MEP Middle East - August 2010

NEWS UPDATE | 06 EVENTS | 11 DISTRICT COOLING | 24 REGION IN FOCUS | 34 PRODUCTS | 38 THE LAST WORD | 40

MIDDLE EAST

Licensed by Dubai Media City

Essential information for mechanical, nical, electric electrical cal aand nd p plumbing lumbing p professionals

An ITP Business Publication | August 2010 Vol. 5 Issue 8

PRIME DEVELOPMENT LATEST IN PREFABRICATED WIRING

KEEPING COOL THE RETURN OF THE WIND TOWER

CHALLENGING TIMES WE LOOK AT THE MAIN VALUE AND COST DRIVERS FOR THE MEP CONTRACTING SECTOR

THE GREEN

BOTTOM LINE

Kevin Mitchell from Buro Happold on energy efficiency trends

ALSO: SYED SHAMSUL HAQ FROM AL-FUTTAIM ENGINEERING

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AUGUST 2010 VOLUME 5 ISSUE 8

CONTENTS

10

15

03 CONSTRUCTION WEEK ONLINE 05 COMMENT

22 PROFILE Al-Futtaim Engineering Elevator Division GM Syed Shamsul Haq.

32 SITE VISIT ASD’s new Al Barsha campus.

34 REGION IN FOCUS: QATAR 06 UPDATE 11 EVENTS

24 DISTRICT COOLING Supply-chain initiatives are boosting the business case for district cooling.

35 BUSINESS LEADS: QATAR 36 LEGAL

12 GLOBAL NEWS 26 TECHNOLOGY 14 NEWS ANALYSIS

The latest in prefabricated wiring solutions.

37 METAL MONITOR 38 PRODUCTS

18 THE BIG INTERVIEW Buro Happold principal Kevin Mitchell on the green-building trend.

www.constructionweekonline.com

28 CONTRACTORS Challenges and opportunities facing contractors.

40 THE LAST WORD RWI GM Fareed Majeed and Leminar GM Pramodh Idicheria.

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 1

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CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM OM M IN PICTURES

MOST POPULAR

• Top 20 MEP consultants • Two killed by falling concrete slab in Abu Dhabi • Bahrain-Saudi causeway gets AED44m improvements • Drake & Scull Construction wins Saudi contract • Dubai home owners to sink under charges

EDITOR’S CHOICE

AMERICAN SCHOOL OF DUBAI, AL BARSHA MEP works are being undertaken by Drake & Scull International PJSC (DSI) for general contractor or Al Ahmadiah Aktor.

For more galleries, check out www.constructionweekonline.com/galleries

COLUMNS AND FEATURES CLOSED DOOR

MY PROBLEM?

Stuart Matthews, Senior Group Editor When the issue of my broken door was raised with Nakheel at an owners’ association meeting, the company’s representative said the door was not just broken, but was in fact suffering from a manufacturing fault that was the contractor’s responsibility.

Sarah Blackman, Editor, Facilities Management Middle East A Saudi Arabian developer: “This hotel is currently a shell …

We are therefore not thinking about FM at the moment.” Another developer I spoke to hadn’t even heard of FM before I mentioned it to him.

CHINA TALES

ARABIAN SIGHTS

Selina Denman, Editor, Commercial Interior Design We attended the official launch of Philippe Starck’s Sensowash in Shanghai. It sees Starck partner with sanitaryware specialist Duravit for the fifth time to create a ‘shower toilet’, a toilet seat with built-in bidet.

Orlando Crowcroft, Middle East Architect When you ask people why Saudi Arabia is such an attractive market, the reply usually involves the figure of 27 million, the expected population by end 2010.

It is followed quickly by the number 80, the percentage under 39.

For more comments, check out www.constructionweekonline.com/comments www.constructionweekonline.com

• Plug, process loads critical for optimising HVAC • Dubai’s ClimaGulf in Oz air-con deal • Pluggable DB galvanises electrical installation • ASHRAE adapts energy-saving standard for Kuwait • Dubai firm in tie-up with Japan HVAC expert

SPOT POLL

Would you consider working in Libya?

37.9%

Maybe. The opportunities are tempting.

34.5%

Absolutely not. It’s too difficult to establish a presence there.

20.7%

No.Not until the government makes it easier for developers.

6.9%

Absolutely. It’s a goldmine of opportunity.

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 3

COMMENT MIDDLE EAST

Registered at Dubai Media City PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: 00 971 4 210 8000 Fax: 00 971 4 210 8080 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Dubai & London ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING CEO Walid Akawi Managing Director Neil Davies Managing Director ITP Business Karam Awad Deputy Managing Director Matthew Southwell Editorial Director David Ingham EDITORIAL Senior Group Editor Stuart Matthews Tel: +971 4 210 8476 e-mail: stuart.matthews@itp.com Editor Gerhard Hope Tel: +971 4 210 8305 e-mail: gerhard.hope@itp.com ADVERTISING Sales Director Construction Yazan Rahman Tel: +971 4 210 8351 e-mail: yazan.rahman@itp.com Advertising Director Construction Andrew Parkes Tel: +971 4 210 8570 e-mail: andrew.parkes@itp.com STUDIO Group Art Editor Dan Prescott Designer Angela Ravi PHOTOGRAPHY Director of Photography Sevag Davidian Senior Photographer Jovana Obradovic Staff Photographers Efraim Evidor, Isidora Bojovic, George Dipin, Lyubov Galushko, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav, Mosh Lafuente, Murrindie Frew, Shruti Jagdeesh, Verko Ignjatovic PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production Manager Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager Matthew Grant Production Coordinator Devaprakash V A Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Image Retoucher Emmalyn Robles Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami CIRCULATION Head of Circulation & Database Gaurav Gulati MARKETING Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Marketing Manager Annie Chinoy ITP DIGITAL Director Peter Conmy ITP GROUP Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors K.M. Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin

Plugging into innovation

I

t is bizarre that alongside such achievements as the tallest building and a veritable slew of other world-firsts, many regional practices and mindsets are still hidebound by tradition.

We all know how rapidly technology advances; surely outlooks should adapt accordingly?

Recently I spoke to a company that is introducing a pre-manufactured wiring solution into the region. Basically this is a fully ‘pluggable’ system from the DB right down to the final connection. All fittings required are off-the-shelf, from sockets to switches, light fittings and even fan coil units.

Pre-wired conduit, available in either PVC or metal, is made to specific lengths to facilitate the socketto-DB connections. Once on-site, all that is needed is for the DB and final points to be installed … and then simply plugged together. Voila!

Now every electrical contractor knows how many man hours, sheer physical effort and materials are expended on the relatively straightforward, but vital, process of terminating DBs. Hence you would expect any MEP contractor to jump through hoops at availing himself of the opportunity of an average 20% cost-saving and 70% reduction in the installation schedule.

Of course not. The company’s business manager told me: “Literally I have had a guy stand up, slam his hand down on the table, and say, I have been here 25 years, and have done things the same way all that time. It has always worked, so why change? Your

system will never work.” The gentleman’s antipathy was based on two common misconceptions: that labour is an insignificant project expense because it is so cheap in the region, and that a pre-manufactured, modular system can in no way compete with ‘best price” (that is, rock bottom) raw materials assembled by said labour.

Now we all know that the global financial crisis is bringing about a new business paradigm in the region’s construction industry. Contractors are realising that inefficiencies glossed over in the past – such as labour over-supply and material wastage – can weigh significantly on the bottom line.

Fortunately it is quite easy to deal with the gentleman who has been doing things ‘his way’ for the past couple of decades, for psychology has advanced as much as business practice in the interim.

“You make it seem like he came up with the idea himself. You get him to speak to his peers who have used the system, so they can tell him about its innate benefits, so he can then tell you, in turn: I have a brilliant idea …”

It is vitally important for the MEP industry, and construction as a whole, to not only adopt the latest technology, but also to encourage its long-term practitioners (we do not wish to antagonise them by using the potentially pejorative ‘old-timers’) to think creatively. And to make a big noise about it when they get things right, so others can learn as well, and thereby raise the benchmark for all.

GERHARD HOPE Editor gerhard.hope@itp.com

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ON THIS MONTH’S COVER

NEWS UPD ATE | 06 EVENTS | 11 COOLING | 24 REGION IN FOCUS | 34 PRODUCTS | 38 THE LAST WORD | 40

Photo: Lyubov Galushko.

Licensed An ITP Busines

by Dubai Media City s Publica tion | August 2010 Vol. 5 Issue 8

PRIME DE LATEST INVELOPMENT PREFAB RICATED WIRING

KEEPING COOL THE RETURN OF WIND TOWTHE ER

“What excites me is the big challenge — be it technical, relationship or logisticsl,” says Buro Happold principal Kevin Mitchell.

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.

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T

DISTRICT Essential infor

CHALLEN GING TIM

WE LOOK AND COS AT THE MAIN VALES T MEP CON DRIVERS FOR THEUE TRACTIN G SECTOR

THE GREE

BOTTON M L INE ALSO: SYED SHA MSUL HAQ FRO

Kevin Mitc Buro Hap hell from pold on ene efficiency rgy trends M AL-FUTT AIM ENGINEE RING

COMMENTS Do you have any comments about the MEP industry in the Middle East? Please e-mail any letters to: gerhard.hope@itp.com or post to: MEP Middle East, ITP Business, PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE.

Published by and © 2010 ITP Business Publishing, a member of the ITP Publishing Group Ltd. Registered in the B.V.I. under Company Registration number 1402846

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August 2010 | MEP Middle East 5

UPDATE

Middle East CSP plant is world’s largest One of Masdar’s flagship renewable-energy projects will help Abu Dhabi achieve its 2020 target SOLAR

Masdar has appointed the bidding consortium of Total and Abengoa Solar as a partner to own, build and operate Shams 1, the world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant, and the first of its kind in the Middle East. One of Masdar’s flagship projects, Shams 1 will contribute directly towards Abu Dhabi’s target of achieving 7% renewable energy power generation capacity by the year 2020.

Based on Abengoa Solar’s bestin-class solar technology, the Shams 1 technology is unique. It is the result of strong technical co-operation between Masdar, Total and Abengoa Solar. Focused sunlight, concentrated by mirrors, heats a coolant which then generates high-pressure steam that drives a conventional steam turbine. It generates solar thermal electricity – an efficient, reliable and clean solution.

The JV between Masdar (60%), Total (20%) and Abengoa Solar (20%) will develop, build, operate and maintain the plant in Madinat Zayed, about 120 km south-west of Abu Dhabi. Shams 1 will be the largest CSP plant in the world, extending over an area of 2.5 square kilometres, with a capacity of about 100 MW and a solar field consisting of 768 parabolic trough collectors to be supplied by Abengoa Solar. Construction is set to begin during Q3 2010, and is expected to take about two years.

“The launch of Shams 1 marks a very important milestone for Masdar and for Abu Dhabi,” said Mas-

175 000 TONNES CO2 displaced a year

6 MEP Middle East | August 2010

Santiago Seage, Dr Sultan Al-Jaber and Philippe Boisseau

A rendering of the Shams 1 project

It is through such partnerships that Masdar will succeed in establishing Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a world leader in renewable energy and clean technology. “ – Dr Sultan Al-Jaber dar CEO Dr Sultan Al-Jaber. “I am very proud because this project, which will be the first utility-scale, commercial solar power project in the UAE, represents the translation into reality of the vision the Abu Dhabi leadership has for renewable energy in the Emirate.

“In addition, Shams 1 will allow Masdar to transfer to Abu Dhabi the know-how and expertise we have gained from our involvement in developing world-

class renewable energy projects abroad, thus not only opening the door for renewable energy projects in the UAE, but also for technology transfer, contributing towards the development of a knowledge-based economy and new job opportunities through the specialisations required to manage and operate the plant.

“I am delighted we are embarking on this journey together with our strategic partners Total

and Abengoa Solar, both of whom have tremendous experience and technical know-how in developing projects such as Shams 1.

“It is through such partnerships that Masdar will succeed in developing and advancing renewable energy solutions and establish Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a world leader in renewable energy and clean technology,” said Al-Jaber.

“By participating in this ambitious project alongside Masdar and Abengoa Solar, Total develops its solar energy assets, enriches its portfolio of expertise with this fi rst step in concentrated solar technology, and reaffi rms its unique partnership with Abu Dhabi,” commented Total Gas & Power president Philippe Boisseau.

Santiago Seage, CEO of Abengoa Solar, also expressed his satisfaction: “We have teamed with the most qualified partners in the region, Total and Masdar, to own and operate what will be the most advanced solar plant, featuring our cutting-edge technology.”

In turn, Michael Geyer, Abengoa Solar’s director of international development, highlighted the immense potential of building large-scale solar plants in the Middle East, a region that offers both an unlimited solar resource and infinite site locations for implementation of solar plants in its deserts.

Shams 1 is registered as a project under the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and is eligible for carbon credits. It is the fi rst CSP plant registered under the CDM and the second project registered for Masdar. The plant will displace approximately 175 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, equivalent to planting 1.5 million trees or removing 15 000 cars from Abu Dhabi’s roads. www.constructionweekonline.com

UPDATE

Jeddah tower contract awarded CONTRACTS

Drake & Scull Construction Saudi Arabia (DSC KSA) has clinched a SR450 million (AED440.7 million) contract for the Al Jawharah tower in Jeddah by developer DAMAC Properties.

Al Jawharah is a 42-storey building on the Jeddah Corniche.

It will include five-bedroom penthouses, as well as one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments across 87 000 m². Completion is expected in 28 months.

“Being awarded this project from such a prominent developer is a good indication that the newly-formed DSC KSA is off to an excellent start in the Kingdom,” said DSC KSA executive director Saleh Muradweij.

“We are working with DSI on a number of our projects in Dubai, and this project in Saudi Arabia

will further strengthen our working relationship,” said DAMAC Properties GM Ziad El-Chaar.

In other news, DSI has recently been awarded the contract for the complete MEP works for two major projects in Abu Dhabi, with a total value of AED 240 million.The Saadiyat Beach Apartments Plot SB19 project is being developed by the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC). It is scheduled for completion in December 2011.

DSI’s scope of work includes supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the entire scope of electro-mechanical works.

DSI will simultaneously commence with the complete MEP works for a prominent governmental building project that will be completed by June 2012. The total built-up area is 106 670 m².

Abu Dhabi ‘leads the way’ MARKETS

The last 18 months have been tough for construction in the region, but Abu Dhabi has “showcased environmental and economic sustainability.”

This was said by Ducab MD Andrew Shaw at a recent networking event for key clients in the construction and utilities sectors at the Yas Island Rotana Hotel.

Ducab itself has been active in the Emirate for many years, and

Times have been tough, says Shaw www.constructionweekonline.com

since 2001 has been managed as a 50/50 JV between the governments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Shaw said the company’s Abu Dhabi partnership has contributed greatly to developing both the company and the local economy.

Over 60% of Ducab’s capacity is manufactured out of Abu Dhabi, as three out of the five Ducab facilities are located there.

“Thought leadership is an important part of doing business, especially when it comes to infrastructure,” said Shaw. “It is our hope that encouraging businessto-business dialogue will ultimately bring to light new innovations.”

Ducab has supplied such projects as Yas Marina Circuit, Reem Island, Emirates Palace and a Green Diesel project with Takreer.

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August 2010 | MEP Middle East 7

UPDATE

ABB offers engineering scholarships Two promising UAE national students a year will be sponsored for Stockholm study SCHOLARSHIPS

AABB has joined forces with the Swedish Trade Council to offer talented Emirati graduates scholarships to cater to the growing demand for Emirati engineers in the UAE. Every year it will sponsor two promising UAE national students pursuing a degree in engineering to complete a Master’s degree in electrical engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, one of the largest and most prestigious technical universities in Sweden.

The first batch of students will commence the graduate programme in September 2011. The scholarship will cover all expenses, including accommodation, transportation, allowances, medical insurance and books. Students will also receive hands-on training at ABB’s facilities in Sweden.

“This scholarship programme

Swedish ambassador to the UAE Bruno Beijer and ABB region manager: India, Middle East and Africa Frank Duggan at the ‘scholarly’ launch event

will give aspiring UAE engineers a unique opportunity to develop their engineering skills and industry knowledge in a completely new environment,” said Jana Vasickova, human resources manager for ABB in the UAE. “In the UAE there is a huge demand for qualified Emirati engineers in all industry sectors, and this pro-

gramme will help ensure promising students have the skills and experience needed to succeed in the industry and contribute to the country’s long-term growth.

“We at ABB take great pride in the growth that we have been experiencing in the Middle East over the years, and this scholarship programme gives us a platform to

give back to the local community,” said Vasickova. This is the second time that the Swedish Trade Council (STC) is working with ABB on a scholarship programme in the Middle East aimed at promoting local engineering talent.

“We are delighted to cooperate with ABB as part of its corporate social responsibility programme in the region,” said Mats Paulson, head of Swedish Trade Council Middle East. “We hope that this scholarship program will evolve and spread to key countries in the Middle East as it will help talented young nationals across the region grow into tomorrow’s leaders in engineering.”

For more information on the programme, please contact Qudsia Jafar, ABB’s senior recruitment officer, at hr@ae.abb.com or on +9714 4241900.

Lennox in R&D drive

GE energy training centre for Saudi Arabia

R&D

TRAINING

The Lennox India Technology Centre (LITC) has been launched in Chennai, India to continue the company’s international R&D efforts in HVACR systems.

“This latest expansion of our technology footprint is consistent with our strategy of growth through leadership products and solutions in the global markets we serve,” said Lennox CEO Todd Bluedorn. US Consul General in Chennai Brian Dalton also attended the official inauguration.

The LITC will focus mainly on controls engineering, best practice analysis and information technology applications.

“It is expected to play a key role in the development and exchange of knowledge, expertise and best practices,” said Bluedorn.

GE is launching its first energy training centre in Saudi Arabia as part of the new GE Energy Manufacturing Technology Centre in Dammam. The new centre will join several other global energy training facilities established by GE in Europe, the US and China.

The Dammam centre is expected to be GE’s largest repair centre of excellence worldwide when completed, and will strengthen GE’s service capabilities in Saudi Arabia and the region. Developed in association with GE’s joint venture partner Ali A. Tamimi Co, the technology centre encompasses more than 10 000 m² and boosts advanced gas turbine services while reducing cycle time.

The new training centre will bring GE’s total investment in the

8 MEP Middle East | August 2010

Largest ‘repair centre of excellence’ worldwide upon its completion

GE nurturing Saudi talent, says Anis

Dammam site to about US$100 million. It will offer the latest technology and managerial courses for college students, field engineers and other power industry professionals throughout the region.

The technical education on offer is viewed as key to providing

young talent with the skills and qualifications to work with the latest advances in technology, quality and safety so they can help meet energy demands for Saudi Arabia and the region.

“Our commitment to Saudi Arabia includes the nurturing and development of local technical talent,” said Joseph Anis, GE Energy’s president for the Middle East. By sharing our technology expertise and experience with today’s promising power industry students and professionals, we believe we will be better able to meet the future needs of our power, water, oil and gas and industrial customers in the region. We feel this is a significant investment in the future of the Kingdom’s energy infrastructure.” www.constructionweekonline.com

UPDATE

KEO wins design contract for new Riyadh monorail Deliverables include total engineering design for train depot CONTRACT

KEO International Consultants has been awarded a contract by Saudi Oger to design the 3.5 km elevated rail viaducts, switch bridges, long span bridges and 131 piers supporting the monorail train system, Station 1 and the train maintenance depot for the new Riyadh monorail.

“KEO deliverables include the detailed design of over 30 bridges, as well as complete architectural and engineering design for the train maintenance depot and Station 1. KEO’s approach will carefully consider critical factors such as durability and maintenance, constructability, aesthetics, materials, economy of structural solution,

A rendering of the proposed new Riyadh monorail

and whole life-cycle costs,” PR and corporate branding director Brad Batcheller said in a statement.

KEO will team up with Bombardier, Freyssinet and Scott Wilson to deliver the project for Saudi Oger, which was awarded the contract by the Rayadah Investment

UAE, German system cuts water consumption by half

Company, the investment vehicle of the Public Pension Agency of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Design completion for the project is expected in 2011, with construction expected to be substantially finished in 2012.

A new water-saving system developed by a UAE company in collaboration with Germany promises to slash consumers’ water consumption by half.

This follows RAK Ceramics entering into a JV with Kludi of Germany to form Kludi RAK, a leading manufacturer of world-class bathroom fittings.

A key component of the new water-saving system is a pressurecompensating aerator, which ensures a constant flow of water even in cases when the water pressure is increased or fluctuates.

The company has also developed a new flow regulator, which it states maintains a defined flow rate regardless of pressure variation of the supply line.

Compared with conventional www.constructionweekonline.com

aerators, the new version also delivers several other advantages, including superior lime protection, damage-proof design, extended lifespan, perfect stream quality even under difficult water pressure conditions, and integrated anti-clogging dome screen that filters sediments and particles.

“Sub-standard faucets can potentially cause problems as they could be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, and may become rusty after a short period of use. With Kludi RAK’s latest innovation, home owners and commercial establishments can truly enjoy clean water and optimum water savings each time they use their faucets,” said RAK Ceramics CEO Dr. Khater Massaad. Kludi RAK a member of the Emirates Green Building Council.

DISTRIBUTOR

Terex Aerial Work Platforms (AWP), a business segment of the Terex Corporation, has signed an agreement with Rumaillah Motors to distribute Genie self-propelled scissor lifts, articulating and telescoping booms, telehandlers, portable material lifts, aerial work platforms, light towers and trailermounted booms.

As a full service provider, Rumaillah Motors will support Genie product line sales with preventative maintenance contracts to help maximise equipment up-time.

Rumaillah Motors GM Jim Elliot

SAS International opens its latest office in Dubai SUPPLIER

WATER-SAVING

Terex AWP Genie distributor for Qatar

SAS International, a leading manufacturer of metal ceilings, partitioning and doors, room comfort systems and architectural metalwork has opened a dedicated office and warehouse in Dubai Investment Park 2.

Having operated in the Middle East for over 30 years, SAS has supplied such landmark projects as the Aldar HQ, the main building at the Science and

An example of a suspended ceiling

Technology Park in Doha, and the H3SIXTY Business Centre in Bahrain.

The new office will be a hub for MENA and India for advising specifiers, contractors, consultants, developers and clients from initial concept through to installation. Other support services include design and technical solutions, training resources for contractors and sub-contractors, CPD presentations for architects and M&E consultants, and a dedicated mock-up area.

This is in addition to the SAS Abu Dhabi office, which has operated for two years. SAS International’s UK manufacturing facilities are accredited to ISO9001 & ISO14001 SAS International, widely known as leading manufacturer of interior building solutions.

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 9

UPDATE

New efficient ‘green’ business model Dubai company looks at doing business “in a slightly different way” with tripartite alliance ENERGY EFFICIENCY

A Dubai company specialising in LED lighting has entered into a tripartite alliance with Takasago Thermal Engineering, Japan’s largest HVAC specialist, and FuGu Energy, a fi rm focused on energy efficiency solutions. “We are looking at doing business in a slightly different way than what is the norm in Dubai, but we think it is the way forward at the moment,” says RWN Trading marketing director Carol Prince.

“We feel that working together makes us stronger and more confident. People are not spending money, and are being very cautious due to the current economic environment. We feel the market is best served with a tripartite association promoting sustainability than disparate companies going it alone.”

The advantage of the tripartite association for customers is it has inherent fl exibility to cater for a broad spectrum of needs and specifications. “We are able to look at the full spectrum of what companies need in terms of energy-saving initiatives, and then we slot in the best solution for them. This may range from optimising chiller systems to a simple lighting technology change, depending on the individual company,” says Prince.

Takasago is also hoping to apply its highly successful Japanese business model to Dubai.

Naohiro Yamamoto, senior manager from the technical department of the company’s Dubai branch, explains the company will assist with fi nancing solutions for companies wishing to introduce energy-saving initiatives. This will take the form of either appointing approved lenders, or approaching banks on behalf of customers.

“First we go to the site in 10 MEP Middle East | August 2010

EXAMPLES OF ENERGYEFFICIENCY INITIATIVES Chiller Systems • Smart chiller controller • Sub cool system • VSD chiller Chilled Water Systems • Variable flow

Carol Prince and Naohiro Yamamoto give the green light for energy efficiency

LED lighting offers comparable lux levels, but saves energy as well

We feel the market is best served with a tripartite association promoting sustainability than disparate companies going it alone. “ – Carol Prince question and conduct a very simple analysis. This forms the basis of an elementary proposal for potential energy-saving initiatives. If the client agrees to the proposal, we conduct a more detailed analysis. In parallel with this, we will approach an appropriate fi nancial entity to

arrange fi nancing for the suggested plan. It helps companies overcome the initial cost hurdle, while simultaneously allowing them to reap the energy benefits, which are guaranteed,” says Yamamoto.

Prince says the major stumbling blocks for sustainability

Condenser Water Systems • Cooling-tower blowdown recovery system • Wastewater purification

at the moment are changing the prevailing mindset towards looking at long-term benefits as opposed to initial once-off payments, and getting potential customers to appreciate the importance of saving energy.

“If you look at LED lighting versus traditional CFLs, the former reduce energy consumption by enabling companies to install lower-wattage systems with comparable lux levels. This, in turn, saves even more energy because the cooling load is reduced due to a drop in internal heat gain,” says Prince.

“However, the prevailing attitude is: why would I want to buy something more expensive?

The added maintenance and energy-saving benefits may make it seem like a no-brainer, but we have to get over the initial hiccup of the upfront capital outlay.

The difficulty has been changing people’s attitudes, as they are a bit lazy here about saving energy compared to Japan.”

Prince hopes RWN Trading’s link-up with Takasago and FuGu Energy will expose companies to a broader range of energysaving technologies. www.constructionweekonline.com

UPDATE

Trane controls efficiency Newly-launched Tracer ZN525 controller ensures energy efficiency HVAC

As a result of increasingly rigorous energy standards, terminal units using the energy-efficient electronic commutated (EC) fan motor technology are becoming a popular component of HVAC systems. The newly-launched Trane Tracer ZN525 controller ensures optimum energy efficiency, increases comfort and eliminates operating noise when combined with EC fan motor technology.

The Tracer ZN525 was developed to meet the specific comfort needs of hotels and office build-

ings, and is certified as a LonMark Space Comfort Controller type SCC 8501. The controller runs terminal units to adapt to the exact cooling and heating needs of individual zones or rooms in a building. As a result of cascade control based on room and discharge air temperature monitoring, this configuration avoids potential cold or hot air drafts to provide an even higher level of comfort.

The controller maximises the energy-efficiency of an EC fan motor terminal unit through fan speed optimisation and a random

EC FAN MOTOR TECHNOLOGY Trane is now applying innovative electronic commutation (EC) fan motor technology throughout its range of chilled water terminals.

This state-of-the-art technology offers office buildings and hotels substantial energy savings and improved user comfort.

EC motors using electronic commutation of motor windings require four times less energy (Watt) than conventional alternating current (AC) motors in the low-speed range. While AC fan motors run on fixed speeds, EC fan motors run at all speeds throughout the entire operating range of the unit, with the motor rpm-controlled via a 0 to 10 V signal from a unit controller. Without perceptible sound shift when modulating the fan speed to adapt to minimum cooling and heating load variations, increased acoustic and thermal comfort are immediate benefits.

Trane has incorporated the new technology into three types of terminal units: the new horizontal concealed fan coil FED and U-Line units, and the chilled water cassette CWE. The FED is a straightthrough fan coil unit that offers up to 100 Pa of static pressure within several configurations of coils, plenums, electric heaters and water valves from 0.6 to 4.0 kW within a range of four sizes. The U-Line models’ innovative ‘u-turn’ airflow pattern ideally fits buildings where individual offices of 10 to 30 m² are grouped along a building’s perimeter. Both FED and U-Line have a slim shape (225 mm high), which makes them ideally suited for concealed installation.

The third Trane terminal unit with CE fan motor technology, the new chilled water cassette CWE, ranges from 1.5 to 11 kW and comes in five sizes. With its smart and discreet front, the system fits seamlessly in all kinds of suspended ceilings in retail or office buildings.

The new terminal units can be factory-mounted and configured with the Trane Tracer TM ZN525 controller. The new controller maximizes EC fan motor technology performance by providing an average of 5% additional power consumption savings on an annual basis.

It also controls the fan speed to adapt to exact cooling and heating loads of individual rooms or zones in the building, improving room temperature and acoustic comfort.

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start function to limit power-up demand. Limiting demand of electric heaters avoids peak time tariff periods for further energy savings.

Additionally, a window contact switches off the heating/cooling unit when a window is opened.

Sound levels are reduced significantly with the Tracer ZN525 intelligent fan speed and valve control, ensuring that up to 40% of nominal capacity is available at low fan speed. The controller also allows for fan cycling, which turns the fan off whenever zone temperature is at optimum comfort level.

“Comfort is key for hotels and offices,” said Franck Biegalke, applied integrated systems leader for Trane Europe, Middle East, India and Africa. “The Tracer ZN525 is an important component of a high-performance room comfort system because it integrates seamlessly into a complete BMS architecture.”

To reduce on-site commissioning time and maximise assembly quality, the Tracer ZN525 can be factory-mounted on all Trane chilled water terminal units equipped with EC fan motor technology. This includes the EC fan motor fan coil units and cassettes, chilled beams and chilled ceilings.

As such, the Tracer ZN525 controls two- or four-pipe units, with or without electric heaters, and optimises performance with either floating or thermal valve actuators. The Tracer ZN525 is also offered as a field-installed controller.

The controller is a compact unit with an embedded 230 VAC power supply. DIN-rail or screw mounting, removable terminal strips and a configuration tool ensure quick and easy installation. The Tracer ZN525 can be part of a fully integrated Trane room comfort solution in combination with lighting and sun blind controllers Tracer EXL and Tracer EXB. The controller is also compatible with the Trane wall interfaces range.

EVENTS DBX KURDISTAN INTERNATIONAL EXPO DAHUK 1-4 August Dahuk International Expo, Iraq Architects, builders merchants, civil and consulting engineers, financiers, government departments to developers and specifiers. www.salehoo.com/tradeshows/iraq JORDAN BUILD 2-5 August Amman Exhibitions Park, Jordan Catering for the full spectrum of construction/building professionals, from bricklayers, roofers, electricians and plumbers to architects, speciers, contractors and clients. www.jordanbuild.com

CONSTRUCT EXHIBITION 2010 13-15 August Sri Lanka Exhibition & Convention Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka’s largest and most influential construction industry related exhibition brings together the entire value chain under one roof. www.constructexhibition.com SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL & INDOOR DECORATION EXHIBITION 17-20 August Shanghai New International Expo Centre, China Construction materials for commercial buildings, cultural and public facilities, homes and office buildings. Also equipment, building techniques, tools and software. www.glassinchina.com

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 11

GLOBAL NEWS

UNITED STATES

UNITED KINGDOM

SAUDI ARABIA

The completion of a newly redesigned, energy-efficient air-con system at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam’s Building 1770 culminated end June with training for the maintenance workers who will work on the new system. It was determined that new technology and a redesign of the system would create a much more comfortable and affordable working environment, and which will save the US Navy more than US$92 000 in energy costs annually.

Manchester Airport is using high-level fire performance cables from AEI Cables to ensure the performance of its critical voice alarm systems.

The overhaul of the life safety systems in Terminal One represented the first and most important phase of a £35million radical revamp of the site.

With 107 check-in desks, T1 is Manchester Airport’s biggest and busiest terminal, and a powerful new 64-zone voice alarm using AEI’s Firetec Enhanced Cables was required to replace the existing system.

Millennium Energy Industries (MEI) has been awarded a design-and-build contract for a solar district hot water project at the US$11 billion Princess Noura Bint Abdurrahman University for Women (PNUW) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is believed to be the largest solar district hot water project in the world.

MEI is sub-contractor to a JV between El-Seif Contracting and Consolidated Contracting Company (CCC), which are responsible for implementing the infrastructure works (Package 3) of the PNUW project, with Dar Al Handaseh as the supervising design and MEP consultant.

SOUTH AFRICA

CHINA

An initiative to salvage the tainted image of South African plumbers as a result of poor customer service delivery from unqualified and non-registered plumbers has been launched. The Plumber of the Year 2010 competition, which will honour the best plumber, plumbing business and learner plumber, is a Plumbing Africa initiative endorsed by the Plumbing Institute of South Africa, Plasma, Polymer Hot and Cold Association, Copper Development Association and South African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers’ Association and the Plumbing Industry Registration Board. The awards will be presented at the Plumdrain Africa Show, part of the Interbuild Africa 2010 exhibition, to be held at the MTN Expo Centre in Nasrec, Johannesburg from September 8 to 11.

Western countries could learn a great deal from Chinese R&D into wastewater management. If engineering solutions can be found to reuse gray and black water rather than lose it to drainage, there is a great opportunity to reduce the consumption of primary potable water. Professor Siqing Xia of Tongji University has created a small-scale toilet-to-tap treatment plant on campus. The plant turns wastewater from the College of Environmental Science and Engineering’s laboratory into pure potable water. This water is used for a number of purposes around campus, including scientific procedures and irrigation of the surrounding landscape.

12 MEP Middle East | August 2010

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NEWS ANALYSIS

Report: LEED buildings are ‘unhealthy’ Call for urgent need to include human health in the definition of what it means to be ‘green’ ENERGY EFFICIENCY

A new report from Environment & Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) of the US argues that the USGBC’s LEED rating system favours energy efficiency over indoor environmental quality.

“There is an urgent need to include human health in the definition of what it means to be ‘green’ or environmentally responsible,” said Dr. Peter Rabinowitz, director of Clinical Services at Yale School of Medicine’s Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Many corporations and other institutions have adopted LEED standards without fully understanding that energy-conservation efforts often reduce the exchange of indoor and outdoor air, which can cause synthetic chemicals to concentrate within buildings.

“EHHI is especially concerned that the LEED programme is now providing the false impression that the buildings it certifies protect human health. LEED’s highest rating, Platinum, is attainable without earning any credits for indoor air quality protection,” EHHI states in a press release.

“Although LEED has effectively encouraged energy efficiency in buildings, tighter buildings often concentrate chemicals released from building materials, cleaning supplies, fuel combustion, pesticides and other hazardous substances,” said John Wargo, lead author of the study, and Professor of Risk Analysis and Environmental Policy at Yale University in the US. 14 MEP Middle East | August 2010

of the The cover

EHHI repor

This includes substances common in building materials, like phthalates (used in floor and wall coverings); short-chain chlorinated paraffins (used in flame retardants); and perfluorinated chemicals (used in carpets and upholstery). All of these are listed as ‘chemicals of concern’, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

“The underlying problem is that thousands of different chemicals, many of them well recognised to be hazardous, are allowed to become components of building materials. Very few of these chemicals have been tested to identify their toxicity, environmental fate or the danger they pose to human health.

“Although the primary stated purposes of the USGBC are to promote both energy efficiency and human health, even its most

t

prestigious Platinum award does little to ensure that hazardous chemicals are kept out of certified buildings,” said Wargo.

“LEED needs to be amended to better account for the potential health hazards of the toxic chemicals used in modern building materials. Energy efficiency and sustainability are laudable goals, and LEED has done much to advance them. But health is important, too, and now it needs to receive careful consideration in building design,” said Dr. Philip Landrigan, Ethel H. Wise Professor and chairman, Department of Preventive Medicine, at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, who reviewed the report.

“Green building technologies — even while they bring important energy benefits — have

the potential to jeopardise the indoor air we breathe, the water we drink and the overall safety of our habitats. This is a timely lesson,” said Dr. Mark Cullen, Chief of Internal Medicine at Stanford University Medical School, who also reviewed the report.

In response to the report, USGBC senior VP Scot Horst said: “There is validity in what these people are saying, and we want to work with them to improve LEED. LEED could say there should be no chemicals in any building and no energy used and no water, and every building should give back water and energy. We could do all that, and no one would use the rating system. We can only take the market as far as it is ultimately willing to go.”

EHHI is a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting human health from environmental harms through research, education and the promotion of sound public policy.

It comprises doctors, public health professionals and policy experts committed to the reduction of environmental health risks to individuals.

ISSUES ARISING FROM THE REPORT • The LEED credit system is heavily weighted to encourage energyefficient building performance. Nearly four times as many credits are awarded as energy conservation technologies and designs (35 possible credits) as for protection of indoor environmental quality from hazardous chemicals (8 possible credits).

• It is possible for new construction to be certified at the ‘platinum’ level with no credits awarded for air quality assurance in the category ‘indoor environmental quality’.

• The only drinking water quality assurance that LEED requires is compliance with federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) standards.

Yet these standards are widely recognised to allow human exposure to hazardous chemicals above ‘maximum contamination limits’ set to protect human health.

• LEED neglects to address the occupational chemical risks faced by workers who manufacture building products, cleaning products and furnishings.

www.constructionweekonline.com

NEWS ANALYSIS

The return of wind towers The answer to energy-free air-con is literally blowing in the wind, says Dr Ben Richards Hughes of Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus R&D

The way in which we use energy in construction has a direct impact on global warming through carbon dioxide emissions. Designers, engineers and architects are under increasing pressure to build sustainable structures.

However, we often overlook successful methods used in the past in pursuit of future technologies.

“Before inventing or proposing new mechanical solutions, traditional solutions in vernacular architecture should be evaluated and then adopted or modified and developed to make them compatible with modern requirements,” Haasan Fathy.

Buildings account for up to 40% of the world’s energy use. Breaking that figure down further, 60% of the total energy consumption of buildings is in the HVAC sector. In the UAE, the air-conditioning units in commercial and domestic dwellings are a major contributor to the total carbon dioxide emissions. However, this was not always the case.

Middle Eastern architecture has matured over time, shaped by the hot acrid climate. The Malgalf or wind tower adorned traditional buildings. These were used to trap cooler air at a high level to deliver to the occupants at a low level, often through wa-

ter reservoirs so as to regulate humidity. This method offered comfortable indoor conditions at zero cost to the environment and the user. With the advancement of construction techniques and technologies, these systems have been phased out in favour of mechanical systems consuming large amounts of energy.

However, this traditional technique has been developed and applied to modern equivalents, with considerable success in Europe, where the climate is less susceptible to large temperature variations. The wind vents are designed to suit the aesthetics of the building, but function in the same way, trapping air at high level and delivering to the occupants below. The wind vent contains an internal structure that divides the duct into quadrants, thus providing a delivery flow irrespective of wind direction. The remaining quadrants are used as exhaust chambers for stale or used air.

The patented technology uses solardriven internal fans to ensure a consistent stream of ventilated air, and therefore energy consumption is nil. Air is captured at high level and channelled down

The use of natural air for ventilating occupied spaces gives the opportunity to reduce or eliminate the healthrelated complaints of HVAC users.“ www.constructionweekonline.com

into the building below through existing ductwork and ventilation delivery points; hence retrofitting to existing structures is an option. The device is low-cost, and the simplicity of the system ensures minimum maintenance.

Adapting this technology to the climatic challenges of the UAE offers a significant opportunity for energy reduction, and to an overall reduction in carbon dioxide emissions for the region. Preliminary investigations utilising Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation models of the technology in the UAE climate have been carried out by HeriotWatt University, Dubai Campus.

The studies have demonstrated the potential for modern wind towers to be implemented into both residential dwellings and commercial structures. Following the success of this study, full-scale field testing is now expected to commence in the latter half of the year.

Adapting this existing European system to meet the occupancy comfort demands here in the UAE requires the integration of a cooling system. Providing cooling without using me-

chanical methods or energy consuming techniques is a complex task. However, a year-long study into energy-free cooling devices has yielded several alternatives which may offer the equivalent of energy free air-conditioning to new build and pre-existing structures.

The benefits of the system are not only in energy consumption and carbon dioxide reduction.

The use of natural air for ventilating occupied spaces provides the opportunity to reduce or eliminate the health-related complaints encountered by HVAC users. Numerous studies in Europe and worldwide have lauded the health benefits of natural ventilation over mechanical methods.

Thus the system may offer cleaner and healthier environment for UAE citizens.

These developments may lead to the fi rst genuinely energy-free air-conditioning, which means exciting times for the UAE. Thus it could be that the next step in zero carbon construction is already here, and always has been …

Dr Ben Richard Hughes is the Research Project Outreach Co-Ordinator for Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus. He has spent 16 years as a mechanical engineer, from apprentice to doctorate, and in 2009 was elected as a Sir Joseph Whitworth Scholar in recognition of this achievement.

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 15

NEWS ANALYSIS

New air-con slashes energy costs Combines desiccant and evaporative cooling benefits; uses salt solution instead of refrigerants AIR-CON

A new air-con uses salt solutions instead of refrigerants, thus eliminating greenhouse gas emission concerns, and a thermally-activated absorption cycle that can slash the electricity needed to run the refrigeration cycle by 50% to 90%. It can also be powered by natural gas or solar energy. The technology has been patented by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Combining the benefits of desiccant and evaporative cooling has long posed a formidable challenge. In a hot and humid region like Dubai, evaporative cooling can reduce the temperature, but not enough to make it pleasant at the height of summer.

Hence refrigeration-based air-con remains the most effective means of keeping cool, but in Dubai it uses up to 70% of the total electricity output in the region. The strain on electricity resources has been seen recently with record temperatures in Kuwait, together with record power consumption levels that could see the introduction of mandatory power cuts in that country.

The DEVap, which stands for desiccant-enhanced evaporative air-conditioner, uses membrane technology to combine the effi ciency of evaporative cooling and the drying potential of liquid desiccant salt solutions. Evaporative coolers are a lower-cost alternative to air-con in dry climates that do not get too hot or humid. Water flows over a mesh, and a fan blows air through the wet mesh to create humid, cool air. In humid climes, adding water to the air creates a hot and sticky building environment. Furthermore, the air cannot absorb enough water to become cold.

However, the DEVap is said to solve that particular problem by 16 MEP Middle East | August 2010

The idea is to revolutionise cooling, while removing millions of –Eric KozubalMekky metric tons of carbon from the air. “ relying on the desiccants’ capacity to create dry air using heat and evaporative coolers’ capacity to take dry air and make cold air.

“The concept of combining the two is by no means novel, but no one has been able to come up with a practical and cost-effective way to do it,” said NREL mechanical engineer Eric Kozubal.

“The idea is to revolutionise cooling, while removing millions of metric tons of carbon from the air. We had been working with membranes, evaporative coolers and desiccants, and saw an opportunity to combine them into a single device for a product with unique capabilities.”

NREL used desiccants consisting of highly-concentrated aqueous salt solutions of lithium chloride or calcium chloride. These have a high affinity for water vapour, and can thus create very dry air. Due to the complexity of desiccant cooling systems, they

have traditionally only been used in industrial drying processes.

Inventing a device simple enough for easy installation and maintenance has hampered desiccant cooling in the commercial and residential markets.

To solve that problem, the NREL device uses thin membranes that simplify the process of integrating airflow, desiccants and evaporative cooling. These result in an air-con system that is said to provide superior comfort and humidity control.

The membranes in the DEVap air-con are hydrophobic, which means water tends to bead up rather than soak through the membranes. That property allows the membranes to control the liquid flows within the cooling core.

“It is that property that keeps the water and the desiccant separated from the air stream. We bring the water and liquid desiccant into DEVap’s heat-mass exchanger

core. The desiccant and evaporative cooling effect together create cold-dry air,” explained Kozubal.

The air is cooled and dried from a hot-humid condition to a cold and dry condition all in one step.

This all happens in a fraction of a second as air flows through the DEVap air-con. The result is an air-conditioner that controls both thermal and humidity loads.

Kozubal expects that, over the next couple of years, he will be working on making the device smaller and simpler, and perfecting the heat transfer to make DEVap even more cost-effective.

NREL said it will ultimately license the technology to industry.

“We would like to work with manufacturers to bring DEVap to market and create a more efficient and environmentally-benign airconditioning product,” said Ron Judkoff, principle programme manager for Building Energy Research at NREL. www.constructionweekonline.com

NEWS ANALYSIS

Integrated design a major challenge ASHRAE’s first female president advocates ‘Modelling A Sustainable World’ as way forward ASHRAE

The traditional approach whereby an architect designs a building’s shape, orientation and envelope, and then transmits these drawings to the mechanical and electrical engineers “misses rich opportunities for optimising building performance via an initial collaborative approach.”

This is the message from newly-inaugurated ASHRAE president Lynn G. Bellenger, the fi rst female president in the society’s 116-year history. A buildingenergy modelling professional and a high-performance building design professional, Bellenger is from Pathfinder Engineers & Architects in Rochester, New York.

“It is going to require a real cultural shift in our industry to transform the design process, and it is a shift that has to occur if we are going to reach our goal of net-zero-energy buildings,” is the message of Bellenger’s presidential theme, entitled ‘Modelling Modelling a Sustainable World’.

In energy simulation, daylight analysis, CFD and BIM software, “we have powerful modelling tools that enable us to create and refine our vision of a building – its appearance, systems, op-

eration and performance. “Those resources, used effectively in an integrated design process for new buildings and in analysing retrofit opportunities in existing buildings, will help us guide building owners, architects, developers and contractors in building orientation, shading and shape and in selecting materials, windows, equipment and systems that optimise building performance.”

Bellenger said that, traditionally, designers constructed physical models of major projects to illustrate their concept of the

The most valuable lesson we can share is that buildings operate as systems rather than a collection of components.“ building’s form and appearance.

These scale models took days and weeks to prepare and, once completed, could only be changed with great difficulty. “Today we have the tools to create a virtual model that can be completed commore pletely, and can be modified easily to consider options in size,

Bellenger’s mission is to transform the design profession

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shape and appearance. But far more than just being a visual representation, our models can simulate energy performance, access daylighting options and predict thermal comfort.

“To exploit the full capability of these modelling tools, we must transform our design approach from a sequential approach – where one discipline completes its work and hands off the design to the next, to a collaborative process – where all of the disciplines involved in the building design and construction work as a team

from the beginning to evaluate options and optimise the design.

“Integrated building design required thinking about the building and its elements as interlinked and interdependent systems, so that a single design refinement may simultaneously improve performance of several building systems.”

Bellenger said “our biggest challenge is implementing integrated design in daily practice.

Numerous studies of unsuccessful projects can trace the project failure to a lack of communication between the architect and the engineer; between the mechanical and electrical engineer; between the engineer and the contractor.

“To succeed in the twenty-fi rst century, it is imperative that we cultivate strong communication skills and embrace collaboration with the design team as the only way to optimise building performance,” said Bellenger.

“Our members need educational programmes on how to accurately and efficiently model new and existing buildings, and how to interpret the results. We must provide training on modelling existing buildings and calibrating those models without compromising integrity. We have to develop techniques to model innovative HVAC systems.

“And, above all, we must look at buildings as systems, and expand our understanding of building science beyond HVACR. To become experts in high-performance buildings, we must improve our knowledge of building envelope performance, thermal mass effect in buildings, passive solar, daylighting, human comfort and much more,” concluded Bellenger.

PLUG AND PROCESS LOADS As the envelope, lighting and HVAC loads diminish, the remaining loads become important. A realistic estimate of plug and process loads is critical to optimise HVAC system sizing and performance during design.

It is also essential to control after occupancy. Consider an office building that has a daytime plug load of 1 W/ft². If 10% of the equipment remains on at night, then the annual energy-use

intensity for those plug loads is roughly 5 kBtu/ft². But if 30% of the equipment remains on during unoccupied hours, the energy use almost doubles.

In future zero-energy buildings, plug and process loads are expected to be the largest energy end use. Owners and occupants have to understand the negative impact of failing to control plug and process loads during unoccupied hours.

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 17

THE BIG INTERVIEW

The green bottom line Green buildings are not only more energy efďŹ cient, but are also healthier and improve worker productivity, which impacts directly on a company’s bottom line. MEP Middle East speaks to Buro Happold principal Kevin Mitchell.

18 MEP Middle East | August 2010

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

itchell began his career in the UK with a general MEP engineering consultancy. “I was really lucky as a young engineer to get involved in a broad range of projects, from healthcare to education, spanning large new-builds to very small projects. I spent part of the first eight months of my life as a consulting engineer on-site, so I got to see everything hands-on and exactly how things all fit together.” Mitchell recalls , as a 21-year-old, learning some very pointed lessons from a 60-year-old foreman who said: “This is what 8˝ pipework looks like; you have drawn it ten metres in the air. How am I going to get it up there?” .

“From my graduate training I went into the R&D side. I was really fortunate to work under Terry Wyatt, ultimately one of the presidents of CIBSE in the UK, for about five years.” Mitchell says his research focused on technologies such as chilled beams and displacement ventilation, which at the time had only just been introduced to the UK market from Scandinavia. Similar to the Middle East, where this technology is only now starting to make inroads, it was faced with a different set of climate and humidity challenges.

“There was reluctance from many users and building owners, and especially developers in the UK, to adopt this technology into commercial office space. How do you rent the space? How will the market and the tenants react?” says Mitchell. His research on chilled beams and displacement ventilation focused on the potential of weatherproof, comfortable environments to boost business productivity. “If your employees are sick 15% of the time, and you can reduce that rate by 5%, you add 5% to the bottom line of your business.”

Mitchell was then introduced to multidisciplinary engineering and the concept of integrated design, a key component of green building, an area that the Middle East market is focusing on at the moment.

An important element of integrated design is engaging with “the user groups who are ultimately going to utilise the facility” so as to ensure their specific needs are met. This lead to a stint of healthcare and scientifictype projects for large pharmaceutical com-

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panies, such as laboratories, R&D centres and Greenfield hospitals in the £200 million bracket. “I guess this is where my heart lies, in the holistic design side of the industry,” concludes Mitchell.

Subsequently he worked in Canada from 2001 to 2005. “Culturally and business-wise I found it much more focused and very much more direct. The best way I can describe it really is that the Canadian market is a mixture between that of the American and the English. You had the North American commercial approach that was direct and taskfocused, combined with the UK approach of analysing and prototyping. Importantly for me, it also was a multi-disciplinary, holistic design approach,” says Mitchell.

During this time he became involved in client relationship management. “As we all do in the course of our careers, we move from the technical side towards more client interaction. I picked up a couple of quite largescale client relationships in North America.

That is when he made the move to Buro Happold, a major player in the Middle East for 30 years with a name built on strong relationships, “and of course a great reputation for delivering quality engineering solutions on really exciting projects as well. The combination of the lure of the projects in the Middle East and working with a practice like Buro Happold was really exciting for me.”

Mitchell has been in the Middle East for two years now, but is not ready to leave just yet … “To be honest, with the excitement of the projects here and the long-term future for all of us in the Middle East, I cannot see myself moving for a long time. I do not think boredom will set in any time soon.” Interestingly, his initial research interests are now standing him in good stead in this market.

“My MSc in Energy Engineering was developed from the MSc in Building Services Engineering. I completed the degree from 2004 to 2006 under the direction of Professor Tim Dwyer, who is also a director-at-large

There are huge opportunities here for harnessing solar power, both at a local and macro level. This is where I think the MEP sector really has an opportunity – I would say almost a responsibility – to make headway here. “ Again a particular cultural characteristic of this market is that it is very strong on relationships. If you tell your client you are going to do something, it is a personal commitment, and you certainly never let your client down,” says Mitchell. This is also highly relevant for the Middle East market, he adds.

Mitchell then returned to the UK market as key account manager for various transportation clients, for projects such as runway and lighting system refurbishment at major airports, which posed particular logistical and safety challenges. Three years later he was ready for the next challenge … “What was going on in the Middle East at the time, and still is to a certain extent, was quite fascinating.

“What brought me here, quite honestly, were the fabulous projects and the great challenges associated with them. I guess for all of us in our lifetimes there are going to be certain career opportunities and certain hotspots in the world, and for me, as I am sure for lots of other people, the Middle East presented an opportunity I could not resist,” says Mitchell. “What excites me is the big challenge – be it technical, relationship or logistical.”

with ASHRAE. The course focused on the impact that MEP and building design has on energy usage, and the influence we all can have on energy consumption and conservation in the built environment, which accounts for such a large proportion of global energy use. We looked at energy use from a built environment perspective as well as from the macro or global scale. This was not nearly as hot a topic then as it is now,” says Mitchell.

“Personally I am really encouraged at how receptive the Middle East and our clients are to new technologies and innovations. There are obviously some technical concerns, especially with chilled beams and the high humidity levels here, but those issues can be engineered around through good design, and good maintenance and control systems especially. So I think we are seeing a pick up in those technologies.

“Certainly the benefits to the occupants are global, regardless of the location of the facility. Occupants in general will have a far more comfortable environment and, I believe, because of this productivity will be boosted. Certainly I believe the flexibility of the space will be far greater, which will benefit landlords as well.” An added advanAugust 2010 | MEP Middle East 19

THE BIG INTERVIEW tage of chilled beams in particular is that the technology can be easily retrofitted to existing buildings, with reduced noise levels and less maintenance as added benefits.

“Post-handover and maintenance are key issues. Again it is good to see a lot of clients and designers focusing on these aspects of design and construction, together with lifecycle costing. It is not just a first-cost consideration anymore – maintenance, running costs and ultimately refurbishment and renewal have to be taken into account as well.

This has meant there are some fantastic developments taking place at the moment,” says Mitchell.

“Here where you have everything from the tallest building in the world to giant land reclamation projects such as Wadi Hanifah, which we recently completed, a constant challenge is innovation and embracing new technologies. The climate also poses particular challenges in terms of MEP engineering, especially for sustainability.

“A lot of outsiders say it is not sustainable to build here, but they have not had the opportunity to live and work in the Middle East and see all the good things going on here,” says Mitchell. This also extends to the ongoing investment in infrastructure for the public realm, which is particularly prevalent in the region.

“The focus on investing in infrastructure – social infrastructure as well as highways, etc. – is fabulous, with the overall aim of making communities and the entire society more attractive and habitable throughout the year. We are currently working in conjunction with the Municipality of Jeddah on the Jeddah strategic plan. The city is set to double in the next 20 years, but we are supporting the city to develop and implement a set of strategic planning tools to manage the city’s growth in a sustainable way.”

One of these new opportunities is an increased focus on sustainability. “The launch of Estidama and the creation of the Pearl rating system in Abu Dhabi have provided an excellent focal point for sustainability, and I am sure Dubai’s green building regulations will follow suit.” Mitchell says a particular benefit of Pearl is that it can be adapted to local conditions, “rather than trying to supplant another rating system onto the region, which is always a tricky fit.” Mitchell says sustainability also poses particular challenges in terms of power and water infrastructure.

“Obviously we are coming up to full summer now, so the main infrastructure systems will be under tremendous strain. Abu Dhabi, for example, is creating awareness by install20 MEP Middle East | August 2010

ing water-saving devices in villas. With great challenges, comes an even greater opportunity for innovation as it really forces the issue. The necessary investment for nuclear power generation has been committed, so there is a great mix of short-term, interim and long-term initiatives at the moment,” says Mitchell.

A good approach to inculcating a policy of ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ is “through better design of facilities and the systems that service those facilities, as well as better control and management.

“How are those systems used in reality? I believe post-occupancy, again, is a huge opportunity for us an industry in the region.”

This touches on the highly relevant topic of renewables, which Mitchell says is an important growth area.

“There are huge opportunities here for harnessing solar power, both at a local and macro level. Take solar water heating: such a large proportion of our residential building stock use electric water heaters, which place a huge demand on the power infrastructure.

A gradual phasing-in of solar water heating for residential use will make a huge difference,” says Mitchell.

“This is where I think the MEP sector really has an opportunity – I would say almost a responsibility – to make headway here. We have service providers for district cooling, but it would be great to see power generation at a community level, utilising solar or related applications. For example, we have a huge landfill space problem, so there is potential for waste-to-heat and ultimately using that heat to generate electricity.”

However, Mitchell cautions that these myriad opportunities need to be channelled properly for maximum effect. “The challenge for community, society and ultimately government is how to co-ordinate all these efforts. I think the UAE and the Middle East as a whole has a great opportunity in this regard. A lot of these measures are not being implemented unfortunately, and we as a profession and the MEP sector have to work as hard as possible to encourage this and to demonstrate the benefits.”

‘ZERO-E’ TO LEAD ZERO CARBON ECONOMY DRIVE

Design practice Woods Bagot and multidisciplinary engineering consultancy Buro Happold have announced ‘Zero Emissions Design’ (ZERO-E), a new model for large-scale sustainable development that significantly advances the construction industry’s contribution to realising a zero carbon economy by 2050.

Involving the expertise of multi-disciplinary teams, underpinned by cutting-edge parametric technologies and based on a comprehensive approach to sustainability, ZERO-E was created to deliver on the promise of zero-carbon and zero-emissions development. While current approaches to sustainable development reduce the environmental harm caused by the construction and operation of new buildings, ZERO-E goes beyond reducing the impact of new development to creating buildings that contribute to the healing of compromised human and ecological systems.

The joint initiative represents an emerging,

revolutionary approach to sustainable design, and challenges the industry to fulfill its leadership role in support of the UN Compact on climate change and China’s commitment, made in November 2009, to reducing carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40% to 45% by the year 2020, compared with 2005 levels. As its test case, the joint team has chosen a typical development type for China.

“The construction industry has known for some time that increasing the sustainability of buildings and cities is key to turning the tide on climate change. This joint initiative is not only an entirely new model for sustainable design, it is also a call to action and an invitation to our development and construction partners to join us,” said Woods Bagot CEO and global executive chairman Ross Donaldson.

“As an industry we must take urgent steps to change the planning, design and construction of the built environment if we are to help deliver a zero-carbon global economy,” said Buro Happold MD Gavin Thompson.

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PROFILE

Going up Al-Futtaim Engineering (AFE) Elevator Division GM Syed Shamsul Haq talks about upwards growth in Abu Dhabi, and the latest developments in vertical transportation. here are six divisions within AFE, namely elevators, building products, security and LV systems, scaffolding and formwork, MEP and air-con. Established in 1973, air-con is the oldest division, followed closely by elevators in 1974 when AFE clinched the Hitachi agency. “It was v e r y progressive of us to anticipate the demand for elevators and escalators for high-rise buildings in Dubai, although we could not have anticipated the extent of the construction boom that was to follow,” says Shamsul Haq. The growth of the Elevator Division has chronicled Dubai’s development, from the Chambers of Commerce

22 MEP Middle East | August 2010

building to Atlantis on Palm Jumeirah. Even though the global financial crisis has had a major impact on the construction industry in Dubai, in particular, Shamsul Haq says there is still work to be had. “Dubai’s construction sector is not dead. You have to be selective, but there are good projects still out there.” He points to the Elevator Division’s ongoing involvement at Hotel JAL Tower and Al Hikma Tower, all on Sheikh Zayed Road, and The Address Hotel at Dubai Mall.

“Dubai is not as it was before, but there is still work. Dubai passed through a period which was a bit unnatural to the extent of there being too much work. Companies had to pass through this phase without really getting to grips with the work that had to be done. So in a sense this is now the time to learn from past experience and prepare, which is how we are approaching it. We are looking at our strengths and weaknesses, and how we can improve upon areas where we are lacking,” says Shamsul Haq.

Has the downturn meant the end of the trend of high-rise buildings? “If you look at the bigger picture, at the GCC level, definitely overall there are more high-rises now than there were in 2006. Qatar and Saudi Arabia have a lot of high-rise projects. So the trend will continue,” is Shamsul Haq’s firm prediction. “It is quite natural to have a construction boom followed by a lull in activity. In one area there will be saturation, and in another area opportunity.”

He says Abu Dhabi went through a similar experience of a decline in construction activity, while Dubai was booming. “Dubai is relatively quiet now, while our major activity is in Abu Dhabi. We are supplying 50 elevators and escalators, including many high-speed elevators to Nation Towers on the Corniche, and we also have the Investment Corporation Headquarters coming up. We are also involved at Masdar University,” says Shamsul Haq. Explaining how the division operates, he says it sources products for individual projects according to specific requirements. “We are at the high end of the market, involved with complex and demanding projects, so it is not a cookie-cutter approach whereby we buy 20 elevator kits to fit in here and there. There is a product in that range, but that is for home-style elevators, another market segment.

“Mostly elevators are custom-made for particular projects. Hotels have their own requirements, while shopping malls will have different needs. This is really the ambit of the consultants, but we get involved here as well, assisting them in the design and traffic-analysis stage, determining how many elevators are needed, and what capacity and speeds.”

Shamsul Haq says the first question that needs to be addressed is simply: how many elevators will be sufficient? “For the same number of people, for example, depending on the utility of the project, different models, types and speeds of elevators will be required.” He cites a recent five-star hotel project in Makkah, Saudi Arabia as to the importance of understanding specific customer needs.

In terms of the actual traffic analysis, the www.constructionweekonline.com

PROFILE numbers rose slowly in the afternoon and then tapered off in the early evening as customers checked in, and then rose again in the early morning as customers checked out.

Now while a five-star hotel in Dubai is comparable to a five-star hotel in Los Angeles, it is totally different in Makkah, where the call to prayer or Azan means the entire hotel has to be evacuated five times a day within a 20 to 30 minute window period.

“If it is not done properly at the design stage, not much can be done later on, as the structure has already been completed. In terms of the Makkah project, the elevator supplier was requested afterwards to supply additional elevators, which posed particular problems in terms of access and optimisation. Thus it is very important to understand the exact nature of the customer’s requirements from the outset,” says Shamsul Haq. This implies a very close working relationship with clients. “Our relationship is not a once-off. We always think in terms of the entire lifespan of a project, which could mean serving the same customer for 30 years. We do not sell and then go away. We stay with the customer to ensure a safe, reliable and comfortable service over the long term.”

Shamsul Haq maintains “it is the aftersales support that determines the overall quality.

Total quality is determined by the product quality, the installation quality and the maintenance quality. The customer’s final experience is a combination of all three of these elements.

The product has to be well engineered, the installation has to be executed professionally, and proper aftersales maintenance and support have to be provided. That makes up the totality of the customer’s experience.”

The Elevator Division “has a huge maintenance structure in terms of engineers and technicians, and providing proper training.

This is a highly specialised area, which is why we only maintain products that we are the agents for, where we are confident we can provide a service that will let the customer sleep well at night and not have to worry. Some companies do try and maintain other brands. We know the challenges in maintaining and keeping our own elevators in perfect condition, and the technical skills required.”

This is also due to the safety-critical nature of elevators. “In our business, safety is abso-

18 M/SEC Fastest elevator in the world

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lute. If air-con breaks down, it is uncomfortable but not life-threatening. Therefore we have to ensure our elevators are maintained properly, using genuine parts, and serviced by properly trained professionals.” Shamsul Haq says the ideal situation is for elevators not to break down at all, but this is unlikely due to the complexity of the equipment and the demands placed on it.

“We provide preventative maintenance on a monthly basis, which is the normal servicing.

At the same time we try to look at things in a more proactive manner by providing predictive maintenance. We do not wait for problems to occur in order to respond. Ideally we like to repair or change things before problems become manifest.”

In addition, every problem or breakdown reported is analysed properly in order to ascertain any trends or commonalities. “Sometimes after we analyse two to four calls we will reach a conclusion that this is a type of problem in a particular area. Our focus is on areas related to the technical aspects, which is in our control. We have a sufficient inventory of

The Burj Khalifa and Address Hotel at Dubai Mall

If you look at the bigger picture, at the GCC level, definitely overall there are more high-rises now than there were in 2006. Qatar and Saudi Arabia have a lot of highrise projects. So the trend will continue. “ Syed Shamsul Haq spare parts because all of our contracts cover comprehensive maintenance services. That means we assume total responsibility, aiming to keep our elevators operational 24/7/365,” says Shamsul Haq. In terms of major projects in remote locations, the Elevator Division will have a standby team in order to cut down on the response time to any problems. “We had such standby teams at Atlantis and Festival City, for example, as part of the overall AFE presence on these projects. We were able to respond within ten minutes, whereas the industry norm is two to three hours. In fact, we recently received a request from a client asking us to confirm a response time of six hours, and we said we are much better than that …”

What are some of the latest trends in vertical transportation? Shamsul Haq says that energy efficiency and green buildings are having a significant impact. “In terms of elevators getting old, and their energy efficiency not being what could be expected, we can propose modernisation for certain brands. We do not

replace the entire elevator; instead we replace some parts and the control systems basically, so a more efficient system is in place at the end. All the world-class brands now have variable voltage, variable frequency (VVVF) type controls, while regeneration is also possible with some elevators, whereby some of the energy consumed is put back into the system.”

Another trend is double-decker elevators.

“Buildings are designed generally with the same floor heights, so a double-decker elevator will have a car on one floor and the second on another. The same machine is pulling two cars; one addresses odd-numbered floors and the other the even-numbered floors. Previously it was technically difficult for double-decker elevators to accommodate flexibility in floor heights, but Hitachi and some other manufacturers now have this capability. In future there is likely to be such innovations as wireless controls as well and a trend for higher speeds; Hitachi has perfected design of the fastest elevator in the world with a speed 1080 m/min elevator (18 m/sec).

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 23

DISTRICT COOLING

Is district cooling still a

hot topic?

A JV between Empower and Logstor of Germany promises to cut supply-chain costs and boost the cost-effectiveness of district cooling, which is facing a difficult time as large-scale developments are being scaled back.

he US$25 million facility in Jebel Ali will cater to the requirements of the district cooling and oil and gas sectors across the Middle East. Known as ELIPS (Empower-Logstor Insulated Pipes Systems), the facility represents Dubai’s success in bringing fresh investments into the Emirate. Further, it demonstrates Dubai companies’ progressive outlook in investing in new ventures, expanding existing facilities to provide full integrated solutions, and producing raw material internally instead of importing it, said Empower CEO Ahmad Bin Shafar.

“Empower decided to enter into this JV with an eye on securing the supply chain of pre-insulated pipes used in district cooling networks, which constitutes 20% to 25% of total capital outlay. The facility will ensure timely delivery and installation of pipe networks that will have a major impact on Empower’s project timelines,” said Bin Shafar.

ELIPS will ensure high quality of insulation and casing of pipes, enhancing efficiency and maintenance costs of district cooling services. It will boost the supply chain by eliminating artificial price fluctuations created by various players due to the demand-supply gap, added Bin Shafar.

24 MEP Middle East | August 2010

Preben Tolstrup, CEO of Logstor, which owns a 49% stake in ELIPS, said: “We are the world’s leading pre-insulated pipe manufacturer, with more than 50 years’ experience and ten factories worldwide, serving customers in more than 50 countries. With the prime purpose of supplying top-quality district cooling pipe systems to the entire region, the world’s most advanced technology to be introduced at this new plant will set the standards for many years ahead.”

“This factory represents an opportunity for Empower to achieve backwards integration.

It will also consolidate our status as a leading regional player in pipeline systems by meet the industry’s primary requirement for preinsulated pipes. Empower’s position as the region’s number one company for district cooling is more realised now with the opening of this factory,” said Bin Shafar.

Logstor has been serving the Gulf since 1992, and is now marking its commitment to serve the region by establishing an anchored presence with ELIPS. Depending on dimensions and output from 100 to 300 pipe joints a day, the factory will offer job opportunities for a wide range of competences, from operators to highly-skilled engineers.

ELIPS will use spray technology for manufacturing large-diameter pre-insulated pipes,

Aslan Al-Barazi: Ice thermal storage is a hot ticket

which will ensure high-quality products and also result in savings in raw material costs as compared to traditional injection technology.

This technology also enables the JV to enter the oil and gas industry, which is not possible with traditional injections. Currently, only one out of five existing pre-insulated pipe manufacturers are using spray technology.

In confirmation of this view, Empower – the largest district cooling provider in the MENA region – recently added Mirdif Gate Buildings to its burgeoning portfolio. Key projects already supplied include the Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Business Bay and City of Arabia. The latest project was preceded by extensive studies before investing into central stations and networks to fine-tune the return on investment in both the short and long term, added Bin Shafar.

“Dubai is moving rapidly towards increased use of district cooling as an alternative because of its efficiency in rationalising electricity consumption, conserving natural resources and reducing operating and maintenance costs,” he said. The 320 TR Mirdif plant will provide services to 59 buildings.

Bin Shafar was careful to add: “Empower is very clear in identifying priorities and responsibilities; it focuses on enhancing performance through a group of management and operational teams. Empower’s network is scalable to cope with any demand that might occur at any time in any of its projects in Dubai.”

Recently it was reported in the media that Empower had informed developers such as ETA Star in the International Media Production Zone (IMPZ) on the outskirts of ‘New Dubai’ that it would no longer be supplying district cooling services to ongoing projects such as The Centrium.

Ken Currie, business development manager www.constructionweekonline.com

DISTRICT COOLING at TAS ME, said that district cooling providers have to resort to technology in order to survive the global downturn. “The prevailing uncertainty has meant that district cooling plants have been built with only a third or even a quarter of the actual load connected. This is a nightmare scenario.

“However, some developers are still building, so you are still required to provide chilled water.” Additional problems are that concession agreements are not finalised, financial models no longer work, billing has to be cut back, and future load forecasts are weak.

What can the industry do to mitigate such risks? “There are technological solutions to limit the capital outlay and the cost of distributing chilled water. If you can cut down the cost of both, and keep the lenders happy, then you will be on a much better wicket.”

Currie said this approach calls for a close examination of the actual cost of providing your first tonnage of refrigeration. “The question is how much it will cost you before you can turn on the switch and produce your first chilled water,” he maintained.

One such solution is packaged or modular district cooling. “This requires a smaller footprint. Plant can be located at ground level, with no need for a basement, and hence no major excavation or dewatering. You can throw down rough foundations, bring in one or two self-contained modules, and start to produce chilled water straightaway. This can be a temporary solution, or you can place the units in a fixed position right at the beginning and then add modules as needed.”

Modular district cooling plants are movable assets and can be

Ahmad Bin Shafar: Empower’s network is ‘scalable’

www.constructionweekonline.com

With the prime purpose of supplying top-quality district cooling pipe systems to the entire region, the world’s most advanced technology to be introduced at this new plant will set the standards for many years ahead. “ Preben Tolstrup transported to wherever they will be needed the most. Another option is a distributed cooling system, which utilises a common piping and pumping network.

“The benefit of such a system is that it is infinitely extendable, while it can also use dead or wasted space such as internal wells and multi-storey car parks. You can even have supplementary thermal storage systems on roundabouts, tied together with small-diameter piping,” said Currie.

It is clear that developments such ELIPS will have a significant impact on the district cooling industry by helping it contain costs and thereby provide a more cost-effective service. Other good news for the industry is DEWA’s announcement it will introduce smart metering. “Commissioning will be within six months,” DEWA CEO and MD Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said in June.

Smart metering devices provide utilities and end users with more reliable information about consumption, which means consumers will be able to track their water and power consumption, and conversely help reduce this, as the GCC’s per capita consumption is one of the highest in the world. “We are now waiting for district cooling providers to modify their plants with thermal storage to increase their energy efficiency,” said Al Tayer.

IMEC Electro Mechanical Engineering executive director Aslan Al-Barazi confirms that ice thermal storage can help control commercial cooling costs. The technology is gaining popularity due to new DEWA legislation requiring district cooling providers to use 20% thermal energy storage from their total project load capacity (the options being either water or ice thermal storage).

“There are many other benefits in using ice thermal storage. These include the advantages of peak design cost assessment, energy and space savings and emergency cooling in case of power failure, as well as taking advantage of day/night tariffs when these eventually come into play,” said Al-Barazi.

IMEC is the exclusive representative for Fafco SA from Switzerland, which manufactures an ice storage system using static tanks to make ice at night by means of the charging process of an ice chiller. It then discharges the

Preben Tolstrup: More district cooling is in the pipeline

cooling load through the ice tank during the high on-peak rate period in the daytime. The system also allows project engineers to achieve colder chilled water supply temperatures for special types of project applications.

“Fafco heat exchangers, situated on top of the tank, are easy to maintain and deliver maximum thermal performance with minimum glycol content,” said Al-Barazi. Ice thermal storage is well-proven in district cooling applications in Europe and the US, which means the UAE has access to a vast pool of international data and experience in this regard.

Despite the problems it is facing at present, district cooling still has a long-term future. At the International District Energy Association’s 2009 District Energy Space Awards, in the ‘Beyond North America’ category, Qatar Cool won gold (number of buildings) and silver (total building area). In 2009 the district cooling service provider contracted 44 new buildings, serving 11 million square feet.

Meanwhile Dohaland’s signature Mushreireb project has gained momentum with the developer beginning work on the district cooling plant in Phase 1A. And elsewhere, district cooling is also making an impact: Denmark has just inaugurated its first pilot district cooling system as a first step in an ambitious carbon emissions reduction strategy, while Malaysia is investing US$16.9 million in a massive district cooling system to serve Cyberjaya near Kuala Lumpur.

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 25

TECHNOLOGY

Prefabricated wiring completes the circuit A new pluggable wiring solution is expected to revolutionise electrical installation practice in the MEP sector. Prime Electrical Manufacturing (PEM) engineering and business development manager Darren Harper highlights the benefits for contractors. arper says the pluggable system from Apex Wiring Solutions of the UK “has been demonstrated locally to save at least 70% of the installation time on-site.” MEP contractor BK Gulf has already deployed the system successfully at Al Zeina, a precinct of Aldar’s Al Raha Beach development in Abu Dhabi. PEM is now in talks with local and international MEP contractors for hospitals, hotels, residential and commercial developments within the region.

PEM’s advantage is that it already understands manufacturing and the integrated project management required to effectively provide this type of Solution. “We already manufacture the supporting systems such as switchgear, MCCs and control systems, so when the opportunity arose to introduce a

Darren Harper points out the pluggability of the system

26 MEP Middle East | August 2010

pre-manufactured wiring solution to our portfolio, it made perfect sense. The Apex Wiring system is a natural progression for us, as well as the Middle East construction industry. We manufacture all of the products locally to ensure adequate product lead time to actively support our clients.”

Harper says the system has already garnered all the necessary Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) approvals and complies with DEWA regulations. The systems have already been successfully implemented in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on a number of projects. “We are currently looking to increase the roll out in these regions, and will be expanding into Al Ain with Saudi Arabia close behind.”

So how does the system work? In terms of traditional wiring installed in any type of building, be it a villa or high-rise complex, single-core cables are pulled through PVC or metallic conduits and terminated at the distribution board (DB), sockets and switches.

This requires a significant amount of labour onsite to complete the tasks within the required programme.

There is

also major material waste due to unused offcuts, theft and loss. “The Apex system negates all of this due to the manufacturing and installation process used,” says Harper.

PEM provides a fully pluggable solution from DB to final connection. “We make all the wiring accessories and light fittings pluggable, as they are assembled away from site in our purpose-made manufacturing facility.

Pre-wired, flexible, pluggable conduit (available in PVC and metal) is also made to specific lengths, and facilitates the connection between the wiring accessories and the DB. Once materials are on-site, the system is installed quickly and simply plugs together. In a single visit, both cable and conduit is installed, and the final connection is made by simply pushing two connectors together. No tools; no waste; no mess; no damage,” stresses Harper.

The reduction in on-site labour inherently reduces the cost of installation. This is achieved by reducing the number of workers required to install the product, therefore reducing the amount of supervision, and whilst the obvious benefit would be the reduction in wages, Harper highlights the additional cascade benefits to the client. “Whilst salaries is a significant saving, do not forget the additional costs of daily travel, housing and welfare of the site workers.

Couple this to the rising visa costs and the real shortage of true skilled workers, and the argument against this system becomes very weak.

We are all aware that the perceived cost of labour in the www.constructionweekonline.com

TECHNOLOGY The system is designed to help everyone in the supply chain from client to consultant to MEP contractor by simplifying the electrical installation process.“ UAE is very low, but when we consider the actual productivity achieved, we can demonstrate that the actual rate is in line with most other European countries.

“When considering the commercial benefits, it is very easy to lose sight of the other advantages our solutions provide. Do not underestimate the safety, efficiency and programme benefits we offer, all of which contribute to a better building,” argues Harper.

“This market is historically based on ‘best price’ materials, which causes some confusion when proposing a prefabricated solution, as the cost of a pre-engineered, designed and manufactured Apex system cannot easily be compared to traditional conduit and cable costs. The costs only become comparable when you consider a fully-installed system.

Communicating such concepts is a new approach within the UAE, but in the downturn contractors are realising the effects and burdens and lack of efficiency that often prevails with over-supply of labour is affecting the out-

turn cost of projects. We must remember that the fundamental design of the electrical layout does not change, only the method of installation; therefore the same-size cables are connected to the specified accessories, light fittings and distribution boards as detailed in the original design.

“The system is designed to help everyone in the supply chain from client to consultant to MEP contractor by simplifying the electrical installation process. The system is not limited to mains-only applications, and can be used for control circuits, allowing the single installation to cater for all client needs.”

Harper adds that the Apex Wiring solution greatly reduces a contractor’s and client’s exposure to risk. “These can be due to various factors which are generally outside of the MEP contractor’s control, but normally come at a cost to their business. Remember that time is a risk; unproductive labour is a risk; the incorrect use of tools is a risk; an incorrect installation is a risk; and all of these lead to the biggest risk of all, which is cost. The Apex system reduces, and can indeed eliminate, all of these if deployed correctly.

Harper concludes: “Locally we have been demonstrating an average 20% cost-saving overall and installations some 70% quicker than traditional methods. The material costs are greater than that of traditional material, but the overall savings are significant and clear for all to see. It is often not until a client initiates and completes an installation that they appreciate and accept the scale of the direct and indirect benefits that can be realised.”

LABOUR BENEFITS • First and second fix completed in one visit at worst case 15m / hour, allowing succeeding trades quicker access • Pluggable connections between cables, DB and all spur units, AC fan coil’s, sockets, light fittings and other final connections means a fully integrated and pluggable system on site • Third fix visit always takes place after room fit-out. The wiring solution comprises factory-manufactured accessories, therefore no dirty trades or tools are required in the furniture, soft furnishings, plastering and painting are completed, eliminating the possibility of any damage during this process.

• DB termination (third fix) completed in nor more than 1 hour • General termination (third fix) is simply pushing two plugs together

www.constructionweekonline.com

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 27

CONTRACTORS

Contractors face myriad challenges We look at the major challenges and opportunities, and value and cost drivers.

EP services in the region have experienced an incredible growth rate of 19% over the last three years, due to the construction boom and soaring oil prices. However, this figure tumbled to 5.5% between 2008 and 2009 due to the slowdown in the construction industry resulting from the global financial crisis. Despite this, the market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 11% during the next five years, according to Frost & Sullivan senior research analyst Vivek Vijayakumar. Following the recent sharp decline, growth is expected to pick up again towards the end of 2010, or at the beginning of 2011 at the latest, and then continue its upward trend until at least 2013. This is very good news for the MEP contracting sector in particular.

Indeed, the MEP contracting sector in the UAE seems in an ideal position to take advantage of the new growth trend. “The UK is definitely the more challenging business environment at present. It is really down compared to a year ago. In comparison, the sector over

The opportunities are the challenge, says Charles Lever

28 MEP Middle East | August 2010

here is far more stable, and there are still opportunities available.

“Our challenge at present is to take advantage of these opportunities, and to formulate an all-encompassing growth strategy to take us forward,” said Drake & Scull International PJSC (DSI) MEP director Charles Lever. Al Habtoor-Specon MD Thrasos Thrasyvoulou concurred: “Personally I believe that, after the initial shock of the downturn in late 2008, the market in general has absorbed this and stabilised.”

firmed Schön Properties VP Danial Schön.

The development, which currently covers 1.9 million square feet and consists of four separate residential zones, will be handed over to end users in stages, with different contractors working on different zones at different times.

PROBLEMS What are some of the problems facing the MEP contracting industry at present? “The market is fragmented and highly competi-

STABILISATION As an example of this stabilisation, sub-contractors are expected to be able to bid for the MEP and related finishing works contracts on the long-delayed Dubai Lagoon project within the next four months. Developer Schön Properties said the project will require one or two additional contractors for each set of works, depending on the size of the sub-contractor.

For Zones 2 and 4, there are seven sub-contracts outstanding, including the MEP and elevator contracts, as well as those for finishing works such as joinery, paint work, marbling and kitchen fit-outs. Sensaire has already commenced with the MEP works for Zone 3, which are scheduled for completion in 2011, while the MEP works for Zone 1 have also begun, with a view to handing over the first eight residential towers by the end of 2010.

Salah Yatim, project director for Commodore Contracting Company, the main contractor for Zones 2 and 4, said: “We will be finalising the other packages for Zones 2 and 4 with Schön in the near future. Each package will be awarded according to the overall programme.

One or two sub-contractors will be required, depending on the size of the company, and whether or not they can cope with the work across the two zones.”

“We will hopefully be inviting companies to bid for the additional subcontracts for Zones 2, 3 and 4 in the next three to four months, depending on the market conditions,” conwww.constructionweekonline.com

CONTRACTORS tive due to the presence of many small- and medium-scale companies at the local level, which have capacities to carry out either one or two of the three types of services by competing directly with other contractors, or by sub-contracting with top companies, thereby providing more opportunities for the growth of local players,” said Vijayakumar.

However, increased competition has had an impact on pricing. “I have recently seen a drop in prices. A lot of MEP contractors, in order to sustain themselves, are becoming more competitive. I hope they will not go to the extreme of dropping prices to the level where quality is sacrificed and projects cannot be executed properly. This is a dangerous thing, in my opinion. Clients must be very cautious in this respect,” warned Thrasyvoulou.

A notable trend of the current MEP contracting market is the focus on infrastructure.

The slowdown has meant that “the infrastructure now has time to catch up,” said Lever.

“The pace of building was so rapid during the boom period that infrastructure tended to lag behind general construction. A lot of unfinished projects in Dubai will invariably be

VALUE DRIVERS

The market has stabilised, says Thrasos Thrasyvoulou

scaled back so they can be completed in the context of the current market conditions.”

Simon Rawlinson and Andy Dedman, writing on building.co.uk, agree that this is a trend of the broader global MEP contracting sector. “High levels of investment in public sector facilities, which emphasise low running costs and occupier productivity and comfort, have generated a healthy workload for MEP

• Innovation: Increased efficiency of chillers and variable speed DC motors on pumps and fans.

• Value engineering: ‘No frills’ standardised products such as air-handling units that can be produced at minimum cost and lead time.

• Plug-and-play: Structured cabling in cores, Internet protocol security and controls that use the IT network, or intelligent fire detection systems.

• BIM: Increased use of BIM in high-value, high-risk areas such as plant rooms and risers is enabling contractors to design systems more effectively, and to take into account the need for installation, maintenance and replacement. The benefits in terms of clash detection, automatic component scheduling etc. are increasingly important for specialist contractors.

• Prefabrication: Plant-room assemblies, riser modules, fan-coil units and valve assemblies are good opportunities for prefabrication, whereas many contractors prefer to site-install elements such as pipework, where there are fewer programme and quality benefits to be secured, and a greater risk of rework should co-ordination errors occur.

• Design rationalisation: Specification reviews and rationalisation of containment are two examples from electrical contracting where savings can be secured. Similarly, moving from a unique specification to a performance specification on some lighting components may give greater flexibility.

• Globalisation: An increasing range of standard-compliant products can be sourced lowcost in China and the Far East.

contractors. Increasingly stringent building regulations require holistic solutions that, in turn, require greater integration between the design and installation of the building envelope and the building services.

SPECIALIST “Similarly, specialist building types such as data centres and hi-tech factories require huge power and cooling capacities, as well as extremely high levels of resilience and standby capacity. On both hi- and low-tech projects, the opportunity to reduce energy demand and carbon emissions by smart design and installation is substantial, demonstrating once again the pivotal role of the M&E specialist in reducing carbon.”

Rawlinson and Dedman also point out that “building services contracting differs from www.constructionweekonline.com

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 29

CONTRACTORS

MAJOR MEP CONTRACTORS ALEC MEP Based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, ALEC is a high-level contractor with a US$1 billion a year turnover. It established its MEP business unit in 2006, focusing on turnkey MEP solutions, full maintenance and call-out FM, and energyoptimisation strategies, including energy audits on existing buildings. www.alec.ae ARABIAN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING COMPANY (ACEC) Located in Doha, Qatar, ACEC is a conglomerate established in 1967. It is ISO 9001-2000 certified, offering a complete range of electrical and instrumentation systems and control and automation systems, representing well-known manufacturers in Europe and the Middle East. www.acecgroup.com

Sub-contractors are becoming increasingly important

most other trades in terms of the role of direct labour, the importance of the work undertaken by sub-subcontractors, the extent of co-ordination required between trades, and the extent of design work that can be shared between consultants and specialists.

“In other trades, there can be a greater degree of fragmentation in the delivery of work on-site. Ductwork and ductwork insulation, for example, are often carried out by different trade contractors. Similarly, water and air systems can be installed by different specialists.

Furthermore, specialist trades related to discrete systems such as sprinklers, fire alarms and lightning protection need to be brought into the supply chain. Other elements of the supply chain are component manufacturers, as well as specialist consultants such as testing and commissioning engineers.

“Depending on the procurement route adopted, an integrated services contractor may be asked to deliver a one-stop service that could include some or all of the services design, as well as the co-ordination and management of the works on-site. At the other extreme, some main contractors have chosen to split up the MEP works into trade and system packages so as to minimise layers of 30 MEP Middle East | August 2010

DANWAY Entered the field of generator hire and service in 1976, growing from 25 employees to 1 200 at present. Comprises MEP, contracting, industrial and retail systems and interiors and joinery. www.danwayllc.com DRAKE & SCULL INTERNATIONAL PJSC A regional market leader delivering world-class, integrated engineering through design-and-build MEP, civil contracting and water, power and infrastructure engineering. Established in Abu Dhabi in 1966 and in Dubai soon thereafter, it has since expanded as far as South East Asia. www.drakescull.com ETA M&E DIVISION The MEP division of the ETA-ASCON Star Group.

Offers design, supply and installation services in air-con, electrical, sanitary, plumbing, fire protection, ELV and BMS systems. www.etamne.com

VOLTAS Founded in India in 1954, it offers engineering solutions in HVAC, refrigeration, electromechanical, water management and treatment, BMS and indoor air quality. www.voltas.com EMIRATES ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING (AL ROSTAMANI) The Al Rostamani Group, founded in 1957, has a diversified portfolio including construction, building materials, infrastructure development, telecoms and recycling. www.alrostamani.com AL HABTOOR-SPECON Established in Dubai in 1970, Al Habtoor Engineering is one of the largest construction companies in the Middle East, with 35 000 employees. Al Habtoor-Specon focuses on MEP. www.habtoor.com ROTARY-HUMM M&E SERVICES The Rotary Group is a member of the Hastie Group, a leading MEP services provider in Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. www.hastiegroup.com.au MAC AIR LLC A multi-disciplinary company established in 1998, offering total building MEP and FM. www.macairllc.com SENSAIRE SERVICES LLC Established in the UAE in 1983 as an air-con installation and maintenance contracting company, it has transformed into a true building services engineering contractor. www.sensaire.ae

THERMO LLC Established in 1976, focusing on multi-services co-ordination and a combined team approach, it offers conceptual design and development all the way through to procurement, installation, testing and operation and maintenance. www.thermo.ae

www.constructionweekonline.com

CONTRACTORS

overhead and management, and to maximise commercial leverage.

“Another aspect of services design and procurement that differs from architectural and structural trades is the scope for ambiguity around responsibility for design, design review and co-ordination. Delegation of design responsibility from the consultant is commonplace throughout the industry, either through full design-and-build procurement or contractor-designed work packages.

POTENTIAL “In the current marketplace, any inconsistency in contractual documentation has the potential to be used as the basis of a claim.

As a result, the specific range of consultant duties on a project should be stated in tender and contractual documentation,” Rawlinson and Dedman stress.

“Testing and commissioning is another critical element of the installation process, but one that is not always given the priority it deserves. Initiatives such as BSRIA’s Soft Landings programme involve the consultant and contractor team being engaged to work with the building user during design, prehandover and during the first three years of

Testing and commissioning is another critical element of the installation process

www.constructionweekonline.com

operation to support operative training, performance optimisation and capture of user feedback.”

Apart from such issues relating to the internal set-up of the MEP contracting market, the sector in the UAE, for example, also faces specific geographical challenges. “Dubai, due to the previous unsustainable boom and the sudden global downturn that soon followed, has suffered more than other areas in the Gulf in terms of growth, fewer new projects, and a slowdown in existing projects, especially hotels and residential/commercial developments,” said Thrasyvoulou.

This has lead to many MEP contractors looking further afield for work, to Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and even as far afield as Syria and even South-East Asia, in the case of DSI. “For us, the region has a lot of opportunity, so we are looking at expanding across the entire region,” said Lever.

VALUE Hastie Group Limited, for example, has just clinched four projects in Qatar with a total value of A$66 million. “These projects demonstrate the value our Middle East customers place on our ability to provide an integrated

range of MEP services from a single source,” said Hastie Group MD David Harris.

Hastie has been appointed by Leighton Contracting Qatar to provide MEP services, including fire and CCTV, infrastructure control systems (SCADA) and instrumentation and chlorination work for an A$233 million water infrastructure project that includes nine reservoirs. It will link two Qatari communities. Hastie began work on the project in June, with completion expected in 15 months.

Ironically, while many of the major local MEP contractors are looking increasingly beyond Dubai and even the UAE, other global players are turning to the UAE for growth.

Voltas of India saw its MEP revenue shoot up by 13% for the year ended 31 March 2010, mainly due to its international order book, which includes several high-profile projects in the UAE. This includes a recent AED6.25 billion, 26-month contract for the T2 and T3 towers in Abu Dhabi’s Central Market project, awarded to Voltas by main contractor Arabian Construction Company LLC, on behalf of client Aldar Properties PJSC. The scope of work includes supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the complete MEP systems for the two towers.

COST DRIVERS • Cost penalties: There are some systems, such as ventilation, where some cost penalties are incurred due to the need to reduce fan speeds to save energy which, in turn, requires larger ducts and air-handling units.

Sourcing of low-cost sheet metal for ductwork and simplified air-handling plant has helped to mitigate these costs.

• Commodity prices: The movement of cash into commodities in search of better returns and as a hedge against dollar depreciation has pushed up copper prices by more than 20%. Most MEP products have a high degree of value-add, so a big jump in commodity prices should not result in a corresponding rise in factory gate prices. However, steel and copper pipework and large-diameter cables contain a higher proportion of metal and will be affected more.

• Preliminaries and margins: Building services contractors have higher overall margins than main contractors, reflecting the costs of running design teams and the high level of co-ordination and supervision required on a typical project, and the need to invest in fixed assets such as prefabrication facilities and BIM libraries.

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 31

SITE VISIT

Back to school MEP Middle East visits the site of the new campus of the American School of Dubai (ASD) in Al Barsha to update progress on this fast-track project.

(Left to right) Mushtaq Patel, assistant safety officer; Pradeep Panakkada, senior HSE project in charge: MEP, Dubai operations; Ahmad Shaker, manager of projects; Rami Farouq, electrical engineer; Yousef A.H. Syed Ahmed, electrical project engineer; Mr. Karam, mechanical engineer (under training); Zahir Akram Hamad, mechanical project engineer; Yagoob Ali Al Manzeer, mechanical engineer; and Mohammad Khatibur Rahman, project manager

he AED85 million MEP works contract for general contractor Al Ahmadiah Aktor is being undertaken by Drake & Scull International PJSC (DSI).

The project manager is DG Jones & Partners, while the design was

by RMJM, an architectural firm that specialises in school design.

The design of the new ASD campus has incorporated the latest sustainable trends, with wind patterns and orientation being considered carefully in terms of the direction and placement of structures. In order to conserve energy, the buildings have been designed so that windows are not in direct sunlight, while special shadings have been designed.

DSI Manager of Projects Ahmed Shaker 32 MEP Middle East | August 2010

explains that DSI’s works are progressing very well as per the MEP works schedule.

The anticipated opening date of the new ASD campus is 14 September to coincide with the new academic year.

“The main challenges have been the timeframe and complexity of design,” says Shaker. “Schools and hospitals, for example, cannot be compared to commercial projects like apartment buildings. They are far more

87 Air-handling units

complex structures that require careful integration of multiple requirements.”

DSI is not unfamiliar with the rigours and exigencies of educational facilities, with Zayed University in Dubai and KAUST in Saudi Arabia already under its belt as top-notch achievements in this specialised field.

ASD superintendent Dr. Harold Fleetham says that, while there are 973 students at ASD’s existing campus, the new campus has been designed to cater for 1 600 students, with enrolment taking place in stages.

The first year will see approximately 1 400 students enrolled, with the balance to be introduced later. The new campus is divided into two separate schools, namely elementary (comprising kindergarten to Grade 5) and secondary (comprising middle school and high school). www.constructionweekonline.com

SITE VISIT Schools and hospitals are far more complex and require careful integration of multiple requirements. “ Ahmed Shaker

A major challenge on the project has been overall co-ordination of the MEP works

Shaker says the project site is 92 903 square metres, which equates to a million square feet. The total gross internal floor area is 58 622 square metres. In comparison, the existing campus is 31 424 square mewww.constructionweekonline.com

tres. Designed to withstand the inclement UAE weather, the new ASD campus is also expected to set a benchmark for educational facilities in the region in terms of quality, aesthetics and technology.

Described as an ‘integrated, world-class facility’, it will feature an auditorium, blackbox theatre, field house, running track, regulation soccer field, other large playing fields, separate elementary and secondary gyms, two swimming pools, elementary play areas, secondary school and elementary school libraries, two cafeterias, music rooms, meeting spaces, a wireless school environment and landscaped garden areas.

In addition, DSI was also responsible for the total security system, which has been designed to the highest international standards. This posed its own challenges to achieve within the larger civils framework, says Shaker.

DSI’s involvement focused on five sectors.

Sector A is the plant room and chiller yard, Sector B is the admin building and theatre, while Sectors C to E comprise classrooms, laboratory facilities and playground areas.

There are 11 rooftop Daikin-McQuay chillers, and 86 AHUs in total.

“At the end of the day we have opted for AHUs and a variable air volume (VAV) system as opposed to fan-coil units, as the former is far more flexible, as well as providing better environmental control.” The extensive cabling needed for the chillers was completed in a record two weeks, right down to fixing of the cable trays.

There are twelve primary chilled water pumps and eight secondary pumps. The aircon system is ducted, with preinsulation internally and GI sheeting externally. The total electrical load is 10MW, with two substations and nine transformers in total, says Shaker.

“A big challenge was that we passed the DEWA inspection with flying colours, and we received high praise for our high level of completion in terms of the substations.

From the air-con point of view, we flushed ‘wild air’ through the system by the end of July, and delivered chilled water soon thereafter,” says Shaker.

“We proud ourselves on our professionalism, attention to detail and quality and our speed of delivery – all attributes that have stood us to good stead on this flagship project,” concludes Shaker.

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 33

REGION IN FOCUS

Top MEP projects in Qatar We take a closer look at some of the major MEP projects underway in Qatar, courtesy of Ventures Middle East.

Consultant: EHAF Consulting & Engineers Main contractor: SEG Qatar MEP contractor: Drake & Scull Value: US$200m Status: Under construction Type: Commercial buildings

AL JASSIMYA TOWER Client: Sheikh Jassim Bin Khalifa Consultant: EGEC Main contractor: Commodore Qatar Construction MEP contractor: In-house Value: US$100m Status: Under construction Type: commercial buildings AL-WAKRA HOSPITAL Client: Public Works Authority Consultant: GHD Global Main contractor: Joannou & Paraskevaides Overseas MEP contractor: Conspel Value: US$508m Status: Under construction Type: Hospital

Sidra Medical & Research Centre

SIDRA MEDICAL & RESEARCH CENTRE Client: Qatar Foundation (QFESCD) Consultant: OHL/Contrack International MEP contractor: Qatar Kentz/Voltas Value: US$2.4bn Status: Under construction Type: Hospital

SAMIRIYA TOWERS Client: Mr. Ali Mohammed Al-Khayareen Consultant: MZ & Partners Main contractor: Gulf East Trading & Contracting MEP contractor: Orbit Al Khaleej Value: US$124m Status: Under construction Type: Commercial buildings

LIBRARY FOR QATAR UNIVERSITY Client: Qatar University Consultant: Arab Architects Group Main contractor: Tadmur Contracting & Trdg Est. MEP contractor: In-house Value: US$69m Status: Under construction Type: Educational facilities Samiriya Towers Al Wakra Hospital

NEW ARRIVAL TERMINAL AT DIA - PACKAGE 2 Client: Qatar Airways Consultant: GHD Global Main contractor: Arabian McNamara Contracting MEP contractor: Arabian Airconditioning Value: US$30m Staus: Under construction Type: Airport AL MAJID RESIDENTIAL TOWER Client: Ahmad Mahdi Ali Al Majid Consultant: Arab Engineering Bureau Main contractor: Al Seal Contracting MEP contractor: In-house Value: US$57m Status: Under construction Type: Residential 34 MEP Middle East | August 2010

PALM TOWERS Client: Dar Investment & Development Co. Consultant: MZ & Partners Main contractor: Al Seal Contracting MEP consultant: In-house Value: US$218m Status: Under construction Type: Mixed-use BUSINESS PARK & HOTEL FACILITIES IN NAJMA Client: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Thani Consultant: Arab Engineering Bureau Main contractor: Redco Construction MEP contractor: Qatar Electro Mechanical Group Value: US$101-250m Status: Under construction Type: Mixed-use SHMOUKH TWIN TOWERS IN C-RING ROAD Client: Real Estate Services Group

NDIA-PASSENGER TERMINAL COMPLEX Client: NDIA Steering Committee Consultant: Bechtel/HOK Main contractor: Sky Oryx JV/Taisei Corporation and TAV MEP consultant: Anel & Ekin Value: US$807m Status: Under construction Type: Passenger terminal RESIDENTIAL TOWER IN VIVA BAHRIYA - VB 02 Client: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Thani/ UDC Consultant: Meinhardt Main contractor: SEG Qatar MEP contractor: In-house Value: US$31-100m Status: Under construction Type: Residential www.constructionweekonline.com

BUSINESS LEADS

PROJECTS IN QATAR MEP Middle East and Ventures Middle East have teamed up to provide you with essential project information.

ASIA TOWERS Client: Ezdan Real Estate/QGIRC/Al Sari Trading Consultant: M.Z. & Partners Main contractor: Not appointed MEP contractor: Not appointed Value: US$751–1 000 million Status: Under design Type: Mixed-use Contact: www.ezdanqatar.com

Doha skyline in Qatar

Ezdan Real Estate Company, biggest property developer in Qatar by market value, has joined with Qatar General Insurance & Reinsurance Company and Al Sarri Trading

Company to develop the QR2.5 billion Asia Towers project — one of the largest real-estate projects in Qatar, expected to be completed in three years. The development

comprises four residential towers spread across 30 000 square metres in Doha’s West Bay area. Each of the four towers will be 55 storeys, and include 1 600 residential units, with

a built-up area of 560 000 square metres. The project also includes commercial and entertainment facilities and hotel apartments.

The project will serve as a launch pad for future Ezdan developments.

The retail market in Qatar is set to more than double by mid-2011, with several new shopping centres under construction. Real estate brokerage fi rm Engel & Volkers reported in April that Qatar would see an addition of 400 000 square metres of retail space coming to the market by mid-2011.

Project Title

Client

Consultant

Main Contractor

MEP Contractor

Value (US$. Mn)

Project Status

Type of Project

New Qatar National Museum

Qatar Museum Authority / QP

Jean Nouvel

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

31 - 100

project under design

Recreational Facilities

Mixed Use Development in Marina District

Diyar Al Kuwait

KEO International

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

800

project under design

Mixed Use

Mesaieed Housing Development - Phase 2

QP/Qatar Real Estate Investment Co;

Arab Engineering Bureau

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

2,000

project under design

Residential Development

Al Emadi Twin Towers

Mr. Mohammed Esmail Al Emadi

Arab Consulting Engineers

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

101 - 250

project under design

Commercial Buildings

Residential Building in Fox Hills

Buzwair Real Estate/QDREIC

Faim Design

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

project under design

Residential Buildings

Apartment Building at Al Sadd

Mr. Nasser Abdul Aziz Nasser Al Nasser

Consulting Engineering Group

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

16 - 30

award awaited for the main contract

Residential Buildings

Manarat Lusail

Mr. Mohamed Abdel Ghani Al Mansouri

Architectural Consulting Group

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

31 - 100

project under design

Commercial Buildings

Office/Residential Building at Najma

Mr. Abdul Jaleel Abdul Ghani Nasser

Consulting Engineering Group

Al Bandary Contracting

Not Appointed

31 - 100

project under construction

Mixed Use

Hotel & Office Buildings at Al Rayyan Road

Mr. Abdul Rahman Al Muftah

South West Architecture

Al Muftah Contracting

Not Appointed

40

project under construction

Mixed Use

Al Dar Hotel

Mr. Mohammed Al Majed

Al Jazeera Engineering / EGEC

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

16 - 30

project under design

Hotel

Asia Towers

Ezdan Real Estate/QGIRC/Al Sari Trading

M.Z. & Partners

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

751 - 1,000

project under design

Mixed Use

Seven Mosques at Various Locations - Package 3

Public Works Authority

Lusail Engineering Consultant

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

project under design

Others

The Regent Doha

Ghanem Al Thani Holding

KEO International

Ramco Trading & Contracting

Not Appointed

101 - 250

project under construction

Hotel

Al Meera Mall at Rayyan

Al Meera Consumer Goods Company

United Consultant

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

16 - 30

project under design

Shopping Centre

Corporate Building for Energy City Qatar

Energy City Qatar

ABS

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

101 - 250

award awaited for the main contract

Commercial Buildings

4 Office Towers in Marina District of Lusail

Salam International/QDREIC

M.Z. & Partners

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

275

project under design

Commercial Buildings

Shopping Mall in Abu Nakhla area

Al Meera Consumer Goods Company

Consulting Engineering Group

Noors Engineering Company

Not Appointed

12

project under construction

Shopping Centre

Entertainment District - Precinct A&B

ADIH/Majid Al Futtaim/QDREIC

RTKL/Forrec

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

1,500

project under design

Mixed Use

Community College in Dukhan

Qatar Petroleum

Technital Qatar

Not Appointed

Not Appointed

16 - 30

project under design

Educational Facilities

Note : The above information is the sole property of Ventures Middle East LLC and cannot be published without the expressed permission of Ventures Middle East LLC, Abu Dhabi, UAE

For the latest Middle East MEP project information, visit www.constructionweekonline.com

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 35

LEGAL

Design-build

CONTRACTS Dennis Brand, Traprain Consultants, looks at how ‘designbuild’ differs from traditional ‘design-bid-build contracts.

P

erhaps the best way of describing ‘design-build’ is to describe what it is not. The traditional ‘design-bidbuild’ method of construction is a sequential process in which the owner or developer first contracts with a design professional to prepare a concept or basic design, then a detailed design for construction. This includes specifications to solicit competitive bids for construction, and finally the award of a construction contract to the lowest bidder.

In ‘design-build’, one entity performs both design and construction under a single contract. Often the ‘design-build’ contract is awarded by some process other than competitive bidding; thus ‘design-build’ differs from traditional ‘design-bid-build’ in two ways. First, the design and construction components are packaged into a single contract and, second, the single contract is not necessarily awarded to the lowest bidder after competitive bidding.

POTENTIAL Why ‘design-build’? ‘Design-build’ has the potential to reduce overall project costs because the ‘design-build’ contractor performing the design has a better feel and appreciation for the construction costs of the various alternatives, and can therefore produce a design that is less expensive to build and has an incentive to do so. Another way to look at this advantage is that it moves value engineering from after contract award, with the contractor proposing cost-reduction ideas and sharing the savings with the owner, to pre-award (with the owner enjoying most of the cost-savings).

‘Design-build’ may result in earlier completion and occupancy of the project because there is no downtime between completion of design and start of construction. Furthermore, the ‘design-build’ contractor can begin construction of early phases of the project – for example, grading foundations, etc. – before design of later phases (building envelope, interior partitions, electrics, etc.) is complete. This 36 MEP Middle East | August 2010

process is sometimes referred to as ‘fast-track’.

It eliminates the traditional liability gap which one finds with the design being produced by the design professional under his contract and the contractor constructing the design under his construction contract. Design professionals can obtain insurance coverage only for professional liability insurance, which covers negligence, error and omissions, and virtually all design contracts limit the designer’s liability to this. However, there can be non-negligent errors and omissions on the part of the designer which cost the owner money, but for which the designer is not liable. An example of this is where the designer undertakes reasonable subsurface investigations, but fails to detect a rocky outcrop that will require additional work on the part of the construction contractor.

In the traditional ‘design-bid-build’ approach, the owner warrants the correctness of the plans and specifications to the construction contractor. In the event of an error where the construction contractor incurs additional costs, that cost is met by the owner with little prospect of recovery from the designer. ‘Design-build’ eliminates this gap because the designer-builder has no one but himself to blame for defective plans, specifications or differing site conditions.

Where the designer designs the project around current-generation products, any proposed substitution of new or alternative products after bidding can require revisions to the structure and/or mechanical or electrical components to accommodate the new product. In such an event, the question arises as to who is going to pay for the resulting charges? ‘Designbuild’ solves this problem; the ‘design-build’ entity selects the equipment and then designs the building around the selected equipment, which seems a more logical way to proceed.

The traditional ‘design-bid-build’ method of contracting can suffer from under-optimisation when individual project participants seek to optimise their own positions – for example, the total cost to the owner of the steel frame of a

building includes the cost of the engineering to determine the required steel sections plus the cost of the steel. The designer has little incentive to achieve the minimum amount of structural steel, his concern being to spend only sufficient design time necessary to ensure there is enough steel to meet both gravity and seismic loads.

INCENTIVE With ‘design-build’, the entity has an incentive to use the optimum amount of engineering in order to achieve the optimum amount of steel required for the structure. This is not to say that the ‘design-build’ results in unsafe structures; rather, it reduces unnecessary quantities of steel and concrete, etc. which do not necessarily add to the robustness of the structure.

‘Design-build’ may reduce the administrative burden on the owner because there is one award and one contract to administer. The total cost of the project becomes apparent earlier with ‘design-build’. In traditional ‘design-bidbuild’ construction, costs are not known until bid opening, and it is possible to spend money on a design that the owner may not be able to build. Frequently construction bids exceed the project budget, which results in the project having to be redesigned to bring it to within budget, thus delaying completion.

What is the risk? Under the traditional ‘design-bid-build’ contract arrangement, the owner has full control over the details of the plans and specifications, and does not publish them for bids until it is satisfied that they reflect the owner’s requirements. With ‘design-build’ the owner gives up some of this control.

Moreover, the owner must confirm its requirements much earlier. With traditional ‘design-bid-build’, if the owner is at all indecisive as to its requirements, it can clarify them during the design phase after it sees where the designer is heading. With ‘design-build’, such changes can be very expensive and disruptive, impacting on both costs and completion.

Dennis.Brand@traprain.com www.constructionweekonline.com

METAL MONITOR

NON-FERROUS METAL PRICES The London Metal Exchange (LME) is the world’s premier non-ferrous metals market. The LME offers futures and options contracts for aluminium, copper, lead, nickel and NASAAC, among others. Many of these materials are indispensable in the MEP sector. The latest historical data from the LME is presented to give readers insight into this dynamic trading market. For further information visit www.lme.co.uk.

JUNE 2010 THE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE

Cash Buyer Cash Seller & Settlement Cash Mean 3-months Buyer 3-months Seller 3-months Mean 15-months Buyer 15-months Seller 15-months Mean 27-months Buyer 27-months Seller 27-months Mean

Primary Aluminium (dollars)

Aluminium Alloy (dollars)

Copper

Lead

Nickel

Tin

NASAAC

(dollars)

(dollars)

(dollars)

(dollars)

(dollars)

1,930.66 1,931.39 1,931.02 1,960.05 1,960.95 1,960.50 2,060.91 2,065.91 2,063.41 2,136.00 2,141.00 2,138.50

1,836.86 1,842.70 1,839.78 1,843.59 1,853.18 1,848.39 1,898.18 1,908.18 1,903.18 1,954.77 1,964.77 1,959.77

6,498.02 6,499.30 6,498.66 6,528.16 6,530.00 6,529.08 6,569.77 6,579.77 6,574.77 6,445.45 6,455.45 6,450.45

1,702.82 1,703.95 1,703.39 1,727.23 1,729.05 1,728.14 1,765.36 1,770.36 1,767.86 1,746.45 1,751.45 1,748.95

19,377.73 19,388.64 19,383.18 19,440.68 19,464.09 19,452.39 19,256.59 19,356.59 19,306.59 18,335.00 18,435.00 18,385.00

17,303.86 17,319.77 17,311.82 17,332.27 17,360.68 17,346.48 17,454.32 17,504.32 17,479.32

1,871.45 1,879.36 1,875.41 1,894.59 1,903.50 1,899.05 1,984.09 1,994.09 1,989.09 2,056.14 2,066.14 2,061.14

-

THE FOLLOWING STERLING EQUIVALENTS HAVE BEEN CALCULATED, ON THE BASIS OF DAILY CONVERSIONS: Copper Cash Seller & Settlement: Copper 3-months Seller: Lead Cash Seller & Settlement: Lead 3-months Seller:

£4,405.59 £4,425.98 £1,154.81 £1,171.70

Settlement Conversion Exchange Rates Stg/$ $/JY Euro

1.4752 90.94 1.2210

$6724 Copper 3-months seller

LME AVERAGE SETTLEMENT PRICES IN EURO Metal

Euro Settlement Conversion Rate

Primary Aluminium

1581.73

Aluminium Alloy

1509.07

Copper

5322.44

Lead

1395.20

Nickel

15876.90

Nasaac

1539.21

MAY 2010 THE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE

Cash Buyer Cash Seller & Settlement Cash Mean 3-months Buyer 3-months Seller 3-months Mean 15-months Buyer 15-months Seller 15-months Mean 27-months Buyer 27-months Seller 27-months Mean

Primary Aluminium (dollars)

Aluminium Alloy (dollars)

Copper

Lead

Nickel

NASAAC

(dollars)

(dollars)

(dollars)

(dollars)

2,039.76 2,040.53 2,040.14 2,068.87 2,069.71 2,069.29 2,168.37 2,173.37 2,170.87 2,244.05 2,249.05 2,246.55

1,909.00 1,916.00 1,912.50 1,930.79 1,942.63 1,936.71 1,996.32 2,006.32 2,001.32 2,056.32 2,066.32 2,061.32

6,836.71 6,837.68 6,837.20 6,872.05 6,874.08 6,873.07 6,901.58 6,911.58 6,906.58 6,781.32 6,791.32 6,786.32

1,881.68 1,882.68 1,882.18 1,912.61 1,915.05 1,913.83 1,952.95 1,957.95 1,955.45 1,929.05 1,934.05 1,931.55

21,995.26 22,008.16 22,001.71 22,063.16 22,089.21 22,076.18 21,713.16 21,813.16 21,763.16 20,653.95 20,753.95 20,703.95

1,962.58 1,974.21 1,968.39 1,981.84 1,994.47 1,988.16 2,080.79 2,090.79 2,085.79 2,153.16 2,163.16 2,158.16

THE FOLLOWING STERLING EQUIVALENTS HAVE BEEN CALCULATED, ON THE BASIS OF DAILY CONVERSIONS: Copper Cash Seller & Settlement: Copper 3-months Seller: Lead Cash Seller & Settlement: Lead 3-months Seller:

£4,669.96 £4,694.89 £1,284.81 £1,306.98

Settlement Conversion Exchange Rates Stg/$ $/JY Euro

1.4641 92.06 1.2546

$6771 Copper 3-months seller

LME AVERAGE SETTLEMENT PRICES IN EURO Metal

Euro Settlement Conversion Rate

Primary Aluminium

1626.41

Aluminium Alloy

1527.17

Copper

5450.33

Lead

1499.45

Nickel

17535.89

Tin

14005.79

SHG Zinc

1568.08

Nasaac

1573.47

Neither the LME nor any of its directors, officers or employees shall, except in the case of fraud or wilful neglect, be under any liability whatsoever either in contract or in tort in respect of any act or omission (including negligence) in relation to the preparation or publication of the data contained in the report.

www.constructionweekonline.com

August 2010 | MEP Middle East 37

PRODUCTS to its compact size and lighter weight compared to a drive requiring a transformer, it also results in lower transportation costs and requires less space in the electrical room.

At the launch event held recently in the UAE, ABB local business unit manager for drives and motors in the Gulf, Aki Maenpaa, said: “With the introduction of the ACS 2000 drive, we will be able to bring significant energy savings to industrial customers across the Middle East and Africa region. Moreover, customers will also be able to benefi t from a lower total cost of ownership thanks to the drive’s easy installation, maintenance and low energy consumption.”

The direct-to-line technology results in quick and easy installation and commissioning as there is no transformer involved. Installing a medium voltage AC drive is easier through ABB’s ‘three in, three out’ cabling concept. Simply disconnect the direct-on-line cable; connect the drive; and connect the drive to the motor. Furthermore, the design of the ACS 2000 features withdrawable modules, which allows for easy front access to all drive components.

ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117 000 people. www.abb.com

FEATURES

ABB’s new ACS2000 air-cooled, general purpose AC drive reduces total cost of ownership

ENERGY-SAVING DRIVES ABB, a leading power and automation group, has officially launched a new line of energy-efficient variable speed drives, called ACS 2000, designed to offer regional industrial customers energysavings, reduced maintenance costs and flexible operation.

ABB’s new drive is an air-cooled, generalpurpose AC drive designed for high reliability, easy installation and fast commissioning. It is a perfect solution targeted at fan, pump and compressor applications, in cement, water, power generation and oil and gas industries.

The drive is rated from 400 to 1 000 kVA in voltages up to 6.9 kV, and is ideal for applications

38 MEP Middle East | August 2010

that do not require an engineered drive. The ACS 2000 is packed with innovative technology, and offers a host of benefits such as flexible line-supply connections, lower harmonics and reduced energy consumption, plus easy installation and commissioning.

Depending on the customer’s preference or existing installation, the drive can be used with an input isolation transformer, or it can be connected directly to the line supply (direct-toline). Moreover, the ACS 2000 direct-to-line has the advantage that the drive can be operated without a transformer, which can account for up to 40% of the total costs of a drive system. Due

Type of converter: VSI (voltage source inverter)Typical applications: Pumps, fans, conveyors, extruders, mixers, compressors, grinding mills, suitable for retrofi t of existing motors Converter cooling: Air (A) Power range: 315 to 800 kW (A) Input section: High-voltage IGBTs: active front end (AFE) for operation with two-winding transformer or direct-to-line connection Output selection: High-voltage IGBTs: Fivelevel VSI, Nine-level output waveform Output voltage: 6.0 to 6.9 kV Maximum output frequency: 75 Hz Field weakening: >15 Hz (maximum 1:5) Special features and benefits: Available for direct-to-line connection or for connection to a separate input isolation transformer; constant network power factor over whole speed range; reactive power compensation; direct torque control (DTC); fuseless Examples of options: Redundant cooling fan; extended I/Os for supervision functions; various fieldbus interfaces Type of motor: Induction motor

www.constructionweekonline.com

THE LAST WORD

Flexible

GROWTH Leminar Air Conditioning has clinched an exclusive distribution agreement with RWI Industries. We speak to RWI GM Fareed Majeed and Leminar GM Pramodh Idicheria.

RWI GM Fareed Majeed and Leminar GM Pramodh Idicheria

What is driving rubber demand in the region?

Contractors today are focusing more on minimising the costs of their projects, leading them to identify the capacity of high-quality rubber insulation to save time, as well as labour and maintenance costs, in the long term. This trend is also indicative of the market’s continued movement towards maturity.

Can this be taken as a sign that growth has resumed following the downturn?

Even at the height of the financial crisis, we were able to maintain stable production outputs and reach our annual targets, and this is because of the steady demand for our products from our global clientele.

What are the particular HVAC applications for Gulf-O-Flex?

Gulf-O-Flex is a versatile range of rubber insulation products which can be used for pipe and duct insulation, and hot water and chilled water applications to meet the requirements in the oil and gas fields,

construction, shipping and automotive industries.

What are Leminar’s plans for increasing product uptake?

Leminar plans to leverage the market standing of Gulf-O-Flex as a leading and well-accepted brand in the GCC region as the primary selling point, which will help the company secure AED30 million in annual sales in the UAE. The new distributor is also planning to further strengthen the brand’s position by providing customers with excellent service that matches the unparalleled quality of the product. Leminar is eyeing Abu Dhabi and Qatar, as both are currently the most active construction markets, and therefore pose the biggest growth opportunity for our products.

The distribution agreement stands to raise the profile of both companies in the region?

Under the terms of the agreement, Leminar will represent the GulfO-Flex brand for HVAC applications exclusively in the UAE. The

AED30M investment to triple production at RWI

40 MEP Middle East | August 2010

Leminar is eyeing Abu Dhabi and Qatar, currently the most active construction markets, thereby posing the biggest growth opportunity.“ Pramodh Idicheria partnership is aimed at further entrenching RWI’s position as the leading provider of closed-cell rubber insulation in the UAE, given that it accounts for 56% of the Middle East rubber insulation market share, supplying the majority of the region’s requirements for rubber insulation pipes, sheets and other rubber-derived products. With the solid foundation and strong backing of Leminar in terms of a distribution network in the UAE, RWI has full confidence that its new partner will be able to hit their sales target for Gulf-O-Flex this year. On the other hand, the new distributor plans to capitalise on its association with an established player in the UAE rubber insulation market and a trusted partner of many construction companies in building worldclass developments.

Is green building/energy efficiency playing a significant role in the increased demand?

The growing demand of the environmental market, which is made up of alternative energy, energy efficiency, water and wastewater treatment, solid waste management and green building technologies, is driving construction majors to adopt measures that are in line with green building codes and sustainability efforts. Amidst this growing trend, RWI is promoting the importance of sustainable design through its range of ecofriendly rubber insulation products.

Could you give some more detail on RWI’s factory expansion plans?

Spurred by the growing demand for RWI products across the region’s most important industries, RWI has adopted a strategy to maintain continuous growth and expansion.

The latest of these efforts involved an AED30 million investment to triple its production to 3 600 containers per year by 2013. www.constructionweekonline.com

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