Construction Sites | November Issue no. 88

SITES C o n s t r u c t i o n

I ssue N o .88 - N ovember 2014

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

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Construction

SITES

NGO PROMOTES THE CREATION OF STRUCTURES FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES The Pilosio nonprofit organization promotes the creation of schools and other temporary structures for refugees. The establishment of contacts with NGOs working in Syrian refugee camps. The presentation took place at the Pilosio Building Peace Award and at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Foundation From the project’s technical point of view, natural elements such as sand and/or soil are combined with temporary structural elements such as scaffolding, the production of which is the core business of Pilosio itself. To assemble the structures, help and assistance from the refugees, including that of the women, is essential; giving them once more the sense of being in charge of their own destiny. The assembly of these structures is very simple, fast and intuitive. The use of sand, a natural and excellent insulator, is a typical element of Syrian culture and will make the shelters more economical. The idea at the root of the project is, in fact, to use the soil as a construction material. The roof panels, in addition to the “walls”, are also filled with soil and can be cultivated to produce food. This simple method is suitable for the local climate, favouring a natural lifecycle and preventing pollution. Technical coordinator of the project is the Iranian architect Pouya Khazaeli, a professional with extensive experience in the design and construction of structures whose use is motivated by natural resources such as sand, earth and wood. pilosioaward.com

Qatar

Shapoorji Pallonji: Contractor of the Year

Shapoorji Pallonji, the Mumbai-Dubai based construction company was awarded ‘Contractor of the Year’ at this year’s Qatar Contractors Forum & Awards 2014 in conjunction with IQPC (International Quality & Productivity Centre).

Selected by a group of industry experts, panellist Dr. Sarah Prichard, director at BuroHappold Engineering was on hand to present the award, which was received by Shapoorji Pallonji International’s managing director and CEO, M.D Saini, and Shapoorji Pallonji Qatar WLL’s country manager, Rajeev Kaul.

Commenting on the award Mr. Saini commented, ”I’d like to start by thanking IQPC for this award.

It means a lot to us as a company, and sets forth the standard we aim to maintain throughout the region. Having only been in Qatar for five years, we feel this is a great achievement, and is a feather in our cap as we enter our 150th anniversary in 2015.”

To date, we have delivered three major projects in country, and we look forward to continuing to support the vision of His Highness and working on more complex projects in the future.”

With ongoing projects across the MENA region and Sub Saharan Africa, Shapoorji Pallonji was recently shortlisted as one of the companies invited to bid for the build contract for two FIFA World Cup 2022 stadiums, namely the 32,000 modular Al-Bayt stadium and the 45,000 capacity Al-Wakrah stadium.

When asked about what aspects swayed the panel in awarding the industry accolade, Dr. Prichard commented, “We were really impressed with the involvement that Shapoorji Pallonji has in its work in Qatar, not only for contracting, but also for delivering value to its clients while conscientiously looking after its staff and labourers.”

Shapoorji Pallonji is a highly diversified conglomerate whose heritage in India dates back to 1865. Today, headquartered between Mumbai and Dubai it employs over 230,000 staff including architects, engineers, managers and a skilled workforce with offices in 25 countries worldwide.

The multinational works mainly in the construction sector, but has also diversified into industries including real estate, agriculture, textiles and logistics and today turns over in excess of $5 billion per annum.

Construction

Focus

An introduction to building acoustics

SITES

3

Instead being the personal oasis, our homes are exposed to a variety of noise sources

By Mr. Maro Puljizevic The modern era saw the rise of concern over the wellbeing of the occupants of any dwelling and the construction industry’s impact on the environment as focal points of new developments.

It’s been a long time since architecture and construction ceased to be disciplines in themselves, where it purely mattered to construct eyecatching monumental buildings.

Nowadays, integration and symbiosis of various specialties into an overall architectural vision is a key to every successful project. Although, we keep hearing this like a mantra over and over again, we’re constantly struggling in delivering excellence on all the levels.

One of the lines of work which is still looking for its deserved place under the Qatar sun, while at the same time tops the occupants’ complaint charts and impacts our daily lives from numerous perspectives is building acoustics.

So what is building acoustics?

Trying to define building acoustics, which is a complex scientific and engineering discipline, in just a few lines is quite a task. However, if you’re not aware of

your neighbors’ activity, not disturbed by the noise of an air-conditioning system, you don’t spend sleepless nights due to traffic or construction noise, you enjoy clear sound of a lecture or concert in an auditorium; well, that’s building acoustics at its best.

To fully apprehend the importance of a good acoustic design, we have to understand how it actually impacts all of us as end-users, whether an employee, a guest in a hotel, a listener in a concert hall or just a resident in our own home.

The easiest way to explain it is through the example of listening to music. We’re all aware how our mood and behavior can easily shift among romantic, melancholic, joyful, relaxed or aggressive just by changing the radio station.

It’s exactly the same with good and bad acoustic design. It makes all the difference.

People often get surprised when they are told that noise is number one problem in offices and it severely impacts our productivity and wellbeing.

We all know how hard it can be to focus and make decisions when sitting just below the noisy air conditioning unit, next to a paper shredder

or listening to someone else’s phone conversation. The level of noise we’re exposed to undoubtedly raises our stress levels which we ultimately take home and let it spill over to our personal lives.

Unfortunately, in Doha, things don’t get better once you reach home. Instead being the personal oasis, our homes are exposed to a variety of noise sources, especially those originating from construction activity which often doesn’t stop even during the night.

When driven by tight time schedules, the main goal is usually to make sure a building doesn’t collapse. Everything else is an add-on. In such an environment, raising the importance and a necessity for a good acoustic design and seeing it recognized and implemented remain a challenge.

Therefore, the acoustic consultant should be an integral part of the project team right from the start.

Correct building acoustics “philosophy” can set the

project on the right course straight from the concept stage itself, in case of buildings, infrastructure projects or even urban planning itself.

The role of an acoustic consultant is usually two-sided.

On one hand, we make sure that the project itself doesn’t introduce additional noise to existing environment. It is very important to consider all the surrounding areas with their own particularities and quiet zones.

Quite often, developers concentrate only on their own projects without paying attention to their surroundings.

On the other hand, we create pleasant and quiet environment for the end-user within the project boundaries themselves.

Process of the acoustic design depends on the nature and the purpose of the project itself; yet one could generally define its three key stages: • A nalyzing building’s existing acoustic environment. Acoustic design will drastically change if the building is located in a quite remote area or just next to a highway.

• Set the goals, thus acoustic criteria and requirements. Goals set; hence desired noise lev-

1. The structured set of management procedures assigned to the project 2. The project manager assigned to the project The second pillar is the type of contract and contractor.

“Selecting the right type of contract and qualifying the right contractor can lead to a smoother way to produce the desired end product.”

The third pillar is a structured organization to support the managing process because without an organization leading and supporting the project team, it will be difficult to complete it as desired.

The fourth and last is the required support of shareholders.

Around 200 engineers attended the presentation which stated that the right documentation of the concept with as much details as possible about the components of the project is an essential element of good proj-

ect management.

In addition to preparation of detailed design maps for every stage of the project, having a work plan devised in co-operation with the contractor that explains work procedures and ways of handling external risks that might face the project would be highly beneficial.

Another important aspect of good project management mentioned in the presentation was training and qualifying of personnel who would work on the project.

Attendees actively participated in discussions after the presentation. They discussed reasons for project delays and inefficient project management. Various reasons were mentioned for construction delays, including: difficulties and delays in issuing required government permits and changes to the design by the project owner during implementation and after the

end of the design phase.

QSE board of directors Chairman Ahmed Al Jolo said that project delays were not the responsibility of project mangers alone. “Project managers must be given adequate authority to take decisions and not be restricted in some financial and strategic decisions.” He called for more cooperation from public service providers.

Moreover, he said that blam-

Mr. Maro Puljizevic is the Acoustics Section Manager at Al Mana Holdings.

els and levels of comfort will significantly vary for private villas, offices, hospitals or schools.

• Work closely with the entire project team to incorporate correct constructive details, building envelope elements, various acoustic solutions and systems into the overall project vision and ultimately fulfill previously set goals. Particularities of the building acoustics design should not interfere or change initial vision of the architect; moreover blend in a unity to a pleasure of all the involved parties.

So many things are happening around us as we speak and exciting and interesting times are ahead. Qatar is indeed a construction miracle in making and all of us involved have the power and responsibility to set it on the right course.

It’s time to stop growing a fund of “sick buildings” and we have to turn them into “healthy” ones to the satisfaction of everyone.

Finding a suitable place to live, our own piece of heaven where we won’t be disturbed by noise, shouldn’t be like winning the lottery; it should be everyone’s right.

Four pillars of efficient project management

M

echanical engineer Ibrahim M Al Sulaiti has highlighted the essential factors required to finish a project on time at a presentation titled “Four pillars to manage a project”.

Al Sulaiti said that all projects, small or big, must go through a set of structured procedures so that they were finished on time and as desired by the client.

The presentation was made at an event organized by Qatar Society of Engineers.

A mechanical engineering graduate from N C A&T State University in North Carolina and former president, PMI, Project Management Institute, Al Sulaiti has over 25 years of experience in the field. He has presented many papers on engineering, management, project management, change management and others. At the Qatar Society of Engineers event, he said the first pillar of project management is the way you want to do it. This covers two aspects:

ing government bodies for delay in permits and licenses was not right, adding that they were only partially responsible for them. There were, he said, other factors for delay, coming from the project’s owner, consultant and contractor.

QSE member and CEO of Emdad company, Khaled Al Nasr pointed out that, in his opinion, delay was mainly caused by changes to projects.

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Construction

SITES

Legal

Common pitfalls when making claims under construction contracts This article discusses some of the common issues we see when parties are dealing with claims made under a construction contract. It is based on a paper first presented by Mark Blanksby (a partner in Clyde & Co LLP’s Dubai office) at the Society of Construction Law Conference in April 2014.

What is a claim?

For the contractor, a claim could be (amongst others) in respect of acceleration measures, for extensions of time, or for additional monies sought in relation to loss and expense.

From the employer’s perspective, a claim could be made in respect of poor workmanship or defective performance or for liquidated damages due to a failure to complete on time.

At the outset, it is important to recognize that claims are envisaged by the express terms of most construction contracts.

However, it is often the case that the making of a claim suggests some level of fault on the part of one of the contracting parties, which often leads to the contract being operated in an adversarial manner.

In our experience, there are considerable benefits to be had by all parties involved in a claim if it is properly assessed and prepared from the outset, and then correctly dealt with throughout the course of its lifetime, including a proper assessment by the receiving party.

Unfortunately, we quite often see claims that have been poorly considered and prepared by the contractor. In addition, claims are frequently incorrectly assessed by the engineer and employer. These issues impact cash flow and cause relationships to deteriorate, which may ultimately lead to formal dispute resolution procedures (such as arbitration) being instigated.

Assessment A key objective should be for all parties involved in making a claim to invest adequate resources, time and effort into, first, a proper assessment of the basis of that claim, and, second, its preparation.

Assessment & Reporting: Contractors need to have a technical team on site that is “claim conscious” and alert to the procedures to be adopted when an event giving rise to a claim occurs. An effective part of the claims process requires that, as soon as this potential event is identified, the contractor’s technical team should report this to the contractor’s commercial team.

The commercial team will then

ordinarily be tasked with developing and preparing the claim, before presenting it to the engineer and employer.

Notification: Having alerted the commercial team in this way, the first common mistake can then often be overcome – namely the absence of “notice”.

The significance of an event is not always immediately apparent, but an effective internal reporting system will maximize the opportunity to give early and compliant notices where, often, they are overlooked.

In circumstances where the engineer and employer often reject claims (rightly or wrongly) on the basis of a lack of notice, it pays to remove this argument at the outset wherever possible.

Claim preparation: The submission of claims in connection with a construction project is commonplace, and such claims can be of variable quality. The challenge is in creating an “effective” claim – one that: (a) Has a solid contractual or legal foundation; (b) Is well articulated and persuasive; (c) Is supported by necessary evidence; and (d) Therefore, has the best prospect of an early and favorable response from the receiving party.

Establishing Entitlement – understanding the legal basis for claims An entitlement to claim may arise in different ways. This, in turn, affects the manner in which a claim should be approached.

Claims arising in law (for breach of contract or pursuant to statute / civil code) have to be distinguished from claims made under specific provisions of written contracts that set out the circumstances in which a contractor will be entitled to claim extensions of time and additional cost.

All mainstream forms of contract used in the construction and engineering industries (for example the FIDIC, ICE and JCT suites of contract) contain express contractual machinery to deal with claims for extensions of time and additional cost.

Alongside these contractual provisions, the legal obligations of employers, contractors or others are also governed by general provisions of law. For present purposes, the law is best regarded as the general rules which govern the commercial relationship of the parties.

Accordingly, a claim may arise: (a) Under an express contractual provision;

Laura Warren Laura Warren is a partner of the International Law firm, Clyde & Co LLP, in Doha. Laura has a wide ranging contentious and non contentious construction practice involving projects in Qatar as well as in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Libya, Egypt and Tunisia Laura is Co-ordinator for the Society of Construction Law (Gulf) in Qatar.

(b) For breach of an obligation that a party committed to comply with (“breach of contract”); or (c) Pursuant to a provision of general law governing how the works are carried out.

Ingredients of a claim The “ingredients”, of the contractor’s claim (and the subsequent steps that need to be taken by its commercial team and the claims draftsman in respect of these) will typically be determined by the type of claim being made.

Often, this aspect is overlooked with a claim presented as a narrative chronology and a general plea that the contractor is therefore entitled to be paid a sum of money or granted an extension of time by reference to vague (and often incorrect) clauses in the contract. In our experience, it is this aspect that those tasked with preparing and drafting claims would benefit from giving more focus.

It is important to remember that the onus of proof in making out any of these claims lies with the party asserting the claim.

It is equally important, and often overlooked by the receiving party, that the onus of proof is not an absolute one – rather, the claiming party must simply satisfy that a claim is made out, typically on the “balance of probabilities”, as opposed to the higher criminal burden of “beyond reasonable doubt”.

Compilation of the claim When presenting a claim, each of the relevant facts must be identified and set out in a logical order. As well as drafting a narrative that responds substan-

tively to the specific ‘ingredients’ of the claim as outlined above, the claim should be clearly expressed, unprovocative, persuasive, and substantiated with documentary evidence.

Responding to a claim Striving to improve the presentation and effectiveness of a claim is half the battle. However, an area where there is significant room for improvement in projects we see across the Gulf Region is in the effective – and realistic – assessment of a claim when it is presented.

Often, it is the lack of a meaningful response, the over reliance on a lack of “notice” to reject a claim, an unwillingness to address the substance of a claim, a fear of acknowledging the engineer’s own culpability, or a simple inability or lack of empowerment that creates a dispute in relation to a claim and causes that claim to move towards arbitration.

This is not a healthy state of affairs. The contractor is entitled to have a valid claim determined, and to delay that determination serves only to damage relations, increase cost and delay the inevitable.

It is appropriate to be robust and to challenge a claim that is improperly made or lacking in merit, but delaying (or denying) the assessment of a valid claim does the employer no favors.

He is ultimately presented with a very significant final account, the prospect of arbitration and very little ability so late in the day to manage his cash flow.

The time limit Regrettably, whereas the FIDIC suite of contracts are swift to impose time limits upon the contractor for the notification of claim events and for submitting particulars of claim, one of the shortcomings in the standard forms is the lack of time limit imposed upon the engineer to respond to a claim once received.

However, this is not a charter for the engineer to prevaricate.

The effective administration of the contract requires that an informed assessment of any claim is made, and that it is made within a reasonable time. In doing otherwise, the engineer may believe he is serving the interests of the employer (by limiting any increase in the contract sum or ignoring extensions of time properly due) but, in reality, the resolution of a valid claim is simply delayed.

Furthermore, when faced with such prevarication, it is then not difficult for the contractor (through appropriate corre-

Qatari Sources

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Fax: +974 4487 3826 e-mail: mohdzeli@gmail.com

spondence) to generate a “dispute” in relation to its claim, and require that it be the subject of a formal decision pursuant to the terms of the contract, which may ultimately lead to arbitration proceedings being instigated.

Basis of claim assessment In its unamended form the FIDIC forms of contract set out specific provisions which determine how the engineer’s assessment should be made. In general terms, these provisions require the engineer to act impartially, have regard to all circumstances surrounding the event and within the terms of the contract when giving a decision (see clause 2.6 of the FIDIC Red Book (4th Edition) for example).

The engineer should determine, fairly, and on the balance of probabilities, whether the contractor has made out the ingredients of the claim which it advances. If the contractor has satisfied each of the claim’s ingredients, the engineer ought recognize it as valid and assess what entitlements (if any) are due.

Conversely, if the engineer disagrees with the contractor’s assessment of its claim, he should provide a clear and substantive explanation as to the reason for this disagreement. This, in turn, will be helpful to identify where the contractor has fallen short with its claim and, either, allow the contractor to address these shortcomings to everyone’s satisfaction or set a narrower agenda in relation to the ultimate dispute that may require to be resolved.

The approach we often see taken in relation to the assessment of a contractor’s claim tends not to follow the anticipated route set out above, or reflect the traditional role anticipated for the engineer. Rather, the current trend would appear to be fourfold, namely: (a) A presumption that the engineer acts as gatekeeper, with his primary aim to protect the employer’s interests rather than fairly assess any claim; (b) A starting presumption that the contractor has no entitlement, and that reasons will need to be identified to “defend” each claim made; (c) The imposition of an impossibly high burden of proof upon the contractor; and (d) A slavish reliance upon an alleged lack of “notice” as an excuse to avoid properly investigating the underlying facts of a claim.

Conclusion There are significant benefits

Chris Campbell Chris Campbell is an associate in the construction and projects team of international law firm, Clyde & Co LLP. Based in the firm’s Doha office, Chris advises in relation to contentious and non-contentious aspects of construction projects across the Middle East, and has experience of working in a number of jurisdictions, including the UK, Australia and Asia.

to both parties in ensuring that a claim is properly prepared, and then dealt with correctly throughout the course of its lifetime.

From the contractor’s perspective, investing time and resources in the claim from the outset will ensure that a more convincing, credible and persuasive claim is presented to the engineer that is more likely to yield results and preserve relationships between the contractor and employer.

In addition, by thoroughly undertaking the work in relation to a claim as it arises, the task of preparing for arbitration proceedings is less daunting (as the work has been done) and such proceedings can potentially be conducted in a more cost efficient and expeditious manner.

From the employer’s perspective, investing time and resources in properly assessing and responding to a claim, once made, should ensure that the employer will benefit from greater budget certainty as the project progresses so that an unwelcome final account claim may be avoided and that relationships can be maintained.

This also enables issues in dispute to be narrowed, and the agenda for arbitration proceedings to be set accordingly, with a view to more cost-efficient proceedings where they are unavoidable.

Should you have any questions in connection with this article or the legal issues it covers, please contact Chris Campbell of Clyde & Co LLP at chris.campbell@clydeco. com.qa or Laura Warren of Clyde & Co LLP at laura.warren@clydeco.com.qa.

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Construction

SITES

Qatar

Well-planned MEP services crucial for energy efficiency

M

echanical, electrical, and plumbing services (MEP) is a significant component of the construction supply chain. MEP design is critical for design decision-making, accurate documentation, performance and cost-estimating, construction planning, managing and operating the resulting facility. At the recent Future Interiors, organized by Advanced Conferences & Meetings (ACM) in partnership with IFP Qatar, Kliment Maleski, of Hill International Qatar, spoke about MEP’s role and the importance of managing energy efficiency.

According to the organizers, Qatar has significant potential in sports facility development, real estate and infrastructure upgrades. The local construction industry is valued at $32 billion with an estimated value of over $10 billion in projects expected to be awarded in 2014. The GCC Interiors market has been valued between

$1.36bn and $1.47 billion in 2013 growing by 15% in 2014 to $1.58 billion. New seaport and airport facilities, rail network, roads and highways, hotels and recreation complexes are all contributing to the rapid growth in the interiors market.

Qatar has a mandate to add 45,000 hotel rooms to its existing supply of 20,000 in order to achieve the FIFA minimum lodging requirement to host the World Cup in 2022.

Energy efficiency According to Maleski, Hill highly recommends the use and installation of sustainable technologies in a project’s MEP infrastructure as it affects the end users’ ability to control and reduce energy consumption.

Maleski claims that one can expect up to a 65% saving if the correct energy-efficient lighting systems are installed. Appropriate lighting controls can be expected to deliver upto 25% in energy savings. But the big question is: Why is the move

towards energy efficiency? The idea of energy efficiency is not a new one but since we are consuming more energy now than ever before, it has become an urgent one. Official reports from relevant international agencies, organizations and institutions, like the International Energy Agency, state that buildings consume 40% of the world’s resources.What office buildings consume and emit?

• 40% of world energy(International Energy Agency) • 12% of the world’s fresh water(International Energy Agency) • Emit approximately 30% of energy related carbon emissions worldwide • Artificial lighting typically consumes up to 35% of the total energy consumption in a commercial building. (PHILIPS) • On average, approximately 80% of building greenhouse emissions are

caused by artificial lighting and HVAC The International Energy Agency warns that if policies and practices remain unchanged, then world energy demand is set to increase by 50% until 2030.Why is the energyefficient concept important to the Middle East?

Some facts to consider: • Energy consumption is the highest in the world • Carbon emissions per capita are on average the world’s highest • Power availability is becoming an issue • Middle East governments

plan to invest more than $180 billion into state of the art solutions for power production and distribution Who is developing and implementing policies in Qatar?

The Middle East is highly aware of its energy consumption patterns. Qatar, in particular, is putting in place mandatory programs that will require reduction of energy use and emissions. The mandatory requirements are being enforced by: • Kahramaa • DEWA

•

ADWEA; and through the European standard EN15193 There are also NGOs which work in the construction sector, like the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) advocating stricter controls in the construction industry.

Maleski has 14 years of working experience in electrical engineering. His specialties are in MEP Design and Project Co-ordination and MEP Construction and Project Management.

He is with the MEP Engineering & Project Management department at Hill International in Qatar.

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Construction

SITES

Design

Petrofac launches science of lighting through Allight partnership

L

aunching headlong into the pre-owned equipment space wasn’t a decision taken lightly by the team that brought the world of construction its bestselling mobile lighting technology. Paul Sowerby, Director of International Sales and Marketing for the Allight range, shares the secrets of the successful REMAN initiative and the plans for its roll-out across Qatar with Petrofac The science of construction and infrastructure project lighting has sat at the heart of the Allight brand promise for more than 20 years.

And it’s that world class toughness, stability and ability to handle climate and terrain challenges routinely presented by the world’s toughest construction, quarrying and mining environments that have made Allight towers the lighting solution of choice for large fleet operators around the world including Leighton, Clough, Laing O’Rourke, Downer and John Holland.

The backdrop to the MS6k-9 model’s global success was Allight’s domestic market in Australia, where construction and mine site regulations and standards are widely believed to be among the world’s toughest.

But while design, engineering, procurement and assembly teams at the group’s worldwide headquarters in Perth continue to pump out 3,000 new lighting towers a year, pressure from cheaper alternatives has been mounting particularly within the group’s target hotspots outside Australia, such as Qatar.

“It was only a matter of time before contractors and rental fleet managers in our key overseas territories started pushing us to help them respond to price pressure,” said Sowerby.

“We’ve made such a song and dance about the 10-15year

REMAN Lighting Tower

lifespan of our MS6k-9 lighting tower that it made sense to sit down with our biggest Australian customer and negotiated a deal to buy back all the units in their rental fleet that had reached the halfway mark. In a heartbeat, REMAN was born and a major headache for construction and mining projects outside Australia went away.”

Using the skills and resource in the group’s Dubai Hub, each pre-owned tower is disassembled down to the smallest part under the guidance of the OEM team. Components go through a cleaning process and are then inspected against strict engineering specifica-

Launching ceremony of REMAN Lighting Tower

tions to determine if they can be effectively salvaged. While all the parts are being either refurbished or replaced, the chassis and trailer make their way through the REMAN Hub’s in-house body shop and paint booth. Each unit is then built back up again from scratch as a REMAN model before being rolled out of the factory looking as new.

A real bonus and a first in the lighting tower sector is the complete reconditioning of the engine by one of the world’s largest Perkins dealers. Their status and skill means each REMAN engine comes complete with a dealer-strength

warranty.

“Given that the REMAN MS6k9 units reach the market at around 30% of the price of a new unit - and with several years of their active life stretched out ahead of them, it’s hardly surprising that the biggest challenge so far has been getting the ex-rental units to our Dubai REMAN Hub fast enough,” added Sowerby.

“The only unimpeachable golden rule is that we will never sell REMAN units back into Australia.”

Aside from being the darling of construction and mining procurement teams, the MS6k-9

has also made many friends in finance departments thanks to its unique High Wall Overhang mast design and light assembly that gets 60% more light to the work platform for optimum productivity and safety.

It means a single MS6k-9 unit can often do the work of two or more basic towers.

Powered as standard by a Perkins 403D-11 engine and packing out 6000w of light from its smash-resistant double-ended metal halide lamps, each MS6k-9 REMAN unit comes with 350deg mast rotation and hydraulic mast raise and light bar tilt.

This lamp durability has become a huge bonus because the bulbs tend to be a lighting tower’s most susceptible essential component. By using spring mounted vibration resistant holders, the double-ended metal halide lamps are much more secure and able to absorb shudders and bounces.

Also significant is the fact that the metal halide lamps do not have an internal filament and are instead gas filled. As a result, the danger of filament breakage is virtually eliminated. It means that as well as producing intense strong, true white-light, their life expectancy is increased significantly.

The rental space is expected to be a major hunting ground for Allight and its Qatar partner Petrofac. Though taking advantage of remanufactured component programs is nothing new to rental fleet managers, the concept is little-known in the mobile construction lighting space.

“Remanufacturing is commonplace among heavy-duty vehicle suppliers, but refurbishment costs have tended to make the barrier to entry just too high for lighting tower makers,” continued Sowerby.

“The great advantage of MS6k-9 has always been its robustness and strength; both of which make it a very attractive option given that rental rates that have been modelled on new towers can now be used for REMAN. It means the utilisation and ROI metrics look very healthy indeed and may well outweigh the only meaningful criticism of the MS6k-9 - its size.”

REMAN is just one way Allight is developing new solutions to further develop its Dubai Hub’s booming international business - and helping create a more sustainable world in the process.

“We also sleep better at night knowing that we’ve come up with a way of finding new ways to reduce, reuse, recycle, and reclaim materials which once would have gone into a landfill,” added Sowerby. “I guess we’ve also done our bit to lower greenhouse gas production along the way, which is another bonus.”

For inquiries for REMAN Products, please contact Mr. Mangode Rajesh +974 55886502 mangoderajesh@petrofacqatar.com or Mr. Harikumar +971 55 9963044 Harikumar.Nair@allightprimax.com

10

Construction

SITES

Sustainability

Towards a smart living environment “We should not see smart technology as a fad or novelty”

T

he first thing that comes to mind when thinking of technology in construction is building information modeling (BIM).

It has been the single most revolutionary program in the design and construction industry to date, transforming the way that buildings are conceptualized, designed and completed.

However, technology affects construction in a more holistic way and will continue to do so.

Architects and contractors will need to work more closely together as end-users start asking for more sophisticated applications to be included at their homes and offices.

Of course, smart technology is not entirely new. Many buildings these days already have a central control room or security facility that monitors the entire structure. Many municipalities control the city infrastructure through a centralized grid.

However, smart city technology wants to take this further by looking at real-time maintenance systems and early warning signals on just about everything from the thermostat in your home to the pipelines that send water and gas there.

Doha’s ICT market is expected to grow by at least 10% annually and reach approximately QR24.7 billion by 2016, HE the

Minister of Information and Communications Technology Dr Hessa Sultan Al Jaber told the World Summit on Information Society in Geneva in early June.

According to Hamadoun I Toure, of the ITU, “today almost everyone lives within reach of a mobile cellular network and nearly 3 billion people are online; we must now ensure that everyone else has access to broadband connectivity. We are here to pave the way for the future and set the roadmap for sustainable development in the post-2025 era.”

According to Wael Doukmak, Director, ICTE & Mega Projects Business Development, at Ooredoo, the idea that you can be notified when your door is opened or in fact if you want to open your door at a particular time for say, a parcel delivery, is not that far off or far-fetched.

Already tech giants are involved in solving everyday problems that face a modern family. Doukmak gave the example of perhaps getting a message from your child’s school to say that it would be dismissed early.

You can then send a message to your home control system to unlock the door at the time that the bus drops your child off. The door can then automatically lock after he is home

and of course, you can watch the entire process from your office in real time.

“The ubiquity of technology is something that is here to stay,” said Doukmak.

In addition to connectivity, the aim of the Internet of Everything (IoET) is to provide us with data. The ability to sense and capture big data is an important step forward in the smart technology.

The data that is being “sensed” can be captured, processed and analyzed based on an algorithm. The intended and even unintended data that is captured can be turned into information and then the resultant knowledge can be used.

This process, said Doukmak, equalled “smartness”.

This whole process of “sensing” data and placing the captured data in a secure place has led to the indispensable creation of a city command and control center.

Of course, the ability to capture information only becomes “smart” if the data can be used. An example of this is our water piping system, according to Doukmak. The water reticulation system will detect or “sense” leaking of water.

The monitoring system will then interpret this data and use the information to decide whether the system should be

shut down or whether the particular area identified can be isolated for repairs and water can be rerouted.

All this is monitored by a dispatch center. These responses can either be pre-programmed or set to rely on a human interface to solve the problem after it has been pinpointed.

Doukmak then spoke about structured and unstructured data. The water pipeline example looks at a very structured way of organizing and using data, but data can also be captured in an unstructured way, like through a cloud that monitors all kinds of data flow at a university campus, shopping mall or on transportation highways.

Sensors could monitor the traffic through a retail store and feed data to a dispatch center on exactly which products customers are stopping to look at or how they move through the store. Based on this the store could send text messages to their smart phones relevant to their behavior in the store.

Greenfield vs Brownfield Or in other words, new vs retrofit.

Doukmak emphasized that we should not see smart technology as a fad or novelty.

“Smartness is not a luxury, it is a necessity, almost an urgency,” he said.

It is a project that is aimed at solving serious urban problems like ageing populations, epidemics, pollution, overcrowding, access to resources and safety and security.

Of course, he agreed that “Greenfield” ventures are always preferable but we should not discount the importance of “Brownfield” ones at the same time.

Retrofitting water reticulation systems, gas pipelines and other infrastructure with smart censors could save millions and, of course, the existence of early warning systems is invaluable when disaster strikes.

“Smartness does not happen overnight,” he said. “It is a perpetual journey....it is iterative....each step propels you to the next level.”

Putting the right network infrastructure in place was important for Ooredoo to move into smart living, a network that is resilient, available, ubiquitous and secure.

Construction Sites asked Doukmak about the importance of privacy and security to smart living. He responded, stressing the importance of data privacy and security policies, systems and tools and cited the investments Ooredoo has made and continue to make in maintaining state-of-the-art Security Operation Center.

The process, he said, had now moved on to new set of security measures such as identity management, using, for example, biometrics as opposed to the traditional password or smartkey systems.

This was in evidence at Qitcom 2014 where the Ministry of Interior demonstrated its new smart system for applying for visas and exit permits using either fingerprint or iris identification technology.

Qatar will be hosting the 2014 ITU Telecom World Conference in Doha from 7 – 10 December 2014. ‘The Conference will offer a major display of (this collaborative) approach and provide insight into the next genbertaion of technology that will help build Qatar’s smart buildings, smart stadiums and smart offices of the future,’ said Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani, CEO of Ooredoo Qatar.

Mr. Wael Muhammad Doukmak is the Director of the ICTE and Mega Projects Business Development Division at OOREDOO. This article was originally published in Construction Sites in the July 2014 issue as part of our Technology Exclusive. We apologise for the misprint of the name of Mr. Wael Doukmak and some technical inaccuracies.

Construction

Innovation

Pedestrian modeling for better safety of large-scale projects

D

esigners, engineers and contractors working on urban development sites have to understand how a building’s occupants and the surrounding public will interact.

Advances in crowd analysis and pedestrian simulation mean that the same tools can be used throughout the project lifecycle.

From initial concept and design, through to construction staging and management, and then the ongoing management of a structure, crowd simulation is becoming an increasingly important and useful tool.

This is never truer than at a transport hub: and two current projects on opposite sides of the Atlantic, both nearing completion, illustrate the potential for advanced crowd analysis and pedestrian simulation to keep things moving.

Both make use of Oasys MassMotion, the only 3D crowd simulation and modeling tool of its kind that imbues its agents or avatars with autonomy, delivering truly objective results that are as close to real life as possible. The software will be demonstrated at the Middle East Rail exhibition next March.

MassMotion is unique. It thinks in 3D, it reports in 3D, allowing high-level file transfer for futureproof BIM compatibility.

It is built with gaming qual-

ity graphics, making its 3D and rendered movie outputs obvious and easily understood by all stakeholders in a project and so facilitating fast decisionmaking.

However, the key advantage in construction management is that its outputs are as near to real life as it is possible to get: these are results you can trust, rely on and act upon with confidence.

This realism is rooted in MassMotion giving users the ability to program individual or group personalities with unique agendas, from start to finish in their

journey through the environment.

So it models pedestrian behavior, rather than simply animating a user’s preconceptions of how people will behave.

Users can program individual or group behaviors to create crowds of any size - from hundreds to millions – and then import them into a 3D building model and set them free.

The software designers at Oasys describe this analysis as non-deterministic and emergent. What this means in practice is that the individual agents in the simulation make their

own choices about appropriate actions, based on the dynamics of their environment and how their actions affect other agents.

For example, if a room has doors on all four sides, other pedestrian simulation tools require the user to input what percentage of the population of the room will use each door.

In a Mass Motion simulation each agent decides which door to use based on what it knows about the distance to its goal and how long the queue is for each door.

This means that no matter how

complex an environment becomes, it is quick and easy to set up or modify the model and test new ideas and challenges.

All this can be achieved on an ordinary desktop PC. Union Station, Toronto Union Station is Toronto’s busiest transport facility and it is now planning ahead for passenger volumes of around 70,000 in the morning peak hour alone.

So, since the very outset and master planning stage, its 10year renovation project has had the behavior of the people using the building at its heart.

MassMotion, the same tool that was used for overall master planning, is now giving rapid turnaround on answers to enable station managers to ensure that contractors’ requirements will not cause chaos in tomorrow’s rush hour.

New Street project on target In the UK’s second city, Birmingham, the Summer 2014 bank holiday weekend saw another milestone in the regeneration of New Street railway station.

New vertical access escalators

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were commissioned, bringing the whole project a step closer to completing on time in 2015, after which the rail hub is expected to accommodate passenger growth until at least 2046.

There was, of course, no scope for reduction in service at what is the busiest interchange station in the UK. So diverting passengers and staging the construction of each of these new access ways was planned using Oasys MassMotion modeling.

“Exploring different scenarios is no longer an expensive or timeconsuming luxury. MassMotion brings optimizing the intended use of a building or space to the forefront of design, right where it belongs,” says Erin Morrow, product director of, and the driving force behind, MassMotion.

Oasys MassMotion is now available on flexible licensing terms to suit projects of all sizes, and can be downloaded as a 30-day trail.

Please visit www.oasys-software.com

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Chalkboard Paint Now Available in Any Color

Dr. Trilok Sharma, MD-Sendian Group, Doha Gone are the days when thinking of a board would give you a picture of “BLACK” Board!

Now, you can add color to any design that includes chalkboards—from stylish kids’ rooms to super-functional kitchens, home offices, mud rooms, and more. Use your creativity to imagine new ways to use chalkboard paint in the spaces you design.

Benjamin Moore paints have just infused a lot more fun and imagination into a communications staple that, since the schoolroom slates of the 1800s, has remained almost unchanged. Now, the opportunity to enliven and invigorate a space has exploded by dialing up the color options so extensively.”

Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint (308) is a latex topcoat that turns virtually any interior surface into a chalkboard. It is easy to apply, dries in a matter of hours to a durable eggshell finish, is easy to clean and fully washable. It also is formulated to minimize any lingering odors, making it ideal for a child’s playroom, bedroom or even the kitchen—as a message center for shopping lists and household reminders.

There’s no rulebook that says chalkboard paint is for walls only, think about treating a toy chest, tabletop, or other piece of furniture, a closet door or cupboard façade. Any place where you want to see temporary art or a shared family communiqué is prime real estate for a coat of Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint.

Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint, available in any color, lets you turn virtually any interior surface into an easyto-clean chalkboard. It goes on smoothly, just like other paints—and with lots of fun colors to choose from, the blackboard no longer has to be black.

Application Tips Step #1: Prepare the Surface Once you’ve selected the space for your chalkboard, clean the surface completely and repair any protruding nails or other imperfections. Some surfaces may require a primer or additional preparation: If an all-purpose primer is needed, we recommend using Fresh Start® High-Hiding All Purpose Primer (046).

When applying chalkboard paint over plastic, we recommend priming with Insl-x® STIX® Bonding Primer (SXA 110) for best results.

Metal surfaces should be cleaned with Super Spec HP® Oil & Grease Emulsifier (P83) before applying chalkboard paint.

Shiny metal surfaces should be lightly sanded before the

chalkboard paint is applied.

Step #2: Tape off the Area to Be Painted Use painter’s tape to mark off a space for your chalkboard.

Step #3: Apply the Chalkboard Paint Using a brush or roller, apply the chalkboard paint within the taped-off area. For best results, use a Benjamin Moore custom-blended nylon/polyester brush or short-nap roller.

Step #4: Ensure Lasting Durability For best results, allow the painted area to cure for 3 days before using it as a chalkboard. Then, prior to initial use, rub the entire surface with a piece of white chalk.

Helpful Hints: For erasing, we recommend using a clean, damp cloth or paper towel. We do not recommend using a chalkboard eraser.

Because of the additives used in some varieties of chalk, which can leave a residue when erased, we recommend using light-colored chalk designed for use on chalkboards.

Some Creative & Easy Chalkboard Paint Ideas Turn any space in your home into a writing surface with these chalkboard paint ideas.

From a reusable, eco-friendly list maker to a drawing surface, wall calendar, or child’s activity centre, these creative ways to use chalkboard paint will make your home even more functional.

Explore our chalkboard paint ideas below, and look for Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint (308)—available in any color— at your local Benjamin Moore retailer- Sendian Paints & Coats, Salwa Road, Doha.

Artists’ Studio Create a canvas for your kids’ artwork by painting an entire wall with chalkboard paint.

They’ll love being able to make their own life-size murals without getting into trouble for writing on the walls!

damp cloth or paper towel.

Flowerpot Labels

every time you need to find something? Problem solved:

If you enjoy growing herbs indoors, paint terracotta planters with chalkboard paint. Then label the pots with chalk to keep track of exactly what’s growing where—from basil to mint. For best results, we recommend using a primer—such as HighHiding All Purpose Primer (046)—for this project.

Easy-to-Update Family Calendar

Just paint chalkboard squares on your bins and label them with light-colored chalk. It’s a great way to keep things organized. Before using chalkboard paint on plastic, we recommend priming the surface with Insl-x® STIX® Bonding Primer (SXA 110).

Tabletop Canvas Add colored chalkboard paint to your dinner table and use

Create a family calendar that you can update each month.

Then, use it to keep track of everyone’s schedules, from school events to meetings and games. Assign each family member a different pastel chalk color, too, so that each person can recognize their schedule at a glance.

Dynamic Day Planner Keep track of meetings and deadlines with an erasable day planner. Apply chalkboard paint to a specific area, like the rectangle shown here, or your entire wall. Then, label the space with the days of the week and use it to keep track

the space to create personalized place settings for your guests. Or get creative and use your tabletop canvas to share encouraging words at breakfast, announce good news to the whole family, or count down the days until your next vacation.

Personalized Coasters Personalize your coasters with chalkboard paint for just about any occasion. Use them as name cards at your dinner parties, draw storks on them for your best friend’s baby shower, or use magnetic tape to put them on your fridge as mini-blackboards. For best re-

of your schedule.

Serving Bowls Add a square of chalkboard paint to serving bowls and label them so guests will know which salsa is the hottest. Ap-

sults, we recommend using a primer—such as High-Hiding All Purpose Primer (046)—for this project.

Labeled Dresser Drawers Teach your kids how to keep

Kids’ Activity Centre Paint a child’s table with chalkboard paint to create a space for drawing or playing games like checkers or tic-tac-toe.

Be sure to keep a container of chalkboard chalk handy and teach your children how to ply this technique to mugs or erase their work with a clean, glassware, too, to help your guests keep track of their own drinks. For best results, we recommend using a primer—such as High-Hiding All Purpose Primer (046)—for this project.

Organized Chaos Do you have to rummage through your storage bins

track of their clothes by labelling each dresser drawer. This will help them get ready for school in the morning—plus, they’ll be able to put their own laundry away in the correct drawers.

Daily Menu In the kitchen, paint a chalkboard square on the wall, frame it with decorative mold-

ings or colorful paint, and use founded in 1883. One of the the area to display each day’s country’s leading manufacturers of premium quality residential, commercial and industrial maintenance coatings, its products are distributed via a network of independent paint and decorating retailers throughout North America.

Benjamin Moore has been a longstanding steward of the menu. This makes an especial- environment with a relentless ly nice touch for family gather- commitment to sustainable ings or when entertaining spe- manufacturing practices plus cial guests. the ongoing development of Cabinet To-Do List the most eco-responsible forKeep track of all the things you mulations possible. In 2012, need to get done by applying Natura®, the company’s zerochalkboard paint to the inside VOC paint, received the Green of a kitchen cabinet door. This Good Housekeeping Seal, acknowledging its high degree of sustainability plus rigorously tested performance. Other superior products in Benjamin Moore’s Green Promise® portfolio are Aura, the über-performance low-VOC paint; Ben; and EcoSpec®WB, zero-VOC paint for commercial interiors. way, your message space will J.D. Power and Associates be easily accessible to you, but 2012 Interior Paint Satisfacnot visible to visitors. tion StudySM ranked BenEco-Friendly Message jamin Moore highest in conBoard sumer satisfaction; it’s the Need a central location for second consecutive year the company received this rating.

What’s more, the Benjamin Moore color offering of more than 3,500 hues is unrivaled, but any custom color choice can be matched, as was done for the White House Oval Office ceiling and trims.

The only assurance of getting an authentic Benjamin Moore writing down grocery list items, color is using Benjamin Moore phone messages, and quick paint, since the colorants and reminders—where the whole resins are proprietary and family will see them? Use uniquely zero-VOC formulated chalkboard paint to create with the company’s own pata handy, reusable message ented waterborne technoloboard for your entire family. gies. And, authentic Benjamin About Benjamin Moore Moore colors are available exBenjamin Moore & Co., a Berk- clusively from Benjamin Moore shire Hathaway company, was retailers.

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Middle East tourism growth drives demand for world-class interiors

T

he Middle East’s strong tourism growth is driving demand for worldclass interiors where large numbers of people live, work, play, and worship, according to a new whitepaper.

International tourism arrivals to the Middle East are set to nearly double from 61 million in 2010 to 149 million in 2030, according to a recent report from the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Global emerging economy destinations, including the Middle East, are growing at 4.4 percent per year, or double the rate of advanced economy destinations.

“Tourism growth and major events in the Middle East, such as World Expo 2020 in Dubai -- set to attract 25 million tourists–are driving demand for world-class acoustics in interior locations, including boardrooms, hotels, restaurants, and sporting facilities,” said Santhosh Vallil, Sales Manager, Hunter Douglas Middle East.

Hunter Douglas is the Dutch manufacturing firm that commissioned the whitepaper “The Ceiling as an Acoustic Instrument for Cultivating Healthy and Productive Interior Climates.”

“With environmental factors like light, colour and tempera-

The Middle East’s strong tourism growth is driving demand for world-class interiors where large numbers of people live, work, play, and worship, according to a new Hunter Douglas whitepaper.

ture, sound influencing people’s performance and wellbeing, the importance of good acoustics cannot be underestimated,” added Vallil. “Contractors of all sizes must take into account acoustic solutions at an early stage of building development, with ceilings an ideal solution in realising opti-

mal acoustics.”

Including acoustic design in the earliest stage of building design results inacoustic design being less than 0.5 percent of total building costs, according to the whitepaper. As a result, the gains of this investment will easily outweigh the cost in terms of more produc-

tive employees.

Acoustic Innovation Across Business, Healthcare, and Education Sectors The whitepaper focuses on four areas that can potentially see the largest benefit from acoustic innovation: office space, healthcare, education, and public spaces.

With strong economic growth in the region, multinational corporations and homegrown entrepreneurs are expanding, driving demand for effective office space. Office noise results in decreased productivity, concentration problems, stress, and increased absenteeism.

Using an acoustic ceiling with

high absorption class prevents noise from being transported across larger distances.

The healthcare sector has been becoming vitally important across the region, thanks to increasing population and medical tourism. Sound-absorbing ceilings provide patients with the quiet and rest they need, and can potentially reduce rehospitalisation.

In education, acoustic experts have found that students exposed to poor acoustics miss much of what their teachers are saying, leading to concentration problems and fatigue.

Ceilings that reduce reverberation enable students to concentrate better, and boost learning results, while teachers do not need to strain their voices. Enhanced acoustic environments in public spacescan lead to more one-on-one conversations in the hospitality sector from hotels to restaurants; provide safer athletic atmosphere in sports facilities; and create more pleasant atmospheres in malls, public buildings, and places of worship.

Photo Caption: The Middle East’s strong tourism growth is driving demand for world-class interiors where large numbers of people live, work, play, and worship, according to a new Hunter Douglas whitepaper.

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TOPAZ Zero redefines environmentally friendly paints A new green generation of paints

Hempel is active in providing decorative paints in certain markets of Southern Europe in addition to Crown Paints in the United Kingdom, and in the Middle East and China. This is a comprehensive range of products that include high-quality emulsions and enamels that together with a wide range of various texture paints offer users a broad palette to choose from. The product range also includes primers, sealants and fillers, so customers can use a complete Hempel system to best achieve the intended creative outcome.

To complement the core assortment of decorative paints, Hempel offers a variety of colours and effects to create such distinctive

surfaces.

Hempel decorative paints are known and preferred by many building owners, architects and contractors.

TOPAZ is a selected range of products that offers superior performance in a wide variety of product types, with various finishes and textures. TOPAZ

comes in a wide range of colours to suit your home inside and out, turning your decorating ideas into shinning gems. The product range has been

designed for use on interior and exterior surfaces.

TOPAZ aims to create a healthy environment in your home and is the perfect choice for those who

appreciate a touch of art and sophistication.

As the world is going greener – Hempel is doing the same. TOPAZ Zero is the new green generation of paints which redefines environmental friendliness, combining high-performing coatings with VOC free and Formaldehyde free technology.

TOPAZ Zero is 100% pure acrylic, formulated with no organic solvents. It offers anti-mould and anti-bacteria properties, making this product ideal for kitchens, hospitals, schools and any other environment where there are strict hygiene regulations.

TOPAZ Zero retains its antimould effect and improves the indoor air quality, giving you the possibility to paint with reduced risk of asthma-like respiratory problems, skin irritation and allergic reactions.

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TOTO and Nabina Ceramic: Together creating harmonious living environments Nabina Ceramic Nabina Ceramic values innovation and quality and to this end it has in its showrooms a product display of hundreds of types of ceramic and porcelain products and bathroom and accessories. From marble granite bathroom sets, mixers and a range of products from a wide range of international brands.

Various types of floor and wall tiles, are displayed on model walls, in model bathrooms and gliding panels in showrooms with experienced customer service personnel for every customer’s shopping pleasure.

Nabina Trading Establishment is one of the largest and most recognized, independently owned family businesses in Qatar. Under the vision and guidance of the late Mohammed Ibrahim Nabina, the company has been inspired and driven to take on the toughest challenges in contracting and building construction.

Nabina continues to be passionate about making life better for our customers by providing a diverse range of products that is constantly expanding, to support our customers changing needs – and those of our clients in the contracting and building construction sector.

They envisage that there will continue to be good growth in the ceramics market. This steady year on year growth will mainly be fuelled by the residential and hospitality sector.

With TOTO as a partner, Nabina is able to cater to the needs of some of its largest clients, like Ashghal. As the national Public Works Department has started enforcing compliance to its construction standards contractors are beginning to source products that are more water and energy efficient. For example the TOTO autofaucet only discharges 1.5l of water per minute per water discharge.

Qatar has almost completed its largest national tertiary health facility, Sidra Hospital, which was entirely fitted out with TOTO sanitary products. They specified a number of products some of which were highly customized. TOTO was able to fill the order; which included rimless toilets and specially designed hand basins with no overflow outlet.

TOTO TOTO always been inspired by a desire to improve everyone’s quality of life. Through almost a century rich with innovation,

hand detection means only the minimum necessary amount of water is used. Located inside the unit is the secondary technology, a self-charging generator that harnesses the energy from the water flowing through the tap to recharge the microsensor.

TOTO has changed the perception of what a bathroom can be and how it can be used.

The founder, Kazuchika Ojura, had a vision more than one hundred years ago in 1912, even before the concept of public sewage systems was widespread in Japan. After seeing more advanced systems overseas, he was moved to establish a ceramic sanitary ware laboratory to develop healthier and cleaner living spaces.

In 1917, Okura founded Toyo Toki K.K. (which later became known as TOTO LTD.) to supply the market with these products.

TOTO was founded on the commitment to provide comfortable living spaces for people, while always protecting the planet and its water.

Till today, Japan’s rich artistic heritage in poetry and porcelain is alive in every TOTO product that is created.

Toto has fullt embraced the green revolution and most of its products are eco-friendly.

TOTO Technologies Washlet WASHLET Technology incorporates a unique wand that allows water to be used for personal hygiene in a way that leads to a completely new level of cleanliness and comfort. The warm

Toilet with Washlet technology and wand that uses aerated and ionised water system. The wand self cleans before and after use.

water cleans far more effectively than paper ever could.

The temperature and flow of the water are easily adjusted by remote control, and the wand self-cleans before and after every use. The energy-saving mode can also be activated to increase efficiency.

Every aspect of WASHLET Technology, including the angle at which the water flows, with settings for front and rear cleansing, has been refined to perfection. It is the world’s most evolved toilet technology; the epitome of how Clean Technology enhances the bathroom experience.

Aerial Shower Aerial Shower aerates the water to make the shower experience much more enjoyable. You feel as though you are standing be-

TOTO Self powered faucet.

low a particularly full stream without any increase in the amount of water being used.

Aerating the water is also clever way of using it more efficiently.

Air is drawn in through the shower head and added to the water, enlarging the water droplets and causing them to increase in volume. You therefore feel as though you are being rinsed with more water than is actually being used, making the shower a more enjoyable experience.

The benefits of the Aerial Shower are twofold: it both reduces water consumption and makes the shower experience more enjoyable. TOTO technology at its best.

Self-Power The unique auto faucet does not use any external power source, it is based on eco-power.

Self-Power incorporates two technologies for public facilities that work together to ensure optimum power – and water saving performance.

The first is an automatic micro sensor – one of the world’s smallest – positioned at the tip of the spout. Conventional auto faucets usually place the sensor at the base of the base of the neck of the faucet. Accurate

CeFiONtect CeFiONtect is a glaze applied to all TOTO ceramic procducts, leaving them with a long lasting finish that prevents the build-up of mould, lime scale and waste matter.

The technology used in CeFiONtecet has redefined the idea of a clean ceramic surface. It’s impossible to see with the naked eye, but untreated ceramics have rough, imperfect surfaces.

Under a microscope they look like mountain ranges; no matter how much you clean them, bacteria will always build up in their ridges and crevices. With CeFiONtect, we are able to ensure perfectly smooth surfaces to which very little dirt can stick.

Because CeFiONtect is applied before the ceramics are fired, it is far more resilient than glazes applied after firing. In effect it is a longer-lasting shield for surfaces that helps to keep them clean naturally.

TOTO and Nabina Ceramic Nabina Ceramic and TOTO have been partners for more than 20 years. The existing TOTO showroom within the main Nabina Trading Showroom has been extended. It now encompasses a breathtaking 1200m includ-

ing an additional 300m for the TOTO “Technical” Centre. The technical centre is a first in Qatar. It also has a showroom that has been specifically designed to serve and assist property developers, project managers, architects, merchandisers and engineers to provide the Professional Bathroom Solutions for any project and any purpose.

100% of the displayed products is set up as ‘live’. This means that each product can be examined and tested in situ.

Toilet with washlet and wall mounted control panel to preset heat and cleaning settings.

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Over 60 years Of

Experience and Excellence

TOTO Main Showroom Nabina Ceramic and TOTO have been partners for more than 20 years. The existing TOTO showroom within the main Nabina Trading Showroom has been extended. It now encompasses a breathtaking 1200m including an additional 300m for the TOTO “Technical” Centre. The technical centre is a first in Qatar. It also has a showroom that has been specifically designed to serve and assist property developers, project managers, architects, merchandisers and engineers to provide the Professional Bathroom Solutions for any project and any purpose. 100% of the displayed products are set up as ‘live’. This means that each product can be examined and tested in situ.

Is the world leader in Sanitary ware Products are grounded in nearly 100 years of research and development Unites the ultimate in hygiene with the Ideal combination of design and technology Produces water-saving products that maintain high levels of performance Innovations are changing the way people think about and use bathrooms

LIGHTFAST

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Silk Design: Introducing Qatar to modern well designed interiors

Silk Design & Decorations’s vision is to provide expertise in all our areas of work, focusing on customer satisfaction, quality and professionalism.

Silk Design & Decorations is a leading company in interior decorative paints, stone finishes and glass films. The company was established in 2010 to provide various types of decorative products for the most innovative and emerging projects in the State of Qatar through the process of visually transforming their environments.

In a short span of time, the company succeeded in introducing Qatar to modern, elegant and well-designed interiors for the local community.

The company’s three major brands, coupled with extensive craftsmanship required to use the brands in the International and regional market, allowed the company to satisfy its cus-

tomers’ needs with quality and professionalism.

SilkCoat is the most luxurious and prestigious product of Silk Design and Decoration with exclusive stone wall finishes from Turkey.

While, Caparol paints and wall finishes brings the simplicity of German engineering to interiors along with the next generation technology.

Reflectiv brings the French style of chic and elegance onto glass surfaces. Innovative films for interior and exterior glass surfaces with a modern outlook .

Silk Design & Decorations job is not limited in providing world class brands to the Qatari market, the company’s experienced team will provide professional advice in all areas of work. Its aim is to offer a best exquisite service in the ongoing battle for quality versus price to all its customers.

The company’s range of services include drywall installation & repair, commercial buildings painting services, exterior painting services, interior painting services, steel structure painting and restoration and

remodeling.

Silk Design & Decorations’ list of prestigious clients includes Ahghal, QDVC, Qatar Museums

Authority, Qatar Foundation, Lusail City, Yuksel-Midmac JV, AES, Gulf Medium, AJC and Excel Metal Industries.

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Qatar Intercare leading the way in entrance matting systems

The Leading Stockist Yorkshire & Mueller Copper Since its establishment 14 years ago,of Qatar chance to effect interior floors finishes, but Tubes, Pegler Yorkshire Fittings and Valves in Qatar Intercare Technical Services Company has gained an enviable reputation for the quality of its cleaning and maintenance products, washroom and kitchen hygiene systems, floor restoration services, window film application and entrance matting systems.

With its diversified product portfolio and the goal of improving cleaning and hygiene standards in Qatar, Qatar Intercare has collaborated with renowned European manufacturers and continuously working towards offering innovative hygiene solutions for its customers.

Qatar Intercare, through its exclusive partnership with Geggus EMS, Germany, is setting the benchmark for high-quality recessed aluminum profile entrance mating systems.

Geggus EMS mats are designed for a wide variety of application to compliment interior and exterior styling of buildings.

Why entrance matting system?

Foot-borne dirt and moisture has an abrasive effect on sensitive finishes like marble, granite, porcelain floors, timber and laminates.

Furthermore, moisture from visitor traffic compromises safety standards as slippery surfaces increase slip and fall incidents.

Foot-borne dirt increases wear and tear on carpets and other type of floorings and impressions created by a carefully designed entrance are compromised.

An efficient entrance matting system needs to address the above concerns by removing dirt, moisture, grit introduced by visitor’s feet, before it is carried inside a building.

Geggus EMS is the right choice to address the above concerns. It has been developed not only as an effective dirt barrier by removing dirt, grit and moisture before it has a

also to compliment well-designed entranceways, both outside and inside a doorway.

Geggus EMS has been constructed in such a way that it can be easily cleaned and damaged sections replaced.

Geggus EMS also gives a wide range of colors, designs and finishes to compliment today’s finest buildings and can be offered in virtually any shape to precisely suit entranceways.

Cleaning and maintenance Like any other floor covering subject to heavy use, Geggus EMS entrance matting system benefits from regular cleaning. Foot-borne dirt falls into the recessed well where the matting is placed and the amount of dirt collected dictates the frequency of cleaning. In most cases, the mats have to be cleaned once a week.

It is important to ensure that dirt does not become logged under the aluminum sections as this would stop the mat from lying flat in the well.

Under normal circumstances that mat can be cleaned using a vacuum cleaner; however, in areas of particular heavy usage it is recommended that the matting receive a regular cleaning using a high-pressure water machine.

Over the last couple of years, Qatar Intercare has successfully completed the delivery and installation of Geggus EMS for customers such as Ooredoo, Rasgas, Shemoukh Towers, Al Wajba Motors (Lamborghini, Bentley), QNB, Hamad Medical Corporation, Al Ahli Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, W-Hotel, Grand Hayat, Hilton Hotel, Waqood Petrol Stations, Kempinski Hotel, Hyatt Plaza Mall and Mercedes Benz.

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Creative endeavor with a French touch Interior designers must be calm and patient in nature

C

lassic, Saloniste and a blend of Classic and Modern interior styles are set to rule the local interior design market, according to Ness Ourabah, a founder of the award-winning interior design company, Platinum Design, specializing in luxurious interiors for residential, commercial properties in the region.

Ourabah is known for the creation of bespoke interiors with the elements of French style integrated into the local design practices. She has, to her credit, numerous prestigious projects in Qatar, undertaken in collaboration with GICI Company, whose unique interiors holistically integrate luxury classical schemes, handcrafted detail and contemporary vision.

Ourabah tells CS here about her inspirations and plans for transforming Qatar’s interiors into signature spaces noted for their beauty and luxury.

How did you discover interior design?

I discovered interior design in Paris while I was working there at the beginning of 1998. That time the market in Paris was still new for these kinds of properties and we have been creating everything from scratch to meet the demand for the World Cup in Paris. The task was to redesign existing apartments into ‘for rent’ as fully-furnished properties. I was then in charge of visiting properties, taking pictures and giving advices to landlords on renting their flat to international clientele. The passion for interior design came from there....

Where do you find your inspiration?

My inspiration comes from different sources, like books, magazines, the Internet, discussions and, of course, sharing with others. I travel quite a lot, this gives me an opportunity to discover new ideas, things, details that may inspire me. I also find inspiration in art and history; history is very important as it reflects regional identity and explains what lies behind each detail in design. Moreover, being a turnkey solution company from concept design to contracting and executing a complete project, I find my inspiration in the individual approach to each client, striving to reflect an individual touch and originality in each project.

Which design trends prevail among Qatari clients?

Classic, Saloniste, and a blend of Classic and Modern interior design schemes are set to rule the local interior design market.

Being a French national, I have noticed that the Qatari clients always like to see a French design in their private villas, with French inspiration like “parquet, moulures, cheminee” and notably Classic French furniture.

Recently you have received the Best Interior Designer 2014 Award. Can you speak on the approach in design you have used in

Ness Ourabah: passion for interior design

your recent project?

I have received the Award for the Best Interior Designer 2014 for two Restaurants , one, seafood restaurant and one shisha lounge in Salalah, Oman. The approach I have used for the shisha lounge is to keep the Arab atmosphere, respecting the culture of the Dhofar region, and the privacy of the clients by designing private areas...and in the middle of the restaurant, a wide passage with a particular ceiling design which enhances the night sky, with the effect of seeing a full picture of shining stars. While you are walking inside you will have the feeling of being outside… The seafood restaurant is more Modern and ‘’Tendance’’ but I have used special materials, and colors like turquoise...to always remember the sea...

What are your favorite materials to use in your design schemes and where do you like to source them?

My favorite materials are fabrics and wood; to my opinion, no other materials have such a natural and comfortable vibe.

And, of course, I always like to use furniture and materials from France and Italy Is there a space in the GCC which you find yourself continuously drawn to because of the beautiful interior?

There is not only a space but many, but I am always particularly impressed about the architecture and interiors of the mosques in Oman and many other Middle Eastern countries. Maybe because it’s different compared to Paris and the architecture and design of mosques there (architecture and interiors are rare in Paris.

(Laughing).

Can you recommend a hotel or a restaurant you stayed in where the interior design really impressed and inspired you?

I have many restaurants and hotels, but recently I have stayed in Areias Do Seixo, an eco-friendly luxury hotel with stunning views and distinctive

architecture. A nice place with individually-designed rooms and luxury spa where you need to take a breath and re-energize yourself.

Who are your favorite designers currently working in the local/regional industry?

One of my favorite designers is Danijel Pocanic from Serbia, now based in the UAE. What is the most ambitious and challenging interior design project you have ever undertaken?

Two restaurants in Salalah and Yamal and the Annabi shisha Lounge, 1000sqm, to design from ground within 30 days, including full branding as logo, menu covers, uniforms, etc.

What exciting new projects do you have on the horizon?

We are just waiting for a new hotel coming up soon.

Once you have compared an interior designer’s work to that of a tailor’s. Could you elaborate more on this?

Each and every project is unique, and the clients should always feel that the interior design schemes I propose are exclusively for them. When you go to a tailor, he/she will take your measurements, size, etc and the dress will then be stitched based on the fabrics you have

chosen, designed, etc…

In my case, I always sit with my client, and have a long meeting before starting the project and discuss the different stages of the project development.

Then, I will personally develop the conceptual design, with a philosophy, color scheme, theme, accessories, flooring and each time the project has to be different for each client.

You are a renowned interior design professional with extensive experience in France and the GCC. Being the owner of an interior design company, Platinum Design, can you tell us about your experience and achievements and the changes you were able to bring about, particularly with regards to local interior design practices?

Having graduated as a lawyer, I have transitioned from law into a more creative field, interior design. Back in Paris, I worked in the real estate sector, dealing with properties, renovating from scratch and then managing or selling these refurbished homes to prospected international clients.

As an interior designer, I have also gained a reputation as a good manager; keeping the whole operation running smoothly and assuring the delivery of each project on time and strictly within the client’s budget.

Undoubtedly, my skills as a lawyer in documenting contracts and coordinating with the mar-

keting and sales department and rigorous approach to each supplier have served to gain the trust and loyalty of local and regional clients.

I would also like to note the importance of the team you are working with, which has to be well aware of various designs and themes, whether traditional, modern or Islamic. Hiring an interior designer is becoming a trend in Oman as most clients seem to want to own a house with a good interior.

I believe that besides creating a perfect interior design, a designer has to have an individual approach to each client, learn the client’s demands, display to the clients the unlimited possibilities of design themes and schemes and only then start realizing the client’s dream.

This is my approach to interior design which comes though close collaboration with each particular client.

I am sure following this approach, Qatari residents in upcoming years will appreciate living in well-decorated interiors.

You have enjoyed great success in the industry,

completing many beautiful projects and winning a number of prestigious awards.

What advice would you give to new designers just starting out their practice?

My advice to any new designer is to work hard, be honest and creative and also, patient. Interior designers must be calm and patient in nature. If not, working in this field can be quite hard.

What also distinguishes good designer from the rest of the players in this field is that the designer has to deliver quality work with passion and in time.

Quality rather than quantity and commitment to the project are important factors.

When I design a place, I think of it as my own. It’s not about handing over the job to designers and then not being bothered about it. I sit with my clients, and personally conceptualise the design based on their vision. Also, traveling and gaining expertise in different countries worldwide helps designers with their endeavors, if they want to work in the local market.

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Bright outlook for Qatar interior design market

Ventures Middle East, a leading consulting company, estimates the size of the interior and fit-out market in Qatar at $1.36 billion as of November 2013. In a report about the interior design and construction market in Qatar, Ventures expects the market to grow at 15% to $1.58 billion in 2014.

The high expectations for the interior design market in Qatar come as no surprise to anyone following the rapid urban growth in the country.

In 2013, Qatar revealed one of the largest budgets in its history, with nearly $45 billion worth of infrastructure projects.

As the country’s economy grows, massive projects are being announced in infrastructure, healthcare, hospitality, sports sectors as well as residential, retail and office buildings. These will give a big push to the interior design market.

High demand for hotel units is fueled by the recently-announced national tourism strategy and the approaching FIFA 2022 World Cup. Qatar has a mandate to add 45,000 hotel rooms to its existing supply of 20,000 keys as a part of the FIFA minimum lodging supply requirements for the country to host the World Cup in 2022.

The tourism strategy’s plan to attract more visitors to the country will also increase demand for hotel units in the country.

Industry sources estimate that the hospitality sector in Qatar spent about a million dollar on interior design and fit-outs in 2010 alone.

Moreover, the steady increase in supply across commercial and retail segments of the construction sector will also benefit the interior design market as more shopping complexes are coming up with a fierce competition among them to attract visitors through innovative designs and comfortable interiors.

Ventures estimates spending on interior design in the retail sector in Qatar at $77.4 million in 2011.

Qatar’s rapid economic development is creating an influx of expatriates to the country, increasing the demand for residential units. Things like internal wood works, soft and hard furnishings, lightings, partitions, flooring, kitchens, bathroom fittings, etc benefit from this demand and constitute approximately 10 to 20 % of the average construction project value, according to Ventures.

LED lighting and innovative decorative lighting are among the main beneficiaries of the growth in spending on interior design. LED has become an important aspect of interior design in Qatar as the country begins to adopt smart lighting systems and energy sustainability policies.

Interview

Construction

SITES

23

National Museum to celebrate Qatar’s culture and heritage

T

he scope, scale and innovative design of the National Museum of Qatar will make it an architectural and cultural landmark that will attract visitors from around the world. The National Museum, located on the Corniche, will look like a desert rose when complete. ASTAD, a joint venture between Qatar Foundation and Qatar Petroleum, is overseeing the design and construction process of the National Museum project.

In an interview with Construction Sites, ASTAD CEO Mr. Ali Al Khalifa, shares the main features and characteristics of the project.

Who are the members of the team working on the National Museum project?

The teams that are involved in the National Museum of Qatar (NMOQ) project are: Client: Qatar Museums Designer: Atelier Jean Nouvel Design architect: Jean Nouvel Executive architect: Jean Nouvel Structure and MEP design:Arup Project manager: ASTAD Project Management Main Contractor: Hyundai Engineering & Contracting How does the building reflect its surroundings?

The National Museum of Qatar is prominently located on the Doha Corniche with breathtaking views of the Arabian Gulf. It is just a few miles away (approximately 1.18 miles) from the iconic Museum of Islamic Art. It is located on the plot of a former palace that was built in 1911 and then renovated in the 1960’s to serve as the National Museum of Qatar at that time.

The motivation to build around these familiar surroundings is to recognize and celebrate the culture, heritage and future of Qatar and its people. It is also to preserve and safeguard the former palace’s decade-old legacy. From a technical perspective, the construction of

Ali Al Khalifa Ali Al Khalifa ,CEO ASTAD

The National Museum of Qatar prefigures the museums of the future. It will be a reactive, intelligent and intuitive museum, a technological tool made to provide intelligible, intuitive and attractive visits. the National Museum of Qatar includes complete rehabilitation, using old Qatari building techniques and materials, as well as a new building. Specifically, the rehabilitation includes removal of salt deposits on the walls using natural clay harvested from Abu Samara in Qatar, construction of slab on grade using trass-lime mortars to future proof the buildings from rising ground water, all of which exemplify innovative engineering.

The National Museum of Qatar, which will replace the existing museum located in the historic Fariq Al Salatah Palace, will become a world-class museum and research facility whose mission will be to tell the story of the past, present and future of Qatar through artefacts, multimedia content and cultural events. The scope, scale and innovative design of the NMOQ will make it an architectural and cultural landmark that will attract visitors from around the

world.

Does the location present any construction challenges?

The location of The National Museum of Qatar presents unique construction challenges. As the construction site is rather limited in size, the logistics and management of equipment on the site has to be carefully planned out.

Soft and hard landscaping is being done at the same time so as to have the right space and access for equipment and tower cranes. To help ease the process at the construction site, the contractor has a number of storages situated outside the site to ease congestion.

We’ve allocated 3,200 workers to this site, working in shifts, to facilitate and co-ordinate logistics.

What are the size and dimensions of the building?

The National Museum of Qatar will be located on a prominent 150,000 m² site on the Corniche in central Doha. The museum will offer a total of 40,000 m² of new enclosed space What makes the building iconic and unique?

Jean Nouvel’s inspiration behind the National Museum of Qatar is the desert rose. The desert rose structure of the National Museum makes it an iconic and unique building. It is a rose-like formation of crystal clusters of gypsum or barite which includes abundant sand grains. The “petals” are flattened crystals that fan open, taking the form of a rose. To create a desert-rose-like structure is very complex and challenging. At the National Museum, the desert rose structure is supported by huge disks. The diameter of these disks ranges from 16m to 38m and these are further cladded with offwhite fiber reinforced concrete panels. There are over 75,000 panes cast following the curvature of each particular disk.

Also, a thorough inspection was

carried out to ensure that both the vertical and horizontal disks support one another and no direct load is felt on the foundations.

The marvelous engineering behind the National Museum truly exemplifies innovative structural engineering. In addition, the construction of the disk had to undergo a constructability study, with an analysis model created to analyze the construction sequence of each piece of the disks and its propping locations.

After each disk was constructed, de-propping stages were designed to ensure stress on

Approximately 28,000 tons of steel, fabricated and erected by Eversendai, have been used in the construction of the National Museum. To put this into perspective, the steel used in the construction of the National Museum is four times more than the steel used to construct the Eiffel Tower in Paris

the steel during construction did not exceed the designed stresses.

The National Museum of Qatar is a practical example of Building Information Modeling (BIM) that has helped in navigating complex engineering scenarios and overcoming engineering challenges.

What materials were used in the construction?

Approximately 28,000 tons of

steel, fabricated and erected by Eversendai, have been used in the construction of the National Museum. To put this into perspective, the steel used in the construction of the National Museum is four times more than the steel used to construct the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Upon close observation, the museum’s design was made possible through a series of interlocking disks which can be found in the walls, ceilings, roofs and floors; all of them vary in their exact curvature and diameter. They are further complimented by glazed facades.

These have been recessed into the ceilings, floors and walls to create a sense of translucency when looking in from the outside.

What are the characteristics of the building? Will it have pedestrian access? Or vehicle-access only?

The National Museum of Qatar building will serve as both a cultural and social hub. It will be easily accessible by an efficient metro station and network.

A star attraction of the Doha Corniche, the NMOQ will incorporate the following program elements: a. Public reception areas and lobbies occupying approximately 3000 m² on two levels. b. Permanent and temporary exhibit galleries - A 1600 m² temporary gallery and 7500 m² of permanent galleries forming a ring around a central courtyard referred to as the Caravanserai. c. Auditorium - A 217-seat auditorium located adjacent to the main public lobby. d. Food forum - A small theatre space to be used for cooking demonstrations and TV broadcasting. e. Restoration laboratories two restoration/conservation laboratories located in the basement and on the second floor. f. Administrative offices - administrative offices and conference rooms for approximately 150 staff. g. Food service areas - Two cafes located adjacent to the lobby and within the permanent galleries. One panoramic restaurant and kitchen located on the top floor. h. School group facilities - A school drop-off and orientation area located adjacent to the main public lobby. i. VIP facilities - A VIP dropoff and reception area located adjacent to the main public lobby. j. Support facilities – include toilets for visitors and staff, support staff offices, storage areas, loading areas and technical rooms. k. Public park - A semi-public park covering 122,000 m² including concrete dunes, planted areas, and an arti-

ficial lagoon.

Parking and roads - Located within the park area, it includes roadways and parking areas for staff, visitors, buses, excursion vehicles, and emergency and delivery vehicles.

Is there access for the disabled? What special features are there, if any?

All the public spaces are designed for disabled accessibility. Public facilities will include permanent and temporary galleries, an auditorium, a food forum/TV studio, two cafés, a restaurant, a museum shop, and facilities for school groups and VIPs. Staff facilities will include a heritage research center, restoration laboratories, staff offices, and collection processing and storage areas.

The landscaping of the National Museum project consists of a lagoon with a periphery walkway, dune-shaped landscaping and other auxiliary structures such as retaining walls.

The National Museum of Qatar prefigures the museums of the future. It will be a reactive, intelligent and intuitive museum, a technological tool made to provide intelligible, intuitive and attractive visits.

The design of the galleries is based on two principal ideas.

The first is a poetic, sensitive and emotional perception through visually environmental “art films”, impressive because l.

The National Museum of Qatar is a practical example of Building Information Modeling (BIM) that has helped in navigating complex engineering scenarios and overcoming engineering challenges.

of the size of the images and the evocative power of their content.

The second is a didactic, intuitive and pedagogic approach of the interaction with and the discoveries of the digital mediation content.

These mediation tools help make the visitors active players in building their knowledge: • The visiting path becomes intelligent • Access to information is intuitive and stimulates the desire to discover • Technology makes place for emotions by only revealing its “extraordinary” aspect Visitors are led to the culmination of an individual and collective experience that mixes discovery, emotion, sensory, immersive and pedagogical experiences...

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Construction

SITES

Region

Companies in Saudi congregated to explore technology advancements Industry specialists and leading automation companies gathered at Dammam to impart the most up-to-date technologies and solutions available.

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 7th October 2014 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has transformed itself into one of the world’s most competitive economies. In response to the transformation the country is undergoing, private firms and governmentowned corporations congregated at the Automation University Classic in Dammam organized by Rockwell Automation.

Rockwell Automation top executives headed by Hedwig Maes, President EMEA, inaugurated the event with a VIP guest delegation from Saudi Electricity Company, Mr.Talal Al Shammari, Gas Plant Manager, Saudi Aramco representatives - Mohammed K. Al-Juaib, General Supervisor - P&CSD/Process Automation Systems Division, Abdullah S. Ghamdi, Supervisor - Instrumentation Unit and Luay H. Awami - Engineering Consultant - Instrumentation Unit

along with network partners and media from all over GCC. “We are thrilled to host the very first manufacturing event of this kind in the Kingdom” mentioned Hedwig Maes.

“The region has shown great potential and we, together with our partners, hope that this platform will contribute to the country’s development while we expand our footprint in the Middle East.” added Mr. Maes.

Mr. Talal Al Shammari during his speech and presentation at the press conference highlighted his company’s future growth objectives by generating, transmitting and distributing electric power in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) either by itself or through its wholly or partially owned subsidiaries. “This event has been an eye opener to the Kingdom. I am highly impressed that Rockwell Automation has come a long way to bring their Automation and technological offerings to us and I’m sure this will help build a solid foundation in the Kingdoms development in the

years to come” commented Mr. Shammari.

Over the two-day event, visitors got the opportunity to see the latest in industrial automation, a variety of demonstrations that showed reallife industry environments, scenarios and complimentary products, systems, services and expertise from Rockwell Automation and its partners.

ProSoft Technology being the Platinum Sponsor along with Molex and Stratus Technologies sharing the gold sponsorship, exhibited at the showfloor together with 10 other partner exhibitors including ATCO, Avanceon, Cisco, Endress+Hauser, Ewon, Fluke, Oldi, Panduit and Spectrum Controls.

“We are committed to provide the best-in class products, solutions and services to our customers here in region. And this is just the beginning. The Automation University has empowered the local team to set a new business benchmark and increase the momentum in building up strong customer relationships”

Automation University Classic ribbon cutting initiated by Rockwell Automation EMEA President, Hedwig Maes, along with the top executives and VIP delegates.

mentioned Yahya Darwish, Rockwell Automation Country Sales Director. Furthermore, the Connected Enterprise seminar held at the same day explained how imperative that is to connect the plant floors with enterprise systems, including disparate systems, in a seamless and secure way by using enabling technologies such as mobile devices, the cloud and big data. More importantly, the seminar gave emphasis on bringing greater productivity, better utilization

of assets, faster problem solving, and improved decision-. making to industrial companies. Whilst it offers ease of use, lower total cost of ownership and improved operations.The event was held for two days and over 500 registered professionals from IT sector, power and water, metals, oil and gas industry, and more, attended. Simultaneous hands-on sessions of 150 demo cases and computers enabled participants to experience actual hardware and

software products in a class room environment. A variety of Integrated Architecture presentations and seminars streamlined the manufacturing environments.

Rockwell Automation in Saudi Arabia looks forward to keep the momentum going by conducting industry specific programs as per the needs to the customers and take the Automation University to the next level of customer engagement and technology awareness.

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Construction

SITES

Viewpoint

‘Volunteer Speed Respecters’ to push for safe driving in Qatar

A spurt in the number of vehicles and intermittent street closures because of construction and roadworks are the key reasons for traffic jams and accidents in Qatar

By John P Techie-Menson Doha There have been a series of initiatives to increase road safety in Qatar and many more continue to be launched.

Among them are the One Second and Student for Road Safety campaigns and the adoption of international initiatives like the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, a day in November each year on which countries attempt to increase awareness of the consequences of road accidents by acknowledging victims of crashes and their families.

The Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA), to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, releases figures related to road accident deaths and injuries on November 23 every year.

The Students for Road Safety campaign has been launched jointly by Maersk Oil Qatar, the National Traffic Safety Committee, Qatar Petroleum and Williams Advanced Engineering.

Another initiative has been the “Qatar Behind the Wheel” multimedia project, created by Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) journalism juniors.

As part of the project, 11 NU-Q students were divided into teams and asked to produce several pieces that explored Qatar’s driving culture.

Produced over a five-week period in early 2011, the project’s website (www.qataraccidents. org) offers an unbiased look at Qatar’s driving culture.

In addition to these initiatives, there are physical deterrents and legal enforcements (i.e. speed humps and speed cameras) to discourage over-speeding, the main cause of traffic accidents in Qatar.

However, one would ask whether these measures, initiatives and the speed humps and speed cameras are having any significant impact on the traffic accident rate?

Ashlene Ramadan, Shereena Qazi and Thouria Mahmoud (Qatar Behind the Wheel) as well as other traffic experts, have referred to road safety in Qatar as the “neglected epidemic”, considering the high number of crash victims.

Statistics show that 18.5% of the deaths in Qatar are as a result of traffic accidents and in 2010 alone, 226 people lost their lives Nearly 1.2 million traffic violations were issued last year, a 39% jump from the previous year.

An increase in the number of vehicles on Qatar’s roads (the total number of vehicles has risen to 879,039 – more than 200,000 cars than in 2010 and intermittent street closures because of construction and poor urban planning, are the key reasons behind traffic jams and

John P Techie-Menson John P Techie-Menson, BSc MSc. MICHT, is Traffic Manager at China Harbour Construction Company in Doha.

accidents, according to some 4,300 residents in a Ministry of Interior survey.

The best way to tackle those problems is to increase police presence and law enforcement on roads and to teach people the basics of traffic awareness and driving culture, according to residents.

As the population in Qatar increases, the situation is likely to get worse. Qatar Statistics Authority figures indicate that the state’s population, now past 1.9 million people, is continuing to grow at a much faster rate than originally estimated – last year increasing 7% instead of the 2% forecast by the National Development Strategy.

A novel initiative How it works: 1. Volunteer drivers/vehicle owners are given “Speed Respecter” bumper stickers, a highly visible and

Speed Respecter Typical Speed Respecter Bumper Sticker.

possibly translucent sticker that is put on the bumper of cars .

2. Prior to the above, an informative launch/promotion/ introduction of the idea should be promoted and propagated within various companies, institutions and government and nongovernment organizations (NGOs), via e-mails or through meetings, etc.

Potential scenarios that would cause the idea to work would be similar to police escort of slow-moving vehicles anywhere in the world, especially inside tunnels, where other vehicles must follow from behind. Simi-

larly, Volunteer Speed Respecters (VSRs) would dictate road speed according to and up-tothe posted speed limit.

The idea could also be more effective, if by significant awareness campaign, more volunteer drivers join the initiative so that we have a scenario where almost always, there is a VSR driving on each lane.

The idea could be an effective supplement to other road safety initiatives and reduce overspeeding significantly.

Volunteer Speed Respecters are in no way speed limit enforcers. They are simply ordinary members of the public and part of their respective organizations or companies or educational, health and government institutions and NGOs, who believe in careful and conscientious driving on the roads and therefore would not go more than the posted speed. It is a message that the population of Qatar must be made aware of!

Typical Volunteer Speed Respecter rules by their respective companies: 1. As much as possible, volunteers are to adhere to posted speed limits wherever they drive in Qatar; 2. Stick to lane discipline; 3. Refrain from using mobile phone while driving; 4. Give way to pedestrian at zebra crossings; 5. Be courteous and polite to other road users; 6. Refrain from flashing headlights at vehicles in front in an intimidating fashion; 7. In general, adhere to all traffic rules Typical Volunteer Speed Respecter incentives from their respective companies: 1. Vouchers for free fuel (e.g. every week/month/fortnight) – OR

2. Refund of Estimara/Inspection Fees for one designated Speed Respecter Vehicle.

In the event that a volunteer speed respecter vehicle gets speeding ticket/fine, the owner will refund fuel/inspection money paid to him/her. (Employee honesty should be the key factor here). More discussions need to me arranged on this aspect.

What is in this for any company taking up this initiative?

1. The more Volunteer Speed Respecters there are, the more the idea will spread and the subsequent recognition of the fact, by other road users, that vehicles with, say Ashghal volunteer Speed Respecter bumper stickers, don’t over-speed.

2. A big plus/positive image for the company for its contribution/efforts towards Qatar’s road safety measures/initiatives.

3. Government authorities, in this case Ashghal and the Ministry of Interior/Traffic Police, can take the idea up and into another level of implementation.

What is in this for Qatar?

1. On a national scale, as more and more volunteer Speed Respecters drive on the roads in Qatar and the idea or the culture of Speed Respecters being followed, over-speeding would reduce drastically and subsequently, lowering accidents relating to over-speeding; 2. A significant percentage of volunteer Speed Respecter vehicles within a section of a road will invariably reduce the opportunity and remove any incentive for other vehicle drivers to over-speed, especially, where Volunteer Speed Respecter vehicles are coincidentally spread within lanes on any stretch of road.

3. More volunteer Speed Respecters could change the culture of driving for younger and future drivers in Qatar; 4. A well-established initiative could remove the need for more police presence and enforcement on the roads, especially if the ideals of Volunteer Speed Respect-

ers are given the right publications and public awareness in schools, hospitals, shopping malls, places of work (both governments and private sectors) places of leisure activities, etc.

Conclusion Everyone agrees that something needs to be done about road safety issues, especially on driver behavior and overspeeding in Qatar, as evidenced by various road safety campaigns and initiatives.

Equally, the general public perception on road safety problems and an almost elusive solution to the problem, call for some sort of drastic measures to curb road traffic deaths in Qatar (270 deaths in 2010 alone). This idea could be one such drastic action if properly implemented so that a significant number of people join the scheme, leading to a national initiative.

No initiative or physical deterrents could be 100% effective.

However, a combination of good and realistic campaigns should go a long way to change the culture of over-speeding in Qatar, which is the main cause of traffic accidents.

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Interview

Construction

SITES

27

QACS marching ahead on the path of success

The current construction boom raises demand for cost-efficient and time-saving solutions that QACS offers

Qatar Australian Construction System (QACS) W L L L has made its mark in post-tension structural engineering services in Qatar. As the exclusive agent of DYWIDAG Systems International (DSI) in Qatar and Bahrain, QACS offers several construction services and technologies that can save both time and cost. In this interview with General Manager of Qatar Australian Construction Systems, Engineer Khaled Elshazly, we talk about the secret of QACS continued success and some of the challenges facing the construction sector in Qatar as the country continues its rapid development plans.

Could you please give us an overview of projects you are working on now?

QACS is now working on a number of construction projects around the country, including buildings, roads and bridges as well as geotechnical services.

We see a high demand for post tension services in mall and hotel projects. We are now working on a couple of them, as well as some residential and office buildings.

In the infrastructure projects, we have just finished our work for the people mover system bridge viaduct at education city. We are now working on enhancement and upgrade of north road. As part of the Expressway Programme service roads will be constructed along the North Road corridor from the north side of Doha City at Al Duhail Interchange to the City of Al Shamal in north of the State of Qatar. Two new interchanges will be constructed and seven existing interchanges, including Al Kaaban Interchange, which connects to the Al Huwailah Link Road, will be improved to increase accessibility and traffic flow. Al Khor Road will be improved also with a link road provided between North Road and Umm Birkah Road.

As for our geotechnical services; we are now working on two packages for the Doha metro project, in addition to three other projects at Qatar foundation.

A few year ago post tension was a new solution in Qatar and you had to create market awareness about its benefits before offering it to clients. How do you describe the situation now?

The market is well developed now and completely understands the benefits of post tension. We can attribute this to two reasons: the international companies, whether consultants or contractors, who came to the country are already familiar with post tension benefits.

So they took the role of introducing the client to it. The second reason is that over the last 5 years, we delivered over 70 projects to clients. This created a very positive feedback from clients and contractors alike and was an excellent promotion in itself for post tension.

Both factors contributed to this increased the demand on post tension services. Moreover, among the main advantages of post tension is saving in material and time. The two are very important factors now as the market is witnessing a construction boom with so many projects occurring at the same time.

To what do you attribute high demand for your services in shopping malls and residential projects specifically?

The events Qatar plans to host in the coming few years as well as the increase in population are driving the demand for accommodation, hotels and shopping malls. So, these sectors are already booming, thus raising the demand for our services What about geotechnical

services? Why the growth in demand now?

Before the construction boom that we see in Qatar now, people used to carry projects and finish digging and foundation work at ease. There no high traffic, no pressure and a lot of empty space.

Today most projects are being implemented in a confined space, with high traffic around it. This creates the need to support the digging and foundation work being done at the project to avoid disturbance to neighboring structures and maintain traffic flow. This is one reason for the high demand on geotechnical services.

The other is the metro project.

With all the international consultants and skilled contractors who came to the country, the practice that we were trying to promote is a daily practice for them.

Through your geotechnical work, have you seen specific ground characteristics that can be considered common around the country?

The conditions of each project is different depending on its location. However, there are some general patterns that we see.

In this regard, it’s important to mention that local companies are experienced in working in these ground conditions and they know the nature of

the ground and can anticipate problems that might occur, due to their long record of working here they have already faced most problems before. This was obvious in metro works as international joint ventures benefited from local pilling and digging companies.

What are the main challenges the sector is facing now?

The main challenge is always the time, beside changes in design after work commences.

When our work begin we should have well developed drawings that we can work on and our challenge should be to accomplish the project within the budget and time stated by the owner. However, this is not always the case. What happens a lot is that the client has a concept design and then he asks the contractor for pricing, then after that the detailed design is done. However challenging this way of work is, it also provides an opportunity for acquiring ex-

perience for many engineers.

That’s when our time and cost saving solutions comes in hand and this gives us an advantage over conventional solutions.

Do you have any shortage in supplies or skilled labour?

We are a company who doesn’t have labourers. We use engineers, or supervisors and technicians. This type of trained skilled workforce is not available in the market. So, we have been investing in this issue for about a year and we have enough resources for up to 2016.

Material, this is one of the areas where we invested also because we know there will be pressure on the port over the coming period. Using air freight is also expensive.

So, we took one step ahead and reduced the cost for our clients by preparing a big storage facility in the industrial area, where we stocked the supplies that we expect will be in demand.

I am proud to say that we are now one of a few companies ready to deliver once a contract is signed because we have enough capacity to provide the service.

This makes clients feel confident that we are a reliable service provider and that is reflected in our client list where you see clients repeated several times because they come back to us as a result of trust.

28

Construction

SITES

Tenders

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

Tender No.

Type

Tender Title

Participants

Issuing Date

Closing Date

Category

GTC

Application Development & Process Automation For Services & Infrastructure Utilities (Ducts and Drainage House Connections ) ISD/14-15/EIS/2/G

Qatari Companies Only

15-Oct-14

18-Nov-14

ICT

PWA/GTC/046/1415

GTC

Post Contract Consultancy Services for Modification and Additional Works to Existing Schools and Kindergartens (Fire Life Safety Code Compliance –Phase Three) BA/14-15/S/012/G

Consultants

15-Oct-14

18-Nov-14

Consultancy

PWA/ITC/024/14-15

ITC

Pre-Contract Professional Consultancy Services For The Proposed Laboratories (For Food Control) For Doha Municipality BA/14-15/D/026/I

Consultants

15-Oct-14

16-Nov-14

Consultancy ,Building

PWA/GTC/043/1415

GTC

Odor Management Phase – 1 AA-D/14-15/OM/1668/G

Qatari Companies Only - Joint Venture - Non Qatari Companies

24-Sep-14

11-Nov-14

Drainage

STC

One Year Contract for Inspection, Service and Load Test for Lifting Equipment at Pumping Stations & Workshop AA/DOM/14-15/M/1671/S

Qatari Companies Only

24-Sep-14

6-Nov-14

Drainage

PWA/GTC/047/1415

PWA/STC/025/1415

General Conditions of Tenders - Full Documents for the Tender Upgrade of Existing 3D Scanners & Supply and can be obtained from Contracts PWA/STC/022/14STC Delivery of Handheld GPS/Navigator Consultants 17-Sep-14 6-Nov-14 Consultancy 15 Department (CD) against a Non– EBSD/14-15/N/002/S refundable fee paid to PWA AcPWA/GTC/041/14Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) GTC Consultants 17-Sep-14 4-Nov-14 Consultancy count No. (0013-001813-052), 15 PQD/14-15/BCM/2/G Qatar National Bank together with Acquisition of High Resolution Digital Elevation a copy of the Company Registra- PWA/GTC/040/14GTC Model for State of Qatar Qatari Companies Only 17-Sep-14 4-Nov-14 ICT 15 ISD/14-15/EIS/1/G tion and a Company Authorization letter.

PWA/GTC/037/14Sewerage Assessment GTC Consultants 3-Sep-14 4-Nov-14 Consultancy 15 AA/DOM/14-15/M/1488-4.07/G - Project document may be examAccess Road to Umm Birkah ined at Al-Faisal Tower(1), Ground PWA/GTC/045/14GTC Qatari Companies Only 15-Oct-14 4-Nov-14 Roads 15 PTP IA/14-15/C/049/G Floor, Al Corniche before purchasCall off Professional Consultancy Services for ing from PWA. PWA/GTC/044/14GTC Supervision Construction of Road Projects in Qatar Consultants 15-Oct-14 4-Nov-14 Consultancy - Each Tender must be accompa15 IA/14-15/S/001/G nied by a Tender Bond, either in RSA Envision Upgrade to RSA Security Analytics Qatari Companies Only - ConICT ,ConsulITC 15-Oct-14 2-Nov-14 the form of a “Certified Check” or PWA/ITC/025/14-15 ISD/14-15/SS/10/I sultants tancy a “Tender Bond’’ issued by a Bank Call-off Contract for Supply, Installation of Fire acceptable to the PWA” in the Detection and Fire Alarm System at Various PumpITC Qatari Companies Only 24-Sep-14 2-Nov-14 Drainage amount mentioned above valid for PWA/ITC/023/14-15 ing Stations and Workshops at O&M DEPT - AA/ DOM/14-15/M/1573R-6.06/I (120 days). Any Tender received without the proper guarantee will not be considered.

- The Tender shall be submitted in two separate sealed envelopes (technical and financial offer) and both envelopes must be enclosed in a third sealed envelope which shall bear the tender number, subject and closing date.

- All Tenders shall be submitted in original and one copy or they will not be acceptance.

Tenders shall be delivered at or sent to arrive not later than 1.00pm local Doha time on the closing date and deposited in the relevant Tender Box of concerned Tenders Committee’s Chairman at PWA. - The successful Tenderer shall provide a Performance Bond in amount of ten (10%) percent of the Contract Price endorsed by an approved local bank in Qatar.

- For further queries about any of the tenders, please communicate in writing to the Contracts Department by Fax.: (+974) 44950777

TENDERS Please note that any information mentioned on this table are as per the listed companies’ tender advertisements, without any responsibility of the magazine.

Tender Number

Type

Subject

Entity

Close Date

Value

Envelopes System

Tender Fees (QRs)

522 /2014-2015

Central Tenders

Design and implementation of PTA booth for abroad exhibitions

General Authority for Tourism

24/11/2014

1150000 Q.R

TWO ENVELOPES

300

521 /2014-2015

Central Tenders

Supply of medicines and vaccines for veterinary clinics

Ministry of Enviroment

17/11/2014

390000 Q.R

TWO ENVELOPES

300

44 /2014-2015

Local Tenders

Implementation of geometric drawings and designs for fish farm No.162

Ministry of Enviroment

9/11/14

15000 Q.R

TWO ENVELOPES

150

49 /2014-2015

Local Tenders

Maintenance, air conditioning and refrigeration for several mosques in the area A

Ministry of Endowment & Islamic Affairs

2/11/14

25000 Q.R

TWO ENVELOPES

150

47 /2014-2015

Local Tenders

Supply, installation and operation of the system management and follow-up projects for the Ministry

Ministry of Social Affairs

2/11/14

10000 Q.R

TWO ENVELOPES

150

48 /2014-2015

Local Tenders

Supply and installation of devices Computers - the Ministry

Ministry of Social Affairs

2/11/14

35000 Q.R

TWO ENVELOPES

150

Tenders Conditions:

- You can get a copy of the documents of this tender / tenders of the Central Tenders Committee during official hours, against payment of the tender documents witch you can retrieve it.

- Must be accompanied with the tender a letter of guarantee bank / certified check from a bank operating in the State of Qatar, as indicated above for a period of temporary deposit on 120.

- The offer must be valid for a period of ninety days from the date of the opening of envelopes.

- Will be the last date for submission of tenders is twelve o’clock on the morning of the closure, and will not pay attention to any tender received after the deadline.

- Tenders deposited in the box of the Central Tenders Committee, located in Muntazah - Rawabi Street, to be inside the stamped and sealed envelopes and addressed to the Chairman of the Tenders Committee competent (central / local) showing the number, type of the tender and the subject.

- The Central Tenders Committee invites bidders or their representatives to attend the opening of the envelopes and read the price on the day following the date of the closure during the office hours.

- To obtain tender / tenders documents highlight above must be to mentioned authorization letter from the company / institution.

- For inquiries, please contact Tel: 44378192 /225 /143 /149.

- For more information about the Central Tenders Committee ,tenders and auctions are being posed by the Committee You can visit the site on the Internet www.ctc.gov.qa

HVAC - Plumbing & Drainage - Fire Fighting - Electrical & ELV - Energy Centers - Street Lighting - Maintenance - Facility Management Established in 1974, TRAGS Engineering is recognized as the leading Grade-1 MEP Services, District Cooling and Facility Management Contractor in the State of Qatar. The scope of activities covers all aspects of building services including design, procurement, installation, testing and commissioning of multi-service installations. In addition, the company offers 24/7 Facility Management Services to government buildings, corporations, educational, healthcare, industrial, commercial and residential sectors.

ENGINEERING

TRAGS Electrical Engineering & Air Conditioning Co. W.L.L Jaidah Tower Ist Floor, Abdul Aziz Bin Ahmed Street P.O. Box 470, Doha – Qatar Tel +974 44 41 42 11, Fax + 974 44 41 33 06 tragseng@qatar.net.qa

www.trags.com

Events

2014 -2015 2nd Annual Facilities Management Summit Organizer: Fleming Gulf Event date (s): 3 – 5 November Venue: Crown Plaza Location: Doha, Qatar Tel: + 91 97427 50289 Fax: +91 80 4900 5100 Email: mohammed.raiyan@fleminggulf.com Website: http://infra.fleminggulf.com/gccinfra-fm-summit 10th Annual HSE Forum in Energy Organizer: Fleming Gulf Event date (s): 3 – 5 November Venue: Grand Hyatt Hotel Location: Doha, Qatar Tel: +91 779 509 4721 Fax: +91 80 4900 5100 Email: rahul.bihani@hse-me.com Website: http://hse.fleminggulf.com/ hse2014 Qatar Intl. Exhibition for Electricity and Lighting Technologies Electrolight Qatar Organizer: Ibhar Group Event date (s): 5 – 8 November Venue: Qatar National convention Centre Location: Doha, Qatar Tel: +974 4417 5230 / 5240 Fax: +974 4417 5266 Email: info@ibharqatar.com / expo@ibharqatar.com Website: www.electrolightqatar.com

CALENDAR

Construction

SITES

OF EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS

6th Annual District Cooling Summit Organizer: Fleming Gulf Event date (s): 10 – 11 November Venue: The Ritz Carlton Location: Doha, Qatar Tel: +91 779 509 4721 Fax: +91 80 4900 5100 Email: rahul.bihani@hse-me.com Website: http://energy.fleminggulf.com/ medcs2014 7th Annual Bridges & Highways Middle East Organizer: IQPC Event date (s): 10 – 12 November Venue: Hilton Doha Location: Doha, Qatar Tel: +971 4 364 2975 Email: enquiry@iqpc.ae Website: www.bridges.me

3rd Annual Middle East Smart Cities Summit Organizer: Fleming Gulf Event date (s): 18 - 19 November Venue: Intercontinental Doha Location: Doha, Qatar Tel: +91 9164989507 Fax: +91 80 4900 5100 Email: sobia.jameel@fleminggulf.com Website: http://energy.fleminggulf.com/ mescs-2014 The Big 5 Show International Building & Construction Show Organizer: DMG Events

Event date (s): 17 – 20 November Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre Location: Dubai, UAE Tel: + 971 4 4380355 Fax: +971 4 4380361 Email: dmgdubai@dmgeventsme.com Website: www.thebig5.ae

Fax: +41 22 730 6444 Email: itutelecom@itu.int Website: telecomworld.itu.int

18th ARABAL Arab International Aluminium Conference Organizer: Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) Event date (s): 25 – 27 November Venue: Gulf Hotel Location: Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain Tel: + 971 4 4380355 Fax: +971 4 4380361 Email: dmgdubai@dmgeventsme.com Website: www.arabal.com Future Drainage Networks Qatar Organizer: Advanced Conferences and Meetings Event date (s): 3 – 4 December Venue: TBA Location: Doha, Qatar Tel: +971 4 361 4001 Fax: +971 4 361 4554 Email: opportunities@acm-events.com Website: www.futuredrainagenetworksqatar. com ITU Telecom World Organizer: ITU Event date (s): 7 – 10 December Venue: QNCC Location: Doha, Qatar Tel: +41 22 730 6161

AcousticsTech & InsulationTech Qatar Organizer: Advanced Conferences and Meetings Event date (s): 10 – 11 December Venue: TBA Location: Doha, Qatar Tel: +971 4 361 4001 Fax: +971 4 361 4554 Email: opportunities@acm-events.com Website: www.acousticstechqatar.com The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Forum Organizer: Fleming Gulf Event date (s): 24 - 25 March 2015 Venue: TBA Location: Doha, Qatar Tel: +91 9164989507 Fax: +91 80 49005100 Email: sobia.jameel@fleminggulf.com Website: http://energy.fleminggulf.com/ energy-efficiency-conservation-forum The Outdoor Design & Build Show 2015 Organizer: Streamline Marketing Group Event date (s): 13 – 15 April 2015 Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 4475357 Fax: +971 4 4475334 Email: odbs@theoutdoorshow.ae Website: www.theoutdoorshow.ae

w w w. w a r r i o r s a f e t y. c o m H I G H

P E R F O R M A N C E

QATAR WORLD ATLAS TRADING Tel: +974 44981666 Fax: + 974 44981333 info-qtr@warriorsafety.com

UAE EMIRATES GATE BM & SAFETY Tel: +971 4299 7555 Fax: +971 42997070 emigate@emirates.net.ae

29

S A F E T Y

P R O D U C T S

USA United Globe Trading Co. 2611 W. Woodland Drive., Anaheim, Ca 92801 T: 1-714-527-0300 F: 1-714-527-0310 M: 1-559-241-4881 ugtc.usa@gmail.com

LIBYA HOME OF TOOLS Tel: 218 6190 82212 BENGHAZI-LIBYA info@homeoftools.com

IRAQ AL-USOOL GENERAL TRADING COMPANY LTSD Tel: + 964 7198 741 BAGHDAD- IRAQ info@usoolgroup.com

30

Construction

SITES

Project Focus

NOTE: Whilst we take pride in keeping our Consultants Database with the most up-to-date information, please note that the above information is provided by the Consultants mentioned in the list; therefore QCS in not responsible for any incorrect data.

Consultant

Client

Main Contractor

Value Range (QR) Million

Project Status

Type of Project

M/s. Commercial Development

M/s. Arabtec

500-750

Piling & Shoring

Hotel and Office Buildings

Audit Bureau Towers

M/s. Al Attiya Group Trading Co.

Not Appointed

400-600

Tender Stage

Offices / Residential Towers

Al Waab Mall

M/s. Qatar Industrial Services

Man Enterprize, Qatar

300-400

Under Construction

Mall

Q-Tel

Not Appointed

250-350

Tender Stage

Technical

Mr. Mohamed Abdel Ghani Al Mansouri

Not Appointed

200-300

Under Design

Shopping Mall & Office Tower

Ghanem Al Hodaifi

Not Appointed

600-800

Detail Stage

Office Building

CBQ

HBK

N/A

Under Construction

Commercial, Bank, Office Plaza

Qatar Islamic Bank

AFQCO & REDCO - Al Mana

1.2-1.4 bn

Under Construction

Residential Towers

Business Trading Company

IDC

400-500

Under Construction

Shopping Mall

Al Malki Real Estate Investments

Satal Qatar Contracting

N/A

Under Construction

Hotel

Ghanem Al Thani Holding

Ramco

N/A

Under Construction

Office Building

Project Title

Twin Towers

Mesiemer Manarat Lusail Al Hodaifi Tower II CBQ Boulevard Five Residential Towers at Viva Bahriya at the Pear (project management)

Gulf Mall at Gharrafa

Doha Centro Hotel at Bin Mahmoud Ghanem Office Building at Salwa Road

Alfardan Properties Co.

CDC

N/A

Under Construction

Hotel

Mazaya Qatar Real Extate Development QSC

Sinohydro Group Limited

N/A

Under Construction

Residential

Qatar Airways

Redco International

N/A

Under Construction

Residential Building

Ahmed Abed El Aziz Al Baker

Construction and Reconstruction Co.

675

Under Construction

Office Building

Private Investor

Orientals Enterprises

N/A

Under Construction

Residential

Shiekh Abdullah Bin Naser Al Thani

Construction and Reconstruction Co.

85

Under Construction

Commercial

MOI

Hassanesco Co.

N/A

Under Construction

Mixed Use

Shk/Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani

Construction and Reconstruction Co.

205

Under Construction

Commercial / Residential

Al Sadd Hotel

Tricon International

Atlantic Contracting Co.

150

Under Construction

Hotels

Al Hodaifi Group HQ

Al Hodaifi Group

Not appointed

30-40 Million

Design stage

Office Building

El Eida

Not appointed

5-10 Million

Design stage

Villa

Doha Education Centre

Not appointed

30-50 Million

Design stage

Education

Step 1 International Academy

Step 1 International Academy

Not appointed

20-40 Million

Design stage

School

5 Hotel Towers adjacent to City Center Marriott Rensance, Marriott Courtyard, Shangri La, Rotana & Merweb

Al Rayyan Holding Company

Al Habtour

3.5 Billion

Marriott Rensance & Marriott Courtyard in handing over and the other 3 Hotels are under construction

Hotels

Shemoukh Mixed-Use Twin Tower, Al Saad

Real Estate Services Group

SEG

800

Construction Stage

Mixed Use Towers

Al Jasrah Twin Tower Lusail

Al Shereef Enterprises

Dorra Contracting

350

Construction Stage

Mixed Use Towers

PWA

Tag Engineering & Contracting

120

Under Construction

Media Complex

Al Mana Real Estate

N/A

100-200

Tender Stage

Mixed Use Tower

MOI

Not Appointed

N/A

Design Stage

Educational Complex

Al Meera

Al Alia Trading & Contracting Co.

130

Under Contruction

Supermarket Stores

MOI

WCT

N/A

Under Construction

Administrative and Office Building

ALAQARIA

Arcon

169

Under Construction

Mixed Use

Qatar Navigation

Not Appointed

N/A

Design Stage

Warehouses

Ministry of Interior

Not Appointed

N/A

Design Stage

Administrative and Office Bldg.

PWA

ITCC / Al Sraiya

350

Under Contruction

Educational Buildings

IBA GROUP

Not Appointed

400

Design Stage

Commercial / Offices Towers

Mr. Saeed Ben Zayed El-Khayareen

Al-Huda

200-250

Under Construction

Office Building

FBA GROUP

Not Appointed

200

Detail Stage

Shopping Mall & Office Tower

IBA GROUP

Not Appointed

200

Under Construction

Hotel

Tameer Real Estate

Al Seal Trading

160

Under Construction

Residential Building

Qatar National Bank Branches

QNB

Not Appointed

20 Million

Under Construction

Bank

Qatar Driving School

QDS

Not Appointed

600

Permit Stage

Driving Academy

Gulf Pearls Company

Gulf Pearl

40 Million

Design Stage

Residential Building

Sheikh Badr Khalifa Al Thani

Al Batra

80 Million

Under Construction

Residential Building

ACES

Not Appointed

20 Million

Tender Stage

Industrial Building

MOFA

Note Appointed

N/A

Design Stage

Governmental Building

Sh. Ahmad bin Hamad Al Thani

NA

54,000,000.00

Service Design

Commercial

Regency Group

NA

38,000,000.00

Design

Offices

Abdulla AL Darwish

Al Gefton

658,000.00

Testing and Commissioning

Commercial Apratment

M. Al Ansari

Redco

28,800,000.00

Mobilisation

Commercial

C5 Apartment

Rabban Group

NA

121,000,000.00

Design

Commercial Apratment

FV7 Multi Purpose Hall/ Art Centre

Regency Group

N/A

67,500,000.00

Design

Commercial

Marsa Malaz Hotel at the Pear Qatar (Main Works) Qatar Sidra Village Project

Qatar Airways Crew Accommodation

Al Baker Executive Towers Al Nour Tower Al Nasr Showroom

Police Training Institute

Panasonic Showroom & Residential

Al Eida Villa Doha Education Centre

Qatar Radio and Television Complex Markaz Almana Ford Showroom & Commercial Offices

Police College Academy 4 New Build Convenience Store Schemes Construction of Head Quarters Bldg. for Ministry of Interior

MIC Business & Recreation Complex Logistic City Headquarter of General Directorate of Borders, Passports & Travel Document Department

Construction of 6 Nos. New Schools Al Emadi Twin Towers City Tower Fahd Suite - Apartment Hotel IBA Hotel Al Attiya Compound

Gulf Pearls Office Building

Sheikh Badr Residential Building ACES (Arab Centre for Engineers Studies) Qatar Embassy and Diplomat Villas in Mogadishu, Somalia

Al Ahli Club

FV9 Al Asmakh Head Office in Lusail Al Mansoora Building

Office Building / D Ring

Established in 1998

Industrial Kitchen & Laundry Equipment Supply, Installation & After Sales Service • Hotels • Restaurants and Cafes • Hospitals • Central Kitchens • Catering Facilities Salwa Road - Tel: +974 4468 3040 - Fax: +974 4468 3080 - kitchenco@alayangroupqatar.com - www.kitchencoqatar.com

Construction

SITES

31

AL MANA & ASSOCIATES Acoustic Consultancy Services

• Noise and Vibration Control

• Noise and Vibration Monitoring • Sound Insulation • Interior Acoustics (Halls, Mosques, Auditoriums)

• Commissioning Measurement and Testing Al Mana Business Centre, Al Amir Road, P.O.B. 2255, Doha, Qatar Tel: (+974) 44684482 E-mail: admin@amaqatar.com www.amaqatar.com

Dutest Qatar W.L.L.

CRANE AND LIFTING EQUIPMENT ENGINEERS GENERAL MECHANICAL WORKS

OUR SCOPE AND SERVICES INCLUDE:

WIRE ROPES, SLINGS, HEIGHT SAFETY, INSPECTION AND TESTING, RENTALS, CRANE HIRE

4458 5480; 4469 4569; 5581 5641; 7748 7432

Email: opera,ons@dutestqatar.com, sales@dutestqatar.com

SITES C o n s t r u c t i o n

Monthly construction news, tenders, project focus, and forthcoming exhibitions in Qatar Tel.: +974 4469 3280 - Fax: +974 4451 0428

Rania Queen St. Amman- Jordan Tel: +9626 5356616 - Fax: +9626 535 6606 - P.O.Box: 622 - Aljbeha: 11941 watan_newspaper@yahoo.com

Issue No. (88) November 2014, Doha - Qatar

SPE conference and exhibition in Doha puts focus on sustainable development

The seventh edition of the SPE Middle East Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainable Development Conference and Exhibition (MEHSE) returned to Doha in September.

Organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the event this year was the first to focus on sustainable development as one of its core discussion topics.

Saif Saed Al Naimi, Conference Chairman and Director of QP’s HSE Regulations and Enforcement Directorate, said this was done to increase awareness about sustainable development and to provide an opportunity for participants to hear expert views about the issue.

Al Naimi told Construction Sites that Qatar’s energy sector had already launched an annual sustainable development report as well as

four others on health, safety and environment. He added that the country’s energy sector had started its sustainable development drive in 2010 in tune with Qatar’s National Vision 2030.

At a press conference ahead of the event, Al Naimi told reporters that the region had seen a gradual shift in its focus from the implementation of standard HSE programs to customization, continuous assessment, and consolidation as per each corporate entity’s requirements.

“The seventh edition of this event will provide an excellent opportunity for experts to discuss these issues and the associated challenges, both in regional and international contexts,” he had added.

Dring the health and safety discussion, the Executive

Plenary Session aimed to answer the question: “Protecting People, Environment, Asset, and Reputation - Are We Prepared?”

The session saw some of the region’s HSE heavyweights Jassim Abdulla Jassim Al Mohannadi, Onshore Operation Manager, Qatargas, Jim Zimmerman, Vice President, ExxonMobil Research Qatar, Steve Norton, General Manager, Health, Safety, Environment and Social Performance, Qatar Shell, Tom Knode, Director, HSE Standards and Performance, Halliburton - discuss ways to improve environmental and safety performance while implementing plans that are tailor-made to mitigate each organization’s unique risk management challenges.

All other panel sessions at the event were led by the industry’s foremost experts

in HSE. The “HSE management” panel session focused on efficient disaster management planning, essential elements in a plan and ways for organizations to develop critical operational approaches to HSE disaster management.

Panel Session 2, “Business Case for Managing Health”, featured discussions about managing and improving the health of the workforce using a holistic approach and the positive, ripple effect that this would have on HSSE, quality, productivity, business relationships and the business itself.

The panel session on climate change provided a platform for delegates to take stock of the environmental challenges that the industry faced, especially in the Middle East context, and

discussed mitigation, adaptation and management strategies, alongside practical solutions that could be implemented.

The session, “Establishing Organizational Belief in HSE”, focused on the characteristics of the ideal safety culture and the international and regional barriers that companies encountered while addressing these characteristics.

The “Best Practices in Water Management” panel session tried to take an in-depth look at the issues that should be addressed when effective water management strategies were in place.

A new addition to this year’s edition of the conference was the 2014 SPE Regional University Student Program, themed “HSE: A Way of Life”.

Through this program, SPE conducted several activities

that aimed to inform and educate young members and students about the advantages of joining this exciting sector. They also had the opportunity to network with future colleagues and employers.

The exhibition running in parallel to the conference showcased the latest in HSE technologies and services.

Exhibiting companies included 3E Qatar, Baker Hughes, CSA Ocean Sciences, Dolphin Energy, ExxonMobil, Falck Safety Services, Frontier MEDEX, International SOS, Maersk Oil, OhSung Chemical, OPITO, Oxy, Petroleum Development Oman, Providence Photonics, Qatar International Safety Centre, Qatar Petroleum, RasGas, RDT, Reef Arabia, Schlumberger, Shell Qatar, Terralog Technologies, Total and United Safety, among others.