Construction Global - October 2016

October 2016

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TUNNEL PROJECT We talk to Evan Tattersall, CEO of Melbourne’s Metro

How tech is changing Creative builds made of wood asset utilisation

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

HELLO AND WELCOME TO the October edition of Construction Global.

The cover this month discusses the new Metro Tunnel in Melbourne Australia. CEO Evan Tattersall of the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority highlights how the construction works will strengthen Melbourne’s key infrastructure and provide a multitude of benefits to the city.

Also featured is a piece on the ‘Iceberg Principle’ with President and co-founder of EquipmentShare Willy Schlacks. He discusses how contractors can be misled in terms of cost and ownership when purchasing expensive equipment, with no way of measuring the impacts. However, this is set to change.

Also included is our favourite buildings made out of wood, which have stood the test of time.

Wood has provided several advantages within construction throughout the ages. In a bid to construct builds which are sustainable, solid and reliable, modern construction workers are beginning to utilise this material in their works.

We sincerely hope you enjoy the issue, and as always, please tweet your feedback to @ConstructionGL

Enjoy the issue!

Catherine Rowell Editor catherine.rowell@bizclikmedia.com 3

CONTENTS

F E AT U R ES

PROFILE

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Q&A: Evan Tattersall, CEO of Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project TECHNOLOGY

How technology is transforming asset utilisation

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LIST

Innovative buildings made out of wood

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C O M PA N Y P R O F I L ES Forsythe Data Centers USA

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Grupo ITISA Latin America

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PROFILE

Q&A

Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project Chief Executive Officer Evan Tattersall from the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority discusses how the Metro Tunnel will strengthen Melbourne’s growing infrastructure by increasing the number of transport services against a rising population, delivering continual benefits to Melbourne’s growing economy through this long-term investment.

W r i t t e n b y : CATH E R I N E ROW E LL

PROFILE

What is the rationale behind this important project?

Melbourne is Australia’s fastest growing city with the number of residents expected to rise from 4.5 million to around eight million by 2051.

To cater for this unprecedented growth and address increasing congestion in the inner core of Melbourne’s rail network due to a growing reliance on public transport, a major investment is required to create network capacity and enhance reliability.

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The Metro Tunnel is a $10.9 billion project fully funded by the State Government of Victoria and is the biggest public transport infrastructure project in Victoria’s history. The tunnel comprises twin 9km tunnels under the heart of Melbourne, with five new underground stations at Arden, Parkville, CBD North, CBD South and Domain. The two CBD stations will have direct pedestrian connections to other rail lines in the existing City Loop at Melbourne Central station

Q&A - MELBOURNE METRO TUNNEL PROJECT

Domain Station “The Metro Tunnel is a $10.9 billion project fully funded by the State Government of Victoria and is the biggest public transport infrastructure project in Victoria’s history”

and Flinders Street Station.

By creating a new dedicated pathway through the inner core for Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham services, more trains will be able to run more often on the Craigieburn, Upfield, Frankston, Sandringham and Werribee lines. Room will be created on the network to enable an extra 39,000 passengers to use the rail system during each morning peak period.

The Metro Tunnel is the first step towards a ‘metro style’ rail network 9

PROFILE

North Station for Melbourne with ‘turn up and go’ train services that are the hallmark of the world’s greatest cities such as London, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. Key medical, education, employment and tourism destinations at Parkville and Domain will be connected to rail for the first time.

In addition, the Metro Tunnel is integral to the future expansion of Victoria’s rail network, enabling other initiatives to ensure our transport 10

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system keeps pace with population and business growth. Economy-wide modelling demonstrates that the Metro Tunnel project is expected to create around 4,700 jobs nationwide at the peak of construction.

What are the tasks and timeframes to complete this project?

Engaging with residents, businesses and other key stakeholders is a

Q&A - MELBOURNE METRO TUNNEL PROJECT

crucial element to inform decisionmaking on project design and construction methodology.

Melbourne Metro Rail Authority (MMRA) will partner with companies with knowledge and experience in managing complex projects in busy and constrained urban environments.

As part of the Early Works package to prepare key sites for the Tunnel and Stations PPP works, up to 100 utilities including gas, power and telecommunications services will

South Station

be relocated and protected later this year. Work on the excavation of station shafts adjacent to Swanston Street will begin next year following the conclusion of the Environment Effects Statement (EES) process currently underway and formal planning approval for the project.

The PPP contract for the Metro Tunnel is valued up to $6 billion and includes the excavation and fit-out of the twin nine-kilometre tunnels and five underground stations.

Work will begin in 2018, with the aim for the Metro Tunnel to be completed and operational by 2026.

Shortlisted bidders for the Tunnel and Stations PPP have been selected: • Continuum Victoria comprising ACCIONA Infrastructure, Ferrovial Agroman, Honeywell, Downer EDI and Plenary Origination • Cross Yarra Partnership comprising Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital • Moving Melbourne Together comprising Pacific Partnerships, CPB 11

PROFILE

Parkville Station

Q&A - MELBOURNE METRO TUNNEL PROJECT

Contractors, Ghella, Salini Impregilo, Serco and Macquarie Capital A series of site investigations is being carried out along the alignment between Kensington and South Yarra to gather further information on ground and environmental conditions to ensure we have the most up-to-date information available as planning for the city’s newest rail line continues.

To date, more than 200 geotechnical boreholes have been drilled to obtain rock and soil samples at key locations to help us gain a greater understanding of local geological conditions to assist in planning how the Metro Tunnel and stations will be built.

Shortlisted bidders for the PPP will be asked to submit a formal proposal by early next year, with a contract expected to be awarded by the end of 2017.

How are you planning to manage any potential disruptions?

The Metro Tunnel is being assessed through an Environment Effects Statement (EES) planning process.

There will be impacts during the construction phase which

are unavoidable for a project of this scale and complexity.

The EES is an integrated assessment of the potential environmental, social, economic and planning impacts of the project, and the approach to managing these impacts.

The EES is supported by a range of technical studies that assesses the potential effects of the Metro Tunnel and provides guidance on mitigation measures. Specialist investigations undertaken for Metro Tunnel’s EES will inform the statutory approvals required for the project.

As part of the EES, a number of mitigation or ‘Environmental Performance Requirements’ have been proposed to avoid, reduce or manage construction impacts and minimise disruptions above and below ground. The proposed Environmental Performance Requirements address a range of issues including open space, trees, heritage buildings, air quality, traffic and transport.

Have there been any major design changes?

MMRA’s ongoing engagement with 13

PROFILE key stakeholders and the community has already helped to shape the design and construction methodology for the Metro Tunnel, well ahead of major works getting underway.

MMRA re-visited a proposal to build the Metro Tunnel’s two CBD stations underneath Swanston Street from the surface down, due to the extended disruption to the heart of the CBD this would have resulted in.

CBD North and CBD South stations will now be built entirely underneath Swanston Street with construction managed via shafts adjacent to the roadway, avoiding the re-routing of trams and the costly relocation of many critical underground services.

The new underground station at Parkville was originally proposed to sit under the intersection of Grattan Street and Royal Parade.

Following discussions with nearby hospitals and research facilities, along with assessment of potential impacts to tram and vehicle traffic, MMRA moved the station location further east to reduce the potential effects of construction.

In addition, an option to use an immersed tube method to construct the tunnels under the Yarra River was ruled 14

October 2016

“Economywide modelling demonstrates that the Metro Tunnel project is expected to create around 4,700 jobs nationwide at the peak of construction” out in favour of using Tunnel Boring Machines to reduce the potential impacts on river users, as well as on recreational and retail facilities on the river banks, and possibly on the river itself. An immersed tube method would have involved dredging a channel in the river bed and the establishment of large work sites on both banks to lower the tunnel sections into place.

The proposed construction techniques across the project are tried and tested on many other underground rail projects around the world and suitable for a range of geological conditions and inner city urban environments.

Q&A - MELBOURNE METRO TUNNEL PROJECT

Arden Station

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Melting

the Iceberg How technology is transforming asset utilisation WW rI Li tLYt e nSbCyH L AC K S

President and co-founder of EquipmentShare, Willy Schlacks, details how large contractors discover more costs associated with their equipment later on down the road than they originally had planned for. Schlacks has extensive experience in construction management and telematics and was featured on Columbia Business Times’ 20 under 40 list.

TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTORS TYPICALLY BUY equipment in order to make money off the work produced by that equipment — similar to an investment, with an expectation of a return. If contractors deeply understand all of their costs, they can make decisions that yield the best possible returns.

This is a somewhat obvious concept, but it’s not often applied to contractors’ purchasing decisions.

Contractors see the equipment price tag — the tip of the iceberg — and though they’re aware of the hidden costs of ownership, most have no way of measuring them – until now.

The costs that lie below The two main costs beneath the surface are maintenance and underutilization.

Maintenance should cost contractors approximately 1-2 percent of a machine’s value every year, but that number can balloon to 5-25 percent after the first few years of ownership. Typically, this is due to the absence of an effective maintenance system. For instance, a piece of equipment under normal use that’s not maintained will (conservatively) break down more than twice as often 17

TECHNOLOGY as one that’s maintained, which has a massive effect on job site schedules and profitability, ranging from thousands of dollars to millions.

Underutilization occurs when contractors buy or rent more equipment than they really need, and it’s often an unfortunate side effect of suboptimal usage tracking and typical job cycles that only put equipment in use for brief periods every few months. Some estimates indicate that the average contractor’s equipment sits unused 70 percent of the time.

Fortunately, contractors can easily illuminate both of these

hidden costs and reduce them.

Using Tech to Melt the Iceberg Technology is transforming asset ownership and melting the iceberg of equipment costs.

Here are three modern ways contractors can maximize the value they see from their fleets: 1. Manage fleets with telematics The first and most important step of melting the iceberg is to deploy a telematics-driven fleet management solution. This is the only way to gain the usage, performance, and cost analytics needed.

EquipmentShare powerful software allows you to manage your equipment assets

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H O W T E C H N O L O G Y I S T R A N S F O R M I N G A S S E T U T I L I Z AT I O N

“Technology is transforming asset ownership and melting the iceberg of equipment costs” – Willy Schlacks, President and cofounder of EquipmentShare

Telematics solutions can indicate exactly where a piece of equipment is, what route it took to get there, how many hours it’s been in use, how much fuel it’s burning, and whether its engine is at risk of breaking down — all in real time.

These insights lead to an incredible boost in usage efficiency, a drastic drop in unexpected maintenance issues, and, best of all, sky-high ROI. 2. Embrace preventive maintenance With telematics in place, contractors can then adopt a preventive maintenance system that’s automated and triggered by actual usage data. The benefits 19

TECHNOLOGY

“These insights lead to an incredible boost in usage efficiency, a drastic drop in unexpected maintenance issues, and, best of all, skyhigh ROI” – Willy Schlacks

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H O W T E C H N O L O G Y I S T R A N S F O R M I N G A S S E T U T I L I Z AT I O N

of this approach are numerous.

To start, they will no longer waste time and effort conducting routine maintenance checks on equipment that ultimately doesn’t require any service. Technicians are only called to the field on an as-needed basis.

Further, necessary repairs will be relatively minor, as the ongoing monitoring of fleet performance will catch maintenance issues as they’re brewing — not after they’ve exploded into costly breakdowns.

3. Join the sharing economy Underutilization represents a large lost opportunity for contractors; machines should make about 25 percent of their purchase price annually. That means if a contractor has a million dollars’ worth of highquality equipment sitting around, that person is draining up to a quarter million dollars per year of income.

Armed with the usage data made possible by telematics, contractors can avoid this lost value by dipping their toes into the emerging contractor-to-contractor sharing economy. Participating doesn’t require contractors to rent out large amounts of equipment; these platforms

allow them to list individual pieces for other reputable contractors to choose from. The ability to realize a constant ROI from their equipment won’t just transform how and what they buy; it will also enable them to own new warrantied equipment.

For instance, if a contractor has always wanted a 60-foot boom lift but couldn’t afford the purchase because he’d only use it two months of the year, he can now finance that lift, use it for two months, and lend it for the rest of the year. That lift would cost him nothing in cash flow; instead, he would gain equity in the asset and have cash left over.

When searching for a telematics solution that will melt the iceberg, at the end of the day, it needs to make a contractor’s job easier. If it comes with a complicated interface and a steep learning curve, it’s not the right choice. It should also provide the data to improve fleet efficiency.

Contractors simply cannot afford to not use telematics. By incorporating these strategies into their fleet management, they’ll unlock countless opportunities to gain efficiency and revenue for their companies.

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LIST

INNOVATIVE BUILDINGS made out of wood W r i t t e n b y : C AT H E R I N E R O W E L L

The use of wood as an environmentally sustainable building material has been utilised throughout the ages, providing strength and endurance. Its versatility has ensured creative wooden structures have withstood the elements for thousands of years, ranging from small pieces of furniture, all the way through to the largest wooden structure in the world.

Construction workers are beginning to utilise wood as an adaptable building material not solely for economic reasons, but also to reduce their carbon footprint within any new development in order to be create builds which are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

As a building material, wood is aesthetically pleasing, provides excellent insulation and reduces the level of sound emitted, making it a superb choice of material. Here, we look at five buildings which have been constructed out of wood and continue to impress through their inspiring designs and innovative structures.

LIST

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SAKYAMUNI PAGODA OF FOGONG TEMPLE CHINA (1056AD)

Situated within Ying County, Shanxi province in China lies one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world. Constructed in 1056 and encompassing features from the Hang and Tang dynasty, the wooden pagoda of Fogong Temple (Buddha’s palace) was built by Emperor Daozong of Liao. The building has been included in the UNESCO list of protected buildings.

The octagonal shaped pagoda is supported by several internal columns, attaining a total height of 220.83 ft. Built entirely in timber, with a 13ft stone platform and 33 ft. steeple, the construction is complex; 54 different brackets link to a mezzanine layer, with windows situated on all eight sides which provide stunning views of the countryside. Nine storeys are situated within the interior, comprising sculptures of lions and mural paintings which relate to the Liao Dynasty.

Several important archaeological finds have been found within the temple, such as Lio Dynasty texts of Buddhist sutras, amongst other important historical artefacts of value, highlight the site’s significance.

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LIST

HEDDAL STAVE CHURCH NORWAY (1200)

Heddal Stave Church is the largest stave church to remain in Norway. Situated in Heddal within Notodden, the church was constructed in the 13th century and is popular with locals and tourists. Parts of the church are dated even earlier, as historians believe the chancel to have been constructed in the early 12th century.

The building is constructed from Norwegian pine, with 12 large support columns amongst six support pillars. Rose paintings can be seen within the interior, dated from the 15th century. In addition, there is a historic bishops chair and medieval carvings illustrating Viking Sigurd the Dragon Slayer. Despite undergoing several restorations, the building remains as a stunning piece of wooden architecture.

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LIST

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THE CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION RUSSIA (1713 – 1714)

The Church of the Transfiguration is the largest remaining wooden structure in the world, showcasing stunning wooden architecture which has survived since the 18th century. The church is linked with Intercession Church and Bell Tower; all of which have become a UNESCO Heritage Site.

At 37.5 metres high and including an octahedral centre, the construction is complex. Three different levels incorporate 22 domes covered with over 30,000 aspen shingles.

The church is impressive not only aesthetically, but has also been constructed without the use of nails. Instead, carpenters have utilised wooden logs which have been connected at corner angles. The use of pine, spruce planks and aspen have ensured the design is not only adaptable, but sustainable.

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LIST

WAT THUNG SI MUANG TEMPLE THAILAND (1824 – 1851)

Built during the reign of King Rama III, the Wat Thung Si Mueang Temple incorporates a mix of Lao and Rattanakosin styles.

The interior contains ancient mural paintings illustrating themes from King Rama’s reign, alongside a wooden Tripitaka Library. The build has been placed above the pond with the use of wooden stilts to ensure insects could not reach the materials inside the area, creating a charming structure that is still popular with tourists and locals within the region.

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LIST

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THE WATER MILLS JAJCE, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA (1867 - 1918) Situated 5km away from Jajce are the Pilva lakes, which are home to a row of wooden watermills, dated from the Austro-Hungarian empire. They are picturesque and are popular with tourists due to its close proximity to Pilva Waterfall.

Although no longer in use, the watermills exhibit visible traditional building methods and impressive use of local carpentry, but do not have any windows or chimney in their design.

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Keeping cool in critical space Written by Jennifer Johnson Produced by Tom Venturo 35

F O R S Y T H E D ATA C E N T E R S , I N C .

In the digital age, consumers demand speed and reliability in web services.

Companies are catching on — and realising that their own facilities can’t accommodate their IT infrastructure

D

ata centers have never merely been houses for IT equipment — but as businesses increasingly come to rely on the facilities to store critical information, their security and infrastructure needs have grown more complex. Perhaps no one is more familiar with the demands placed on modern data centers than Forsythe Technology’s newly created expert entity, Forsythe Data Centers.

Last year, the company debuted a state-of-the-art facility in Elk Grove, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago.

“It’s really more than a traditional colocation data center,” says David Carlson, Vice President of Forsythe Hosting Solutions.

“It’s an innovation center.”

The Tier III Uptime Certified facility

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boasts 90,000 square feet of space and 30MW of IT load. More important than these numbers are the numerous options clients have for space, security and customisation within the building.

Forsythe allows customers to test, plan, construct and manage all of the infrastructure that goes into its dedicated private suites, resulting in a highly agile and scalable offering.

“Clients look to us from a technical perspective, to help them maneuver through the technical side of the conversation,” explains Steve Harris, Vice President of Data Center Development. Harris also cites Forsythe’s ability to help clients migrate, and later provide supporting services, as factors which make the company unique in the

USA

datacenters.forsythe.com

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data center market. “We offer a full turnkey solution to clients who are looking for that capability,” he says.

In selecting a data center, any prospective client will want to ensure that their information is secure and that all of their equipment is kept sufficiently cool. Many of Forsythe’s customers are enterprises for whom privacy is also paramount, and they have found that the facility’s private suites offer them the peace of mind that a traditional ‘cage’ environment cannot.

“The cage environment was good ten years ago,” says Carlson.

“Going forward, the security and flexibility of a full six-wall suite is becoming increasingly important to some clients. It provides them the concept of having their own dedicated data-center-within-a-data-center.”

Forsythe ensured that the Elk Grove facility was in compliance with leading auditing and information security standards, receiving both SSAE 16 and ISO 27001 accreditation once the center was opened. “[Clients] can control security and have the audit capabilities they require,” Carlson

explains. “Each client has six to seven security points just to get into their space. Being in our facility really enables them to meet their own compliance requirements.”

Harris drew on his years of experience as the director of the company’s data center engineering practice when determining the specific features and services that the Elk Grove facility would offer customers.

Before the advent of Forsythe Data Centers, Harris managed a team which not only built and re-engineered client facilities, but also would also help clients to select a colocation provider anywhere in the United States. “In doing that engagement over and over again, we were able to see all sorts of provider facilities,” he recalls.

“Over time we got to see the good, the bad and the ugly.” His team would make “mental notes” when touring data centers, and were ultimately able to compile numerous examples of best — and worst — practice.

“With that collective mental file that each of us had, we were able to design a facility that included the

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F O R S Y T H E D ATA C E N T E R S , I N C .

best of the best,” Harris says. “And ensure that we didn’t make mistakes other providers had made.”

Forsythe offers private suites in a handful of sizes and configurations — from 300 to 4,000 square feet of contiguous space and 50kw to 1.5MW of power. However, a customer’s options for cooling increase significantly once certain dimensions are exceeded. “When you get to 1000 square feet, your private, dedicated, hard wall suite also comes with your own power and cooling that is dedicated just to you,” Harris says. “You control your humidity set points and you control your temperature set points.

“You’re helping to manage the environment of your data center and hopefully manage it in the most efficient way possible. We will help the client do that, as well, in order to make sure that the electric bill portion of their rent is as low as possible.”

Forsythe’s Elk Grove facility has achieved low Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) scores, indicating high levels of energy efficiency. Carlson credits the efficiency of the building to the company’s partnership with Emerson Network Power, a provider of critical infrastructure for data centers, communications networks and industrial facilities.

“We had PUEs as low as 1.27 and a lot of that is due, quite frankly, to the power and cooling equipment that we procured from Emerson, both from the UPS (uninterruptable power supply) standpoint and from a critical standpoint,” says Carlson. “We

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Number of employees at Forsythe Data Centers datacenters.forsythe.com

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are able to achieve those PUEs because of the equipment selected, designed and built by Emerson.”

The success of the partnership was due, in no small part, to both companies’ willingness to collaborate.

“We believe two things: a part that’s not there can’t break and a connection that’s not there can’t fail,” says Peter Panfil, Vice President, Global Power at Emerson Network Power. “The goal was to take Forsythe’s original concept design, look for ways to improve it and come 42

October 2016

up with an integrated solution.”

The result of the partnership is a data center equipped to meet a customer’s every need — and exceed their expectations. “They are unique in the things that they can offer to critical space customers,” Panfil says of Forsythe. “They are a unique combination that allows customers speed, scalability, reliability and quality. Those are the four things that every single critical space customer I’ve talked to says keeps them up at night.”

•

Building a data center from the ground up is an enormous undertaking—which is why companies are increasingly handing the job over to colocation providers. While Forsythe drew upon its years of experience to make the overall decisions and manage every aspect, it also drew upon the strengths of a team of mission-critical partners.

•

To begin with, Environmental Systems Design Global helped design and Turner Construction constructed Forsythe’s innovative Retail+ facility that achieved not only Uptime Institute Tier III certification of constructed facility for redundancy and resiliency, but also LEED Gold Certification for energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact, each on first inspection.

• ComEd worked with Forsythe from the early planning stages to ensure that Forsythe Data Centers’ power and redundancy requirements could be supported.

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Sunesys deployed a dedicated, dark fiber ring from Forsythe’s enterprise colocation facility to 350 E. Cermak, providing secure, private diverse paths to the carrier-neutral environment in the downtown Chicago area.

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Ciena® provided high-capacity, low-latency connectivity, secure, wire-speed encrypted connectivity solutions to Forsythe Data Centers for the dual, diverse metro fiber network connecting it to 350 East Cermak in Chicago.

• Dura-line provided an innovative air-jetted fiber (blown fiber) infrastructure system that enables continuous fiber to run throughout the facility with zero points of network failure, virtually unlimited fiber and bandwidth capacity, real-time futureproofing, no end to the fiber lifecycle, and up to 90% savings in time and labor for fiber installs.

•

Anixter provided a wide array of product options for fiber, copper, patch panels, power strips, cabinet distribution units and other data center infrastructure components, as well as a product demonstration lab and consultative services to assist with product evaluation and selection.

•

And last, but far from least, Emerson Network Power provided a number of innovative power and cooling technologies, including new, beta-stage Lithium-Ion UPS battery technology that Forsythe Data Centers is piloting at its facility.

“WE CREATE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE IDEAS” ITISA Group’s growth stems from its activity in the railway sector to its involvement supplying precast concrete for major projects

Wr i t te n by : M a t e o R a f a e l Ta b l a d o P r o d u c e d by : Ta y b e l e P i ve n Inter viewe e: G a b r iel S a nt a n a Eche a g a r ay, Busine s s Developme nt Manage r for G r upo ITISA

GRUPO ITISA

G

rupo ITISA is an integrated corporation comprised of construction and infrastructure companies. Through its companies, ITISA enjoyed years of being the second largest locomotive diesel fuel dispenser supplier for Mexico’s former Ferrocarriles Nacionales (National Railways), just behind Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). For decades, ITISA not only provided the railway company with concrete sleepers but also the hauling vehicles and machinery needed to facilitate their installation.

In the early 1990s, Mexico’s railway system changed, and therefore so did the ITISA group by diversifying into precast concrete and construction, from engineering services to completed projects.

“The fact that the company is in its third generation is a major achievement. Understanding the market and following our customers is what’s important to us. We value quality, performance and reliability,” says Gabriel Santana Echeagaray, ITISA Group’s

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Business Development Director.

Santana Echeagaray is a civil engineer graduate from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) with a Diploma in Business Development from the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM). Santana has taught graduate courses for UNAM’s Faculty of Architecture.

“For more than 50 years, ITISA has concentrated its efforts specifically on precast concrete.

We are Mexico’s most important company in this area in terms of volume, infrastructure and projects,” Santana explained.

ITISA Group’s foray into precast concrete began in 1993, which means it competes with construction companies with more than 50-year experience in the field.

Most procedures within each of ITISA’s business units are regulated by tested mechanized structures that ensure that each operation is well organized and successful. Each necessary step is not only met with complete

L AT I N A M E R I C A

GRUPO ITISA

seriousness but is certified under ISO 9000 standards. Moreover, the same commitment to quality is also required of its suppliers.

Business units • ITISA Prefabricados is one of Mexico’s largest precast concrete companies, thriving through steady growth and an ever increasing market share, all the while solidifying its active presence.

The dedication and strength of its

work is reflected in constructions such as the Elevated Viaduct at the Cuernavaca exit (in Mexico City), the Gota de Plata Auditorium (Pachuca) and the recently opened BBV Stadium (in Monterrey), among others.

• ITISA Ferroviarios is the most important concrete railway sleeper manufacturer, among domestic companies. This division works for public enterprises (such as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Railway,

L AT I N A M E R I C A

a concession from the Mexican government) as well as for private ones. Its private sector clients include Kansas City Southern of Mexico (KCSM) - which provides freight transportation between Lazaro Cardenas and Tampico and Ferromex’s “N” rail line, part of Grupo Mexico, a corporation for which railway projects have also been developed. ITISA’s diverse clientele in this area is testament to its flexibility and adaptability

with respect to customer needs and operational standards.

• AMEXDER is responsible for rail transport equipment.

It represents the TrackMobile market leader brand of vehicles in Mexico. Besides supplying the rail market with equipment and spare parts, its rail and on-road motor vehicles are crucial to the mining sector as well as for conveyance of Mexico City’s subway wagons.

• TUMEX is the company

7,500

jobs created

by Grupo ITISA and suppliers

responsible for steel pipe manufacturing used for different applications, the most important being drinking water pipelines as well as drain pipes. TUMEX also boasts adaptability with regard to product requirements when it comes to use and context. Asides protected stainless steel piping - resistant to humid climates and other variants - it also supplies the necessary accessories for easy duct pipe installation in any terrain. TUMEX has taken part in important projects such as the recent phase of the Sistema Cutzamala (water supply project for the Mexico Valley), with pipelines covering more than 200 miles in length. They also provide pipes for spectacular billboards.

In-house processes, the advantage of vertical integration ITISA Group’s capabilities can be deployed in a single project, from the initial design and engineering stages of civil works, through transport and erecting, to installation and assembly. In such a highly competitive environment, it is very rare to find a company

GRUPO ITISA

not only able to successfully develop all these steps itself at the extent required for the project and/ or building size, but that ensures the highest standards throughout and delivers on time or often well before deadline.

“Our real distinction is being able to perform reliably on a massive scale, each time at a faster rate. Anyone can make a double-tee slab, but making 5,000 in 10 months and installing them before the deadline is not so easy,” says Santana.

Optimization of technological resources Controlling each process is key to ITISA Group. Operations are supported by REVIT software, tailored for each project to ensure better, accurate results. More than its regular functions have been adapted; data such as quantities required for manufacturing is obtained from each piece of data.

This integration provides greater transparency by precisely showing

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October 2016

the client every element needed.

“Our customer can rent their space to a cinema and assign the project’s size; the application enables to view the project as if it were already built,” Santana adds.

Moreover, thanks to mechanized processes and specialized vehicles, the railway sector has enjoyed optimized repair, rehabilitation and modernization of its tracks. ITISA provides its railway sector customers much cleaner, more organized and higher quality work compared with semiautomatic or manual procedures.

“Cimientos ITISA”: support for the human resource “We are dedicated to improving our workforce. We want ITISA to be considered an ideal place to work, develop and grow,” comments Santana. Cimientos ITISA’s (“cimientos” being Spanish for a building’s foundations) programs allow employees and their family access to higher training and education by building

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“Our technology solves infrastructure problems�

- Gabriel Santana Echeagaray, Business Development Manager for Grupo ITISA

w w w. i t i s a . c o m . m x

53

CP0073

Knowledge

Excellence in High Quality Precast/ Prestressed Concrete PICTURED Oscar Niemeyer Museum, Brazil

gcpat.com

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schools near production plants.

Internally, for five years now, opportunities are sought to develop and manage growth from within. Similarly, the company funds postgraduate studies if it determines that the knowledge gained can become be useful for their operation. “We support young people who have, promote and live company values. We help them move forward by funding advanced education and their development,� explains Santana.

workforce excellence.

These are but some of the factors that have contributed to a rapid growth which in recent years has averaged between 30 and 35 percent annually.

Linking goals towards major purposes Having set specific and measurable goals, ITISA Group has a clear vision of its future.

Annual goals are aligned with corporate strategies. Likewise, each position’s individual profile reflects objectives that add up to major goals.

Five-year plans are evaluated each semester, focusing on operational, commercial and

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2 – 3 November 2016 CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa

Developing Future African Cities DEVELOP YOUR PROPERTY PORTFOLIO IN THE TOP 10 AFRICAN CITIES Meet government officials and town planners from Africa’s real estate hotspots. Broker deals, drive real estate projects forward, expand your asset base and realise above market average double digit returns at this year’s launch of the African Real Estate Summit, taking place from 2 – 3 November in Cape Town.

Why is the African Real Estate and Infrastructure Summit for you?

•

View city plans and development launches from Africa’s top cities. Confirmed cities include: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Kigali, Rwanda | Lusaka, Zambia | Nairobi, Kenya | Luanda, Angola | Kinshasa, DRC | Johannesburg, South Africa | Cape Town, South Africa | Kigamoboni New City Development, Tanzania | Lilongwe, Malawi

•

Meet and expand your business network with investors, developers and government officials in one place

•

View city plans and development launches in our deal making exhibition hub with a 3D showcase

•

Make this your annual African meeting place with the commercial, industrial, retail and residential property sectors

The African Real Estate and Infrastructure Summit is the only meeting place for commercial real estate in Africa. To discuss your company’s participation or to secure your seat please, contact our team below: Cape Town Stephan Herman, +27 21 700 3598 stephan.herman@spintelligent.com Invited Host City:

Lagos/Abuja Mej Obada, +234 809 800 8906 mej.obada@spintelligent.com Promotional Agency:

www.african-real-estate-summit.com

London Russell Hughes, +44 (0) 20 7384 8017 russell.hughes@clarionevents.com African Event Specialists: