Description
During the restoration work on the bell tower of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, known as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, France, safety and the constant flow of pilgrims determined the work processes involved. Thus, a foot-traffic management system was necessary during the erection phase of the BRIO scaffolding.
The vertical nature of the work and the limited space available at the foot of the Basilica required that all the companies involved be highly organized and rigorous in their intervention procedures.
ULMA Solution
ULMA installed a lift system capable of elevating 1 tonne of equipment and personnel up to a height of 66 m, in addition to a ladder allowing access to all levels.
The scaffolding provided storage space for material to facilitate the restoration.
The bell tower is located almost 100 m above the cave, so a temporary protection zone was set up to ensure the safety of pilgrims and avoid any risk of falling rocks. To complete the protection of the site, a scaffolding net was installed on the 3 secondary facades and a denser net on the facade facing the square, which also served as a screen for the projection of photos or videos.
Lourdes is an area with strong wind and adverse weather conditions in winter. These characteristics were taken into account when calculating the scaffolding structures, which had to withstand winds of more than 100 km/h on occasions.
BIM methodology made it possible to clearly visualize the dimensions and difficulties of the work involved for a project of this type.
