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The « Fondation Louis Vuitton pour la Création » is a great project currently being constructed at the Jardin d’Acclimatation in Paris.
Its construction was entrusted with the architect Frank Gehry, author of many prestigious projects, including the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao.
More modestly for the geotechnical part, it is still an exceptional building, both by its structure and size, imposing very strict constraints on the foundations, and because it is built inside a 7500 m2 and 15m deep excavation.
This excavation is protected by diaphragm walls and was completed without any particular difficulties. However, the design of the raft foundation is more sensible, due to the presence of deformable clay layers (Sparnacian, False Clay and Plastic Clay), located 6 m below the raft foundation.
Although stresses are globally balanced between excavated earth and loads transfered by the building, the structure induces load concentrations exceeding initial stresses, whereas other zones are unloaded.
This is a new opportunity to develop 3D numerical modeling for accurate settlements analysis, where time effects must be considered. A geotechnical issue not much different from that of the nearby towers in La Défense.
The observational method was developed during the construction, confirming the predictions of the models, especially a delayed but continuous heave of the raft, reaching about 1 cm. The main structure is now almost complete.
This is a new opportunity to develop 3D numerical modeling for accurate settlements analysis, where time effects must be considered. A geotechnical issue not much different from that of the nearby towers in La Défense.
The observational method was developed during the construction, confirming the predictions of the models, especially a delayed but continuous heave of the raft, reaching about 1 cm. The main structure is now almost complete.
