Heavydrive clads tunnel in the Paris metro

Undulating and curved elements placed frontally and overhead

The city of Paris is planning a large-scale extension of its public transport network – the project is called the "Grand Paris Express". The aim, by 2030, is to build 200 new kilometres of track to carry passengers in fully automated fashion. The direct connection from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the city centre is scheduled for completion by the 2024 Summer Olympics. The metro tunnel in the modern high-rise district of La Défence (Paris, France), Europe's biggest office centre, was clad using customised installation devices from Heavydrive.

The challenge was to place differently undulating and curved Corian elements overhead and frontally on the tunnel wall in a very confined space without leaving any marks. The Heavydrive suction and lift installation robot GMG 300 in combination with an overhead manipulator and the suction system VSG 450 KL2 overcame any hurdles. The mobile and compact Heavydrive GMG glass robot was developed specifically for installation in hard-to-access places. With a battery-powered drive, the glass installation system was ideal for use inside the metro tunnel system. The Heavydrive suction system had been equipped with special suction cups to suction on the composite panels safely and without leaving any residue. This meant that just one operator was able to suction on the differently undulating and curved elements by radio remote control, moving them sideways or up to 8.5 metres overhead and placing them accurately on the tunnel wall.   

The systems had been checked out at Heavydrive's headquarters beforehand in a mock-up. This allowed the experts to configure the optimum equipment and test the installation solution under all construction site conditions. A special Heavydrive service that saves the customer time and money on the construction site. The result – the tunnel elements in Paris were installed safely, on time and without incident. The customer was so impressed with the Heavydrive systems that they purchased the vacuum suction system VSG 450 KL2 after the rental period was over.