La Teste-de-Buch

Le Teste, France

La Teste-de-Buch is in southwestern France. This area is located on the south shore of Arcachon Bay. The project consisted of a diaphragm wall excavated with a mechanical clamshell. The wall was 620mm thick and 15.50m deep NGF (French General Level). The water table was at 1.00m NGF and the working platform was at 2.20m NGF. Therefore, maintaining the hydrostatic head pressure was very difficult.

The soils consisted of fine sand from ground level to depth making it a very challenging project with regards to stability, fluid loss and base cleaning. KB International therefore recommend the Enhanced CDP System. With the water table only 1m below ground level and the soils being very weak the polymer system always had to be in specification. KB worked closely with Keller France to insure all the panels were completed successfully.