Case Study — International
International Bridge
Portfolio
Morocco stay cable bridge — pylon work (2010)
Project Overview
Before establishing JCY Construction Engineering in Australia, Jerome built his foundational bridge engineering career in France and across international markets with two of Europe's most respected infrastructure firms: Razel-BEC, one of France's leading civil engineering contractors, and Freyssinet, the global pioneer in post-tensioning, stay cable systems, and structural repair. This international portfolio spans highway bridge construction, stay cable bridges, tramway infrastructure, expansion joint installations, and heavy lifting operations across France, Morocco, Germany, and Portugal.
With Razel-BEC in France, Jerome worked on highway overpass and interchange bridge construction, gaining hands-on experience in falsework design, in-situ concrete bridge deck construction, and the management of multi-span bridge projects on active autoroute corridors. The Le Mans tramway project, a 15.4-kilometre light rail alignment through the city centre, provided intensive experience in urban infrastructure delivery where bridge and structural elements had to be built within centimetres of existing buildings, live traffic, and operating commercial premises.
With Freyssinet, Jerome transitioned to specialist bridge engineering roles, focusing on stay cable bridge construction in Morocco, expansion joint installation and replacement across European highway networks, and heavy lifting operations for bridge component placement. The Morocco stay cable bridges demanded precision in cable installation, tensioning, and geometric control, while the European expansion joint programme developed systematic approaches to rapid joint replacement on high-traffic motorways with minimal lane closure durations.
Scope of Work
Jerome's international portfolio encompassed the following engineering disciplines:
- Stay cable bridge construction in Morocco: cable installation, tensioning sequences, and geometric monitoring
- Highway overpass bridge construction in France: falsework, formwork, reinforcement, and in-situ deck placement
- Le Mans 15.4km tramway: structural elements including bridge crossings, retaining walls, and platform structures
- Expansion joint installation and replacement across European motorway networks (Germany, Portugal, France)
- Heavy lifting operations for bridge component placement using strand jacks and hydraulic systems
- Post-tensioning operations for precast and in-situ bridge construction
- Bearing installation and replacement on existing bridge structures
- Temporary works design and supervision for falsework and formwork systems
- Construction surveying and geometric control for cable-stayed bridge decks
- Multi-language construction coordination across French, English, and Arabic-speaking project teams
Key Challenges & Solutions
Stay Cable Geometry Control
Stay cable bridges require exceptional precision in cable installation and tensioning: each cable must be stressed to a specific force that produces the designed deck geometry, and deviations in one cable affect the force distribution across the entire structure. On the Morocco stay cable projects, Jerome managed the cable installation sequence using surveyed deck level monitoring at each tensioning stage, comparing measured deflections against the analytical model predictions. Where deviations exceeded tolerances, tensioning adjustments were calculated and implemented in a controlled re-stressing sequence across multiple cables to restore the target geometry without overstressing any individual element.
Urban Tramway Construction
The Le Mans tramway project required constructing bridge crossings, retaining walls, and platform structures within an active urban environment where construction zone boundaries were measured in centimetres rather than metres. Building facades, underground cellars of historic properties, and live utility networks constrained every operation. Jerome coordinated structural works using precision-guided methods: CNC-cut reinforcement cages fabricated off-site to exact dimensions, slipform techniques for retaining walls that minimised formwork footprint, and phased concrete pours timed to off-peak traffic periods. The 15.4-kilometre alignment was delivered without a single property damage claim.
Rapid Expansion Joint Replacement
European motorway expansion joint replacement contracts required completing full joint removal and installation within single overnight lane closure windows, typically 8 to 10 hours between evening closure and morning reopening. Jerome developed systematic rapid-replacement procedures: prefabricated joint assemblies prepared during daytime hours, rapid-cure concrete mixes tested to achieve minimum trafficking strength within 4 hours, and rehearsed crew sequences where every task was allocated a specific time slot within the closure window. This approach consistently achieved joint replacement within the closure period across projects in Germany, Portugal, and France, maintaining the motorway operator's contractual lane availability targets.
Technical Details
Morocco — Stay Cable Bridges
- Stay cable installation and tensioning
- Deck geometry monitoring and adjustment
- Post-tensioning of deck segments
- Heavy lifting of deck components
France — Highways & Tramway
- Highway overpass bridge construction
- Le Mans 15.4km tramway structures
- In-situ concrete bridge decks
- Urban retaining wall construction
Germany & Portugal — Specialist
- Expansion joint rapid replacement
- Bearing installation and replacement
- Heavy lifting with strand jack systems
- Overnight motorway closure operations
Employers & Partners
Project Gallery
On-the-ground photography from this project.
Need a Similar Capability on Your Next Project?
JCY brings international bridge construction experience from Europe and North Africa to Australian infrastructure projects. Stay cables, heavy lifting, expansion joints, and precision structural works.