Soletanche Freyssinet 2023 Innovation Awards: Sixense wins multiple awards

A look back at Sixense’s participation and the 5 prizes won at this 2023 edition. 

  

To begin with, a quick memento on the Innovation Awards and their categories:  

193 innovations were submitted. To be eligible, innovations had to have already been tested or include a fairly detailed business plan. The Innovation Awards were divided into 5 categories:

 

  • Marketing & Business Development: development of new services for our customers and new applications for our products 
  • Engineering & Technologies: innovations, innovative designs linked to technological solutions, validated on completed works 
  • Management & Digital: innovations in project or company management; innovations that contribute, through the use of new digital technologies, to optimizing the performance of our businesses 
  • Site know-how: practical and site-specific innovations developed by operational teams 
  • New ideas for the future: ideas for development, new markets, new techniques that will contribute to the future development of Soletanche Freyssinet 

 

The price was determined by 5 geographical areas: 

  • France 
  • Europe (excluding France), UK, Middle East and Africa 
  • North America 
  • Latin America 
  • Asia and Oceania 

 

Details:

In each geographical area, the projects were submitted to a regional jury made up of members from different departments of the company. The final jury was made up of members of Soletanche Freyssinet’s COCOR. Six Innovation Award ceremonies took place, one in each geographical area, and a final ceremony at the end of December 2023 in Paris. 

  

Sixense’s participation in the SF 2023 Innovation Awards 

The Sixense teams submitted 19 projects in the various categories and regions. Of these 19 submissions, 5 projects won an award.  

  

🏆 Engineering and Technology category – France Special Prize:  Digital inspection with automatic disorder detection.

An innovation by FABRY Pierre-Marin, BESSOULE Nicolas, COATSALIOU Alexis, GARDON Elisabeth and BENKASSOU Ali. 

Innovation in a nutshell:  

Digital inspection consists in measuring the entire structure using a digital sensor, either remotely or at close range. This new working method “brings the work back to the office”, offering significant productivity gains both on site (with intervention times reduced by 30% to 70%, depending on the structure) and in the office, notably using artificial intelligence via the Cameleon tool developed by Sixense. The Cameleon tool enables disorders to be identified directly from images. 

  

🏆 Management & Digital category – Americas Award:  3D defect mapping and tracking for tunnel Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine (Canada).

An innovation by KROELY Benoit.  

Innovation in a nutshell:  

As part of the project to completely rehabilitate the tunnel, Sixense has developed a new solution including a trolley specifically designed for 3D acquisition of the tunnel, with millimeter precision. Acquisition can be carried out several times throughout the project, enabling a before-and-after chronology to be created. The solution also includes 3D rendering software called beMap. It projects the 3D model and enables end-users to measure and mark the section to be repaired directly on the images. The solution also includes access to Beyond Asset, our digital tool for tracking repairs and associated tasks. Communication between these 3 tools has been automated as far as possible. This innovation is the result of collaboration between three Sixense entities: Sixense Canada for the project, Sixense Digital for Beyond Asset and Sixense Mapping for the 3D part. 

  

  

🏆 Site know-how category – Asia-Oceania Special Prize: 4DVib, a solution for remote dynamic monitoring of structures.

An innovation by LAHALLE Felix, CHALESLE Yohan, NIHOTTE Ivan, KO Ing-Hui and TR Madhavan. 

Innovation in a nutshell:  

4DVib uses interferometric radar technology to remotely measure the displacements of structures at high frequencies, to measure the displacements of structures at high frequencies, measure vibrations and define natural frequencies. This solution saves time and eliminates the need to intervene on the structure, for greater safety and speed. 4DVib was implemented to monitor the Singapore Ferris wheel. Faster and requiring less intervention and downtime, the 4DVib solution did not necessitate any shutdowns. Freyssinet was able to replace the cables, which were inspected via 4DVib as soon as they were installed.  

  

  

🏆Site know-how category – Europe Award: Cyclops mobile deployed in Monaco.  

An innovation by LICHTENBERGER Andre, GEHU Guillaume, GIANNO Remi, BASTH Amaury and PRUSAK Arnaud.  

Innovation in a nutshell:  

This solution measures absolute displacements by topography in a pit or shaft. Basically, the Cyclops is automatically moved up and down in increments, so that the technician no longer must intervene at the bottom of the pit on a daily basis. The solution is designed to enable 24-hour monitoring of the entire worksite, by automating measurements to increase productivity, autonomy and customer satisfaction. Limiting the presence of technicians at the bottom of the excavation helps to minimize coactivity between operators and machines, improving team safety and the quality of their working conditions. This solution for moving a Cyclops is covered by a French patent. 

  

🏆 Marketing & Business Development category – Asia-Oceania Award: Beyond Monitoring, a digital real-time monitoring platform 

An innovation supported by BASTH Amaury, EL GAMMAL Marie-Laure, FEJOZ Remi, LECLUSE Nicolas and CAMHAJI Stephane. 

Innovation in a nutshell:  

Beyond Monitoring is a software platform, accessible online or via an application, enabling real-time management of customer site data. It is a decision-support solution for anticipating and controlling geotechnical, environmental and structural risks. It can integrate data of all types, from a variety of sources and formats, including those from third-party services. This digital platform takes over from Geoscope, our historic data integration and visualization software, developed and maintained for over 25 years. Beyond Monitoring is deployed on over 50 projects in Asia and Oceania, including Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop, a 90 km orbital rail loop through the Melbourne suburbs.  

  

  

Congratulations to all the award-winning innovation teams, and to all the employees involved in the 19 innovation projects submitted.  👏

At Sixense, we are proud of our teams and their daily commitment to their missions and to the development of innovative solutions. This commitment not only contributes to the continuous improvement of our solutions for customers, but also to the safety of our employees.  

[8 March] International Women’s Day – Sixense female employees speak out

To celebrate International Women’s Rights Day, we gave the floor to the talented women who make up Sixense.   

Our aim was to ask each of them what it means to be a woman at Sixense. In the video below, our female employees tell you how they feel about it on this very special day.   

 

 

In addition to their testimonies, it was important for Sixense to share some figures on gender equality and diversity.   

Sixense works on a daily basis to ensure greater equality and gender diversity within the company.  To this end, the gender diversity rate has been increased by 5.9% between 2022 and 2023, and the HR and management teams continue to be involved on a daily basis to go even further.   

Collective waste collection action to preserve the oceans

Sixense teams collected more than 400 kg of waste during the Project Rescue Ocean challenge

 

At Sixense, environmental commitment is developed on a daily basis and translated into concrete actions. In 2022, our teams took part in a waste collection challenge, organised by our holding company Soletanche Freyssinet and the Project Rescue Ocean association.

We would like to warmly thank all our employees from France, North America, and the Middle East who took part in this challenge.

This challenge was organised for all Soletanche Freyssinet entities throughout 2022. Thank you to the QSE teams for rolling out this initiative.

 

 

Focus on the Project Ocean rescue association

The voluntary association organises eco-citizen actions on the beaches but also inland. Its goal is simple: to raise public awareness of the state of the environment, seas and oceans. Project Rescue Ocean is officially labeled by UNESCO World Heritage.

To learn more, visit their website https://projectrescueocean.org/

Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year from Sixense

All the Sixense teams wish you a Very Happy New Year 2023!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers and partners for their loyalty throughout the year that has just passed.

We invite you to close the chapter of 2022 by sharing with you a quick review in pictures of this year which was rich in projects for Sixense. Underground construction projects, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), consultancy for wind farms, asset management and many others.

All around the world, from France to the United States, via Hong Kong, follow the highlights of the year 2022 at Sixense by discovering the video below.

And to follow Sixense’s projects and news throughout the year, we invite you to subscribe to our LinkedIn page.

 

 

Sixense donations and support to Oregon State University

At Sixense, we believe that collaboration is key for success. It is very important to us to participate and stay involved in what will become the future of engineering and the industry. To that end, Sixense has  made connections with several universities across the United States, including Oregon State University (OSU).

A recent donation of geotechnical instrumentation equipment by the Sixense USA team has been gratefully acknowledged by OSU Civil Engineering Excellence Fund. Sixense indeed contributes to their development and helps young engineers reach their highest potential. Members of the Sixense USA team have also been deeply involved in supporting universities through guest lecturing, seminar as well as collaborative research.

We are proud to be involved in the success story of young future engineers, and we look forward to more opportunities to support the academic community.

 

photo credit : Oregon State University

New Laboratory Qualification

After 2 years of collaboration, investment, adjustments of our processes and adaptation to EDF’s quality charter, the Technical Operational Unit of EDF granted us a new qualification in the field of chemicophysical analysis.

Applied in November 2020, this qualification recognises our teams’ skills, efficiency and the quality of our analysis:

  • Identifications of suspended materials,
  • Laser granulomety Analyses,
  • Microscopic fiber count
  • MEB* Analysis and chemical analysis to determine the content of various elements.

Those analysis allow EDF to qualify water materials with nuclear power plants wastes and highlight our wish to permanently provide improvements for the services provided.

For more information, please get in touch with isabelle.gachet@sixense-group.com

 

MEB* : (in french) Microscopie Electronique à Balayage, (in english) Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM)

Greetings from Sixense teams

All the Sixense teams wish you a happy new year! We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for their loyalty throughout the past year.

After an atypical year in 2020, we close this chapter on a positive note by sharing with you a quick report of the year, which was nevertheless rich in projects for Sixense.

Follow the highlights of 2020 in the video below from building to underground construction projects, power plant site, bridge digitalisation to the roof of a stadium in the USA.

For more information about Sixense challenges, come and follow throughout the year the projects and highlights of Sixense on our LinkedIn page.

 

Monitoring standards

Sixense takes part in writing international monitoring standards

A group of about ten European experts has been working since 2010 on writing international monitoring standards.

Sixense is involved in the project via Martin Beth, director of our Monitoring Division France, by representing France among monitoring specialists from all over Europe, in charge of elaborating European and worldwide standards (CEN and ISO).

Their aim is to help sharing best practices in monitoring, by coordinating and writing them collectively.

 

Our expert explains :

Each standard takes between 2 and 3 years work in average and we will prepare about ten of them in the following years. The basic standard on general rules was published in 2015, followed by the standards on extensometers, inclinometers, piezometers and pore pressure cells. Our group is currently working on standards for liquid level settlement sensors, strain gauges and load cells and will start working shortly on geodetic monitoring instruments (automatic theodolites for example).

Martin Beth, director of Monitoring Division France, Sixense

 

Sixense Mapping’s partnership with Topcon Positioning Group for Africa

Sixense Mapping’s partnership with Topcon positioning Group to expand in africa          

 

As a reference in 3D digitisation of existing assets, Sixense Mapping signs today a partnership with Topcon positioning Group to develop their activity in Africa. The common ambition is to fulfil the needs for digital transformation in the African markets of construction, infrastructures, mines and agriculture.

 

As an international Group, Topcon is a reference in technologic solutions for constructions such as 3D guidance for jobsite machinery. Topcon is present in Africa through a dense network of reseller, ensuring a busy activity for clients, their projects and local jobsites.

 

Sixense Mapping just broaden its services offers on one hand, its acquisition solutions by drone, LiDAR on board helicopter or even Mobile Scan already carried out in France and Europe, and on the other hand its data management solutions for a better operational performance:

  • Change detection: remotely monitor engineered structures, natural areas (cliffs, vegetation…);
  • Exploitation follow up: surfacing project optimisation, monitoring of earthworks, monitoring of quarries & mines.

Helimap has joined the Sixense Group

Helimap is specialised in precision helicopter-borne LiDAR mapping, with a solid international reputation. The Swiss company, based near Lausanne, established itself on the market thanks to its innovative LiDAR system, adapted to complex terrains and tailor-made applications.  

With the acquisition of Helimap, Sixense Group is strengthening its position in 3D capture and modelling technologies for existing assets, a strategic entry point into the digitisation of construction and infrastructure operations. As a result, Sixense is now a leading global player in 3D digitising technologies. 

For more information about Helimap’s activity click on the below logo:

New CIRIA guidelines on Earth Observation and InSAR technology in civil infrastructure

We are delighted to announce that a consortium led by Sixense and Imperial College London (with support from experts at Royal Holloway, Crossrail and Thames Tideway) has been selected to produce a CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association) guidance report on the application of ‘Earth Observation and InSAR technology in civil infrastructure’. This report will draw on the extensive experience of the consortium members and will detail current practices, illustrated with case study examples, and outline respective advantages and limitations of the various techniques to assist all users and, in particular, those involved in asset management and construction. A separate online database of case studies will also be developed in parallel by CIRIA to support the guidance document. We understand that this document will form an important review, of current practices and ongoing developments, to inform newcomers to Earth Observation as well as those already using such technologies.

Civil engineering and infrastructure (construction, maintenance and monitoring) are activities which demand high spatiotemporal accuracy, precision and detail of observations and measurements. Satellite borne remote sensing techniques are now able to produce data and information of a quality which satisfies such requirements. Yet there are few standards and regulations for best practice in the production and use of Earth Observation products. CIRIA has therefore recognised a need to inform stakeholders, to realise the full potential of Earth Observation techniques in both research and commercial operations; hence this guidance report will form a much needed and important step towards establishing the employment of Earth Observation techniques as a matter of ongoing best practice for asset management in all infrastructure projects.

 

The guidance document will be published in 2021. For more information, please contact satellite@sixense-group.com 

2019 Soletanche Freyssinet Activity report

 

Check out our 2019 annual activity report in PDF here.

You can also discover the global Soletanche Freyssinet’s 2019 annual report here.

COVID-19 Update

The world is facing a health crisis of unprecedented scale.

We have the responsibility to protect ourselves and collectively curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Therefore, Sixense teams strictly observe the recommendations of public authorities. In all our activities, we apply the principle of precaution to guarantee the health and safety of our employees, our customers and our partners.

Sixense is a key player in construction services and infrastructure operations. Sixense teams work on infrastructures of strategic importance such as health, energy, personal safety, water, telecoms and transport.

Furthermore, Sixense is committed to serving its customers by providing crucial security services for their sites.  We want to reassure all our customers and partners that we are fully mobilized to maintain continuous service within the bounds of what is feasible given the constraints of the current situation.

Our 3 primary concerns / objectives in the countries where we operate are to:

  • Guarantee the necessary level of service on all projects required to maintain core infrastructure operations;
  • Protect our employees and participate in the collective effort to contain the Covid-19 pandemic;
  • Meet our customers and partners expectations by maintaining our services wherever possible.

Our teams remain mobilized to maintain activities. All staff who are able to work remotely have been placed on home office. Your usual contacts at Sixense remain available and ready to listen. In addition, we continue to engage in all daily actions necessary to ensure the proper advancement of our joint projects.

In response to the trust you have placed in us, rest assured of our total commitment and solidarity with you to overcome this extraordinary crisis impacting us all.