Construction Sites | December Issue no.101 by Qatar Construction Sites

I ssue N o .101 - D ecember 2015

SITES Monthly Construction news, tenders, project focus, and forthcoming exhibitions in Qatar

2015 In Perspective: SITES Magazine looks at the year that was in the Construction sector Dr Mohamed Saif Al Kuwari - Exclusive interview: Qatar seeks to prolong life span of construction projects Recent downpours reveal the challenges of construction standards in Qatar INFOCUS: Looking at risk management and safety in construction p 23-24

CONSTRUCTION

SITES

Recognition for Qatar Foundation at the World Architecture Festival

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) building has won an award at the World Architecture Festival (WAF), a prestigious global celebration of inspirational architecture, held last week in Singapore. The QF building, which is home to the Education City Mosque and the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS), a college of QF member Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), won in the category of ‘Religion – Completed Buildings’, and was the only Islamic building to have been shortlisted. The building contains many symbolic and poetic references to Islam and its civilisation. The Mosque’s structure for example rests on five large columns representing the five pillars of Islam, with each featuring a verse drawn from the Holy Qur’an. The building reflects the Foundation’s commitment to originality and innovation, and the new accolade is testament to QF’s mission to promote Qatar around the world and to foster an engaged society appreciative of its Islamic and Arab heritage. The building is a reinterpretation of the traditional model of the madrasa found in old Islamic Cities, where both education and worship are combined in one premise. The college also represents one of many institutions contributing to the comprehensive educational cycle offered by QF that provides quality learning to students to unlock their potential and foster a progressive society. All winning projects in the different award categories were then shortlisted to take part in the selection for the World Building of the Year 2015, in which the QF building received high commendation from the Master Jury. The judges praised the QFIS building, designed by Mangera Yvars Architects (MYAA), as a project representing “a cultural breakthrough where client and architect have produced a remarkable building.” The building was nominated to the WAF Awards by QF’s Capital Projects Directorate (CPD), with the support of the architects of the building Mangera Yvars Architects (MYAA). Speaking about the project, Ameena Ahmadi, Technical Director at Qatar Foundation Capital Projects Directorate said: “QFIS building is a true manifestation that the architecture of the Muslim world has its firm and timeless values, but the same can be interpreted through different models. The building is a continuous discovery of spatial qualities and pleasures, and a reminder to connect with one’s inner self and surrounding nature at the same time. Winning the award is recognition to the innovative potentials of spaces for learning and worship.” The QFIS building, officially opened in March 2015, was among 338 projects from 47 countries shortlisted in a range of categories. It was one of three projects in Qatar, and 10 throughout the GCC, to be shortlisted at the awards. The QFIS building is a complex structure that boasts natural light, a calm and neutral palette of whites, representing notions of serenity and purity. Water is used throughout the building with four streams flowing through its exterior and interior. The building includes the latest amenities that take advantage of modern innovations alongside a respect for environment, in addition to being an architectural masterpiece that exemplifies the beauty of Islam and its moderation. WAF is the world’s largest international architectural event and largest architectural awards programme and more than 2,000 architects from 60 countries attend the Qatar Foundation delegates with architects Festival. (QNA) Ada Yvars and Ali Mangera

Qatar

Qatar Rail rewarded with a triple certification by the world’s leading standard-setting bodies Qatar Rail’s commitment to world class standards in quality control, environmental sustainability and delivery, has been recognized by the international standard setting bodies with a triple certification. The company’s quality management system, occupational health and safety system and environmental management system for its Program Delivery division, have all been confirmed as meeting ISO standards – confirmation that they meet global best practice. The ISO standards, (ISO 9001:2008, OHSAS 18001:2007, ISO 14001:2004) set rigorous requirements and targets for quality management systems, health and safety, and environmental management systems, respectively. Organisations which gain this level of certification have not only to demonstrate that they have the correct processes in place, but also that they can demonstrate that the processes are being followed. Commenting on this notable achievement, Eng. Saad Al Muhannadi, CEO of Qatar Rail, said: “We have always set out to follow world class standards in the way in which we deliver our projects, and this prestigious certification shows that we have succeeded. However, we regard this certification as merely a starting point and we will now look to maintain and build on these as we look to achieve continuous improvement”. He added: “From the very onset of our journey, we have shouldered great responsibility towards the State of Qatar and its people and have known that we need to achieve the highest standards of operation to meet this responsibility. These certifications are pleasing evidence that we are succeeding, but we have much to do to meet the challenges which remain.” Echoing Eng. Al Muhannadi, Eng. Daniel Leckel, Chief of Program Delivery division at Qatar Rail, added: “These certifications are the culmination of all the strategic planning, and hard work that we’ve employed into Qatar Rail’s projects. When excellent work is recognized and rewarded, it drives us to multiply our efforts and continuously raise the bar for our objectives and performance. As we enter advanced phases for our projects’ completion and launch, we will continue to strive in delivering quality and service excellence”. The ISO and OHSAS certifications ensure exhaustive and rigorous management system audits of the Qatar Rail Program Delivery Division by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA). During a special certification ceremony, Mr. Mark Haskell, LR Country Manager from Lloyds handed the accreditation to Eng. Daniel Leckel, Chief of Program Delivery at Qatar Rail. LRQA is a world-leading, independent provider of Business Assurance services, including management system accreditation , validation, verification and a full range of training to international standards and schemes.

Qatar Rail CEO Saad Al Muhannadi and Daniel Leckel, Chief of Program Delivery division at Qatar Rail, displaying the certification.

Al Rayyan Hospitality showcases Qatar resort at global travel event in London Al Rayyan Hospitality, the Doha-based pre-eminent hospitality development group, has

once again put Qatar on the map by showcasing its local and international exquisite resorts through its participation at World Travel Market (WTM), in London from November 2 to 5. The World Travel Market is the premiere global event for the travel industry and the annual must-attend business-to-business platform for networking. To date, Al Rayyan Hospitality (ARH) has achieved an impressive track record with nine exquisitely designed SouqWaqif Boutique Hotels comprising 183 rooms, nestled in the bustling traditional market in Doha. The group has also restored an elegant 19th century Victorian townhouse, Adria Hotel in South Kensington, London, offering around-the-clock butler service for the sophisticated traveler. At the 2015 WTM, Al Rayyan Hospitality unveiled an exciting choice of distinctive luxury resorts, in line with the company’s vision to revolutionize the perception of hospitality by strategically developing unique lifestyle destinations. ARH, Qatar’s leading hospitality development company, last year announced the opening of its first holiday resort, the super-luxurious Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara, developed as an idyllic 32-acre holiday retreat with a real wow factor, offering surf, sand and serenity. Opening the first Wellness Centre in a Middle East resort, the 5-star vacation destination offered a holistic approach to health and well-being to revive its guests on holiday with the promise of the latest treatments and exercise options. From bowling alley and putting green to a diving centre, it has every conceivable recreational and entertainment facility for guests of any age, and an incomparable family holiday experience. The Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara feels a world away from bustling Doha, “offering a paradise island setting with extensive facilities for everyone from friend to families and unlimited opportunities for relaxation and adventure, wellness, and indulgence”. Al Rayyan Hospitality has carved a niche for itself by adding hotels and investments and entering new markets. All the ARH resorts are inspiring and striking with contemporary and innovative amenities that aim to encourage international and local visitors to relax and enjoy all the activities and features they would expect in a 5- star resort set in a spectacular location.

Qatar’s new Labor City a trend setter for the region

Qatar has completed the Gulf region’s largest and most modern complex of worker camps, Labor City, which can accommodate tens of thousands of workers. It is located in the Industrial Area and accommodations there are available to companies. Labor City is spread over an area of more than a million square meters and comprises 64 four-storey-buildings. Each building has rooms that can together accommodate 780 workers. In all, the accommodations in Labor City are meant for 50,000 workers. The city has a cinema, entertainment centers, a huge auditorium for community events, commercial complexes, restaurants and sports facilities like stadiums for volleyball, football and cricket and other sports. Besides, there will be a police station and a branch within the city to help maintain law and order and ensure workers’ safety and security. The city boasts green space spread over an area of 32,500 square meters and a medical center which will have specialist doctors as well as an emergency unit. Within the city there would also be additional accommodation for 10,000 senior workers. “The supervisory authority for the Labor City has begun asking companies that are interested in taking premises on rent to house their workers to come forward and apply,” according to Doha-based Arabic newspaper, Al Sharq. Known as Barwa Al Baraha, the project is built by state-backed Barwa Real Estate Company and is the largest development project ever built in the country to house workers. “It is the biggest and most modern Labor camp built in the entire Gulf region,” said Al Sharq. The project has been developed in two phases. The first phase consisted of a truck and vehicle parking area and basic facilities. The second phase comprises the Labor City project. The 64 buildings are actually grouped into four major sub-complexes, each with 16 buildings. There are plans to build other blocks within the city that would accommodate senior staff of companies that hire space for the purpose on rent. A huge complex that would house at least 49 used car showrooms is also planned with adjoining administrative offices on the two upper floors. Labor City is all set to be a model accommodation in the entire region with star amenities for migrant workers. - QNA

Interview

CONSTRUCTION

Qatar seeks to prolong life span of its construction projects Dr Mohamed Bin Saif Al Kuwari, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment for Laboratories and Standardization, has called the Qatar Construction Specifications (QCS) 2014 “a world-class achievement of which the country can be proud of”. The QCS standards were published in the Official Gazette in February this year and an online portal dedicated to them was launched at a one-day Qatar Construction Specifications Conference 2014, organized by the Ministry of Environment, in November. The portal, inaugurated by HE the Minister of Environment Ahmed Bin Amer Al Humaidi, gives the construction community access to QCS 2014 on the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) platform. The specifications are now accessible alongside those of the American society for all through the interactive database of ASTM. In an exclusive interview to the Construction Sites magazine, Dr Al Kuwari said that the QCS standards 2014 were the result of a collaborative effort by the entire

sector and they would continue to be so. He felt that this was the main reason why they had been so widely accepted even though there were many stakeholders. At the launch of the online portal for QCS 2014, he reassured the gathering present, in response to questions from participants about the status of its use in concrete, that research into issues like the use of “wadi gravel” was an ongoing thing. In fact, he said that certain specifications for its use might be issued before the QCS 2016 if results were available. He stressed that the social, economic and environmental advantages of the district cooling system had made it one of the most important ones adopted by cities and new communities that were looking to promote healthy living and sustainable economic development. In a statement to the official Qatar News Agency (QNA), Dr Al Kuwari said that the ASTM’s selection of QCS 2014, to be available on its interactive database, was no accident as the Qa-

tari specifications deserved that, pointing out that the CEO of ASTM had stressed that Qatari standards were produced in a highly technical and professional manner and were built on scientific research. For these reasons, the QCS 2014 was highly lauded by companies, experts and engineers inside and outside Qatar, he said, pointing to its quality for construction projects in terms of sustainability and permanence. Al Kuwari added that his vision was to increase the quality of the built environment to ensure that the life span of construction projects in Qatar would be extended to 75 years instead of the current 25 to 30 years. “Qatar is witnessing an unprecedented construction boom and is investing billions on these projects. We aim to extend the life span of these projects, especially roads, concrete and infrastructure projects to reach 100 years,” Al Kuwari added, revealing that they had started contacts with international universities, including British ones, to conduct joint scientific research to

SITES

Dr Mohamed Bin Saif Al Kuwari: Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment for Laboratories and Standardization.

extend the durability of installations in Qatar. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Cabinet has given its nod to a draft decision on regulations for awarding the “Qatari Certificate of Conformity” for construction products in a bid to ensure the availability of quality building materials in the country. In this regard, the regular weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers approved a draft decision by the Minister of Environment to amend Decision No 192 of 2013,

QNA reported. The draft decision stipulates that provisions of regulations attached to this decision should be applied to manufacturing establishments in the state; and that imported manufactured construction products should also comply with approved standards and specifications. In September this year, the Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology at the Ministry of Environment had issued a hand-

book for procedures of issuing the Qatari Certificate of Conformity for construction products. The handbook included the procedures to be followed to issue the certificate, aimed at encouraging national investment, as the activities of construction product factories have a significant impact on the state’s economy. These factories include ready-mixed concrete and its products, asphalt, rebar factories, bricks, floor tiles and plastic pipe plants.

Recent downpours reveal the challenges of construction standards in Qatar

Architects and engineers from around the world are not less interested in the consequences of global warming than ecologists

ast month’s deluge in Doha caused major disruptions and brought Qatar to a standstill for several hours. Qatar received more than a year’s worth of rain in a few hours which caused heavy flooding in most of the central residential areas and made many roads near impassible for commuters. The rain also prompted many school closures and many major shopping malls closed their doors due to leakages. According to Qatar’s Metrology Department, the area around Hamad International Airport saw the highest amount of rainfall, with more than 80 millimeters within 24 hours, in comparison to the Old Doha Airport area - 16.9mm, Abu Hamour - 31.8mm, Al Wakrah - 6.6mm of rainfall accumulation. Typically Qatar sees around 50 millimeters of rain in whole year. The rain has also caused leaks in recently completed buildings, most notably the Hamad International Airport. The sudden rainfall caused several major leaks in the

building ceiling. Several malls also suffered damage from the precipitation, such as Ezdan Mall; a section of the interior plaster ceiling collapsed and water could be seen pouring into the mall. The rapid response measures taken by the local authorities helped to avoid casualties. The high incidence of water leakage and seepage have brought into question the construction standards with regard to buildings; and their drainage systems as well as the apparent lack of rainwater collecting solutions as an established standard. The rain started early in the morning and lasted for an hour in some places; while others received intermittent rainfall over several hours. The Qatar Meteorology Department had issued a statement earlier that week saying that Qatar would be experiencing unstable weather, that might continue for several days. A day before the deluge the weather bureau issued a new warning about the excessive rain that would descend upon almost all parts of Qatar. All municipalities were

ready with the equipment to tackle the emergencies which could be caused. They deployed water-draining machines and emergency teams . “Emergency teams are on the ground and they are giving their 100 percent to ease the traffic movement on the roads.” The record breaking rainfall exposed some of the critical construction flaws on the major infrastructure projects and cast a shadow on the adherence of lcontractors to construction standards. Several newly completed school buildings and multimillion dollar shopping malls showed evidence of poor construction. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani has ordered an investigation into the matter. It was announced that all concerned bodies and companies involved in the projects that were adversely affected by the rains, must be referred for investigation. If they are found culpable then they will be handed over to the Public Prosecution. The Government Communica-

tion Office advised that five companies had so far been identified. While parties responsible for dereliction or negligence, whether governmental or private, will be held accountable, according to QNA. QNA also reported that said contractors have been banned from leaving the country as the investigation is carried out: “owners of companies, contractors and consulting engineers would be banned from traveling abroad

until the end of the probe.” Meanwhile, the international community has also addressed the issue of climate change and the necessity to revise the regional and local construction standards. Discussions about global warming are ongoing at the COP-21 Conference that took place in Paris. Architects and engineers from around the world are not less interested in the consequences of global warming than ecologists. Ac-

cording to Jessy Puget, an Architect DPLG from France “The AEC industry standards should be reviewed on the international, regional and local level taking into consideration a climate change, Qatar isn’t an exception. The climate is changing quite quickly and some building standards have been established several decades ago are still used in construction, what can cause major flows of future buildings.”

CONSTRUCTION

SITES

Legal

Qatar’s New Immigration Law

ering working in Qatar in the place; historically some i.e. a term which does include future. Unfortunately given visas have been issued the right for either party to that the New Immigration without a contract having give notice. Notwithstanding Law has only recently been been executed. these transfer rights, the New published and given the lead • ‎In addition to the indi- Immigration Law provides time for implementation, this viduals who are exempt that each will be subject to article cannot consider in any from the requirements the employer’s rights should detail the effect the law may of the Old Immigration such transfer prejudice those have on expatriates when this Law, e.g. foreign leaders, rights. Again we cannot comNew Immigration Law comes diplomats, captains of ment at this time as to how Emma Higham into force. sea vessels and aircraft the employee’s and employThis article contains general pilots, etc. the New Immi- er’s rights will each be asstatements in relation to the Emma Higham is a legal director of gration Law also exempts sessed by the Ministry should New Immigration Law and the International Law Firm, Clyde Gulf Cooperation Council a dispute arise. should not be construed in & Co LLP, in Doha. Emma is a cornationals. Registration of Birth any way as legal advice. For- porate commercial lawyer who has Matters of Interest Parents holding valid resibeen based in Qatar for more than mal legal advice should be ten years. Emma incorporates Exit Permit dence permits now have 90 sought on a case by case her extensive knowledge of local The New Immigration Law days from the date of birth of basis when interpreting the law when advising both local and obliges an employer to inform their children, or the child’s provisions of the New Immi- foreign clients on Qatar establish- the Ministry 3 days prior to an entry into Qatar, to apply for ment and employment matters. gration Law. employee exiting Qatar. Not- Qatar residency for that child. Observations withstanding such obligation Under the Old Immigration permitted. For example the law also states that, sub- Law the time period was 60 • Timelines in the New whilst the New Immigra- ject to an employer approving days. In addition, the time peImmigration Law have tion Law ‎makes it clear such exit the employee will riod for a child born outside been amended, in some that it is not acceptable be able to exit Qatar immedi- Qatar to enter Qatar has been cases materially. By way for an employer to retain ately. We cannot comment on reduced to 6 months from 2 of example, the period an employee’s passport how this obligation and ap- years. within which an expaor travel document after proval will be implemented in Penalties triate employee should it has been used to ap- the context of or amend the The penalties contained in the now be issued with his ply for or renew a visa, current exit permit regime. New Immigration Law reflect or her residence permit such prohibition can be In relation to exit permits the those of the Old Immigration after entering Qatar has waived if the employee New Immigration Law also Law ‎for the most part. For exbeen extended from 7 to agrees in writing that refers to an Expatriates Exit ample, a breach of the provi30 days. 30 days is also the employer can retain Permit Grievances Committee sions, amongst other things, the maximum period an it, but only until such to which expatriates employ- relating to entering Qatar expatriate employee can time as the employee ees will have recourse should with the correct travel docuremain in Qatar without requests its return. In ad- an employer or the Ministry it- ments, entering and exiting being obliged to obtain a dition in relation to clar- self refuse to issue the expa- at the correct locations, comresidence permit. ity, the New Immigration triate employees with an exit plying with the terms of the • I n relation to certain Law states that a visa permit when one has been visa which has been issued, matters the New Immimay not be issued with- requested. gration Law gives more can be punished by a fine not out an executed employ- Letter of No Objection clarity in relation to what exceeding QAR50,000 and/ ment contract being in The New Immigration Law or imprisonment for up to 3 is and what is not legally provides that the transfer years. Repeat offenders may of an employee’s residency be subject to more severe shall be at the discretion of penalties, including fines of the Ministry. The New Immi- up to QAR100,000. In addigration Law, unlike the Old tion to these existing penalImmigration Law, does not ties, the New Immigration GRP SECTIONAL WATER TANKS refer to the requirement for Law specifies some additionthe employee’s employer to al penalties, including, where FIRE SECTIONAL WATER TANKS approve the transfer, i.e. is- an employer retains travel STEEL STRUCTURES sue a letter of obligation, of- documents without permisPPR PIPES & FITTINGS ten referred to as a NOC. The sion, QAR25,000, where an LEED & GREEN BUILDING SOLUTIONS New Immigration Law states employer fails to inform the that a transfer may be ef- Ministry that an employee’s fected at the end of a definite employment has been termiemployment term, i.e. a term nated within 14 days of such which does not include a right termination, QAR50,000, and for either party to give early where a hotel or other lodging notice to terminate, or after facility does not comply with an employee has completed its notice obligations to the 5 years of employment with Ministry, for example, where one employer if they have an notification is not provided indefinite employment term, when a visitor or resident

Law No.(21) of 2015 Regulating the entry, exit and residency of expatriates in Qatar (New Immigration Law) has recently been published in the Arabic press and reported in various English language publications. We understand that it will be published in the official Gazette next month. The New Immigration Law states that its provisions will take effect one year after such publication, i.e. towards the end of 2016. There is yet no fixed implementation date. The Minister of Interior (Minister) through the Ministry of Interior (Ministry) and Immigration Department will be responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the New Immigration Law. The New Immigration Law will repeal Law No.(4) of 2009 (Old Immigration Law) and the decisions and resolutions previously issued to implement it. However, until the Minister issues the new implementing decisions and regulations, the current decisions and resolutions will remain in force to the extent that they do not contradict the provisions of the New Immigration Law. This article sets out some of the provisions introduced or amended by the New Immigration Law which may be of interest to expatriate employees currently working in Qatar and those individuals consid-

Qatari Sources

Tel: +974 4487 3850 - Mobile: +974 55141030 Fax: +974 4487 3826 - P.O.Box 17175 Doha-Qatar e-mail: mohdzeli@gmail.com

Yasser Shabblr Yasser is a UK qualified employment lawyer in Clyde & Co’s MENA employment team, based in Qatar. Yasser specialises in advising both local and international clients in relation to all aspects of employment and immigration law in Qatar (including the Qatar Financial Centre).

remains unaccounted for 48 hours or more, QAR20,000. The New Immigration Law retains the the ability of the Minister to instigate conciliation discussions with offenders to settle any breaches amicably and attaches a table setting out the payments associated with each offence. Where for whatever reason matters cannot be settled amicably final judgment will be issued and enforced. In addition the New Immigration Law introduces a discretion for the Minister to exempt or reduce the conciliation amounts awarded to an offended person or entity on the grounds of public interest or for humanitarian reasons. Finally, in relation to penalties, the Minister or his deputy has the right to “blacklist” an offender until such time as the breaches are cured or the judgments satisfied. NOTE: Qatari laws (saved for those issued by the Qatar Financial Centre to regulate internal business) are issued in Arabic and there are no official translations, therefore for the purposes of drafting this article we have used our own translations and interpreted the same in the context of Qatari regulations and current market practice. For further information on this issue or other legal matters please contact Emma Higham (emma. higham@clydeco.com) or Yasser Shabbir (yasser. shabbir@clydeco.com).

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Infrastructure

The way to smart management

he Qatar Transport Infrastructure 2015, an exclusive two-day closed-door initiative organized by Bricsa Consulting, was attended by more than 80 delegates from Qatar and from other parts of the world. The conference’s focus was on rail infrastructure development, commuter rail and urban transportation & infrastructure which included metro rail and LRT projects. On the first day of the event Einas Khairy, a management expert, delivered a presentation on smart city and smart management. Khairy started off by pointing to the increased usage of the word smart, whether to refer to smart-looking people, smart phones or even smart cars.

Moving to more serious comparisons, Khairy explained various elements of smart cities, including infrastructure, utilities, intelligent transport systems, healthcare, buildings and education. So, what is a “smart city”? Khairy defined it as a city performing well in six categories built on a smart combination of endowments and activities of self-decisive, independent and aware citizens. The six categories are Smart Economy, Smart Mobility, Smart Environment, Smart People, Smart Living and finally Smart Management. And because a city is nothing without its residents and visitors, a smart society is a vital aspect of a smart city. “It’s all about social and human capital,” She said. “Linked to this

is the development of residents themselves, combined with the level of creativity and the quality of social interaction among people.” Moving to the concept of smart management, she said that as technology moved so fast it became more difficult for management to adapt. “New technology means staff training, equipment upgrades, etc. which translates to massive cost for companies.” To explain why smart management is key to sustainable smart cities, Khairy exposed two pictures of an efficient railway in Sudan 30 years ago and compared it to a shockingly deserted railway there now, arguing that the absence of smart management was what made all the difference.

She then went on to compare two types of management: chess and checkers. “In checkers, all the pieces are uniform. They move in the same way and pieces are interchangeable,” she said. “While in chess, all pieces are different. Each of them moves in a different way and you can’t play if you don’t know how each piece moves. Most importantly, you won’t win if you don’t think carefully about how you move the pieces.”

Management: ers vs Chess

Check-

In management, the Checkers way of play translates into a need-to-plan and co-ordinate employees’ movements, but everybody moves at the same pace, on parallel paths. In the Chess style of management, “great managers know and value the unique abilities and even the eccentricities of their employees, and they learn how best to integrate them into a coordinated plan

of attack.” So, what is the best approach to smart management? Khairy modified a motto of Spanish sculpture artist Eduardo Chillida from “whatever I know how to do, I’ve already done. Therefore I must always do what I do not know how to do”, to “whatever I know how to manage, I’ve already managed. Therefore I must always manage what I do not know how to manage”. She called this approach “Creative Management”.

Why do you need construction progress photo and video documentation?

hotographically documenting every exterior wall at every stage of construction allows you to verify schedule delays, quality installation of your systems, verification of plans and specs, and code issues. Construction progress photography will also save you money by enabling “virtual” walk-throughs of your project by your architects, engineers and consultants without having to pay their expensive travel and rates. Progress photography shoots are generally performed at monthly intervals, and are coordinated with the pace of erection. Exterior progress photography typically begins at substantial framing, and not at commencement of site work. Progress photography

can begin at commencement of site work for the purpose of broadly capturing site work. What are the benefits ? Virtual QA/QC meetings Improving communication to identify potential issues before they happen Back checks of materials used Change order verification Solving facilities problems down the road Quickly and easily verifying if a problem is a systemic or isolated issue, without doing destructive verification It also allows architects, engineers, consultants, vendors, etc. to monitor building progress 24×7. These firms typically charge for each site visit. Our inspection-grade progress photographs allow

them to virtually walk the job without the owner having to pay for it. Our methodology captures all stages of construction progress, from groundbreaking through to project completion, via digital photo, video and webcam documentation. We visually document the on-site progress throughout construction and complete Exact-Built shoots at certain predetermined stages in order to capture precise, highly detailed and accurate representations of the project at each particular stage. Interior Construction Progress Photography Interior construction progress photos track the interior improvements from when interior work begins (typically, at the commencement of stud-

work) to completion. Interior Progressions broadly track the improvements from logical perspectives. Interior Progressions are designed to provide comprehensive coverage of the various trades coming together over time. Interior progressions are performed, approximately, at monthly intervals and are coordinated with the pace of erection. What you mean by Timelapse photography ? Time-lapse photography is a technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured (the frame rate) is much lower than that used to view the sequence. When played at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus lapsing. For example, an image of a scene may be captured once every sec-

ond, then played back at 30 frames per second. The result is an apparent 30-times speed increase. Time-lapse photography can be considered the opposite of high speed photography or slow motion. How Construction Web Cameras works at site ? Bee global Webcam provides anytime access to live conditions of your worksite, perfect for broad site overviews of current conditions and construction activity. Implementing high-quality, maintenance-free cameras have never been easier. Our variety of web cams can be customized to any project, from single point-of-interest solutions to complete 360-degree perspectives of the entire worksite.

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CONSTRUCTION

SITES

Architecture

A game of facades “We have created a Meccano set that will be a fantastic tool for architects,” says Philippe Starck, the creator of a unique concept in the world’s facade solution. French company Bacacier, which has teamed up with Starck, the internationallyrenowned designer, inventor

and architect, to develop the 3S metal cladding system, launched its facade solution in France less than two years ago and with its success in Europe, it is now expanding to the GCC’s construction market including Qatar. Its key to success lies in making a facade design as simple

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as a game where all pieces can be connected to each other allowing the ultimate customization of the building. Bacacier, a major actor in metallic cladding for buildings in France for 20 years, is the first manufacturer to propose a major alternative for the traditional metallic cladding in industrial and commercial areas. For 50 years, buildings in the industrial and commercial areas have been built with a magma of metal sheets having the same shapes. Everything looked the same. The loss of identity in city suburbs has been too obvious. For an architect, creating a unique building using the available products on the market of metallic cladding becomes an aesthetic and economic challenge. Bacacier has faced this challenge while creating its new solution with Starck, a game where all pieces can be connected to each other, allowing the ultimate customization of the building. The way the industrial buildings have lost their identity is only too evident. Can this be approached differently? According to Starck, it is not just an engineering problem. 2:38 PM “We need to look at every aspect of this,” he says. “We did not want a luxury product or a limited range. We wanted to come up with

a standard with widespread appeal. So doing we have embarked on a long-term industrial adventure. Three years later we are proud to unveil a new approach to metal cladding for buildings,” points out Starck. UNIQUE is the master-word of the concept. “With Bacacier, we imagined an indefinite construction game, a Meccano which will be an amazing tool for architects,” says Starck. Basically, there are new stamped sections. Then a patented fixing system that allows to accessorize the building without re-drill and without losing its integrity and thermal performance. Finally, a set of accessories offer endless finishing possibilities. Aesthetic and practical, the offer of Bacacier By Starck meets the traditional installation techniques and presents the most cost-saving solution to clad a metallic construction and make it unique, giving it a strong identity while being “reversible” without major intervention. “Without any additional drilling and thanks to our exclusive screw, it is possible to develop the facade whilst maintaining the integrity of the building: side rail, screw, cassette, a set of interconnectable elements has been added to the cladding that

becomes its frame,” says Bacacier. Even better, the customized identity of the facade can be easily changed and reversed. As the activity within your building changes, so its facade adapts immediately due to a range of accessories that can be customized. Aesthetically or functionally, they help change the purpose of a building. The solution h is very simple to implement, according to Starck. All parts are designed to be fixed to existing attachment points. The fixtures can be reversed. They are just as

easy to attach as remove and renew. In France, in less than two years after its launch in the market, the 100th building equipped with the Bacacier By Starck solution has just been built. In 20 years, Bacacier has worked its way among the three first manufacturers of industrial and commercial building cladding in France. Today the group is spread over 20 operational sites in France. The Bacacier group is led by an ambitious vision: “Different industrial building”.

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‘Significant opportunities’ in Qatar’s real estate market

A total of 11 new hotels have opened in 2015, adding around 1,400 rooms to the sector

he Qatari real estate market continues to offer “significant opportunities” despite the softening of oil prices, according to a study. The report for the third quarter of this year, prepared by DTZ Qatar, highlights the impact that the government’s revisions of its spending plans has had on the state’s real estate market in the past six months, particularly the commercial and prime residential markets. In the residential sector, the report finds an increase in vacancies in the prime residential market due to recent redundancies in the oil and gas sector. Despite these increases, rents in this sector have remained strong in second and third quarters, notes the report. “This is primarily due to an increase in population. The population of Qatar reached 2.37 million in May 2015, representing an increase of 9.2% since May 2014 due to steady job growth in non-hydrocarbon sectors such as finance, hotels, restaurants, and trade and transport,” the report says. “Declining oil and gas prices have resulted in a review of

the budgets in many government departments and in the oil and gas sector; however, the government has recently confirmed that spending on infrastructural projects will proceed as planned,” Johnny Archer, Associate Director, Consultancy and Research, DTZ, states. “The key concern in the residential sector is rental inflation where new supply of accommodation for the middle income families has struggled to meet the demand of an increasing population,” Archer says. “There has been an increase in vacancies in the prime residential market in recent months; however, with non-hydrocarbon sectors experiencing doubledigit growth, occupancy levels are likely to recover over the next six months.” Archer says the increased vacancies won’t have an effect on rental prices in the short term. However, more incentives and more flexible leasing terms have been introduced to lure tenants to the prime residential units. But he doesn’t rule out the possibility of rents coming down in case of prolonged vacancy. DTZ also sees room in the market for more affordable accom-

modation for middle-income families. “As the economy continues to grow, more of the low income group will come to the country, thus increasing the need for affordable housing,” Archer said. The need for affordable housing has been recognized on the government level, but there have been no announcements of any major upcoming projects yet. Discussing whether the establishment of metro stations will affect rental prices in surrounding areas, Archer says the metro will change the dynamics of these districts and more developments are expected in the peripheral of the city close to metro stations. The commercial sector has witnessed a reduction of new office acquisitions from the public sector. Typically, the public sector accounts for 60% of office leasing in Doha’s West Bay area. Most of the Q2 and Q3 activity has been limited to transactions of less than 250 square meters. There have been no commercial leases in excess of 3,000 square meters agreed in Q3, according to the report. Currently, the West Bay area

has 1.7 million square meters of purpose-built office space. This represents about 40% of the supply. “Whilst the residential market is showing signs of resilience during this period of government review, the commercial sector is likely to be challenging in the near term as landlords look to the private sector to fill the temporary void in government take up,” says Kenneth Corbin, Head of Commercial Agency, DTZ Qatar. “In our opinion, those landlords offering the most flexibility in lease terms will reap the greatest benefits. “Additionally, with an excess of 300,000 square meters of office space expected to be released to the market in the next 12 months in West Bay and Lusail, occupiers will be presented with an opportunity to improve the standard of their existing space and/or improve their current lease terms,” notes Corbin. In the hospitality market, DTZ expects occupancy levels to come under pressure due to the 4,000 new hotel rooms that will be available in the market from 2016. The supply of hotels will in-

crease further in the medium term as preparations for Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 continue. A total of 11 new hotels have opened in 2015, adding around 1,400 rooms to the sector. More than 1.3 million additional square meters of retail space in 12 new shopping malls is currently under development and may be handed over by 2019 according to DTZ Qatar’s report. This translates into a 220% increase on the current supply, which will have a major impact on the retail market. Currently there is a strong demand from retailers and high occupancy levels and there is an increase in rental levels of lease renewals at busier shop-

ping malls. Concluding the report with an optimistic outlook, Edd Brookes, General Manager, DTZ Qatar, states: “Despite the softening of oil prices which were a feature of the market during the last two previous quarters, and of which there has been some growth of late, the Qatari market continues to provide both landlords and occupiers with significant opportunities. “In particular, robust population growth forecasts, together with very positive infrastructure deployment, reinforce our view that Qatar economic growth ambitions remain highly positive despite budget revisions in the public sector.”

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The acoustic performance of facades

An acoustic consultant should advise on the correct mullion treatment, based on site conditions Appearance matters. Either in business or social lives, others form their first opinion about us based on how we present ourselves. It is not much different with buildings too. In their case too, it’s all about the first impression. Apart from professionals who weigh many aspects of a building to form an opinion, architects are well aware that most of the public form theirs based exclusively on the exterior appearance of the building itself. Certain buildings become iconic and remain memorable for years due to their attractive facade design, despite the lack in functionality or poor indoor environment quality. Despite the obvious importance of the facade’s visual appeal, other technical parameters should also be considered and tackled. Building facades design is one of the most challenging tasks any project team has to handle and through this tedious process, its members try to reconcile the architect’s vision and building’s technical functionality. Over the years, facade design has become a niche in the engineering field, with expert teams devotedly studying various properties, like structural integrity, fire resistance, water infiltration, thermal efficiency,

solar protection or even generation of electricity. One of the extremely important parameters of any facade, which is quite often taken for granted, is its acoustic design. Generally, there are two main aspects of facade’s acoustic performance which have to be considered in the design stages. The first one is rather obvious and quite familiar to majority of professionals. That is the isolation of exterior noise which depends on the facade’s composition and thickness/ mass of the used elements, usually a combination of glazing and certain lightweight materials such as aluminium. As a rule of thumb, elements of higher mass yield higher sound insulation. Details pertaining to sound isolation of facade should always be requested from the manufacturer. These should be provided in a form of laboratory test report relevant to considered facade system, with results expressed as Sound Transmission Class (STC) or Sound Reduction Index (Rw). Higher STC and Rw indicate better sound insulation. Most common facade systems, with double glazing, achieve sound insulation levels of 30-40 decibels. The facade system should be selected based on the micro-location of the building and

noise level survey carried out by a acoustic consultant. Thicker and heavier facades should be used in the vicinity of highways, busy intersections, airports, etc. where higher noise levels are expected. Selecting facade systems without knowledge on existing noise levels in the area, can lead to disappointment of the end-user and serious disturbance from outdoor noise sources. Second acoustic parameter, which is generally overseen in Qatar, is the impact of facade to the interior sound insulation, i.e. levels of privacy inside the building itself, especially where curtain wall systems are being used. This might sound odd, facades being considered as elements relevant for outdoor to indoor noise intrusion. However, a majority of complaints in hotels, offices and residential towers are directly linked to low privacy levels due to sound transfer through mullions which are an integral part of virtually any facade system. Being nothing more than a hollow aluminium element, mullion easily leaks sound and significantly deteriorates sound insulation in two areas, which ultimately leads to poor levels of privacy. It is not uncommon that hotel rooms are vacant exactly

for these reasons, with guests leaving in fury just after a day spent in an acoustically unsatisfactory room where conversation can be easily overheard. Moreover, I’ve met a lot of CEOs who simply can’t use their offices and meeting rooms for any confidential meeting, unless adjacent offices are emptied. Mullion, as a hollow aluminium element, has a minimal sound insulating power compared to the partition, despite the quality of partition installed. Very good partitioning systems with sound insulating power even up to 60 dB can easily fall to 40 dB due to the existence of a mullion. Clients get rather disappointed

investing in expensive high quality partitions which, ultimately, don’t perform as expected due to sound leakage through the mullions. To successfully avoid these issues, sound insulation of the mullion has to be increased and closely match that of the main partition. This can be achieved in several ways, such as filling the mullions with sand, cladding them with metal plates, adding additional layers of gypsum boards to them, applying mass-loaded vinyl barriers, etc. An acoustic consultant should advise on the correct mullion treatment, based on site conditions. Throughout this process, co-ordination with other

disciplines is crucial as other properties of the facade, such as fire and thermal resistance should not be compromised. Moreover, interior designers will have the final word as acoustically-treated mullion should be in line with design intents for the entire space and should be integrated into the surrounding elements. In any case, an acoustic consultant should be engaged whenever facade systems are being designed and selected. With valuable inputs pertaining to facade sound-insulating properties, significant retro-fit costs can be avoided in the early design stages and satisfaction of the end-user achieved.

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Doha exhibition and convention center opens its doors to global business

Doha’s newest events space combines commerce and culture in the city center and hosted its first event on November 2nd

he Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) opens its doors on 2nd November. Before it opened to the public the media were treated to an exclusive preview of the world-class exhibition and conference facility. The 47,700m² site includes a state-of-the-art exhibition hall, modular wall system, high-tech meeting and conference rooms, an exquisite VIP hosting suite and a vast underground parking system. With the ongoing growth of the events industry in the region, DECC is the first purpose-built city-center venue of its kind in Qatar and is set to welcome new global events to the region. Located in West Bay, the epicenter of Qatar’s commercial district, the venue boasts five exhibition halls ranging between 5368m² to

7160m² with the capability to use the space in its entirety as one exhibition hall totaling 29,000m², thanks to a unique wall partition system. The impressive 18-meter high ceiling is the highest in the Middle East and is supported by a revolutionary cantilever roof meaning the whole space is pillar-free making it more versatile than many other standard exhibition halls. The venue is overseen by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and managed by a joint venture between Fira Barcelona International and ELAN Group - and is set to host a number of hugely popular events including Energy World Qatar, the Qatar Motor Show and Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition. According to Hamad Al Abdan, Director of Exhibitions at QTA, Qatar has witnessed a substantial

increase in activity in the business meeting and exhibition sector, averaging 150 events a year, with exhibitions experiencing an average of 35 percent growth each year for the past three years. “The opening of DECC is sure to act as a catalyst to the development of the business events sector, which we estimate attracts 70% of Qatar’s visitors. The addition of this valuable and unique venue is expected to solidify Qatar’s position in the GCC events market - estimated to be worth $1.3billion. “Our strategy to increase visitors to Qatar by 20% in the next five years places a strong emphasis on business events as a key driver towards achieving this goal. The welcome addition of DECC to Qatar’s venue portfolio will significantly contribute to Qatar’s status as a globally competitive destination for business events.” Mr. Al Abdan said. The Doha Exhibition and Convention Center has a unique natural lighting system with over 330 ‘sun wells’ flooding the exhibition hall during the day. By night, the wells are uplit with environmentally friendly LED lighting available in a vari-

ety of colors. Interior walls are given interest and texture with a mix of stunning oak-paneling, ornamental steel gauze and polished natural stone. Commenting on the unique features of the venue, Mr. Hamad Ali Abdulmalik, Executive Director – Building Projects in Lusail said; “DECC is a valuable addition to the urban landscape in Doha. Through its state of the art facilities, the venue will host international events, contributing to the growing status of Qatar as a destination” DECC is situated just a few minutes away from the popular Corniche waterfront and many of Qatar’s finest hotels and tourist attractions. It contains a spacious glass-sided concourse, cafes, prayer rooms, a loading zone, storage, and a climate controlled car park in the basement able to accommodate up to 2815 cars and 200 spaces for taxis to collect visitors from inside the venue itself. Mr. Ricard Zapatero, General Manager of Fira Barcelona International commented; “With such a versatile and unique offering - thanks to its considered design, central location and modern technology - DECC can

Numbers for DECC

cater for a wide range of clients and industries making it the perfect blank canvas for existing and new clients.” As of 2015, Qatar’s calendar of events includes 50 annual

exhibitions, bringing visitors the latest in everything from medicine and education to real estate and handicrafts. DECC is expected to host its first event in November 2015.

• The full exhibition hall is large enough to park 1160 double decker London buses in OR to fit seven jumbo jets. • At 18-meters the ceiling of DECC is taller than 4 double decker buses stacked on top of one another.

• The pillar-less interior is thanks to a unique flat roof with 36-meter cantilevers on either side of the building, each wide enough to play tennis on.

of DECC weighs more than Land Cruisers.

4000

9500 camels.

• DECC’s 330 ‘sun wells’ that flood the exhibition halls with natural light make the

• DECC’s full exhibition hall is long enough to park 60 Land Cruisers end to end. • The steel used in the construction

• The steel structure of DECC weighs more than the Eiffel Tower OR

• DECC required enough concrete to fill

62 Olympic sized swimming pools

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CONSTRUCTION

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ASC introduces LUKOIL lubricants to the market

Arabian Supply Center (ASC), exclusive distributors of LUKOIL Lubricants in the State of Qatar, held their first customer seminar on 18th November, at Oryx Rotana hotel in Doha. The event was attended by large number of B2B and B2C customers from all across Qatar. ASC is fast emerging as one of the leading suppliers of construction and industrial equipment, spare parts, tyres, batteries and lubricants in Qatar. In the 8 years since its establishment, ASC has risen to a position of market dominance and has doubled its business every year for the past four years.

LUKOIL is the world’s No. 2 lubricants company based in Russia, and is one of the newest players to enter the GCC region. With a strong focus on its distribution network, LUKOIL has chosen the leading businesses in Qatar, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, as their distributors. ASC was represented by Mr. Hisham Hadid (ASC Chief Executive Officer), supported by Mr. Praveen Hubli (Divisional Manager) and Mr. Nidal Elayan (Head of Sales-Lubricants). Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Hadid stated that ASC is making major investments in infra-

structure, manpower and in acquiring world class brands to meet the growing demands of the Qatari market. ASC is also focusing on strengthening their after-sales support and in order to become the benchmark in the Qatari market. LUKOIL was represented by Mr. Joginder Singh Dahiya, Sales Director (Automotive & Industrial Lubricants) for the region, and Mr. Asif. P.T. (Regional Sales Manager). LUKOIL produces ab assortment of lubricants in automotive, industrial and marine segments. LUKOIL entry into the Qatari market was recently highlighted at Project Qatar last May. The event provided the opportunity to showcase a wide range of LUKOIL products and services at the heart of Qatar’s booming construction market and seize networking opportunities with major players across the entire Levant and Gulf regions. Press Release for Luk Seminar held on 18th November 2015 Arabian supply center (ASC)

was established in 2008, to mainly cater to the needs of quality spare parts, accessories and allied products for its group companies. ASC made a humble beginning by supplying top quality spare parts for European trucks and trailers. Shortly after that, exclusive distributor rights were obtained for batteries and tyres. Starting 2012, ASC forayed into exclusive dealership to distribute AKSA generators in Qatar. This was followed by sandvik rock breakers (Rammer and Bretec brands) in 2013 and in 2014, our flagship product Hitachi construction equipments were added to the ever growing ASC portfolio. This success story has continued in 2015, as ASC is appointed as sole distributor of LUK lubricants for Qatar. ASC has built its reputation on sound principles of quality products at the right prices with great customer service. Our team of experts has an extensive experience in this filed and are geared up to meet demanding needs of our custom-

ers. With continued investment in people, processes and resources, ASC is well positioned as one of the leading suppliers of Construction, Industrial and transport equipments, spare parts and allied products in Qatari market and surrounding region. ASC offers following products & services; Construction Equipments: • Hitachi excavators, Mini excavators, Wheel loaders & crawler cranes from Japan. • Rammer and Bretec branded rock breakers from Finland. Industrial Equipments: • AKSA Generators from Turkey • BBA & AFEC pumps from The Netherlands. • Lux tower lights from Italy. Genuine Spare parts & Quality Service: • Genuine parts for all above products

•

Quality service and aftersales support for all above products Tire, Battery and Lubricants: • Goodyear tyres for OTR applications from Europe • SAVA tyres for trucks and bus applications from Europe • Transtone tyres for trucks, buses, OTR, industrial applications from China. • Mutlu high performance and maintenance free batteries for all automotive and equipment applications, from Turkey • Luk lubricants for automotive and industrial applications, from Russia. Quality Aftermarket Parts: • Complete range of European truck parts for Mercedes Benz, MAN, Volvo, Scania, etc. • Undercarriage and ground engaging tools (GET) for construction equipments.

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Qatar BIM User Days – making an impact

HOCHTIEF ViCon, Qatar University and Teesside University take the initiative to facilitate innovative methods in the Middle East construction industry The Qatar BIM User Day, organized by HOCHTIEF ViCon Qatar in cooperation with the Qatar University’s College of Engineering and Teesside University (UK), is a user-directed event whose latest session was very well attended. It is described by participants as “an essential inside guide to BIM and how it works in the entire project” and an “open forum for industry to exchange information”. It has become an event that is much awaited on the BIM calendar. The focus of the Qatar BIM User Days include the four major components of Building

Information Modeling: process, technology, people and policy. This year during its fifth edition, 15 speakers presented local and international expertise in the four core areas of BIM under the theme “BIM Implementation and Management”. The event opened with the presentation of a student at Qatar University, Nura Al Neama who spoke about her journey to BIM. “I am just a learner and after I came here I understood how BIM works,” Nura said, calling it “an awesome concept”. During the seminar, a key challenge that had been indentified was that projects that used the BIM method were not costed

properly and because the process was not well understood, the project cost was underestimated. Senior BIM Project Manager Gunnar Godawa identified it as a “knowledge problem...” He emphasized that training was paramount for those working with BIM. In addition to that, he stressed that implementation was often very difficult as people did not understand what you did. “Training is of utmost importance, not only for managers but also for all the people on the ground; they need to understand what has to be done,” he said.

In an interview on the sidelines of the seminar, Construction Sites spoke to Godawa about the changing attitudes of clients towards BIM. He was confident that attitudes towards BIM had changed and it was becoming more of a requirement from clients. We asked him: Besides being a requirement, do they actually see its benefits? “At this stage we have to see how we can work together. Nothing is very sure but it is a big step towards the industrialization of the construction industry,” he answered. “There are so many legs in the project preparation of a construction project and there, BIM review really helps,” said Godawa. “A sentiment echoed across the design and planning sector is that the one industry that fails to keep pace with modernization is construction. It’s also the industry with the most individual works. “Every time your stakeholders change, every time you have an individual project, so you cannot standardize like in the car industry or any other industry, therefore they have it a little more different,” he said in defense of the slow technology adoption in the sector. Going to market earlier?

“Anything which takes the project to market earlier, helps in its execution,” explained Godawa. This was earlier emphasized by Siraj Rehman in his presentation to the audience on the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy’s approach to BIM collaboration.

One of the most convincing arguments for BIM was put forward by Mohamed Mohsen Abdelhamid, BIM Manager at the Engineering Consultants Group, in answer to a question on the difficulty of integrated planning: “If it’s impossible to plan then it’s impossible to do.”

CONSTRUCTION

Technology

District cooling experts urge stronger links between industry and research

xperts at the seventh annual Middle East District Cooling Summit in Doha called for stronger links between the district cooling industry and the scientific community. This, they said, would facilitate the development of new ways of designing and adopting more sustainable and environment-friendly systems, including finding practical solutions to some technical problems being faced by the industry. The district cooling industry is under the threat of stagnation with the high cost of the technology is now being passed on and shouldered mainly by the end-user. Accordingly, industry experts attending the summit urged the adoption of ideas and solutions proposed by some researchers regarding the efficient use of water and energy in district cooling. These include end to the use of drinking water in district cooling because technology for the use of treated sewage effluent (TSE) is available now. Among the recommendations drafted by industry experts at the summit are: • C onnection of natural gas to central-cooling

•

lines through the development of distribution network stations; E nable and encourage tri-generation of electricity, heat and cooling as the technology saves up to 75% of primary energy and natural gas. Such technology helps reduce CO² emissions in almost the same proportion; P romote the use of clean and renewable energy for power generation in district cooling systems such as planting Trifolia trees that produce biodiesel for use in the process of the tri-generation; Urge district cooling companies to invest at least 20% of its consumption of electricity in solar energy. With the cost of generating electricity through the use of solar power becoming cheaper than traditional methods, this can be realized through the creation of solar fields away from residential areas; I mprove the quality and quantity of the provision of TSE in order to use it more effectively in cooling stations; Urge government to clas-

sify buildings that use mostly clean energy for cooling and refrigeration and encourage them to continue using this approach; also classify buildings which use less non-renewable energy; • C reate a more flexible legal framework to help development of the industry and protects all parties, including enduser; and • Encourage better coordination between the authorities concerned to find a practical framework for the implementation of the infrastructure, including the areas of district cooling. District cooling is indeed the way ahead in meeting the steadily-increasing requirements for cooling in a region characterized by fastrising urban centers under extremely hot temperatures, especially during summer, according to Deep Banerjee, Senior Conference Producer at Fleming Gulf. “While the implementation of district cooling systems is increasing, some challenges also need to be addressed. These include making such systems even more efficient in terms of energy and water

use,” he said. During the second and last day of the summit, in-depth discussions and presentations on energy efficiency and environmental benefits of district cooling systems were conducted. These included a presentation from the Qatar Green Building Council on Green Solutions for District Cooling; Water Conservation in District Cooling Plants by Vivek Apte, Regional Project Director of Johnson Controls Middle East; an exclusive

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SITES

up district cooling panel on “Smart power generation & energy efficiency”. There were also presentations from Roberto Bertelli, Sales Director of AB Italy on Modular Tri-generation for district cooling and from Dr Abdel Hakim Hassabou, Research Scientist, Solar Energy at the Qatar Energy & Energy Research Institute (QEERI), on “Geothermal Principles for District Cooling – Updates and Future Considerations”.

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Review

A year of achievements for Qatar’s construction sector

Many of the major infrastructure projects are going full steam ahead

The construction sector in Qatar has been characterized by a growing maturity and stabilization this year. Many of the major infrastructure projects are going full steam ahead and the sign of the progress is easily visible as one drives through Qatar, from the metro stations that are being built in Doha to public amenities in Al Khor and the amazing Lusail City and its surrounding areas. The Qatar Construction Specification (QCS) standards took effect three months after they were published in the official gazette in February this year. An online portal dedicated to them was launched in November. The year saw HochtiefVicon hosting its fifth BIM User Day at Qatar University with scores of professionals in attendance. In the wake of the dramatic drop in the oil prices, both HH the Emir and HE the Prime Minister have urged the private sector to take a more proactive role in the economy. Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani has reaffirmed that Emir HH Sheikh Tamim Bin

Hamad Al Thani has extended his full support to the government’s development policies which enhance national investments and the empowerment of Qatari youth to take the country’s potential private sector to the next level. With the growth forecasts predicted to be slower in the GCC, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, in the meanwhile, has stressed the need for Gulf countries to put prudent financial policies in place in addition to reducing current expenditure and any planned escalation. She has felt that public spending in mega projects is not advisable, according to a section of the local news. If Qatar adopts her recommendations, we will probably see more investment in downstream manufacturing sectors as increased attention will be paid to service sectors like real estate and tourism. The construction sector has long been in the background. But in recent interviews with senior officials of formwork companies, it has been discovered that most of their new work is not in the hydrocarbon sector but increasingly in the construction field.

The benefits of BIM

Phillip Bernstein, Vice President of Industry Strategy and Relations at Autodesk, who is a renowned BIM champion advises: “GCC now has a huge opportunity, but avoid the mistakes that we have made with construction in the Western world. We miss our schedules. We go over budget. We put too much carbon into the atmosphere. You have incredible opportunity in Qatar, by using real modern technologies to build a truly modern construction industry.”

November 2012

A leading formwork contractor in the hydrocarbon sector says that they now have more contracts in the building sector as the oil and gas boom slows down. Qatar Rail rolls on In a recent town hall style meeting, that is becoming a signature format for the Qatar Railways Company, its CEO highlighted the achievements of the last 12 months and looked forward to the milestones to be delivered next year. On the Doha Metro, 61km of tunnels have been completed and 37 stations are under construction. The project has more than 27,000 workforce on site. Tunneling for the Lusail light rail system is 100% completed. Among next year’s more notable milestones will be the completion of all the tunneling on the metro, with overall project completion hitting 50%. Full-scale mock ups of the new Doha Metro train and Lusail Tram are scheduled to arrive in Doha soon. Building on the milestones for 2015, the ambitious goals set for 2016 will focus on Qatar Rail’s continuous, timely and

cost-effective project completion and advancement. Reaffirming its commitment to HH the Emir’s recent directives on planning, co-ordination and cost efficiency, resource optimization, accountability and standardization, Qatar Rail has begun implementing a comprehensive 2016 strategic business planning process and balanced scorecard performance reporting system to maximize program management efficiency and corporate performance.

April 2013

December 2014

Open Day focus in BIM application

BIM builds bridges in Doha with New networking group

BIM is a powerful, modern and efficient way of design, construction and management of buildings and infrastructure development

Doha BIm Users start online networking group for those involved in Building Information Modelling (BIM)

Under this process, it has commissioned a “Business Efficiency Review” to evaluate its business plan, performance and delivery model, ensuring optimal “value for money” in its delivery timely, quality and cost effective program of work. In the short term, the Doha Metro is forecast to surpass a 50% completion rate over the next year, with all tunneling completed and all MEP contracts awarded during the same period. Similarly, contracts the Doha Metro and

July 2013

Lusail Light Rail Transit Operator and Facility Management are expected to be awarded next year. A full-scale rolling stock mockup for the Doha Metro and LRT will also be revealed. On a strategic level, the development of a long-term business model that will identify and map out key revenue streams for Qatar Rail is underway. Construction technology Of all the multibillion dollar industries, construction arguably spends the least money and time on research and

July 2013

Why now is the time for BIM Using Technology to turn a Profit

BIM is not a panaceum

im to t i

“BIM is one of the most promising developments that allows the creation of one or more accurate virtual digitallyconstructed models of a building to support design, construction, fabrication, and procurement activities through which the building is realized” (Chuck Eastman)

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Review development. With the rise of BIM, this is set to change. HochtiefVicon hosted a BIM User Day that probably had more attendees than the four previous ones added together! Alan Muse, Global Director of Built Environment Professional Groups RICS was part of the Qatar BIM User Day to discuss international standards, decision-making and BIM. The global construction market is expected to grow at a faster pace world GDP over the next decade. Most of this growth is expected in the Middle East, with markets such as Qatar growing at an accelerated pace. In order to capitalize on this growth, construction projects in the region must be delivered on time and to budget. Muse believes improvement in the industry is likely to come in many ways but the most promising of those is new technologies such as BIM. RICS has played a key role in developing International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS) to measure floor space in buildings, with the Dubai government being the first in the world to sign up to the new standard. Developing professional standards such as these allows a clear and consistent measurement tool which will enforce greater transparency both in the region and worldwide. “The complementary nature and practical application of IPMS and BIM technology rep-

Bim Adoption by firms surges

A rigorous BIM process implementation has the potential to deliver tremendous benefits to the owner/operators of national infrastructure projects like Qatar Rail, from the design phase, through construction, commissioning and ingoing operations,” says Callagan Carpenter, Vice President, Global Services, Autodesk. Qatar’s adoption of BIM demonstrates its commitment to the very best technology when it comes to implementing Qatar National Vision 2030,” he adds.

July 2014

resent the future of the global built environment industry. They provide a transparent and consistent approach for a project from initial architectural designs to facility management years after completion, which in turn will add confidence, and reduce risk in the property market worldwide.” Green building standards Undersecretary Dr Mohamed Saif Al Kuwari has said that the Qatar Construction Specifications 2014 were and continue to be a collaborative effort by the entire sector. His approach is inclusive one where professionals and policy makers weigh in on the key challenges in the sector and write standards to address them. He feels that this is the main reason that the document is so widely accepted even though there are many stakeholders. At the launch of the online portal for QCS 2014, he reassured attendees that research into issues like the use of “wadi gravel” was ongoing. This was in response to questions about the status of its use in concrete. In fact, he said that the specifications for its use might be issued before the QCS 2016 if the results are available. At a recent forum on district cooling systems, advocates called for the standardization of the application of district cooling systems in a more comprehensive manner in order to meet the increasing

demands on cooling in the Middle East. It was pointed out that without the application of district cooling on a large scale, the region would be wasting a lot of energy in conventional cooling operations. District cooling could contribute to improving the quality of life in many countries of the region. The forum stressed the social, economic and environmental advantages of district cooling systems make it one of the most important one to be adopted by cities and new communities that are looking to promote healthy living and sustainable economic development. Legacy projects Al Bayt Stadium - one of Qatar’s most important stadium construction sites are making rapid progress has reached an above grade stage of construction. The main contractor for the Al Khor FIFA 2022 semi-final venue mobilized its onsite operations earlier last month. The design is based on a traditional Qatari tent and is built on a hill, which is reminiscent of how tents were erected by Qataris in times gone by. The construction supervision consultant is KEO International Consultants. Enabling works at Al Wakrah Stadium were scheduled to conclude last month. According to the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the pitch and stadium structure are beginning to take on

shape on the ground. The other stadium which is under renovation is the Khalifa Stadium which is being renovated to increase the seating plan and comply with other FIFA requirements. For one of the leading lighting experts with experience illuminating major stadiums across the world, the project at Khalifa International Stadium will be unique. “We were just recently awarded the contract for state of the art LED pitch lighting for Khalifa International Stadium,” said George Brax of Dutch company Philips. “We have done this for Stamford Bridge Chelsea, PSV Eindhoven, Amsterdam Arena, STVV Arena and some indoor multi-purpose halls (Lusail & Al Sadd Warm up Halls), but Khalifa Stadium is going to be by far the biggest. This is considered as the first World Cup stadium to be equipped with LED lighting, which is the future of lighting”, said Brax. New challenges Against the growth and progress in construction field, contractors working in Qatar are coping with a number of challenges in order to accomplish the project on time and within budget. Among the challenges of 2015 are such specific issues as quality/shortage of building material, labor shortages, stricter financing conditions and delayed payment, rising competition which forces the need to significant improvements and adoption of new

working tools as BIM. This year’s Qatar Contractor’s Forum and Awards 2015 brought together leading industry professionals to discuss the challenges and share innovative solutions and suggest the strategies to overcome the challenges which could be an obstacle to timely delivery of major construction projects in Qatar. ASTAD CEO Ali Al Khalifa said: “The standard of contracts within the construction industry needs to be improved. They are the key causes of delays, disputes and ultimately, higher and unforeseen costs. “At a time when the progression of the nation’s infrastructure is a priority, we must make a concerted effort to ensure that all construction-related contracts are effective and agreeable to all parties”. Another major challenge highlighted by Sheikh Al Souk, Deputy General Manager, Construction Development Contracting and Trading Qatar, is the difficulty in obtaining financial support from Qatari banks due to ever more restrictive regulations imposed by the central finance authorities, a problem that has knock-on effects for the industry at large. “It is extremely difficult to obtain banking services from local banks because they have raised their requirements. This directly affects the progress of work because lack of banking facilities negatively impacts on your cash flow,

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meaning that you are less able to maintain the momentum of your projects’ through timely payments, material sourcing, etc,” says Sheikh Al Souk. The year 2015 became a year of BIM adoption among contractors and subcontractors. Industry professionals now realize the benefits of BIM and believe that that contractors and sub-contractors should start embracing BIM though investing into the development of BIM expertise to avoid losses at the earlier stages of BIM implementation. Mark Rudman, former regional director, Faithful & Gould, believes that tools such as BIM need to be properly integrated into the design process at the earliest opportunity in order to secure the best results but he also believes that this kind of expertise remains rare. “Technical expertise in the BIM market is limited, BIM can only be properly implemented if engaged at the onset of design and this is still a rare option,” he notes. Clients still find it hard to realize the benefits of investment in BIM as it is most efficiently utilized from design, construction and asset management. We are developing our BIM expertise and are now using it on several projects that we hope will generate interest in the market. On a larger scale, we are seeing a trend emerge as government entities are now mandating BIM.”

December 2014

January 2015

April 2015

May 2015

November 2015

Qatar is making steady progress in BIM adoption

Key role for manufacturers and suppliers in BIM

Don’t stop at BIM and start focusing on data.

10 reasons why you should be practicing BIM in Qatar

A record number of 263 delegates attended the 5th Qatar BIM User Day held at Qatar University organsied by ViCon in conjunction with Qatar University

Qatar’s construction sector is set to continue its race to become one of the foremost innovators of the modern age. With Qatar’s ambitious plans and tight deadlines, Bim comes as an efficient solution for optimized planning and execution of construction projects.

BIM opens up a huge opportunity for the product inclusion within the projects. It allows product suppliers and manufacturers to supply detailed “virtual products” to architects, engineers and specifiers as easily as they traditionally provided data or 2D CAD details with all the consequent benefits of relationship building and product loyality in specification.

“BIM is only the first step to shift towards data models in our industry,” says Roberto Molinos, founder and managing director of Modelical. And that better, more conscious systems for collaboration and communication must follow and their adoption is just a matter of leadership. Why? Because the technology is a reality and it is here to stay.

Major government organizations have established BIM standards for ongoing and future projects to be followed by all involved stakeholders and all project partners. Among them are Ashghal, Qatar Rail, Q22, Qatari Diar, Qatar Foundation.

July 2013

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Qatar

Workshop seeks to develop joint strategies on treated sewage water

Ashghal has set design standards for treated water produced from main treatment plants

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has held a workshop on the “Successful Experiences in Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in the GCC”. The workshop, aimed at developing joint strategies in the GCC on treated sewage water, was co-organized by Ashghal together with the GCC General Secretariat and Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa). Ashghal President Nasser bin Ali Al Mawlawi, in his opening speech, stressed that the Public Works Authority, since its start in 2004, had managed the design, construction and operation processes of wastewater treatment plants not only to achieve environmental protection goals but also to increase the country’s water resources. “Ashghal has set design standards for treated water produced from main treatment plants,” he said. “The standards include multiple processing stages to reach advanced tertiary treatment levels by means of microfiltration membrane technologies which have higher efficiency than sand filters,” he pointed out. “These have been implemented in various plants, namely the West Doha plant (Al Sailiya), the South Doha plant,

the Industrial Area plant and the Doha North new treatment plant. This technology is also being implemented at Al Thakira’s treatment plant to produce high-quality treated wastewater for use in nonrestricted irrigation.” For the past 10 years, Ashghal’s production of highquality treated sewage water has increased from 55 million cubic meters in 2005 to 103 million cubic meters in 2010. In 2014, the production of treated wastewater reached approximately 169 million cubic meters. “In addition to the use of treated wastewater in restricted and non-restricted irrigation and green spaces, the country is moving to ex-

pand its use for cooling and construction purposes,” Al Mawlawi said Khaled Mohammad Al Emadi, Manager of Quality and Safety Department at Ashghal, and Head of the GCC’s Treated Wastewater Team, said the workshop came in line with the increasing need for the beneficial reuse of treated wastewater and the role it played in environment conservation, expanding green spaces and food security. Al Emadi said that a number of countries were increasing their reuse of treated wastewater to achieve sustainability and to preserve national and environmental resources for future generations. “The objectives of the GCC’s treated wastewater team is to exchange expertise on techniques, raise the community’s cultural awareness, apply sustainability according to international standards, adopt the most economic ways of treatment and implement the use of alternative energy in operating treatment plants,” he added. During the workshop, the Quality and Safety Management Department of the Public Works Authority was honored for receiving the ISO9001 certificate for Quality Management System, ISO14001 certificate for Environmental Management System and OHSAS18001 for Occupational Health and Safety Management System. The certificates were awarded by Applus Velosi Quality Management International LLC (VQMI), a leading company for management systems certification. Several workpapers were pre-

sented about the Tanker Law (Kuwait), the master plan for integrated drainage system in Qatar and balancing between desalinated water projects and treated sewage water ones. The quality of treated sewage water and various mechanisms that impact directly on it were discussed in a number of workpapers. The role of laboratories in the quality of treated sewage water, the importance of data collection, Ashghal’s regulations to monitor laboratories and the operational experience with the new upgrade of activated sludge were also reviewed by the papers. The issue of treated wastewater marketing was addressed by a number of workpapers which looked at the uses of treated sewage water in the central cooling system, Kuwait’s experience in using it for agriculture, experiences in treated wastewater re-use technologies and building special operational models, advanced wastewater treatment as well as a pilot study on treated water quality standards for irrigation and salinity management in Qatar and the re-use of treated wastewater in the facilities of Aspire Zone. During the workshop’s closing session, a survey on treated wastewater was distributed with the aim to engage the largest number of specialists from the GCC countries and have their opinions and comments. The survey also aimed at adopting some important points to be added to the final recommendations of the workshop. Ashghal is implementing a

number of major projects for the construction of sewage water treatment plants, which are expected to increase their capacity from 183 million cubic meters now to reach 366 million cubic meters over the next five years. The projects include the sewage treatment plant project in

Al Thakhira, the fifth package of the expansion works for Doha West Sewage Treatment Plant project, the Doha North Sewage Treatment Plant project and the second package of the expansion works for Industrial Area Sewage Treatment Plant project. These are in addition to a major sewage treatment plant in southern Doha, which will have an operational capacity of 500,000 cubic meters per day and which will be constructed as part of the Inner Doha Re-sewerage Implementation Strategy (IDRIS). Ashghal is also working in coordination with the Standing Committee of Water Resources to prepare and process the adoption of treated wastewater as a primary resource for cooling projects while keeping the desalinated water as a secondary resource to be used in emergencies and in cases where treated wastewater is not available.

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Qatar

QATAR FOUNDATION’S EDUCATION CITY: THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LEARNING

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Campus offers endless opportunities for the advancement of knowledge and research

Doha, Qatar, 29 November 2015: Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) recently hosted a two-day architecture conference, titled ‘Learning from Education City’. The event, which took place Hamad bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU’s) Student Center, was designed to address the inspiration and creativity behind its flagship development. Education City is a tangible demonstration of QF’s dedication to unlocking human potential. The campus aims to foster an environment conducive to learning and inspiring innovation, and, through it, QF is helping to transform Qatar into a knowledgebased economy, as per the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV2030). The event brought together a number of internationally renowned thinkers and architects to examine Education City’s architecture and showcase some of its state-of-theart projects. It also served as a platform to discuss and debate the development. Ameena Ahmadi is the Technical Director at Qatar Foundation Capital Projects Direc-

torate, and was a moderator for the conference. Ameena explained the overarching concept of the campus, saying: “When designing a building for Education City, architects are not working on a common building; we aim to deliver the highest quality to students. We believe that an educational environment is not your everyday space, it has to be something special that offers imaginative opportunities for learning.” Ameena believes adaptability is an essential element in designing educational spaces, “We like to think of educational spaces as places for informal learning. Learning does not just happen in the classroom. We take into consideration the spaces that surround the classroom.” Fatma Al-Sahlawi, a Qatari Architect who attended the conference, also discussed some of the unique concepts of the campus. “Education City is an architectural model, one that students can learn from,” Fatma explained. “The buildings are designed to limit heat and sunshine, which is a climate-friendly and sustainable approach. They depend on courtyards and openings

for cross ventilation. This is rare to find in the region.” According to Al-Sahlawi, architecture stimulates learning when the space is specifically designed to encourage contemplation, creative thinking, and concentration through the amount of natural light provided and the visual layout of the structure. “It is important for meeting spaces to motivate cross collaboration between students, it allows for a healthy environment

where students are not just obliged to go to class, but will also enjoy spending the day at school, in a well-designed library or outside courtyard for example.” The conference also brought together some of the architects who worked on the structures within Education City. Ali Mangera, designer of the award-winning Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS), discussed his work and his use of ‘knowledge

and light’, while Kelly Hutzell, Associate Teaching Professor in the School of Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMUQ), gave a talk titled ‘Setting the Scene’, where she described Education City as a “Mecca of Architecture.” The conference also featured a comprehensive tour of the Education City facilities. Attendees were given the opportunity to explore a number of the structures, like North-

A selection of guest speakers during a panel at Qatar Foundation’s inaugural ‘Learning from Education City’ conference.

western University in Qatar, Qatar National Library, and Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, as well as speak to some of the architects involved in the projects. QF partnered with Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation to organise the conference, which was also offered as learning credits to students of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Middle East Chapter.

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Qatar

Jaidah Heavy Equipment unveils exclusive dealership with Everdigm Jaidah Heavy Equipment division, a subsidiary of the longestablished and influential conglomerate Jaidah Group, has announced an exclusive

dealership agreement with construction equipment manufacturer Everdigm. Under the agreement, Jaidah Group is the sole dealer of

Everdigm machines in Qatar, reinforcing Jaidah Group’s position as one of the most trusted providers of construction equipment and industrial products in Qatar. A launch event at Regency Halls, announcing the new dealership, was attended by Ayman Ahmed, Managing Director of Jaidah Equipment; Patrick Cheong, Managing Director/Overseas Business Div of Everdigm; and Paul Go, General Manager, Overseas Business Concrete Pumps. Speaking at the launch event, Ahmed said: “Jaidah Group has a history of long-standing relationships with major international manufacturers,

making us perfectly suited for to satisfying the high demand for equipment related to Qatar’s construction boom driven by Qatar National Vision 2030. “Our dealership agreement with Everdigm will reap rich returns for both parties and enhance our efforts to facilitate further growth in Qatar’s construction industry”. During the past 21 years, Everdigm has been a name synonymous with urban development, a goal that Jaidah Group also shares through a combination of providing high-quality products with excellent customer service. Cheong said that Jaidah had emerged as Qatar’s leading provider of construction equipment and industrial products, making the group a perfect fit for Everdigm. “We are delighted with this new dealership, and we are looking forward to having a positive impact on the Qatar’s growth by delivering our high quality products,” he said. The dealership agreement, which both companies dub a “long-term strategic partnership”, leverages the complementary strengths of both companies to provide high quality concrete pumps in Qatar.

Ahmed said: “At Jaidah Heavy Equipment, we see hard work and determination as key factors for achieving excellence. Our division offers complete post-sales solutions for our customers’ convenience, including field service, aftersales maintenance contracts and an excellent availability of parts.” Jaidah Heavy Equipment division prides itself on providing up-to-date products, parts and services for transportation, power generation and construction industries. Its renowned product range includes heavy machinery and forklifts from Komatsu, cranes from Link-belt, UD Trucks, Palfinger cranes, Al-

tec cranes, compressed air and lightning solutions from DossanInfracore (Ingersoll Rand), cleaning solutions from Tennant, Isuzu light and medium trucks, road machines from Sakai, material handling from Still, and recently concrete pumps from Everdigm. About Jaidah Heavy Equipment Established over 30 years ago, Jaidah Heavy Equipment division provides up-to-date products, parts and service solutions, covering transportation, power generation, construction machinery and material handling equipment needs in numerous major projects around Qatar.

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Qatar

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Leading developers in Qatar claim that complex safety solutions reduce risk This year’s Civil Defense Exhibition and Conference held on the 2nd of November has shown that Qatar possesses all necessary solutions to meet disaster reduction goals. Exhibitors revealed the latest technologies to cope with disaster and to assure safety and reduce risk. Local developer United Development Company (UDC) shared their experiences in the field. The company uses a complex approach to assure the safety of its developments and only the latest technology solutions, in the field of safety and disaster management, particularly at the Company’s construction sites in The Pearl-Qatar. “The safety and protection of our residents, our infrastructure, and our community is our priority,” UDC President and CEO Ibrahim Al-Othman said, speaking specifically about The Pearl-Qatar. “As a socially responsible corporate citizen we are delighted to contribute to this important exhibition, which highlights the progress we have already made. The event allows us to network and meet with other individuals and organizations, and to discover new ways, methods and technologies that will improve safety standards for everyone.”

He further added, “We are also in total cooperation with The General Directorate of Civil Defense to ensure that all contractors operating on the Island comply with the set regulations for construction in Qatar, and that they receive fire safety and other necessary clearances.” It is worth mentioning that The Pearl-Qatar facilities and common areas are equipped with the latest firefighting technology, particularly firefighting in water-bound environments like The Pearl-Qatar. Everything from working safely at dangerous heights, the safe use of machinery, wearing the correct personal protective equipment and clothing is strictly mandated and followed. Even the daily temperatures during summer are monitored to ensure workers operate within the legal safety limits. But it’s not just the health and safety of the workers that is important. All health and safety issues relating to the residents are equally catered for through a highly-trained and experienced health and safety team using some of the most sophisticated technology available to guarantee the safety and security of visitors and residents. And it’s not just on land, but

securing the 35-kilometer coastline of The Pearl-Qatar has equal priority. Here, hightech and high-speed boats, state-of-the-art technology and navigation systems combine with the Qatari Coastguard to provide the best response to sea searches, risk operations, and emergency cases. To ensure the upkeep of the Island’s high safety and maintenance standards, The Pearl-Qatar has two Operation Command and Control Centers (OCCC) designed to control and monitor the entire Island and to work closely with the local Civil Defense authorities and The Pearl-Qatar’s fire station, inaugurated in May 2014. Highly advanced subsystems are also in place and are integrated via an advanced telecommunication network. This includes a CCTV System spanning the whole Island with surveillance cameras to maintain the unparalleled security existing in the Island. There is also a Building Management System (BMS) which controls and monitors all the lighting systems, elevators, cooling systems, emergency power systems, central battery systems, and fire alarms. Disaster management requires global participation,

as some disasters are related to global warming and climate change. For the director general of Qatar Civil Defence, Staff Brig Abdullah Muhammed Al Suwaidi disaster reduction is a global concern. He added: “There are global warnings on the risks of climate change and the risks related to this change are increasing, which urges us to find out urgent solutions before it is too late. According to the existing rates, there is an increase in emissions of gases contributing to high temperatures as well as the world is witnessing the effects of climate change, starting from the raise of sea level and the melting of the ice and ending with the strange

Sustainability plays a key role in the process of achieving Qatar National Vision’s (QNV 2030) objectives. Through the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030, Qatar has adopted a comprehensive approach to addressing sustainability in all aspects of the tourism industry, with a special focus on creating a sustainable hospitality sector in the country. In an effort to explore the progress, challenges and opportunities, Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science

and Community Development (QF), recently hosted an event titled “Towards sustainable hotels in Qatar”. QGBC supports QF’s mission to foster a progressive society and seeks to support QNV2030 in creating a vibrant and inclusive sustainability culture in the country. The event highlighted results of a comprehensive Indoor Environmental Quality Case Study conducted by QGBC’s Healthy Building Interest Group in collaboration with the Movenpick Hotel West Bay and a host of other partners.

The study focused on measuring numerous aspects of indoor environmental quality including acoustics, accessibility, furniture and material, housekeeping and indoor air quality. QGBC Director Al Shamari said the event “marks another milestone for QGBC in its journey towards raising awareness and creating a culture of sustainability in the built environment in Qatar”. “The outcome of the Healthy Buildings Interest Group’s collaboration with the Movenpick Hotel is a valuable addition to the existing sustain-

ability literature and research in Qatar,” he said. Ghada Sadek, General Manager of Movenpick Hotel West Bay, said: “We are delighted to bring together key members of Qatar’s hospitality industry to discuss some of the trending sustainability issues in hotels. The study conducted by QGBC’s members presents us with a valued opportunity to find innovative ways to address these issues in a sustainable manner.” Ghada Sadek added: “Movenpick is taking a leadership role in creating a culture of sustainability within the hospitality sector in Qatar. We are open to work with other partners to ensure these issues are dealt with in the future.” Results of the in-depth “QGBC’s Indoor Environmental Quality Case Study for Hotels” will be made available by QGBC for research purposes in the near future. Commenting on the launch of the case study, Iñigo Satrústegui, Head of QGBC’s Healthy Buildings Interest Group and Managing Director of Quality Air Global in Qatar, said: “The case study is a ground-breaking piece of research, which will prove highly useful for indoor air quality and sustain-

weather patterns and therefore, the sustainability is an important part in facing climate change.” Internationally renowned speakers have also shared disaster management techniques for local authorities. Dr. Tricia Wachtendorf, associate director of Disaster Research Centre, University of Delaware, gave a presentation on the key methods and technics of evacuation. The concept of evacuation and its types and stages, elements required for the success of an evacuation plan, the importance of forming a working group for evacuation in institutions and facilities, and responsibilities and decision-making during evacua-

tion in case of disasters have been discussed during the presentation. Dr Wachtendorf stressed the importance of the availability of an instruction manual explaining the methods of evacuation, experiences and expected scenarios, pointing out that there was a relationship between the social sciences and crisis and disaster management. It was observed at the workshop that some countries may seem to be far-removed from risks and disasters, but latent dangers may emerge any time. This calls for due attention to the science of disaster management and preparation of solutions in line with the potential risks.

Experts explore sustainability in Qatar’s hospitality sector

Engineer Meshal Al Shamari, Director of Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), delivering opening remarks at an event focused on sustainability in the hospitality industry.

Ghada Sadek, General Manager of Movenpick West Bay Hotel, briefs the audience about the sustainability initiatives at the Hotel. ability experts in Qatar. We the umbrella of QGBC, the would like to extend our spe- Healthy Buildings Interest cial gratitude to the Moven- Group aims to promote the pick Hotel West Bay for allow- establishment and dissemiing us to use their facilities to nation of best practices in conduct this vital study.” healthy buildings design and Satrústegui added: “In the indoor environmental quality near future, we will use this assessments. case study as a benchmark Consisting of seasonal exto help other hotels, compa- perts from Qatar’s sustainnies and institutions improve ability sector, the healthy indoor environmental quality buildings interest group aims for their buildings. QGBC wel- to ensure that all future buildcomes further collaborations ings in Qatar are both healthy to help improve standards of and green in accordance with indoor environmental quality the objectives outlined in within the built environment QNV 2030. in Qatar through launching For more information about research and case studies.” QGBC, log onto: www.qatargLaunched in 2013 under bc.org.

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Environment

QPM highlights sustainability concepts in rail systems

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Utilizing modern sustainability concepts can dramatically contribute to the de-carbonization of the region and shift resource utilization over the long term Integrated rail transport systems have to be customerdriven solutions in a local and regional context. However, in a modern resource-conscious world, engineering solutions need to consider various aspects of sustainability that can help reduce their long-term operational impact, according to Salah Nezar, Sustainability Director at Qatar Project Manage-

ment (QPM). Nezar was speaking on the sidelines of the Qatar Transport Infrastructure conference held in Doha recently. QPM consults and works closely with leading Qatari infrastructure developers and on-going projects and has significant local capabilities in the rail sector. Nezar said during his presenta-

tion that water and energy conservation, improved indoor environmental quality, as well as fire and life safety, were some of the key sustainability issues QPM considered in infrastructure projects. He said that stakeholders in the region overall that are involved in aspects of procurement, design, construction, and operation of rail systems must

commit to the vision of greater sustainability. This is applicable to many countries in the region where resource availability is limited and at a significant premium. Set against a backdrop of highly energy intensive desalination processes that supply almost all of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usable water and hydrocarbon-intensive power generation, utilizing modern sustainability concepts can dramatically contribute to the decarbonization of the region and shift resource utilization over the long term. Energy efficiency can be achieved in many ways, including the use of day light for public terminals and pathways, while new advances in solar power technology can supplement mainline power sources. Much of this can also be applied to ancillary infrastructure such as maintenance facilities and underground car parks. Tunnel lighting, ventilation and safety systems can also be designed to utilize minimal resources and deliver world-class results. During the construction process, a great deal of energy and water can be saved by just

using sophisticated monitoring systems and optimizing use, such as by recovering water during tunneling and Dewatering processes, with zero tolerance for groundwater and soil contamination during and post construction. By recrafting human thermal comfort contours by increasing air movement within occupied zones and merging them with sustainable cutting-edge technologies, significant reductions in energy consumption can be expected across a rail networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s various operational elements, according to QPM. Today, it is possible to design complex systems using fluid dynamics models to ensure adequate thermal comfort with minimal resource utilization. Another factor to consider is the assessment of climate change vulnerability, which includes factors related to desertification, heat waves and extreme weather phenomena such as sand storms or flash rain storms. This is critical in ensuring the resilience of equipment and apparatus, serving critical rail systems that operate under extreme climatic conditions. Another important point high-

Salah Nezar: Sustainability Director at Qatar Project Management. lighted by Nezar in his presentation was the importance of using a fully integrated approach between various construction packages to avoid costly mistakes, omissions and uncoordinated design. The use of building information modeling (BIM) before embarking in the real world of construction will help in providing optimal co-ordination. In short, Nezar said QPMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach to sustainability is based on intuitive planning to ensure future obstacles can be overcome, while also being able to scale capacity to meet growing needs.

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Qatar

Company with a vision for Qatarization The oil and gas sector remains at the core of Qatar’s economy, even as the state is undergoing rapid change during its transition towards a knowledge-based society. Therefore, for ambitious Qataris seeking to give back to their nation, Qatar Shell provides an ideal platform to do so. Osama Ahmad joined Qatar Shell in 2008 as a project engineer at the Pearl Gas to Liquids (GTL) plant, the world’s largest GTL plant built in partnership with Qatar Petroleum (QP). “I had a great sense of national pride working on the Pearl GTL project because it felt like I was making a big contribution to my country,”

said Ahmad. “In my role as project manager, I became responsible for the pipeline that transported products to the jetty, so in a way I was facilitating the exportation of Qatar’s national treasure to the world, which made me proud.” Seven years on from his initial role at Qatar Shell, Ahmad has returned to Pearl GTL as the reliability manager, supported by a team of six. In this role he is tasked with ensuring that the world’s largest GTL plant is running at optimal capacity. However, this formidable yet tremendous responsibility was only achieved after a remarkable journey within Qatar Shell. Ahmad advanced his career

after having been acknowledged for his performance as project engineer, which saw him rewarded with a second position as an assistant project director. “In this role I gained fantastic insight into what happens on the project director level and what it takes to bring the different pieces of the mega projects puzzle together,” he said. Ahmad then went on to join Qatar Shell’s Accelerated Development Program, which saw him involved in the founding of the Qatar Projects Hub that now delivers small- and Osama Ahmad with his colleagues medium-sized projects worth up to $500 million (QR1.8 bil- tion phase came to an end, “Relocating to Shell’s headI decided to peruse another quarters for four years and lion) for Qatar Shell. “After the Pearl GTL execu- stretch in my career and working on a new project was joined the, back then, new a great experience because Al-Karaana project. This deci- it placed me in a completely sion saw me leave my comfort new living and working envizone and relocate to the Shell ronment, which taught me so headquarters in the Nether- much about myself,” he said. lands,” said Ahmad. “On a professional note it was “There, I joined the pre- a real eye-opener to see how front end engineering design such a massive group such (FEED) activities through as Shell operates and is orgaFEED tendering and FEED nized,” he added. and Engineering Procure- Ahmad was exposed to such ment Construction (EPC) ten- insights after also having dering, in order to develop joined the business developthe full mega project’s cycle ment team at the headquarexperience.” On the then Al ters in the Netherlands. Karaana project, which has With about 300 Qataris within since been halted following a Qatar Shell, all holding technidecision arrived upon by both cal and commercial positions partners QP and Qatar Shell, at all levels of the company, Ahmad was a key player in the Ahmad is but one example of tendering evaluation team. how Qatar Shell seeks to supOsama Ahmad: proud to be a part of Qatar Shell

Tafawoq holds risk management workshop for industry professionals

afawoq has hosted a risk management workshop for decision-makers in Doha “as part of its commitment to develop the competencies of project management professionals to help deliver Qatar’s capital investment projects”. More than 50 project management professionals from 16 major organizations such as Qatar Petroleum, Qatargas, RasGas, Oryx GTL and Qatar Foundation, attended the “Designing and Implementing Risk Management Capabilities – Practical Applications” workshop. The session was delivered by Cyril Salibi, Corporate Risk Director at ASTAD Project Management, a seasoned

risk professional, with more than 25 years of international multi-disciplinary corporate and operational risk experience. Tafawoq’s Director Bader Al Jaidah expressed his pride relating to Tafawoq’s success in attracting and training more than 450 project professionals since its establishment in 2012. “With billions of Qatari riyals being invested in the development of new projects across Qatar, building risk management capability is vital to delivering timely, high-quality complex projects, which is central to Qatar’s rapid infrastructure development,” Al Jaidah said. “We, at Tafawoq, are mindful

of the challenges that Qatar’s project management professionals encounter while managing high-risk investment projects, and our programs and series of workshops aim to address those challenges and brainstorm strategic solutions,” said Al Jaidah. During the interactive seminar, a case study was presented to the participants who then worked in teams to develop risk assessment matrices, to be able to manage and report any risks early on in the project development phase. Many aspects such as strategic, operational, financial, safety and health, legal and compliance risks were addressed. Commenting on the seminar, Salibi said: “Effective risk management holds the key to developing an economy that is operationally sound and able to meet the challenges of building iconic projects that are complex and unique in nature.” He said that as an industry leader, ASTAD operated according to international best practices, especially in risk management. “Our team of global specialists provides world-class portfolio and project risk services

that enable effective decision making and contingency planning,” he said. “We employ a simple but robust approach which includes risk planning, risk identification, assessment, management, and reporting and quantitative risk analysis supporting more informed decisions in relation with the risk return equation. “I am proud to have the opportunity to share our knowledge with Qatar’s project management professionals and provide first-hand conceptual and practical project risk management tools and techniques that will enable them to achieve their project objectives and add value in their business processes. “This will undoubtedly create a stronger risk management culture across projects and organizations in Qatar,” he added. According to Abdulaziz Darwish, Head of Project Engineering at Qatar Petroleum, the workshop provided “a unique opportunity” where individual project management professionals were able to gather with their peers and share their knowledge. ”Risk management is fundamental in my line of business. Risks affect every stage of

planning and implementation, and the principles learnt in today’s workshop will help to build a strong national culture of risk management,” he said. “The workshop, hosted by Tafawoq, facilitated a valuable opportunity for me to meet with my peers to discuss current industry concerns and innovations that will contribute to our professional development, as we continue to work towards the progress and implementation of a risk framework that reflects the high standards depicted in the Qatar National Vision 2030.” Tafawoq, a partnership between Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Shell and Hamad Bin Khalifa University, offers world-class

port the Human Development Pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030 through Qatarization. “I am proud to be a part of Qatar Shell because it is an organization that recognizes talent and nurtures it through a tremendous support network,” said Ahmad. “I would not have developed as smoothly, both personally and professionally, the way I have, had it not been for the guidance and advice of both my various mentors and coaches.” “I am proud to be part of an organization that nurtures Qatari talent and supports its growth, while making real contributions to my country, because at Qatar Shell we impact Qatar together.”

training for project professionals through unique programs to further develop the competencies of the thriving project management community in Qatar. Tafawoq’s curriculum is aligned with the Association for Project Management (APM), the largest professional body in Europe with 500 corporate and 18,500 individual members. APM accredited Tafawoq’s “Essentials of Project Management” course last year and since then 57 project professionals have passed and obtained the (APMA Level-D) certificate. For information about Tafawoq and its programs please visit: www.Tafawoq.com

News

Qatar tops list of global real estate investors

Qatar was ranked among top 10 in terms of outflow into global direct real estate in a new study. Outflows from Qatar and the UAE into global direct real estate stood at $5.24 billion and $4.54 billion, respectively in the first half (H1) of 2015, ranking the Gulf countries in the fifth and seventh positions, according to the latest research from global property adviser CBRE Group. While recent activity was boosted by a few large sovereign wealth fund deals, the investor base is growing and so is their investment strategy towards greater geographic and sector diversification, report said. Despite the low oil prices, Middle Eastern purchasers remain very active, collectively investing $11.5 billion outside their home markets in H1, 2015. Global commercial real estate (CRE) investment reached $407 billion in H1, the strongest first half of a year since 2007, and up 14% year-over-year, the research said. Although rapid growth has been maintained for several years, the rate of growth slowed in H1 and was vastly different at a regional and country level. The Americas experienced a growth of 31% year-over-year, while a strong dollar impacted activity in EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) and Asia Pacific (APAC). “Capital flows into real estate are well supported. Even ignoring rental value growth, real estate offers a ‘spread’ over bond rates of between 200 to 300 bps across global markets and capital will continue to be attracted to the sector,” said Iryna Pylypchuk, director, Global Research, CBRE. “The influx of new sources of capital targeting real estate as part of long-term liabilitymatching allocation strategies is helping to extend the investment cycle. At the same time, this pushes the ‘old capital’ into niche sectors, prompting expansion of the investment universe,” Pylypchuk said. The world’s leading destinations, in terms of global capital flows, is a balanced mix of cities across all main regions - London was the most targeted city by cross-border investors in H1, 2015, followed by New York and Paris. This contrasts with the top destinations for overall investment where the bias is strongly on the US. New York was the leading city overall, followed by London and Los Angeles.

Qatar Charity begins rainwater purification project in Gaza Strip

Qatar Charity (QC) is carrying out a rainwater purification project in the Gaza Strip that will benefit schools and government buildings. The project, which is being carried out a cost of QR6,022,000, is funded through the Gulf Co-operation Council’s Program for the Reconstruction of Gaza Strip in co-operation with Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah. QC is implementing the project in co-operation with Gaza Municipality. The initiative aims to make proper use of rainwater, which will be purified and stored in aquifers, and improve infrastructure by removing rainwater from public spaces and reduce the chances of damage, according to a statement. The project involves the purification of rainwater in 35 government schools in different parts of Gaza, according to Mohamed Abu Haloub, QC office director in Gaza. A system has been put in place to collect rainwater from buildings, schools, playgrounds and squares and use it in water wells located inside schools. Work is also is under way to boost the capacity of Friendship Garden by installing purification systems. The project will help generate job opportunities in addition to reviving the private sector. This is one of the numerous initiatives undertaken by QC for improving infrastructure and reconstruction in Gaza Strip.

QInvest and Pramerica acquire 16 retail properties across Germany

Qatar’s leading investment bank, QInvest, and Pramerica Real Estate Investors have acquired a portfolio of 16 retail properties located across Germany through a newlyformed joint venture. Pramerica Real Estate Investors, headquartered in the United States, is the real estate investment management and advisory business of Prudential Financial, Inc, and operates as Prudential Real Estate Investors in the Americas, Korea and Japan. The acquisition includes 16 multi-tenant retail assets anchored by major grocery and home improvement retail outlets, comprising more than 140,000 square meters across Germany. Key tenants include the largest German retailers. Pramerica will act as the portfolio and asset manager for the properties. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “The acquisition provides investors with access to long-term income returns through strong underlying leases with major German retailers in proven, diversified, regional markets,” said Sebastiano Ferrante, head of Germany for Pramerica. “We are pleased to partner with QInvest to capitalize on the attractive fundamentals of the German economy and the overall retail investment market.” “The transaction provides us with higher yielding exposure with value add upside secured by defensive assets in one of the more robust EU economies,” said Craig Cowie, head of real estate at QInvest. “We intend offering equity to our shareholders and clients as part of our ongoing initiative to offer value add returns to all stakeholders.” With this acquisition, Pramerica continues to execute on its strategy to capitalize on strong performance in the basic needs sector in Europe, including grocery and home improvement-anchored schemes. It now manages more than €700 million of German retail assets on behalf of its investors. QInvest’s real estate unit invests opportunistically in both junior financing and equity for assets in the US, Western Europe and the UK. The areas of focus are sector agnostic and include core, value add and greenfield developments.

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SITES

Turkish real estate leader meets investors in Qatar

Turkey-based Ulak Group Real Estate Conglomeration, one of the biggest companies providing service in the real estate sector, received an excellent response from investors in Qatar during its four-day investment exhibition held in Doha from November 16. Among the participants of the exhibition were Glorest which provides services in Turkey in the fields of real estate project development, procurement and investment management under the motto of “Build, Sell, Manage!”; UPN International which manages the sale of real estate products procured from every corner of Turkey to Gulf countries, Asia and Europe with strong sales channels; and Ulak Group, on a launch and exhibition tour with the company Multikent, which carries out professional works with housing and facility management services. Ulak Group, which has a real estate product portfolio covering İstanbul, South Marmara, Black Sea, Aegean and Mediterranean regions, met its customers, offering them a variety of investment choices in land, finished housing, ongoing projects and commercial real estate products (malls, hotels, touristic facilities, etc). With branches located at five regions in Turkey, Ulak Group has product portfolio and projects in not only in the main cities but also throughout Turkey. Ulak Group, with a number of branches providing services throughout Turkey, presented its projects and investment products located in areas such as İstanbul, Bursa, Tekirdağ, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Yalova, Bolu, İzmir, Çanakkale, Balıkesir, Aydın, Kuşadası, Muğla, Bodrum, Antalya, Trabzon and Ordu at the event held at Sheraton Hotel in Doha from November 16 to19. Ulak Group held face-to-face meetings with investors in Qatar who would like to tap the opportunities in Turkey. The chairman of the Executive Board of Ulak Group says: “Turkey’s real estate sector has become a leading segment like textile and tourism, the pillars of the country.” According to a statement of Deloitte, a US-based assessment company, foreign demand for real estate in Turkey has increased. “This will considerably affect the development of our country in a positive way in the following period,” the chairman says. “Due to this reason we bring housing projects and real estate investment properties in Turkey to Qatar’s investors personally and facilitate their investment in Turkey.” Ulak Group has prepared special packages and benefits for their Qatari and GCC customers that include discounts and free air tickets to Turkey, local media reported in Doha.

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Quality and sustainability key drivers of the GCC concrete sector Concrete is the most widely

used material in the local construction sector. As such it has a crucial role to play in the future success of sustainability of the local construction sector. Concrete industry professionals are aware that the path towards the sustainability of the GCC construction sector lies through sustainable concrete and to stay competitive in the market it is important to adopt sustainability practices. The 6th International Concrete Sustainability Conference (ICSC), Middle East’s leading concrete event is dedicated to exploring concrete sustainability, recent regulatory changes and upcoming trends of the local concrete industry – all that keeps concrete industry professionals abreast and competitive in the demanding GCC construction market. The ICSC was held on 24-25 November 2015 at Al Bustan Rabih Fakih Rotana Hotel in Dubai. Orga- Founder and Managing Director nized by the National Ready of Grey Matters Consultancy Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), a U.S. based trade association and Grey Matters, , the conference is sponsored by 11 companies and had resounding success among local government official, regional industry professionals, international thought leaders and industry experts. The event took place the first time in 2010 in Dubai and has been organized since then on a yearly basis. This year, the Dubai Municipality strategically endorsed the conference with reference to many projects and researchers that have been initiated with NRMCA and Grey Matters. Being a specialized conference designed to provide learning and networking opportunities on the latest advances, technical knowledge, continuing research, tools and solutions for sustainable concrete manufacturing, design and construction, ICSC has also been reputed as a trend setting event. The conference included a panel discussion deliberating local requirements of the Dubai Municipality for Green Concrete (circular 202 issued in January 2014); their implementation, exceptions, alternatives and concerns rising from different parties such as authorities, concrete producers, contractors and consultants. This year’s conference witnessed the first official announcement of the new sustainability initiative by the Dubai Municipality in partnership with NRMCA and Grey Matters: Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). “EPDs allow manufacturers to accurately measure and report their environmental impacts using a scientific methodology called Life Cycle Assessment,” states Lionel Lemay, senior VP with NRMCA. “Using Life Cycle Assessment permits a company to lower the impacts of their products by measuring current impacts and then developing products that have lower impacts through continuous process and product improvements,” added Lemay. Local, regional and international speakers from seven countries shared the latest developments related to sustainable initiatives, design, specifying, manufacturing and construction of concrete. Internationally recognized keynote speakers shared their works which hold tremendous impact on the global concrete industry. Experts presented on the latest developments related to testing, construction, maintenance, and research of concrete as it relates to sustainable development. Keynotes included: Lionel Lemay, NRMCA (USA); Eng. Abdullah Rafia, Dubai Municipality (UAE); Manuel Lascarro, FIHP (Colombia); Wilko van der Meer, Doka Concremote (Netherlands); Dr. Morteza Zohrabi, WSP (Middle East); Sam Rafiki, Al Falah Ready Mix (UAE); Kileigh Shea, Walter P Moore (USA); Kirsten Ritchie, Gensler (USA); Dr. Anna Grichting Solder, Qatar University (Qatar); Stefan van Uffelen, Concrete Sustainability Council (Switzerland); Barry Mellor, Lytag (UK). “We are thrilled to have such a good response from the regional and local concrete industry,” said Rabih Fakih, MD of Grey Matters.. “This year’s conference gathered the international and regional keynote speakers who shared their expertise in all areas of concrete industry. The commitment of Dubai Municipality towards Sustainable Construction should be the drive for all other authorities in the region, We are glad to offer a networking platform for the visionaries whose influence can be seen in projects throughout the world,” added Fakih. The ICSC 2015 had a very positive response from the attendants who are ready to contribute to Sustainable Concrete. The Graffiti Banner on the sidelines of the event that stated:” Being part of the 2015 ICSC, I commit to contribute to Sustainable Concrete.” had witnessed enormous success, covering all the space with the signatures from the local sustainability enthusiasts. All the delegates signed the banner has showed their commitment to sustainability. The conference delegates have also received a very generous dose of positive attitude and humor during the lunch spiced with the Motivational Speaker Carol Talbot and other entertaining activities. The 6th International Concrete Sustainability Conference provides also learning and networking opportunities, where attendees are eligible to receive up to 10 professional development hours (PDH’s). During the conference, the second batch of NRMCA Certified Concrete Professionals Middle East (CCPfME) has also been awarded.

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Specifying durability by performance A preliminary view on the CEN proposals

By www.concrete.org.uk Concrete – December 2014 – Evolving Concrete – 6-7 May 2015 www.evolvingconcrete.org The European committee for the structural design of concrete structures has declared its interest in introducing service-life design into the next revision of Eurocode 2, where publication is anticipated in 2020. These provisions will be based on the fib Model Code for Service Life Design and the international Standard ISO 16204. These design procedures need performance input. So besides strength and consistence, the performance specified will be in terms of the resistance of concrete to the various forms of deterioration, such as the rate of carbonation for carbonation-induced corrosion and the chloride diffusion coefficient and ageing factor for chloride-induced corrosion. Tom Harrison of the University of Dundee reports. Transposing performance requirements to the more traditional way of specifying concrete by limiting values, – minimum cement content, maximum water:cement (w/c) ratio and strength – introduces large variability, which at best is very conservative for some sets of constituents and at worst is unsafe for some sets of constituents. Consequently, a logical way forward is to specify the required performance directly. Once test methods and procedures are in place to achieve this objective, it makes sense from the designer’s viewpoint to specify all concrete directly in terms of performance and not by the traditional limiting values. From another perspective, the concrete sector is under pressure to provide more sustainable concretes but this must not be at the price of insufficient durability. For example, some ‘green’ concretes have carbonation rates that are significantly higher than concretes used in the past yet they satisfy the current durability specification requirements. If durability were to be specified by performance, the concrete producer could be instructed, or may be given the flexibility, to produce the more sustainable concrete and the client/designer would know that the required durability is being achieved. A small task group, comprising members from the European design, concrete and precast concrete industries, has been working on these issues and its initial draft proposals were presented earlier this year to its parent committees. A workshop in Brussels was held in October 2014 to try to add more detail to the proposals and BSI nominated two UK experts to attend (the author also attended as a member of this task group). Concrete resistance classes At the heart of the proposal is the concept of concrete resistance classes. These classes define the resistance of concrete measured under closely defined standard test conditions together with a margin to account for test uncertainty. Modelling work undertaken by the Technical University of Munich has shown that three classes for carbonation resistance and three classes of chloride resistance give sensible steps in performance that offer practical differential in concrete cover. It should be noted that implicit to this approach is that the performance determined in the laboratory under these short-term standard conditions is translated into the same comparative long-term durability behaviour. Fundamentally, it would be the producer that would determine by type testing parameters such as w/c ratio, cement content etc, for production and conformity control purposes, rather than the engineer. As with the current specification, special requirements such as low heat, E-value, creep strain would still be special design requirements. The revised Eurocode 2 will provide guidance on the relationship between intended working life, exposure classes, minimum cover and the concrete resistance classes. As the minimum level of reliability for structures is still a Nationally Determined Parameter (NDP), the choice of the appropriate concrete resistance class will be a NDP, with the hope that most CEN members will opt to select the recommended values given in Eurocode 2. The appropriate concrete resistance classes will be specified to the producer, together with the compressive strength class and consistence class. The concrete producer may satisfy the specified resistance class by either: • providing concrete with the proven performance based on type testing leading to a set of limiting values specific to the constituents used and then controlling the production to these limiting values in the normal way • supplying a concrete based on deemed-to-satisfy limiting values. In the ideal world, these deemed-to-satisfy limiting values should be determined at the European level but given the range of constituent qualities found across Europe, it may be prudent to leave such limiting values to national provisions. Trying to explain the current national limiting values in a rational and technical way is impossible and there is a serious risk of the whole concept being rejected on the basis that any proposed European limiting values do not coincide with the current national values. It is sensible to get the performance concept established and running as a first step and for each CEN member to determine which limiting values satisfy the resistance classes. Over time, what does and does not meet the performance criteria will become clear and the limiting values will get adjusted appropriately. Carbonation resistance classes Three carbonation resistance classes are being proposed (see Table 1). There is still an ongoing debate over what to call these classes. The proposal to call them high, medium and low resistance was not liked as it is difficult to imagine any specifier wanting a concrete with ‘low resistance’. Currently the letters ‘RC’ are being used followed by a number that is the maximum carbonation depth in the standard test. Both the UK and France do not like using ‘RC’ as these letters are already being used for another purpose. The test method will be defined in EN 12390-10. At present this Standard is a draft for development called TS 12390-10 and it has already been agreed that the carbon dioxide level of the test will be raised from 350 to 400ppm to reflect typical atmospheric conditions. It is also agreed that the carbonation rate will be expressed as mm/√year. The minimum period of exposure to carbon dioxide in the test will be 140 days but longer periods will be permitted. A longer period of exposure tends to give lower or similar rates of carbonation, meaning it is safe to use the 140-day values. The minimum number of tests has still to be agreed. One proposal is to have at least three tests from different batches if a single concrete is being assessed or at least five tests if a family of concretes is being assessed. Whether the maximum rate of carbonation will stay as a single value for simplicity or be a function of √n has still to be discussed and agreed. The period of validity of these type tests has also still to be discussed and agreed. As a benchmark, Agrément certificates are often valid for five years. info@greymatters.ws www.greymatters.ws

Ashghal Updates

CONSTRUCTION

New intersection eases traffic flow on the Corniche Street

newly-built signalcontrolled intersection on the Corniche Street between the Emiri Diwan and Qatar National Theatre has been opened for traffic. The Public Works Auhtority (Ashghal) announced that the new intersection had been established in accordance with the recommendations of the Traffic Congestions Committee. The new intersection enables Corniche Street users coming from Al Diwan Intersection towards the National Theater Intersection to either make lefthand turns onto Al Rumailah Street or U-turns to the other side of the street opposite of Al Corniche Street, without the need to continue until the

National Theater Intersection to make a U-turn. This has significantly reduced traffic congestion at the National Theater Intersection. Ashghalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Operations and Maintenance Department completed the intersection to traffic within a period not exceeding five weeks and ahead of schedule. The expansion works have also been completed and included the construction of an additional lane on the left side of Al Corniche Street, for a distance of 375m towards National Theater Intersection. This enables vehicles to turn left towards Mohammed bin Thani Street by using three lanes instead of two. Works also included widening the road and making it three

lanes instead of two for a distance of 475m for vehicles coming from Majlis Al Taawon Street and going right onto Mohammed bin Thani Street and right onto Al Corniche Street. An additional lane was also built on part of Mohammed bin Thani Street heading right towards Majlis Al Taawon Street, to become two lanes instead of one for a distance of 230m. This is in addition to the construction of a new lane on Mohammed bin Thani Street, from its intersection with Majlis Al Taawon Street for a distance of about 50m. Paving and beautification works are being finalized in co-ordination with the Doha Municipality.

SITES

Parts of Al-Khafji Street to be closed for development work

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced a temporary closure of one lane each on the roads surrounding Al Hizm and Environment roundabouts and parts of the Al Khafji Street. The closure, which began on November 3, will last for the next six months. During this period, two lanes will remain open in all directions on the two roundabouts, while accesses to schools, residential and commercial institutes remain open. The works form part of phases two and three of the Al Khafji Street development project. Phase two includes converting the Environment Roundabout into a signal-controlled intersection and widening the Al Khafji Street from the Environment Roundabout to Al Shamal Bridge, and from the Environment Roundabout to phase one of the project (Jelaiha Intersection). There will be four lanes instead of three, in addition to developing and widening the Environment Street. Phase three, the final phase of the project, includes converting Al Hizm Roundabout to a signalized intersection and widening the Al Khafji Street from the Al Hizm Roundabout to become four lanes instead of three for a distance of 350 meters towards Al Jamia Signals, and from Al Hizm Roundabout to connect it with phase one (Jelaiha Intersection) to become four lanes instead of three. Ashghal has installed road signs to advise motorists of the closure. The authority requests all road users to abide by the speed limits, and follow the road signs to ensure their safety.

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Tenders

ASHGHAL TENDERS AND AWARDED TENDERS

Companies Eligible to Tender: (1) Qatari Companies Only (2) Joint Venture (JV) Companies, which includes a Qatari Company having a minimum of 51%, share holding of the JV (3) Non-Qatari Companies (4) Not Applicable * All financial values are in QAR

Type

Tender Title

Participants

Issuing Date

Closing Date