Situation and activity of French metal construction in 2021

The growth in activity is largely supported by the growth in orders from the private sector for the construction of industrial, agrifood, commercial, logistics and distribution buildings. Metal builders account for 61,1% of the industrial building construction market. It should be noted that, in recent years, due to the development of e-commerce, metal construction has indeed responded to a strong demand for the construction of logistics warehouses. If the metallic solution is not always chosen for the construction of very large warehouses, it should be noted that it is very competitive for warehouses of 2.000 to 5.000 m2.

On the public procurement side (rarer), this also supports the sectorial trend, thanks in particular to lines 16 and 17 of the Grand Paris, to the facilities of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, as well as to the numerous stations built in metal constructions. However, for Roger Briand, "It is clear that today, if the volume of activity is present, the margins are impacted by increases in the price of steel". Indeed, with this increase, the contracts concluded were impacted by a loss of margin. For public contracts, the SCMF's interventions with the Ministry of Industry thus enabled the publication of a circular of recommendations of benevolence from public buyers with regard to complaints from companies. Some companies have obtained price updates and waivers of late fees. “For private markets, we have pointed out to our clients the existence of article 1195 of the civil code relating to the unforeseen clause. In a few cases, this made it possible to open a discussion with the owners and to obtain small compensations "explains Roger Briand before concluding" Regarding the evolution of prices, we are all in expectation. and waiting for a drop. "

It should be remembered that metal construction companies are, for the most part, SMEs, mid-size companies with family structures and that they invest regularly and consistently in their production tools in order to maintain their competitiveness. And Roger Briand to mention: “Metal builders are looking to the future with serenity for the first six months of 2022, thanks to well-filled order books and numerous consultations at the end of the year. It remains to be hoped that the prices of raw materials will stabilize, to allow the reconstitution of corporate margins. "

Economic situation and activity of metal manufacturers

Production

After a year 2020 strongly impacted by the pandemic, the annual production 2021 should reach 780.000 tonnes, ie a growth of a little more than 8% (domestic market) compared to 2020. “A growth which will make it possible to reach the pre-crisis levels ”(+ 2% vs. 2019), according to Roger Briand.

Remember that, when this rate reaches 80%, manufacturers invest in their work tools and construct new buildings in order to increase their production capacity. The activity of the profession is therefore closely linked to this rate of use of French production capacities. For Roger Briand: "This rate, which is around 80%, confirms the good situation of order books".

Positions and concerns of the SCMF

RE2020:

This new environmental regulation, which is essential and necessary to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the act of building, is supported by the profession.

As such, Roger Briand declares: “We agree with the need to improve our carbon footprints but we come up against an unwarranted bias in favor of the wood material. The dynamic life cycle analysis, the Dynamic LCA used by the Ministry of Ecological Transition to determine the carbon footprint of wood, gives this material an unfair and scientifically inexplicable advantage. At the end of its life by combustion or burial, the wood material will not retain the CO2 it has stored, contrary to the assumptions of dynamic LCA. The SCMF accompanied by the CTICM intervened on numerous occasions to denounce this scientifically inexplicable situation to government authorities (DHUP, Ministry of Ecological Transition). When the RE 2020 decree was published on August 4, we noted that static and dynamic LCA were presented with the same importance in the texts.

We had logically deduced from this that the two calculation methods recognized in the order could be used to determine the carbon footprint of each material. Dynamic LCA to benefit biobased materials. Static LCA possibly for other materials. In fact, it looks like it won't. Only French regulations will impose dynamic LCA for all materials, while other European countries will use Static LCA. Dynamic LCA will reduce emissions at the end of the wood's life… (by magic, CO2 emissions will disappear), more exactly these emissions will be relegated to future generations (in 50 years). Taking into account these reductions in wood emissions will result in a reduction in the production of recycled material.

Another point calls out to us: the introduction of module D, the Deconstruction Module finally retained, a module which enhances the effect of recycling in terms of avoiding the material produced, but it is planed by 43% by exclusive use. of dynamic LCA. This is a double penalty for our industry. This bias reduces the virtues of recycling in terms of emissions by the same amount, whereas our sector is very invested in this approach and wishes to amplify them. Has the government understood that by making dynamic LCA exclusive, it is slowing down recycling solutions to which the industry is very attached because it has the most circular material of all. In addition, we have noted in the RE 2020 that during its second life, a product resulting from reuse is considered to have no carbon impact. The eco-design of our steel structures will allow us to develop recycling and especially the reuse of steel in a second life for the construction of mixed steel, wood, low-carbon concrete buildings, using the right material at the good place. Engineers from our design offices and from CTICM are already working to define the constructions of tomorrow. "

"REP Building":

If the objective of the REP is to promote recycling and avoid illegal dumping of building demolition waste, the profession of metal builders is again surprised by the voice of its president. Roger Briand specifies in fact: "We can already state loud and clear that if the constructions were all metal, this PWR would never have seen the light of day because we already recycle our material steel at more than 90%" . And to question: "Why are we subject to this eco-contribution which will lead us to partially finance the structures and devices to treat other materials"?

It should be remembered that one of the strengths of steel lies in the fact that the recycling sector is already organized. As early as 1856, steelmakers put on the market steels made from the recycling of used steels, thanks to the development of the Martin-Siemens converter process. This endless recycling of steel reduces the need for iron ore and protects natural resource reserves. And Roger Briand clarified: “This recycling is a cultural feature of the steel industry which is particularly well established after more than a century of existence. The recovery of scrap steel from our machining operations and steels from landfills is done through scrap dealers. Moreover, for more than a century there has been a market and a price of scrap (currently 300 € / T) very closely followed by manufacturers. We cannot believe that our profession, exemplary in recycling, will bear the costs! "

In fact, metals are the most recycled materials in the world. According to Arcelor Mital, more than 650 MT of steel is recycled each year. For Word Steel too, steel is the material of excellence, since a study already gives steel an 85% recyclability rate during the deconstruction / destruction of an industrial building (against 20% for concrete and 13% for wood). It should be noted that the magnetic qualities of steel facilitate its recovery, especially steels from concrete, which are much more difficult to recover. However, despite the situation, the profession has chosen to be an actor in an eco-organization in the process of being created (Valobat, led by Saint-Gobain) to demonstrate the advantages of steel material. And Roger Briand said: “Our only improvement objectives concern the traceability of steel recovered on construction sites following demolition. Our profession has decided to declare itself a “marketer” because we are producers by manufacturing in our workshops the structural parts that we assemble on sites such as the piece-by-piece assembly of a giant mechanic. This choice is also a way of participating in the governance of the eco-organization and of better defending our uniqueness. "And to conclude:" A point of vigilance for us concerns the foreign manufacture which will have to be subjected, like the French manufacture, to the eco-contribution to avoid us an unfair competition. We will also ensure that the amounts of this eco-contribution are visible on invoices to allow verification or avoid cascading overbilling ”.

Recruitment :

Another important topic for the SCMF and the professionals of the steel construction, the recruitment. For years, the profession has been encountering difficulties in all positions in the sector. For Roger Briand: “Not enough known and recognized, our profession suffers from a degraded image which does not sufficiently attract the interest of job seekers and young students. Our image must become that of reality to attract more young people to our professions. "

If the SCMF will resume and intensify its actions with colleges and high schools, it is aware that it must show pedagogy to train its future engineers, senior technicians, operators on numerically controlled machines, work supervisors, etc.

Indeed, too often still, the trades of metal construction are associated with those of the steel industry, which is far from reality. Today, manufacturers' workshops have resolutely high-performance automated production lines, as well as industrial sites geared towards digitization and robotization, comparable to those of automobile assembly units or mechanical workshops. And the SCMF would like to make it known, in particular through the APK (association for the development of training in metal construction) which plays a major role in the training and recruitment of professionals in metal construction.

Metal construction and stations: highlighting 3 references

Rennes train station:

Pierre Raymond, Managing Director GAGNE-Groupe BRIAND

To accommodate an ever-increasing flow of travelers (30 million expected by 2040), SNCF Gares & Connexions launched between 2015 and 2019 a vast operation to restructure Rennes train station. This project takes into account in particular the reception of the Brittany-Pays de la Loire high-speed line with the adaptation of structures linked to the increase in the flow of mainline and connecting travelers, as well as the establishment of a global intermodality between the different modes of transport: train, metro lines, automobile and pedestrian flows, soft modes and urban and interurban bus transport.

It took almost ten years, half of which were studies, to complete the metamorphosis of Rennes station. Thus, the architects were inspired by the emblematic forest of Brocéliande to recreate a sheet of mist above a wood strewn with trees. This transformation is part of an urban landscape project that links the north and the south of the station, spanning the railway tracks.

An ETFE roof provides an important contribution of natural light on all levels with, at the end of the day, a luminous atmosphere ensuring a transition between the underground spaces and the upper station.

The Gagne company produced the metal framework, the roofing, the facades, as well as the bridge structures. This represents the implementation of a metal framework of nearly 1 tonnes, the installation of 000 m2 of glazed facades and 000 m2 of ETFE roofing.

• Client: SNCF Gares & Connexions
• Project management and design: SNCF G&C and Arep
• Architects: JM. Duthilleul, E. Tricaud, F. Bonnefille, R. Ricote
• Structural design office: MaP3
• Metal constructor: Gagne

Development of Pont de Rungis and Maison Blanche stations

Julien FRACCAROLI (FAYAT METAL Major Projects)

Reflected in a logic of optimization of space, these two stations combine a metallic architecture, large spans and even arches for that of Pont de Rungis. Their realization requires all the technical expertise of FAYAT METAL GRANDS PROJETS through the 6 hours planned for the execution studies but also to meet the BIM requirements of the project. The architectural ambition for the Pont de Rungis station is based on the installation of PRS arches with a span of 500 meters on which the 35-meter lattice beams supporting the roof rest. The 25 tonnes of metal framework will be provided with galvanized anticorrosion treatment and intumescent paint in order to meet the fire resistance criteria of the structure.

The arched and arched false ceiling of this station represents a surface area of ​​2 m000 where all the glass and metal expertise of the company ACML - Division Fayat Metal - has been demonstrated. The 2 m3 of stainless steel interior cladding, the curtain wall facades and the 000 m2 of Riverclack roofing complete the services entrusted to FMGP as a general metal contractor. The challenge is considerable: the installation of the enclosed covered area is scheduled for spring 3 with the opening of this section in sight for the Olympic Games in Paris in 000.

• Client: Société du Grand Paris (SGP)
• Client's Representative: RATP
• Project management: ELIOS consortium Setec and Systra
• White House Station Architect: Group 6
• Pont de Rungis station architect: Valode & Pistre
• General contractor: Razel Bec
• Metal framework, facades, vaulted ceiling, roofing: Fayat Metal Grands Projets, ACML.

Corbeil-Essonnes train station

Guillaume ALBAN (Legrand Company)

Family business founded in 1956 by René LEGRAND and his wife, LEGRAND is developing rapidly in the field of railway civil engineering, signaling and locksmithing. It thus participates in numerous development works for the SNCF (construction and lifting of pylons, lighting, laying of cables, electrification, etc.) and chooses to diversify its clientele (PTT, now France Telecom, since 1970, EDF since 1992, telecommunications operators at the end of the 1990s) as well as its activities (Metal Construction Department in 1981, Picketing Studies Office in 1990, laying of optical fibers from 1992, engineering of telecommunications networks since 2000). The LEGRAND company is also directly associated with the development of the major rail infrastructures which marked the end of the 1973th century and the beginning of the 1978st: renovation and modernization of the rail network (electrification, signaling, etc.), construction of new TGV lines (in France from the LGV Paris Lyon to the LGV Est and Tours-Bordeaux, but also in England), construction and fitting out of stations (metal covers, pedestrian bridges, video surveillance, lighting, etc.). It has thus become for RFF and SNCF the undisputed leader in the laying of railway cable arteries, a major player in railway signaling and metal construction. Innovation in many fields has always been a major concern of the LEGRAND company: computerization in 1985, creation of mechanized cable laying machines in 1991, design and filing of patents for prefabricated pulling chambers in 2001, robotization of the production in metalwork in 1996, creation of a spatial structure for large-span metallic layers in XNUMX ... In XNUMX, the LEGRAND company entered a new stage in its development when the main executives came together to ensure its sustainability, preferring thus maintain their independence instead of seeing their work tool blend into the anonymity of a group.

The work carried out at the Corbeil-Essonnes station is a straight metal footbridge in plan and in horizontal longitudinal profile, with a total length of 49,79 meters composed of 4 spans (9,18 m, 13,27 m, 12,83 m, 14,51 m). Each of the 5 supports (P0, P1, P2, P3 and P4) consists of a staircase and posts, and includes an elevator tower. Access to the footbridge is from the platforms and the Emile Zola bus station by the 5 stairs and 5 lifts. The bridge deck (useful width of 3 meters) is a continuous structure of constant section, with a metal box with curved intrados of maximum height 0,80 m and width 3,60 m. It rests on two bearings on each support, arranged in line with the inner webs of the box, with a fixed point on the support P2 produced using two fixed bearings allowing the longitudinal blocking of the structure. .

Note that the deck rests on two bearings free on the other supports of the structure, allowing displacement in the longitudinal direction and that the metal structures of the elevator towers are independent of the supporting structure of the gangway. It should also be noted that the elevator towers and the posts of the supporting structure of the deck are supported on a common foundation which takes the form of a footing based on nine micropiles and that the staircase feet also rest on a footing based on four micropiles. On the apron and the elevator landings, the height of the catenary and anti-vandalism protections is 2,50 m.

It should be noted that these protections are made up of an upper part in woven stainless steel mesh, and a lower part in stainless steel sheet hammered on the apron and in woven stainless steel mesh on elevator landings. The unique 1.5% transverse slope of the upper decking ensures the flow of water towards the shore on the lift side, in a water channel. The water, collected by outlets, is then evacuated by gravity in conduits housed along the structural poles and connected to the quayside sanitation network.

Stair treads and landings (stairs and elevators) are made of concrete, with non-slip strips on the nosing of the steps and tactile strips inlaid at the top of each flight of steps. If the steps have an overlap of 5 cm, note that the first and last of each flight are provided with a riser. The amount excluding tax for the works is around 5,6 M € (civil engineering + metal footbridge). Regarding the metal walkway alone, it required a little over 1 hours of study (sizing and drawing), 500 hours of work supervision and, finally, 1 hours of workshop manufacturing. Traffic flow management requires, the installation took place during two "punch" weekends, under catenary consignment with an execution period of 200 months from the date T12 fixed by the service order .

• Client (MOA):
• SNCF Réseau - Île-de-France Regional Directorate - SDA common platform
• Mandated Contracting Authority (MOAD): SYSTRA - Pôle des Mandats de
• Project management General project manager (MOEG): EGIS Rail / Strates OA group
• Representative of the consortium: Razel Bec / Lang TP
• Co-contractor / Metal manufacturer: Legrand SA