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SC-110 Urban tackles tight-space foundations in Paris

By Richard High, 15 October, 2025
An elevated view of a yellow Soilmec SC-110 Urban cutter working on the Grand Paris Express, constructing 1,200mm-thick diaphragm walls up to 38 metres deep at Rueil–Suresnes Mont-Valérien station, surrounded by houses, low rise buildings and roads. The Soilmec SC-110 Urban cutter at work on the Grand Paris Express, constructing 1,200mm-thick diaphragm walls up to 38 metres deep at Rueil–Suresnes Mont-Valérien station.

At the Rueil–Suresnes Mont-Valérien station site on Paris’s Grand Paris Express Line 15 West, Fayat Fondations is using Soilmec’s new SC-110 Urban to deliver deep foundation walls in one of Europe’s most constrained urban environments. The machine is being used to construct 1,200mm-thick diaphragm wall panels reaching depths of up to 38 metres, with an excavation volume exceeding 14,000 cubic metres.

Surrounded by schools, offices, and residential blocks, the project demanded foundation equipment that could combine high productivity with low environmental impact. Soilmec’s SC-110 Urban was designed precisely for this type of metropolitan challenge. Its compact architecture, modular power pack, and availability in diesel or fully electric versions have allowed the contractor to configure the rig within tight site limits since work began in late 2024.

One of the most valued features has been its quiet operation, limited to just 107 dB(A), enabling continuous work near sensitive buildings while meeting strict local noise regulations. This low-noise capability, coupled with the option of electric power, demonstrates how heavy civil equipment can adapt to sustainability and community expectations — lessons increasingly relevant for UK urban infrastructure projects, such as HS2 and future London Underground upgrades.

Close-up of the SC-110 Urban’s cutter head and slurry circuit during diaphragm wall excavation — tri-axial sensors and DMS monitoring ensure millimetre-level verticality for the 38-metre-deep panels. Close-up of the SC-110 Urban’s cutter head and slurry circuit during diaphragm wall excavation — tri-axial sensors and DMS monitoring ensure millimetre-level verticality for the 38-metre-deep panels.

From a technical perspective, the SC-110 Urban uses SH-35 modules with 110 kNm torque motors and a 450 m³/h mud pump, supporting efficient excavation. The machine’s tri-axial sensors, DMS digital monitoring system, and 12 instrumented flaps ensure precise verticality and quality control — critical to the integrity of deep concrete walls.

Its flexibility also extends to T-shaped panels and wall geometries between 650mm and 1,500mm wide, up to 3.2 metres long. An advanced filtration system further protects the hydraulic circuit and reduces maintenance downtime, while a new BT operator cabin and remote control simplify setup, rope changes, and maintenance.

“The SC-110 Urban has proved its reliability and accuracy in one of Europe’s most demanding metropolitan projects,” said a spokesperson for Fayat Fondations. “Precision, low noise, and ease of operation have been essential to meeting programme targets.”

With its performance on Line 15 West, the SC-110 Urban highlights how next-generation foundation technologies are redefining deep excavation in cities — offering practical insights for UK contractors pursuing low-carbon, low-disruption concrete construction.

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