Modernising asphalt plants in the United States, in particular by adding capacity to substantially increase pavement recycling rates.
AMERICAS
UNITED STATES
In VINCI Construction’s third-largest market, behind France and the United Kingdom, the Proximity Networks focus on roadworks and generated €1.1 billion in revenue, down 2.2% year on year. The local subsidiaries – such as Hubbard and Blythe – worked on infrastructure construction projects in each of the 10 states on the East Coast and in the American South where they have bases, using supplies from about 50 asphalt plants and a network of quarries producing over 1,000,000 tonnes of aggregate a year.
Their teams are building a new 12.8 km section of the NC 540 Highway around the Greater Raleigh area (North Carolina). This project involves setting up a temporary structure instead of using traditional stabilisation methods, in order to reduce the highway’s impact on the local wetlands. In Georgia, Sunmount Paving’s teams repaved the Atlanta Motor Speedway racetrack, a project that involved highly specialised expertise to modify the banking on the turns. Regarding industrial activities, Northeast Paving now has a new liquid asphalt storage plant in Maine with more than 30,000 tonnes of capacity as well as road and rail access. Hubbard acquired a high-energy-performance asphalt plant in Orlando and a materials recycling facility, also in Florida.
CANADA
Business activity, which principally revolves around transport infrastructure and urban development, grew considerably (31% to €0.8 billion) due to ramp-ups on large projects carried out in synergy with the Major Projects Division and an especially buoyant market in Quebec. The business units in this province worked on extensive roadworks and utility projects, notably in Montreal (Mont-Royal and rue Léo Pariseau).
In Alberta, subsidiary Carmacks completed work on the bypass around Tofield and was awarded a contract to build a bridge in the Grande Prairie area. In British Columbia, BA Blacktop developed and has started using new processes involving warm-mix asphalt, which are improving energy consumption on its road refurbishing projects in Greater Vancouver.
CHILE
Bitumix, the subsidiary that handles road construction and operates production facilities in the country, posted record revenue (€0.2 billion, up 33%) and order intake. It was involved in projects at several airports (Carriel Sur in Greater Concepción, El Loa near Calama and Chacalluta near Arica) and used asphalt recycling systems to refurbish highways C17, in the province of Chañaral, and 160, in the province of Concepción.
OCEANIA
Revenue at VINCI Construction’s two subsidiaries in this region amounted to €0.8 billion (up 18%).
IN AUSTRALIA, Seymour Whyte offset Covid-19’s impact on the economy by speeding up its diversification beyond roadworks into rail infrastructure, airport infrastructure and water systems. The company completed extensive works on the National Highway (rigid concrete pavement over a 47 km stretch) and on Bruce Highway (including the first diverging diamond interchange in Australia).
IN NEW ZEALAND, HEB Construction continued work on the Transmission Gully motorway (27 km) north of Wellington and on the Ruakanakana Pass railway tunnel. It was involved in redevelopment work in central Auckland, alongside Soletanche Bachy, and expanded its water infrastructure operations.