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| Vinci rewards its employees' best innovations During the ceremony bringing together over 2 000 people at the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie de la Villette in Paris, on Monday, 5 December 2005, Vinci awarded the prizes for the Vinci 2005 Innovation Awards competition. For this 5th Innovation Awards competition, which is held every 2 years, almost 1000 projects were presented by over 2 400 employees representing the group's four business lines throughout the world (Concessions, Construction, Roads and Energy), a 35% increase compared to the 2003 competition. The final jury met on October 6, 2005 to choose the 12 best innovations in the Group in the following categories: "Equipment and Tools", "Processes and Techniques", "Materials", " Management" and "Services", along with a number of special prices for "Sustainable Development", "Safety", "the Skilled Worker Prize", " Synergies", " Information" and "Ingenuity". The Grand Prize for the 2005 competition was awarded to the Freyssinet team (Vinci Construction) that created an innovative process for increasing the durability of suspension bridge supporting cables. With this innovation, for which a patent has been filed, Freyssinet has invented a complete new technology for reinforcing the durability and life span of suspension bridge supporting cables by applying an innovation developed successfully for stay cables: individual protection of the strands using a polyethylene sleeve. Apart from its durability – life span greater than 100 years – this process is also an economic solution for medium-span bridges (up to 500 m), delivering a 15% saving on the cost of suspension. Vinci also rewarded projects contributing to sustainable development, in particular through reduction of waste and implementation of systems contributing to safety on worksites. The total prize money awarded to the final winners came to 36 000 euros. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Construction News :: home page |