The Sainte-Chapelle in Paris gets embellished

The Sainte-Chapelle is a pearl of French radiant gothic style and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site It is more than a monument, it is a marvellous work of art that requires major preservation and restoration work.

From February 2022 and for a period of 6 years, Tubesca-Comabi will work in collaboration with the company Lanfry to contribute to the preservation of this emblematic piece of heritage. It will be a prestigious and technical project, and will include several stages: one fixed stage and three optional stages.

The restoration will cover:

• The western facade not including the rose window (firm stage),
• Southern bays 1 to 6 of the upper chapel (optional stage 1 and 2),
• The lighting of the entire monument (optional stage 3).

The firm phase of the project has now been launched.

Our teams have been on site since 31 January 2022 to carry out the scaffolding assembly phase, which is estimated to take 4 to 6 weeks.

The project consists of 10 lots and includes various trades: masonry, stonework, roofing, locksmithing, electricity, carpentry, etc.

60 tonnes of M368 scaffolding

The scaffolding chosen for this project is the multi-directional M368 (8 positions). The use of this material means that we can work on 100% of the geometric and architectural forms.

About 60 tonnes of material will be being used to launch the fixed stage. The structure has been entirely designed to facilitate access for the different trades that will be involved in the renovation. It includes a class 6 scaffold (the M368 multidirectional) with an access tower in the form of a site staircase, giving access to the scaffolding every two metres, and a lifting frame to supply material. In addition, the scaffolding has been designed to allow for a site lift to be integrated.

The scaffolding will be covered with micro-perforated sheeting that fit the shape of the scaffolding so as not to distort the structure during the work phase.

The lifting frame, the stair access tower (UNISTEP solution) and the lift tower will be covered with decorative sheeting.

The multidirectional M368 in a few figures:

• 22m high, for the fixed stage;
• The scaffolding is designed to support 600kg/m2 on its floors.

A construction site facing a complex environment

This restoration project faces many environmental constraints.

The site remains open to the public throughout the entire construction phase, which is why special care has been taken to ensure safety during all phases of scaffolding assembly. As a result, we had to adapt the flow of movement to avoid coactivity between outsiders and people on the site.

In addition, the Île de la Cité in Paris will hosting the trial for the 13 November attacks for nine months. Consequently, a large security system has been deployed throughout the trial, which is expected to end in the summer. Access to the Sainte-Chapelle, a major tourist attraction, was severely disrupted.

“To overcome this problem, we had to adapt our loading and unloading methods, and put a protocol in place to ensure that materials were safely delivered to the site,” explains Jean-Charles Durand, Works Engineer at Tubesca-Comabi.

120m² of umbrellas for comfort and protection

In order to ensure that the work is executed safely and to protect the workers from bad weather, 120m² of Master Alu temporary roofing systems will be installed with a clearance height of 3.00m.

The trusses are made of aluminium beams so they can be assembled quickly and easily without using tools, and guides are positioned on them to fit the protective tarpaulins.

A few figures about the site

• 4 work phases spread over 69 months
• The technical solution: the multidirectional M368 in 8 positions
• 60 tonnes of material used
• 120 m² umbrella Master

Next will be the dismantling and assembly of our scaffolding on the west facade for the launch of optional stage 1, which will begin in about 10 months.