Overview
A bus station needed to be constructed as part of the development of the Olympic Athletes' Village in Saint Denis (near Paris). This project was critical providing efficient transportation for athletes and visitors during the Games. It will also contribute to the long-term vision: After the Games, the Athletes' Village will be transformed into a sustainable urban district, featuring housing, offices, shops, public facilities, and numerous green spaces.
The bus station, therefore, played a dual role: supporting the immediate needs of the Olympics and contributing to the long-term development of a vibrant, eco-friendly community.
Challenge
The project involved the integrated and responsible management of rainwater for a 12,000 m² roadway. After the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Athletes' Village is intended to transform into a sustainable city district with housing, offices, shops, public facilities, and numerous green spaces. Managing rainwater runoff in an environmentally responsible manner is essential to this transformation, ensuring that the new district would be resilient and deal with storm water contaminated with hydrocarbons from the roads.
Solution
The solution for water pollution control was the OSMORIA Geoclean system. This system fixed hydrocarbons and PAHs, then activated and amplified their natural biodegradation over the long term.
The subbase attenuation layer under the roadway is composed of aggregates from crushed recycled concrete. Runoff water, containing hydrocarbons from chronic leaks and spills on the road surface, are collected into the subbase attenuation layer through injection holes and distributed by drains. It is then temporarily stored and gradually infiltrated into the soil.
The OSMORIA Geoclean active oil-biodegrading aquatextile, placed under the subbase attenuation layer, binds hydrocarbons on its oleophilic filaments before the cleared water infiltrated the soil. OSMORIA Geoclean ensured that hydrocarbons remained fixed for over 100 years. The aquatextile filaments provided mineral nutrients, enabling endemic microorganisms in the soil and water to rapidly colonize its porous structure and degrade the hydrocarbons attached to it more systematically and swiftly. The biodegradation rate in the first month exceeded 2.2 g HC/m²/week, translating to an annual rate of 120 ml HC/m²/year.
OSMORIA Geoclean offers a cost-effective hydrocarbon treatment solution for both diffuse and accidental pollution, while protecting the environment. The aquatextile is autonomous, durable, and maintenance-free. An infiltration ditch equipped with OSMORIA Geoclean provided a simplified solution that blends harmoniously into the landscape.
