From environmental technician to increasing responsibilities with our customers on the Grand Paris Express construction sites, Mohammed Bouftass shares his career path and his vision of his job, between fieldwork, innovation and management.
Is managing soil disposal for the Grand-Paris Express a different experience from other construction sites?
The management of excavated soil from the Grand-Paris Express project differs from other construction sites in that it is more complex. Indeed, our customers produce considerable volumes of earth from stations, trenches, ancillary structures and tunnels. These materials come from different geological layers, sometimes very deep. These materials need to be carefully managed to comply with regulations and site constraints, and to ensure that they are channeled into the appropriate channels.
To ensure optimum management of the GPE construction sites, the environmental technicians on site must ensure :
- Verification of excavated volumes and their compliance with forecasts
- Supervision of soil routing to appropriate channels
- The application of highly specific safety prevention plans
- Participation in frequent environmental audits, in conjunction with the traceability tool (T-Rex) set up by SGP.
To meet the challenges of these projects, we have developed appropriate digital tools. A shared platform is available to our teams and customers. This interface brings together key information such as dashboards, site logs, DAPs (Documents d’Acceptation Préalable), contacts, and safety guides. This approach promotes fluid communication and optimized management.
Working alongside our customers, who are involved in the GPE project, demonstrates ECT’s expertise in the management and traceability of excavated soil on a complex, large-scale site.
What are your missions?
As site coordinator for ECT, my role is to guarantee the fluidity, traceability and evacuation of soil to the right outlets. This involves supervising ECT’s environmental technicians assigned to GPE worksites.  On a day-to-day basis, I organize schedules, assign teams and deal with unforeseen events in the field. I also have to train the teams on this specific site. Last but not least, communication with GPE site managers and foremen is essential.
At present, I’m working on Lot 17-3, which includes the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle station and its ancillary structures, as well as the Mesnil-Amelot station in Seine-et-Marne. It’s a very dynamic job. It alternates between 40% administrative management and 60% presence in the field. Â
What's your career like at ECT?
I joined ECT in 2011 as a temporary environmental technician. In 2012, I was offered a permanent contract. And in 2019, I was given the opportunity to join a major project: the Grand-Paris Express construction site. This mission marks a turning point in my career.
