedule envisages the construction work being completed by autumn 2012;

Integrated risk managementAvalanches, debris flows, mountain landslides, floods: natural disasters re­peatedly make the headlines. The damage they cause is often significant, and the future trend is for these to increase as a result of climate change. The ap­proach to natural disasters has evolved accordingly over recent years. In previ­ous decades, the emphasis was purely on responding to events and eliminat­ing hazardous sites. Today, protective measures are planned in a way that is geared towards the risk. The probability of a dangerous event is compared with the anticipated damage. This kind of integrated risk management en­compasses the entire “cycle” of dealing with natural events: prevention, pre­cautionary measures, operation, repair and reconstruction. The companies of the BG Group offer the full range of services necessary to deal comprehen­sively with natural disasters.

ToGeTHer For GreaTer SaFeTy: Marc Reinhard, Mario Dinger and

Claude Bühler of ARP.

Large rocks finally came to a halt on the

cantonal road on the floor of the valley.

“In Mr. reinhard we have a contact

person with expertise in this field.”

floor. The fact that no one is injured must be considered good fortune, even though an evacuation was ordered.

Since the beginning of the last cen tury, Sörenberg, which forms part of the Lu-cerne municipality of Flühli, has suffered repeated landslides and debris flows. Dur-ing a mountain slide in 1910, around one and a half million cubic metres of rock slipped a distance of approximately 40 metres. The material was left loose, and in heavy downpours parts of the material would break away and slide down the val-ley. Because Sörenberg was developing into a holiday destin ation, these debris flows were becoming an increasing threat to people and buildings. Following the de-bris flows in 1999 one thing became clear: something had to be done to prevent even more extensive damage the next time an event would occur.

screens and dams. In 2007, following a planning phase lasting several years which had to overcome both financial and legal hurdles, tenders were issued for engineering work to install protective structures. The protection is being pro-vided via a combination of three comple-mentary elements. Short dams, just a few metres high, made from loose stone will slow down and simultaneously provide drainage for the debris flows. The debris will be retained using man-made screens and natural retaining areas. At last, con-ducting dams will ensure that the ma-terial flows into these collecting area and does not break out sidewards.

Alfred Schaltegger from the Office for Natural Hazards for the canton of

the dams will then be replanted with trees.” The purpose of this reforestation is to blend the protective structures pro-viding the security into the landscape as smoothly as possible. J

22 ■ BG 2011

Water planning for the doubs

The Doubs is more than just a river

There are many aspects to a river. Integrated water planning takes account of aspects such as ecology, electricity generation,

fishing and recreation as part of an overall approach. The special-ists at BG can therefore propose measures for the Doubs which

will provide something for everyone and also reduce costs.

BG 2011 ■ 23

aLL THaT GLITTerS IS GoLD? The Doubs not only provides a haven for

wildlife and opportunities for local recreation, but also causes flooding. A prudent water

plan allows all these aspects to be taken into consideration together, so in this case

all that glitters really is gold.

24 ■ BG 2011

Well-documented hazard map

FLooDInG In ST-urSanne. Initial, approximate flood simulations can be displayed using Google Earth. Fine-tuned hydraulic simulation models

were then used for the hazard map.

In 1901 — much to the surprise of the local inhabitants — diluted absinthe suddenly began flowing out of the source of the River Loue in France. Two days earlier an absinthe distillery in the town of Pontar-lier, fifteen kilometres away, had burnt to the ground. What is the link between the two events? As a result of the fire in Pon-tarlier a large quantity of the alcohol-containing liquid poured into the Doubs. The absinthe flowed through subterra-nean karst fields to the source of the Loue, where it re-emerged.

This anecdote shows that water courses do not keep to any boundaries, they are interconnected and interact with

Flood protection measures are one of the key elements of the Doubs water planning process. As a basis for these, in an initial step BG drew up what is known as a hazard map. This map examines the area bordering a river in terms of flood risk.

red or blue? The result is a map showing areas with different colours to reflect the various risk levels. Areas marked in red represent areas at significant risk of flood­ing. It is not permitted to construct or extend any build­ing intended to house people or shelter animals in these areas. In the medium risk zones, marked in blue, the construction or extension of buildings and plants is sub­ject to specific structural requirements and restricted use.

Water courses do not keep to any boundaries, they are interconnected and

interact with each other.

simulation right down to individual plots of land. Due to the potentially binding restrictions for the owners, a well­documented hazard map, drawn up on the basis of scientific information, is of crucial impor­tance. BG uses hydraulic simulation models for this pur­pose, enabling the consequences of different flow vol­umes of the Doubs to be simulated right down to the level of individual plots of land. The system is calibrated using various empirical test results and measured data, and is therefore extremely reliable. Basis for flood protection. The hazard map, drawn up using simulations, provides the basis for defining flood protection measures. These measures reduce the risk caused by flooding, enabling areas that were previously categorised as red to be “re­zoned” down to a lower risk category – with fewer restrictions.

each other. The consequences of events or human interventions can sometimes take intricate paths and are not always understood at first sight.

Broad knowledge. A new awareness of these systems led to the creation of the integrated water planning concept in

which water courses are considered in their entirety. The interactions between the various aspects are examined and taken into account when planning meas-ures. Although the integrated approach to water planning has only become in-creasingly established over recent years, the subject itself is not new. This was wonderfully expressed by Hans Conrad Escher (1767—1823), head of the Linth cor-rection project: “The rivers must either be left freely to take their course or, if you start to intervene along their banks, you must take overall account of all the circumstances involved and apply a wide range of engineering know-how.”

BG 2011 ■ 25

CoMBIneD KnoW-HoW: Jürg Schweizer, Marion Bourgeois and Antoine Magnollay

bring their respective technical expertise to bear in the water plan.

Connectivity for success. It is pre-cisely this “wide range of engineering know-how” which is required in conjunc-tion with the Doubs. The objective of the water planning for the section of the Doubs running through the canton of Jura is to define measures that take all aspects into account. But what are these aspects? In an initial step, the canton of Jura commissioned BG to define these aspects. The result was a long list: flood protection, spatial requirements, habitat structure and connectivity, water quality,

BG is doing exactly what water courses also

do: interconnecting.

ultimately, win-win situations also relieve

the burden on the canton’s budget.

AddiTiOnAL LinKswww.wa21.ch

www.bafu.admin.ch/naturgefahrenwww.doubs.travel

the core themes is the significant varia-tions in water discharge due to the opera-tion of hydro power plants — technically known as hydropeaking. This can have a negative impact on aquatic fauna, as there is a risk of their spawn being left “high and dry” in the event of a sudden drop of water level. Instead of not exploit-ing the renewable energy source of hy-droelectric power, obstacle-free migra-tion paths to subsidiary water courses allow fish to retreat there at low water.

BeneFITS aLL rounD. Last but not least, the integrated water plan for the Doubs is also intended to benefit the fish.

flow regime, aquatic fauna, nature and landscape, and recreational use all have to be taken into consideration in the case of the Doubs.

The second step saw BG awarded the contract to document the current status of all these aspects and to propose im-provement measures. In view of the broad nature of the technical areas to be cov-ered, BG did exactly what water courses also do: interconnect. Today, six BG em-ployees, aided by three outside special-ists, are involved in formulating the Doubs water plan. The only way to cope with the complex task is to combine know-how of civil, environmental and hydraulic engi-neers and biologists. Project organisation is determined on the basis of the defined aspects. The individual teams draw up the fundamental bases in their own respec-tive technical fields. Then they sit down together and present their views on the situation according to their respective fields of expertise. Taking and overall view allows solutions and measures to be for-mulated, exploiting synergies between the interdependent individual systems.

Benefits all round. What does that mean specifically for the Doubs? One of

Another example: in the past, St-Ur-sanne suffered from repeated flooding. The question is how to counter this risk in the future. Instead of building costly, solid protective walls, extra space can be given to the river upstream. This slows down the speed of flow and enables high water peaks to be evened out. This measure will not only benefit the inhabitants of St-Ursanne. Threatened flora and fauna in particular will have additional habitats

in the meadow-like areas of the widened Doubs. In other words: taking the inte-grated approach often provides for solu-tions that can be simultaneously bene-ficial to several aspects of the water course. Ultimately, win-win situations like these also relieve the burden on the can-ton’s budget. J

26 ■ BG 2011

Transrun, canton of neuchâtel

Two cities come together

TransRUN is the name of the suburban rail line which will soon be linking Neuchâtel and La Chaux-de-Fonds. BG plays a pioneering

role in this development project for an entire region by bringing in its competences for pragmatic, sustainable solutions.

neuCHâTeL raILWay STaTIon, rush hour. In future the TransRUN could provide a quarter-hourly link between two centres of a conurbation that is home to a population of 145, 000.

BG 2011 ■ 27

The charming old railway station at Chambrelien offers one special feature: here, on the SBB line between Neuchâtel and La Chaux-de-Fonds, the trains have to perform a u-turn. Local passengers can normally be identified by the fact that during the temporary stop they change seats so they can continue to face the direction of travel. Tourists, by con-trast, often become confused when it seems the train is going back from where it came, and they wonder whether they should have changed trains.

In order to cope with the change of direction in the narrow Chambrelien Val-ley, 19th century engineers had actually conceived the idea of a rotating platform for the locomotives. At that time the rail-

way construction industry provided fer-tile ground for the pioneering spirit of the Neuchâtel engineers. For example, the 3,259-metre-long tunnel between Les Convers and Les Hauts-Geneveys was the longest in the world when it was opened in 1860.

Over the subsequent 150 years the idyllic section of railway has hardly changed and still links the canton’s two centres and regions: Neuchâtel and La

Chaux-de-Fonds, the Swiss Plateau and Jura. However, the railway cannot com-pete with the road tunnel under the Vue des Alpes, opened in 1994. Nevertheless, by 2020 the tide could turn once again thanks to the TransRUN project. “There’s a lot riding on this”, admits Pierre Roelli. “Good links are the lifeblood of any eco-nomic development”, says the Managing Director of FMN Ingénieurs in Corcelles, the BG Group company pioneering this visionary project.

referendum decision. TransRUN is more than just a fast underground rail link between two areas of the canton which are separated by mountains. The project is the centrepiece of Neuchâtels agglom-

Patrick Vianin, Managing director of Transrun sA

“The aim of Transrun is to make the canton more attractive”TransRUN SA, founded in 2010, is owned by the canton of Neuchâtel and headed by Patrick Vianin. In addition to project management, the company must also secure the estimated financing of around 850 million Swiss francs.

Mr. Vianin, the project was initially conceived as a Public Private Partnership (PPP). Why?Patrick Vianin: In order to speed up realisation, and to relieve the burden on government finances. The project requires significant financial re­sources which the canton does not have. Moreover, a PPP for a railway project was an innovative idea; that’s why there was also great interest shown in it by the Federal Department for Transport.

Why was this approach abandoned?Patrick Vianin: The TransRUN project would have offered few opportun­ities for private partners to invest in commercially attractive uses. That’s why we finally combined the advantages of a PPP with those of “conven­tional” financing by bringing the SBB on board as a partner.

What prospects does the TransRUN open up?Patrick Vianin: The intention is for the agglomeration programme to benefit from federal funding taken from the infrastructure fund. Trans­ RUN is aimed at making the canton more attractive, with the anticipated spin­off effect being a reduction in state expenditure and the tax burden. In order to examine these objectives we commissioned the University of Neuchâtel to conduct a study. We need figures to provide a convincing argument.

“Good links are the lifeblood of any economic

development.”

28 ■ BG 2011

BIG PLanS: a preliminary project will be submitted by February 2012.

CaptionsExisting route TransRUN Tunnel

La Chaux-de-Fonds

Neuchâtel

Cernier

Chambrelien

BG 2011 ■ 29

eration programme, which aims to pro-vide a boost to the growth of an entire region by taking innovative approaches to regional and transport planning. Trans-RUN intends to be nothing less than a joint social project aimed at positioning the canton of Neuchâtel as a “strong part-ner in the heart of Europe”, in the words of the cantonal government. The people of the canton are expected to have the opportunity to decide on the plans in late summer 2012 through the ballot box.

Engineers Didier Pantet from BG and David Malherbe from BG subsidiary FMNI are pulling together the various threads of the technical aspects of the prelim-inary project: “On the one hand, our man-

an underground rail system”. “Since we have spent many years working in the railway industry, I also had a project in mind at the same time. Francis Kaufmann is the spiritual father, whereas I’m a sort of midwife.” The actual breakthrough was achieved by Pierre Roelli as the technical adviser to the citizens’ group “liaison express neuchâteloise” by bringing into play the idea of a new Swiss Federal Rail-way (SBB) line with a direct link to the national rail network.

Travel into the year 2020. Climb on board on Platform 7 and off you go: the TransRUN leaves Neuchâtel railway station and immediately veers left into the tunnel. On a straight track and climb-ing continually, the train travels through the Chaumont and doesn’t emerge into the daylight until it reaches Cernier in the Val de Ruz, where the trains pass one an-other on a section of twin track. The train then immediately dives into the mountain in order to pass beneath the Vue des Alpes and after a total of 16.7 kilometres and a height difference of 515 metres reaches La Chaux-de-Fonds. The journey has taken less than a quarter of an hour. Didier Pantet: “The section of track is de-signed for a top speed of 140 kilometres per hour.”

unDerWay In 2020: Pierre Roelli, David Malherbe and Didier Pantet are working at

the forefront of a visionary project.

addition, 30 hectares of land on the pre-vious section of track was released for agricultural and forestry use. Chambrel-ien has now acquired space for urban development on the site of the former

Transrun is a joint social project.

date is to provide support and advice for the developer TransRUN SA. On the other hand, we are studying all the rail en-gineering components in the main tunnel and the emergency gallery — in other words platform systems, overhead lines, electrical lines for lighting and safety in-stallations and much more.”

From metro to train. Pierre Roelli draws a great deal of satisfaction from the fact that testing on the TransRUN project is now being taken seriously. The experienced engineer was the first to demonstrate specifically how the direct link between the two towns might oper-ate and what requirements would have to be met to bring the project to a success-ful conclusion. Although people had been dreaming of a “metro system” since the mid-60s, there were no concrete ideas. Roelli remembers how “a couple of years ago Francis Kaufmann, member of the cantonal parliament, launched the idea of

existing section of track2 trains per hour in each direction Travel time: 28 to 38 minutes 2/6 stops Approx. 4,000 passengers per day

“The section of track is designed for a top

speed of 140 kph.”

Our journey through time has taken us to the year 2020. Fortunately the SBB decided, earlier on, against a costly up-grade to the old section of track, as this would not have significantly improved the possible services. The money saved was instead invested in the TransRUN. In

“The vision is taking shape more and more.”

Transrun4 trains per hour in each direction

Travel time: 12 to 14 minutes

1 stop

Up to 13,000 passengers per day

station. At the same time Neuchâtel, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle now form a single conurbation with 145,000 inhab-itants. This urban area (Réseau urbain neuchâtelois, RUN) has a regional system of rail and bus links as well as park and ride facilities along its main arterial route, the TransRUN. This has been a quantum leap for public transport in the canton of Neuchâtel: it has changed the popula-tion’s mobility pattern and opened up new opportunities both for people and for the economy. Environmentally friend-ly mobility has become more important, reducing the burden on the heavily con-gested road network.

Is this all just a pipe dream? For BG’s engineers the vision is taking shape: the first geological test drills have been car-ried out, the project planning is becoming more detailed, the deadlines more spe-cific. In just nine years the new suburban rail link could turn towns into “districts” in a single, large economic area and living space, permanently transforming the lives of its inhabitants. J

30 ■ BG 2011

Expansion of the Lavey hydroelectric plant

Lavey+: green electricity in fashion

Everyone is talking about renewable energy. So the Lavey+ project is a timely one. It will increase the electricity generated

by the existing hydroelectric plant on the Rhone, without impacting on the environment. Creating harmony between

technology and nature: a case for the specialists at BG.

THe rIVer DaM aT LaVey, on the Rhone. The underground power station is located four kilometres downstream.

BG 2011 ■ 31

The strong rise in population growth and the marked increase in electricity con-sumption were the reasons for building the Lavey hydroelectric plant, which went into operation in 1950. The plant is owned by the energy provider Services industriels de Lausanne, and consists of a river dam at Evionnaz (Valais) and an underground power plant located four kilometres downstream.

The power plant currently generates around 400 gigawatt hours of “green” electricity per annum, representing roughly one-third of the demand in the Lausanne grid. Thanks to the plant up-grade through the Lavey+ project, an in-crease of 75 gigawatt hours per annum is anticipated. “However, we will not be making any changes to the river dam,” stresses Hervé Détraz, the engineer re-sponsible for technical planning at BG in collaboration with Stucky AG.

Protecting machinery. “Near the dam, we will build a new water intake and extend the guide wall,” explains Hervé Détraz. The Rhone carries large quanti-ties of sand and gravel along with it here. “This will give us better control of the sedimentary deposits, and enable us to protect the machinery and cope better with floods.”

Lavey+ also involves the building of a second, four-kilometre-long supply gal-lery and a fourth group of machines (Ka-plan turbines and generators) in the en-larged underground power station. Plant efficiency will be increased and mainten-ance simplified by having two working

Lavey+ has another ecological benefit: the grate on the river dam holds back large quantities of rubbish of all kinds, which is carried along by the river. Each

Eric davalle:

“The engineers deserve the credit for this”Eric Davalle, Director of the Electricity Depart­ ment of the Services industriels de Lausanne, on Lavey+ and the connections with the Swiss Federal Energy Act.

Mr. Davalle, what is the context for the Lavey+ project?

Davalle: To increase the proportionate share of renewable energies, the Swiss Federal Energy Act aims in part to encourage personal initiatives on the part of the electricity generators, with the specific aim of improving the effi­ciency of their power plants. Everyone can contribute to generating more electricity from renewable sources in Switzerland.

Parts of the Lavey power plant are located in the canton of Valais. Is that a problem?Davalle: Not at all. In fact, 58 per cent is located there. The concession expires at the end of 2030 but both sides know what the consequences of a retroces­sion would be. Lavey+ enables the full potential envisaged by the concession to be fully exploited.

So you need to be forward-looking in your approach?Davalle: Lausanne is highly committed to sustainable development, with equal consideration being given to the economic realities, to human needs and to the needs of the environment. Lavey+ is a project which succeeds in doing this – the engineers deserve the credit for this.

InCreaSe eLeCTrICITy GeneraTIon, simplify maintenance: two objectives of

the project for Cosimo Mega, Hervé Détraz, Ronny Moser and Etienne Garin.

“Increase the amount of electricity being

generated by optimising the power plants.”

levels, each of which will serve two gen-erator sets. The only visible parts of the expansion will be the water intake above the river dam, along with the outlet por-tal for the second working level, below the power station control centre.

A clean job. In addition to generating cleaner and more renewable energy,

“Protect machines and cope better with

peaks in flow.”

year around 1,600 tons are removed, sep-arated, recycled or disposed of — prevent-ing pollution in Lake Geneva.

Nature will also benefit, from the con-struction of a fish ladder as part of Lavey+. Its planning was entrusted to a leading European specialist. The con-struction should allow lake trout to ac-cess the Rhone once more, while keeping their predators in the lake. J

32 ■ BG 2011

Chambord Country Club, Pays de Loire

Building in and with nature

A major development in the heart of an unspoiled natural environment? The project in the Loire Valley aims to accom-

modate contradictions that would appear to be irreconcilable: urban development and a respectful approach to the use

of resources. A challenge for BG.

The old country estate at Pommereaux, south of Orléans (F) covers an area of 400 hectares and is the proposed site of a homely but vibrant small town, to be set in a landscape of forests, meadows and ponds. The Chambord Country Club project encompasses 550 cottages set in the countryside, along with tourism, sports and leisure facilities including a five-star hotel, a golf course, a riding centre, tennis courts and a swimming pool; not forgetting a shopping centre and restaurants, since the small town has big ideas when it comes to satisfying the desire for quality of life.

It is intended as a model development project. Designers of international stand-ing — Jean-Michel Wilmotte for the archi-tecture, Nicklaus Design for the golf course, Neveux & Rovyer for the land-scaping — are committed to carrying out their planning in accordance with the rules for sustainable development. More-over, with part of the site classified as a “Natura 2000” protected area, it is sub-ject to strict regulations.

Harmonising interests. Given this starting situation, the Chambord Coun-try Club project appears to be some- thing akin to squaring the circle. Gaël Paclot, Director of the association “Chambord Nature Passion”, ensures that those involved are aware of the challenges. He adds that they certainly see the proposed development as being compatible with a caring attitude to-

CHaLLenGe aCCePTeD: BG project leader Alexis Pourprix and Pierre Epars are looking

for solutions that are both innovative and, at the same time, realistic.

“Modern development that doesn’t

marginalise nature.”

wards the environment. The objective is to create a modern development that does not marginalise nature. BG was chosen as a partner in order to accom-modate the various interests under one

roof. The task is to take a pioneering ap-proach and to view the building develop-ment as part of a larger whole. And to remain pragmatic, despite the noble ob-jectives aspired to.

The studies conducted by the BG en-gineers cover every aspect. These include a cleverly thought-out water supply, a waste water bio-treatment system, elec-tricity supply, sustainable energy sources (heat pumps, thermal and photovoltaic solar systems, wood heating, biomass), construction materials (wood) and tech-nical infrastructure (pipe networks), to-gether with environmentally compatible mobility and biodiversity. The aim is to apply the full range of solutions, both proven as well as those still in the devel-opment phase, where these will contrib-ute towards the project’s environmental compatibility. No restrictions have been placed on the powers of imagination — the only specification is that the project needs to be financially viable.

The benchmark is set high: the devel-opment’s target energy consumption level is 20 per cent below the standard which will be mandatory from 2012.

Optimising infrastructure. The problems relating to water and the sup-ply of drinking water to the development area are particularly difficult challenges to solve. There are now plans to optimise the existing infrastructures in the sur-

BG 2011 ■ 33

rounding area, so the project will contrib-ute to maintaining the existing pipe net-work.

The first part of the BG mandate is expected to be completed by the begin-ning of 2012 when the planning applica-tion is submitted. If permission is grant-ed to build the Chambord Country Club, BG will assist the promoters of “Cham- bord Nature Passion” until the keys are

handed over. Then the now hardly culti-vated country estate would wake to new life.

After working on this file for 19 months, BG project leader Alexis Pour-prix is as enthusiastic as he was on day

one: “My engineering firm, along with all its employees, was only integrated into the BG Group in 2007. I’ve now got the incredible opportunity to manage this project. Naturally I am benefiting from BG’s reputation, and I’m working with well-established partners in the team. Being able to combine all this interdisci-plinary experience and technical exper-tise is just wonderful. We have been given all the resources needed to turn this kind of project into a reality and bring it to a successful conclusion — for example personnel, information technologies, and material resources.” J

QuaLITy LIVInG In THe CounTrySIDe: Designs for apartments for a project that respects both environment and landscape.

“Interdisciplinary experience and technical

expertise combined within the team.”

FACTs And FiGurEsVolume of investment: 400 million euros

Population capacity: 2,000 peopleTotal area: 400 hectares

34 ■ BG 2011

Shortages in water supply?

How secure will Switzerland’s water supply be in the future? What are the risks arising from climate, demographic or eco-

nomic changes? BG is going right to the heart of these questions and putting forward concrete measures, under a contract com-

missioned by the Federal Office for the Environment.

strategy for switzerland’s water supply

BG 2011 ■ 35

Summer 2003: several farms high up in the Jura are seeing their springs dry up, municipalities in the Aargau region have introduced a ban on filling up swimming pools, and the canton of Solothurn is only allowing water to be extracted from cer-tain streams on alternate days. Although disaster was averted on this occasion, the warning signs have been recognised: shortages in the water supply may be on the way. The hot summer has left Swit-zerland in a cold sweat. All these meas-ures were taken purely in response to the immediate situation.

Filling the information gap. Swit-zerland has around 3,000 public water supply companies, many of which are small to very small. There is no general overview of their status, the interconnec-tions between them or the volumes of water being delivered. Supplies for areas with over 5,000 inhabitants are relatively well documented. However, collating in-formation on smaller supplies is a labori-ous process. Since 2010 experts from BG have been getting to grips with this diffi-cult situation regarding the data, having been commissioned by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Using a sur-vey, they are obtaining detailed informa-

their preservation can be improved — or identifying systems which can be shut down or dismantled.

Helpful kit. BG’s experts are used to working in a practical and relevant way. The strategy for securing Switzerland’s water supply over the long term also en-tails specific measures. At the end of 2011 BG will be giving the BAFU a toolkit in-tended to safeguard or actually improve the water supply in the future. J

yvonne Kunz:

“I’m excited about this national contract”BG is often involved in specific local projects. Does the strategy for water supply on the national level mean you are moving into a new area of business?Yvonne Kunz, environmental scientist at BG: A number of my colleagues are working both on specific projects as well as strategic ones which are more concept­based in nature. Fortunately, one does not preclude the other. We are, however, particularly excited about being able to apply our experience in a national project.

What makes the project interesting for you?Yvonne Kunz: For us to be able to develop the strategy, we are in contact with numerous players, particularly all the cantons. This makes our work exciting and diverse. In addition, water supply is something very funda­mental and important to our daily lives – this makes it a fascinating subject.

drinKinG WATEr FACTs And FiGurEs

Annual volume pumped: 1 billion cubic metresConsumption per person/day: 160 litres

(excluding industry)Costs for 1,000 litres: approx. CHF 1.60

ProFeSSIonaLS, SurrounDeD By WaTer. Yvonne Kunz, Olivier Chaix

and Kathrin Schneider.

The water supply infrastructure has evolved over time.

tion on water supply in the cantons and consequently filling the gaps in the infor-mation. Precise knowledge of the current supply status is an important foundation in preparing for future events.

A look ahead to the future … So what challenges do we face in the future? Where will the growth in population take

There are various potential future

scenarios, giving rise to a range of risks.

place? How much will agglomerations grow? Will Switzerland have to adjust to longer droughts? There is a range of po-tential scenarios from which various risks can be deduced. Although BG is drafting a national study, the focus remains re-gional: only the respective profile of a supply system allows for reliable state-

ments to be made regarding potential risks. Does the water come from a spring, groundwater or surface water? Is the supply being provided for an urban, agri-cultural or tourist region? Yvonne Kunz, lead project engineer at BG, and her team are combining scenarios and water sup-ply profiles and using this to produce analyses with regional variations.

… and below ground. The water sup-ply is linked to an infrastructure. It has evolved over time and is only gradually being adapted and converted. The infra-structure also includes the approximately 53,000 kilometres of pipeline which sup-ply drinking water to domestic house-holds. BG is unearthing these pipelines, figuratively speaking, and showing how

Behind the facade of the Montbrillant Postal Centre at Geneva Central Railway Station, the noise of a major construction

site has been ongoing for several months. BG is planning and coordinating the conversion project, the scope of which

matches the dimensions of the building.

Conversion of a gentle giant

Montbrillant Postal Centre, Geneva

The concrete floor on the fifth storey is covered with dust. Three-storey facades, still surrounded by scaffolding, rise on both sides of the huge esplanade. Waving his arms, Jean-Robert Murat catches our attention and calls out excitedly: “We are in a garden measuring 75 by 50 metres in the heart of the city. There’ll be a pond here and lots of large shrubs …” Aside

from these enthusiastic explanations, there are few signs of the lush plants and sprinkling fountains of his vision. The noise of machinery still prevails and the shouts of busy construction workers set the scene — activity on the construction site is intense.

We are in the heart of a giant building of concrete and steel: the Montbrillant

Postal Centre in Geneva is the largest building in the city by area, and the sec-ond-largest building in the French-speak-ing part of Switzerland after the Univer-sity Hospital in Lausanne. Despite its prominent position next to the Cornavin Railway Station, it is virtually ignored. The local people who see it every day have long become accustomed to its massive presence. And commuters who arrive by train remember at most an end-less, plain facade which they saw through the windows as their train entered the

“on this site we talk about floors,

not storeys.”

Buildings in xxL sizeThe Montbrillant Postal Centre was built by the Swiss Confederation and opened for business in 1984. Since Swiss Post was still transporting large quantities of cash at that time, the building was equipped with extensive security equipment. Current safety provisions require additional escape routes to be installed.

Land area: approx. 300 m T 150 m

Gross floor area: 115,000 m

Leased to the canton of Geneva: 24,000 m

Users: 2,000 persons daily, 850 of whom will be employees

Restaurant: new kitchen with a capacity for 800 meals per day

Concept design and planning: ARB Architekten, Berne

Execution planning and construction management: BPF Architectes et Associés SA, Geneva

Building owner and developer: Post Immobilien

36 ■ BG 2010

station. As soon as they get off the train, they leave the Les Grottes district and the Postal Centre behind them and pour out into the city centre.

Trains on the basement level. Des-pite its dimensions, the Montbrillant Post-al Centre is surprisingly unprepossessing and blends in with the environment. The internal structure of the building is highly complex. Jean-Robert Murat, the BG en-gineer responsible for project coordina-tion and site management, gives us an

BG 2011 ■ 37

FLoor FIVe: Four new structures with landscaped area being created on an open space.

38 ■ BG 2011

overview: “On this site we don’t talk about storeys but floors.” And this means that the heart of the giant building — the future landscaped, open-air esplanade — is located on the fifth floor. The new Swiss Post offices are located on the fourth floor. They are literally suspended from

PrOjECT sTAGEsNovember 2009: Publication

of planning proposalSpring 2010: Demolition work

May 2010: Commencement of conversion work

Summer 2012: Completion of conversion work

“you have to see it to believe it.”

park and a loading zone for the postal de-livery workers’ vehicles. Adjacent to this are three railway platforms for the arriv-ing and departing yellow goods wagons of Swiss Post.

Following an initial conversion stage, Swiss Post moved into its new premises five years ago. Jean-Robert Murat was also in charge of this redevelopment project, which forms part of the modern-isation and reorganisation of the Swiss Post letter mailing centres. However, the existing construction site, opened in early 2010, clearly goes beyond the scope of the first stage. “You have to see it to believe it. I’ve already managed nu-merous complex projects, but something like this was a new experience for me as well,” admits Murat. It goes without say-

ing that he is now familiar with the end-less corridors and countless doors which can only be opened by authorised per-sonnel using a pass, like the pass on his waistcoat pocket. Nevertheless, even he sometimes gets lost, as somewhere on the site openings are being modified, moved, blocked or reopened virtually every day.

Public space. It is astonishing to see the speed at which the fifth floor is changing. Just a few months ago it was simply one long series of offices. First of all they were all emptied — this included 900 tons of equipment and escalators. After the partition walls were demolished a huge empty space was created between the building’s external walls — enough space for four new buildings, each having three floors, with over 20,000 square metres of office space where the Office for Employment and Social Security of the canton administration will be leasing premises.

In total, 850 employees will be work-ing here in the future. Because the land-scaped esplanade between the office

a CITy WITHIn THe CITy: Gardens, a pond and four office buildings, view from outside (top) and from inside. Drawings by the architect Christophe Jeanprêtre.

The business operations of the Post office

will not be affected.

buildings will be open to the general pub-lic during the daytime, it is likely that up to 2,000 people a day will then pass through this oasis of green. Completion is set for summer 2012. Until then the con-version work will continue apace and, in-cidentally, without any interruption to the business operations of Swiss Post.

Pleasing views. Flexibility is a must for any building renovation. This is due to the ever-changing needs of the building

the ceiling above the sorting centre (third floor) and are accessed via a corridor on the mezzanine. Access to the counters and post boxes is from Rue Montbrillant at ground level. Finally, the two basement floors are used as an underground car

BG 2011 ■ 39

CoVereD ConSTruCTIon SITe: Architect Christophe Jeanprêtre (ARB Berne) and

Paolo Pellacani (above right, BPF Geneva) with Jean-Robert Murat and Ricardo

Munoz from the BG team in the future open-air garden.

users which constantly require adjust-ments to be made to the project. In the case of the Montbrillant Postal Centre, such surprises were fortunately the exception. Jean-Robert Murat is also pleased that the building had been well maintained: “With all buildings from the

ist companies to remove and dispose of the problem materials before the con-struction workers started work.

After a final walk through the future garden on the fifth floor, our host Jean-Robert Murat hurries back through the labyrinth of his site. Suddenly, however, he stops still, looks back again through the long, futuristically gleaming corridor, and says, more to himself: “This building has a bright future ahead …”

The bright prospects are also pleasing from another aspect: as existing and al-ready scarce reserves of building land in-creasingly disappear, conversions and changes of use for older buildings are in-creasingly likely to become the norm in Switzerland over the coming years. Un-doubtedly, the engineers at BG will not complain about that: they are very excit-ed about the task of getting existing buildings fit for a new use. J

“This building has a bright future ahead.”

oVeraLL VIeW: The outside of the building will remain virtually unchanged, with the conversion work taking place inside. Sketch by the architect Christophe Jeanprêtre.

70s and 80s, we always conduct a de-tailed study to see what is found. In this case it was asbestos — in adhesives, joint-ing and fire insulation materials. Howev-er, this didn’t really come as a surprise. There was no risk to users of the building, but by contrast there was certainly a po-tential risk to construction site workers.” That’s why we commissioned two special-

40 ■ BG 2011

Following the strong growth in the previous year, BG successfully focused on consolidating the Group in 2010.

review of 2010Annual report

It was a good year for BG despite a fierce competitive business environment. The companies that had joined the Group in 2009 were integrated gradually, in line with BG’s multidisciplinary and multicul-tural orientation. This integration is al-ready bearing fruit.

Consolidation. Group sales in 2010 to-talled 85 million Swiss francs — a rise of 6.4 per cent compared with the previous year. The increase is in line with target and this time is based solely on internal growth. Profits were successfully main-tained at the same level as the previous year, with significant resources being in-vested in the Group’s development and employees share in the Group result. Nor did the shareholders miss out. Thanks to the positive result, corporate value was increased on a sustainable basis.

Keyword integration. One area of fo-cus in 2010 was integrating the subsidiar-ies that had been added in the previous year (FMNi in Corcelles, Beyeler Inge-nieure in Berne and ARP in Zug, Zurich and Schwyz). One of the key objectives was to optimise the synergies which foster high-quality project management

pressed in the terms sustainability, creat-ing added value, motivation, ethics, com-mitment and independence. These values are shared by all employees and form the heart of BG’s corporate philosophy. They guide the direction taken within the Group, and represent a benefit for our clients (download available from the BG website).

satisfied clients. The client survey conducted in 2010 shows that BG enjoys a high level of client loyalty. Virtually all the clients recommend BG to others. Where possible they would also be happy to work with BG in future projects. How-ever, the freedom to choose developers is restricted by the provisions of the tender-ing process, particularly in the public sec-tor. There is one adjective that our clients repeatedly use to characterise BG: “ex-pert”. Other qualities are also mentioned: the ability to manage complex projects, the ethical attitude of the employees, the desire to find reliable solutions, and reli-ability in fulfilling obligations. Whether it’s about challenges in relation to water, the environment in general or energy is-sues, civil engineering or infrastructure construction: we are pleased to see the acknowledgement that BG develops good solutions in key areas of sustainable de-velopment.

stable markets. Since the focus of 2010 was on consolidation, growth in the various markets remained modest. In BG’s historic core area, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, the Group performed well in the areas of energy and transport infrastructure. Growth in the German-speaking part of Switzer-land continued while the French market remained stable. The situation in Algeria stagnated in 2010. In view of the political

situation, this is unlikely to change in the short term. Nevertheless, the Alger-ian market offers potential and BG will continue the business activity it has been pursuing without interruption since 1962.

structural adjustment. BG has taken a pragmatic approach to adapting its structures. A department for the

one area of focus was integrating

the subsidiaries.

through the interchange within the inter-disciplinary teams, to the benefit of our clients.

strong values. In 2010 BG redefined the values for which the Group stands and set these out in detail. These are ex-

German-speaking part of Switzerland was created in order to be closer to the clients and to increase efficiency. A well-known figure with interdisciplinary skills and good market knowledge joined BG to head up this area (see page 10). However, the real strength of the BG Group lies in its ability to create project teams with the specifically required areas of ex-pertise in each case. BG is a network of talented employees who work together, independently of where their place of work is located.

Added value. Creating added value forms the central core of engineering ac-tivity. If this were appropriately rewarded, the future of innovative and talented en-gineers would look promising. Unfortu-nately, the profitability of engineering and architectural consultancy firms fails to meet expectations — BG is no excep-tion here. Yet even though the construc-tion sector offers lower prospects for profits than other branches of industry, it needs to secure its future by delivering a robust financial performance. In 2010 we

Virtually all the clients recommend

BG to others.

BG 2011 ■ 41

took a decisive step in introducing meas-ures designed to improve BG’s profitabil-ity. We expect these measures to have positive consequences for us both this year and next.

Challenge. BG also managed a number of fascinating projects in 2010. Irre-spective of their scope, they have a number of things in common: a certain degree of complexity, together with as-pects covering a number of areas of ex-pertise. BG is always happy to face up to these challenges — and, at all times, to the benefit of our clients. This magazine gives more detailed information on a number of prominent projects — selected from a wide choice. It therefore deals with a range of topics such as transport infra-structure, energy concepts, innovative buildings and environmental protection.

Employees as capital. Its employees are the true assets of BG. Once again in 2010 we successfully attracted new, tal-ented individuals with wide-ranging hori-zons in terms of career and experience. It is pleasing to note that the name of BG is attractive and motivates many of those seeking careers to submit ad hoc applica-tions. One of the reasons for this is that BG is actively involved in student forums

students at the renowned University of art and design in Lausanne (ECAL) (see page 43). By choosing to do this, we are underlining the importance we attach to combining nature and culture.

Outlook for 2011. The level of orders on hand reached another record at the beginning of the year, and the outlook is encouraging. BG will continue its devel-opment in the core markets, mainly on the international level. Measures have

been introduced to increase the Group’s efficiency and profitability. We are paying particular attention to looking after and retaining our talents, for example by con-ducting an employee satisfaction survey and expanding the BG Academy. The front page itself makes clear reference to one of the central events of this year: our Chairman of the Board of Directors and long-serving head of the company is handing over the reins to his successor (see page 11). J

BG is a network of talented employees

who work together.

ConSoLIDaTeD annuaL SaLeS

DISTrIBuTIon oF ProFeSSIonaL CaTeGorIeS WITHIn THe BG GrouP

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

20102009200820072006

84.979.8

59.4

50.444.2

In C

HF

mill

ion

and has a good website. Every year BG acknowledges student performance in the area of sustainable development. In 2010 prizes were awarded to students of the EPFL and, for the very first time, to

Engineers 151 (27%)

Senior engineers 179 (33%)

Trainees 35 (6%)

Staff and secretarial personnel 78 (14%)

Technicians 32 (6%)

Draftsmen and women / designers

80 (14%)

42 ■ BG 2011

Contacts/imprint

SwitzerlandLAUSANNE

BG Ingénieurs Conseils SA

Av. de Cour 61

Case postale 241

CH-1001 Lausanne

T. +41 21 618 11 11

lausanne@bg-21.com

BASEL

BG Ingenieure und Berater AG

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CH-4052 Basel

T. +41 61 921 57 04

basel@bg-21.com

BERNE

BG Ingenieure und Berater AG

Brunnhofweg 37

Postfach 590

CH-3000 Berne 14

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bern@bg-21.com

Beyeler Ingenieure AG

Stade de Suisse

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CH-3014 Berne

T. +41 31 958 34 34

planung@beyelering.ch

BIEL/BIENNE

BG Ingenieure und Berater AG

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CH-2502 Biel/Bienne

T. +41 32 323 69 27

bienne@bg-21.com

DELÉMONT

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CH-2800 Delémont

T. +41 58 424 25 00

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Case postale

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GENEVA

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CH-1219 Châtelaine-Geneva

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Case postale 1813

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info@fmn-ing.ch

SCHWYZ

ARP André Rotzetter +

Partner Schwyz AG

Ingenieure und Planer

Bahnhofstrasse 53

CH-6430 Schwyz

T. +41 41 817 47 74

arp_schwyz@arping.ch

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BG Ingenieure und Berater AG

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ARP André Rotzetter +

Partner AG

Ingenieure und Planer

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T. +41 41 766 50 50

arp_baar@arping.ch

ZURICH

BG Ingenieure und Berater AG

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CH-8050 Zurich

T. +41 44 307 11 01

zuerich@bg-21.com

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Partner Zürich AG

Ingenieure und Planer

Leutschenbachstrasse 45

CH-8050 Zurich

T. +41 44 307 11 11

arp_zuerich@arping.ch

algeriaALGIERS

BG Bonnard & Gardel Sàrl

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DZ-16300 Kouba-Algiers

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ElOued@bg-21.com

GHARDAIA

BG Bonnard & Gardel Sàrl

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Daya Ben Dahoua

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englandLONDON

BG Consultants (UK) Limited

Baxter House — 48 Church Road

Ascot, Berkshire

SL5 8RR, England

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london@bg-21.com

FranceAIX-LES-BAINS

Tonello Ingénieurs Conseils SAS

Le Zénith

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Boîte postale 233

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ST-GENIS-POUILLY

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ImprintPublished by BG Consulting Engineers AG, www.bg-21.com

Editorial committee Laurent Vulliet ı Olivier Chaix ı Joseph von Aarburg

Concept & overall coordination naturaqua PBK

Text editorial naturaqua PBK

Photography Hansueli Trachsel: p. 1, 8, 9t, 9b l, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19b, 21, 25b,

29, 31t, 32, 35, 39b; M. F. Arnold: p. 3; zvg: p. 4, 5, 27, 31b, 33; BG: p. 9b r,

19t; Maurice Schobinger: p. 14, 20, 22, 26, 30, 34, 37; Christophe Renault:

p. 15; Patrice Blot: p. 16; Jean Latour: p. 18; Swisstopo: p. 28; Google Earth:

p. 24; iStockphoto: p. 25t; Christophe Jeanprêtre: p. 38, 39t; Robert Huber,

ECAL: p. 43

Translation Rolf Lüthi Übersetzungen AG

Design Büro eigenart

Lithography and printing Jost Druck AG

SCER-SU-64.1 Climate neutral print by www.jostdruckag.ch