FR Legal notice
1 – Company Identity
Laboratoire Structures et Applications (hereinafter “L‑SA”) is a Simplified Joint-Stock Company (SAS) with a share capital of €9,000, registered with the Nantes Trade and Companies Register (RCS) under number 101 005 288.
SIRET: 101 005 288 000 10 — EU VAT number: FR 01 101 005 288.
Registered office: 2, place Jean V, 44100 Nantes, France.
L‑SA is insured for Professional and Civil Liability by EUROMAF – Assurance des Ingénieurs et Architectes Européens,
189 boulevard Malesherbes, F‑75856 Paris Cedex 17, France.
Policy number: 7405427/C/115.
Legal representative: Mr. Nicolas DUBREIL.
General contact:
2 – Website Publisher
The website www.l-sa.eu (hereinafter “the Website”), including all of its subdomains and subdirectories, is published by L‑SA, whose contact details are listed above.
Publication Director: Mr. Nicolas DUBREIL, legal representative of L‑SA.
3 – Hosting Provider
The Website is hosted by:
OVH SAS
2 rue Kellermann, 59100 Roubaix, France
Telephone: 1007
4 – Contact and Support
For any question regarding the Website, its content or its operation:
For questions related to personal data (GDPR):
5 – Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise stated, the Website, its structure, texts, graphic elements, logos, visual identity, and the editorial content published by L‑SA are protected under intellectual property law. The site tree structure, section organisation, content layout, user interfaces and journeys, as well as the structuring of the OpenLAB features, are also protected whenever they reflect original creative choices.
The L‑SA trademark is a registered trademark with the French Intellectual Property Office (INPI) under number 25 5195619, registered in classes 9, 35, 37, 41 and 42. The associated logos are protected as distinct works.
Any reproduction, representation, adaptation or exploitation, in whole or in part, of the trademark, the logos, or any content from the Website, without prior written authorisation from L‑SA, is prohibited.
Content published by members/contributors (e.g., OpenLAB articles, messages) remains, unless otherwise specified, the property of their respective authors, in accordance with the terms set out in the OpenLAB platform’s Terms of Use.
6 – Liability – Website Access
L‑SA implements reasonable means to ensure access to and proper functioning of the Website, without any obligation of result. Access may be suspended or interrupted for maintenance, updates, technical issues, or force majeure.
L‑SA cannot be held liable for indirect damages arising from the use of the Website. Users remain responsible for how they use the information and content provided.
7- Hyperlinks
The Website may contain links to third-party websites. L‑SA exercises no control over these sites and declines any responsibility for their content, privacy policies, or availability.
8 – Personal Data and Cookies
The collection and processing of personal data are described in the Privacy Policy (GDPR), available through the “Privacy Policy” link in the footer.
Information relating to cookies/trackers (where applicable) is described in the same policy and/or through the cookie management module.
9 – Provisions Specific to OpenLAB (service hosted on the website)
OpenLAB is a community platform for sharing and distributing technical content accessible on the Website (notably via /fr/openlab-fr and /en/openlab-en).
Access to and use of OpenLAB are governed by specific Terms of Use (TOU), accessible through the “OpenLAB TOU” link in the footer.
The Privacy Policy (GDPR) also applies to the use of OpenLAB, according to the described purposes and legal bases.
10 – Applicable Law
This legal notice is governed by French law.
Privacy policy (GDPR)
1 – Purpose and Scope
This privacy policy describes how L‑SA SAS, collects, uses, and protects the personal data of visitors and users of the website www.l-sa.eu and the OpenLAB platform (accessible notably via /fr/openlab-fr and /en/openlab-en).
It applies to:
• visitors browsing the Website and/or the public part of OpenLAB;
• OpenLAB community members (registered users and authors);
• contributors publishing content on OpenLAB (articles, messages, comments).
2 – Data Controller – Contact
The data controller is: L‑SA SAS
Registered office: 2, place Jean V, 44100 Nantes, France
RCS: NANTES 101 005 288 — Share capital: €9,000
Contact email (personal data / GDPR):
No Data Protection Officer (DPO) has been appointed to date.
3 – Data Collected
3.1 – Browsing (showcase site + public OpenLAB)
When browsing, certain technical data may be processed:
• connection data (IP address, date/time, pages visited, user-agent, logs);
• strictly necessary session technical identifiers (e.g., session cookie).
These data are used mainly for security, site administration, and incident detection.
3.2 – Registration Request and OpenLAB Account Management
When requesting registration and for account management, we may process:
• identity: first name, surname;
• contact details: email;
• professional and eligibility information necessary to access the community (e.g., professional email, company website, years of experience, country of practice, etc.).
Eligibility information is accessible only to the administrator (and authorised persons, where applicable). It is not visible to other members.
3.3 – Community Profile (data visible according to settings)
Once registered, a member profile is created. By default, only the member's initials are visible to others. The member may add optional information to be displayed (e.g., LinkedIn link, job title, contact email).
The member may remove these optional data at any time.
3.4 – Contributions, Discussions and Moderation
If you publish or interact on OpenLAB, we process:
• posted content (articles, discussion messages, comments);
• associated metadata (date, version history, categories, ratings);
• moderation elements (reports, administrative actions, restrictions).
3.5 – Identification Data Related to Published Articles (author status)
When you publish an article as an “author member”, we process your first and last name to ensure publication traceability.
In “PUBLI” mode, your first and last name appear publicly on the article page.
The displayed name is not necessarily clickable, and does not give access to the author profile, which remains accessible only to members. Article comments and technical discussions are accessible only to community members.
3.6 – Data Sent via the “Contact Us” Link / Email
If you contact us via “Contact Us” or email:
• your email address;
• the content of your message;
• any attachments you include.
4 – Purposes and Legal Bases
We process your data only for specific, explicit, and legitimate purposes, with an appropriate legal basis.
4.1 – Security and Technical Administration
Purpose: security, fraud prevention, incident management, technical administration.
Legal basis: legitimate interest (securing the service) and/or legal obligation.
4.2 – Managing Registration Requests and OpenLAB Accounts
Purpose: process your request, create and manage your account, provide access to restricted features.
Legal basis: pre‑contractual measures / performance of the contract (TOU) and, where applicable, legitimate interest.
4.3 – Eligibility Verification
Purpose: verify that access criteria to OpenLAB are met.
Legal basis: legitimate interest (maintaining a qualified community) and/or contract performance.
4.4 – Community Functioning and Profile Management
Purpose: enable minimal member identification and facilitate peer exchange.
Legal basis: legitimate interest for minimal data (initials).
Optional profile data (visible by choice):
• Purpose: allow members to voluntarily share information.
• Legal basis: consent (modifiable at any time).
4.5 – Publication Traceability (author status)
Purpose: ensure traceability and editorial responsibility.
Legal basis: contract performance + legitimate interest.
4.6 – Support and Response to Requests
Purpose: respond to your enquiries via email.
Legal basis: legitimate interest.
4.7 – Cookies/Trackers
Purpose: technical functioning, security, and possibly audience measurement.
Legal basis:
• strictly necessary cookies: technical necessity / legitimate interest;
• consent-required cookies: prior consent.
5 – Data Recipients
Data are accessible to:
• authorised L‑SA personnel (administration, support, moderation);
• technical service providers acting as processors (hosting, backups, email), only to the necessary extent.
Visibility Summary:
• Eligibility information: administrator only;
• Member profile: initials by default; optional data visible based on member settings;
• “PUBLI” articles: author’s first name and surname publicly visible; author profile and comments restricted to members;
• “COMM” articles, discussions, comments: members only.
Hosting: OVH SAS, 2 rue Kellermann, 59100 Roubaix, France.
6 – Transfers Outside the EU
L‑SA prioritises hosting and providers within the European Union. If a transfer outside the EU occurs (e.g., through a third-party tool), it will be covered by appropriate safeguards (standard contractual clauses, supplementary measures, etc.).
7 – Data Retention Periods
Data are retained only as long as necessary:
• security and access logs: 12 months;
• requests via “Contact Us” / emails: processing duration + up to 24 months;
• OpenLAB accounts: as long as active;
• inactive accounts: deletion/anonymisation after 24 months;
• account deletion: deletion/anonymisation within 30 days, except legal obligations;
• refused eligibility: deletion/anonymisation within 6 months;
• published articles + associated identification: while the article is online;
• depublication: article made inaccessible; certain metadata may be retained temporarily for evidence/security.
8 – Security
L‑SA implements appropriate technical and organisational measures such as:
• encrypted communications (HTTPS/TLS);
• access control (admin accounts, permissions);
• security updates;
• backups;
• data minimisation (privacy by design).
9 – Your Rights
Under GDPR, you have the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, portability (when applicable), and withdrawal of consent (when applicable).
To exercise your rights: contact
You may request article depublication and/or anonymisation of certain information, subject to legal obligations and legitimate traceability needs. Details are provided in the OpenLAB TOU.
Complaint: you may lodge a complaint with the CNIL (France).
10 – Cookies and Trackers
The Website may use strictly necessary cookies (session management, security). Consent is not required for these. No advertising cookies are used at this time.
If consent‑based trackers are added, a consent banner will be displayed and this policy updated.
11 – Policy Updates
This policy may be updated due to legal, technical, or functional changes. The applicable version is the one published on the Website at the date of consultation.
OpenLAB Terms of Use
These Terms of Use (“TOU”) define the rules governing access to and use of the OpenLAB platform (“OpenLAB”), a service for sharing and publishing technical articles and discussions online.
1 – Publisher – Ownership of OpenLAB
OpenLAB by L‑SA is published and operated by L‑SA, SAS with share capital of €9,000, registered office at 2, place Jean V, 44100 Nantes (France), registered with the RCS of Nantes under number 101 005 288, represented by Mr. Nicolas DUBREIL as legal representative.
2 – Description of OpenLAB
OpenLAB aims to promote continuous improvement and collective intelligence among professionals involved in the design, execution, and assessment of building and civil engineering structures, within the Eurocodes regulatory framework. OpenLAB is based on values of intellectual honesty, solidarity, human intelligence, and benevolence, which apply to every user.
3 – OpenLAB Community – Target Audience
OpenLAB is exclusively intended for structural engineering professionals (engineers/technicians, teachers/researchers) expected to possess the necessary knowledge to analyse and understand the content.
The OpenLAB community includes all registered users, with three types of profiles:
• registered member (default status)
• author member
• administrator
Eligibility criteria and registration processes are described later.
4 – Content and Features
Two main content types exist:
- Articles
Formatted publications following a publishing process, signed by their author, classified into one of 5 categories:
• Scientific articles
• Construction feedback (REX)
• Calculation note examples
• Calculation tools
• News
Articles may be linked to predefined technical themes.
Articles can be published in two modes:
• “PUBLI” mode: published openly and accessible to all;
• “COMM” mode: restricted to the OpenLAB community.
- Technical Discussions
Forum-like discussions composed of successive messages. Each discussion is classified by specialty:
• Foundations and Geotechnics
• Concrete structures (building / civil engineering)
• Steel and composite structures
• Timber and mixed structures
• Mixed and other topics
Article comments are a specific form of technical discussion, automatically created for each article.
Technical discussions and article comments are accessible only to registered members.
5 – Accessibility and Languages
OpenLAB is accessible notably at:
• www.l-sa.eu/fr/openlab-fr
• www.l-sa.eu/en/openlab-en
The French and English versions may differ. Bilingual users are encouraged to switch languages to access available content.
6 – Acceptance of the TOU
Browsing or using OpenLAB implies full acceptance of these TOU. If you do not accept them, you must not use the site.
Registration in the OpenLAB community requires explicit acceptance of the TOU upon account creation.
7 – Rights and Duties of Unregistered Visitors
Unregistered visitors may:
• access/read articles in “PUBLI” mode;
• share URLs from the Website;
• download PDF versions of articles when available;
• request registration to OpenLAB;
• contact the administrator via “Contact Us”.
Unregistered visitors must:
• use the site respectfully and benevolently;
• report any content clearly inappropriate or contrary to the TOU;
• not attempt to disrupt the service (intrusion, overload, bypassing controls);
• share content fairly, without distortion, and in a professional and respectful manner. Sharing accompanied by defamatory, insulting, or disparaging remarks is prohibited.
Upon registration request, visitors agree to provide required eligibility information. OpenLAB may accept or refuse a request to preserve security, content quality, and platform purpose. General explanations may be provided when possible but are not mandatory.
8 – Rights and Duties of Registered Members
In addition to visitor rights, registered members may:
• access/read articles in “COMM” mode;
• access/read/comment on article comments;
• access/read/post in technical discussions;
• subscribe to topics to receive email notifications;
• create new discussion topics;
• edit/delete their own messages (where signed), while preserving discussion intelligibility;
• use “OpenLAB Guest” status to anonymise messages;
• rate discussions and thank helpful contributors;
• view other members’ profiles;
• request author status;
• request account deletion.
Registered members must:
• post only technical contributions (no advertising, commercial solicitation, or job seeking);
• use professional, respectful, courteous language;
• sign their messages using first name+last name or “OpenLAB Guest” (no other signature format allowed);
• accept that their profile displays their identity;
• use editing/deletion reasonably;
• report any message contrary to TOU.
Articles published by authors must be signed with real identity (first name + last name).
If a member account is deleted, OpenLAB may preserve and display past contributions to maintain discussion intelligibility. Profiles will be anonymised or removed as much as possible. GDPR rights apply.
9 – Rights and Duties of Author Members
In addition to registered member rights, author members may:
• access “My account / My articles”;
• write articles and save drafts (DRAFT mode);
• submit articles for publication in COMM or PUBLI mode;
• edit published articles within reasonable limits.
Author members must:
• use their real identity (first name + last name) in both PUBLI and COMM modes;
• publish original content respecting third‑party rights;
• request depublication for significant subject changes or if withdrawal is desired.
Depublication:
Authors may request depublication of their articles. Discussions may remain archived/inaccessible depending on dependency on the article.
OpenLAB may refuse or depublish articles, revoke author status, or reclassify a user as a regular member for non‑compliance, misuse, quality issues, or security reasons. When possible, the user will be informed.
10 – Responsibilities
Contributors publish in good faith, based on their knowledge and experience. They do not guarantee the absolute accuracy of the content. However, when an author becomes aware of a significant error in a published article, they undertake to correct it or report it (erratum) within a reasonable timeframe.
Each user (visitor, member, author) remains solely responsible for assessing the relevance and validity of the content published on OpenLAB—discussion messages, comments, and articles—and for any use made of such content in a private or professional context.
OpenLAB does not carry out systematic control or technical validation of content. The “publication” of an article by OpenLAB consists solely of its technical upload and does not constitute approval, certification, or validation.
11 – Presentation Quality of Content
Authors commit to an editorial presentation of their articles that contributes to high‑quality and consistent display of all content published on the platform.
To assist them in using the publishing interface and acquiring good editorial practices, an OpenLAB article creation guide is available in the editing interface. This guide outlines the platform’s expectations regarding article presentation.
12 – Unlawful Content – Moderation
Users must not publish or submit any content that is contrary to the law or public order, including but not limited to: defamatory, insulting, harassing, discriminatory, hateful, violent, pornographic content, content infringing on privacy, disclosing third‑party personal data, or violating intellectual property rights.
Users may report a message (discussion or comment) using the “Report” button available on each message, or report an article through the “About / Contact us” section (or by email at the address indicated in the Legal Notices).
OpenLAB may remove, without prior notice, any manifestly unlawful content or content that violates the TOU, and take any necessary moderation measure (deletion, restriction, suspension, or account removal).
13 – IT Security of Content
As part of using OpenLAB, members may include in their profile or within their content:
- external links to online resources;
- images or attached files in the form of download links within articles.
To ensure the IT security of all OpenLAB users and of the platform itself, each user undertakes to:
- publish only links to safe and reliable websites whose legitimacy they have verified;
- refrain from publishing any URL leading to a malicious, fraudulent, or otherwise risky website (malware, phishing, forced download, etc.);
- refrain from using links to bypass content rules (e.g., indirectly sharing non‑compliant, confidential, or protected material).
And furthermore to:
- upload only files free from any virus, malicious code, dangerous macro, or content likely to compromise the security of the site or other users;
- upload only files they have created or fully control the origin of;
- refrain from uploading files whose extension has been falsified or whose real nature does not correspond to the expected format;
- check files before upload using antivirus software or an equivalent analysis tool.
OpenLAB does not carry out systematic control of links and files published by users.
In case a dangerous link or file is reported, OpenLAB reserves the right to immediately remove the link or file and suspend or delete the user’s account in case of breach.
The platform implements technical measures to limit risks associated with user‑uploaded files and links. However, each user remains solely responsible for protecting their own computer equipment.
In particular, OpenLAB cannot be held liable for any infection, data loss, or damage resulting from:
- opening a file uploaded by another user;
- downloading an attachment;
- or accessing an external link published on the platform.
The user acknowledges that it is their responsibility to take usual precautions (antivirus, updates, prior scans) before opening or downloading any file originating from the Internet.
14 – Intellectual Property – License Granted to OpenLAB
Articles and messages published on OpenLAB remain the property of their authors and are protected by copyright.
By publishing content on OpenLAB (article, comment, message), the author grants OpenLAB a non‑exclusive, free‑of‑charge, worldwide license for the duration of legal copyright protection, allowing OpenLAB to host, reproduce, display, format, technically adapt, index, distribute, and show the content on the OpenLAB platform and its communication materials, exclusively for the needs of the service and its promotion.
The author guarantees that they hold the necessary rights and that the content does not infringe third‑party rights (intellectual property, confidentiality, privacy, etc.).
15 – Profiles – Displayed Data – Identity
15.1 – Data provided to the OpenLAB administrator during registration
When requesting registration, the user provides their first name, last name, email, and information required to verify eligibility (e.g., professional email, company website, years of experience, country of practice, etc.). This information is accessible only to the OpenLAB administrator and is used exclusively to assess the request.
15.2 – Profile of a “registered member” visible within the community
After approval, a member profile is created and is visible only to other community members. By default, only the member’s first name and last name are displayed. The member may complete their profile with optional information (e.g., LinkedIn link, job title, contact email). Optional information is displayed only if the member voluntarily provides it.
15.3 – Profile of a “member author” visible within the community
The status of “member author” requires traceability: published articles are signed with the author’s real identity (first name + last name). When a user becomes an author, their profile displays the list of their articles.
15.4 – Profile configuration and user responsibility
Each member is responsible for the information they choose to make visible on their profile. They may modify or withdraw optional information at any time, subject to the traceability requirements applicable to authors for published articles.
15.5 – Author information visible publicly
When articles are published in “PUBLI” mode, the author’s identity (first name + last name) is visible publicly near the article. However, the displayed name is not necessarily clickable and does not grant access to the author’s profile, which remains reserved for members; article comments also remain accessible only to the OpenLAB community.
15.6 – Thanks
OpenLAB offers acknowledgements (e.g., heart icon) intended to highlight useful content.
Users are encouraged, when they wish, to rate content sincerely and benevolently.
16 – Eligibility and Registration
To preserve the purpose of the project, registration is subject to the following criteria:
- active professional practice as a structural technician/engineer (design, execution, inspection) or technical manager in such activities, or a teaching/research role in the field;
- practice in a country where Eurocodes are in force and accompanied by a national annex;
- at least 3 years of professional experience (or 10 years past experience with the willingness to continue contributing);
- use of a professional email address at registration (excluding retirees);
- communication of the employer/company website at registration (excluding retirees);
- provision of real first name and last name to the administrator (no pseudonyms/aliases permitted).
OpenLAB may request supporting documents strictly necessary to verify eligibility. Eligibility information is processed in accordance with the Privacy Policy.
At present, eligibility criteria for “member author” status are the same as for “registered member” status. OpenLAB reserves the right to adjust these criteria or set additional conditions in order to preserve the quality of content and the purpose of the platform, in accordance with the “CGU Updates” provisions.
17 – Service Availability – Limitation of Liability
OpenLAB uses reasonable means to ensure access but has no obligation of result. Access may be suspended for maintenance, incidents, security, or updates.
Except for gross negligence or mandatory legal obligations, OpenLAB is not liable for indirect damages, business losses, lost opportunities, lost data, or intangible harm.
In the event of a personal data breach, legal notification obligations will apply.
18 – TOU Changes
OpenLAB may modify the TOU at any time due to legal, technical, functional, or organisational changes.
Modifications may concern: features, access conditions, publication/moderation rules, or service conditions.
The applicable TOU version is the one online at time of use. Members will be informed in case of substantial changes.
Users are encouraged to regularly review the TOU.
19 – Applicable Law – Disputes
These TOU are governed by French law. In case of dispute, parties will seek amicable resolution; otherwise, competent courts will be those of the publisher’s registered office, unless mandatory legal provisions state otherwise.