BURGEAP’s history is marked by its innovation capacity.
From the very first pioneer water resources’ research and management programmes in developing countries up to present methodological considerations in the field of climatic engineering, BURGEAP contributes to the advancement of knowledge and to the set-up of specific and tailor-made solutions in order to meet the large environmental and social challenges of our times.
The field of Research & Development is one of the main pillars of BURGEAP’s strategy.
Headed by a dedicated R&D Management, all research and innovation tasks within BURGEAP are being executed by a team of specialised engineers / PhD in close cooperation with operational units. The executed tasks are manifold :

  • R&D projects executed in cooperation with national or European research programmes
  • Self-financed R&D projects
  • Innovations executed in the scope of feasibility study contracts
  • Contribution to the governance of research programmes or organisms
  • Training programmes (internal and external) for the transfer of know-how
  • Scientific and technical publications
  • Communications in the scope of symposiums

Our major R&D projects cover the following priority topics

Industrial Environment

  • Formation of aliphatic organochlorines in the soils and in the groundwater (MACAOH project)
  • Dissolution kinetics of hydrocarbons and of organochlorines (CIDISIR)
  • Transfer of volatile organic compounds from soils to buildings (Fluxobat)
  • Pollutants transfer in the unsaturated zone (Transat)
  • Bioindicators of soil pollution (DNA microarray)
  • Soil sampling in confined environments (glove box SONIC)
  • Data bases on residual saturation and relation between relative permeability / capillary pressure
  • Natural attenuation of organic compounds (Attena)
  • Decontamination by leaching by means of surfactants (treatment possibilities)
  • Decontamination by chemical oxidation (treatment possibilities)

Numeric Simulation

  • Simulation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the underground environment (SIMUSCOPP)
  • Simulation of petroleum hydrocarbons and of organochlorines in the underground environment (CODE COMPLET)
  • Interpretation of contamination data (OREOS)

Water Resources Management

  • Re-infiltration of stormwater (Ecopluies)
  • Saline intrusions (Grain d’sel)
  • Soft techniques for the reduction of contamination by means of plants (ARTWET)

Climate-Energy / Sustainable City

  • Systemic approach of Territorial Climate-Energy Plans Sustainable development indicators and energy efficiency indicators Energy forecasts in a post-carbon society (the carbon-free city)

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» Macaoh Simulation, Attenuation and Characterisation of Organic Halogen Compounds in the Aquifers (2001-2006) » More details

Objective

Improve the understanding of the formation of organic halogen compounds in the aquifers and elaboration of methodologies addressed to the different actors of "contaminated sites and soils" (service providers and contractors).

Content

The project focuses on three basic axes:
•    The characterisation of the source area (localisation, assessment of the organic phase volume and determination of the composition of this organic phase),
•    The qualitative and quantitative assessment of natural attenuation potential (both in the source area and in the dissolved and gaseous plumes)
•    The simulation (which physical models, which tools, which methodology, etc.)
Implemented Tools
•    Experiments in the laboratory and in an experimental basin
•    Benchmark calculation codes and inter-comparison programme

•    Investigations on 2 real sites

Results

•    3 methodological guides:
•    “Aliphatic organochlorines – Simulation of their Formation in the Aquifers”, 2006, 191 pages
•    “Aliphatic organochlorines – Natural Attenuation in the Aquifers” 2006, 230 pages
•    “Aliphatic organochlorines - Characterisation of a Source Zone in the Aquifers”, 2006, 142 pages
Methodological guides to be downloaded from www.ademe.fr or from www.sites-pollues.ecologie.gouv.fr/

•    2 public reports concerning simulation works and experiments (available at the documentation service of ADEME)

Project Partners

•    Association composed of research laboratories and engineering company
•    Co-financing: Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie (ADEME)

» Dissolution Kinetics of Hydrocarbons and of Organochlorines (CIDISIR) » More details

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» Bioindicators of Soil Pollution (DNA microarray)


» Soil Sampling in Confined Environments (glove box SONIC)


» Data Bases on Residual Saturation and Relation Between Relative Permeability / Capillary Pressure


» Natural Attenuation of Organic Compounds (Attena)


» Decontamination by Leaching by means of Surfactants (Treatment Possibilities)


» Decontamination by Chemical Oxidation (Treatment Possibilities)


» Pollutants’ Transfer in the Unsaturated Zone (Transat) » More details

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Accueil - Contact - © BURGEAP 2010 - Legal mentions - webmestre Sophie Gentils-Pottiez - developed by Sophie Blanchonversion francaiseenglish version

» Simulation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Underground Environment (SIMUSCOPP)


» Simulation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons and of Organochlorines in the Underground Environment (CODE COMPLET)


» Interpretation of Contamination Data (OREOS)


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» Stormwater Reinfiltration (Ecopluies) » More details

Alternative Treatment Techniques for Stormwaters and their By-Products: Towards the Operational Management of Urban Infiltration Installations

Objective

The project aims at the proposal of improvements for the design, the construction and the operation of stormwater retention / infiltration installations in order to increase the reliability and the performance of these installations.

The Project Comprises Three Major Research Work Approaches:

•    Cognitive: with the aim to improve the understanding, the characterisation and the simulation of phenomenons to which pollutants’ flows are exposed in the retention / infiltration installations, based on the pilot sites of the Observatoire de terrain en hydrologie urbaine (OTHU) and on laboratory measurements.
•    Technological: with the aim to optimise infiltration devices (basically by improving the interface installation / soil) and by setting-up and validating a biological treatment pilot for cleaning residues.
•    Methodological: with the aim to define the tools for global and operational efficiency evaluation of the systems, which will allow to better plan and to better manage these systems and to compare the different action strategies (technical modifications, management modes, supervision).

4 Main Topics

•    Identification of weak points in the existing infiltration installations, improvement of by-products’ management
•    Assessment of environmental impacts
•    Establishment of performance indicators for retention / infiltration installations
•    Creation of a “tool box” for the project actors involved.
 

Missions executed by BURGEAP

•    Environmental impact (numeric simulation)
•    Contribution to the elaboration of the technical guide
 

Results

•    1 technical guide: “Infiltration: Recommendations concerning the feasibility, the design and the management of stormwater infiltration installations in urban environments”
•    20 reports concerning different project activities.
Documents to be downloaded from http://www.ecopluies.org/ (Page documents)
 

Project Partners

•    Association composed of research laboratories (INSA Lyon, BRGM, GRAIE, ENTPE, University of Lyon I), engineering companies (BURGEAP, INGEDIA, INSAVALOR, UWITEC) and municipalities (Grand Lyon).
Coordinator : INSA Lyon  
•    Co-financing: Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), PRECODD programme

Project duration: 4 years (2005 - 2009)


» Saline intrusions (Grain d’sel)


» Soft techniques for the reduction of contamination by means of plants (ARTWET)


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» Systemic Approach of Territorial Climate-Energy Plans (ASPECT 2050) » More details

The “Grenelle environnement” law of the year 2009 requests from the regions, départements municipalities and their districts with more than 50,000 inhabitants to establish, in accordance with town planning documents, Territorial Climate-Energy Plans prior to 2012.
In the spirit of the law, these Plans should constitute an instrument to link the energy problems and the problems of climate changes to those problems concerning the evolution of urban systems, du cadre bâti and of transport systems. There are, however, no methodologies, which allow to integrate the elaboration of the Territorial Climate-Energy Plans into medium-term / long-term territorial strategies and itemise, in accordance with a systemic approach, the aspects of “soil use/habitat/transport/energy/greenhouse gas”.

Project Objective

Propose a method, which will allow to establish a Territorial Climate-Energy Plan in accordance with a systemic approach that will mainly focus on the "hard core" of territorial policies constituted by the system “transport/building/soil occupation", which represents almost 60 % of greenhouse gas emissions and which constitutes one of the most important spheres of action of these communities. 

Project Contents

 - Task 1: State of the art in Europe: input and limits of Territorial Climate-Energy Plans
- Task 2: Analysis of 3 reference territories of the project (Dunkerque, Mulhouse, Lyon).
- Task 3: Conceptual simulation of sector and multi-staged interactions
- Task 4: Action simulations of a Territorial Climate-Energy Plan to the horizon 2050 in terms of agglomeration (simulation System Dynamics/ Agent Based)
- Task 5: Accumulation of feedback from experience, recommendations for the set-up of a Territorial Climate-Energy Plan.

Results

- A methodological guide addressed to local and regional authorities for the elaboration and follow-up of a Territorial Climate-Energy Plan
- Recommendations addressed to institutions concerning the elaboration and follow-up of a Territorial Climate-Energy Plan
- A state of the art 

Project Partners

 - Association composed of: 5 engineering companies: BURGEAP (coordinator), EGIS MOBILITE, ICE, ISEE, TRACES URBAINS
3 research laboratories: CSTB, EIFER, LVMT
- Co-financing: Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR), “Sustainable City” programme

Project duration: 2 years (2009 - 2011)


» Sustainable Development Indicators and Energy Efficiency Indicators


» Energy Forecasts in a Post-Carbon Society (the Carbon-Free City) » More details

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Accueil - Contact - © BURGEAP 2010 - Legal mentions - webmestre Sophie Gentils-Pottiez - developed by Sophie Blanchonversion francaiseenglish version