SMIE
ZI Les Richardets
7, rue de la Chapelle
93160 NOISY LE GRAND
France

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TARA
Brigitte LESCURE
Tel: +33 (0) 1 49 30 10 70
bl@tara-communication.com

Rest of World
CML & Associates
Roger Lindley
Tel: +44 1279 600598
Fax: 0870 705 255
Email: roger.lindley@cmlpr.co.uk

SMIE SYSTEMS SPECIFIED ON MAJOR CITY DEVELOPMENT

For the largest urban renewal and regeneration development in Paris, to ensure safety between the high density of tower cranes that will eventually be used by different contractors, the engineering consultants, CICAD, are insisting that all be fitted with SMIE anti-collision and zoning systems to ensue total compatibility.

To meet requirements, SMIE have had to upgrade the software on its AC243 systems to enable up to 14 cranes to work on a single network. Even then, such is the density of cranes that will eventually be on site, that two or more networks will be required. This inevitably means that some cranes will have dual installations because they work across different networks.
     Just 7 km west of the centre of Paris on the banks of the river Seine, the site, the former Renault factory, has been derelict for over 15 years. Now a 37.5 ha area at the Rives de Billancourt will be developed with residential, commercial, retail, entertainment and other public centres. At the heart will be a 7 ha park. Also part of the development is the 11.5 ha Ile Seguin, the site of the original Renault plant.
      The scale of the project is such that it will be a ‘city within a city'. Boulogne-Billancourt already has over 12,500 enterprises, 1 million sq m of office space and provides employment for over 80,000 people. The latest development will provide an additional 842,000 sq. m of housing, 247,000 m² of offices and 175,000 m² of shops, hotels and other facilities. There will also be new metro lines, and renovated bridges to facilitate the movement of people.
     A complication for the developers is that different contractors will be working on different projects. By the end of the year, the principal contractors, Vinci, Icade Capri and Mexity working alongside a public consortium, will have 10 plots under development with 25 tower cranes.

Safety Is First Consideration

With so much activity in progress at the same time, logistics management is a major problem and all traffic is routed through the site and monitored in and out. The major consideration for CICAD is site safety. Although anti-collision systems are mandatory on sites throughout France where there is more than one tower crane on a site, CICAD insisted that the many different cranes should all be able to work to one safety monitoring system.
      Christophe Picard, consulting engineer explained “The only way we could ensure that all tower cranes on the development could work safely, without collision or entering unauthorized zones, was by insisting on a common solution. We have entered into an agreement with SMIE, whereby the AC243 anti-collision system will be required to be fitted and maintained by SMIE engineers on all tower cranes. SMIE was chosen because of their expertise and proven ability to work with all types and makes of tower crane.
      To ensure that one contractor is not inconvenienced by an adjacent contractor we are also insisting that the tower cranes are all fully operational between 7.00 and 20.00.”
      Responsible for the SMIE installations is Lionel Loisy. He says, “We have had to work very closely with CICAD and develop software for the SMIE systems to meet their requirements. Because of the risk of interference, they asked that SMIE maximize the number of cranes on a single network. So we have upgraded the system to increase wireless integration from 9 to 14 cranes on a single network.
      “Fortunately, on this project, although there are various manufacturers, all the cranes being used are saddle-jib or flat-top. The plans do not allow for any luffing jib cranes. There is also a height restriction for the building – under 40 m – which means there will be no climbing cranes. The most complicated area is where two cranes overlap networks. These will have to be fitted with two systems – the additional cost being shared by all contractors.”
     CICAD will also record all crane operations at its head office to enable faster investigation in the event of any accidents.

Crane Installation Approval

Prior to any contractor installing a crane, each contractor has to provide CICAD with a detailed tower crane plan which must met the rigorous demands of the master coordination document which all contractors are required to sign.
     Details checked include position, installed height, height-under-hook, position relative to adjacent buildings and other cranes as well as compliance with French law which requires a 2 m clearance. It is only after the tower crane plan has been approved that the contractor can erect it.
     Key features of the AC243 are:

• A function that prevents over-sailing of critical zones and static obstacles such as high-voltage lines, railway tracks, public highways, etc.
• An anti-collision system, which detects dynamic obstacles, such as crane hoist cable, jib, counter-jib or mast.
• An inter-crane communication system using cabled connections for up to 30 cranes or a wireless connection for up to 9 cranes.

The AC243 is easily modified to suit all makes and all types of tower cranes including saddle jib, luffing jib, fixed cranes, travelling cranes, PLC controlled cranes and relay controlled cranes.
     In many parts of the world, regulations require operators to demonstrate quality control procedures including operating security. To aid compliance and commissioning, SMIE provides documentation that is more detailed and installations that exceed requirements. The AC243 also makes start-up testing of the systems as simple as possible for the crane operator.
     To meet demands of the project managers and, in some parts of the world, regulations, the anti-collision supervisor is able to provide a well-documented record of the status and crane operating parameters at any time for any crane.
     Check and maintenance procedures are also made as easy as possible. SMIE builds into its systems check procedures to enable accurate system verification and easy tracing of faults. A data log maintained by the AC243 allows detailed evaluation of any incident.

Total Protection and Flexibility
The AC243 constantly measures the position, speed of the jib and trolley for each crane. The unit calculates status at a rate of three times per second and takes into consideration the braking capacity of each movement in determining the collision risk. Without operator intervention, the system implements a braking procedure as, and only if, a collision risk is identified.
     To work, each crane needs to be fitted with an AC243 or compatible SMIE product as the system requires full communication between the various cranes.
    The SMIE AC243 is a universal system suitable for all types of cranes and it can be easily transferred from crane to crane. The system can be extended progressively as more tower cranes come on to a specific site.

A Modern City Under Construction

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