Peikko Group, a supplier of concrete connections and composite structures, and Bouygues Travaux Publics have signed a cooperation contract.

The partnership aims to jointly develop and implement the steel concrete (SC) construction method for nuclear power plant (NPP) and small modular reactor (SMR) projects.

Peikko business director Raimo Lehtinen said: “The target for this contract is to get Bouygues and Peikko strongly involved in growing the European market for new nuclear projects and especially for new EPR and SMR, which are currently in the development phase worldwide.”

According to Peikko, the SC wall methodology consists of two steel plates with shear studs welded on the inner surface. These steel plates are interconnected by a grid of tie bars.

This construction method allows for a faster construction schedule compared to traditional reinforced concrete, particularly in heavy structures such as NPP.

It also eliminates the need for traditional reinforcement bars and temporary formwork.

The SC construction method was tested in a pilot project (SCHEDULE) with the support of EU and French nuclear owners, namely CEA, EDF, and Orano.

The project replicated EDF’s diesel generator building for nuclear power plants, funded by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel under a grant agreement.

The building was constructed in EDF's testing area in Les Renardières, France. On-site construction of the building's structure took five months.

Peikko manufactured the steel structures while Bouygues Construction Expertises Nucléaires carried out site work.

Bouygues Construction Expertises Nucléaires is a subsidiary of French construction company Bouygues Travaux Publics.