FOCUS WHAT PRODUCTS CAN HELP TOWARDS YOUR LEED RATING? N E W S • A N A LY S I S • I N T E L L I GE N C E • PR OJECT S • CON T R ACT S • T EN D ER S
AN ITP BUSINESS PUBLICATION LICENSED BY DUBAI MEDIA CITY
Joining forces AECOM and Davis Langdon on their mega merger
AUG 28–SEPT 3, 2010 • ISSUE 333
CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM
Raising the roof Abu Dhabi airport terminal gets a lift
Page 28
Page 34
CR E OSSI N I L NG THE Is N ew D the p e e elhi c utting corners in its race to k Comm onwealth Games on track?
COMMENT
CONTENTS AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 • ISSUE 333
34
The challenge and logistics of lifting the lid on Abu Dhabi airport’s VIP terminal
REGULARS
10 16 18 56
ONLINE EDITOR’S LETTER GUEST COLUMN FOREMAN
INTELLIGENCE
4
SAUDI ELECTRICITY APPROVES SR14.7 BN OF POWER PROJECTS The state-backed firm continues the drive to meet local demand over the next few years. FINANCE
8
NAKHEEL TO RESTART SIX PROJECTS Developer is to start a short-term programme in Dubai. ROUND UP
12
40,000 TO BE SURVEYED ON NEW BUILDING CODES Abu Dhabi professionals will be tapped in the new codes drive.
ANALYSIS
22
GREEN GAMES ON RED LIGHT Carlin Gerbich tracks the construction hurdles for New Delhi’s Commonwealth Games.
FORMWORK
42
DEMONSTRATION Five top formwork companies explain the methods involved in using their equipment.
FACE TO FACE
28
SIGNING OF THE SUMMER David Barwell of AECOM and Kevin Sims of Davis Langdon talk to CW.
ON SITE
34
RAISING THE ROOF Greg Whittaker tracks preparations for lifting the roof for the VIP terminal at Abu Dhabi airport.
GREEN
38
MAKING THE GREEN GRADE CW profiles a wide range of building products that can help towards reducing energy and utilities usage, and obtaining that prestigious LEED accreditation. AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 1
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2 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
INTELLIGENCE
The demand for power in Saudi Arabia is expected to increase by 8% a year as the population grows.
Saudi Electricity approves SR14.7 billionworth of power projects
T
he executive board of Riyadhbased utility firm Saudi Electricity Company has approved power projects worth SR14.7 billion with a view to meeting increasing demand for electricity in the region. In a statement to Saudi bourse website, the state-controlled company said the projects planned included the expansion of the Rabigh power plant, the construction of a power link between Hail and al-Jawf, and the installation of power cables in Mecca. The development aims to help meet an increasing demand for power in the Kingdom,
4 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
anticipated to rise by as much as 8% a year as the population grows. As part of its wider plan to cater for the country’s needs, the Saudi Electricity confirmed plans to invest a total of SR205 billion in capacity expansion by 2018. To finance the projects, the power company told reporters at the Saudi Press Agency that it intends to borrow and use its own funds. In June, the agency reported that the Kingdom was to implement tariffs on electricity from 1st July while it investigated strategies for more efficient energy use – generating SR3.2 billion a year.
COMMENT For up-to-the-minute tenders log on to constructionweekonline.com
TOP TENDERS Construction of 10 Classrooms Mixed Basic Education School at Wadi Al Arabiyeen Country: Oman Closes: Aug 23, 2010 Category: Buildings Issuer: Ministry of Education Design and Construction of Service Roads at Tiwi Country: Oman Closes: Aug 23, 2010 Category: Infrastructure Issuer: Ministry of Transport and Communication The Ain Humran Houses Project in Salalah Country: Oman Closes: Aug 23, 2010 Category: Buildings Issuer: Ministry of Tourism Construction of Yanbu Power and Desalination Plant Country: Saudi Arabia Closes: Sep 22, 2010 Category: Power & Water Issuer: Saline Water Conversion Corporation
Countdown for Qatar tenders
‘Big money’ in Kuwait oil projects
Tender opportunities for the construction of mosques and roads in Qatar will close in a month’s time. Road improvement works around the capital are among some of the biggest jobs issued by Ashghal, the public works authority, including in the south of Greater Doha in Zones 90 to 95. Contracts up for grabs include packages 11 and 12 for the construction of mosques and Imam houses and are being organised by the Building Affairs department - the latest projects in the gas-rich state’s drive to improve its infrastructure. The projects’ deadlines range from 21st to 29th September. Other tender opportunities include a mix of construction and consultancy contracts in the capital.
Kuwait’s oil minister hinted at huge contract opportunities this week for contractors to bid for major oil projects in the region worth US$35 billion. In an interview with The National newspaper discussing the country’s fouryear development plan, Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al Sabah said: “There is big money involved.” He added that the two major developments would be operational in “not less than four-to-five years”. The projects, which aim to increase Kuwait’s oil production capacity, will include upgrading its existing oil facilities as well as building a new refinery – a project cancelled earlier this year after parliament criticised the cost and procedure for contract awards.
Rehabilitation of All Fire Fighting System at Shuqaiq Plant Country: Saudi Arabia Closes: Aug 22, 2010 Category: Infrastructure Issuer: Saline Water Conversion Corporation Construction of 380-kV Ras AlZour Substation Country: Saudi Arabia Closes: Aug 21, 2010 Category: Power & Water Issuer: Saline Water Conversion Corporation Annual Maintenance of Track Roads in Al Dakhliyah Region Country: Oman Closes: Aug 2, 2010 Category: Infrastructure Issuer: Ministry of Transport and Communication Jaber Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Bridge (Al Subiya Connection) Country: Kuwait Closes: Aug 8, 2010 Category: Infrastructure Issuer: Central Tenders Committee Construction of 380-kV Ras AlZour Substation Country: Saudi Arabia Closes: Aug 21, 2010 Category: Power & Water Issuer: Saline Water Conversion Corporation 6 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
The Al Raha Beach development is currently under construction and is due for completion in 2018.
ABB wins US$4.5m contract at Al Raha Beach Power and automation technology group ABB has won a US$4.5 million contract to design and build four substations at Aldar’s Al Raha Beach development. The 22/0.4kV substa-
tions - to be constructed for the Al Muneera Apartment project located within the complex - will be key installations in the power grid, facilitating the efficient transmission and distribution
of electricity within the development. ABB will be responsible for the design, engineering, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the substations, according to the contract. Delivery will include 24 2000 kVA transformers, 48 22 kV airinsulated switchgear panels, telecommunications equipment, DC systems and a host of medium- and lowvoltage cables. Located on the precinct of Khor Al Raha, the Al Muneera project is a neighborhood offering a mix of luxury villas and townhouses with waterfront and canal views, and multi-storey apartment buildings.
FINANCE PROJECTS
Nakheel to restart six projects Nakheel has announced it is to restart six projects in Dubai. The developer of Palm Jumeirah and The World stated: “Nakheel is currently engaging contractors in the short-term projects with a view to continuation in the coming weeks. We expect that all short-term projects will be fully mobilised by early October 2010.” The residential projects are likely to be Jumeirah Park, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Village, Jumeirah Islands Mansions, Jumeirah Heights Clusters and Al Badrah, according to newspaper reports. In recent months the company has made some repayments, which are being paid in the form of 60% Sukuk bonds and 40% cash. But AECOM, the US firm that recently bought Davis Langdon, told Arabian Business that not all of its units have received the 40% payment.
New start: Nakheel is coordinating with contractors for work on six projects for the rest of this year.
The market and its movers Dubai’s index so far this year; AECOM’s stock peaked days after the 5th August merger. Dubai Financial Markets Index
AECOM share price in US$ July to August 2010
19.00 18.50 18.00 17.50 17.00
26.50 26.00 25.50 25.00
16.50 16.00
24.50 23.50
15.50 15.00
Jan
Feb Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
23
27
29
2
4
6
10 12
16 18 20
Expert Views Qassim Cement Company The company’s stock has dipped less than some – is it a keeper?
The firm boasts an annual capacity of four million metric tonnes of cement, with a product range comprising of ordinary Portland, sulphate resistant and finishing cement. Its financial results for Q1 2010 were similar to its stock price – down, but not as much as some rivals in a tough market. Consolidated net profits were SR280.9 million compared to SR299.7 million for the same period in 2009, a fall of 6.26%. Earnings per share for the six months fell to SR3.12 against SR3.33 in 2009 after factoring in the capital increase from SR450 million to SR900 million as of 16th November 2009.
8 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
Analysts’ assessments of the stock, which fell from SR74.5 to SR64.5 within two months in the second quarter of this year before recovering, have not been too flattering. Farouk Miah at NBC Capital recommended that interested parties stay neutral on the stock on 17th July. The same position was taken by Raj Sinha at HSBC Saudi Arabia on 26th February. This is a slight cooling of sentiment since the ‘hold’ rating given by Umar Farouqi at Global Investment House on 26th January. Between these dates, on 11th March, Ismail Sadek at Beltone Financial recommended the stock be sold.
VERDICT
SELL: In a tough sector, other cement firms have shone brighter.
FINANCE
Busy last quarter:
TEN BIGGEST RISERS
High flyer:
5.1%
United Projects Group: +15.49% National Marine Dredging: +7.5% Specialities Gro.: +7.02% Fujairah Building: +5.96% Galfar Engineering: +4.55% Ras Al Khaimah Cement: +4.48% Umm Al Quwain: +3.85% Drake & Scull International: +3.19% Acico Industries: +2.53% Arabtec Holdings: +2.44%
35%
rise in profits for first half 2010 for Zamil Steel against last year
rise in share price since 1st July
6.3%
14.2%
share price fall for ZIIC since beginning of August
fall in Kuwait Stock Exchange price index in Q2
Zamil to turn steel and air con into LLCs
Aviation-based United Projects takes off in Q3
Zamil Industrial is restructuring its steel and air conditioning units to become limited liability companies. An independent consultancy made the recommendation on the back of a wider analysis of the company’s structure. The companies will be fully owned by Zamil Industrial, which stated that “legal formalities to convert the branches to LLCs will be managed in the upcoming period”. The company stated to the Tadawul that the initiative “is amongst several development programs that the board and executive team review on a regular basis”. An analyst in Riyadh, who declined to be named, said: “They’re likely to have been made limited liability companies so there can be a change in management and it can see these entities on a stand-alone basis.”
United Projects Group, the airport facilities firm, has seen sky-high growth in its share price so far this quarter, with a rise of more than 15% in five days last week. The Kuwaiti company - which provides airplane ground and cleaning services and catering, leasing out airplanes, tourism, travel and cargo services - breached the KD400 mark (KD410) per share on 19th August. This is the first time it has reached that height in almost two years. Trading at deadline was KD385. The company announced net profits of KD2.32 million for the first half of 2010, up 4.7% against the same period last year, and building on the 3.5% net profit increase for the first quarter. So far this quarter its share price has increased by 35%. Its market capitalisation is KD30.1 million.
TEN BIGGEST FALLERS Union Cement Company: Kuwait Building: National Cement Company: Combined Group: Mushrif Trading: Kuwait Company for Portland: Sharjah Cement: Mohammed Al Mojil: SIDC: Mabanee:
-20.12% -11.25% -4.8% -4.56% -4.54% -3.84% -3.68% -3.31% -2.87% -2.86%
SECTOR INDICES: Banking: +5.22 Insurance: +4.03 Fin & Inv : +7.68 Real Est & Constr: +28.27 Transportation: -1.78 Utilities: 0.00 Materials : 0.00 Consumer Staples : 0.00 Telecoms : 0.00
+0.62% +0.14% +0.43% +1.02% -0.38% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
(Data accurate as of close 22 August 2010)
Update 10 latest Abu Dhabi project updates PROJECT TITLE
STATUS
VALUE / VALUE RANGE (US$)
NEW 2,400 MW SUBSTATION
Concept
5,000,000,000
BOROUGE - ETHANE CRACKER
Construction
1,075,000,000
BOROUGE 3 - UTILITIES & OFF-SITE FACILITIES
Construction
935,000,000
BOROUGE 3 - LDPE UNIT
Construction
400,000,000
BOROUGE 3 - FOUR BORSTAR UNITS
Construction
1,255,000,000
NGL TRAIN AT RUWAIS - POWER SYSTEM EQUIPMENT PACKAGE
Construction
40,000,000
SAADIYAT ISLAND DEVELOPMENT - APARTMENTS PACKAGE
Construction
180,000,000
SEA WATER INTAKE - 3 IN RUWAIS
Construction
98,000,000
RUWAIS REFINERY EXPANSION PROJECT - PIPING WORKS IN AREA 5
Construction
68,000,000
ABU DHABI MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL
Concept
TBC
AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 9
ONLINE Getty Images
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MOST POPULAR
1 2 3 4 5
Nakheel to restart work on six projects Smart ALEC Abu Dhabi’s ACC to build Jordan’s tallest building Construction chiefs make 2010 ExPat 50 power list Top 10 world’s tallest freestanding towers
IN PICTURES
Four consultancy firms are working on development plans for the Holy City.
KSA plans massive $27bn Makkah revamp project
Germans big fans of alternative energy
Saudi Arabia is planning to spend US$27 billion on transforming the city of Makkah via a development that will be the model for other urban centres in the country. The Holy Makkah Comprehensive Plan is being drafted by the Commission for the Development of Makkah and the Holy Sites and should be ready “by the beginning of next year”. Four consulting and planning groups are currently working on the draft, including government bodies that have a direct link to Makkah services, international planning experts and consultative companies. Although the draft plan is not yet complete, some work is already being carried out. The Fourth Ring Road project, linking the city’s main areas with a surrounding road and including two projects to connect Makkah’s southern and western areas to the Jeddah highway, is underway, as is work on the city’s new Metro system, which should be operational in early 2011.
What is your biggest priority right now?
40.9% 34.2% 13.6% 6.8% 4.5% Chasing payments
Finding cheaper suppliers
10 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
LATEST FEATURES
Project Gerhard Hope visits the American School of Dubai in Al Barsha for an update on progress. Interview ALEC’s MD Kez Taylor tells Ben Roberts why his company is worth US$1 billion.
SPOT POLL
Securing contracts
Germany begins plans to produce 30% of its power from renewable sources
Expanding into foreign markets
Treading water
Analysis Ben Roberts heads to Sharjah to track the trade in counterfeit products and materials.
ROUND UP
BUILDING CODES
40,000 to be surveyed on new building codes More than 40,000 construction professionals in Abu Dhabi will be consulted on the new International Building Codes, due to become law at the beginning of next year. The survey, which will be completed online or over the telephone by developers, engineering consultancies and contractors, is part of the Department of Municipal Affairs’ (DMA’s) drive to ensure the smooth implementation of the new regulations planned for the emirate. Part of a major consultation campaign, the survey will assess the industry’s readiness for change, following a series of 50 training workshops on the new codes. DMA chairman and Abu Dhabi building codes Higher Council chairman, Rashid Mubarak Al Hajeri, said: “This survey offers construction industry professionals the chance to make their voices heard
and ensure the transition to the new Codes is as smooth as possible. “The DMA is seeking feedback and comments from all its strategic partners in the public and private sector in the Emirate regarding additional support and help they may require to achieve compliance with the new Building Codes when they are introduced.” He added: “The imminent introduction of the new Building Codes represents a major change to building construction practices in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi which will create quality buildings that are safe and sustainable. These codes will also protect construction investments from an economic perspective.” Survey subjects will also have the chance to register their details and be kept informed of any updates relating to the new codes and future training sessions.
A scale model at Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2010.
In Quotes “I think it would be quite difficult to grow and just focus on this market in the current scenario.” KEZ TAYLOR, managing director, ALEC, on expanding out of the UAE.
12 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
“We have been able to broaden our client list and with it develop in the region.” DAVID BARWELL, CEO of AECOM, on purchasing Davis Langdon.
“What is going on in Mecca and Medina is wrong. Mecca is a sanctuary, it is not a city.” SAMI ANGAWI, a Saudi architect, on the world’s tallest clock tower.
ROUND UP
Around the GCC 3 1 2
1. BAHRAIN
US$27m Pearl Route project to start in January Bahrain is to spend $27 million renovating one of its most historic neighbourhoods in an effort to preserve memories of the region’s pearl diving past, according to newspaper reports. The Pearl Route will transform a two kilometre stretch of Muharraq, east of Manama, where pearl divers and traders used to live and work, into a potential World Heritage site. Officials from the World Heritage Committee will inspect the project in October, and it is expected that work will begin in January. The scheduled completion date is December 2012.
SHAHID BHATTI, project manager of Saudi Build & Saudi StoneTech at Riyadh Exhibitions Company.
5
4. QATAR
Scholar calls for Ramadan pause Sheikh Qaradawi, chairman of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, has called for a work halt on construction sites during Ramadan, to help workers fasting. If work cannot be stopped, Muslim workers should be permitted to break their fast, he said in a lecture.
2. KSA
3. KUWAIT
5. ABU DHABI
The new mayor of Jeddah has asked for updates on the progress of several civic projects in the city following reports that some work has been delayed. “I requested daily reports on hurdles facing the execution of projects. I also plan to make weekly visits to the projects, especially in east Jeddah, to assess their progress,” Hani Abu Ras told Saudi newspapers from the municipality building. The planned projects in KSA’s second largest city total almost SR1 trillion.
More than 350 housing plots will be made available for new projects in Kuwait’s Al Qairawan area after the government struck a deal with the Kuwait Oil Company to release the land. The decision came after a meeting between KOC officials and the joint committee charged with locating suitable lands for housing development – particularly those with no oil deposits. The 370 plots will be distributed after the Eid holidays.
A report by Pyramid Research indicates that the UAE will switch from copper to fibre wiring by 2011. Telecoms giant Du, the smaller and newer of the UAE’s two operators, initially took the lead with fibre deployment, notes Hussam Barhoush, senior analyst at Pyramid Research. “However, Etisalat has already caught up and surpassed its new rival in terms of fibre roll-out. Abu Dhabi was the first capital in the world to be all-fibre.”
Jeddah mayor calls for updates
“Building owners are increasingly becoming interested in making their facilities more energy efficient to save money.”
4
Land deal frees up housing plots
UAE to switch to fibres by 2011
AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 13
ROUND UP
Contractors told: keep tight control of cashflow
PHOTO: ETHAN MILLER / Getty Images
GCC contractors will need to have tight control over their finances if they are to survive 2010, according to leading finance directors. Arabtec and ALEC executives say that building firms will need to take a more dynamic approach to cashflow management whilst payments are slow and access to finance remains a challenge. Arabtec’s CFO Ziad Makhzoumi said: “I believe we face a recession which is expected to be severe and prolonged, combined with exceptional stress in the financial system. In Dubai, although Nakheel has come up with a solution and has started payment, some other developers have not sorted their cash situation and have not started making substantial payments yet.” ALEC’s financial director Greg Walsh said: “The drastic reduction of liquidity across the construction industry has put huge strain on the supply chain and this is going to be a real litmus test during any future upturn or sudden shift in the market.”
PICTURE PERFECT
WORK CONTINUES on the US$240 million Hoover Dam bypass project in the Lake Mead Recreational Area in Nevada, US, due to be completed in November.
LABOURERS
Workers who moonlight ‘risk lives’ Labourers who “moonlight” by working in other jobs during the hottest part of the day while on their enforced midday work break are risking their lives, said a medical expert in Bahrain. Nineteen workers have been treated for heat exhaustion at Salmaniya Medical Complex in the last three days, chief of medical staff Dr Mohammed Amin Al Awadhi told a
newspaper last week. “We’ve had cases where, after leaving their place of work, people have been washing cars, watering gardens and running errands on bicycles, only to go back to work at 4pm,” said Dr Al Awadhi.
FLOOD RELIEF
Schneider Electric helps flood relief Employees from Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, have lent their support to the flood relief effort in Pakistan by holding a charity drive for victims of the disaster. The campaign was spearheaded through the Schneider Electric offices in UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, with staff members collecting a total of 1,600 litres
In Numbers
27bn
Amount, in US$, that KSA intends to spend on Makkah revamp
14 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
95
Percentage of KSA’s power demand met by its national power network
371
Value, in million US$, of Gammon’s Hong Kong rail contract
ROUND UP
of water, 700 kilogrammes of rice and 300 blankets, as well as medicine, tents, a variety of baby items and other general products. Similar efforts were also made by employees from Schneider Electric’s local offices in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
land owners over the price of the land. Culture Ministry undersecretary Dr Isa Ameen told local reporters that plans have been drawn up to preserve a series of locations, including temples and the A’ali burial grounds which have been described as a world wonder by archaeologists. PROJECTS
Investors in Sports City project talks
PROJECTS
Bahrain Heritage project hits land snag Bahrain’s plans to preserve 11 historic sites have been put on hold while the government negotiates with
European investors in a project located in Dubai Sports City have hired a Dublin-based lawyer to represent them in a dispute over delays in construction of the development. Over 60 investors from around eight European countries have hired Anthony Joyce from the Dubai-based firm Anthony
provide expertise in administrative, financial, technical and customer service within its own group of properties including Arabian Ranches and Emirates Living. MATERIALS
Joyce and Co, to represent them in discussions with Middle East Development LLC (MED) over progress at the Kensington Royale Project in Dubai Sports City. MANAGEMENT
Emaar given the go ahead to manage OAs Emaar Community Management has been licensed by the Dubai Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) to offer its services to owners’ associations. The company will initially
US hardwood council targets UAE The American Hardwood Export Council, a trade association for the American hardwood industry, is hoping to attract architects and interior designers to a free seminar in Dubai on 26th September. The event, at the Park Hyatt Hotel, aims to persuade UAE designers that American wood is a viable and sustainable product for buildings in the GCC region.
AT ;9(5,, WHEN IT COMES TO ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, WE NEVER FOLLOW. WE 3,,+.
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COMMENT
STUART MATTHEWS
Just desserts Put the right work into an entry and you may come away with more than just a trophy
W
hat’s the point of entering an award? For a long time, I didn’t think of them as important. Admittedly, I’ve never won one, and like other losers, I may just be kidding myself that I don’t care. But, for the winners of the awards we run under the Construction Week banner, recognition by their peers matters a great deal. This was first brought home to me a couple of years ago. A gentleman, with about 25 years’ experience under his belt and a swathe of positive references from well-known construction firms, had been entered for an individual award by his employer. Inclusion of the right detail, swiftly outlining his achievements during a long career, supported by specific project references, caught the judges’ eyes. In an otherwise long debate about entries, he was the clear and unanimous winner of his category. On the night of the ceremony, this stern looking chap made his way up on stage, collected his award and remained unsmiling behind his moustache. He walked off stage and, like all winners, was ushered out for a quick photo shoot and short interview so we could get a few reaction quotes for our postawards coverage. While most attendees were inside tucking into lamb chops and wondering what was for pudding, this experienced and serious project manager was outside, barely holding in his tears. We were all a bit taken aback. 16 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
He saw the award as recognition for years of hard work and dedication. With pride in his career and the contribution he had made to the success of his employer, the award enabled these facts to be recognised in front of an audience of his peers and industry power players. He was, quite literally, overwhelmed. After this, I saw awards in a different light. The recognition they bring really matters to the winners, whether companies or individuals. On the flip side, a company from the more temperamental end of the industry failed to win anything three years ago, and has not entered again since; indulging instead in a 1000 day sulk. This shows what a big deal winning, or not, can be. Though as they say, you have to be in it to win it. This year Construction Week is running two parallel programmes: a GCC-wide award rewarding projects and contractors in Dubai on November 23; and one rewarding the broad design and construction industry in Saudi Arabia, with a ceremony in Dammam in December. We’re taking entries now – details can be found at constructionweekonline.com/cwawards – and both events will culminate in a gala awards dinner, plus extensive coverage online and in print, in our English and Arabic editions. The events are an opportunity to network, socialise and in the case of the winners, be recognised, as well as enjoy a nice night out. There are a dozen or more categories to choose from in each award. Get the content of your entry right and, with any luck, you’ll come away from the event with more than just desserts.
Peer review: awards serve to demonstrate your achievements to the entire industry.
After this, I saw awards in a different light. The recognition they bring really matters to the winning companies and individuals.
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COMMENT
GERHARD HOPE To shower or bath, that is the question Gerhard Hope looks at how luxury and going green can go hand-in-hand in the hotel industry
I
T IS GENERALLY WELL-KNOWN THAT showers conserve more water than baths – depending, of course, on the type of low-flow shower head used. Imagine my surprise then when I read in The National recently that “the latest luxury hotel to open in Dubai is ripping out shower stalls to replace them with baths.” Why? In the quest for that all-important five-star rating of course, essential to lure the luxury-conscious Dubai tourist. The hotel in question is the Amwaj Rotana in Jumeirah Beach. Rotana CEO Omer Kaddouri was quoted as explaining that four- and five-star hotels have to have “100% bathtubs” (while a lowly three-star can have half showers and half bathtubs). This is according to the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) hotel rating system. What is puzzling about this story is why the Amwaj Rotana remained blissfully unaware of the rating requirements when it went the all-shower route. Imagine the sheer expense and waste of time and labour involved in having to redo half of them! And this is not an isolated incident either. The same article reported that the Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach had to install 438 bidets in order to obtain its five-star rating. Just what is the DTCM up to? And why does it seem so far behind the rest of Dubai in championing sustainability and environmental awareness? Or is it that 18 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
potential hotel guests cannot be bothered with being green when this could raise a potential conflict with being pampered? While the paying guests themselves may not be particularly environmentally aware – using all the towels and leaving them lying around for housekeeping to pick up, for example – the hotel industry itself is taking sustainability seriously, it seems. Recently it was reported that the Radisson Blu Hotel near Dubai Creek in Deira received official Green Globe environmental certification from sustainability specialist Farnek Avireal. This involved a substantial investment of AED1.25 million. “We had already completed a number of sustainability initiatives, such as energy- and resource-saving, the use of biodegradable chemicals and recycling initiatives, but achieving Green Globe status will now have a positive effect on every aspect of the hotel operation,” said chief engineer Arthur Rodrigues. The Green Globe certification audit addressed a staggering 250 points, he explained. “Some of the inefficient old and high-power consuming air-con equipment was replaced, coupled with an energyrecovery wheel, which cools hot air drawn in from outside before passing it through the hotel chillers.” The achievement was particularly significant given that the hotel opened its doors in 1975.
Also raising the green flag for the hotel industry, Soneva Fushi, Six Senses’ flagship resort in the Maldives, has already achieved eight months’ successful operation of its 70kW PV power plant. This is the largest renewable energy plant currently operating in that country, setting a benchmark for low-cost, clean-energy alternatives. Interestingly, the thin-film PV panels used for the plant were fabricated in easyto-assemble kit form by Beck Electric of Germany. The entire system, including tools for assembly, was then whisked off to the Maldives in a 40-foot container, and installed in two weeks by a team of 10 local workers, none of whom had worked with glass or solar panels before. The hotel is so proud of its achievements it is even giving guests tours of its plant, including an ancillary recycling initiative. Perhaps the secret to true sustainability in the hotel industry does, indeed, lie in ensuring the buy-in of paying guests. Surely guests will be interested in learning that the hotel they have opted to spend their hard-earned money at complies with the latest sustainability initiatives (while not skimping on luxury treatment either). It might even be foreseeable in the nottoo-distant future that, when guests check out, they receive an ‘energy consumption statement’ along with their bill. Gerhard Hope is editor of MEP Middle East.
LETTERS RE: 40,000 professionals to be surveyed on IBC DMA's move to seek construction professionals' advice on the new UAE Building Code is highly laudable and appreciable. But an extension of this, however, could be a common and integrated Building Code specifically for the GCC countries representing most similar markets and culture, which can be prepared in joint collaboration under the GCC Charter and name it GCC Building Code (GBC) instead of IBC. MOHAMMED AZAD HOSSAIN
RE: Saudi Ministers endorse US $373bn five-year plan The point made that growth needs to be focused in all directions is absolutely right. Growth of Saudi social culture is different from other Arab-country cultures. The Saudi government has to try and enhance it along with the planned infrastructure growth. The fact that a large number of Saudi nationals visit places like Bahrain or Kuwait at the weekends is proof that a lot of them feel they are far away from modern culture. The joint growth of social and infrastructure will also increase the revenue of the government. RUPESH K. SINHA
RE: World's largest clock starts ticking in Makkah
RE: UAE construction recruitment on the rise
It is great to see the clock start as scheduled. It really is a beautiful clock. I was in Makkah for Umrah when this clock tower was under construction. I am happy to see it working. ASIF JAMIL
This is not at all true, there are many losing jobs in the construction sector. Just drive down Emirates Road to see the abandoned sites, the only left overs are some steel frames for all the hoardings blowing in the wind. Thousands of villas unoccupied, many that have invested in are now unable to pay the mortgage and if they want to sell them there are no
As Makkah is in the centre, the world standard time can be set as Makkah Standard time for whole world. SHAIKH ABDUL QAYOOM
20 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
takers. Even if you can find a buyer, you can only sell at 5060% of the original price. G MATHS My company is the so-called largest main contractor in Dubai and we are told that staff retrenchment is on the way despite our work on the Pearl Dubai. I am the Senior PM on the project and we just have to wait for our fate to be decided. KOK SHUN WONG
I appreciate the initiative, it will change the image of Abu Dhabi emirate in GCC and globally by constructing landmark structures using latest tools and techniques. M.I.M.HANEEF
RE: UAE landscape market worth estimated $70bn As it is, the figure is just an estimate and would remain just that. My own experience tells me otherwise. And my gut feeling is that it would just hover around half of that, and the dough is just so hard to come by. Change in approach, vision, and implementation is inevitable for the UAE to really look forward towards developing the industry. JIMMY SONG Let's say the figure is true, how can anyone justify spending such money, irrigating a desert to force green landscapes? They seem to be confused: it must be the heat stroke. YUSUF
To submit a letter, write to editor@ constructionweekonline.com or by post: Construction Week, PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE. Please provide your full name and address. Letters may be edited for space and style. Submission constitutes permission to use. You can also log in to www. ConstructionWeekOnline.com to join the conversation.
ANALYSIS NEW DELHI: Preparations for the Commonwealth Games have been mired in controversy.
Green Games on red light
Delhi’s 2010 Commonwealth Games preparations have been rocked by allegations of corruption, bid tampering and construction delays. Will the city be ready by October, asks Carlin Gerbich? he lead up to any international sporting event should be an exciting one but for India, October’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi have been undermined by allegations of bribery, corruption, bungled preparations, worker exploitation and construction chaos. Despite government assurances the Games, dubbed the best and most environmentally friendly ever, will go ahead as planned, uncertainty over the quality of the venues, the level of security in the city and the apparent lack of phased planning and project management has cast a shadow over the event. Prime minister Manmohan Singh stepped in a fortnight ago (14th August) as public outrage reached new heights after a report published by the government’s anti corruption watchdog, the CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) detailed serious flaws in the contract and tendering process, and a litany of shoddy workmanship and unnecessary spending. Singh appointed 10 officials to oversee the remaining weeks of preparation to ensure construction would hit its deadlines.
T
22 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
According to a report carried by the Japan Times from its correspondent in Chennai, India, many venues have not been finished – and safety doubts remain over those that have been inaugurated. The paper reported that the roof of the weight-lifting stadium, part of the main venue, began leaking hours after its inauguration; the ceiling of the SP Mukherjee Swimming Complex came crashing down and a swimmer was injured; while the roof at the Yamuna Sports Complex collapsed. However, Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell visited Games venues last week and claimed that while there was a lot of detail work left to be done, work was in hand. “All competition venues are complete for all practical purposes,” Fennell said. “There is some site work, outside appearance, landscaping and cleaning to be done with great urgency but this will be completed very shortly. “This is not strange or unique to Delhi. Once they are done and finishing touches are given, we are going to have world class venues here.”
The bid and delays New Delhi won its bid to host the games over Hamilton, Ontario, in November 2003, giving the city just under seven years to prepare for the event. The plans were ambitious: the city was to build and renovate 17 sporting venues in six venue clusters plus five stand-alone venues. On top of that, 26 training centres also needed
ANALYSIS For up-to-the-minute analysis log on to constructionweekonline.com
to be constructed and 16 upgraded, while a detailed list of city-wide improvements to roads, public transport and other infrastructure was also drawn up. The initial Bid Book Budget set the cost of the games at $422 million which, according to planners, would be enough to renovate existing stadiums, build new venues and stage the Games.
Of the $233.4 million earmarked for capital expenditure, $23.2 million was set aside for the renovation of existing stadia, $20.9 million for new stadia and a bulk ($163.8 million) for the athletes’ village residential units, to be sold after the games to recoup some of the cost of staging the event. The Queen’s Baton relay, included in the overall budget, was estimated at $20
million. The Games, it was anticipated in 2003, would generate a net profit of almost $190 million, which would then be poured back in to the community and local government projects. Since the original budget was drafted, however, the costs have spiralled out of control - and it seems that no-one is sure just how much has been spent, and at what cost to the city. AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 23
ANALYSIS
Early warnings New Zealand had initially planned to bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, but decided against it because the projected US$420 million loss the country would incur was too much for the population to absorb. A second bid for the southern city of Christchurch was also shelved. Even after tourism revenues had been included, the loss to the New Zealand economy would be too great a burden for the taxpayer to bear, prime minister John Key was quoted as saying. Trinidad and Tobago also considered bidding for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, but eventually decided against it on financial grounds. Two current bids for the 2018 Games are on the table: Australia’s Gold Coast and the Sri Lankan city of Hambantota.
A report by India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) entitled Preparedness for the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010, published over a year ago, put the cost of hosting the games, creating the venues and developing city infrastructure at around $2.7 billion. That figure excludes improvements to the city airport, and the Delhi Metro system. However, an independent report titled The 2010 Commonwealth Games: Whose Wealth, Whose Commons?, commissioned by India’s Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN), claims that spending on sports infrastructure and facilities alone has shot up to $730 million – more than 16 times the original total, and almost double that of the entire original budget. The report, highly critical of the decision to host an expensive international sporting event in a city wracked with poverty, also stated that the true cost of the Games lies somewhere between the official figure of $2.7 billion and independent estimates of $6.5 billion. 24 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main athletics venue, under construction in August.
The Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Complex was inaugurated on 18th July but MEP work was not finished.
The original bid document stated that Game preparations would follow a sevenyear phased approach in which organisers would plan (January 2004 - May 2006), create (June 2006 - May 2008), deliver (May 2008 - December 2010) and conclude (December 2010 - March 2011) the Games. However, the CAG report found little evidence the plan was put in to place during the early stages, which had then cascaded into construction delays. Issuing of tenders has been a rather muddy affair. Construction on the
venue for the main opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the track and field competitions, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, was delayed because tenders were called before technical plans were sanctioned. Work on the weight-lifting auditorium started before drawings or site plans were drafted and approved. The selection of consultants for the Yamuna Sports complex, which will host the table tennis and archery events, was delayed by 11 months, while architectural drawings were finalised. Of the 19 venues under
ANALYSIS
development, 13 of them were listed as “at risk” of not being finished in time for the Games by the CAG in its report. Since then, work has progressed rapidly. Three venues most at risk, the Jawarlal Nehru Stadium, the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Complex and the Games Village, have all been inaugurated by Games officials. However, while the field event areas seem to have hit their deadlines, work on installing ancillary services, MEP works, television broadcast cables and a myriad of other jobs have yet to be completed. Poor quality The state of the Games preparation hit headlines early August with the publication of a report by the Central Vigilance Commission, the government’s anti-corruption body. The report stated that almost all contractors had “considered inadmissible factors to jack-up the reasonable price to justify award of work at quoted rates citing urgent/emergency circumstances”. Allegations of bid tampering, tender favouritism and other underhand tactics were levelled at contractors by the CVC report – but the revelation that substandard materials had been used in the construction of some of the venues, including the main Games stadium, alarmed Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper the most. The CVC report findinggs revealed that standard cement mix had been used instead of Ready Mix on some projects, while poor quality rebar with substandard anti-corrosion treatments that “was coming out even with a mild rubbing with hands” was found on site. Hooper said: “Any charges of corruption must be properly investigated. But with eight weeks to go before the Games, this is a massive distraction. We need everyone focused on delivering the Games.” Hooper told reporters: “Clearly the CVC report is implying that substandard materials have been used on some of the venues which obviously creates concern for everybody. People’s fears shift from security to safety.
$422m
Original cost of the Games, according to New Delhi’s bid documents
$2.7bn
Official estimate by India’s Comptroller and Auditor General on the Games cost
$6.5bn
Independent estimates on what the Games will cost New Delhi
“Certainly, what we’ve said is that we are very concerned about the report, that it’s very important that the organising committee that as it takes possession of the venues from government agencies that they are given appropriate written evidence, and even an indemnity to the extent that these venues are indeed fit for purpose and have passed all the regulatory requirements,” Hooper said. Corruption Prime minister Singh said any officials found guilty of corruption will face “severe and exemplary punishment”. His comments were backed up by Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who told reporters: “There has been lots of criticism of preparation for the Games. If there is corruption, we will find out who is
Games officials planned to have the main stadium ready by November 2009. This picture was taken in July 2010.
Delays in New Delhi’s preparations have put pressure on workers to complete venues in time for the Games. AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 25
ANALYSIS
Worker exploitation As well as a comprehensive catalogue of claimed corruption, the Commonwealth Games have come under fire for alleged abuses of human rights relating to its labour force. A study by Building and Woodworkers International estimated that 300,000 workers would be needed in Delhi over a three year period, while another study claimed that 450,000 contract daily wage workers would be required. Other reports, included in the HLRN’s study, claimed that none of the workers employed on the Games projects are paid the legally stipulated minimum wage ($3 for eight hours work). Unskilled workers earn between $1.80 - $2 a day while skilled workers earn $2.50 - $2.80 instead of the $3.40 they’re legally entitled to. Around 5% of the workforce are women, and they are paid even less than the men. Labourers work a seven-day week with no time off and are paid at normal rates. On top of that, workers are not given safety equipment (helmets, shoes) and even if they are handed out, wages are docked for the gear – which is illegal, according to Indian law. There have been dozens of worker deaths on work sites since preparations began. Officially, 49 workers have died while working on Games venues, though some say that figure is much higher. Most labourers live in tents at the construction sites because labour camp conditions are appalling. At one site, six to eight labourers share a 10ft square brick hut with a tin and asbestos roof. There is no power, ventilation or space to cook. There are no toilets and, at one site, an open tank with partition serves as the bathroom for men and women. In March 2008 more than 100 workers died of meningitis linked to the unhygienic living conditions, while other estimates put the deaths of workers through poor hygiene at a further 70. The region also suffered a recent outbreak of dengue fever.
26 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
The R K Khana Tennis Stadium was inaugurated in July, seven months after its December 2009 due date.
A worker rests against the weighlifting venue.
Delhi’s infrastructure projects are also behind schedule.
responsible and take stern action against them, whoever they might be whether a central government, Delhi government or any other official.” Public outrage over the matter has been vociferous, and the HLRN says the true cost of the event, the social and financial legacy they may leave behind and the true value of the venues post-event is yet to be determined. For the short term, however, that doesn’t matter. There will be time for
investigations, studies, repercussions and possible criminal proceedings after the event but, for now, New Delhi needs all hands on deck over the next five weeks. There is a mountain of work to get through, and an immovable deadline to hit. Delhi needs to ensure its infrastructure can handle the influx of athletes and international visitors due in the city in October, and that it is able to pull off the kind of Commonwealth Games that it set out to accomplish seven years ago.
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28 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
FACE TO FACE
SIGNING OF THE SUMMER The headline-grabbing merger of AECOM and Davis Langdon should provide a winning combination of clients and market presence, say the two companies. By Ben Roberts
A
t the beginning of August, just as much of the construction sector in the Gulf region was slowing in the run-up to Ramadan, an announcement of a major merger sent a bolt of excitement and intrigue through the industry. AECOM, the giant technical and management support firm from Los Angeles building its presence in global construction, shook hands with Davis Langdon on an AED324 million purchase of the UK-based project consultant. For a relatively subdued buy-out market across a number of sectors, it was a big deal. Now, as financial statements and contract wins separate the top performers from those merely surviving, the GCC will have a significant new player that combines a global reach, a specialism in project cost management, and a neatly complementary presence in the major markets. David Barwell, regional chief executive of AECOM, tells Construction Week that the deal is very much a global acquisition, rather than one dedicated to a specific region, and insists that Davis Langdon can benefit from its global reach and deep resources. In turn Davis Langdon’s market-leading attribute in project assessment should satisfy a growing demand from clients. “Our clients had required more and more expertise in the commercial management of projects, including very complex projects requiring a disciplined approach,” he explains. “Their main concerns are still cost, time and quality. “Our operations in the region had been more partnering with companies like Davis Langdon. Then you ask: ‘what would an integrated offering look like?’
He adds that AECOM looked at the list of clients of possible acquisitions, and found that the list of those who had worked with Davis Langdon was particularly eye-catching. “With Davis Langdon and AECOM there are a lot of companies we have both worked with, but there were also a number we had not. So we have been able to broaden our client list and with it develop in the region.” Davis Langdon’s visibility in the market had made it “the go-to company and the number one brand,” he says. “When we came to looking at companies Davis Langdon was top of the list and we were very pleased with the response when we approached the company, and the clients have been pleased too.” Barwell says part of this good response is down to the fact that some clients prefer to sit opposite a single entity in the meeting room, rather than a joint venture – the most popular model of business for any company entering the region. “Clients are effectively saying: ‘we want you to manage this risk on our behalf’. Some clients prefer to dealing with a joint venture – they like to know who is boss. They like to know who is in control. With a single-front company it is clear who has responsibility.” The logic of the merge partly lies in the companies’ respective presence in the different markets. Davis Langdon, for example, has a significant business line in Kuwait, a country in which AECOM has less presence. In Saudi Arabia, by contrast, AECOM has 800 employees against the 10 representing Davis Langdon. This is not exactly a trade-off, says Barwell, more an ability to leverage existing contacts and clients for mutual gain. Kevin Sims, head of Middle East for Davis Langdon who has been at the firm since 1986, adds that the company can offer access AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 29
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FACE TO FACE
“Clients like to know who is boss. They like to know who is in control. With a single-front company it is clear who has responsibility.”
Kevin Sims, head of Middle East at Davis Langdon, says the merger with AECOM allows access to the Oman market.
for AECOM into the Levant region. “We have 40 employees in Jordan, as well as Lebanon,” he says, “and we have presence in Kuwait, where AECOM used to have a business - we’ve been undertaking an initiative in that country for the last three months.” The merger presents opportunities for Davis Langdon wider than just market presence. The company has been successful as a project and cost manager in the GCC focused on buildings, as Sims sees it. But a link with AECOM gives experience and access to what Sims calls “social infrastructure” projects, such as roads, transport and water. AECOM has long been competitive across the spectrum of infrastructure worldwide, covering design and planning, building and architecture for transportation, water, environment and energy. “This area [social infrastructure] is very different. We’re looking to take people and expand into that space, and the merger has given us that ability. The heads of Davis Langdon and AECOM are talking about opportunities and we can support them for growth in a way that is sustainable.” With billions of government investment announced just this summer from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman, it seems neat timing. At the beginning of August Saudi min-
isters endorsed a US$373 billion five-year plan for spending on its infrastructure and public welfare, to supplement the headlinegrabbing projects such as the development of the Haramain High Speed Rail project. Qatar too, is set to surge in its infrastructure spending, taking US$9.7 billion of the US$11.9 billion dedicated to major projects for the 2010-2011 fiscal budget. A report from Business Monitor International estimating a 9.9% economic growth over the
7
The number of the 15 biggest civil infrastructure projects in the world in which AECOM is involved.
2002 1,600
The year AECOM first filed to become a public company.
Total number of Davis Langdon employees across UK, Middle East and Europe, with 5,000 working at Davis Langdon & Seah International globally.
next four years. In Oman, news of an extra OR68 million dedicated for road and water projects were followed by plans to extend the proposed rail network to include Salalah. Sims is particularly excited by the opportunities in Oman, a country Davis Langdon had been discussing with clients and in which the merger had “solved the problem” of a lack of market presence there. But in terms of the sheer volumes of projects in which the joint entity can offer its services, Saudi Arabia is the towering market. “And not just Riyadh based,” he adds. “Jeddah, for example, is an absolute must.” The merger will see Davis Langdon receive 80% of the purchase value in cash, with 20% in AECOM stock. Sims says this is a typical method of purchase as it allows the bought company to feel part of the fused entity immediately, with a mutual interest in increasing the stock value of the purchaser. Though Davis Langdon itself was created through a merge – in 1988, when UK firms Langdon & Every combined with Davis, Belfield and Everest in a bid to go global – there are few companies in any sector more accustomed to mergers than AECOM. The company is 20 years old this year and was founded by Richard G. Newman and a handful of employees from Ashland Incorporated, the industry-facing chemicals company. The merger of five Ashland entities created the firm, and since then its acquisitions have included Spanish transportation, water and architecture firm INOCSA Ingenieria, the architecture and interior design firm Ellerbe Becket and most recently Tishman Construction. It has been a listed company for three years. AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 31
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“We’re looking to take people and expand into social infrastructure, and the merge has given us that ability.”
Barwell says AECOM has a strong acquisition process.
Barwell laughs off the suggestion that the company could develop a separate business line in M&A advice given its success with smooth acquisitions, though acknowledges the company has been in the buying game “for quite a while”, helping the efficiency of the process. “The first thing that happens with a merge is to bring people together. People must move out of their space: it’s not what we are but what we can be.” One of its big regional deals is the Saadiyat Island Cultural Centre in Abu Dhabi, in which it is leading the programme management. The project will comprise seven districts integrating high art, waterfront resorts, regional corporate headquarters, extensive residential development and a new marina. The Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi are just two of the eventual features. Barwell says the project is a good example of the international scope of AECOM, which can draw on abilities within the group across continents. “The Saadiyat Island Cultural District had a lot of people from the US working on it, so it was a real AECOM International project. But the Khalifa University project was very much a local project, and the Cleveland Clinic was very much local as
well as some UK expertise.” The local-international combination within AECOM is an enduring dynamic. “There is a very strong local Arab content and local knowledge,” he says. “Then the other part is the global expertise in the rest of the organization.” Once day-to-day details and communications with employees of the current merge are complete, company executives can get together and assess opportunities. For this to work effectively, he says, the companies must have a complementary culture: assessing this is crucial at the early stages of selecting target companies. “If there is not an underlying similar culture then the deal is dead immediately. So we’ve always looked at that and it makes the process a lot easier.” Sims adds that the process can be complex, as these are “two very big companies”, and also include integrating different facets of the companies, such as IT, human relations and of course finance, ensuring they can seamlessly work on one system. Sims – who transferred to Doha from the company’s Milton Keynes office in January 2009 after 12 years - has been active in the human aspect to the merger too. At the time of interview he had finished relevant meetings in the company’s Bahrain office, which has 70 people and will grow to 150 people upon full integration. Though full assimilation is an ongoing process, the “fully integrated solution” envisaged by Barwell cannot be far off. Sims emphasises, however, that the deal is more than synergy: everyone wants to be bigger. “The most important thing here is growth,” he says. “That’s one of the key words we’ve found in the AECOM dictionary.”
BIOGRAPHY Both David Barwell and Kevin Sims seem to be men who are used to adapting to change and new environments, and indeed both entered the Middle East at the same time. Barwell achieved an engineering degree from Brighton University in the United Kingdom, and is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia as well as a corporate member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was regional director for Maunsell AECOM in Queensland, Australia, where he led the rapid organic growth of the business to become the top professional technical services firm in the state. He then became chief operating officer for AECOM in Australia and New Zealand. He moved to Abu Dhabi to assume his current role in January 2009. During that time AECOM’s purchases within construction include buying Guy Maunsell International in April 2000 and the remaining two-thirds of Halpern Glick Maunsell in 2001, an Australian engineering firm in which AECOM had picked up a stake in the Maunsell acquisition a year later. In October 2001 it bought Oscar Faber, another United Kingdom engineering firm, which was mostly involved in design and transportation planning. In 2006 the Maunsell operation bought out Cansult, creating one of the largest consultancy firms in the Middle East in the sector. In 2008 the company swooped for Earth Tech, which gave it access into a number of new markets, including Mexico. It soon after bought San Diegobased Boyle Engineering. Sims trained as a quantity surveyor but practices mostly in project management. He joined the firm in 1986 in the firm’s Cambridge office, transferring to run the Milton Keynes office in 1996. Over the following 12 years, the Milton Keynes office was very successful and grew to be the largest office outside London since 2006. By January last year he moved to the Middle East. AUGUST 14–27, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 33
ON SITE HITTING THE HEIGHTS In a short time e frame, building on the e ground is quicker, says ys VSL's Grattaux.
Raising the roof CW pays a flying visit to the new terminal building in Abu Dhabi. By Greg Whitaker
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iron and steel spans of buildings such as railway terminals and exhibition centres had to be winched up piece by piece and bolted in to position by hand. These days modern machinery and advanced knowledge make the job a lot easier, or at least that is the theory. On a hot and windy afternoon, we are on a site near Abu Dhabi airport, where the new VIP terminal is being built. The main room is large, complemented by a domed tower in one corner. The entire roof structure though, has been built in situ, on the floor. The plan for today is to raise this vast structure from the ground and into position by using a sequence of massive jacks. However, there is a saying about the best laid plans. On arrival, workers are still scurrying about, seemingly fitting air conditioning ducts to the structure, which currently is sitting on temporary I-beam piers, about a metre off the deck. This seems to be a sensible plan – after all, why would they do this when the beams are several storeys high? In fact, this should have been done some time ago. Posters have been 34 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
advising of the time me of the roof lift for ages, and in any case, the project roject has a tight schedule – the whole basic structure is supposed to be hree weeks after our visit. completed just three But, two hours after the lift was supposed ing still isn’t ready. Still, this to begin, the ducting gave us the chanceetofindoutabitmoreabout to find out a bit more about the project, as well as the lift itself. The VIP terminal is part of the ‘Presidential Flight’ unit of Abu Dhabi airport. Developed by Aldar on behalf of the government, the project has Merco and Six Construction working in a joint venture as the lead contracting team. Strands However, due to the large amount of steel, and the frame that needed lifting, Swiss-based heavy lift firm VSL have taken part in meetings since the project’s original conception. The steel structure is just below 400 tonnes, but there have been heavier lifts, which begs the question, why not use a pair of large cranes instead of strand jacking? David Grattaux, VSL Middle East civil engineer, says: “The time schedule is quite short and assembling on the ground is much faster than building in situ. The quality is higher too.”
ON SITE
In fact, the structure was originally about 15% heavier, but value engineers reduced the weight, which makes little difference from a jacking point of view, but makes a big deal of difference to the ground loading. The jacking procedure sounds complex, but it is actually relatively straightforward. Eight large hydraulic jacks stand on temporary gantries with the large metal I-beams braced underneath in a triangle shape. The jacks then pull the large, pre-tensioned ‘strands’, or cables up, which are attached to the frame with big cramps. Of course, it isn’t quite that simple. The jacks have to be synchronised exactly, or the whole structure is likely to be pulled up at an angle, and corrections have to be made for variances in temperature (as the steel will contract) and wind speed among others. There are various ways of measuring the height of the steels, but this site uses half a dozen Sick lasers, which are in turn all rigged to a computer housed in a mobile office in a nearby shipping container. Computer main man Saddan Bin Mohammed Said says the lasers are useful for heights up to 300 metres. Roof Today’s lift will be just over 16 metres, so they should cope well. Other parts of the system 36 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
include a computer, which displays a window that looks similar to a graphic equaliser on a stereo, where a line of levels shoot up or down whenever a part of the structure isn’t at the correct height. “This is the ‘Brow’ system.” Saddan clarified. “It is telling me the height. This gauge tells me what percentage of the load is being lifted and what capacity is available.” These levels can be controlled or corrected with a pair of purpose-made instruments. “These are limit switches. As soon as a tolerance is reached, they light up and you press them to lock the lift,” explained Saddan, as he
8 20m 6.8bn
Number of hydraulic jacks on the gantries
Number of passengers per annum expected through the new airport
Total project value (US$) of overall airport expansion
demonstrated by pressing one of the flashing buttons, and b d indicating d the h corresponding d ‘bar’ b on the computer. “You can link these to any amount of control desks and with just one button the whole configuration will open." But there is yet still no word as to when operations might begin. It is a frustrating time, as the lift is best done in the afternoon, while being completed before it gets dark. “It is possible to lift in the dark, but it is much better done during the hours of daylight in case you miss something," says Grattaux. Scaffold Clambering back up to the scaffold to the roof, we find the VSL employees adjusting the equipment and waiting for the nod. “The jacks have a very long service life, over twenty years, as they are sent back to Switzerland regularly for complete overhaul,” Gratteau explained. At 6:05pm, the call goes out to start the jacks. There is a flurry of activity, as men rush trying to get the ground clear of boxes, clamps and other building detritus. Site foreman Saeed Barsha barks commands at his charge while they clear out, and after a couple of minutes he is left standing next to the I-beams on to which the frame sits. The compressor’s engine note raises, as the
FACE TO CE ONFACE SITE
flow to the pumps is turned on, and the entire structure raises by an inch and Saeed moves the I-beams away. The whole structure is now entirely supported by the jacks. People now screw reflectors for the lasers into the bottom of the lowest point of the structure, and with another surge of power from the compressor, the structure slowly lifts up. Standing with us at the base of the unit are most of the workers who have just been moved out of the main work site, most of whom seem excited by the lift, which is inching higher and higher. The sun is starting to set, but it looks like the structure might just be in place by nightfall. Dashed These hopes are dashed though. At precisely 6.30pm the workers shuffle off to find their bus, leaving a fairly angry team from the heavy lift company, as well as site manager Hossam Ibr Hamed. But there is little he can do. Without the staff to supervise the mighty section just has to be locked in place where it is, ready to be lifted another day. Note: The lift was successfully completed at the start of the following day’s shift and work on the project continues.
STRAND JACKING This lifting technique was invented in Europe in the 1970s based on principles learnt from post tensioning concrete. Today they are used all over the world where precise lifting is required. The heavy items are lifted into position with computercontrolled hydraulic jacks. Because the multiple jacks can be moved in unison and with great precision, heavy structures can be assembled at ground level (with increased safety and reduced cost) and then lifted into position, rather than having to be built in the air. Traditional cranes and other lifting methods cannot provide this level of precision. In recent years, computer control has added to the versatility and safety of strand jack technology. In theory, any number of strand jacks can be used simultaneously to achieve unlimited lifting capacity, with computercontrols to keep the motion of all jacks synchronised. In practice, the maximum number of jacks that can currently be used simultaneously and kept under existing computer control systems is 80.
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Making the green grade The sustainability message is filtering through the industry, but what can you use to achieve a LEED rating? CW profiles a number of leading products that can help your building.
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examples of companies looking to construct more sustainable buildings, both to cut costs and make use of natural resources to benefit the environment. At the centre of this has been the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the industry-wide green building certification system. Though it is by no means the only system of accreditation in the GCC, it is, without debate, somewhat applicabile in the current climate, and perhaps the most well-known. LEED was developed by the US Green Buildings Council to better define ‘green buildings’, provide a measurement of energy and waste efficiency and to recognise industry efforts to be sustainable. It works on a points-based system, so that developers and contractors can adjust their design, building processes and material to earn points in different categories, gaining accreditation as per three standards: silver, gold and platinum. But what can you actually use in your buildings to earn accreditation? CW has brought together a number of products for the building and interior.
The products: HVAC Company: TRANE Product: EarthWise EarthWise HVAC Systems look to boost efficiency and reduce costs with a low flow, low temperature, high efficiency design that uses smaller pipes and pumps and thus, fewer natural resources and less energy for water circulation. The colder water makes colder air, which is distributed throughout zones in smaller ducts, using less energy for fan circulation and less material for the ductwork. Supplying less airflow at colder temperatures permits quieter operation and reduces relative humidity in the building, improving indoor air quality. The approach reduces the environmental impact of the systems inside and out. Further, the system requires less space, which leaves more for the architect to design and the owner to rent or sell. Needing less energy, it also makes less noise – not a bad attribute. Its potential contribution to LEED is extensive, including credits for not requiring potable water or irrigation (WE Credit
38 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
1.2); between 1-19 points for energy saving (EA Credit 1); 2 points for green power (EA Credit 6), and up to 7 points for OnSite Renewable Energy (EA Credit 2).
HVAC controls system Company: Johnson Controls Product: Metasys System Johnson Controls’ Metasys systems is what the company calls its ‘core product offering’, based on using technology to monitor a building’s energy and utility-use and hence, have a clearer idea of how the two can be reduced. Buddy Watters, general manager in the controls division in Jeddah, says that the product acts as an information platform, bringing together the diverse strands of information to create a holistic view. “So it’s not just for the air conditioning but all other forms of information, for lighting, the IT network, security system,” he says. “This central system takes information from the different areas and presents it in a way that is readable and useable. Information doesn’t help unless it can be read and understood and you can use it. Really that’s the core offering – it’s an integration platform that can take all information from
FACE TO FAC
Interior Insulation Company: FOAMGLAS Product: Cellular glass thermal insulation FOAMGLAS has become one of the market leaders for thermal insulation and its main cellular glass product has a number of properties that can boost a building’s LEED status. For a start, its vapour-tight and waterproof slabs are made from 66% recycled glass. The resulting insulating material is noncombustible and durable against weight,
Insulating slabs from FOAMGLAS.
subsystems and format a different type of report that can help you understand how a building is functioning.” This kind of visibility helps towards three areas of LEED accreditation, he adds. “Firstly, if you look at water efficiency, it has an ability to monitor water use and validate the reduction in water use. “Second, there are three LEED credits for energy and atmosphere that are prerequisites for any building that wants a LEED rating. Monitoring this without Metasys is impossible. You can also monitor the energy performance baseline and a baseline for energy reduction. “Thirdly, there is the indoor environmental quality, which is about 15-16 points. The prerequisite is a minimum of indoor air quality, where you have to monitor the levels of CO2 in the building and also the amount of outside air let in for the right level of air freshness.” He says the system can also provide transparency to understand the optimum operational level of each piece of equipment, which can help cut down on maintenance costs. “The longer the equipment runs outside its optimum range then the more energy it is consuming.”
“Though LEED is by no means the only system of accreditation in the GCC, it is perhaps the most well-known.” high humidity and vapour pressure. The toughness is vital to preventing unwanted heat transmission. Further, the right temperatures mean the amount of time needed to use air-conditioning is shorter – helping the long term of the building life. The company is a corporate member of the Emirates Green Buildings Council, and its product has been approved by an array of international bodies, including LEED itself, AlpEnergie and Eurospecifier.
Exterior Insulation Company: BASF Product: EIFS BASF Construction Chemicals has one of the broadest portfolios of raw materials, formulations and systems for sustainable construction. Its insulation materials (EIFS) reduce green-house gas emissions in the construction sector by reducing the energy demand of buildings, and include repair mortars, sealants and coatings that can extend the servicelife of buildings. The low-VOC (volatile organic compound) dispersions reduce indoor emissions in buildings; whilst the cement and concrete additives make
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construction faster and more efficient, and allow the re-use of industrial byproducts in concrete. There are three systems available: Seneflex Classic PB, a primary barrier and moisture control comprised of adhesive, EPS Insulation Board, Reinforced Base Coat and an acrylic polymer finish for use in high and low-rise buildings and retrofit construction; Seneflex Secondary Weather Barrier Design, which has an additional barrier; and Seneflex Channelled Adhesive Design, specially made as a rain screen. Senergy EIFS can contribute to LEED points in the following categories: Energy & Atmosphere – “Credit 1: Optimise energy performance” (19 points); Materials & Resources – “Credit 1.1: Building Re-use” (3 points), “Credit 2: Construction Waste Management” (2 points), “Credit 4.1 & 4.2: Recycled Content” (2 points), “Credit 5.1 & 5.2: Regional Material” (2 points); Indoor Environmental Quality – “Credit 7.1: Thermal Comfort” (1 point). This is a total of 29 points.
Sealant Company: Mapei Product: Keraflex Keraflex is one of the top cement-based adhesives widely used in the UAE in ceramic tile and stone material applications. The product aims for good adhesion strength with no slippage, and compared to typical adhesives available in in the market, it has an eight-hour pot life with an open time of more than 30 minutes. Keraflex complies with the LEED standards, and is also rated as EC1R under the GEV EMICODE classification of emissionscontrolled products, as it produces very low volatile organic compound (VOC) emission. As a cement-based material, each 25kg bag of the adhesive yields 20% to 25% more coverage compared to other products in the market, reducing storage and transportation cost, simplifying site handling and minimizing cement carbon
A Self Compacting Concrete demonstration at site and Saadyat Bridge – the completed project by Unibeton.
footprint. Keraflex can also realise a 20 to 25% reduction in CO2 emissions, considering that around one ton of cement produced generates one ton of CO2. In addition, more than 90% of the raw materials are produced locally. Available in gray or white, it is classified as a C2TE adhesive under the latest ISO 13007 Standards for Adhesives and Grouts since it requires only the addition of water and no other extra polymer modification – resulting in less transportation, storage and waste disposal issues.
Glass Company: Emirates Glass Product: EmiCool range Think GCC urban development and you think of sky-high glass buildings, and the material’s aesthetic properties. Emirates Glass’ EmiCool range has come from research around repelling much of the sun’s heat, thus reducing your bill for interior cooling. After cutting the glass to size and applying heat strengthening, the company applies what it calls Solar Control and Low Emissivity coatings through Magnetic Vacuum Sputtering Deposition process. The result is finished
40 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
glass of a choice of 11 colour tints and transmissions with corresponding reflective and insulating properties. Light transmission can ranging from 3% to 40% for Solar Control glass and 20% to 73% for Low Emissivity coating. The company provides solar control products under brand name EmiCool® in single glass form with required heat treatment (Emituf®), or else in an annealed form (on clear substrate only) or in insulated glazed (Emitherm®) unit form, at the option of the buyer. EmiCool Classic is sputter-coated high performance glass which can be incorporated in double-glass units for vision glazing. EmiCoolSun NN Series is a fourstrong range of Low Emission coatings which appear silver on clear glass. It is purely for insulation purposes, and so cannot be single glaze. EmiCool Super E2 is the latest range. It has a light transmission of 49% and has a solar factor of 30.
Concrete Company: Unibeton Product: Unibeton Green Concrete Unibeton Green Concrete is specially formulated to protect the environment by minimising the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
The manufacture of cement releases about 70gms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere for every tonne of cement that is produced. Unibeton has developed a series of concrete mixes that only release 27% of the carbon dioxide into the atmosphere compared with traditional concrete. New generations of concrete currently under research will release only 7% of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Actually, the carbon dioxide produced during the manufacture of ready-mixed concrete is very small compared with that from the manufacture of cement. The concretes, apart from being environmentally friendly, have similar properties in terms of strength, finish and durability as traditional concrete. They are mixed in one of Unibeton’s many t=batching plants and transported to site in readymix trucks with capacities upto 12 metres3. From these, the concrete is normally transferred to its placing position using a concrete pump, where the concrete is pumped along 125mm diameter tubes at a rate of about 30m3/hr. The company has one of the largest continuous pour of self-compacting green concrete and has also pumped concrete almost 400m up high rise buildings. This is using specially formulated concrete, developed specifically for the purpose. Unibeton also specialises in green concretes for certain types of architectural finishes which require attention to the overall appearance.
Lighting Company: Fagerhult Product: Concert LED lighting products In the past, LEDs offered higher luminaries lumens per watt than comparable fluorescent solutions, but were too expensive compared with traditional products. Only two years ago the relatively high cost per kilolumen of light output has been reduced to a point that now makes LEDs financially viable. As development continues, this cost will continue to reduce.
“The concretes, apart from being environmentally friendly, have similar properties to traditional concrete.” A typical retail application lit using Concert LED downlighters would usually be a combination of Compact Fluorescent downlighters, CDM accent spotlights and Tungsten Halogen accent downlighters. This would consume nearly 600W of electricity. By replacing these with the equivalent Concert luminaries, the energy consumption is reduced to 350W. It is virtually maintenance free too, compared with traditional solutions that would require lamps to be replaced. From a lighting quality point of view the Concert range brings warm colour temperature, excellent modelling characteristics and enhanced colour rendering to create a more comfortable environment. In a recent project, namely Aldar Properties’ headquarters, the company used the new LED product Concert 500 for the toilets and reduced energy use and maintenance consumption by more than 20% just on those areas. “We have achieved the same amount of savings in the open office areas with a 60x60 product.” Recently, the company received client feedback on their quarterly electricity bill for 2009. “It has been proved that we stand by our word and the proposals we have made have been achieved. The energy bills have been reduced by 54% and the staff and children are happy and motivated in their environment,” the company said. The cost-benefit dynamic is also starting to shift, the company adds. “All the different sectors keep in mind and try to follow the green design standards. Utilising the correct products with the latest design technology might cost a bit more initially, but the positive outcomes show within the first few years.”
DEMONSTRATION
RMD Kwikform
Simplicity is the key to RMD Kwikform's Airodek soffit formwork system, making it easier to transport, assemble, store and maintain Photography by Murrindie Frew Props are easily adjusted to the correct length.
Quick strike pins are engaged before the build.
Spacing gates are used to set the props at the correct centres.
Lifting and propping the lightweight panels is a quick job.
42 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
DEMONSTRATION
Lifting panels on to the crown heads is a one man job.
Airodek is the fastest system available to install and dismantle.
Erecting the Airodek prop and panel system is simple and repetitious, requiring minimal effort and time.
The unique crown will lock up to four panels in place.
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PEED, SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY ARE KEY on any job, particularly when it comes to setting up and preparing formwork. RMD Kwikform's new Airodek system tackles the problem head on with a lightweight, simple system that can be used for a vast range of formwork applications. The Airodek system of aluminium panels and props cuts weight by 30% and the number of components by 40% compared with traditional steel and timber based systems. The unique crown locks up to four panels together and ensures the panels cannot become dislodged on site. All parts are powder coated to prevent concrete from clinging to the parts. AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 43
DEMONSTRATION
Doka: Staxo 40
Staxo 40 is a cost-efficient system for all building-construction shoring needs and can be quickly installed by a small team of skilled operatives Photography by Rajesh Raghav It is fast to assemble due to the small number of components.
The frame units are lightweight and easy to handle.
Brackets bolted to the frame enable safe working at the slab-edge.
The coupler makes for a firm connection between the frames.
44 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
DEMONSTRATION
Work inside the scaffold is safe and fast.
Maximum safety is offered by handrails, the working platform and the cantilever brackets.
Staxo 40 is ideal for use on slab heights over 4m.
Integrated climbing aids enable safe and quick assembly.
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times is growing all the time, with cost pressures increasing too. With the newly developed Staxo 40, Doka offers a loadbearing system for building construction and for low-load applications in civil-engineering projects such as cantilever slabs on bridges. The patented H-frame design is trimmed for maximum efficiency: this is the first frame of its kind to permit end-to-end, gapless working levels to be floored out, right across the tower assembly. These straight-through levels, in turn, make for safe and speedy work; the key to more productivity on the build. AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 45
DEMONSTRATION
Peri: Lico
Lico is a lightweight column formwork system for safe and cost-effective forming without a crane Photography by Verko Ignjatovic Different cross section combinations permit square configurations from 20x20 to 60x60cm in 5cm increments or rectangular configurations up 60x130cm.
The high permissible fresh concrete pressure of 80 kN/sqm ensures fast concreting.
Three different element heights (3m, 1m and 0.5m) allow optimal adjustment to the required concreting heights.
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DEMONSTRATION
The LICO captive column tie bolts and nuts are permanently attached to the elements.
Keeping LICO in position as well as carrying out vertical adjustments are done using PERI RSS 1 push-pull-props.
Assembling the LICO column can be easily done in 15-20 minutes.
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As such, it is in demand and not always available when you need it. The low individual weights of the Lico column formwork pieces means you don’t always need one. Assembly and dismantling can be done by hand, letting the formwork crew take advantage of cranedowntime. There are three different element heights to work with – 0.5m, 1m and 3m – and the different cross section combinations allow for rectangular or square configurations. Captive column tie bolts and nuts are permanently attached and the eye bolts can also serve as load bearing points. AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 47
DEMONSTRATION
Harsco: Topec
With two basic components and three step installation, simplicity and speed is the key to Harsco's Topec sofďŹ t formwork Photography by Rajesh Raghav Lightweight panels are easily hooked together.
The panel is then pushed up in to position.
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Versatile panel sizes give Topec flexibility.
The panel is propped in to position. Installation is quick, and can be completed by small, skilled teams.
DEMONSTRATION
Topec can be used with the cuplok support.
Formwork comes together quickly and efficiently, saving clients costs in set-up time.
The system can be quickly and easily set to the correct position.
Three simple steps: hook on, push up and prop. Easy.
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F YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A formwork solution to help improve safety, speed installation, simplify stock control and reduce design and planning requirements then the Topec sofďŹ t panel formwork system from Harsco Infrastructure (a trading name of Quebeisi SGB) may be just what you are looking for. With just two basic components (a panel and a prop) and no secondary beams, TOPEC is simpler and quicker to erect and strike than other sofďŹ t formwork systems. Installed entirely from below, the lightweight aluminium panels are also easy to handle and minimise unnecessary working at height. AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 49
DEMONSTRATION
BRM: Type B & H Slipform is a fast and effective system for producing accurate concrete corework for large scale developments Photography by Murrindie Frew Cantilever brackets are secured top and bottom and fully braced with angle steel to provide the system with lateral stability.
Worksite edge safety is critical when working at height, so the formwork is fully enclosed.
The positioning of the system’s cantilever brackets is critical for accurate core work.
Over 90% of the materials used during the slipform process are recycled, making the system very economical.
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DEMONSTRATION
Deck placement is fast and efficient. BRM uses 3/4-inch ply secured to wooden cross beams.
Once assembled, the slipform will enable a typical slide speed cycle of 300mm per hour.
Hydraulic rams simply screw in to the system’s vertical yokes.
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LIMBING SLIPFORM SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN around for years, but innovations in design and applications are constantly changing. BRM offers a range of slipform systems catering for the needs of the majority of vertical in situ concrete structures. Systems can be offered with a range of decking options to suit each project, for both continuous and discontinuous concrete pouring. The system is fast, there is no formwork to close or strike and it allows all concrete and reinforcement operations to be undertaken from the integral decking systems. It enables lift shafts and stair cores to be fitted out early, while MEP services in core walls can be installed sooner. AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 51
PROJECT UPDATE ON SITE CW reviews a collection of its most recent site and plant visits to keep you up to date with project progress
WANT TO UPDATE YOUR PROJECT'S PROGRESS, OR HAVE IT INCLUDED HERE? Email: stuart.matthews@itp.com
85m
AED value of MEP contract awarded to DSI
AMERICAN SCHOOL OF DUBAI Location Al Barsha Visited July 2010
SOWWAH ISLAND Location Abu Dhabi Visited June 2010
ELITE TOWERS Location Dubai Visited July 2010
52 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28- SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
The American School of Dubai is a fast-track project being carried out by Al Ahmadiah Aktor. The anticipated opening date of the new campus is 14 September, to coincide with the new academic year. The design of the new campus has incorporated the latest sustainable trends to conserve energy. Construction teams include DG Jones & Partners as projects managers and RMJM architects.
Sowwah Island, in Abu Dhabi, is being developed by Mubadala to be the new central business district of the UAE's capital. Sowwah Square is the most advanced of the island's developments so far and will be home to a new stock exchange as well as four business towers. Right next door is the Cleveland Clinic, along with the near by Rosewood Hotel. Work on a Four Seasons hotel is expected to start soon.
When complete Elite Residence will be a towering 91 storeys, standing 380m high and holding a total of 697 residential units. With around 20 floors still to be cast, there is plenty left to do. The current scheduled completion date is around October 2011, and to meet this, main contractor Arabian Construction Company will have to keep the pace up. Coordination between ACC and its sub contractors is seen as critical.
APPOINTMENTS TIPS FOR JOB SEEKERS
BE POLITE If you are lucky enough to be invited for an interview, remember that politeness costs nothing, but could gain you everything. A potential employer will always be impressed by an awareness of your social surroundings, and an ability to communicate with people and get your point across effectively - both of which are skills required by most roles though not always specified in the job description. WORK HARD This may sound obvious, but in today’s competitive job market, keeping a job can be as challenging as getting one. For this reason, it is crucial to work hard in your role and particularly during your probationary period when you will be monitored and appraised based on your commitment to the role, and your ability to tackle problems as well as your general attitude at work. BE PATIENT Dream jobs are not easy to come by, neither are they usually obtained at the beginning of your career. Patience is key, particularly after a recession. During this time any job is better than none, and may either lead you down a better path or further towards your ideal job by enhancing your experience and increasing your skills.
Shuffle T Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ The A Association (HVCA) has hired Neil Griffin as i new head of operations. Griffin, whose its p previous role was in the aerospace industry, b brings with him a wide range of experience i corporate development, property, supply in c chain management, pensions, insurance a customer liaison, as well as an MBA in and s strategy and procurement management. He w be replacing Tony Godby, the Association’s will s secretary since 1995, who retired at the end of last month, taking on all of Godby’s responsibilities and duties. Meanwhile Laticrete, manufacturer of products for tile and stone installation, has expanded its product management team with the addition of Jay DeLuca. He will be taking on the role of project manager for adhesives, managing the entire spectrum of the company’s adhesives ranging from powder and latex to epoxy and mastic. Finally this month, Scott Wilson hired 22 year-old Eman Al Sabah as a graduate structural engineer for its Bahrain office.
3 TOP JOBS For more details visit: www.constructionweekonline.com/jobs Please apply directly to the listed consultants. Role: Project Manager – bridges Agency: KEO international Consultants KEO International Consultants is currently seeking an experienced project manager for its infrastructure division in Abu Dhabi. The company is seeking candidates with a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering and a minimum of eight years experience in structures, five of which must include experience in the design of complex/non-complex structures, pre-stressed reinforced concrete, steel and retaining walls. Preference will be given to those who can demonstrate an ability to use Microsoft Excel and who are proficient in the use of STAAD-Pro, as well as those with a Masters degree in Civil Engineering and who are registered with a recognised Professional Engineering Board.
54 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
Role: Project Director Agency: Manpower A large consultancy in Abu Dhabi requires a Project Director with at least 15 years’ work experience and a proven track record of working on prestigious projects in the UAE, preferably in Abu Dhabi. Crucial, are strong technical and contractual skills, the ability to take on a managerial role in both the design and supervision phases of a project as well as the capacity to coordinate and manage a large number of consultants and sub-consultants. Experience with Abu Dhabi authorities and familiarity with local and international regulations are additionally important. Preference will be given to candidates with Western experience.
Role: Senior Inspector of Engineering Agency: Not stated Saudi Aramco seeks an experienced Senior Inspector of Engineering to work with the Terminal Operations Department in Saudi Arabia. Applicants should have a minimum of a BS in Mechanical Engineering and five years’ experience preferably in the oil industry. The successful candidate’s main responsibility will be to perform those duties required of a Senior Inspector of Engineering within the assigned inspection discipline and certification limitations. Among other things, one of their key duties will be to train personnel to develop their ability and understanding of codes and standards.
For directory information visit constructionweekonline.com/directory
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An artless canvass
S
O, THE
ABU DHABI Department of Municipal Affairs plans to canvass 40,000 industry professional opinions on the new International Building Code, due to become law at the beginning of next year, does it? While I have no doubt that a unilateral building code for the emirate is a worthy undertaking, I was actually looking forward to taking part in the survey and adding a little detail to flesh out some of the finer points of the code. It turns out, however, that the survey is simply a gauge on how prepared your company is for the new codes when they come in to effect next year. It takes less than five minutes to complete, and there’s an opportunity to ask questions and get your head around it. I’d urge everyone with a vested interest to get onto the department’s website (dma.abudhabi.ae) and start asking questions. This, it seems, is your last chance to do so. With the clock ticking down until the laws are implemented, you’d better get yourself up to speed.
Mark my words: once the hard work is done, introducing the rules around the rest of the UAE will become a lot easier. You may be based in Ras Al Khaimah or Sharjah and work within the boundaries of your home emirate, but these laws will affect you soon enough. Looking around Ramadan has allowed us to catch our breath on site, though I always feel like I should be using the slower pace to prepare for the rest of the year. We’ve got our regional branches up and running now, so the team and I have to keep track of what’s happening, when. Looking at Kuwait and Qatar, both are putting a lot of money into infrastructure. Actually, since the beginning of this year, all I’ve heard about is infrastructure projects. But then just the other day, I got wind of something different while chatting to one of the new guys – says he’s been working in Bahrain. According to him, the government there is planning
56 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
Dial ‘R’ for regulation: Abu Dhabi professionals can give feedback over the phone.
a huge residential project to increase the number of houses and replace some of the old buildings. Apparently, they’re planning to build tens of thousands of units, but the government won’t say anything about them until the fourth quarter. He also seemed to suggest there was a second, similar project due, but he wouldn’t say if it was in Saudi, Bahrain or Kuwait. I asked him about contract opportunities, and he said building companies like ours would need to get in quick if they wanted to
jump on board, because the developers were likely to bid with a preferred contractor in mind. Well, well So, Nakheel is back in the game, eh? Half a dozen projects will be restarted by the beginning of the last quarter this year. Makes sense to go slow and steady if you’re trying to find your feet again. Good news for the contractors, just as long as payments keep coming to those who’ve earned it over the last few years.
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