Public Sector Works Trophy
GTS awarded the "Research" Trophy for its design of anti-rockfall netting capable of withstanding up to 5000 kJ.
GTS was awarded the FNTP (French National Federation for Public Sector Works) research prize for its work on nets to protect against rockfalls and capable of withstanding up to 5000 kJ. This innovation is the result of a partnership with the Laboratory for Civil and Environmental Engineering (LGCIE) at INSA Lyon.
The R&D Department at GTS worked with LGCIE at INSA Lyon in order to complement its in-house experience and expertise in technological development with the laboratory's powerful digital simulation tools and expertise in materials and structures.
The innovation is partly based on the works of Ayman Trad, a GTS doctoral student at LGCIE. Indeed, during his thesis, different scales of work were used to analyse the behaviour of protective screens and assess the resistance of each component part of the structure, for dynamic as well as virtually static loads. Finally, the net screens from GTS for 3000 kJ and 5000 kJ energy classes were approved according to European ETAG 271 recommendations. A new energy dissipater for high-energy net screens was patented, while new concepts for low-energy fusible elements remain to be developed.
For information: the "Trophées des Travaux Publics" (French Public Sector Works Trophies) reward companies in the sector for their performance in terms of innovation, safety and environmental respect.
1 The ETAG 27 standard (European Technology Assessment Group 27), a worldwide reference in terms of safety regarding anti-rockfall screens, will be mandatory from 2012.
More information:
- Trophies FNTP 2011
- LGCIE
Institut National