Construction Machinery ME October 2013

ISSUE 24 013 OCTOBER 2

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

IN THE MIX

Unibeton goes green

URBAN HEROES Backhoes start to dig in

BACk TO THE MET Resort takes shape on SZD

JAPANEsE MACHINE REVIEW

PACIFIC BRIMMING

Why Japan’s giants are back

Plus: ACROss THE INDusTRY

* NEWs & VIEWs * RAW POWER * WIN A JCB BACKHOE * AND MORE

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Saudi Arabia GE NERAL TR ADING & EQUIPMENT +966 Sultanate of Om 38980920 an INTERNATIONA L HEAVY EQUIPME Syria INTERIMEX NT L.L.C. +968 245 +963 113331808 27653 United Arab Emira tes THE KANOO GR OUP +971 431566 48

bobcat.eu/en/ 500 September 2011 October 2013

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Contents

44 IS S U E 2 4 2013 OCTOBER

02

Editorial Is it time for a get together?

04

NEws What’s happening across the region in construction machinery?

10

NEws aNalysis Does being on Tier 2 have to mean lower class machines as well lower standard engines?

page 44 The virtues of going backwards – Backhoe special

“Rapid urbanisation has created need for infrastructure build and maintenance, often within confined spaces.”

12

CoMMENt Could a GCC-wide visa help to save time at immigration and free up time to take lunch?

14

PUttiNG GrEEN iN tHE MiX CMME meets the team at Unibeton to find out how concrete contractors can help projects stay green.

18

risiNG sUN Stian Overdahl examines the resurgence of Japanese equipment in the region.

26

sitE Visit: tHE Habtoor rEsort A year on from its last visit, CMME goes to the site of the former Metropolitan Hotel in Dubai.

18 40

Raw power

26 50

07

33 NEW RELEASE ROUND UP What’s hot in new machinery this month? Page 38 TOP TEN: GUIDE TO PROFITABILITY CMME’s guide to ensuring you make your operation pay. Page 40 PMV LIVE AND THE RETURN OF THE UAE Returning confidence of the UAE market boosts PMV Live and MEC 2013. Page 44 BACK ON THE FRONT FOOT How urbanisation is helping backhoes in the GCC. Page 50 OVER THE EDGE When manpower beats equipment. Page 54 THE LAST WORD Taking the train.

Page

Editor’s Letter

PubliSher Dominic De SouSa GrOuP COO naDeem HooD ManaGinG DireCtOr RicHaRD JuDD eDiToRiaL GrOuP eDitOr STepHen wHiTe stephen.white@cpimediagroup.com +971 56 795 8740 internatiOnal eDitOr STian oVeRDaHL stian.overdahl@cpidubai.com

Isn’t It about tIme that we collaborated?

I

sn’t time that there were regular meetings for all of us that spend too much time in the sun and sand?

I’ve been asked on a number of occasions whether I would be willing to host regular get togethers for heavy equipment suppliers, contractors, plant managers and anybody with a vested interest in this sector.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never really given the idea serious consideration largely because the logisitics has always made my eyes water. I barely have enough time to get through my inbox once I’ve done my monthly rounds around the industry, the thought of adding yet more responsibility is something that – in normal circumstances – would make it an absolute no-no.

However while moderating an event discussing the soon-to-be-introduced Green Building Code last month, I realised that getting our industry together is much needed and should become an imperative.

Co-hosted by the Middle East Facilities Management Association and Emirates Green Building Council, I got a strong sense from all those there that they need these events – and in terms of MEFMA they are almost weekly – that there is real value in being able to air problems, voice grievances, share intelligence and get a greater idea of what they are up against in the market.

In this case there was an open and honest debate about the incoming Green Building Code in Dubai and how it will change not only what’s being built but how the industry can adapt and change without compromising.

While I chatted to a few of the audience, I realised some of the immediate benefits there would be if we got together on a regular basis. I also realised that is not going to happen until someone sticks their head above the parapet and unfortunately I realised that it is going to have to Construction Machinery Middle East magazine.

So if there are readers out there that would be interested in such get togethers, please can you let yourselves known. My immediate suggestion would be to hold the first during PMV Live/The Big 5 (not Big-5 as I was reminded by the organisers last month)/MEC 2013. It might be an acorn of an idea, and I’m setting my expectations fairly low at the moment, but I think that should it become a fixture it’ll be a useful networking opportunity and perhaps a platform to instigate change.

On another note, don’t miss your chance to win a scale model of JCB’s famous Mark III 3C on page 48. These are very special collector items and I would like to thank JCB for kindly allowing us to offer them to three lucky readers.

DePuty eDitOr GaVin DaViDS gavin.davids@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5480 maRKeTinG & aDVeRTiSinG PubliShinG DireCtOr RaZ iSLam raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5471 COMMerCial DireCtOr micHaeL STanSFieLD michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5497 MarKetinG ManaGer caRoLe mccaRTHY carole.mccarthy@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5498 DeSiGn SeniOr GraPhiC DeSiGner ReBecca Teece rebecca.teece@cpimediagroup.com +9714 375 5713 JuniOr GraPhiC DeSiGner peRciVaL manaLaYSaY percival.manalaysay@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5712 ciRcuLaTion & pRoDucTion CirCulatiOn anD DiStributiOn ManaGer RocHeLLe aLmeiDa rochelle.almeida@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 368 1670 DatabaSe anD CirCulatiOn ManaGer RaJeeSH m rajeesh.nair@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9147 PrODuCtiOn ManaGer JameS p THaRian james.tharian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9146 DiGiTaL www.constructionmachineryme.com DiGital ServiCeS ManaGer TRiSTan TRoY maaGma Web DevelOPer JoeL aZcuna online@cpidubai.com +971 4 375 5714 puBLiSHeD BY

Registered at impZ po Box 13700 Dubai, uae Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 pRinTeD BY printwell printing press LLc © copyright 2013 cpi all rights reserved while the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

ISSUE 24 OCTOBER 2013

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

IN THE MIX

Unibeton goes green

URBAN HEROES Backhoes start to dig in

BACk TO THE MET Resort takes shape on SZD

Stephen White, Group Editor, CMME

2

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST

October 2013

JAPANEsE MACHINE REVIEW

PACIFIC BRIMMING

Why Japan’s giants are back

Plus: ACROss THE INDusTRY

* NEWs & VIEWs * RAW POWER * WIN A JCB BACKHOE * AND MORE

nOW Online You can now catch the online edition every month at: www.constructionmachineryme.com

News Round-Up

NEWS New machines, new offices, new projects, new initiatives – we look around the region at what’s new this month.

ThE OThER SIDE OF ThE PALM Work re-starts on the Osaimi Group’s $300 million resort on the Jumeirah Palm. The Kuwaiti company’s project was originally planned to be completed in 2008

UAE prEcAst compAny to bUild schools in irAq

The UAE-based precast contracting company, Gulf Precast, has signed a contract to build 65 precast schools across Central Iraq, it has been announced.

With the initial part of production already underway in the UAE, the company is in the process of setting up a production plant in Iraq.

The contract to build the schools are part of an Iraqi national programme to build 1,485 schools across the country this year.

They will consist of six, nine, twelve, eighteen and 24 class rooms. The design of

the schools and their boundary walls has already been finalised, Gulf Precast added.

Omar Araim, the representative of Gulf Precast in Iraq stated: “The Iraqi government has launched an ambitious programme of construction development which can only be achieved if modern performing technologies such as precast are employed.”

The factory will cater for the second production phase of the schools project as well as for the fast-track infrastructure and housing programme launched by the Iraqi government.

NBK signs huge Qatar truck deal Nasser Bin Khaled (NBK) Automobiles has announced a huge deal to sell 141 trucks to Khalid Cement Industries Complex (KCIC), one of Qatar’s largest suppliers of concrete solutions.

T

he order of Mercedes-Benz industrial vehicles includes 42 tipper trucks, 65 tractor heads, 28 crane and cargo body type, five water and sewage tankers and one loader vehicle.

The sale contract is also bolstered by the FleetBoard vehicle management system, as well as a full service contract valid up to 750,000km or a maximum of five years.

KCIC is one of Qatar’s leading suppliers of complete concrete solutions with a 200,000 square metre main production plant just outside Doha, Qatar and additional plants in Industrial Area, Dukhan, Dafna and RasLaffan.

“NBK Automobiles is committed to contributing towards the continued development of the country through providing our business partners with extensive support and equipment tailored to meet their specific requirements, and the agreement with Khalid Cement Industries Complex is in line this strategic objective,” said Khalid Shaaban, General Manager, NBK Automobiles.

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“KCIC has established itself as one of Qatar’s foremost suppliers of complete concrete solutions and a major player in construction material production, and we look forward to working with them to offer long-term support in this and their upcoming ventures.”

The FleetBoard telematics system enables companies to remotely track vehicle movements, while providing data such as speed and distance travelled, as well as weight recordings, fuel consumption and even the actual fuel level of a truck.

Most significantly, FleetBoard provides customers with a full performance analysis of a fleet, its vehicles and its drivers by capturing data such as pedal movement, idle fuel consumption, engine brake usage and behavior of driver gear change operation, which is crucial information to determine areas of development in order to increase operative efficiency, reduce costs and further extend maintenance intervals.

Company intelligenCe

UAE And OmAn rAmp-Up trUck sAfEty EffOrts

FAMCO (al-Futtaim auto and machinery Co. llC) has launched the new Linde ReACh TRuCk SeRieS AT LAST MOnTh’S MATeRiALS hAndLing MiddLe eAST 2013 exhibiTiOn. the new linde reach trucks set a new standard in the industry for safe handling of loads, productivity and economic efficiency, said FAMCO MAnAging diReCTOR, PAuL FLOyd ahead of the event: “through the launch of this new truck which provides our customers with the most advanced technology, versatility and cost effectiveness, FamCo will be showcasing a standards-setting materials handling solution for the most demanding of uses.”

MiTSubiShi heAvy induSTRieS (hi) has opened an office in the southern town of bASRA, iRAq, as the Japanese company looks to position itself to play a vital role in the rebuild. Basra, the second largest city in iraq, is near to key oil field developments, and the large Faw port project on the al-Faw peninsula in the south of the Basra region. according to misubishi Hi, The new OFFiCe iS in ReSPOnSe TO The RAPid inCReASe in inFRASTRuCTuRe needS And ReCOnSTRuCTiOn deMAnds, “against the background reconstruction and demand from war and economic sanctions, [and] the vast oil reserves.”

As the region’s efforts to increase truck and general road safety continue apace, both the UAE and Oman have announced new initiatives that will specifically target drivers and owners of heavy commercial vehicles.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced truck drivers will soon have to prove they are medically fit to drive, as part of a federal law that

is being implemented in Dubai in different phases, according to a report by Gulf News.

Under the new legislation, driving licences of truck drivers will not be renewed without a medical permit from September 15.

“We are now moving to the next phase, which will begin from September 15, where we will ensure all truck drivers

pass the medical fitness test before they renew their driver’s licence,” said the chief executive of the RTA’s Licensing Agency, Ahmad Hashim Behroozian.

Meanwhile in Oman, the Government is planning on setting up a number of truck weighing stations at key locations along the country’s arterial road network in an effort to crack down on heavy vehicles that exceed axle load and weight limits, Oman Daily Observers has reported.

The plan envisages a mix of fixed and mobile weighing stations, also known as weighbridges, along key carriageways at risk of damage by trucks breaching load limits.

The installations will be operated by the Royal Oman Police, who will have the authority to penalise truck operators found to be plying their vehicles in breach of load limits.

MAn TRuCk And buS hAS deLiveRed 240 trucks to SAudi ARAbiA’S dAiRy induSTRy giAnT AL-MARAi, as it man’s Saudi dealer expands its service network. al-marai has a current fleet of 1,290 man long-haul trucks, which it use for distribution of its chilled foods and dairy products, single-handedly operating the vehicles around the clock to deliver heatsensitive perishable goods to the entire guLF RegiOn, AS weLL AS JORdAn And egyPT. major international contractor beChTeL has announced that it has opened a regional office in the Uae concentrating on its mining and metals business in the gCC countries.

tender UpdateS

1

king AbduLLAh eCOnOMiC CiTy (kAeC) hAS Signed A $56 MiLLiOn (SAR:210M) COnTRACT wiTh RuwAd COnSTRuCTiOn COMPAny (RCC) for the construction and interior finishing of 270 attached villas and a Community Centre. The revitalised kAeC project, one hour north of Jeddah, has been steadily increasing levels of construction over the past 12 months, including construction of a massive new port, and completion of legacy projects.

2

OMAn’S AwAiTed PASSengeR TeRMinAL PACkAgeS linked to the development of green-field airport projects at Sohar and Ras Al hadd were relaunched by the government last month after a delay of almost two years.

Motorcity hosts hino president in Bahrain Japanese truck-maker Hino has held its regional meeting in the kingdom of Bahrain, hosted by local dealer motorcity. the meeting was attended by Hino top officials with distributors from the middle East, West Asia and Africa.

Hino’s total support plan, fiscal year policies and strategies for the year of 2014 were discussed.

Ichihashi said the conference was a time to appreciate the brand-building efforts in the region. “this regional meeting provides a platform for sharing Hino motors’ vision for the future, and to express our gratitude to our distributors and their ongoing efforts to increase Hino market share in the region.”

“We are committed to delivering the “value” that only Hino is able to provide to our customers around the world and fulfilling our responsibilities as a global manufacturer of commercial vehicles.”

motorcity is the sole distributor of Hino in the kingdom of Bahrain, and its nuwaidrat showroom showcases the whole range of light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks. the range includes gross vehicle weights from 4,000kg to 40,000kg and payloads ranging from 2 to 80 tons.

Its chairman, Waleed kanoo said, “We at motorcity are honored to co-host Hino regional meeting for the 1st time in Bahrain. Our partnership with Hino has been constructive and fruitful throughout the years.”

Hino is the largest manufacturer of heavy- and medium-duty trucks in Japan, with a growing number of light duty trucks. the model types are suitable for trailers, dump, cargo, freezer bodies, concrete pumps, crane mounting, tankers and garbage collection.

Worldwide sales of Hino-brand trucks and buses total about 150,000 vehicles a year.

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55

News Round-Up

DNA MATTERS.

Tunis Société Commerciale de Matériels (COMAT) www.comat.tn +216-74468710 Azerbaijan Grand Motors LLC www.grandmotors.az +994-125647494 United Arab Emirates General Navigation And Commerce Company (GENAVCO) L.L.C (Member of Juma Al-Majid group)

www.genavco.com +971-43961000 Saudi Arabia -Arabian Bugshan Group (Earthmoving machinery)

www.abugshangroup.com +966-14931018 -Yusaf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Co., Ltd. (Concrete machinery)

www.kanoocom.com +966-22632959 Oman General Engineering Services Est. (Genserv) (Member of Juma Al-Majid group)

www.genserv-oman.com +968-24490755 Qatar Al Arabia Heavy Equipment Co. L.L.C. (Member of Al Fardan Group)

www.alarabia.com.qa +974-44971090 Bahrain ZAYANI MOTORS W.L.L. www.zmotors.com +973-17703703 Kuwait Bahrah Trading Company W.L.L. www.bahrahtrading.com +965-1802008 Iraq Al Ittihadia General Trading Co. ( Member of Sardar Group)

www.sardargroup.com +964-662569888 Algeria S.A.R.L. SOCOPE www.socope.net +213-43273939

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September 2011 October 2013

URBAN WARRIOR Dragan Krznaric of CNH believes that the rapid urbanisation that has occurred in the Middle East has created an opportunity for the use of backhoes in the region.

Dubai not headed for 2008 repeat

The CiTy Of Dammam TO hOsT Cm shOw 2014 The City of Dammam, the industrial hub of KSA will host the 2014 edition of the largest heavy equipment exhibition across the GCC region when the Construction Machinery Show opens its doors to traders and the public from February 16 to 20th, 2014.

The show will be dedicated to the construction machinery sector and will provide an invaluable platform for customers in the region bringing together manufacturers, distributors and buyers.

Raz Islam, Publishing Director at CPI Media Group the organisers of the event said: “In 2014, the Construction Machinery Show is teaming up with leading Saudi exhibition organizer, Dhahran International Exhibitions Center (DIEC). The show will run in conjunction with BUILDEX, the 16th Saudi International Building & Construction Exhibition. Both events will attract worldwide industry experts, investors and buyers to the largest trade show in the Eastern Province“.

He pointed out that the 2014 event will feature a new section dedicated to “live demonstrations” of heavy equipment and construction machinery.

“The 2014 show will host over 10,000 sqm of live demonstrations of the various construction and heavy equipment on display. This section will enable our trade visitors, buyers, suppliers and dealers to examine the various capabilities of the equipment on display and learn more information about their use, abilities and the way these machines can contribute to the success of their business operation,” Raz said.

Dammam has been selected as the new location for the Construction Machinery Show 2014, for its relevance to heavy construction and machinery equipment.

“Dammam is considered the industrial hub of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a major entry point into the booming market. It is also the centre of the oil and gas industry with nearby Al Ghawar which is home to the world’s largest conventional oil field. Much of this wealth is being reinvested into infrastructure and construction, making it the ideal location for 2014,” Raz pointed out.

The Construction Machinery Show’s success is also a true reflection of the constant growth of the construction market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which is the largest construction market in the Middle East with multibillion dollar projects currently under construction covering many industries from hospitals and medical facilities to universities, residential and industrial cities as well as infrastructure projects, all due for completion within the coming 10 years.

The total value of ongoing projects in the GCC region currently stands at $2,620 billion, with the Saudi Arabia accounting for $875 billion.

The Kingdom’s strong construction market is being driven by government spending and high oil prices, according to a recent Global Investment House report.

For 2013, the Kingdom budgeted $219 billion for spending, up by 18.8%, year-on-year, from 2012. Out of this, almost $76 billion has been set aside for capital expenditure on investment projects, the report added.

“The Kingdom remains focused on investing in road, railway, power and housing projects. Moreover, the introduction of a new mortgage law is expected to contribute to the growth of the residential sector in the coming quarters,” said Faisal Hasan, CFA and researcher for the report.

A recent Standard Chartered report has found that Dubai’s property market is not headed towards another crash, following concerns that the market recovery may have been accelerating too quickly.

Despite apartment prices rising to 38% over the past year and villa costs rising to 24%, the study found that the UAE’s property market is now more sustainable and will not repeat the ‘boomand-bust cycle of 2008.

NOrtherN expOsure Two Case excavators are helping to build road access on the island of Spitsbergen, which has the most northerly settlement in the world for research staff.

“The market seems to be driven by fundamentals rather than excess speculation, in contrast to what the market went through in 2008. The outlook of the market will therefore depend on how these fundamentals evolve over time,” the report said.

“Right now, we conclude that there are no serious indications of a speculative bubble in the housing market,” it added.

The report further focusses on the new set of laws that are aimed at maintaining property values, and within two years, Dubai could have seven new laws for the same.

“The commitment towards improving and strengthening corporate governance practices by protecting property rights has helped gain new investors and maintain existing ones.

Stakeholders such as homeowners and tenants have regained confidence in the real estate sector, as reflected in the recovery of market prices,” the report continued.

WIN a BaCKhOe! JCB and CMME have teamed up to offer three lucky readers a chance to win their very own scale model of the famous 3C Mark III. Turn to page 48 for more details on how to win.

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News Round-Up

lIebherr to buIlD $66m component factory Liebherr Group’s has followed news of a new spare parts logistics centre with the announcement it will build a $66 million component factory in Biberach, near to the plant where it manufactures its tower crane portfolio.

The plant will be used for the development and manufacturing of switchgear and also electric motors and generators.

These functions are currently carried out at the company’s existing factory in Biberach, and are to be relocated to the new site.

With the branch, the LiebherrComponents Biberach GmbH business unit will have the additional capacity necessary to meet the growing demand of these products in the long term, said the company.

The branch is set to be ready to begin production by the end of 2014.

Measuring 14.5 hectares, the site in Biberach an der Riss will initially have two production halls built on it, each with a surface area of over 10,000m². Another building that combines the two halls will offer a

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power, advanced features and an amazing care cab, which is really comfortable. I think that the Volvo L350F is more fuel efficient than other machines in its class. Now, if that’s not a huge advantage to my business, then what is?”

Pacific Stone Mart also owns other Volvo excavator models, including an EC360BLC, five EC210s B-Prime Series and six EC380Ds. The site’s goal is to produce 50,000 m3 of granite this year.

“This is easily achievable with our Volvos in action,” says Agarwal.

“Our experience with Volvo equipment so far can be summed up in a few words – a job well done on time. We rarely have problems with our machines and help is always on hand if we need it.”

Pacific Stone Mart mines a large variety of natural stone and manufactures, supplies and exports the material, catering for the needs of general contractors, developers, architects, homebuilders, designers and dealers.

Drake and Scull International, the Dubai based construction contractor, has announced that it has signed a $112.9 million contract to execute the complete MEP works for the Louvre Museum project in Abu Dhabi.

The contract was awarded by ASOLOUVRE JV, the Arabtec Construction led joint venture with Constructora San Jose SA and Oger Abu Dhabi LLC, which has been appointed

by Abu Dhabi Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), to be the main contractor on the project.

The scope of work for the contract will be executed in coordination with Habtoor Leighton

Specon. It will include all incidental MEP works on the project.

Work is scheduled to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2015.

Located in the Saadiyat Cultural District, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is scheduled to be inaugurated in 2015.

It has a built up area of 64,000sqm. The project has been conceived as a complex of pavilions, plazas, alleyways and canals, which will evoke the image of a city floating on the sea, its designers have said.

Hovering over the complex will a form inspired by traditional Arabic architecture, 175 a huge shallow domee New S that is 180 metres in diameter, perforated

with interlaced patterns that will diffuse light into the interior of the project.

“The Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi is the most anticipated and prestigious cultural development project in the region. It will be a showcase of artistic mastery and worldclass engineering that underlines the vision of Abu Dhabi to be a leading global cultural hub,” said Khaldoun Tabari, CEO of Drake & Scull International.

“This is a great opportunity to create a major impression on the local and global market as DSI helps bring to life one of the world’s most iconic art museums,” he added.

S550 The

New S160

Prized for its beautiful finish, Desert Cream Granite is a valuable stone that is found in large quantities in the Indian state of Rajasthan. In Mungeria, from a sprawling 300 hectare mining site, Pacific Stone Mart is a pioneer in the manufacturing of natural stone products in India.

It operates a fleet of Volvo Construction Equipment excavators, helping to extract and transport blocks across the site. It was the first company in Rajasthan to buy a Volvo EC380DSeries excavator, a move which encouraged other quarry owners in surrounding areas to follow suit.

“Now we believe that we are also the first company in India to place an order for a Volvo L350F block handler as well,” says Mr. B R Agarwal, founder and owner of Pacific Stone Mart. “Being the first off the mark comes naturally to us I guess.”

“The L350F block handler can deliver so much with ease,” says Agarwal. It has incredible

DSI SIgnS $113 mIllIon Deal for abu DhabI louvre muSeum

S530 T h

IndIan quarry chooses VolVo ce excaVators

floor space of about 4,500 m² for a showroom and communal facilities, while an office building with four floors and a usable area of over 7,200 m² will be constructed.

There are also plans for a combined heat and power plant to cover the basic energy requirements for the production halls.

Capacities to extend the factory have already been taken account of in the site and building plans, said the German manufacturer.

This year Liebherr Group announced revenue of $7.7 billion for 2012, an increase of 9% on the previous year.

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New improvemen ts in the 500 serie s loaders protect ■ Protected quick against damage couplers have no ex po sed hoses to damag ■ Removable hose e guide makes it easy to route hydraulic ho ■ Lower rear frame se s to minimize attach protects tailgate fro ment wear and tear m obstacles, preven ts scrapes and bum ps on the jobsite Afghanistan THE KANOO GROUP +9 71 43156648 Bahrain YUSUF BIN AHMED KANOO W. L.L. +973 177382 Egypt OTRAC HEAV 14 Y EQUIPMENT +2 02 26977799 Iraq TRISTAR COMP ANY +964 750451 1420 Jordan AR AB EQ UIPMENT TR ADING CO. +962 649228 00

m-series 90

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Kuwait BAHR AH TR ADING COMPAN Y +965 1802008 Lebanon TR ACKS PARCO LTD. +961 1891510 Libya RAWASEE CO MPANY +218 21 4808947 Pakistan KARSAZ (PV T.) LIMITED +9 22 15801908 Qatar OBAIK AN EQ UIPMENT & SERVIC ES W.L.L. +974 445 810

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Saudi Arabia GE NERAL TR ADING & EQUIPMENT +966 Sultanate of Om 38980920 an INTERNATIONA L HEAVY EQUIPME Syria INTERIMEX NT L.L.C. +968 245 +963 113331808 27653 United Arab Emira tes THE KANOO GR OUP +971 431566 48

bobcat.eu/en/ 500

News Analysis

The great divide While CMME was at the Volvo Innovation Forum last month, the magazine spoke to Tommy Striepel about why the Swedish company is banking on modualised designs for Tier 2 markets

M

anufacturers are taking a variety of different approaches to make sure their machines can cross the ever-widening divide between the low emission, regulated markets and the lesser regulated countries. New terms such as SRC and de-tiering have entered into the industry’s already jargon-heavy vocabulary in recent years adding cost and confusion to Middle East buyers that must stick with earlier iterations of engine technology.

Laid out at Tommy Striepel’s feet during Volvo’s Innovation Forum is a map of the world.

“We are here right now as Estilskuna, Sweden,” he points out with a toe. “I have painted Europe and North America green. And I’ve done that to explain that these two markets are the highest regulated in the world. We have the interim regulation right now and soon it will be final. The buying criteria and the buying needs are a bit different versus all the other countries in the world.”

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September 2011 October 2013

Adjusting his right foot he continues: “To simplify things I have painted all the other countries Brazil, Africa, Russia, China and India (in red). We collectively call these emerging markets. They start at different levels of maturity when it comes to regulations. I have also separately painted Japan. They include almost all the requirements of North America and Europe but it is not the same standards.”

Since the emission regulations started to be introduced mid-way through the last decade, demand in the emerging markets has outstripped other regions. The trend, he says, is set to continue: “These markets will grow a lot faster. Urbanisation has never been higher than it is now. In the new megacities, infrastructure is being built: roads, railroads, buildings, airports, and so forth.”

He pauses to ask himself a leading question.

“Are Volvo prepared for this? I would say yes.”

He calculates that out of 192 countries, 150 require heavy machinery. Volvo is currently

A future glimpse More than 5,000 customers and visitors from Sweden and around the world will descend upon Volvo Construction Equipment’s customer center in Eskilstuna, Sweden, in August to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Volvo Days, a popular event that provides an opportunity to learn more about the company’s heritage, products and services — and glimpse future innovations in the pipeline.

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is celebrating more than a half century of its popular Volvo Days event this summer in Eskilstuna, Sweden. The three week-long event started on August 27, bringing participants from around the globe to learn about the company’s history, products and services and experience both historic and futuristic themed activities.

Volvo Days consists of nine customer groups staggered over three weeks, with as many as 220 people visiting the Customer Center daily. Most groups will stay for at least two days, taking in a factory tour and visit to the Munktell Museum, where they will learn more about Volvo CE’s heritage. Once they’ve experienced the company’s past, visitors will have plenty of time to interact with its modern lineup of products. During Volvo Days, Volvo CE will showcase its latest machines, including the L30G and L35G wheel loaders; the new SD75, SD115 and SD135 soil compactors; seven new skid steer loader models for Europe with updated engines and new options; and a variety of excavator attachments, including brakes for excavator and skid steers and a factory-fitted tiltrotator option. Set to music, participants will also be treated to one of Volvo’s world-class demonstration shows, which has a ‘cast’ that includes a wide range of the company’s machines and attachments.

“The Eskilstuna customer center is one of the few places in the world where we have the space to perform such a large-scale demo,” says Kajsa Dymling, manager of events in Region EMEA. “We can show our machines’ full potential and let customers test drive our products. This event lets Volvo CE shine, and it’s important that customers get the chance to see for themselves what Volvo can offer.”

working with 211 dealers in those countries.

If it is to service their dealers and their dealer customer requirements fully it needs to find much more than customised workarounds. It needs to provide fully adapted designs. That, he suggests, requires a manageable definition of the different types of heavy machinery customers.

He recalls a joint exercise a decade ago with a trade publication that still provides an invaluable methodology today.

“We divided the market into ‘feature lovers’, ‘service seekers’, ‘deal seekers’ and ‘economists’. It is four distinct customer buying behaviours and they are attracted by different features or offerings. We have used this to try to understand different customers around the world. Of course there is a feature lover in Europe as well as in China.

“They may have different buying behaviours but we use that structure to try and understand that market. The trick is how can you really design your offerings and machine to suit all these customers.”

To illustrate the point he compares a so-called feature lover in Sweden (“because that’s where I’m from,” he asserts) and a deal seeker based in South Africa.

“Let’s say the Sweden guy runs a wheel loader all year round (and sometimes) in 1.5m of snow. This guy has completely different needs, working in winter time shovelling snow; summer moving gravel. The other guy works in the sand every single day. We need to tailor our offerings.”

Looking at his two examples, we explains that Volvo CE views its products as modules based around one common theme: the structure of the machine.

“We can start building up two different machines: two different cabs (one plus and one plus plus). The plus plus cab has too many features for (the South African customer) his

needs. Obviously if he wants the plus plus we can do that, even at the end of the machine’s life. Maybe he wants to ship it to Scandinavia.”

Having explained the potential of modualisation for Volvo’s base machines he moves on to engine emissions. This is a potentially tricky quandary for the Swedish company given its aspirations of presenting itself as a environmentally conscious company.

You could argue that it conveniently sets this aside to sell to emerging market buyers.

Striepel however does not think the company is contradicting itself.

“You can drop in a Tier 4 or Tier 2 engine. The South African buyer can put any dirty engine he wants. We made a strategic decision that we would never put in a machine that has less regulations than Tier 2. Why Tier 2 not Tier 3 you may say? The thing is that the Tier 2 has many other features. It is actually better in fuel efficient – it is equally important to save oil for the world as it is to save the environment. We will fit the engine that market needs.”

At Bauma, Volvo shared that it is currently looking at de-staging and detiering for the Middle East but there is still work to be done in terms of making the process cost-effective enough to be attractive to the region’s customers. For the moment modualisation is the best, cheapest and fastest way to get hold of new technology from the Swedish company.

The modualised pallet that Volvo has introduced is helping it optimise its own production as well as lowering the cost of machines in regions where the highest spec is neither necessary or required. Whether the machine is produce in China, Europe, or Brazil (which switches to Tier 3 in 2015), the base structure and production methods are the same.

“It means shorter lead times for customers and low costs for us. Our dealers are also happy because it means they can sell whatever their customers want.”

September 2011 October 2013

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Expert Opinion

Single-GCC visas a boost to profits GCC businesses would receive an immediate boost in profit if a GCC-wide visa system were adopted, or at least could enjoy longer lunch breaks, says CMME’s International Editor Stian Overdahl Stian Overdahl, internatiOnal editOr, CMMe

T

ravelling between Europe and the GCC, there are some cultural differences that make themselves felt within the business world. Despite economic conditions, the longer lunch (as long as two hours) has not disappeared from Europe, where there is an obviously more-relaxed pace to the business day. Travelling within Europe’s Schengen Area for a business trip is also an enlightening experience, with no visa controls, and consequently the amount of queuing issignificantly reduced.

Meanwhile when travelling in the GCC countries it is apparent there are

contradictions in the region – certain features that are technologically advanced, and cutting edge by international standards, and brand new infrastructure, which exists alongside habits that belong to a lowwage, labour-surplus economy.

In Europe it seems that the high cost of labour has meant that the low-hanging fruit in terms of efficiency have already been plucked, while in the Middle East there’s plenty of ways that efficiency region-wide could be improved.

Air travel is a key asset to business in the GCC, with many companies operating across several, if not all, of the six nations, and others in the region. Managers sometimes fly into a city for a single day of meetings and progress inspections.

The money that is being invested in new airports – whether Doha, Jeddah or Dubai – is improving the experience for business travellers, likewise with streamlining services like e-gate cards.

But the quantum leap will come when GCC-wide visas are adopted. Consider the amount of time that would be saved in the average businessman’s week if there was no need to queue for visas when travelling between GCC countries, not to mention the improvement in their mental health.

It’s no secret that the time spent waiting in visa queues across the GCC varies, depending on the airport, but equally the time of day and the number of flights arriving. It’s this uncertainty

“CoNSIDEr ThE AMouNT oF TIME ThAT woulD BE

SAvED IN ThE AvErAGE BuSINESSMAN’S wEEk IF ThErE wAS No NEED To quEuE For vISAS whEN TrAvEllING BETwEEN GCC CouNTrIES, NoT To MENTIoN ThE IMprovEMENT IN ThEIr MENTAl hEAlTh.”

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which is another problem for the business community – when planning to fly into a city for a 10am meeting, this means either booking an extraearly flight (setting the alarm clock for the dreaded 5.30am), or leaving it to chance that the queue won’t be exceptionally long, or slow-moving.

The good news is that efforts are underway to introduce GCC visas, with a single visa for tourists to the GCC likely to be introduced mid-way through next year. This will allow a single entry visa for all six countries – including Saudi Arabia – valid for one month, and a multi-entry visa valid for a full year. In order to roll out the system, an incredible amount of work is going on behind the scenes, with governments having to communicate to one another on issues such as security and share databases on restricted persons. From the business community’s point of view, operating on a type of single-GCC visa can’t come soon enough. It stands to reason that, given the closeness of the GCC countries and their aims, that a person who is given residence in one country should be able to travel to another of the GCC nations. Nevertheless there are obviously systems that have to be put in place to prevent unscrupulous individuals taking advantage of freedoms – this would include a GCC-wide database of debtors, so that individuals don’t try to flee unpaid debts across second-country borders.

Nevertheless, creation of single-GCC visas would improve the efficiency of businesses and increase profits through less wasted man-hours, especially as skill and remuneration rates in the region increase, and would improve the overall experience of conducting business. And it would mean that businessmen in the GCC can enjoy shorter queues, and therefore longer lunches (or at least shorter working days!).

Expert Opinion

August 2013

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Heavy Hitters

Green In the mIx CMME meets with Unibeton,a company tackling with keeping its expanding operation and ever growing fleet as green as possible.

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“CoNSUlTANTS CoME To US IN ThE EARly

STAgES WhEN ThEy’RE PlANNINg AND WE ShoW ThEM ThE bEST WAy oF DoINg IT, FoRMUlATE ThE SPECIFICATIoNS.”

A

UAE company that is making serious regional inroads in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and North Africa, Unibeton is a concrete company that is from over here but is doing well over there, there and well, everywhere.

Sitting with operations manager Tolga Candan, director of strategic business development Robin Perron Jones and technical director Christopher Stanley, CMME is soon understanding why the striking orange and white ready mix trucks of Unibeton have remained a fixture of the construction industry in the Middle East through the downturn while spreading its wings globally.

“About three years ago I was asked to look at international relations,” says Jones. “We knew the crash was coming and we couldn’t be ring-fenced within the UAE and needed to go elsewhere. And then our friends on the World – Impregilo and dredging company Jan de Nul – asked us to look at the Panama Canal.”

While its partners were to later attempt to do it themselves (and run into trouble with the mix design of the submerged locks on the project), Unibeton had realised that it could chase down its international aspirations. Within the region, the company has enjoyed rapid progress in KSA - it is hopeful of winning work on the Kingdom Tower in addition to wins on KAFD and Jeddah Airport and Qatar where it is working on the massive New Doha Port. It is also keenly watching progress across North Africa for its nascent operation there.

“We’re also in India, have representative in South Korea and Turkey. We’re looking at Peru

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Heavy Hitters

at the moment, Canadians are working with us, we’ve been to Malaysia and Indonesia.”

It’s an impressive stretching of its arms, especially in a relatively short timespan, but Jones is cautiously upbeat.

“The risk profile is top of the list for the owners, but at least we’re liquid,” he says. “It’s a difficult market out there but in the long-term we will be looking at more markets. We’re consolidating until we go further afield.”

Since 1995, Unibeton has poured 35 million m3 or $3 billion worth of concrete. Its current capacity stands at 10 million m3 and at the height of the UAE boom it was pouring in excess of 5 million m3 annually.

Unlike some of its competitors, Unibeton has held onto 36 batching plants, preferring to move them to support its international work; as well as 336 transit mixers. Even without their distinctive livery the trucks would stand out.

Its operation in the domestic market is supported by its network of plants. Strangely its plant in the Western Region, was established in Seoul not Abu Dhabi.

“We have 70% of market share there and that is all based on a trip we did to Korea,” says Jones.

Only starting in 2011, Unibeton’s Saudi expansion has been breathtaking with production increasing ten times over annually.

“If you took ours and all the other ready mix companies’ production in KSA we could hit 20 million m3 (together) but they’re looking at 80 million m3 per year – which they’ll never make. The ideas are there, they’ll just take a longer time.”

“On KAFD in Riyadh we started doing 10% of it and ended up doing 60% of it,” says Stanley.

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“They had never experienced a UAE level of standards,” Chandan adds.

With the average plant costing $5 million to refurbish, every step Unibeton takes represents a large investment. Oman is next on the radar and the company has acquired land close to Muscat.

“Because of our green production they’ve gifted us a very upmarket industrial location.”

Its progress in developing greener production and methods has won as many plaudits as it has contracts. Whether it’s via its fleet management system uTtrack or products such as Green Concrete and Self-Compacting Concrete, Unibeton is raising the bar in terms of the contribution ready mix contractors can make to greener buildings. Much of its R&D in the area falls under Stanley.

Stanley is due to fly out to Singapore the day after to deliver a speech to a global conference when we meet. And while he is the author of two books, hundreds of scientific papers and occasional BBC and CNN interviewee, Stanley

comes across as someone who is happier in a laboratory than an airport. The appreciation of his talents and experience are keenly felt. (“We call him Mr Concrete,” says Candan. “He didn’t invent concrete…” “…but he’s old enough to have almost done,” jokes Jones.)

“Maybe 80% of our concrete is what you would call green,” proudly states Stanley.

Unibeton works closely with consultants and architects on many projects, using a combination of its expertise, existing solutions and often new

ways of construction, such as in Makkah where it produced lightweight concrete of 70mpa for an architecurally and demanding project.

“Strong can be beautiful,” says Stanley. “We had to develop new technologies in order to do that.”

He adds: “We try to be a one-stop-shop.

Consultants come to us in the early stages when they’re planning and we show them the best way of doing it; and formulate the specifications. During the construction phase we’re there helping them.

This is where we score.”

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Special Report

A yen for JApAn

Suddenly Japanese companies are competitive again with higher sales volumes, even to the point of over-demand in the GCC, discovers Stian Overdahl

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F

ollowing its rapid industrialisation in the second half of the 20th century, Japan became an industrial powerhouse, famed for its high quality engineering, its innovation, and the resourcefulness of its large integrated business groups, the kereitsu.

Globally, Komatsu and Hitachi are ranked as the second and third largest manufacturers of construction machinery respectively, while major manufacturing groups including Toyota, Isuzu and Nissan produce light-, medium- and heavyduty trucks, forklifts and other material handling equipment, and of course engines.

Yet Japan’s economy fared poorly in the global economic crisis, and the value of the Yen soared at the end of 2008, severely hampering exporters. And the sudden drop in currency didn’t just affect the major Japanese manufacturers, but also any local distributors and importers of products from Japan who had currency owing there, and suddenly found their liabilities almost doubling overnight.

Furthemore, the Great Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011 dealt a further blow to the country and its industry, killing thousands and devastating the north-east of the country. For businesses, many with factories or else component suppliers in the affected regions, there were multiple impacts, including power shortages relating to the Fukushima nuclear power plant crisis, as the subsequent shutdown of the remaining nuclear power capacity due to safety concerns.

Against this backdrop, the Japanese construction machinery continued to move forward, investing in new products, despite dropping profits.

It may be that their general position as a quality product in this instance worked in their favour: many customers who had been buying their machines for decades proved loyal, and it didn’t hurt that many of their customers were from top-tier industries such as oil and gas, who are focused on total cost of ownership (TCO), including reliability and safety,

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Special Report

“WE HAvE BEEn BEnEFITTInG FROM THE

WHOlE SITUATIOn. IT MAdE US MORE AlERT And FlEXIBlE WHEn lOOkInG AT POTEnTIAl BUSInESS OPPORTUnITIES. WE knOW ClEARly WHERE WE ARE And WHAT nEEdS TO BE dOnE.” rather than on up-front cost. But late last year this picture began to change, as the Japanese domestic economy recovered, with the rebuild for the Tohoku disaster underway.

From the point of view of exporters, the currency situation too improved significantly following new reserve bank policies and political impetus.

Figures from JETRO (the Japan External Trade Organisation) show that growth in Japan’s exports to the GCC countries in 2012 grew 27.1%, up to $24.94billion in 2012 from $19.63 billion in the previous year. Automotive and machinery are a

The benefiTs of a diversified supply chain Japanese manufacturers and brands have long played a game of strategy as far as production locations are concerned, with major factories locations in North America, Europe, China, and elsewhere in Asia.

Thailand has been a popular place for Japanese builders of light commercial vehicles, including Isuzu, Toyota, and Mazda, since the country’s domestic

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vehicle market has a huge demand for ‘utes’, while also maintaining free trade agreements with a number of markets.

In 2011, Thailand experienced major floods that lasted months, and devastated much of country’s industry. The popular media images showed finished cars and pick-up trucks floating in the thousands in the stagnant water

that flooded the factory grounds. But a major effect was on the first and second tier component suppliers.

These companies build the thousands of small parts that are used to build up the engines, transmissions, working parts, as well as diverse parts such as the seats, trim, and control components like LCD screens. The lost production caused major backlogs.

In the aftermath of the 2011 flooding, component manufacturers are looking elsewhere, and now Indonesia has one of the fastest growing component manufacturing industries in Asia. However Thailand remains important.

For instance Tadano is looking to increase its presence here in the truck loader cranes segment via its Thai production base which opened in June this year.

major component of this, and in the UAE export of self-propelled bulldozers and graders from Japen rose by 42% to $273 million in 2012, compared to $192 million in 2011.

currency down, compeTiTiveness up And Japanese sellers of machinery in the GCC spoken to by Construction Machinery Middle East were unanimous in their declaration that the currency shift had improved their competitiveness in the market.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Middle East general manager Piet van Bakergem says that while there was a difficult time following the ’09 crash, the adverse circumstances forced them to refine their business model.

“We have been benefitting from the whole situation in a sense that it made us more alert and flexible when looking at potential business opportunities.

Today we know clearly where we are and what needs to be done to enter the future and to be successful.

“The currency situation has definitely brought us in a better position and made us more competitive, however when buying Hitachi CM it is the whole package that counts.”

But in the GCC their most popular products are their hydraulic excavators and their crawler cranes, both of which have benefited from newly launched products in 2013, namely the new generation of Zaxis excavators, the ZX-5G, and the SCX1500A-3, a 150-tonne capacity crawler crane from Hitachi Sumitomo Heavy Industries Construction Crane.

The ZX-5G features a sophisticated hydraulic system, improved maintenance features, more comfortable operator environments, as well new IT systems built in for monitoring and performance.

“Hitachi excavators are identified as the work horses of the region, they don’t need much maintenance and the have very successful track record when it comes to making a healthy contribution to production,” says Bakergem.

Both the new excavators and the crane have engines built by Isuzu, which is perhaps a clue to

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Special Report

the popularity of Japanese machinery brands – they are often powered by highly-reliable Japanese brand engines.

Tadano is another brand that has seen improved fortunes in the Middle East, notably in Saudi Arabia.

The brand is a favourite with the oil and gas industry, prized for its simplicity, reliability, and safety.

It its recently published annual report for 2013, it reports an improved sales performance as demand rose in North America, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and other markets, primarily in sectors related to energy and infrastructure.

“Markets in the Near and Middle East exhibited robust demand, driven by the petroleum industry and by infrastructure and other projects, chiefly in Saudi Arabia. The rapid devaluation of the yen from the end of 2012 served as strong tailwinds.”

In the UAE, Tadano is sold by United Alsaqer Heavy Equipment, and sales manager Walid El Dessouki says that the major buyer of Tadano is the oil and gas sector, especially since the major drop in construction activity in the Emirates.

Buyers of Tadano are attracted to the long life and high resale value, believes El Dessouki. “In oil and gas, uptime is critical. We provide high quality after sales service through our fully equipped workshop and high qualified technicians.

“We have a fully-fledged spare parts warehouse (3920 square metres) and counter facility within the Abu Dhabi showroom premises, and there are available 85,000 line items of various products. We do have mobile service teams as well.”

In the UAE Tadano cranes can still be seen working on many infrastructure sites, though here the levels of fleet growth and unit replacement may be slower than oil and gas. Rental house Al-Faris remains a major buyer of Tadano rough terrain cranes, despite its strong relationship with Liebherr, a testament

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to the esteem which Tadano is held in by the crane rental industry.

Komatsu is the second largest construction equipment manufacturer in the world, recording sales revenue of $19.2 billion in the year ended March 2013.

In the UAE its equipment is sold by Galadari Trucks and Heavy Equipment, and its excavators are popular in the quarry industry, including at the major operation Stevin Rock, where a large number of PC800 and PC400 hydraulic excavators are used, as well as HD325 rigid trucks.

A deal was concluded earlier this year for further sale of equipment to the quarry.

But the biggest news for the Komatsu in the Middle East is the formation of a new cooperation with Abdulla Latif Jameel (ALJ) in Saudi Arabia, which commenced in 2013, and signals a new phase in the brand’s presence in the major market of KSA. Another brand with new intentions in the Middle East is Kobelco, which recently unwound its global

Japanese companies have been in the region for decades.

Growth in Japan’s exports to the GCC countries in 2012, up to $24.94 billon in 2012 from $19.63 billion in the previous year.

The benefits of a Diversified supply chain TOKYO’S winning bid to host the 2020 Olympics may boost construction and tourism stocks and give a lift to consumer confidence, playing into Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan to revive the world’s third-biggest economy.

deflation and boosting consumer confidence.

“Olympics-related stocks are yet to fully price in the decision, even though they’ve already outperformed,” Hiroshi Fujimoto, a Tokyo-based fund manager at Shinkin Asset Management Co, which manages 638.9 billion yen (US$6.4 billion) in assets, said by phone on Sept 3.

“Hosting the Olympics and Paralympics will have good effects on a wide range of areas such as infrastructure and tourism.”

“In the short term the entire Japanese share market will get a boost from celebratory buying and expectations for the event’s economic impact.”

“We’ve got a great chance to make Tokyo and Japan shine,” Abe said at a televised press conference. “I want to overcome 15 years of deflation.

The government’s official estimate of the games generating an additional 0.3 per cent of gross domestic product on a value-added basis is too modest, said Robert Feldman, head of Japan economic research at Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co.

“Hosting the games can create new jobs and boost optimism as Japan seeks to overcome the economic effects of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and a record debt that have been a drag on growth.

“Our rough view is that the impact could be at least similar to the UK, at around 0.7 to 0.8 per cent of GDP over seven years, or about three to four trillion yen on a value added basis, or about six to eight trillion yen on a gross output basis,” he wrote in a Sept 4 report.

Abe inherited the Tokyo Olympic bid when he won a landslide election in December, still capturing the prize may bolster his effort to drive the economic recovery by taming

Japan’s capital, which staged the 1964 Summer Games, beat Madrid and Istanbul to win the 2020 host role, the International Olympic Committee said in Buenos Aires.

excavator supply agreement with CNH, and plans on targeting the Middle East with its ‘true blue’ excavators.

According to its 2013-15 business plan, North America will be its priority market, while it will grow its business in Europe, the Middle East, South America and Africa with a “a customer-oriented marketing and a differentiation strategy”.

The product offering should prove an exciting proposition to owners of fleet in the Middle East, given Kobelco’s reputation for reliability and service in the region when the business was conducted directly.

Sister company Kobelco Cranes Middle East FZE (both of the Kobelcos are owned by Kobe Steel) is also seeing improving fortunes, partly as a consequence of the currency swing. Specialising in crawler cranes, its machines are especially popular with the petrochemicals industry and in construction projects.

Managing director Masakazu Usami says that their best selling machine is in the 250 tonne class, while new machines this year are the SL6000S and SL4500S crawler cranes, successor models to the popular SL6000 and SL4500R.

“BECAUSE OF THE CURRENCy SiTUATiON, iT HAS BECOME MORE HEALTHy FOR THE CUSTOMERS TO CONSidER TO BUy PROdUCTS MAdE iN JAPAN ANd ACTUALLy THE NUMBER OF SERiOUS iNqUiRiES HAS iNCREASEd iN 2013.”

“Principal improvements from the previous model (SL6000 and SL4500R) are the engine, cabin and lifting capacity. Therefore, basically the application has remained unchanged. Of course, heavier material can be handled, because of improved lifting capacity,” he explains.

Feedback from customers suggests that Kobelco Cranes are popular because of their simplicity, and infrequent breakdowns which are the result of easy maintenance: “Customers can reduce the operating cost and can avoid delaying the job. And furthermore, can re-sell the machine easily, with high resale value, if it is required.”

Usami says that their machines are designed to require less work and to be easier to transport, and to ensure safety during assembly and disassembly.

“What’s more, simpler, more efficient loading for transport have reduced the cost of both transport and storage.”

One outcome however for Kobelco Cranes has been increased sales and enquiry, and thus potentially longer wait times for customers. Usami says that demand for crawler cranes in the GCC in 2013 has not changed significantly since last year, but there is more demand for products made in Japan. ‘“Because of the currency situation, it has become more healthy for the customers to consider to buy products made in Japan and actually the number of serious inquiries has increased in 2013.

“The problem is the high demand of crawler cranes in the world. Namely we are having many orders for crawler cranes especially in Japan, North America and South East Asia and the delivery time is getting longer and longer now. Therefore, if customers do not take this circumstance into consideration, we are afraid that they may be facing difficulties to procure the machines in the right time.”

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DE M ON ST RA TI ON S Raz Islam Publishing Director raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com Mobile: +971 50 451 8213

Michael Stansfield Commercial Director michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com Mobile: +971 55 150 3849

16-20 February 2014

DAMMAM

Dhahran International Exhibition Center, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Show timings: 9:30-12:00 and 16:00-22:00

The Construction Machinery Show 2014 is the largest heavy construction machinery event in the region, showcasing a wide variety of products ranging from heavy equipment to machinery, from lighting to generators as well as dealers and service providers.

action via its programme of live demonstrations and the largest ever showcase of its type in the Middle East.

The event will provide an invaluable platform for customers in the Arab world bringing together manufacturers, distributors and buyers.

In 2014, the Construction Machinery Show 2014 is teaming up with leading Saudi exhibition organiser, Dhahran International Exhibitions Center (DIEC). This year’s show will run in conjunction with the popular BUILDEX event, now in its 16th year.

The Construction Machinery Show 2014 is also the only event in the region where buyers can see a huge range of equipment in

Both events will attract worldwide industry experts, investors and buyers to the largest tradeshow in the Eastern Province.

Gold Sponsorr

Site Visit

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Back to the Met The redevelopment of the old Metropolitan Hotel, soon to become the Habtoor Palace complex continues. A year on since CMME’s last visit and with just 44 months to complete four projects, the pressure is on, Gavin Davids reports

F

or most of the 1980s and 1990s the Metropolitan Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road was considered to be one of Dubai’s most recognisable landmarks. Helped in no small part by being one of the first hotels in the city, the Metropolitan became a gathering point for expats from all over the world, who were working in a city and country that was yet to undergo the prodigious rate of development that is now taken for granted. As Dubai continued to grow and expand, the 33 year old hotel became something of an anachronism as newer and glitzier rivals sprung up across Dubai and down Sheikh Zayed Road.

With Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lake Towers growing in size and becoming more popular with tourists and residents, a number of hotels opened branches there as well, further intensifying the pressure on the Al Habtoor Group owned property.

The result was that the Metropolitan became displaced in an ultra-competitive marketplace and soon fell by the wayside, unable to attract sufficient clientele to be financially viable. Dwarfed by the world’s tallest hotel, the gigantic JW Marriot Marquis, it was eventually decided to bring the shutters down on what was once a Dubai icon.

So it was in May 2012, following an extravagant send off, the hotel’s owners decided to demolish the entire property, levelling the whole hotel and bringing to a close three decades of memories and stories.

However, this was only phase one of an ambitious plan by the Al Habtoor Group, a plan that will revitalise the site and see the development of a massive complex that will house three top of the line hotels, a state of the art ‘Water Theatre’ and gardens modelled on the ones in Versailles.

Martyn Wild, the projects director for the Al Habtoor Group, explains that the three new hotels will all be managed by the Starwood Hotels and Resorts, with around 1,600 rooms available to guests.

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Site Visit

The site is 92,903m2, and the gross floor area is 357,000m2. There are three basements over the whole site but due to government zoning, HLG is unable to build over ground level at the end of the site.

“There are three hotels, there’s the Westin, which is a business hotel. That’s the big one with 1,000 rooms,” he tells CMME during a site visit to the project. “The St Regis is a very upmarket, six star hotel offering, with about 250 rooms. The rest of the rooms are in the W. The W is something different. I suppose the target market (for it) is young, affluent people. It’s everything you don’t expect.”

“I think it’s something like July, September and November for the openings of the hotels, they’ll all open before the end of September. I think it’s the St Regis first, then the W and then the Westin, which is the big one,” he adds.

Furthermore, the complex will see the development of three levels of basement car parking, which will stretch out under the gardens and avenue that lead up to the St Regis hotel. In addition, the complex will be built on a podium that will stretch across nine levels, housing mezzanine and service levels, along with parts of the hotel.

“The site is 92,903m2, and the gross floor area is 357,000m2. There are three basements over the whole site. At the end of the site (the entrance) we’re not able to build above ground level. That’s because of government zoning. So we have parking only, but on top of the parking, we’ve got this classical type garden, a Versailles type garden, with a grand entry up to the hotel, with trees on both sides and the St Regis at the end,” Wild explains, painting a vivid picture.

“This is a classy, six star hotel. It’s all period, the building and the inside. It feels like a country house

“MEP ISN’T A WAlk IN ThE PARk, buT

EVERybody’S doNE hoTElS bEFoRE (So ThEy kNoW WhAT To do). IT hAS To bE doNE PRoPERly, buT ThE ThEATRE IS WhERE ThE REAl chAllENgE IS (FoR ThIS PRoJEcT).”

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rather than a hotel. It’s very intimate and highly serviced, this is the jewel in the crown. So all the building is at the (north) end. And again, there are three levels under this, and it’s a combination of parking and back of house.” holding more than 3,000 parking spaces, the vast basement levels will also hold kitchens, laundries and other hotel services in them, Wild says.

“We have a podium that’s actually nine levels high. Some of those levels are mezzanine levels, some are service levels, but it’s a significant podium.

The St Regis is in the front of that podium and the bottom of the Westin and W hotels are also in that podium,” he explains. designed as two towers, the Westin hotel will go up to 56 floors, while the W will go up to 45 floors. The St Regis will have six public levels plus the basement.

The top of the podium will also have landscaped areas, pools and other facilities. despite his excitement about the water theatre project, Wild does concede that it has posed the biggest challenge for his contractors. Although there are only 44 months for the entire project to be completed, he remains confident that the target date will be met, thanks to the expertise of the site’s main contractor, habtoor leighton group.

“A problem that runs through the entire project is the timescale. 44 months to complete a project like this is challenging. So the design and construction are happening simultaneously, so a very tight relationship between the consultant, designer and contractor is absolutely essential,” Wild asserts.

“This is what we’ve got, very good communication and cooperation. It’s about creating a culture in the project where the overall project is the most important. Each person’s individual requirements have to be put second. The first priority is the project.”

“To get people in that state of mind is not easy, but this is what we’ve done. We’ve got a very good, intercompany team feeling, and this is the key to any project. It’s about creating a team, instead of individual companies operating independently, if

you can generate that team culture, you’re half way there,” he explains. “that’s what we’ve done here. there isn’t the fear that the next problem is going to hurt us. the next problem, we’ll solve like the last problem, and the problem before that. that’s not easy to do. at the beginning, people are nervous and suspicious, but eventually trust builds and builds, till eventually, if one person in the team falls down, someone will support them instead of exploiting a problem someone else has got. at the end of the day, if one of the team fails, then we all fail. It doesn’t matter who it is, the project fails and we simply won’t allow that to happen.” he admits however, that building the water theatre will be a challenge, especially from an mep perspective, thanks to the unique challenges it poses. “mep isn’t a walk in the park, but everybody’s done hotels before (so they know what to do). It has to be done properly, but the theatre is where the real challenge is (for this project). you’ve got water jets that are 20-30 metres high, the pumps and pipes to send water, huge amounts of water. the pool is emptied and filled before your eyes. the services that deal with that are unusual. now the theatre consultant helps with that, but the team has to be on the ball to deal with it as well,” says wild. with a construction schedule that will run 24/7 and a labour force that will hit close to 6,000 once construction hits its peak and it all sub-contractors start work, wild cannot stress enough how important it is to have a main contractor that is well versed in dealing with massive projects such as the habtoor Island complex. “they’re a company with international expertise, and they bring a lot of knowledge to this project,” he says. “the management of time and resources is at the centre of that knowledge. you can bring in 6,000 people and the productivity can still be negligible if they’re not managed properly. the right number of supervisors, the distribution and the sequence of work and so on, this is real contracting expertise.” “from the contractor’s point of view, that’s mainly taken care of by the consultants and the design work. It’s the organisational skills that are key to a contractor’s performance, and this they have. managing a geographically large space, with a lot of people, a lot of subcontractors, the number of specialists is astronomical. managing all those people is the real challenge for the contractor, and they have the expertise for that,” wild insists. with between 50 to 75 subcontractors set to be hired on the project, these attributes will certainly be needed. the selection process is set to be rigorous, with al habtoor seeking out views from the main contractor and consultant on the project. an initial ‘long list’ is whittled down to a select few, who are then invited to tender and have their bids assessed. with construction contracts for the hotel worth $544.5 million there is clearly a lot riding on these projects for the habtoor group. however, if wild is feeling the pressure, he certainly isn’t showing it. “we’re doing the superstructure at the moment, we’re up to ground level in some places. the superstructure is well underway and we’ve just appointed the mep contractor, who is beginning work.” “next will be the façade contractor, so we’ve done the foundations, then the substructure in

the basement, now we’re on the superstructure above ground,” he says, adding that the completion dates will be staggered, despite all the working happening at once. clearly then, wild’s initial point about choosing the right team is extremely valid. with so much work to do on what is effectively four construction sites in one, all within 44 months, having a team you can trust and rely on is critical, a viewpoint he readily agrees with.

“If you want to do something like this well, and quickly, then you’ve got to buy the right expertise. you can’t short-change that process,” he insists.

“If you want to do somethIng lIke thIs

well, and quIckly, then you’ve got to buy the rIght expertIse. you can’t shortchange that process.”

Hot and cold running sHows Although the hotels will take up the bulk of the complex, what will be the main attraction of the complex will be a $15 million dollar ‘Water Theatre’ that will host an extravagant and elaborate Cirque de Soleil inspired show, similar to ones in Las Vegas, Macau and China.

Guests will enter the theatre through the W hotel, walking through an atrium that will be populated with restaurants and

retail outlets that will be managed by the Al Habtoor Group.

“The theatre is something a bit unusual.

It’s more of a show theatre, it’s certainly not a Shakespeare type theatre. The producer is a guy called Franco Dragone. He started Cirque De Soleil, left it after it was established and created his own company called Franco Dragone Entertainment Group and he’s done two or three in Las Vegas,

one in Macau, he’s doing one in China and he’s doing ours next,” Wild enthuses.

“It’s like a more elaborate Cirque de Soleil, it’s like it times five. We’ve designed a building around the show. Franco Dragone Productions design the show, give us the concept and we design and build the building around the show. It’s specific to the show, and it may run for 10 or 15 years. So it’s a long running affair.”

“The auditorium 1,400 seats and it’s a water show. So the stage is a pool. Some of it is solid, but the rest of it is a pool and the seats are built around that.

The auditorium is 37 metres high, and you get performers diving from the top, into the water, with boats coming in. It’s extremely elaborate and I think it’ll be extremely successful in Dubai,” Wild says, adding that the first show is pencilled in for April 2016.

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The choice of MH professionals worldwide

Product Focus

Raw power EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW. page 42

tIME RIGHt fOR pMV LIVE? uaE resurgence boost for November event.

page 38

YOu CaN bE pROfItabLE

page 44

baCKHOES aHOY!

How urbanisation is helping to push backhoes in the market.

page 51 OVER tHE tOp CMME meets Spider access, a company that reaches the parts other equipment contractors cannot reach.

CMME’s guide for plant and equipment owners that shows them how they can keep their operation in profit.

page 40 WORLD COMING?

What a World Expo win could mean for Dubai.

page 34 COMpaCt MINING

Caterpillar’s new compact wheel loader enters the Middle East region.

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New Products

Cat’s new CompaCt quarry loader for the middle east Why gET IT? Better fit for lower trucks strong Z-Bar-type loader arms

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C

aterpillar’s new 986H wheel loader was launched earlier this year in the Middle East, setting itself forward as a serious contender for quarries looking at upgrading their loader fleet.

The 986H is designed for loading both onhighway and off-highway trucks and handling loadand-carry tasks. Built specifically for markets like the Middle East, the result is a strong, productive machine that is easy to operate and easy to maintain, delivering durable performance at a low cost per tonne.

Solid steel lift arms can absorb loading stress, and the 986H Z-bar-type loader linkage generates powerful digging and lifting forces, as well as providng excellent visibility to the bucket cutting edge and surrounding work area.

One advantage of the machine is that it can be used to load smaller-type trucks that are often in use, where larger loaders may have a lift height that is too high. The lift arms are available in both standard-lift and high-lift configurations to accommodate a range of haul trucks.

The 986H has bucket capacities ranging from 5.3 to 6.1 m3, and equipped with standard linkage, the 986H can four-pass load the Cat 770G truck, rated at 38.6 metric tonnes. With high-lift linkage it can five-pass load the 772G, rated at 47.7 tonnes, and six-pass load the 773G, rated at 56 tonnes.

Performance features include the power train with proven Cat components, a powerful and efficient load-sensing hydraulic system, heavy duty frames, and a safe, comfortable operator station.

The 986H also uses Cat Performance Series buckets for fast, consistent loads, and a quick coupler is available, while the ACERT C15 engine uses reliable mechanically actuated electronic unit injectors that precisely control fuel delivery. A variable displacement pump powers the 986H implement hydraulics and delivers only the volume of flow required at the cylinders, resulting in fuel savings and reduced heat.

The low-effort controls allow operators to be immediately productive with the 986H, and a programmable lift kickout speeds loading cycles.

An angled ladder provides easy access to the cab, and the Cat Comfort Series III seat provides airsuspension, six-way adjustment and optional heat.

For added safety, a roll-over protection system (ROPS) and falling objects protection system (FOPS) are integral aspects of the cab design. Also, service walkways have non-skid surfaces, and a convenient windshield cleaning platform facilitates access to cab glass.

The cab is pressurised with filtered air, and automatic controls maintain cab temperature. The Cat monitoring system provides a digital readout of critical machine parameters, and an optional rearview camera system is available.

SPECIFICATIONS: • Operating weight (std): 42,940 kg • Engine: Cat C15 ACERT, generating 305kW • Bucket capacities: 5.3 to 6.1 m3 • Rated payload (std. lift): 10 tonnes

New DyNapac large trackeD paver why get it?

New improved dashboard improves operatioN Good material flow for wide paviNG Atlas Copco Road Construction Equipment has launched a new large tracked asphalt paver, the Dynapac SD2550CS, suitable for markets here where larger-sized pavers are favoured. Equipped with the new Dynapac R300TVE rigid screed, the machine offers big paving capacity with low

cost per tonne. Dynapac’s R&D team has worked to improve a number of features on the new paver, focusing on the operator environment and control systems, total cost of ownership, and achieving a high quality finish. The machine is suited to combine with the Dynapac MF2500CS material feeder.

The SD2550CS is suitable for highway paving up to 14m, with a theoretical production capacity of 1,100t/h. Its heating system with a 60kW generator, along with and the screed heating system ensure faster heating up to the full working width.

It features a hopper 2.6m deep and with 15 t capacity, a 1.3m-wide material tunnel and a 500 mm diameter auger system, that ensure the smooth flow of material required while paving wide sections.

The paver is also available with a big material hopper and, when used together with the new Dynapac MF2500CS material feeder, the paving performance can be 30% higher. The hydraulic drive system features thermostatic fan control for efficient cooling. Big tracks with 320mm-wide track pads offer excellent grip and longer track pad life. The machine will be launched in the Middle East with a Cummins QSB6.7 diesel engine (emission Stage IIIA), and can be equipped with fuel filling pump for addition pre-filtration of fuel before filling, improving fuel quality and engine longevity.

A new dashboard is ergonomically positioned, and its design is based on recommendations from operators, with easy to understand analogue signs in a digital display.

To make work easy for screed operators wearing gloves, the smart screed remote controls also have toggle switches for screed extensions and leveling cylinder function. The easy-to-learn and operate intuitive dashboard is equipped with a camera system. This offers a 360o view, giving the operator even greater control over the paving job by monitoring the process on a high resolution display on the dashboard.

SpecificatioNS – SD2550cS • paving length: 14 m • production capacity: 1,100 t/h.

• heating system power: 60 kW • hopper depth: 2.6 m • hopper capacity: 15t

liebherr reviSeS 47m truck

why get it? recoNfiGured boom aNd liNe riGGers takiNG oN forces

Liebherr has released a revised model of its 47 M5 XXT truck-mounted concrete pump for the European market, with in-house development and optimisation of the boom key improvements.

Last year the company acquired Waitzinger, a mid-sized German manufacturer of concrete pumps and other concrete equipment, in a bid to improve their range of concrete equipment products.

The new 47m, 5-section multi-fold distributor boom is extremely torsionally-resistant, ensuring that vibrations are reduced to an absolute minimum when unfolding the boom on the building site.

To ensure a balanced weight distribution, the concrete pipeline is configured close to the boom on both left and right hand sides. Minimal pressure loss over the entire length of the distributor boom is guaranteed by the pipe bend in the concrete pipeline featuring a radius of 275mm.

Features include the front and rear outriggers

secured directly onto the boom pedestal of the distributor boom, ensuring that all forces bypass the boom completely and are channelled directly into the outriggers.

Four pivoting outriggers guarantee maximum flexibility and an extremely wide swing range of the distributor boom when supporting in a narrow configuration. This can prove decisive when working on building sites with restricted access.

The truck-mounted concrete pump 47 M5 XXT can either be equipped with the powerful 140HL high-pressure pump units featuring a maximum flow rate of 140m³/h, or with the160HL featuring an output of 160m³/h.

SpecificatioNS • boom length: 47m • pipeline radius: 275mm • max flow output: 160m3/h

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Ten Tips

mAjOr service intervAls When you’re looking to source from the second hand market, check its service history (if available) and calculate if a major service interval is approaching, as this can push up ownership costs in the first year, with unexpected maintenance costs and reduced up time.

ed for the requir seArch e r best machine e r e th th n u in te O st of ve s, y DO oking to in rms of part lo te re in u’ s yo on ti el e mod your op ying – is th o look into pported. ch before bu achines? Als ar m se r re ila m ur are better su si yo n so ru Do d rs an s to ti on ti pe popula Do com er machine application? ds have larg an br r la pu more-po

Premium fOr POPulAr if a newly-landed brand is untested in the Gulf, you should look for sales price compensation for a lesser-recognised machine that may sell for less second-hand.

stick With One if buying new machines, you can benefit from buying a single brand and model for each segment of machinery. this will improve service workshop familiarity with the machine, allow you to accurately get a sense for when a major overhaul is needed, and machines can wait for a key spare part to arrive. you can also consider selling your second-hand fleet of different brands and buying in new from one seller – larger volume can receive a better deal. sPAre PArts AvAilAbility When buying, check availability of spare parts from the distributor, as well as other stockists. time waiting for spare parts is time your machine isn’t earning money. if you’re buying second-hand, check the kit is still supported by the manufacturer, or that it uses common wear parts.

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Top 10 Ways to boost fleet profitability Turn your contracting business into a moneymaking machine with CMME’s guide to the P word recOrD keePinG keep accurate records of machine service intervals, major overhauls, and work hours. this will allow you to know when a machine is at its next interval, but also calculate the profitability of individual machines. if a machine isn’t working out or isn’t pulling its weight, with frequent breakdowns or excessive requirement for replacement of wear parts, “the numbers never lie”.

Condition monitoring Condition monitoring, such as telematics systems which monitor component performance, and oil tests which reveal the presence of wear material, will flag up any underperforming components and allow you to replace them before overall operation is affected.

oil teStS When buying an expensive machine second hand, you can also carry out an oil test at most auction sites to check for any signs of excessive wear of internal parts.

l

negotiat

ing nego tiat

ionS

Accordin g to nEXS En PruEt, contrAct WEAk or A S cAn lEA mbiguouS d to unAn trAnSPor lEASing ticiPAtEd tAtion, rE c hArgES fo P A ir ProjEct c A n d r A d ditionAl r omPlEtio EntAl chA n WhEn P rofit mAr rgES At ginS ArE bEing Squ EEzEd.

ServiCe ContraCtS if up-time and performance is the key factor in your fleet’s profitability, consider investing in a longer term service contract with a recognised provider of technical expertise.

Service contracts can guarantee a high level of availability and reduce on-the-job breakdowns.

reduCe idle time Having machine operators sit in idling machines is a major drag on fleet efficiency. use a telematics system to profile individual operators, and train them how to reduce idle time.

Sell for more Selling machines for a good price is an obvious boost to your fleet balance book, so consider investing in your machines before its sale, whether it’s as simple as a minor service, dealing with external wear or damage, or a complete refurbishment with a fresh licking of paint.

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Special Interview

Good TiminG? Ahead of November’s PMV Live and Middle East Concrete events, CMME looks at the changing fortunes of the UAE market in 2013.

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MV-Live, the heavy equipment and construction machinery event, and Middle East Concrete 2013 that both run alongside The Big 5, return in November with the market undeniably experiencing a bounce

in activity.

Since the last show, the UAE – and Dubai particularly – has benefitted from the re-routing of money postArab Spring allowing for construction restarts on a series of projects. These have been bolstered by large scale announcements such as Muhammed Bin Rashid City and the gloom that had threatened to engulf the country is lifting.

According to MEED’s ‘MENA Projects Forecast and Review 2013’ report, the UAE’s resurgence is part of a general wave of rising construction activity.

“More than $1.1 trillion worth of contracts have been awarded in the GCC alone over the past ten years.

In 2012, about $110bn worth of deals were let, and 2013 is expected to better that with around $150bn worth of contracts awarded based on the performance of the first six months of the year,” said the report.

Confidence has returned and as a result, the region’s largest show has for all intense and purposes sold out months before its opening. If Dubai wins the right to host the World Expo in 2020, then the next event could be sold out before this year’s closes.

There are some that argue that whatever the outcome, Dubai doesn’t really need the Expo. It just wants it.

Craig Plumb, of Jones Lang LaSalle, points out the benefits: “If Dubai is successful, when the winning city is announced in November, then confidence will be catapulted to even greater heights on the back of boosted employment and economic growth and reinforce the emirate’s position as a regional hub.”

His colleagues at JLL agree: “The short term benefits are pretty obvious, in that it will be a massive boost to the tourism market, a huge profile raiser for Dubai and it will generate economic activity in the run-up to the event, in the six months of the event and for a period afterwards,” says Alan Robertson, chief executive officer (CEO), Middle East and North Africa for real estate consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle, which advised on the Dubai Expo 2020 master plan.

The total value to the economy of staging the event has been estimated at over $38 billion, with more than 277,000 jobs created between 2013 and 2021.”

Winning the event could mean a slew of tenders and contracts and a new influx of expatriate workers that could help Dubai experience its next major construction boom. It is hoped that much of it could iron out some of the problems generated by its past grwoth spurts.

Robertson explains: “Equally important is the post event legacy plan which will see the expo site become the Dubai Trade Centre, Jebel Ali. A successful bid will also bring forward major infrastructure improvements including the AlMaktoum International airport and extension to the Dubai metro. One of the real legacy values is the residential development around DWC. It will help sort out the big housing imbalances in Dubai.” So more tourists, more construction, more unskilled ethnic workers, and a bigger metro.

Dubai has also hired consultancy Mace, a consultancy and construction company with a presence in 69 countries around the world. Mace has been engaged by the Expo 2020 team to assist with cost management and planning. This £1 billion firm has carried out a wide range of high-profile projects, including serving as a delivery partner for the infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Which went well.

Helal Saeed Al Marri, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai World Trade Centre and Member of the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, said: “As this announcement demonstrates, we continue to strengthen the team leading the master plan development of this specialised, highly connected 438-hectare site.”

Whoever wins Expo 2020 will set a precedent: ‘If Dubai or Izmir wins, it will be the first Middle Eastern expo. Expo 2020 will be the first Russian world’s fair if Ekaterinburg wins. A Sao Paulo victory would make it the first world’s fair in South America and Latin America as well as the first in the Western Hemisphere in 34 years and the first in the Southern Hemisphere in 32 years’ according to the Expobids official website.

So what are the odds of Dubai winning? The US New York Times thinks: ‘Dubai is expected to win the bid to host 2020 World Expo, thanks to government support and owing to political tensions in other countries bidding for the prestigious event.’

In an article about the event, the paper said Dubai, which would be the first host of the world’s fair in the

“IF DUBAI IS SUCCESSFUL THEN CONFIDENCE WILL BE CATAPULTED TO EVEN GREATER HEIGHTS”

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Special Interview

Middle East, has emerged as the front-runner. It said: ‘Political tensions in Russia and in Turkey could hurt the chances of Yekaterinburg and Izmir.’

The paper also said that São Paulo in Brazil, the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere, is seen as least likely to succeed, when the 100 or so delegates of the exposition bureau’s General Assembly vote in November.

“Even if the Expo bid fails, all is not lost,” says Craig Plumb, of Jones Lang LaSalle. “Dubai’s economy is more robust than it has been for more than five years, and should maintain its upward trajectory regardless of whether or not it wins the bid.

Middle east concrete One of the most welcome additions to The Big 5 has been the introduction of the Middle East Concrete show and its accompanying seminar programme.

Concrete is genuinely one of the region’s specialities with more than $49 billion of demand for concrete forecast within the GCC over the next two years

Saudi Arabia and the UAE and continue to lead the way The GCC’s construction industry outlook is catching the attention of regional and international players, as they look at the ways in which they can take advantage of the significant opportunities and longevity of the market outlook.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue to hold pole positions

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in terms of project worth at present, at US$510,510 million and US$274,607 million respectively, of the total $1.3 trillion GCC market. With a history spanning more than 33 years in the region, The Big 5 event sets the annual barometer for the region’s building and construction industry.

The Dubai Municipality will explain the Dubai Green Building Code at the event, offering attendees the opportunity to understand more about the regulations and their impact on the industry. The legislation will be mandatory for new residential, commercial and industrial sectors buildings in 2014.

Leading the projected regional demand is Saudi Arabia, with more than $30.5 billion of concrete forecast to be needed through 2014 and 2015. The UAE follows, but with less of a requirement at $4 billion – a result of the country’s further advanced infrastructure development. The GCC construction sector as a whole shows no signs of slowing down over the coming years; demand for concrete will follow a similar path, with Qatar and Kuwait also representing big business for the sector.

As this month’s Concrete Supplement shows, sustainable construction continues to dominate industry debate, the concrete sector is working to understand its role in furthering this innovation and how concrete technologies can contribute to more sustainable building practices, whilst at the same time keeping pace with demand. This is strongly reflected in the educational content at this year’s Middle East Concrete, says event organiser DMG:Events. The seminar theatre will host a range of industry professionals, discussing some of the latest, leading solutions from across the market, with companies including Grace Construction Products, Elematic, Fosroc and FADOX Group taking part.

Seminar topics will include: enhancing performance and durability of concrete structures through the use of construction chemicals; new applications of lightweight cellular concrete; and Glassfibre reinforced concrete (GRC). There will also be a full day workshop onsite focusing on asset maintenance.

As part of the build-up to PMV Live, CMME will be chairing a special session looking at the state of the industry in the region. Read the full report in the November 2013 issue of the magazine.

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March 4-8, 2014 | Las Vegas conVention center | Las Vegas, Usa

March 4-8, 2014 | Las Vegas conVention center | Las Vegas, Usa

Co-located with 2 014 ®

Co-located with 2 014 ®

Sector Analysis

Back to the front

The backhoe loader is a key machine in the all-important infrastructure sector, but is also finding new uses as the Middle East continues to urbanise. Stian Overdahl surveys the latest generation of machines

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he backhoe loader is undeniably the most versatile of all the machines in the construction equipment market, and as the market contracted in recent years and contractors try to do more with less, the backhoe is a crucial machine. It’s also one of the key machines for infrastructure projects, which continued on even when many other projects ground to a halt.

There’s a number of long-established backhoe brands in the market (think JCB, Caterpillar, Case), as well from quality offerings from brands that are less established in the segment, include LiuGong, and Hyundai (HI), the latter launching its first backhoe in the Middle East only last year. Of the five traditional main market segments (excavator, wheel loader, grader, dozer and backhoe) the backhoe is one of the most competitive, and the result is that customers are spoilt for choice, while the new generations of machines are the toughest ever built.

With history on their side (this year they celebrate the 60th anniversary of inventing the backhoe), JCB has long been acknowledged as number one in the market. In the last six decades JCB have produced more than half a million backhoes, with factories in the UK, India and Brazil, and according to Nic Grout, JCB Middle East General Manager, the Middle East is JCB’s second biggest export market for backhoes.

The company has engaged in an energetic refresh of its range, and the new generation models, including the JCB 3CX and 4CX ECO, offer fuel savings of up to 16% over the old machines. Key features of the new models are power brakes providing proportional braking and fuel economy improvements, combined hammer and bi-directional circuit for excellent versatility in attachment use and a nine metre factory-fitted hose reel for improved productivity and versatility.

In terms of application, Grout sees the main use in the Middle East being construction of new infrastructure, compared with developed markets like Europe, where the backhoe’s main use is maintenance and expansion of existing infrastructure.

Caterpillar is seeing success in the market with their F-Series backhoes (ranging from the centrepivot 416F to the larger sideshifts, up to the 444F), which have a significant redesign on front end, in the first instance to allow for the after treatment systems required in the heavily-regulated emission markets.

And while the engine after treatment isn’t needed in the emerging markets, the new shape has incorporated improved loader performance as well as lowering the nose of the machine to improve visibility, says Adrian Forrester, market professional at Caterpillar for the backhoe segment.

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Sector Analysis

“RAPiD uRBAniSATion HAS CREATED nEED FoR inFRASTRuCTuRE BuiLD AnD MAinTEnAnCE, oFTEn WiTHin ConFinED SPACES”

“While the loader tower had to be widened, to accommodate the packaging of the higher regulated engine, we managed keep the all the loader hydraulic lines routed close in to the loader tower to allow for better visibility through to the front bucket.

“The front nose of the machine was also lowered, by over 10cm, for better visibility to front worktools, and we retained a flat front nose design to make it easy to position the machine as close to trucks as possible when truck loading.”

Another of the big changes came to the loader performance, and the arms were completely redesigned following customer feedback.

“A new geometry brought about improved breakout forces with the strength demanded by our customers.

Speaking to customers on the topic of loader performance affirmed the need to make truck loading easier, and so we embarked on a mission to deliver loader arms which would perform with reduced cycle time, extending the reach capability, increasing the load-over height, and providing near true parallelism for good material retention, especially when using pallet forks,” says Forrester.

“Complemented by the Return-to-Dig system, the F Series is an incredibly productive loader for its size class.”

In a snapshot: some of the major Improvements In recent models Stronger arms: Caterpillar’s F-Series feature completely redesigned loader arms for improved breakout forces, and to perform with reduced cycle time, extending the reach capability Boom design: Terex Construction’s range feature curved booms that provide greater clearance for the backhoe to reach over obstacles and load closer into trucks More efficient engines: JCB’s 3CX offers fuel savings of up to 16% runs across all Britains Farm models.”

Servo excavator controls: increasing in popularity versus mechanical controls year on year as a younger generation of operators take over the machine, say Terex Construction.

Visibility: the design of many of the new generation machines benefit operator visibility, for improved safety and function.

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Given their use as a do-everything tool, the more power and strength that can be crammed into a backhoe the faster they will complete tasks, and the more functionality on-site. Terex Construction launched its new TLB840 backhoe loader in the Middle East in early 2011, a machine “designed to maximise our customers’ productivity and profitability in these challenging times.”

With over 50 years of building backhoes, the model is the ninth generation backhoe for Terex. A 94 horsepower (70kW) machine with a 14ft (4.2m) dig depth, the TLB840 has a curved backhoe boom which provides greater clearance to reach over obstacles and load closer into trucks, and a reduced height for increased transport clearance.

An additionally feature of the boom is a “Deep Dig” outerslide extending dipperstick which allows for the clamping of objects between bucket and dipper, and an optional thumb attachment is also available for grab and grip applications.

This year at Bauma, Terex showed off the larger TLB890, designed alongside the 840 and with similar features, but aimed at the larger 15ft (4.57m) dig depth class segment, with a 100hp (74.5kW) engine.

The TLB890 also benefits from a higher spec hydraulic system with more flow and a piston pump option, and greater breakout forces on some services, says Jon Beckley, global product manager – backhoe loaders for Terex Construction.

Across the globe, and required specs vary, since operators are carrying out differing activities, as well as some needing to diver further distances.

“Local terrain variation drives some of the different uses and customer needs,” says Beckley. Asked about trends in application efficiency, and it’s a mixture of high-tech, new attachments and operator trends.

“Laser leveling, tracker, telematics and GPS based dig system are showing up, but these are not BHL specific they run across all construction equipment,” explains Beckley.

“There are some new attachments such as compactors and patch planers being used. Meanwhile the percentage of servo excavator controls verses mechanical is increasing year on year as a younger generation of operator take over the machine.”

Speaking about trends in the backhoe market, and as the Middle East develops, new uses are found for

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Sector Analysis

Exclusive Competition: Win your own JCB 3C Mark III JCB, has kindly offered to give three lucky readers of CMME their very own scale model of its famous JCB 3C Mark III. Widely regarded as the one of the most popular JCB machines ever created, the iconic JCB 3C Mark III Backhoe Loader was first introduced in February 1977.

Over the next few years the machine out-sold all of its competitors combined.

2013 marks the launch of a replica 1:32 scale model version of the JCB 3C Mark III as part of the Britains Farm portfolio. Created from all new tooling, the model is the first vintage JCB item to join

Britains’ expanding Heritage and Collectables range. A total of over half a million JCB models having been created and sold since the partnership between the two began matching the actual number of full-scale models produced

by JCB in the 60 years since the first one rolled off the production line.

When it was first launched, The JCB 3C Mark III machine represented the latest evolution of the popular 3C series and featured higher and more accessible cabs, further optional extras and (from 1978 onwards) the introduction of a JCB ‘Powertrain’ system which

the backhoe. Dragan Krznaric, Middle East business director CNH CE, believes that the rapid urbanisation that has occurred in the Middle East (and is still ongoing) has created need for infrastructure build and maintenance within urban areas, often within confined spaces, to the benefit of the backhoe segment.

“The relatively compact dimensions and multipurpose usage possibilities of backhoes make it an ideal tool to perform these kinds of task. Indeed, backhoes are very important segment of the market and thanks to the versatility of the machine we see further growth in demand, with new range of applications being added.”

Case Construction Equipment contests the market with its T-Series of backhoe loaders, of which the 580T is the most popular. Case has a long history in the market, building its first backhoe loader in 1957, and having sold more than 600,000 units since that time, and has recorded a number of firsts, including an extending dipper, and the first company to offer a Powershift transmission on a TLB. Features of its 580T include powerful engine and high-capacity hydraulics, powered by a 72 kW (97 hp) Fiat PT engine. Its reinforced tool carrier front loader arms features exceptional rigidity and strength, and its S-shaped backhoe boom provides better accessibility for truck loading, better visibility for the operator and increased strength and durability, says Krznaric: “Our industryunique Case extendahoe, with the extending part of the dipper arm being on the outside, provide

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was to become a significant feature in future machinebuilding generations. The 3C became a common sight on the road sides and building sites during the late 1970’s and helped to cement JCB’s growing presence in Europe during this important period.

Sam Johnson, Senior Licensing Manager JCB Consumer Products, said: “The JCB range of models

by Britains are designed to appeal to both children and adult collectors alike, bridging the generations in a way that I think is quite rare these days. The 3C Mark 3 is a welcome new addition to the

range and brings an important nostalgic element for our many collectors.”

Emilia Lawes, senior sales and marketing manager TOMY Britains Farm said: “This one-off design has been developed alongside the team at JCB to reflect the heritage and iconic status of the JCB brand and replicate a much cherished machine in JCB’s timeline. A unique opportunity for collectors to own a piece of JCB history, the JCB 3C Mark III will launch in unique packaging to reflect the branding and attention to detail which runs across all Britains Farm models.”

best-in-class protection of extending element and hydraulic parts.”

Another result of urbanization is the development of the waste industry, and JCB’s Nic Grout believes that their efforts to innovate in the waste segment should return dividends.

“As the waste industry in the Middle East becomes more sophisticated, JCB’s full range of Wastemaster machines, including the 4CXWM, will become the machine of choice for the waste and recycling sector,” he says.

The 4CXWM can power a large range of specialist attachments, and is designed to perform in the nonstop working environment found at waste centres.

“Globally, the backhoe loader is already one of JCB’s biggest selling machines into waste, recycling

Britains is JCB’s longest standing Licensee, a partnership stretching back to 1970.

To win a model of the JCB 3X Mark III read the following questions and send your answers to: stephen.white@ cpimediagroup.com.

In what year did JCB launch its first backhoe loader?

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In which countries does JCB produce backhoe loaders?

and demolition applications, with large volume sales in Asia and South America and a strong presence in specific European markets. The JCB 4CXWM offers unrivalled versatility at a price which is less than the wheeled excavator typically seen on site. Its ability to perform a variety of roles also eliminates the need for other machines such as forklift or pallet trucks – further increasing cost savings.”

Using JCB’s vast knowledge of designing these workhorses, the new 4CXWM model of backhoe incorporates additional length rear stabilisers and a front frame using hydraulic legs, a combination which raises the entire machine well clear of the ground, and improves operator views into a bin when compacting material with either a grapple or compaction wheel attachment.

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Spider Access

Over the edge

CMME meets the team at Spider Access a superhero collective that reaches the parts other access specialists cannot reach

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When equipment won’t do Mazan Harake argues that the differences between specialist equipment and his rope access operation are largely a question of logistics and flexibility.

“The BMU systems are being used all over the place but the buildings are still dirty,” he says.

“The time factor it takes to clean the building with two guys and one cradle – and they can only cover 3m at a time.

Our guys can cover the same area each.

“We have nine or ten guys working at any one time – and at the same time you get rid of all the headaches relating to maintenance, spare parts for the BMUs (if you have to wait a day for parts that’s one day you’re not working) and you don’t have to wait for third-party inspection.”

In a city that is full of architecturally complex buildings, Spider Access is often called in to reach the parts of a structure other alternatives approaches cannot reach. Many design features on Dubai’s iconic towers make areas of the buildings virtually inaccessible for BMUs. “The major problem is the designers are designing a building without considering its sustainability afterwards. I’m going to do this really weird shaped building, then, oops… The BMUs they are installing cost millions of dirhams [he estimates 2 or 3 million AED] to install and are often useless at the end of the day. The Infinity Tower for example was using a BMU – now they’re using rope access with me.”

Keen mountain climber managing director Mazan Harake (above) tells CMME that Spider Access has found a niche in being able to replace existing equipment on buildings around the UAE.

W

hen Spider Access needs to recruit only the highest place in the world will do, Mazen Harake, the managing director tells Construction Machinery Middle East magazine.

The PR brief describes Spider Access as a Gulfbased multipurpose contracting entity that offers a broad range of access-related services for use on high rise structures. While apt, it doesn’t capture the range of training and planning behind the operation, or the sheer cahonies needed to hook yourself to a harness and step over the edge of some of the tallest buildings on the planet.

Psychologically and physically demanding, this is a job that is not for everyone. Standing with one of its teams at the base of the Index building in Dubai it’s easy to see why most of its team are Nepalese. Few people are fit enough, or brave enough to attempt what this crack outfit manage on a daily basis.

Starting in the midst of the downturn in UAE in 2009 was tough, says Harake, but this unique and daring operation has been typically courageous.

“We probably started at the worst time, but we managed to grow,” he explains, adding that the company opened an office last year in Kuwait. “And we’re starting to expand across the GCC.” Cleaning and maintenance work in the Gulf as elsewhere is often conducted by a combination of AWPs and BMU (Building Maintenance Units) cradles. The hot, sandy and dry conditions play havoc on the glass facades that are so popular in the region’s cities; and contractors and FM companies face a formidable task to keep them clean and well maintained. The wind-factor is a particular problem at height, he adds. If the windspeed is up, the covers go back on the BMUs: “It’s always windy and sandstorms in Dubai,”

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Spider Access

“So there is higher demand for window cleaning.

Especially in areas like Business Bay, around the Burj Khalifa (situated in the downtown area of Dubai which is home to one of the world’s largest and busiest shopping centres, the Dubai Mall), and the Palm Jumeirah – where you always want to keep the buildings clean.”

Beyond simply cleaning, the teams are also trained to conduct maintenance and repairs, often spotting damage to the façade that may have previously gone unnoticed.

“We do a lot of maintenance in terms of painting.

We did the re-painting for the Dubai Creek Golf Club’s 20th anniversary from the bottom to the top, for example. It was a tough job because you needed access from underneath. We do aviation lights, glass replacement, anything that needs or has difficult access we can do it. So it’s not always cleaning, but it is probably the most common operation as we do have a lot of buildings here!”

Spider Access’ distinctive coveralls with a spider logo on the back has even opened unforeseen opportunities: “We can also do enterntainment. For the opening of the Movenpick at Ibn Battuta we had the guys dress up as Spiderman.”

Fit and lean-looking Harake is the sort of man that looks like he could carry a BMU on his back.

Unsurprisingly he tells CMME that he used to a lot of mountaineering. It explains in part why when he looked at the Dubai skyline, he saw an opportunity.

Disappointingly he wasn’t up halfway up a Himalayan peak when the idea struck, but he instinctively realised there could be a way of turning his pastime into a fully-fledged business.

“I love mountain climbing and I thought maybe I can apply this method to cleaning windows,” he says. “To be honest, when we first started we had no experience of rope access, of regulation, of safety. It took us a while to establish ourselves and determine how to proceed.”

Fortunately a lot could be learned from the oil and gas industry in the UAE. Many of the regulations and HSE procedures it follows stems from the use of rope access on O&G platforms.

“We are under the IRATA which is based in the UK and all our technicians are certified by IRATA. We are in the process of certifying the company as a member.”

As part of its audit, IRATA will check all the management procedures, how it buys and maintains equipment; and in the end every single bit of

“AS SOON AS HE WENT UP HE STARTED TO FEEl DIzzY, SICK. SOME PEOPlE HAvE ISSUES BUT THEY CAN GET OvER IT WITH TIME.”

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Spider Access’ equipment tagged in the inventory will be checked. Certification under IRATA for the technician falls into three grades. The highest level – grade three – requires 3,000 hours of rope experience. Understandably this can take months and years to reach. To select a technician, Harake says he has three main criteria.

“Age, weight and height. Obviously smaller ones find it easier to go up and down the ropes. Agewise we target between 20-25. We travel to other countries to search for them. We have a lot of people from Nepal, where they have a lot of hills and valleys.

They are used to heights compared to people that come from cities.”

He laughs when asked whether they hire by using binoculars to spot the fastest climbers scaling the Nepalese mountains.

“No we advertise beforehand,” he grins. “And bring one of our project supervisors. We show them videos and ask them: do you really want to do that?

Most of them will say no! You need balls to this job.”

Training is carried out internally at Spider Access’ facilities in the Gulf. An instructor is brought over from the UK and the teams spend a week learning the ropes. Teams then move onto small buildings literally working their way up to the tallest. Even with accompanied by an experienced buddy, the biggest test of all for the technicians remains that first drop over the side.

“The hardest part is when people go down the side of the building for the first time. We had one guy a few years ago who passed the IRATA test and everything. But as soon as he went up he started to feel dizzy, sick. Some people have issues but they can get over it with time as long as they have a good team around them. Generally as we start them gradually it becomes like getting out of bed for them.”

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The Last Word success.

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