Port Said, Egypt

The Suez Canal has connected the Red Sea to the Mediterranean for the past century and a half.

To accelerate economic development in the strategic region, a free trade zone is under construction in the East Industrial Area of Port Said, the undisputed hub of the eastern Mediterranean. 

In September 2016, Menard signed a contract with the Egyptian Armed Forces Engineering Authority (EAAF) under which the Group’s subsidiary in Cairo is working as the main contractor to carry out ground improvement and reinforcement works at the site. 

The team faces a triple technical, logistical and production challenge. They need to treat 8 million sq. metres of soft clay soil to expedite the consolidation process and improve load bearing. 

Following a campaign of testing and soil reconnaissance, work to install prefabricated vertical drains (PVD) to a depth of 25 metres got underway at the end of 2016. Nearly 20 rigs are currently working at the site. 

The Menard group develops foundation solutions based on ground improvement and reinforcement technologies. Its treatments eliminate the need for the deep foundations traditionally used to support surface structures.

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