Grand Palais, Paris: Delivering 3,000 m³ of Low-Carbon Concrete for One of France’s Most Technically Advanced Slabs

The concrete was required to support significant dynamic loads from major international events, including the fencing competitions during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, so it needed to combine structural robustness, long-term durability and strict performance tolerances.

To meet these requirements, CRH’s EQIOM team designed a bespoke concrete formulation that addressed multiple critical criteria set by the architect and project engineers:

• Thermally Active Performance: Development of an “active slab” capable of delivering both heating in winter and cooling in summer – requiring precise thermal conductivity, controlled hydration and compatibility with embedded energy systems.
• Century-Long Durability: Integration of a specified pink coloration directly into the concrete mass, ensuring color stability for 100 years while maintaining mechanical performance and minimizing visibility of surface wear or impact over time.
• Low-Carbon Composition: Use of a low-carbon formulation (CEM III/A) significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the project and ensuring full compliance with the environmental requirements of the City of Paris.

EQIOM’s involvement including three pours over three phases, each one requiring a huge volume of concrete and colorant. EQIOM’s deep expertise in concrete technology and their ability to engineer, test and supply a highly specialized low-carbon concrete made it possible to meet the unique combination of structural, thermal and aesthetic demands of the brief. The result was a visually distinctive landmark renovation that will last for decades to come.