Paris 2024 Summer Olympics - Whitewater Stadium

As part of the general renovation of the Ile de Loisirs in Vaires-Torcy, the Ile-de-France region wanted to build an artificial river to host the whitewater canoe-kayak events for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The Charier consortium was awarded the "Whitewater Stadium structural work", including the foundations and civil engineering of the artificial rivers and the related equipment (pump chambers, conveyor belts, removable obstacles).

 

Project

Client: Ile-de-France regional council, represented by SAERP
Prime contractor: Auer - Weber - Octant consortium
Contract dates: Execution in progress
Start: November 2015
Duration of works: 15 months
Amount: €7.3 million excluding tax

Distinctive features and constraints 

• Site wedged between lake and river and subject to flash flooding
• Partnership with English specialists in canoe-kayak events.  
• Use of custom-made sloped pre-walls
• Specific technical backfill in sand
   

Structural works required

Feeder channel to supply the event and practice rivers from the lake, built in concrete;

• The concrete finish basin;
• The start basin of the event river and pumping station no. 1 that supplies it;
• The start basin of the practice river and pumping station no. 2 that supplies it;
• The conveyor belt connecting the start and finish basins of the event river;
• The conveyor belt connecting the basin of the practice river with that of the finish basin of the event river;
• The event river (300 m long);
• The practice river (150 m long);
• The pumps delivering water from the finish basin to the start basin;
• The feed pipes;
• Two bridges spanning the event river.
   

Technical information

• 8,250 m3 of concrete
• Event river: 300 lm
• Practice river: 150 lm
• Feeder channel 2 pumping stations, height 11m 4200 m² of AU16-type driven sheet piling
• Average length 10 m 15,000 lm of rigid inserts
• Diameter: 0.3 m
• Length: 5 to 11 m
• Bored piles Diameter: 0.4 to 0.8 m 24 units