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The "Route of the Future": The 4 winning Ademe projects

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Soils are complex materials made up of a more or less compact mineral skeleton with an increasing need for maintenance and consolidation. This is particularly the case in road construction. Depending on the type of soil considered and the type of work to be carried out, it is advisable to choose a suitable reinforcement solution that is in keeping with both the nature of the soil in place and its environment. Ademe, therefore, has launched a call for projects, "Route du futur", as part of the Future Investments Program (1)The aim is to develop technical innovations and sustainable solutions for road infrastructure.

 
Qhat materials for the roads of the future? And what materials will be used to make these roads smart? Will the road be self-repairing and energy self-sufficient? Will it be able to self-diagnose pavement deformation? (2)

The four winning projects of the Ademe's pperl à projets allow the exploration of various thematic fields ranging from the reduction of the ecological footprint linked to the construction and maintenance of infrastructures, to the development of innovative energy production solutions, to the improvement of infrastructure design and construction methods with a view to reducing future operating and maintenance costs for the same quality of service, and to the integration of new information and communication technologies in the field of infrastructure. A source of innovation for the future! 
Even if these four winning projects are mainly carried out by large construction companies, one project is carried out by an SME (REGIC) and two of the projects are carried out in collaboration with one or more public laboratories (REGIC and I-STREET).
 

First 4 major winning projects

 

REGIC (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France for experimentation)
Coordinated by the SME TEXINOV and conducted in collaboration with INERIS and the 3SR laboratory, this project aims to develop an innovative instrumented geosynthetic solution dedicated to soil reinforcement over potential cavities, focusing on cases of thin cover, using remodelled in-place soils (granular or coherent). As this geosynthetic is equipped with a detection system, it allows rapid dissemination of information in the event of subsidence or collapse of the cavity. Funding for the IAP amounts to €1.4M for the entire project and the first sales should start in 2020. A solution to changes in terrain, 
 
NOVATHERM (New Aquitaine, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Ile-de-France for experiments)
Coordinated by EUROVIA, this project aims to develop a pavement integrating a heat exchanger in its surface layers, capable of acting as a solar thermal energy collector and heat emitter powered by a renewable energy source (geothermal, biomass). This product should make it possible to add a new ecological functionality to the road network, and to respond to the problems of airport sites in particular, where the issues related to winter maintenance are very important. Funding for the AIP amounts to €1.8 million. EUROVIA plans to start selling the first snow removal equipment in 2017.
 
100% RECYCLED (New Aquitaine, PACA for experimentation)
 
Coordinated by EUROVIA, this project aims to develop a road made up of almost 100 % of recycled materials, which has the mechanical and durability performance of a traditional new pavement, has a much smaller environmental footprint and is less costly than current solutions. Funding for the AIP amounts to €1.3 million. EUROVIA expects the first sales of these asphalt aggregates to start in 2017.
 
I-STREET / (Systemic Innovations for Ecological and Energy Transitions in Road Transport Infrastructures) (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Occitania, New Aquitaine, Pays-de-la-Loire)
Coordinated by EIFFAGE and conducted in partnership with TOTAL, IFSTTAR and the SME OLIKROM, this research programme aims to develop innovative solutions in the field of industry (manufacture of granulated asphalt mixes, new logistics model for asphalt mixing plants) and products and services (new asphalt mixes, demountable urban pavements, innovative paints and integration of sensors in the pavement). The project is part of a systemic approach: six technological bricks will be developed, ranging from the development of a more environmentally friendly road industry to intelligent, instrumented and connected roads, including the development of prefabricated / demountable roads and innovative and safer road markings. AIP funding for all bricks amounts to €8.7 million.
 
And when will roads be silent, auo and thermo-regulated against bad weather, supplying energy (photovoltaic) and above all safer? 
 
(1) The Future Investment Program (FIP) in brief : With 57 billion euros, the Programme d'Investissements d'Avenir (PIA), managed by the Commissariat Général à l'Investissement, was set up by the State to finance innovative and promising investments in the region. Six national priorities have thus been identified to enable France to increase its growth and employment potential: higher education, research and training, the promotion of research and transfer to the economic world, sustainable development, industry and SMEs, the digital economy, health and biotechnologies. Caisse des Dépôts Group is the State's leading PIA operator, with more than €23 billion under management.
 
(2) Read the article " What materials for the roads of the future? » of Engineering Techniques
 

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