OI 155 eng by criativos

# 155 vol. XXXVIII July/August 2011 English Edition

photo: ricardo telles

ODEBRECHT informa INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

“People show their creativity by proving to be capable of viewing reality from different angles and taking pleasure in playing with ideas” TEO [Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology]

INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY # 155 VOL . XXXVIII JUL/AUG 2011

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Creativity and the spirit of service come together in a transforming encounter

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Next issue:

Communities rESPONSIbLE FOr COrPOrATE COMMUNICATION AT CONSTrUTOrA NOrbErTO ODEbrECHT S.A. Márcio Polidoro

Founded in 1944, ODEbrECHT is a Brazilian organization made up of diversified businesses with global operations and world-class standards of quality. Its 140,000 members are present in the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and Europe.

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rESPONSIbLE FOr PUbLICATIONS PrOGrAMS AT CONSTrUTOrA NOrbErTO ODEbrECHT S.A. Karolina Gutiez bUSINESS ArEA COOrDINATOrS Nelson Letaif Chemicals & Petrochemicals | Andressa Saurin Ethanol & Sugar | Bárbara Nitto Oil & Gas | Daelcio Freitas Environmental Engineering | Sergio Kertész Real Estate Developments | Coordinator at Odebrecht Foundation Vivian Barbosa EDITOrIAL COOrDINATION Versal Editores Editor-in-Chief José Enrique Barreiro Executive Editor Cláudio Lovato Filho English Translation by H. Sabrina Gledhill Art/Graphic Production Rogério Nunes Graphic Design and Illustrations Rico Lins Photo Editor Holanda Cavalcanti Electronic Publishing Maria Celia Olivieri Printing 1,600 copies | Pre-Press and Printing Pancrom EDITOrIAL OFFICES Rio de Janeiro +55 21 2239-1778 | São Paulo + 55 11 3641- 4743 email: versal@versal.com.br Originally published in Portuguese. Also available in Spanish.

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INFORMA

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www.odebrechtonline.com.br Read Odebrecht Informa on your iPad and smartphone. Features, articles, videos, photos, animations and infographics. The achievements of the Odebrecht Organization on your tablet and smartphone.

Online edition

Online archive

Innovations

> You can view this entire issue in HTML and PDF

Video reports

Blog

> P-59 platform is the center of attraction in a ﬁrst for the global oil industry

> Antonio Cardilli launches the Savvy – Folks Who’ve Learned from Work and Life Project

> At Quintas Private Residences, sharing a dream makes it come true

> Access all back issues of Odebrecht Informa since no. 1, and download full issues in PDF > Odebrecht Annual Reports since 2002 > Special publications (Special Issue on Social Programs, 60 years of the Odebrecht Group, 40 Years of the Odebrecht Foundation and 10 Years of Odeprev)

> In Angola, the theater is one way to inform people and raise awareness on Health, Workplace Safety and Environment > Check out Odebrecht’s innovative Shared Services Center > Clean Water Project takes Brazilian state of Espírito Santo to a new level in terms of sanitation (water and sewer)

SAFEGUARDING SUSTAINABILITY Cetrel ensures environmental protection in the Camaçari Complex’s sphere of inﬂuence

> Follow Odebrecht Informa on Twitter and get the latest news in real time @odbinforma

> Comment on blog entries and participate by sending suggestions to the editors

> Read posts on the Odebrecht Informa blog by the magazine’s reporters and editors, including Cláudio Lovato Filho, Fabiana Cabral, José Enrique Barreiro, Karolina Gutiez, Renata Meyer, Rodrigo Vilar, Thereza Martins, Zaccaria Júnior and collaborators.

>Salgueiro: community relations and a major project in the backlands of northeastern Brazil > Special features that make the iTower ofﬁce tower project unique

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Innovation & technology

Cover photo by Nilton Souza

NEWS PEOPLE

CAPA Ilustração de Rico Lins

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PHOTO: RICARDO TELLES

#155

Quintas Private makes luxury homes accessible through fractional ownership

New Orleans is working at top speed to protect itself from natural disasters

Pioneering engineering solutions score winning goals at the Fonte Nova Arena works

Railways are coming to make life easier in Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Sul

Luiz Roberto Chagas: innovation is the engine that drives an organization’s competitiveness and growth

A program that encourages teams to pursue innovative solutions and recognizes their creativity

Innovation: the result of a joint and daily quest by Braskem and its clients

Using precast pieces ensures more speed and safety when building the Santo Antônio hydroelectric plant

In a global ﬁrst, a jack-up platform is launched from another ﬂoating vessel

Platform Norbe VI arrives in Brazil, introducing major innovations for offshore oil exploration and production

Twenty years ago, the contract was signed to build platform P-18, a milestone for the offshore industry

Technology is becoming a competitive edge for the sugar and ethanol industry

A long-held Brazilian dream is coming true in Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro: building submarines

Odebrecht medics discuss the role of technology in improving health and quality of life

For family farmers in northeastern Brazil, the middleman is becoming a thing of the past

Luis Fernando Cassinelli writes about Braskem’s unﬂagging drive to introduce new solutions

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SAFETY PERU PROFILE COLOMBIA PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT FOLKS SAVVY

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INFORMA

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EDITORIAL

The spirit of service never rests

t happened in Bahia, at the São Roque do Paraguaçu shipyard, in June: for the first time in the world, a jack-up platform was launched from another floating structure, in this case, a barge. This innovation has already become a benchmark for the oil and gas industry. From the Brazilian Northeast to the US

“Through the expertise and the constant dissatisfaction of its members, Odebrecht since its inception in 1944 has sought to provide the communities in which it operates with innovative solutions that break established standards”

South: in New Orleans, the city where jazz was born, which was devastated by

Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the levee system is the target of an extensive restructuring project with the help of some innovative engineering solutions. There is also the pioneering use of thermoplastic resins in oil exploration and farming projects, and the installation of concrete sleeper and form factories at railway construction sites (one of those factories, located in Salgueiro, Pernambuco, Brazil, is the largest in the world). And then there is the first-ever implosion of a Brazilian soccer stadium and the technological revolution that is getting underway in that nation’s ethanol and sugar industry. You’ll read all about these stories and more in this issue of Odebrecht Informa.

Besides covering Innovation and Technology, this number of the magazine discusses creativity and how vital it is for anyone working in an entrepreneurial organization to have a constantly dissatisfied and restless spirit. Through the expertise and continued dissatisfaction of its members, Odebrecht since its inception in 1944 has sought to provide the communities in which it operates with innovative solutions that break established standards, shatter paradigms and reach new heights of productivity while moving in a very clear direction: making everything that inventiveness and the accumulation of knowledge and business experience can provide more advantageous for the community. Through the simplicity and humility of people endowed with the spirit of service, this capacity for invention and creation becomes the link between each client’s dream and its fulfillment - with expertise and passion - by this Organization’s members. This way of seeing life and work has certainly contributed to making Odebrecht one of the 10 organizations that won the Young People’s Dream Company award, sponsored by the Cia. de Talentos recruitment and selection consultancy. This achievement means that most of the 50,000 Brazilian college graduates surveyed spontaneously stated that they would like to start their professional careers at Odebrecht. Good reading.

INFORMA

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SHARING

happ

If many people share a dream, it has a better chance of coming true. That’s the case in Sauípe, Brazil

written by LEONARDO MAIA photos by JÚLIO BITTENCOURT

INFORMA

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piness

Fábio: aos 32 anos, liderando a atuação da Odebrecht em um projeto de alta Home in Quintas Private Residences: fully furnished and equipped with appliances INFORMA

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Quintas Private, part of the Quintas Grande Laguna gated community; on the next page, Rodrigo and Kaline with their kids: the family was spending too much on hotels

magine arriving at your beach house and always

“We’ve introduced a concept in this market that

ﬁnding everything spic and span and in perfect

breaks away from the conventional model and reﬂects

working order. All that without hiring a caretaker,

consumers’ needs. Recent surveys show that ﬁve years

pool attendant or housekeeper. You just show up

after purchase of a beach or country house, the owner

and enjoy the private swimming pool, the gour-

uses it for just one month per year on average. At Quin-

met area and other exclusive amenities, along with up

tas Private, you only pay for what you actually use. We’re

to eight people, including relatives and guests. Magic?

offering a new vacation concept,” explains Franklin Mira,

On the North Coast of the northeastern Brazilian state

the Director Responsible for the Sauípe Destination.

of Bahia, more precisely in Sauípe, this became a reality

a year ago, thanks to the innovative shared use system

Spending too much on hotels

known as fractional ownership.

Those consumers are people like Rodrigo and Kaline

This is the system used for Quintas Private Residenc-

Cavalcanti, a young couple with three children, aged 6,

es, part of the Quintas de Sauípe Grande Laguna gated

3 and 2. “We bought this at just the right time. We were

community, which also includes conventional home-

spending too much on hotels. Every trip, we needed at

owners. Clients who opt for the fractional ownership

least two hotel rooms. Thanks to this system, we can enjoy

system can buy one of 12 fractions of a house, or even

100% of the assets invested,” says Rodrigo, 32, a physician

more if they prefer. Each fraction entitles the buyer to

from Feira de Santana, Bahia. His wife, Kaline, agrees,

use the house for four weeks per year, with up to eight

adding: “The best thing is getting there and ﬁnding the

people staying in four en-suite bedrooms. They can also

house neat and clean, with all the modern conveniences.

swap one or more weeks for foreign vacations using

You don’t even have to tidy up when it’s time to leave.” Dur-

a portfolio of more than 100 residential ventures and

ing their stay, clients are entitled to housekeeping servic-

thousands of upscale hotels belonging to The Registry

es three times a week and two changes of bed linen. They

Collection, the luxury club that is part of the American

can also enjoy pay-per-use services, including daily maid

RCI group.

service, a masseuse, breakfast at home, grocery deliver-

Completely furnished and equipped with appliances,

ies and various types of special buffets, such as barbecue.

all top-of-the-line, each house is fully outﬁtted (with

Convenience and return on investment were compel-

towels, bed linen, cutlery, crockery) and comes with air

ling reasons for the couple’s decision, but they were not

conditioning, cable TV and Wi-Fi. It also has a service

the only ones. For them, wellbeing is even more impor-

area, including servant’s quarters and storage and laun-

tant. “Buying this fraction has changed my life. My stress

dry facilities. All that plus regular maintenance for 100

levels have fallen dramatically and I’m much less impa-

years, the duration of the contract with each user. In case

tient and restless. Not only that, but it’s wonderful to be

of death, the owner’s heirs can inherit the fraction.

able to plan your vacation and book your holiday up to a

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20 years ago in the US and Europe, it enables users to enjoy the house for at least one week during a high season. Users can select their four weeks up front, choose different weeks throughout the year or deposit them in The Registry Collection, which offers more than 100 destinations in countries such as Italy, Mexico, the UAE and Thailand. “The potential for exchange is fantastic. The family can vacation anywhere. You can deposit your week and forget about who will occupy the house. Internationalization creates an interesting ﬂexibility,” says Franklin Mira. Besides the options already mentioned, the owner of the fraction can resell it at any time or rent out a week they cannot use. Quintas Private has the highest rating in the RCI group’s portfolio. For example, a client can use the points for one week at Sauípe to spend two weeks at a Disney resort or up to four weeks at a boutique hotel in northeastern Brazil. Alejandro Moreno, Director of RCI Brazil, explains: “Quintas Private’s prime location, with an ocean view and a lagoon, is truly amazing. The houses are tastefully decorated and ﬁt into our concept perfectly. Moreover, the more popular a destination is with our clients, the more credits it gets in The Registry Collection.” Already a familiar concept in other countries, fractional ownership is making a successful debut in Brazil. Today, in addition to Quintas Private, there are two other residential ventures in operation in that country and three under construction. Not to mention that hotels are yet another option for the system’s users. The current challenge is to publicize the system as widely as possible. “Our biggest year in advance. I always want to spend time with my fam-

challenge is breaking a paradigm and providing a product

ily,” says Rodrigo.

that is undersold in Brazil. When they ‘test drive’ this innoJosé Eduardo:

In addition to the facilities that Quintas Private offers to

vation, people will immediately see the advantages. It’s no aprendizados

fractional ownership clients (a restaurant, movie theater,

se coincidence that 40% of our clients comeprecisam from personal

gym, sports court, cyber café, kids room, spa and private

recommendations,” says Franklin.

converter em

access to the beach, among others), they can also enjoy the

Rodrigo and Kaline are the front runners when it

amenities at the Costa de Sauípe resort and get a 15% dis-

come to recommendations. They like Quintas Private

count on paid services at the complex of hotels and inns.

so much that they have recommended it to 20 friends,

Attractions abound. “A system like this injects more vitality

and 12 have purchased a fraction. “Everyone who could

into the entire area. Twelve owners make the most of each

buy one now owns one. By recommending it to friends,

home and give a tremendous boost to the destination’s so-

we’ve also helped create a friendly environment. We al-

cial and economic dynamics,” observes Franklin Mira.

ready feel at home. I love to cook, so I bring my seasonings with me and use the gourmet area in the house. We

Smart rotation

always invite friends to join us. That’s one of the advan-

The choice of the weeks when each house will be used

tages of having four en-suite bedrooms at our disposal,”

is based on the smart rotation system. Introduced over

says Rodrigo.

INFORMA

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MARATHON IN

new orleans The US city is working hard to prevent disasters like the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina written by KAROLINA GUTIEZ

“I

photos by LIA LUBAMBO

compare the situation experienced after Ka-

woman’s name destroyed everything in its wake. “Ka-

trina to different types of racing competitions.

trina brought me here. I’d never been to New Orleans

Shortly after that tragedy, it was like a 100-me-

before,” reﬂects the retired soldier from the state of

ter dash. At the local, state and federal levels

Montana, with slightly halting speech.

we had to provide a rapid emergency response

Odebrecht has participated in the 10-km race and

to help hurricane victims. Once emergency issues

is now running the marathon at the head of two of the

were resolved, we started to rebuild the protection sys-

53 projects that comprise the system to protect the city

tem we had before the tornado: a 10-km race. Today,

against hurricanes and ﬂooding of the Mississippi Riv-

we are running a marathon, which means completing

er, the most important waterway in the United States

the system, which was unﬁnished, and making it more

(which, together with its main tributary, the Missouri,

efﬁcient to avert the risk of disasters like the one in

is also the nation’s largest river – 6,270 km long), and

2005. We haven’t reached the ﬁnish line yet, but we’re

Lake Pontchartrain, the second-largest salt-water

getting close.”

lake in the country. Odebrecht is working under con-

With this analogy, Jeff Bedey, the retired US Army

tract to the Corps, whose client is the Levee District.

Corps of Engineers (Corps) Colonel who spearheaded the creation of an organization responsible for re-

Protection system

building the levee system, raising levees and repair-

New Orleans, which is located on the south shore

ing the pumping stations, sums up the stages the

of the lake, and the surrounding parishes (counties)

State of Louisiana, and especially the City of New Or-

that form Greater New Orleans, are completely sur-

leans have gone through since that hurricane with a

rounded by walls and levees. “The protection system is innovative because it has different structures: retaining walls built on metal piles (with “T” and “L” shapes), frontal reinforcement for the pumping sta-

INFORMA

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tions, and various types of gates for vehicles, trains and ships, maintaining a steady flow of traffic on the roads, railways and waterway. The aim is to protect the city and its inhabitants while keeping access routes open, which is vital to the local economy,” explains Gustavo Silveira, the Project Manager for one of Odebrecht’s contracts, known as LPV-9.2. The Corps’ initial challenge was designing an integrated system of structures that would protect the city and could be built on time and within the budget approved by Congress - USD 14 billion. The study used information from past events in the region and, through simulations, the Corps established the necessary parameters: the system will protect Greater New Orleans from 100-year hurricanes and floods (with a 1% statistical probability of occurring every year). Katrina had the intensity of a 496-year event. In the case of the pumping stations, the Corps has also developed and built an innovative type of structure, called a safe house, next to each station. Safe houses monitor and operate the pumps remotely in extreme wind and rain. These structures are designed to withstand winds up to 400 km/hour and provide operators with a shelter 10 m above ground, ensuring continuous operations during an emergency. The Corps has also built an integrated Command Center that manages the entire system and houses 58 people, with a supply of natural gas and electricity that will keep it self-sufficient for up to two weeks if a Category 5 hurricane should hit the region – an extreme situation.

Pumping plant works and, opposite page, Colonel Jeff Bedey: “We haven’t reached the ﬁnish line yet. But we’re getting close”

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The entire building is reinforced to withstand strong

Working near operational stations

winds, and has a kitchen, laundry, six televisions con-

The LPV-9.2 project that Odebrecht is carrying out

nected to surveillance cameras, news and weather

on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain includes building

channels, and a small factory to make sand bags,

walls that will serve to strengthen and protect four wa-

which help contain water in emergencies in case of

ter pumping stations damaged by Katrina. The walls,

minor system failures. The Command Center also

which are designed with a ﬁnal elevation of 5.80 m above

monitors the daily ﬂow of shipping on the Mississippi.

the level of the lake, are a continuation of the levees next

That is where Giuseppe Miserendino, Director of

to the stations. When the hurricane hit the city, the un-

the West Jefferson Levee District, keeps track of each

protected system could only pump at 45% capacity.

vessel on the river in real time, using a projector in

The main challenge of this project is the require-

front of his desk, which visualizes critical points such

ment that pumping stations cannot be shut down dur-

as areas near the banks, in tight spots where boats

ing construction. At any time, if necessary, the area

might hit the levees. When the Odebrecht Informa

where the workers are building the walls could be

team paid him a visit, Giuseppe had been sleeping at

ﬂooded so the pumps can start pushing water from

the Command Center for four weeks in a room inside

the canals into the lake.

his ofﬁce, due to the critical level of the river dur-

The stations play a key role in the city, which is

ing one of the worst ﬂoods in 100 years. His family

mostly below sea level. Because they link the net-

had come to visit him often during that period. “It’s a

work of drainage canals in New Orleans, these sta-

delicate and extremely important matter. They know

tions are often used, sometimes when it isn’t raining.

that if a hurricane comes, they have to leave town im-

Every time this happens, Odebrecht’s workers get 15

mediately.”

minutes’ warning. That is all the time they have to re-

“Born and raised in New Orleans,” Giuseppe says:

move their equipment and leave the area. “Over the

“Katrina gave us the possibility of improving the pro-

past four months, we’ve been ﬂooded 14 times,” says

tection system we already had, which was incom-

Gustavo Silveira.

plete. After that, we’ve made progress toward having

Given these the challenges, and in compliance with

a safe house in operation at each pumping station,

technical and contractual requirements, Odebrecht

ensuring that they keep working, which is critical

has developed a unique system of temporary cof-

during a ﬂood.” Jeff Bedey argues that no natural di-

ferdams or caissons, which contain valves and mini-

saster that impacts the community is a good thing.

spillways. These structures allow the work area to

However, he recognizes that: “In the midst of tragedy,

dry out, creating an obstacle for the pumping station

the lessons we learn are very important. We have to

that does not exceed the elevation of 0.25 m above the

move on and try to make decisions and do whatever

lake. The valves are automated so that operators at

is necessary to reduce the chances of something like

the plant can control them remotely when they need

that ever happening again.”

to ﬂood the system.

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The temporary caisson built in the ﬂooded area, and Giuseppe Miserendino: sleeping in a room inside his ofﬁce for four weeks

“This idea is widely used in dam construction, but

Because the barges that deliver materials are too

it had never been used quite this way. When a dam is

big to enter the canal where the wall is being built, it

being built, cofferdams dry out the area of operations.

was necessary to excavate the slopes on the banks.

Unlike our situation here, it is almost never necessary

The excavation limit is 2.75 m, but a much larger

to ﬂood that area during construction,” says Gustavo.

area would have had to be excavated to make room.

“This solution has brought signiﬁcant savings to the

In the end, Odebrecht’s teams only excavated 1.5 m,

project,” says Rudy Armenta, Odebrecht’s Project Di-

so the amount of earthmoving was smaller, and all

rector in Louisiana.

deliveries of materials are being done with small

Valued at USD 175 million, the LPV-9.2 project is

boats that transfer them from a barge anchored at

being built near a residential district. To protect the

the canal entrance. This solution has reduced the

neighborhood from noise pollution, the Odebrecht

dredging operation by 45% (about 240,000 m³), and

team has implemented three solutions that jointly

only removed what was needed for smaller boats to

dampen the noise of the construction work. The

reach the jobsite. “The savings we got through this

ﬁrst is the installation of two curtains that are au-

logistics solution helped us win the contract,” says

tomatically raised and lowered. The second, which

Rudy Armenta.

cost nothing at all, was changing the route for the

Another innovation was replacing the solder used

concrete trucks. The third was using a Giken Pile

in the 3,500 connectors attached to the I-piles, which

Press. Unlike conventional pile drivers, the machine

help anchor the base of the wall. Instead of being

noiselessly presses the piles into the ground. It also

welded, the connectors were screwed in place. That

improves quality, because it corrects their alignment

move not only reduced the cost of the job but the time

and plumb.

required to do it without affecting quality or changing

The other project, LPV-3.2, is a USD 85-million con-

the original design.

tract that involves the construction of a retaining wall,

“We are working on behalf of the entire city, which

also built on metal piles in a ﬂooded area. The 4,800-m

has been keeping a close eye on the project as a

long structure will replace the one built in the 1980s.

whole because it is a very sensitive matter, especially

The new protection system is built on one bank of a

at a time when the Mississippi River is so high,” says

canal that is directly linked to Lake Pontchartrain, and

Rudy Armenta, who is now a member of the commu-

therefore affected by its water levels. “If the water is

nity affected by this issue. “I’m fully committed to this

high, it’s hard to get the work done. When it’s low, it

project. I’ve bought a house and moved here with my

interferes with the delivery of materials, which is all

family from Miami. I’m not only aware of the public’s

done through the canal. So in our case we are con-

concerns about storms and ﬂoods but share and face

stantly battling with the water levels, just like the city

the same situation. And that motivates me in my work

itself,” says Rami Nassar, the Project Manager for the

and our quest for innovation, with a focus on produc-

contract.

tivity and quality.”

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written by LUIZ CARLOS RAMOS photos by MÁRCIO LIMA

arena

FOR INNOVATION

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Gilson: “Já estou me preparando para Building the Fonte Nova outros desaﬁos” Arena and the implosion of the old stadium, step by step: contribution to Brazilian engineering

occer is one of Brazil’s greatest passions, and in the near future, attending matches will become a happier, safer and more comfortable experience for fans in the State of Bahia. Completion of the Fonte Nova Arena in the next

eighteen months will ensure that the City of Salvador can host the Confederations Cup games in 2013, a group from the 2014 World Cup, and more. Vital to the future of the sport in Bahia, the arena will be more than a stadium: seating up to 50,000 people, it can also be the venue for great performances by singers and bands from Brazil and around the globe. The future Fonte Nova Arena will not result from the remodeling of the former Octávio Mangabeira Stadium (popularly known as “Fonte Nova”) , which opened 60 years ago and was shut down in 2007. Instead it will be a brand-new modern facility built with innovative technologies. Now, a year after the old structure and its blue concrete bleachers were demolished by an implosion that was a ﬁrst in the history of Brazilian stadiums, workers and machines are steadily transforming the area next to Dique do Tororó lake with every passing day. Consórcio Arena Salvador 2014, a joint venture of Odebrecht and OAS, is building the facility. The companies will also run Fonte Nova Arena after it ofﬁcially opens, which is scheduled for early 2013. Dênio Cidreira, president of Fonte Nova Negócios e Participações, the company created to devise the best use of the arena, explains: “The big news is that we will not just build a stadium, but a multipurpose arena that will be important for soccer and for the arts and culture in Bahia, because it will also host major shows, conferences and events of all sizes. It will

The teams building the Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador, Bahia, a future venue of the 2014 World Cup, are introducing pioneering engineering solutions

certainly be a new destination for business and entertainment that will be available to the public all year round.” Alexandre Chiavegatto, from Odebrecht Infraestrutura, the Project Director for the joint-venture contractor, says that the implosion of the old Fonte Nova stadium on August 29 was an excellent start. “That operation has made an important contribution to the technology of the construction sector in this country. This was the first time it had been done with a stadium – and a stadium the size of Fonte Nova, in a densely populated area in a big city,” says Chiavegatto. Until then, implosions in Brazil had only been done with residential buildings and similar urban structures, such as commercial and office buildings. The challenge of fighting against the weather will be honored, says Benedicto Barbosa da Silva Júnior, Entrepreneurial Leader (CEO) of Odebrecht Infraestrutura – the company that, along with Odebrecht Participações e Investimentos (OPI), is responsible for the Organization’s participation in this venture: “The project is right on schedule. The Fonte Nova Arena will be

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an important legacy for the State of Bahia, because it will

The demolition of the lower ring of bleachers at Fonte

be a watershed for the creation of new businesses and ur-

Nova, Antonio Balbino gym and the swimming pools had

ban renewal. It will boost property values in the city center.”

already been done with bulldozers and jackhammers in

Felipe Jens, the Investment Leader (CEO) of OPI, un-

the ﬁrst half of 2010. But the main part of the structure

derscores that the State of Bahia has partnered up with the

was still standing. Imploding it was the safest and most

private sector to carry out this project: “Investments in the

economical option, according to Chiavegatto. A company

Fonte Nova Arena are being made on the basis of a public-

specializing in implosions, Arcoenge, was hired to take

private partnership (PPP) contract and concessions.” Ode-

care of the technical details, placing explosives inside the

brecht is not only involved in the construction of arenas but

stadium structure and detonating them once the area had

also in their future operations.

been cleared.

Odebrecht, which is also working on three other stadi-

”It went off without a hitch,” says Alexandre Chiavegatto.

ums for the World Cup – building the Pernambuco Arena,

The operation involved innovative solutions: the protection

in the Recife metropolitan area, and the Corinthians sta-

of the pillars, the test blast and the crushing of the demol-

dium in São Paulo, and remodeling Maracanã in Rio – has

ished concrete.

plenty of experience in that area. It has remodeled Maracanã Stadium once before, and completed Engenhão, both

Youth participation

for the 2007 Pan American Games. In the United States, it

”It all ended well, and lots of people wept with emo-

has built the American Airlines Arena and a football sta-

tion,” recalls Diana Paes, who joined Odebrecht in 2007

dium for Florida International University.

as an intern. Now a full-ﬂedged member, she is a role

Odebrecht Informa visited the jobsite in Salvador in June.

model for the 786 workers who are building the project – 535 in production and 251 in administration. “I was the

Spectacular implosion

girl at the implosion,” Diana admits, smiling. “Now I’m

“For safety’s sake, local residents were removed from

the girl at the jobsite.”

the area beforehand. During the implosion, the material

For the 22 interns working at Fonte Nova, Diana is also

fell within the area around the stadium, without harming

an example of dedication and success, explains Thiago

the public or their heritage,” recalls Alexandre Chiavegatto.

Gomes Cunha, who has a business degree and seven

The resulting 77,000 tonnes of concrete have been recycled

years’ experience at Odebrecht. He has worked at Fonte

to produce crushed stone for the future arena and other

Nova since March as the Developing Interns Program co-

infrastructure works, with the advantage of avoiding the

ordinator: “Young people should always aim for growth.

inconvenience of numerous truck trips. It also protects the

Each intern has their individual leader and undergoes as-

environment by eliminating the amount of carbon dioxide

sessments. Dialogue is fundamental.”

those vehicles would have emitted.

One of those interns, Vinicius do Lago Maio, 26, a

The implosion took place on a Sunday, broadcast live

fourth-year business student at Jorge Amado University, is

around the country. It was the ﬁrst concrete step towards

thrilled to be there: “I’ve always dreamed of working here.

building stadiums for the 2014 World Cup. Bahian en-

Now I can exchange ideas with experienced professionals

gineer Diana Paes, 26, who joined Odebrecht four years

on a daily basis.”

ago, helped coordinate the operation, and describes the general feeling: “We were all moved when the bleachers

Technological challenge

fell.” Diana took part in the advance work done to raise lo-

The transformation of Fonte Nova has also involved

cal residents’ safety awareness. She gave talks explaining

other steps, such as using scaffolding on ﬂatbed trucks

details of the project, which were also set forth in a booklet

to shore up the structure next to the facility that cur-

that featured a photomontage of a scale model of the arena

rently serves as the administrative building for the site

on the cover and the surrounding area of the city with the

and will be maintained for future use. The coordinator,

following appeal: “We need your help to build this dream.”

Mário Sérgio Cardoso Marques, says that this step was

A communications system including TV and radio spots

completed in four months, from October of last year to

and newspaper advertorials helped answer the local com-

January of this year, thanks to a dose of creativity: “The

munity’s questions.

truck moved forward as we worked so we didn’t need

INFORMA

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Daniel: “Esta é uma empresa que continua me dando oportunidades” Paulo Henrique and Fidelﬁno: soccer rivalry at the jobsite

to set up more scaffolding. As a result, we saved time

ﬁrst national champion, the Bahia soccer club won the

and money.”

Brazil Cup in 1959 and the Brazilian title in 1988. The of-

In the area where the new stadium is being built, earth-

ﬁcial attendance record was set at Fonte Nova when Bahia

moving has been completed and the piles are in place. The

beat Fluminense of Rio 2-1 during the Brazilian semi-ﬁnal

soccer ﬁeld is starting to take shape. Soon the stands will

of 1988, before 110,438 paying fans. Vitória, the state’s oth-

be going up, in the style of modern arenas built in recent

er main club, was Brazil’s vice-champion in 1993 and also

years in Europe, the US and Japan. Then the roof will be

won second place in the 2010 Brazil Cup.

installed to protect the spectators.

During construction of Fonte Nova, the relaxed atmo-

According to the design, the arena will be horseshoe

sphere among the workers does not keep the rivalry be-

shaped, affording a splendid view of Dique do Tororó, one

tween the Bahia and Vitória fan clubs from bubbling to the

of the most scenic spots in the city. The project is keep-

surface. One of the most ardent Bahia fans at the jobsite

ing strictly to schedule to ensure that Salvador is on the

is safety technician Paulo Henrique Souza dos Santos, 22,

list of cities hosting Confederations Cup matches in 2013,

who unbuttons his uniform to reveal his club’s red, white

and Consórcio Salvador Arena has developed a plan of at-

and blue jersey: “We are in the Brazilian A Series (ﬁrst divi-

tack including two work fronts, starting at both ends of the

sion) again,” he says, beaming with pride. Standing beside

horseshoe.

him is carpenter Fidelﬁno Machado dos Santos, 42, and the

Alexandre Chiavegatto explains: “We will use six ﬁxed

shirt he displays is the red and black of Vitória. “Our team is

cranes outside and two mobile cranes inside the arena to

in the B Series (second division), but soon it will rise again

cover the entire length of the area to be built. This solution

and play at Fonte Nova,” he predicts.

will save time while averting the risk of injury or ﬁnancial

Not all the materials resulting from the implosion have

loss.” The grass will have perfect drainage so games will

been recycled. Chunks of concrete from the old Fonte Nova

never be rained out. Ramps and public access corridors

stadium are still on the site. The workers have collected

are spacious and safe.

bits of the bleachers, still painted blue, and saved them as relics. Two thousand other pieces have been encased in

Rivalry and unity

clear acrylic boxes and donated to the Sister Dulce Social

The future Arena will also include a parking garage,

Works (OSID) charity. OSID is selling them at BRL 35.00

shops, restaurants and a cultural space that tells the story

apiece, and the BRL 70,000 they hope to raise will be used

of soccer and classic Bahia vs. Vitória (Ba-Vi) games, as

to support the religious mission begun by the recently be-

well as music and other local cultural expressions. The

atiﬁed nun, bringing hope to the needy in Salvador.

INFORMA

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Roger e sua equipe: “Existe aqui a possibilidade de termos muitos líderes, que nos ajudam no autodesenvolvimento”

Plants set up at the jobsites are speeding up construction of the Transnordestina Railway and the Porto Alegre Metro in Brazil

written by THEREZA MARTINS photos by ÉLVIO LUIZ AND MATHIAS CRAEMER

INFORMA

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n the Northeast and South of Brazil, Odebrecht

site. She explains that its geographic location – the same

Infrastructure teams are combining creativity, in-

distance from Eliseu Martins, Suape and Pecém – is stra-

novation and technology to build two projects in

tegic for keeping up the pace of the workfronts, which are

the transportation sector with major economic

moving ahead almost simultaneously. “Not only that, but

and social impacts: the Transnordestina (Trans-

the soil in Salgueiro has the ideal hardness and strength

Northeastern) Railway in Pernambuco and the exten-

for the production of crushed stone used as track ballast.

sion of Line 1 of the Trensurb (Empresa de Trens Ur-

And we use the byproducts of crushed rock to make con-

banos de Porto Alegre) Metro in Rio Grande do Sul.

crete sleepers, at no additional cost.”

Industrial jobsites set up speciﬁcally for that purpose are working virtually non-stop to support these two

The world’s largest sleeper plant

projects. Using cutting-edge technology, innovative so-

To meet the contract deadlines, two engineers,

lutions and expert teams, the pace of work is moving

Rodrigo Borges, responsible for the Transnordestina

forward in line with the clients’ expectations and needs.

sleeper plant, and Isaac Lacerda Tannus, manager of the railway superstructure, traveled to Italy in 2009 to

From the backlands to the coast

visit manufacturers there. They found the technology

A venture of Transnordestina Logística (TLSA), a

and equipment required to produce up to 4,800 concrete

subsidiary of Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN),

sleepers per day, which will be used as rail supports.

construction of the Transnordestina Railway is already

“Right now, this is the largest railway sleeper fac-

changing the landscape of the region where its freight

tory in the world in terms of production capacity,” says

trains will be running. The 1,728-km railway line will

Rodrigo. “Because it’s covered, it can work around the

connect the city of Eliseu Martins, Piauí, to the port of

clock, non-stop, including nights and on rainy days,

Suape in Pernambuco, with a trunk line linking Sal-

until it produces the 3-million-plus railroad ties this

gueiro, Pernambuco, to the Port of Pecém in Ceará.

project requires.”

Working as an alliance, TLSA and Odebrecht Infraestru-

Rodrigo emphasizes that the productivity they are

tura are building a 1,218-km section of the project. Con-

getting is down to a combination of several innovations.

struction began in 2010, with completion scheduled for

They include the design of the factory, with three identi-

the end of 2012.

cal interconnected units that work simultaneously while

The Transnordestina-Odebrecht alliance is re-

preventing a total shutdown if one stops operating for

sponsible for the Eliseu Martins-Suape section, which

any reason; the possibility of producing broad-gauge

crosses through the arid hinterland of the Brazilian

and dual-gauge sleepers with the same forms, with mi-

Northeast, traversing rural Pernambuco and the forest

nor adjustments; the process of steam-curing concrete,

area on its way to the coast. Almost halfway along the

reducing its maturation time to a few hours; and vacu-

line lies Salgueiro, a town whose economy is based on

um equipment that can remove the forms and position

commerce, services and small family farms. Located

up to eight 370-kg concrete sleepers for storage.

on the BR-116 highway linking Brazil from Ceará to Rio

These methods and resources are all available on

Grande do Sul, that is where Odebrecht Infraestrutura

the market, but combining them on a single project has

has built the main jobsite for the project.

given the work a major efﬁciency boost. “Planning and

“Salgueiro is the central hub for all the resources used to build the railroad,”

technology are what sets us apart,” said Isaac Tannus. Referring to the industrial jobsite, he men-

says Júlia Fadul, the engineer re-

tions that logistics and planning ensured the

sponsible for the industrial job-

optimum scale and location of the facilities and plants, which are side-by-side to help drive the project’s supply chain.

Installing a precast piece for the Trensurb Project: with help from the “mammoth” and its INFORMA “tusks”

0022_OI155_Rio_OK_INGLES.indd 19

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From the top of the quarry where the material is extracted to produce 4,500 cu.m of crushed rock daily for track ballast, you can see the sleeper plant, the rock crushing plant, the storage facility for railway tracks and other materials, the welding bay, warehouse, maintenance workshops and the access tracks from where the gantry cranes set off to distribute rails and sleepers along the bed of the Transnordestina. “Producing the materials we need on the spot saves time and money, with guaranteed quality,” says Isaac. In June, when the Odebrecht Informa team visited Salgueiro, the industrial jobsite was operating at full steam, building up a stockpile of sleepers, welded rails and other materials. Nine smaller jobsites were also hard at work in Pernambuco, Piauí and Ceará, providing support for earthmoving services.

Sharing knowledge Transnordestina is not just transforming the landscape of the region through which it runs. It is also broadening the horizons of students at tech-

Isaac Tannus at the Transnordestina works: “Planning and technology are what set us apart”

nical and engineering schools, bringing them new knowledge, experience and learnings. The Federal

contract was still under review and the approval

Technical School at Salgueiro is grooming profes-

never came.

sionals for the railroad. And at the jobsite next to the

City residents sent a petition to the State Govern-

sleeper plant, a visitor service center is being built

ment with 60,000 signatures in favor of expanding the

with a capacity for 30 people, equipped for video

Metro line, and in 2008, the state gave the project the

presentations and lectures.

green light, with a four-year deadline for completion.

“This project is generating a tremendous amount

But money was tight, and Nova Via, the joint-venture

of interest due to its technical and innovative aspects,

contractor led by Odebrecht Infraestrutura, limited its

as well as the economic impact that it represents,”

activities to planning and developing the detailed engi-

says Isaac Tannus. He adds: “There are plenty of

neering design.

good reasons for that. Investments in rail transport

“The civil engineering works began in 2009, when

in Brazil stood still for nearly three decades. Trans-

the project was included in the Federal Government’s

nordestina will bring new business opportunities and

Growth Acceleration Program (PAC),” says Project Di-

sources of income to the Northeast. This will be the

rector Nilton Coelho. “Our ﬁrst major challenge was

main outlet for the wealth produced in this region.”

keeping to schedule, while building a four-year project in three,” he observes.

From Porto Alegre to Novo Hamburgo

The pace of construction is speeding up on the 9.31-

We now go from the Northeast to the South of

km elevated tracks where the subway trains will run,

Brazil. Plans for the expansion of Line 1 of Tren-

along with four stations and two bridges with 90-m

surb date back some time. Subway service already

spans across the Sinos River, one for the subway and

includes the cities of Porto Alegre, Canoas, Esteio,

another for vehicles. “We are working ahead of schedule,

Sapucaia do Sul and São Leopoldo. In 2002, a ten-

and will deliver the ﬁrst 4.5 km stretch by July, includ-

der was held for construction of the 9.31 km stretch

ing Rio dos Sinos Station in São Leopoldo, and Liberdade

required to reach Novo Hamburgo, but by 2007 the

Station in Novo Hamburgo,” says Nilton.

INFORMA

0022_OI155_Rio_OK_INGLES.indd 20

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on rollers to move it along the tracks. It is replacing the use of conventional cranes in this operation, and doing it handily. “The elevated tracks follow the route of the main streets and heavily traveled roads, which would have had to be blocked off if we used regular cranes, resulting in delays in the work and inconvenience for the public,” says Rodrigo. Comparing the use of the “mammoth” and conventional cranes, the ﬁrst represents a time savings of around 33%, and in terms of costs, a signiﬁcant savings of 65%. Among the materials and construction methods used on this project, the highlights are the preference for glass blocks instead of masonry walls for the stations, and using rubber from chopped-up tires to make the sidewall sections. Placed on the surface of the concrete plates, the rubber deadens noise caused by the friction of train wheels on metal tracks, and glass blocks allow natural light into the stations, saving energy, ensuring comfortable temperatures and giving a lighter look to the visual design. The experience Odebrecht Infraestrutura’s teams have gained on the Trensurb project is described in

Plants at the jobsite

three papers submitted for the 2009 and 2010 editions

The construction teams are meeting the challeng-

of the Odebrecht Highlight Awards in the Innovation,

ing deadline by using precast beams and slabs for

Knowledge Reuse and Young Partner categories.

the superstructure and metal formwork for pillars

Trensurb expects that this expansion project will

and beams cast at the jobsite. “We built two precast-

add 30,000 new users per day as soon as the new sec-

ing plants near Liberdade Station, working 24 hours

tion of Line 1 of the Metro ofﬁcially opens. “The high-

a day. During that period we have produced three

way linking Porto Alegre to Novo Hamburgo is fully

beams weighing 58 tonnes each and 20 slabs,” says

saturated. The expectation is that the subway will si-

Rodrigo Lacerda, the project’s Engineering and Plan-

phon off some of that trafﬁc,” says Trensurb Project

ning Manager.

Manager Lino Sérgio Fantuzzi, the General Supervisor

Rodrigo explains that the main beneﬁts of using

for the expansion works. He adds: “One of the new sta-

metal forms instead of wood include complying with the

tions, Fenac, in Novo Hamburgo, will be linked to an

design specs, optimizing use of resources and boosting

intermodal transport platform connected to local and

productivity. The teams are using a steam curing sys-

intercity bus lines.”

tem for concrete beams, which also makes the work go

Trensurb CEO Humberto Kasper, who took ofﬁce on

faster. The choice of equipment was also based on the

June 1, emphasizes that the beneﬁts of this project go

pursuit of productivity combined with quality.

beyond mobility. “It’s part of the urban renewal project being carried out along the route of the elevated tracks.

Speedy mammoth

The urban space will be improved with parks, bike

Like the animal that went extinct thousands of years

paths, schools and police stations,” he says. He also

ago, the “mammoth” developed by the Odebrecht In-

points out another social beneﬁt: nearly 800 families

fraestrutura team for the Metro in Rio Grande do Sul

who lived near the elevated tracks have moved into brick

uses its “tusks” to lift the plates that form the elevated

and mortar houses in an area with the infrastructure of

track sidewalls. The “mammoth” is a gantry crane set

roads, water, power and sewer systems.

INFORMA

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INTERVIEW

kn Luiz Roberto: “It’s important to distinguish between innovation and invention”

INFORMA

0022_OI155_Rio_OK_INGLES.indd 22

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CAN-DO

knowledge written by RENATA MEYER

PHOTOS BY

ARTUR IKISHIMA

hen a major engineering chal-

OI – How do you prepare yourself to provide

lenge arises on Odebrecht con-

support for highly complex projects?

tracts anywhere in the world,

LUIZ ROBERTO – For me, engineering is a passion. I’ve al-

Luiz Roberto Batista Chagas

ways liked to study, and I think it’s important for any

knows it’s time to pack and trav-

professional to stay up to date. Even outside of work,

el. A 43-year veteran of the Organization and a gradu-

I read about various topics related to that area in my

ate of the Federal University at Bahia (UFBA) Poly-

spare time. Over the years, this habit has been very

technic, the civil engineer provides support for highly

important because it has given me the fundamentals

complex projects in Brazil and around the globe. The

for working in various different ﬁelds of engineering.

solid experience he has built up over the years resulted

Today, I’m dealing with a wide range of challenges.

in the publication of his ﬁrst book in 2008: Construction

Before contributing to the engineering solutions of a

Engineering – Major Works. Two years later, Luiz Ro-

given project, I try to get as much information as I can

berto received the Engineers’ Union of São Paulo Tech-

about the project in general and the speciﬁc challenge

nology Personality Award in the Internationalization of

at hand. Then, I do some research and assess the need

Brazilian Engineering category. In this interview, he

to get other professionals involved, whether from in-

explains how innovative ideas can make the difference

side or outside the Organization. Solutions and decision

when it comes to the success of a project and winning

making always result from discussions with the proj-

a new business.

ect’s teams. It’s never an individual endeavor.

INFORMA

0022_OI155_Rio_OK_INGLES.indd 23

23 8/3/11 5:22 PM

OI – What sort of challenges are you used to

altogether. To be worthy of the name, an invention

dealing with?

must go through several degrees of maturation in

LUIZ ROBERTO – Each project has its own peculiarities, and

a slow process that involves extensive research,

challenges can involve several ﬁelds of engineering at

testing, certiﬁcation and patents.

once. Usually they have to do with excavations, foundations, structures and ﬁnishing for construction works,

OI – How does Odebrecht address the theme

taking into account the natural, logistical and economic

of innovation?

aspects and cultural contexts of the places where they

LUIZ ROBERTO – Innovation is part of our core entrepreneur-

will be carried out. One example is the construction of

ial culture. The philosophical concepts of the Odebrecht

Braskem’s ethylene plant in Mexico (the Ethylene XXI

Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO) present a very strong

project, in the state of Veracruz). The land where the proj-

challenge: engaging in the constant pursuit of excellence

ect will be built is composed of an expansive type of soil

and winning over clients, which can only be achieved

called lutita (shale or lutite), which will require ﬁnding a

through innovation and continued dissatisfaction with pre-

way to restrict its de-

viously achieved results.

formations to accept-

For this reason, the

able levels in order to

company always en-

avoid future problems in the project’s founda-

“Ideally, teams

courages its members to seek improvements

tions. There are several

should be able

technologies available

to anticipate problems,

not only in engineering

seeking practical

tion, ﬁnance and gen-

for this. The challenge is to ﬁnd the best technical solution for this situation that is also the most economical. OI – In your view, what does it mean to innovate?

in their work processes, but also in administra-

solutions that are

eral support. One im-

appropriate for each

regard was the creation

situation from the very start”

portant initiative in this of the Highlight Awards, which provide a strong incentive to foster innovative ideas in all the

LUIZ ROBERTO – Inno-

various environments of

vating means renew-

the Organization.

ing to get things done OI – What role does

with fewer resources

and thereby obtain efﬁciency gains, whether it’s in

innovation play in engineering?

production processes, administration and ﬁnance,

LUIZ ROBERTO – Innovation is the basis for the ad-

or services. Innovation drives growth and com-

vancement of engineering. When carrying out a

petitiveness in any organization. It is the result of

project, planning is the exercise that leads to the

the constant pursuit of excellence. It is the com-

pursuit of innovation. So it must be dynamic in or-

mitment that people undertake to always being

der to allow for course corrections. Sometimes,

on the lookout for opportunities to improve their

teams looking for solutions to tough situations

work processes. However, it is also important to

must surpass themselves in the search for viable

distinguish innovation from invention. I consider

alternatives to overcome those challenges. That’s

innovation to be everything a company does for the

why it’s important for people to be constantly alert

ﬁrst time in order to achieve greater efﬁciency and

to possibilities for innovation. Ideally, teams should

effectiveness in its projects. It could be a tool, sys-

be able to anticipate problems, seeking practical

tem or process that already exists in the market.

solutions that are appropriate for each situation

Inventing something entirely new is another thing

from the very start.

INFORMA INFORMA

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OI – How does innovation impact the Organi-

OI – How do leaders help groom innovators?

zation’s competitiveness?

L UIZ R OBERTO – A leader must always encour-

LUIZ R OBERTO – By implementing innovative ideas,

age their team members to seek what is best.

you can increase the efficiency and effective-

Sometimes the solution to a particular chal-

ness of processes, reduce operating costs, solve

lenge is right there, and people don’t realize

technical challenges and thereby gain competi-

because they are too involved in their daily

tiveness. But it is important to remember that

routines. But when the challenge is set, in-

innovation is only meaningful when it brings

novations tend to arise naturally. However, for

practical results. As much as you may want to

this to happen, leaders must be imbued with

innovate, you mustn’t view each project like a

the company’s philosophy, devoting their time,

laboratory. Our top priority must always be to

presence, experience and example, and giving

honor our commitments to our clients and en-

all the support the individual needs to grow and

sure the safety and quality of our services.

develop.

OI – How do different

OI – What is the main

areas of the Organi-

challenge for innova-

zation share their innovative ideas?

LUIZ ROBERTO – Despite the decentralized nature of the Organization, the transfer of knowledge between different environments is strongly encouraged. To that end, the company has created Knowledge Communities, which bring

“Innovation is only

tion today?

LUIZ ROBERTO – The main

meaningful when it

challenge lies in profes-

brings practical results.

ability to keep up with

As much as you may

sional education; in its the rapid advance of technology. Today’s uni-

want to innovate, you

versities must teach stu-

mustn’t view each

development. Engineers

project like a laboratory”

dents to engage in selfmust be entrepreneurs, first and foremost, so

together members with

they can respond posi-

common interests who

tively to the challenges

want to share their

of the market. The col-

know-how and inno-

lege curriculum is the

vations. Today these

main reference tool for

communities include segments such as Highways,

that sort of learning. In my view, an engineer’s education

Dams and Power Plants, Subways, Real Estate

must be based on three pillars: basic knowledge,

Ventures, Ports and Equipment, among others.

encompassing core disciplines such as Math-

The leaders of these groups are professionals

ematics, Physics and Chemistry; professional

with extensive experience in their fields. Often,

knowledge, which focuses on more specific as-

community participants are invited to share their

pects of the engineer’s academic training, such

experiences with teams working on several of the

as building bridges, roads, ports and structures;

Organization’s projects. This can be done before

and business knowledge, which involves the sub-

the start of each project, through meetings of the

jects of Leadership, Business Management and

Action Program’s (PA) engineering modules, or

Contract Administration, among others. When an

even during construction. The project director for

interactive team that is motivated to overcome

the contract in question always takes the initiative

previous results is equipped with this range of

and lead, and makes decisions regarding these

knowledge, these are key ingredients for innova-

meetings.

tion in engineering.

INFORMA

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25 8/3/11 5:22 PM

A case where a country provides real incentives for entrepreneurial creativity

VALUAB written by EDILSON LIMA photos by RICARDO TELES

Participantes do Acreditar Angola: protagonistas de uma nova era no pa铆s INFORMA

Santo Ant么nio Hydroelectric Plant: an exemplary case

0022_OI155_Rio_OK_INGLES.indd 26

8/3/11 5:22 PM

ABLE

ideias

f the hot topic at the construction site is technologi-

Another success story is the work being done during

cal innovation, it’ll just be a matter of time before it

construction of the Santo Antônio hydroelectric power

gets a visit from the Odebrecht Innovation Research

plant in the state of Rondônia. The team there has de-

Program (POIT) team. Created in 2008, this program

veloped motorized equipment to remove core samples

aims to identify solutions devised at the jobsites and

from depths of up to 5 meters. The samples are taken

encourage creativity among the project’s teams. The Ode-

from the sites where the foundations for transmission

brecht Organization is already getting visible results, both

line towers will be built. The equipment speeds up the

in garnering tax incentives (Law no. 11.196/2005 introduced

collection of samples, providing technical information

tax breaks for companies that develop technological inno-

that is used to design the foundations.

vations) and managing new knowledge.

“The biggest beneﬁt of the POIT is saving time, be-

Step by step, the process goes like this: once an inno-

cause innovations are recorded. The next time around,

vative project has been identiﬁed at a jobsite, a team from

we can avoid repeating previous mistakes or imple-

Pieracciani, a consulting ﬁrm for the POIT, goes out to the

menting new procedures. There’s no need to reinvent

site, performs an inventory, organizes the necessary docu-

the wheel,” says José Roberto Brandão, the ofﬁcer

mentation and assists the teams based on the criteria es-

Responsible for providing Engineering Support for

tablished by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT)

Augusto Roque, CEO for Generation in Brazil at Ode-

and current ﬁscal and tax laws. Every year, the POIT sends

brecht Energia.

a report to the MCT covering all the innovative projects produced during that period, including Research, Devel-

Water reuse

opment & Innovation (R, D & I) activities and the beneﬁts

Aquapolo Ambiental, a subsidiary of Foz do Brasil,

obtained. “Part of our job is to produce evidence that the

will apply a new water reuse process technology for

project in question is truly innovative,” says Alfonso Abrami,

the ﬁrst time in Brazil. Jointly developed by Constru-

the consulting ﬁrm’s Technical Director.

tora Norberto Odebrecht and Foz do Brasil, it involves

The POIT is run by a committee representing Odebrecht

using ultraﬁltration membranes and reverse osmosis

Engineering & Construction companies, Construtora Nor-

methods that will allow compliance with the water

berto Odebrecht’s Tax Planning area and Pieracciani. Peri-

quality requirements of the Capuava Petrochemical

odically, its members meet to review and approve the proj-

Complex in São Paulo State, where the treated water

ects that have what it takes to be included in the program.

will be used.

Essal was one of the ﬁrst projects included in the POIT. It

The POIT is one of several initiatives in the ﬁeld of

involves equipment used for geological studies of the marine

knowledge production, management and sharing at

subsoil developed during the project to extend moles in the

Odebrecht, such as the Highlight Awards. The program

Port of Rio Grande, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do

fosters innovative practices through partnerships with

Sul. The construction of this equipment to survey the subsoil

universities and research institutes, as well as the Or-

saved money on imports, since it didn’t exist in Brazil.

ganization’s clients and suppliers, encouraging innova-

Dante Venturini, the ofﬁcer Responsible for Func-

tion throughout the supply chain.

tional Support for Engineering at Odebrecht Infraestru-

Since the POIT was created, leaders have been en-

tura, underscores the importance of systemizing knowl-

couraged to seek new achievements in technological

edge: “The POIT makes us appreciate the creativity and

innovation all the time. “Bit by bit, the culture of inno-

knowledge produced at the jobsites, which many people

vation and knowledge sharing is spreading throughout

discard once the work is done. That’s not the way to do

the Organization’s businesses. Our members are start-

it. All knowledge we obtain must be organized so it can

ing to realize how important this is to the quality of our

be shared and used in the future, while always seeking

services, as well as adding value to the Organization’s

gains in productivity,” he emphasizes.

brand,” explains Alfonso Abrami. INFORMA

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WITHOUT 28

rival

Braskem polypropylene: focusing on each clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s individual needs

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“B

ecause we are working in a highly competitive global marketplace where innovation is a key factor for success,

written by LUCIANA MÓGLIA photos by RICARDO CHAVES

we must be very focused on providing outstanding products, developing

new applications for our clients and the continued pursuit of cost competitiveness so that we are our client’s choice due to excellence in products and services,” observes Patrick Teyssonneyre, Director of Innovation and Technology at the Braskem Polymers Business Unit (UNPOL). In 2010, UNPOL’S Innovation and Technology teams launched 41 projects, representing USD 180 million in potential returns in ﬁve years. Expectations are that in 2011 they will launch about 80 projects with a potential return of USD 290 million. At Braskem, innovation serves the client’s best interests. In practice, this means that the company’s innovation and technology laboratories and pilot plants are always working on the creation of new resins that meet the needs of plastic processing companies, getting ahead of trends, improving the performance of existing products and seeking sustainable solutions. “At Braskem, researchers go into the ﬁeld together

with members of the commercial area to anticipate trends, identify new potential applications and study the markets to determine whether ideas are feasible or not,” explains Teyssonneyere. Looking to develop new markets, Braskem is now supplying polypropylene resins that Bredero Shaw uses to insulate and rust-proof steel pipelines that transport oil from offshore, as well as the polypropylene that Nova Plast uses to make coffee sacks for export.

Offshore pipelines In the middle of the last decade, Braskem spotted an opportunity to work in the market for pipelines used in deep-water oil and natural gas exploration – and it is already getting results. Petrobras alone is expected to build at least another 15 offshore rigs by 2017, including 8 to 10 platforms for exploration of the

Providing outstanding products and services are Braskem’s priority in its pursuit of increased competitiveness

pre-salt layer, which signals a promising market. “We found that polypropylene is widely used for that application, but all the resin was imported,” says Braskem PP (Polypropylene) Product Development Manager Alessandro Cauduro Lima. To become a supplier to the oil industry, Braskem sought out Bredero Shaw, which saw advantages in the

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Innovation and Technology Center team members: creating new plastic resins while paying special attention to sustainable solutions

company’s proposal, such as a continuous supply of

which partnered up with Braskem to launch a product

product and local technical service, which suppliers

made with PVC instead of asbestos in 2011. Another

from outside Brazil could not provide. The challenge

partner is Acinplas, a pioneer in Brazilian production

was to produce a plastic resin that met higher thermal

of silobags (plastic silos for grain storage) for farmers,

requirements, since the main function of coating poly-

which teamed up with Braskem to ﬁnd the best tech-

propylene piping and offshore steel pipelines used to

nology, analyze market viability and develop the raw

transport oil is to act as a thermal insulator, preserving

material.

the input’s original properties.

Thanks to the creation of PVC roof tiles, the Bra-

The development of resins for this application, be-

zilian market in March was introduced to a pioneering

gun in May 2008, was completed by the end of 2010.

alternative to tiles made with asbestos or aluminum. It

“During that period, the product was subjected to the

all started in mid-2009, when a shareholder of Precon,

rigorous approval process established by Petrobras,”

another Braskem client, introduced the idea in Brazil

says Alessandro Lima.

after it had been tested and approved in the Northern

The ﬁrst time this application was used was for

Hemisphere. From the start, it had potential sales of

Petrobras’s P-55 platform. The pipelines that ofﬂoad

100,000 t/year – about 20% of the domestic roof tile

oil and gas from that rig are a total of over 80 km long,

market.

which should require almost 3,000 tonnes of PCD 0140

The ﬁrst step was developing the formula for the

and PCD 0140BR. Expectations are that consumption

compound used to make the tiles, which have speciﬁc

will total 6,000 t/year in 2011 and more than 10,000 t/

requirements such as resistance to weathering and

year by 2013.

processing. In China, members of the Braskem Market Development team and Precon found a rooﬁng model

Replacing asbestos with PVC

that does not require a large investment and has tech-

The international market is an endless source of

nical performance suited to the Brazilian market.

ideas for new applications that can be very well-re-

That partnership was not limited to production. “We

ceived by Brazilian clients. That was the case with Pre-

worked together to build the business model for putting

con, a roof tile manufacturer based in Minas Gerais,

the product on the market, since the client was already

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pectations. By 2011, the company had sold 290 tonnes of polypropylene for that application. According to Braskem Application Engineering and Polypropylene Market Development Manager Mônica Evangelista, the market for coffee packed in jute sacks is estimated at 12 to 15 million units. “The same products made from polypropylene could potentially replace 40% of that market,” she says.

Grain storage Some time ago, Acinplas, a national leader in the production of plastic packaging for fruits and vegetables based in Estância Velha, Rio Grande do Sul, was thinking of facilitating production of silobags in Brazil as an alternative for farmers. The company contacted Braskem, which already supplied it with polyethylene used to make plastic bags, and they worked together to ﬁnd a way to produce silobags in Brazil and introduce an alternative grain storage culture in that country. The product is already a success in Argentina, whose farmers consumes about 150,000 units/year. active in the rooﬁng business and could use their exist-

Consumption in Brazil was low – just 5,000 units, at

ing sales channel,” says Antônio Rodolfo, the Braskem

best. “Once we found a machine manufacturer in Chi-

Manager for Application Engineering and Market De-

na, Braskem immediately sent Linear PE (polyethyl-

velopment. “Braskem has been a terriﬁc partner in this

ene) resin there for testing. After making the necessary

product launch, contributing to development, technolo-

adjustments, we developed a durable and economical

gy and marketing,” observes Décio Gomes, CEO of Pre-

product,” explains Acinplas Commercial Director Gus-

con. The company has a production capacity of 12,000

tavo Bazzano.

t/year of PVC roof tiles and is investing in expansion to reach 16,000 tonnes by the end of the year.

Acinplas has invested BRL 10 million in setting up its silobag factory in Sapiranga, RS, called Paciﬁl Brasil, which began operations in early 2011. The

Coffee packaging

unit has an annual production capacity of 60,000 si-

Another joint evaluation of the applications of that

lobags, consuming up to 6,000 tonnes of polyethyl-

raw material conﬁrmed the idea, shared by Braskem

ene per year. Pursuant to the agreement between

and Nova Plast, that plastic could be a good alterna-

the two companies, Braskem will be the exclusive

tive for manufacturing coffee packaging for export.

supplier for eight years. According to Bazzano, Paci-

“Caffè Dóro issued a report some time ago, indicating

ﬁl already plans to expand production capacity next

that polypropylene sacking is the best way of preserv-

year with a projected investment of BRL 7 million.

ing the quality of coffee based on parameters such as

“We are amazed by the demand, especially from

aroma, cleanliness, sweetness, ﬂavor and bitterness.

grain producers in the Midwest. We have sold 10,000

That was the ﬁnal factor that made Nova Plast, a man-

units this year,” says Bazzano. Braskem Account

ufacturer of screens, sacking and other polypropylene

Manager Carlos Carlucci underscores the sustain-

products, decide to invest in factories to produce poly-

able nature of this initiative: “Paciﬁl is prepared to

propylene ﬁber sacks,” says Roberto Samartim, the

receive and recycle 10% of the silos sold,” he says.

owner of Nova Plast.

In other words, Brazil and Argentina may be soccer

The product was launched on the market in 2010 and, according to Samartim, sales are meeting ex-

rivals, but in the case of silobags, they are playing on the same team.

INFORMA

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32 produc IN THE MOLD OF

written by FABIANA CABRAL photos by RICARDO TELES

ike pieces of a Lego set with various geo-

the construction master plan, developing new precast

metric shapes and sizes and volumes.

pieces is key for optimizing the work, the safety of the

This is a simple deﬁnition for the precast

company’s members and the preservation of the envi-

pieces used in civil construction. But on

ronment. “In construction, the industrialization of some

this particular project, precast pieces

processes boosts the quantity and quality of activities

mean ﬂexibility, quality and safety. These pieces were ﬁrst used in some countries dur-

while ensuring people’s safety and quick results,” explains Project Director Mário Lúcio Pinheiro.

ing post-World War II reconstruction. They became

The precast pieces are manufactured by 240 pro-

popular in Brazil in the 1950s, when businesses began

fessionals in two yards near the site where they will be

to streamline and industrialize processes. More than

used. “We produce 400 units per month, weighing from

60 years later, the presence of precast pieces in large

5 to 28 tonnes apiece, and we plan to increase produc-

projects is growing steadily, and their applications are

tion by 100 units over the next six months,” says Yards

becoming more and more challenging.

Manager André Lima.

Odebrecht Energia is building one of the largest hy-

The project involves 827 different types of precast

droelectric projects in the country in the Brazilian state

pieces and more than 11,400 have already been installed.

of Rondônia: the Santo Antônio plant, which will have 44

“Precast pieces involve more assembly and less casting.

turbines and generate 3,150 MW of energy. According to

The more we reduce the casts used for these structures,

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uctivity

Precast pieces help put construction of the Santo Antônio hydroelectric plant ahead of schedule

Santo Antônio hydroelectric plant in Rondônia: precast pieces (lower right) also improve workers’ safety conditions and environmental preservation

the faster the work goes,” says Technical and Engineer-

The Engineering and Production teams got together

ing Manager Fernando Dias Resende. He adds that the

with the designers to make the idea a reality, and af-

pieces are used as needed, based on feasibility. “Precast

ter six months of discussions and drafts, the precast

pieces for the gallery [providing access for technicians

piece was created with a metal form. The teams de-

and equipment used for turbine maintenance], the par-

signed shapes weighing 11 to 21 tonnes according to

apet walls and jersey barriers are widely used in large

the crane’s available lifting capacity.

projects. Our challenge is to create original items, and we have already developed a few,” he explains.

The new pieces are already being installed in the suction pipes for Generator Group 2 and will also be applied to Generator Groups 3 and 4, all on the left bank.

Combining new solutions

Each pipe consists of 20 pieces, and a total of 36 tur-

One of the new pieces specially designed for the plant

bines will be installed using 720 precast pieces of dif-

is a precast suction tube (a cone-shaped hydraulic de-

ferent shapes and weights. To facilitate transport, the

vice located at the turbine exit). The idea came up after

largest precast pieces in the design are made right next

using the conventional method – wood concrete forms –

to the site where they will be used.

for Generator Group (GG) 1, on the right bank of the Ma-

“We have reduced the execution time for the layer

deira River. “Wood forms need repairs and, moreover,

from 60 to 45 days and increased productivity, safety

their reuse rate is poor,” says Fernando Resende.

and environmental conservation,” says Rodrigo Galli,

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“The pieces do not need touchups, because they are ready for use, minimizing rework”

Making precast pieces at the plant’s jobsite

Almir Chieregato

Production Manager for Power House 2. He explains

terface of the project. The trunnion beam supports the

that, as a result, members are less exposed to the

arm of the sluice gate, which controls the level of the

risk of accidents, and 948 m of timber and 2,800 m

plant’s reservoir. Using the conventional method, the

of falsework (steel structures for bracing and securing

beam would be made by installing lateral bracing sup-

reinforced concrete) per unit are no longer required.

ported by a concrete pillar. Rodrigo Galli explains that

When precast pieces cannot be used, the process

the precast piece has reduced the amount of work done

is industrialized by assembling rebars in advance. “In-

at height – the beams are 30 meters off the ground –

stead of taking hundreds of rebars to be assembled at

because they used cranes to install the parts. He ob-

heights of dozens of meters, we assemble the structure

serves that this solution has slashed costs by 50% and

on the ground and a crane positions it for concreting,”

reduced the work schedule by 20%, from 35 to 25 days.

says Rodrigo Galli.

“We have ensured that we will ﬁnish the civil engineer-

These methods also keep the work fronts clean and organized and contribute to the quality of the struc-

ing works on schedule so we can begin the electromechanical activities and start diverting the river.”

ture’s ﬁnishing. “The pieces don’t need touch-ups, be-

The diversion of the Madeira River ofﬁcially began

cause they are ready for use, minimizing rework. Each

on July 5, in the presence of Brazilian President Dilma

structure is fully ﬁnished,” says Quality Control Man-

Rousseff, Mines and Energy Minister Edison Lobão, and

ager Almir Chieregato.

local and federal authorities, along with Marcelo Odebrecht, President and CEO of Odebrecht S.A., Henrique

Key part of river diversion

Valladares, Entrepreneurial Leader (CEO) of Odebrecht

Another precast piece developed for this project was

Energia, Eduardo de Melo Pinto, President of Santo An-

the trunnion beam used to support the main spillway, which is essential to the civil and electromechanical in-

tônio Energia, and other leaders. President Rousseff triggered the device that opened the spillway ﬂoodgates, allowing water to ﬂow through

Accompanied by Eduardo de Melo Pinto (left), Minister Edison Lobão, Rondônia Governor Confúcio de Moura, and Marcelo Odebrecht, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff triggers the device that opens the spillway ﬂoodgates: diversion of the Madeira River begins

the structure. “Santo Antônio represents a commitment to the Brazilian environment and sustainable development,” she said. Mário Lúcio Pinheiro observes that this event marked the beginning of a new phase of the project. “The ideas conceived and lessons learned on the right bank will be applied on the left. We will work hard to ensure that the ﬁrst turbine starts generating power by December 2011, and the other 43 are operating by the end of 2015,” he adds. According to Rodrigo Galli, teams from the company’s other projects have visited the jobsite to familiarize themselves with these new ideas so they can apply them in the future.

INFORMA

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TWENTY YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED CREATIVITY, INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION DON’T MISS OUT ON PARTICIPATING IN THIS COMMEMORATIVE EDITION

UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

BECOME A PART OF THIS HISTORY

Innovation

Young Par tner

Environment

Community Relations

Utilization of the Knowledge

Health and Safety at Work

HTTPS://WWW.PREMIODESTAQUE.COM For more information on the Destaque Award, please contact Ciaden (premiodestaque@odebrecht.com). 0022_OI155_Rio_OK_INGLES.indd 35

IINFORMA NFORM NFORM ORMA

35 3 5 8/3/11 5:23 PM

The platform on the BGL-2 barge: Brazilian innovation

FOURTEEN SECO

hi 36

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P-59 is the first jack-up platform in the world to be launched from another floating platform written by EMANUELLA SOMBRA photos by ARTUR IKISHIMA

ONDS THAT MADE

history INFORMA

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rom the top of P-59 platform’s control tower, we hear the ﬁrst in a series of three alarms that will trigger the release of the 7,700-tonne giant, carefully positioned on Petrobras’s BGL-2

barge. Four tugs are waiting for the operation to start, which is expected to happen at noon on a gray and rainy Friday. The excitement is growing every minute as the countdown goes on. We are awaiting the moment when P-59 will fall into the brackish waters of the Paraguaçu River, close to its mouth. Mário Moura and Jacques Raigorodsky – respectively, the ofﬁcer Responsible for Field Engineering and the Corporate Engineering Manager – are waiting on the BGL-2, where a team of about 50 people are starting to move quickly to the stern of the vessel, considered the safest place to be when the rig shoves off. The operation is expected to take two minutes early, but, providentially, the rain stops. The third whistle blows at 11:45 am. Then, Moura and Raigorodsky give the green light for the launch: the activation of the hold-down

yard in São Roque do Paraguaçu, a district of the

system (something like a thousand-tonne slingshot)

town of Maragogipe, 133 km from the state capi-

releases P-59 from the barge, which is gently slop-

tal, Salvador, Bahia. It all began in 2007, when the

ing down at about ﬁve degrees. Gravity starts to do

tender for the construction of platforms P-59 and

its part and the rig slides across the BGL-2 with

P-60 called for the completion of the project in a

near-zero friction. The operation has been calculat-

place that was not adapted for launching offshore

ed to take place on the calm and sheltered waters of

platforms. One of Petrobras’s conditions was

the Paraguaçu, Anyone watching the operation from

that the rigs had to be built in the municipality of

afar will have the impression of seeing a huge toy

São Roque, whose shipyard was not equipped to

skimming on the water, making giant waves until it

launch those rigs.

ﬁnally sails smoothly and stabilizes with the help of the tugboats.

“The choice of São Roque was a way of continuing a process that already existed in the region – the tradition of building jackets for oil rigs in the

Two and a half years of work

1980s,” explains Odebrecht Project Director José

The launch operation took less than a minute

Luís Coutinho. “Not to mention that the São Roque

– more precisely, 14 seconds – after two and a half

shipyard had recently been mobilized to build top-

years of work by nearly 2,000 people from Consór-

sides [process modules and utilities] for the PRA-1

cio Rio Paraguaçu (a joint venture of Odebrecht En-

platform.” To fuﬁll the client’s requirements, the

genharia Industrial, Construtora Queiroz Galvao S/A

joint-venture contractor evaluated all of the al-

and UTC Engenharia), and represented an unprec-

ternatives available in the offshore industry. The

edented feat in offshore engineering. This was the

problem was that none of them was ﬁnancially vi-

ﬁrst time in the world that a jack-up (self-elevating)

able or logistically feasible.

oil rig had been launched from another ﬂoating vessel, in this case Petrobras’s BGL-2 barge.

“The challenge was to ﬁnd the most innovative methods that we could propose to become more

The critical moment of the operation took place

competitive and win the tender,” recalls Jacques

in June, as a result of hard work done at the ship-

Raigorodsky, the engineer in charge of devising a

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Getting ready for the launch in São Roque do Paraguaçu: operation involved over 1,700 workers

solution. One option would be to create a dry dock

could offer during the tender, but I had to convince

where P-59 and P-60 would be built. But it wasn’t

the guys that this was feasible. At ﬁrst, everyone

even entertained for a simple reason: the high cost

said it couldn’t be done,” the consultant recalls.

of its implementation.

Gaining the conﬁdence of the client and his

Another alternative was to build a launch ramp

own colleagues was just the ﬁrst battle to be won.

similar to those used in conventional shipyards, but

Once that hurdle was overcome, the joint-venture

that solution was also discarded because it would

contractor presented this proposal in the bid. It

also have had a substantial impact on the budget,

won the tender, largely due to the competitiveness

and it required the modiﬁcation of the yard’s original

generated by that innovative method for launch-

layout. “After that procedure, we would have had to

ing the rigs. After signing the contract, the team’s

dismantle everything and leave the place as it was

challenge was to prove in practice that the launch

before.” The third and last technology evaluated –

method would actually work. How? By using a

loading the rigs onto a submersible barge that is

1:50 scale model and developing speciﬁc software

made to sink like a submarine – would have cost

for the operation – in other words, a model and a

about USD 5 million per operation. That solution

computer program to do all the calculations for

would require importing barges that might not even

the simulation.

be available.

The solution was to use the testing tanks at the Lab Oceano, in Rio de Janeiro, where every possible

Brazilian method

launch option was thoroughly tested. The model

Then the light bulb of creativity lit up. In Jacques

helped determine how the platform and the barge

Raigorodsky’s mind, a fourth alternative seemed

would behave during the launch, which helped them

entirely possible – a barge normally used to launch

arrive at a launch angle that could overcome the

jackets (steel towers used in the extraction of oil

friction of inertia without making the rig pivot about

and gas) could also be used to launch a structure

on the deck. The effect of pivoting would make the

with a hull. “It was a way to use a Brazilian method

platform rear up, causing the hull to come to rest on

that is owned by Petrobras, and which the company

a single point of the barge deck, which would dam-

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Worker at the yard and P-59: new horizons for the Brazilian oil industry

INFORMA

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age one or both of the structures. During that trial

outcome of all that work,” says Moura, before giv-

and error stage, the team used 23 launch settings,

ing his next instructions by radio. Standing close to

and 92 simulations were required to determine the

the river bank, he is still orchestrating the legion

safest angle: 5.46 degrees. After that, the next step

of workers who are striving to continue the success

would be to ﬁnd a material that would create the

achieved in the previous month.

least possible friction between the surface of the barge and the hulls of P-59 and P-60.

Now that the team has met the main challenge of revolutionizing offshore engineering by making

The most appropriate combination was familiar

it possible to use a new technology to launch jack-

to old salts, and Odebrecht’s own engineers had

up platforms, São Roque do Paraguaçu is getting

been testing it for decades. “It’s a nearly century-

ready to repeat the same procedure with P-60. It

old method: applying mutton tallow to the skids,

may seem simple, but it’s not. This is because Ode-

which, in our case, are made of steel on top and

brecht and its joint-venture partners shared the

wood on the bottom,” says Mário Moura. “And to

effort to complete P-59, which was towed back to

complete the process we coated the concrete and

shore at the yard after the launch, where it under-

steel ramp with Teﬂon, so when these surfaces

went the procedure of jacking the legs (when the

come into contact, they produce very low friction,

basic support structures are stabilized at the bot-

about 2%.” Since the initial tests began, he worked

tom of the river).

in partnership with Raigorodsky to develop the

It will take about six months to ﬁnish building

method, taking charge of everything from coordi-

the rig. Another load-out procedure will be required

nating the teams to supervising every step to en-

to install the drill ﬂoor before it can set out to sea

sure that the operation went smoothly.

and start drilling offshore. Both P-59 and P-60 are designed to operate in areas near the coast, at wa-

Leveling the barge with the pier

ter depths of up to 110 m water. Their drilling ca-

Moura watched the launch of P-59 in the Para-

pacity is abyssal: out in the ocean, they will be able

guaçu River from the best place to feel the impact

to drill up to 10,000 m deep, which means they will

of displacement: the barge itself. Three days ear-

reach the oil deposits in the pre-salt layer.

lier, he also was responsible for every detail of the

“We’ve established a milestone for the offshore

load-out – the transfer of the rig from dry land to

industry, and this has been a fantastic learning ex-

the BGL-2, using a system of hydraulic jacks and

perience for all the professionals involved in both the

ramps built at the yard. “The load-out operation

simulations and in structural studies of scale models

was nothing new. Odebrecht’s technical team had

and naval operations,” says Fernando Barbosa, CEO

done it several times. But this kind of operation is

of Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial, who closely fol-

extremely delicate and requires the greatest pos-

lowed the ﬁnal moments of the ﬁrst stage. “The main

sible care, because we needed to ensure that the

legacy from this entire operation is that it will always

barge and the dock were at the same level through-

be part of the Organization’s experience and knowl-

out the procedure. And that is very hard to do.”

edge in its future projects, which will make us even

In this case, “delicate” can mean painstaking and

more competitive.”

slow. While the launch of P-59 lasted just 14 sec-

Based on the results of this initial effort, the use

onds, the load-out took about 15 hours, inching for-

of this new technology promises to create fresh ho-

ward to the point where, to the naked eye, the rig did

rizons for the Brazilian oil industry. “Because this

not seem to be moving at all. “It involved three years

type of barge is readily available, we will be able

of dedication to make an event like this happen in

to build ﬂoating structures in other locations. We

less than a day, and then, in less than a minute. But

now have a new launch method,” says Nilo Victor

one thing I’ve learned from Jacques and Coutinho is

de Oliveira, Petrobras’s Sectoral Manager for Jack-

this: for an operation to succeed, it takes planning

Up Platform Construction. In São Roque do Para-

and very detailed procedures. Thorough prepara-

guaçu, the construction teams are still doing their

tion for the operation is essential. The rest is the

part. Bring on P-60!

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steady

AND VERSATILE written by RUBENY GOULART

photos by GERALDO PESTALOZZI

INFORMA

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The Norbe VI rig’s systems keep it in position over offshore oil wells in all weathers and reduce drilling time

Norbe VI in Rio de Janeiro: the rig will operate in the pre-salt layer ﬁelds

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he semi-submersible drilling platform Norbe VI arrived in Brazil in March. In the coming weeks, as soon as drilling starts for the ﬁrst oil wells in Brazil’s pre-salt layer ﬁelds, it will

go into operation with the hallmark of innovation. Operated by Odebrecht Oil & Gas (OOG), the drill rig is equipped with a system known as “parallel activity,” which substantially reduces the amount of time spent drilling the wells and can generate savings of up to USD 1 million per day for the client – in this case, Petrobras. Another stand-out feature for this unit, a steel colossus that is 240-m long and as tall as a 14-story building, is dynamic positioning. This technology allows the drilling unit to be positioned the over the wells under the harshest conditions, especially strong waves and currents. Also used by other international oil rig operators, adapting the parallel activity system Norbe VI was an initiative of OOG engineers Herculano Barbosa and José Pitta, with the support of the Dutch design and engineering firm SBM, the same company that managed the rig’s construction. The project took four years to complete, and the version developed in-house came in cheaper than its international counterparts. Even so, it

Norbe VI’s parallel activity towers: less time spent raising and lowering drilling columns

has all the advantages of the conventional system, especially saving time and improving productivity during drilling operations. The second tower, which is installed next to the main one, is

lower and allows independent management. With

Using the conventional operating system with

some adaptations, it can also be installed on con-

a single tower, it takes 40 days to reach a depth

ventional rigs.

of 5,000 meters below the surface. But paral-

Drilling an oil well is done in stages, using col-

lel activity drastically reduces that timeframe.

umns tipped with drills that can reach water depths

“You can save an average of eight days per well

of up to 10,000 m. At the end of each stage, the

drilled,” says Herculano Barbosa, based on the

drill assembly is removed so a metal tube – the lin-

experience of someone who has participated in

ing – can be lowered to protect the section drilled,

major offshore projects on rigs operated by OOG

stabilizing the well and preventing the sides from

and its predecessor, Odebrecht Perfurações

collapsing. This lining is ﬁxed in place with cement

Ltda. (OPL). According to Herculano, it takes

paste. During the next stage, another column drills

about 12 hours to lower and remove each of the

even deeper and repeats the sequence, removing

six columns used in drilling with the conventional

the drill assembly and installing more tubes, until

system, but the twin towers cut that time almost

the ﬁnal section of the well is reached. The inno-

in half. “While one column is drilling, the other is

vation on Norbe VI is reducing the time spent on

on its way down,” explains Herculano. “It saves

sequential up-and-down-column drilling.

time, money and effort.”

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that OOG will soon be operating. Norbe IX is expected to arrive in Brazil in July 2011. More technologically advanced than her sisters, Norbe VI is anchored outside Guanabara Bay, near Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, where it is undergoing the final phase of testing. In the coming weeks, it will head out for the production area. This unit has accommodations for up to 140 people. Its dynamic positioning system works with eight underwater propellers, as well as GPS and radio positioning, which capture satellite signals to accurately realign the rig over the wellhead. Odebrecht invested 20% of the total required to build Norbe VI, and the remaining 80% was raised through project financing – financial engineering involving the contractor, builder and manager of the rig. The contract that OOG signed with Petrobras provides for chartering and operating the rig for 10 years.

Conceived in 2006 Norbe VI was ﬁrst conceived in 2006, the year OOG was created. A group of OOG professionals traveled to the US city of Houston, Texas, in June of that year to work on the engineering design. By mid-2007, an OOG team was closely monitoring construction of the rig. An iconic achievement, Norbe VI marks Odebrecht’s return to drilling offshore oil wells after a six-year absence. Until 2000, the company operated in that area through OPL, established in 1979 when Odebrecht acquired the Norbe I platform in Designed to operate at water depths of up to

Singapore to drill off the coast of Sergipe, Brazil.

2,400 m and drilling depths of up to 9,000 m, Norbe

In the 1980s, in the wake of Petrobras’s invest-

VI is a semi-submersible rig that is self-propelled

ments in deep-water exploration, OPL acquired

and therefore does not need to be towed from one

the Norbe II, III, IV and V and Asterie rigs. By the

exploration site to another. OOG commissioned it

end of that decade, it owned one of the largest pri-

from the Dutch ﬁrm SBM, a company with global

vate ﬂeets of offshore oil rigs in Brazil.

operations in that sector, and it was built at the

All told, OOG is investing about USD 3.5 billion

GPC Gulf Piping shipyard in Abu Dhabi, United

in its spheres of operations, including its ﬂeet of

Arab Emirates, after carefully selecting suppliers

deep-water drilling rigs. The operations of Norbe

from several countries.

VI and Norbe VIII, in addition to delivery of Norbe

Along with Norbe VIII, another recent arrival in

IX in less than two months, will reposition OOG

Rio de Janeiro; Norbe IX, which is on its way to

as one of the largest private Brazilian operators

Brazil; ODN I and ODN II, which are in ﬁnal stages

of deepwater drilling rigs. This is happening at a

of construction in South Korea, and the ODN Tay,

time when Brazil is becoming one of the world’s

OOG’s latest acquisition, Norbe VI forms part of

largest oil producing nations, which is a two-fold

a state-of-the-art ﬂeet of deepwater drilling rigs

reason to celebrate.

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MEMORY

Built in the early 90s in Singapore and Brazil, P-18 produced know-how that the companies participating in the project still use to this day 46

INFORMA

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ship

ACERVO ODEBRECHT

P-18 under construction in Singapore: almost 20 years since the signing of the contract for the rigâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s construction

8/3/11 5:24 PM

THE LADY IS

ip shape written by CLÁUDIO LOVATO FILHO

ts stature, as always, is expressed in its titles:

East Levingston Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of the Kep-

the largest semi-submersible platform in the

pel Corporation of Singapore, and one of the world’s

world at the time of construction; the ﬁrst of

top builders of rigs for the oil industry.

its kind to produce oil in Brazil; the ﬁrst to op-

Therefore, it is almost 20 years since the signing

erate at a water depth of one thousand feet

of the contract for the construction of P-18, the result

in that country, where it once held the record for oil

of an international tender whose bidders included a

production: 100,000 barrels per day; the focus of

Finnish contractor and another Brazilian engineer-

Petrobras’s ﬁrst major international tender; the Bra-

ing and construction company, in addition to the Te-

zilian oil company’s ﬁrst platform built abroad from

nenge-FELS consortium. On June 3, 2011, Arnaldo

scratch, that is, an entirely new rig, not a conver-

welcomed the co-workers with whom he shared the

sion of an existing vessel. But aside from these many

experience of living and working in Singapore in the

labels that give it a permanent place in the history

early 90s to his home in Rio de Janeiro’s Leblon dis-

of the Brazilian oil industry, P-18 was a watershed

trict. They recalled their experiences, watched home

in the history of Petrobras, Odebrecht’s operations

videos, spoke of the passing of time, their work yes-

in the offshore sector, and relations between Brazil

terday and today, and advances in technology, and

and Singapore, the country where part of the plat-

laughed when they remembered that when they were

form was built. P-18 came into the world under the

going home to rest, the company’s people in Brazil

sign of pioneer spirit to fulﬁll a revolutionary destiny

were just getting to work.

at the Marlim oil ﬁeld in Campos Basin, off the coast of Rio de Janeiro State.

A globally innovative project

“Much of what Petrobras is doing today in deep-wa-

“To build P-18, Petrobras studied the best avail-

ter drilling, including operations in the pre-salt layer,

able in terms of semisubmersible platform design

is down to the P-18 platform,” says Arnaldo Arcadier,

worldwide. It had experience of using these plat-

Executive Manager of Petrobas’s Fleet Modernization

forms for drilling, but not production. P-18’s design

and Expansion Program (Promef). “It was a ﬂagship

was thus globally innovative, and, moreover, would

project due to its pioneering work and innovation, a

have to be built as an EPC (Engineering, Procure-

project that has created conﬁdence in the progress of

ment and Construction) project, which was brand

oil exploration.” Arnaldo was the Project Manager for

new at the time, and, consequently, a challenge that

P-18. He lived in Singapore from June 1991 to April

was also a learning experience for the company,”

1993. Along with 11 Petrobras colleagues and their

says Arnaldo. Under an EPC contract, the builder is

families, he arrived in that country in the months fol-

responsible for all phases of the project, with near-

lowing the signing of the contract between Petrobras,

ly all activities concentrated at the jobsite – in this

Odebrecht (represented by Tenenge) and FELS – Far

case, the shipyard.

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Building the platform in Singapore gave Petrobras its first experience of sharing the execution of a project with a foreign shipbuilder, FELS. It was also a first for the Singapore company. Odebrecht’s prior familiarity with FELS and vice versa made an important contribution to the success of their relationship, especially at the beginning. In the late 80s, the two companies had worked together in India: Odebrecht had contracted FELS to extend the legs of fixed platform Norbe V. It was the beginning of a relationship that led them to form the consortium that bid for the P-18 project. Having won the tender, it was time to begin sharing the daily life of the FELS shipyard in Singapore, which lasted almost two years until the platform departed for Paranaguá, Brazil, where the project was completed. Chow, General Manager (Legal) of Keppel Offshore & Marine, who was a major participant in the formation of the consortium between Odebrecht and FELS. “We talked frankly, clearly establishing everyone’s responsibilities on the project. What followed was the emergence of trust of the highest quality. I established friendships with Brazilians from Petrobras and Odebrecht that I maintain to this day. All of us, people from FELS, Petrobras and Odebrecht,

JÔNIO MACHADO / PETROBRAS IMAGE BANK

“We put all our concerns on the table,” recalls Jeff

bonded and became a family, and that was essential

equipment in Singapore and the hook-up operation

to achieving our common goals the way they were

in Paranaguá were challenges we overcame, most of

achieved,” he adds.

all through a good working environment and the feel-

Jeff Chow’s statements are key to getting a good

ing that we were all on the same team.” The hook-up

idea of what happened in Singapore and Brazil during

stage is the completion of the platform, including the

the P-18 project. All three companies were experienc-

installation of processing modules and piping, wiring,

ing challenges that were entirely new to them (and in

assembly of instruments, the security system and ac-

some cases, to the world) while working on a project

commodations.

that would become a benchmark for the oil industry.

“P-18 was a milestone for us,” says Choo Chiau

Unity, cohesion and synergy reﬂected their common

Beng, CEO of the Keppel Corporation and Chairman of

focus.

Keppel Offshore & Marine. “It was our ﬁrst project for

“Personal relationships are the ﬁrst and main key

Petrobras. It was a tremendous learning experience

to opening doors,” says Wai Seng Yeong of FELS, who

for us, and we put our best team on the project. As a

was the Engineering Manager on the P-18 project and

builder of semisubmersible drill rigs and accommo-

is currently Vice President Special Projects at Keppel

dations, Keppel FELS could contribute its expertise to

Offshore & Marine. Wai Seng lived in Rio de Janeiro

building a platform like P-18 on time with the requisite

for two years. “Everything was new for us,” he recalls.

quality. The unity of the Odebrecht, Keppel FELS and

“We had an excellent design from Petrobras, really

Petrobras teams, acting with cohesion, synergy and

sophisticated. There was a record to beat – 100,000

friendship, led to the success of that project.” He adds:

barrels per day. We had to understand each other very

“Without a doubt, P-18 brought Brazil and Singapore

well. The construction of the hull and installation of

much closer together.”

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and their families went to Singapore to work on that project. Fernando points out that FELS had never built a production platform before – just drill rigs. The construction of a production platform is much more complex. It is an industrial unit designed to operate in high seas. P-18 became the largest ﬂoating oil production plant in the world. The know-how that Odebrecht and Petrobras teams gained regarding this type of structure was an important factor. “P-18 was a major source of learnings for everyone,” says Fernando, adding: “In those days, Odebrecht was focused on the ‘Brazilian content,’ which led to the decision to build part of the project in Singapore and complete it in Brazil, at the Paranaguá yard.” After the P-18 experience, he returned to Singapore and lived there for over a year and a half, this time as an Odebrecht DPA (Country Director). “I matured a lot professionally in Singapore. It was a pleasure to spend four years there.” Arnaldo Arcadier feels much the same way. “We developed some procedures in Singapore that Petrobras The platform operating today in the Marlim Field in the Santos Basin: a leading role in recordbreaking production

has consolidated and still uses today, especially with regard to project management.” In his ofﬁce in the Petrobras building on Presidente Vargas Avenue in downtown Rio de Janeiro, he says, with a reﬂective tone: “P-18 gave a major boost to Petrobras’s oil production proj-

World’s largest ﬂoating oil production plant

ects. When I joined the company in 1978, we produced a

Odebrecht’s team in Singapore was led by Project

has produced as much as 100,000 barrels per day.”

total of 160,000 barrels per day. Since 1994, P-18 alone

Manager Fernando Barbosa, now CEO of Odebrecht

The work done in Singapore went on from June

Engenharia Industrial. Fernando was 35 when he

1991 to April 1993, when the platform was shipped out

undertook responsibility for leading the project. The

to Paranaguá. The voyage was made possible by a so-

young professional had a 36,000-tonne challenge on

phisticated transportation system known as dry-tow: the

his hands that would represent a decisive step toward

Transhelf, registered under the Russian ﬂag and owned

achieving much-desired oil self-sufﬁciency for Bra-

by the Wjsmuller company, was partially submerged so

zil. Fernando, who joined the Organization in 1985

the platform could be ﬂoated onto its deck. The voyage to

and had previously participated in offshore projects in

Brazil lasted 34 days.

Bahia for another company and later for Odebrecht,

In the Paranaguá Basin, the dry-tow operation was

ﬁrst went to Singapore in February 1990. He spent

performed in reverse before tugboats pulled P-18 to the

two and a half years there and one year in Paranaguá.

dock. In March 1994, P-18 arrived in the Campos Ba-

Regarding the time he worked in the Southeast Asian

sin. On June 15, it got “ﬁrst oil.” By January 1997 it had

city-state, he recalls: “There was an 11-hour differ-

reached the milestone of 100,000 barrels/day. Currently,

ence in the time zone and no Internet, only faxes! It

it produces 30,000 barrels per day. Unable to hide the

was an extraordinary experience. Forming a team and

emotion in his words, Arnaldo Arcadier explains: “The

a culture of procedures to run an innovative project,

life of a platform like P-18 is 25 years. After 17 years of

and living in the East was impressive and inspiring.”

oil production in rough seas, we can say that she is now

In addition to Fernando, nine Odebrecht members

a mature lady.”

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Bio-revolut written by GUILHERME OLIVEIRA

photos by BRUNA ROMARO

he ﬁrst sugarcane seedlings arrived in

speed and quality using new cane varieties, transgenic

Brazil in 1533, introduced by the Portu-

or not, that are better adapted to different types of soils

guese. Its choice of that unpretentious

and drought and pest resistant, with higher sugar and

crop was due to Portugal’s need to oc-

ﬁber content,” explains Calmanovici. In the industrial

cupy the newly discovered territory. To-

area, one priority for researchers is pursuit of higher

day, Brazil is the second-largest producer of ethanol and

yields through the fermentation process.

the number-one sugar producer, using the Portuguese “experiment” as raw material. The ethanol and sugar

Industrial identity

industry provides direct employment opportunities for

In the next decade, new applications for ethanol

more than a million people with a turnover of BRL 50

and the next generations of biodiesel will already be

billion per year.

a reality. “The plans in the pipeline are conﬁdential,

However, the next bioenergy revolutions will not take

but we can say that we are constantly seeking syner-

so long. “Investment in technology will be a major com-

gies with other Odebrecht companies, and ETH will

petitive advantage in the coming years,” said Carlos

play an important role in this sector by 2020,” says

Calmanovici, the ETH Bioenergy ofﬁcer Responsible for

Calmanovici.

Innovation and Technology, an area connected directly

Despite the “strategic secrecy” about the compa-

to the company’s CEO. “Technology advances at an in-

ny’s plans, the path to achieving excellence is simple:

credible speed, so there are numerous opportunities

partnering up with the leading knowledge producers

out there.”

in Brazil. Today, ETH has agreements in place to de-

Development opportunities can be found through-

velop new technologies in partnership with academic

out the ethanol and biomass electricity production pro-

institutions such as the Federal University at São Car-

cess, with results expected in both the short and long

los (UFSCar) and the State University at Campinas

term. “We will generate biomass energy with more

(Unicamp), among others.

Unicamp Professor Gonçalo Pereira: the industry is looking to the future

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utions

Technology investments will be the ethanol and sugar industry’s main competitive edge in coming years

Professor Gonçalo Pereira, Head of the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Biogenetics at Unicamp, is in charge of the partnership project with ETH. He explains the focus of the study: “The transformation of sugar into alcohol is done with natural wild yeast. We are studying its genetic structure to produce industrial types of yeast, which obtain higher productivity in the conversion process.” He observes that academia has the knowledge, but it is ETH that is making innovations. “The attitude of being constantly dissatisﬁed with the technologies available and looking to the future is unprecedented in this sector, and ETH is at the forefront of that drive. It is a young company that makes innovation a pillar of its operations.” Gonçalo Pereira predicts that the company and academia will have a successful relationship. “Universities are on the lookout for partnerships like these. Brazil has a culture of using money to do science. In this win-win scenario, we’ll use science to make money.” ETH’s Calmanovici agrees: “We see a lot of expertise in academia and need to maximize the use of that knowledge to add value to our products. ETH’s growth target is ambitious, and overcoming that challenge depends on the proper use of new technologies with support from our partners. The ability to innovate is the path to leadership.”

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A DREAM COMES T

surface Worker at the UFEM construction site, part of the project underway in Itaguรกi: a bold and decisive step for the Brazilian Navy

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S TO THE

Brazil starts fulfilling a long-held plan: building submarines, including a nuclear-powered sub

fter over 30 years, the dream is ﬁnally coming true. In the near future, Brazil will have its ﬁrst nuclear-powered submarine. It will be built in Brazil through the Brazilian Navy’s Submarine Development – Shipyard and Naval Base

Program (Prosub-EBN). Having a nuclear submarine will bolster the Navy’s operations in deep waters far from shore. It will also mark Brazil’s entry into the select group of countries that have the technology, which currently includes the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China. For this reason, Brazil signed technology transfer agreements with France in 2008 that enabled the start of construction of a shipyard, a naval base, four conventional Scorpene subma-

written by EDILSON LIMA photos by ANDRÉ VALENTIM

rines and a nuclear-powered sub. The French state-owned ﬁrm DCNS (Direction des Constructions Navales et Services) is responsible for overseeing the process of transferring the technology to the Brazilian Navy and Odebrecht.

Choosing French technology Traditionally, the countries that have nuclear submarines developed their designs on the basis of several stages of the development of their conventional submarines. Many took years to develop that technology. Today, just two countries produce both conventional and nuclear subs: France and Russia. The Brazilian Navy visited both countries, studied their designs, surveyed their clients worldwide, and concluded that France was the most solid partner for Brazil. In the ﬁrst place, this is because France was willing to transfer technology for both the design of a nuclear-powered submarine – in this case, internal structures and systems (except for the nuclear reactor, which was developed by the Navy itself) – and conventional Scorpene subs. In the second place, the conventional Scorpene sub is different from other conventional models because it includes security concepts similar to those used in its nuclear counterpart (such as sensor, combat and motor cooling systems, etc.). This is because the design is derived from the Rubis/Amethyste, another French nuclear submarine. Brazil’s participation in the construction of the ﬁrst the four Scorpene submarines will begin in 2011. That vessel will be completed by 2015.

Training in France and Brazil At the moment, Odebrecht Infraestrutura and Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial teams are hard at work at the jobsite in Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro, building the Metal Structures Manufacturing Units (UFEM), where the metal parts of the submarines will be made – that is, sections of the hull and internal struc-

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Dredging Sepetiba Bay: environmental preservation

tures – as well as the Shipyard and Naval Base (EBN).

Shipbuilding industry gains steam

Expectations are that the UFEM will open in 2012, and

The relationship between Brazil and submarines

the EBN should be up and running by 2015. The sub-

and their technology dates back to the early 20th cen-

marines will be built in stages during the second part

tury, when the country acquired its ﬁrst conventional

of the program. The ﬁnal unit will be delivered by 2025,

sub. But it was only in 1993 that it launched the ﬁrst

when the nuclear-powered submarine will go into op-

submarine built on Brazilian soil, at the Naval Arsenal

eration. Odebrecht will participate in the construction

in Rio de Janeiro: the S Tamoio (S-31), using German

of the subs through Itaguaí Construções Navais, a joint

technology. That step marked the beginning of the na-

venture with DCNS.

tion’s pursuit of technological independence. In 1979,

Members of the Brazilian Navy and Odebrecht receive training from the DCNS team in France and

the Navy Nuclear Program (PNM) was created to develop a Brazilian nuclear submarine.

Brazil. In the case of the EBN, knowledge is trans-

Despite making important advances in nuclear propul-

ferred through the Technical Information Package,

sion, the PNM suffered doldrums, particularly in the 1990s.

which comes from France and is delivered to the Navy

Then, in early 2000, the Brazilian Government decided to

and then to Odebrecht, following the Navy’s analysis

invest in the shipbuilding industry and encourage the par-

and approval. The information is absorbed and ap-

ticipation of the private sector to give it a boost and gen-

plied to the basic and detailed design. “The lessons

erate work opportunities. Those incentives were further

learned from this project will make Odebrecht the

bolstered by the discovery of oil in the pre-salt layer. About

ﬁrst Brazilian company with the know-how to design

90% of the country’s exports and imports pass through ap-

and build shipyards for conventional and nuclear

proximately 560 km of its coastline. The Navy is responsible

submarines,” says the Director Responsible for the

for protecting that area. In this context, the need emerged

Shipyard and Naval Base, Fabio Gandolfo, from Ode-

to reinvest in building submarines, because the Navy’s cur-

brecht Infraestrutura.

rent ﬂeet only includes ﬁve units.

The French state-owned ﬁrm’s choice of Ode-

According to Admiral Alan Arthou, who is directing the

brecht as a partner was based on the Organiza-

Shipyard and Naval Base project for the Navy, joining the

tion’s expertise in major projects, including nuclear

group of countries that own the technology to build nucle-

technology (the Angra dos Reis power plants in Rio

ar submarines is a source of national pride: “Prosub will

de Janeiro State), and its operations in the offshore

mean that Brazil has achieved technological independence

market, including construction of several oil rigs in

in the ﬁeld of shipbuilding and nuclear submarines. This

Brazil and other countries. “DCNS saw Odebrecht

will be good for the Navy and for businesses because of the

as a Brazilian company with the characteristics

technological expertise it will bring, as well as enabling us

needed to absorb the French technology and carry

to defend our national sovereignty.”

out the Prosub program,” says Fernando Barbosa, CEO of Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial, the company responsible for building the conventional and nuclear subs.

Dredging Sepetiba Bay A dredging operation is underway to remove soft soil from the bottom of Sepetiba Bay to make the

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area ready for construction and lay the foundations

using Geotube® bags, which are 65 m long, 18 m

for the structures included in the EBN project. Af-

wide and 2.4 m high.

ter that operation is completed, rockﬁll containment

The bags are placed in the Chemical Contaminants

walls will be built to reclaim land from the sea. Then,

Decanting Unit (UDCQ) in a specially built basin, 13 m

the wharf, piers, industrial and administrative facili-

deep, 255 m long and 130 m wide, fully protected by an

ties and other supplementary units will be built.

HDPE (high-density polyethylene) lining and a layer of

The Shipyard and the Naval Base will face each

gravel. The process goes like this: the dredged mate-

another, like two arms reaching out to sea on the

rial is suctioned and discharged from the seabed and

shores of Sepetiba Bay. Those arms will encom-

pumped via a pipeline onto the shore, where it goes

pass the Dársena (submarine berthing areas on

through a treatment unit. To start out the treatment

both sides that will provide access to two dry-docks,

process, a polymer is injected through ionization in or-

which are included in the project for submarine

der to “ﬂocculate” the dredged material and allow it to

maintenance and fuel replacement), the harbor ba-

be ﬁltered. Then the material will go through a pipeline

sin and the access channel, areas where the sub-

and be released into the bags.

marines will maneuver to enter the EBN’s facilities. All these areas will have a 12-meter draft.

“These bags retain heavy metals, allowing the treated efﬂuent to pour through the fabric so it can

Based on previous studies, the materials to be

return to the sea free of contaminants,” says Sérgio

removed during dredging will include pockets of

Pinheiro, Odebrecht’s Director for Maritime Projects.

sediments contaminated with heavy metals (cad-

Finally, the bags will be covered with a layer of soil for

mium, nickel, lead and zinc), resulting from years

protection to prevent contaminants from polluting the

of pollution by factories previously installed there

environment.

that have been shut down. All told, these pockets

The Prosub-EBN project will also make an impor-

amount to 300,000 cu.m. The materials that are

tant contribution to the professional education of local

not chemically contaminated will be dredged and

workers. Currently, 3,000 people are working on the

dumped in the sea in a site authorized by IBAMA

construction project. More than 2,000 people will have

(the Brazilian environmental agency) outside of

learned new job skills through the Ongoing Professional

Sepetiba Bay, 56 km from the construction site. In

Education Program – Acreditar (Believe) by the time the

the case of contaminated materials, the solution is

Shipyard and Naval Base are completed in 2015.

INFORMA

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INNOVATIVELY

healt written by JOSÉ ENRIQUE BARREIRO

The Organization’s medics talk about health and technology The impact of technology on performance in medicine For Gilberto, Mayanse and Sebastião, improving life expectancy and reduced health damage are partly due to the use of new technologies, including vaccines and antibiotics. Life expectancy worldwide has risen from 76.4 years in 1980 to 81.01 in 2010. Humanity is well on its way to 100-year lifespans. Therefore, innovations in health are welcome, and improve the performance of medicine.

New technologies and increased health care costs The three doctors mentioned some procedures that Sebastião Loureiro (left) and Gilberto Ururahy

have a high impact on the cost of medical care, including diagnostic imaging and tests, prostheses that replace or enhance body parts, and implants to restore biological functions. The central issue for them is striking a balance

t the invitation of Odebrecht Informa,

between demand and consumption, avoiding indiscrimi-

three of the Organization’s medics –

nate and excessive spending. In 1999, the world spent

Gilberto Ururahy, Mayanse Boulos

USD 473 per person/year on health care; in 2010, that

and Sebastião Loureiro – got togeth-

ﬁgure rose to USD 771. However, technology is producing

er to answer questions about innova-

medicine, equipment and diagnoses that are more accu-

tion and technology in the ﬁeld of health. For them,

rate and less invasive, and because of that, health profes-

technology is welcome, but must always be used

sionals must continuously update their knowledge.

appropriately. The focus should be on health promotion, disease prevention and early diagnosis, helping their clients live a long, independent life. This strategy reduces the risks of disease and, consequently, the costs of health care and hospitalizations. Here is what they think about various subjects and the main challenges the Odebrecht Organization is facing in the ﬁeld of Health.

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lthy

Mayanse Boulos

Alternatives to the high cost of health care

doctors can speed up the exchange of information, in-

Gilberto, Mayanse and Sebastião recommend preven-

online for strategic members whose health data is on

tive care, which, although little explored and undervalued,

ﬁle so it can be analyzed by medical support teams

can have effective results and be less costly for people,

wherever the company member may be.

teracting with partners and providing medical records

businesses and society. They believe the focus should agnosis. This strategy reduces the risks of disease and,

Main health care challenges for the Odebrecht Organization

consequently, the costs of treatment and hospitalization.

The main challenge, they say, is increasingly con-

be on health promotion, disease prevention and early di-

solidating the entire Organization with its Health, Work-

The issue of health in the business world

place Safety and Environment teams. We must also make progress in harmonizing the decentralization of

The three Odebrecht medics understand that the

operations with the need for consolidated health care

business world is experiencing the same situation as

information in order to reuse acquired knowledge, gain

society in general: the predominant view of medicine is

more ﬂexibility in the treatment of diseases and lower

based on technological innovations in equipment and low

costs. As a result, the more than 100 physicians at Ode-

investment in disease prevention and health promotion

brecht will be better able to coordinate the care of the

incentives, information and practices. To change that,

Organization’s 140,000 members.

companies must get to know the health proﬁles of their to health services and technologies to establish risk

Message to young doctors joining the Organization

groups and focus preventive care and health promotion

Actively manage your client’s health. Get to know them

on those individuals in order to reduce damage to their

thoroughly. Always focus on prevention. Do everything you

health. A prevention program should include information

can to prevent your patient from getting sick. Chronic dis-

and incentives to induce them to change their habits. It

eases such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity, which

should also establish goals and biological indicators for

originate from poor lifestyle choices, cause tremendous

satisfaction, cost assessment and accident reduction.

suffering in the long term and have a very high cost for

members and their consumption habits when it comes

society. A disease is a signal that must be interpreted and

Health care innovation and technology at Odebrecht

understood before it is fought. Gain a thorough mastery

The doctors explain that the focus of the Odebrecht

keep up to date. Culture is the biggest barrier in the glo-

Health Policy is on health promotion and disease pre-

balized world. Remember what Mr. Norberto Odebrecht

vention. Because of that, they take into consideration

says: “People are the beginning and end of all activities in

the member’s lifestyle, family history and the environ-

society, and their work is the primary means of ensuring

ment in which they are located. When a health problem

the survival, growth and perpetuity of the species. Health

arises, they take an active role in the management of

is the basis for their full development.” Theoretically, we

the patient’s health using the technologies available.

are born healthy, but sometimes we neglect our health, a

Those technologies include the Internet, through which

delicate matter and our greatest asset.

of your business, engage in networking in your area, and

INFORMA

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FAIRER TIMES AND DAYS OF MORE

prosperity In the Southern Bahia Lowlands in Northeastern Brazil, cooperatives ensure better incomes for small family farmers written by GABRIELA VASCONCELLOS photos by BEG FIGUEIREDO Balbino dos Santos with his children on the family farm: direct link with conscious consumers

INFORMA

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armer Balbino Santos, 55, and his fam-

As a result, the community got organized and decided

ily have put down roots on the same land

to cut out the middleman, selling their produce directly

where his father and grandfather lived. He

to major retail chains. The price of cassava quadrupled.

has always wanted to stay in the country-

Balbino remembers it well. “Now we have the right

side, and that desire has grown along with

outlets for our production. We don’t lose our crops and

his community’s development. Planted on his 8-hect-

there’s no downside,” he says. Thanks to the cooperative,

are farm, Balbino’s crops – bitter and sweet cassava,

producers now have access to farming methods that en-

pineapples and plantains – now have a guaranteed

sure higher quality and productivity: the average harvest

outlet: the Presidente Tancredo Neves Rural Produc-

has risen from 9 tonnes to 21 tonnes of cassava per hect-

ers Cooperative (Coopatan), located in the Southern

are, a ﬁgure that reaches up to 68 t/ha on some farms.

Bahia Lowlands. This hasn’t always been the case.

Part of the Cassava Cooperative Alliance – which

“Life’s been hard. The buyers used to set the price –

includes a cassava ﬂour mill, Presidente Tancredo

when we had any buyers,” says the farmer, a resident

Neves Rural Family House (CFR-PTN), social partners

of Riachão da Serra county in Valença, Bahia.

and conscious consumers – Coopatan is changing the

Balbino and his wife and children belong to the

lives of 187 families. Recently, its members also started

Cassava Cooperative Alliance. According to this

selling fruits and vegetables, which has given a further

model, farmers are organized in cooperatives that

boost to the producers’ incomes.

use the services of a processing plant – which gives

“We are helping ensure that people stay in the

products more value added – and merchants, who

countryside and enjoy quality of life. Even small

make room for them on their shelves in the spirit

farmers can earn an income compatible with their

of partnership and solidarity. This creates a direct

needs and become the protagonists of their own de-

link with conscious consumers, ensuring that family

velopment,” says Fábio Sento Sé, Social Responsi-

farmers always get a fair price for their produce. The

bility Manager at GBarbosa (Brazil’s fourth-largest

contributions of all the actors involved help strength-

supermarket chain) and Director of the GBarbosa

en this win-win game. In this case, Rural Family

Institute. In addition to marketing the cooperative’s

Houses also provide education, which is an integral

products, this social partner has chosen to use Coo-

and essential part of grooming the next generation of

patan’s cassava ﬂour as its own brand. Coopatan’s

cooperative members.

partners also include Walmart, Pão de Açúcar and

The Cooperative Alliance’s innovative model is

Empresa Baiana de Alimentos (EBAL).

helping change lives in the Southern Bahia Lowlands

– a micro-region in Northeastern Brazil formed by 11

Synergy

counties that are home to more than 285,000 people.

Acting in line with Coopatan, the CFR-PTN seeks

The Odebrecht Foundation has introduced the con-

to provide high-quality professional education to young

cept there and supports the Program for the Inte-

people, encouraging them to stay in the countryside

grated and Sustainable Development of the Mosaic

and work on their family farms. The method used is

of Environmental Protection Areas in the Southern

the Pedagogy of Alternation, which allows students to

Bahia Lowlands (PDIS). This social technology was

spend a week at the school as boarders, with lessons in

created to foster productive inclusion, eradicate pov-

the classroom and in the ﬁeld, and two weeks on their

erty and reduce inequalities.

properties to apply what they have learned. Beneﬁcia-

“Between 1998 and 1999, cassava farmers were

ries of the institution who have completed three years of

experiencing a crisis in Presidente Tancredo Neves

schooling receive a high school diploma and a technical

and the surrounding area. At that time, a kilo of cas-

certiﬁcate in Agriculture.

sava sold for three to ﬁve cents. It wasn’t proﬁtable

Cooperative members go to the Family House once

and didn’t bring in a fair income,” recalls Juscelino

a week, taking part in classes and encouraging stu-

Macedo, the current leader of the Cassava Coopera-

dents to join their ranks. Currently, four Coopatan

tive Alliance and one of the people who helped create

technicians are CFR-PTN alumni and 13 youths have

Coopatan 11 years ago.

joined the cooperative.

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Cassava ﬂour factory: one of the highlights of the Cassava Cooperative Alliance

of mind is having my family here with

Balbino’s children are also actively tak-

me on the farm.”

ing part in the CFR-PTN. Abinael dos Santos, 17, graduated in 2010 and now works in the school’s ﬁnancial department. “This

The path to sustainability

is another learning experience for me. I

Balbino’s family is on its way to a

want to buy a bigger property and make

future that is already the present for

it sustainable,” says the young man, who

farmer Genival de Melo, 39. This rural

divides his time between that experience

producer is also a Coopatan member,

and farm work.

and he is celebrating a major achieve-

Balbino’s youngest child, Ubiratam dos

ment. “Used to be, I had no place to

Santos, 15, used to think about taking off

live. I got married and went to live with

for the big city. However, his big brother’s example

my mother-in-law. Today we’ve managed to build our

not only made him give up that idea but made him

own home. We bought a new car, got a truck and are

fall in love with farming. He has followed in Abinael’s

buying another piece of land,” says the resident of the

footsteps and now studies at the CFR-PTN. “Ten

Ouro Preto community, in Presidente Tancredo Neves.

years from now I’ll have my own farm, producing

Like Balbino, Genival has been a cooperative mem-

high-yield crops as a member of Coopatan,” says

ber since Coopatan’s inception. “Anybody who left

Ubiratam.

here around that time and came back today wouldn’t

Abinael and Ubiratam are transferring all the

recognize the place. You couldn’t make a living in the

knowledge they have acquired in practical and theo-

countryside back then. I thought about leaving lots of

retical classes at the CFR-PTN to their family farm.

times, but I believed in farming,” he says.

Balbino stresses that these new methods are mak-

Five more cooperative alliances are also helping

ing their farm more productive. “When they go home,

transform the Southern Bahia Lowlands: Piassava

they talk about what they studied that week, and we

Straw, Hearts-of-Palm, Fish Farming, Construction

go out into the ﬁelds to see what we’re doing wrong.

and Starch. Together, they are contributing to the

Today we can see that it’s made a difference,” says

sustainable development of over a thousand fami-

their father. Antonia dos Santos, Balbino’s wife and

lies. “I’m proud to say that, nowadays, folks who live

the young men’s mother, wants to see her children

in the countryside have a good life,” emphasizes

fulﬁll their dreams and ambitions. “For me, peace

Genival.

INFORMA

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ARGUMENT

ACHIEVEMENTS FOR BRAZIL

Joint efforts focused on innovation will help drive the nation’s growth

INFORMA

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preading the culture of innovation is an

The company’s Corporate Innovation and Tech-

important way of adding value to com-

nology area has begun a systematic assessment of

panies’ products and services, making

opportunities for diversiﬁcation in areas that syner-

them more competitive. But innovation

gize with Braskem’s current businesses. It is keep-

does not just happen when developing

ing a close eye on the situation of intellectual prop-

new products and processes. It’s everywhere. The drive to innovate is linked to the need to create new procedures that will make an activity more

erty in areas of interest, harmonizing best practices in innovation at the corporate unit and business units and actively managing knowledge.

competitive, proﬁtable and attractive to clients, and

Projects currently in the pipeline include renew-

it is most intense when people take charge of their

able raw materials, catalysts and production pro-

businesses with a strong sense of ownership.

cesses for plastic resins developed with proprietary

Created in 2002, Braskem has inherited a wide

technology that will drive Braskem’s autonomous

range of assets used for technological development.

growth at a lower cost, without interference from

According to the concept of the time, they originally

technology suppliers. Expectations are that these

focused on providing technical assistance, improv-

projects will start coming to fruition in 2013.

ing processes acquired from third parties, enhanc-

In its corporate area and business units, Braskem

ing products, customizing products for the Brazilian

has more than 420 patents ﬁled, 300 researchers,

market and developing markets in conjunction with

two units of the Center for Innovation and Technol-

clients.

ogy (in Triunfo, RS, in Brazil, and Pittsburgh, PA, in

These assets, which include pilot plants, lab fa-

the USA), a laboratory at the LNBio (National Bio-

cilities, R&D (Research & Development) teams and

technology Laboratory) in Campinas, São Paulo,

activities related to the process of innovation man-

linked to the Brazilian MCT (Ministry of Science and

agement, have garnered recognition from the mar-

Technology), and a pilot plant for the manufacture of

ket and research funding agencies and have been

high-performance ﬁber in Bahia, totaling USD 400

used as an example to encourage other companies

million in assets.

to invest in innovation and technology.

Located in Bahia, the pilot plant for high molecu-

Keenly aware of the importance of innovation

lar-weight polyethylene ﬁber will make it possible to

and technology to national development, improv-

generate new solutions for the exploration of the pre-

ing income distribution and the competitiveness of

salt oil ﬁelds and anchoring of deep-water platforms.

our exports, the Brazilian Government, based on

It is also important for the area of defense (used to

Law no. 11,196 of 2005 (the “good law”) has begun

make armored vehicles and helmets) and the manu-

granting tax breaks to innovative companies, and

facture of special clothing, ﬁshing lines, safety gloves

this issue has since become an integral part of the

and auxiliary sails for oil ships, used to save fuel.

national agenda.

All these results, which are down to the combined

In 2008, Braskem decided to expand the strate-

efforts of the private sector, academia, research cen-

gic focus of its research and development model

ters and government, are the achievements of Bra-

from fast follower to developer of original ideas. To

zil and Brazilians. They will help drive our country’s

do so, we created a Corporate Innovation and Tech-

economic growth and boost the wellbeing of the Bra-

nology area focused on medium- and long-term

zilian people.

development. A movement led by the CNI (National Confederation of Industry) in 2009 launched the MEI (Business Movement for Innovation), involving the top companies operating in Brazil. This forum holds regular meetings to discuss the national agenda for innovation, with the active participation of Braskem.

Luis Fernando Cassinelli

is Responsible for Research & Development at Braskem

INFORMA

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NEWS PEOPLE Reports about the recent achievements of the Odebrecht Organization’s teams in Brazil and worldwide, and features on the daily lives of our subsidiaries’ members

OOG and DSME shipyard members celebrate workplace safety record in South Korea

Construction of the Chaglla hydroelectric plant reﬂects the power of Peruvian investments in energy generation

Jairo Brito recalls the people who have shaped his way of working and seeing the world

Ruta del Sol, in Colombia, is one of the most important infrastructure projects built in Latin America in recent years

A program underway in Peru is based on the concept of alternate practices

Folks: the interests and achievements of Wilson Lozano, Camila Guerbas and Carlos Gabos

Antonio Cardilli’s video interview launches the Savvy – Folks who’ve Learned from Work and Life project

PHOTO:

MARCELO PIZZATO

Ruta del Sol concession company member at a toll plaza in Colombia

INFORMA

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SAFETY

A certain feeling Harsh weather conditions and high risks don’t stop teams at a shipyard in South Korea from setting a zero-accident safety record written by RUBENY GOULART

pril 18 was a red-letter day at

DSME – was the starting point for

the DSME shipyard in South

ensuring the workplace safety lev-

Korea, where the Norbe VIII

els achieved so far. Accidents also

and Norbe IX drill ships were built,

happen due to lack of planning,

and work continues on two other

so the leaders of OOG and DSME

drilling rigs, ODN I and ODN II. On

got together to formulate a plan in

that date, the teams building those

which they agreed to pay periodic

rigs celebrated eight million man/

visits to the yard to inspect the fa-

hours worked between January 2010

cilities and working conditions.

and April of this year without a sin-

They agreed that no violation of the

gle lost-time accident. This means

rules would be tolerated, and de-

that during that period, all the 2,500

viations would be immediately cor-

shipyard workers performed their

rected. “The next step was to share

tasks with absolute safety, working

our obsession with safety with the

12 hours a day without harming their

workers,” says Mathias, who joined

health or productivity. “This victorious milestone is a win for everyone, but it was only made possible by the unity of all the companies participating in these projects, who ensured strict compliance with safety standards,” says OOG Project Director Pedro Mathias. A consensus on that issue among the over 10 companies participating in the project – a joint venture led by Odebrecht Oil & Gas (OOG) and

IINFORMA IN INF NF N FORM OR OR RM MA

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CBPO as an intern in 1981, and

nies’ caps and shirts, and even res-

they realized that the safety require-

worked at Odebrecht Perfurações

taurant coupons so they could dine

ments ensured that everyone was

Ltda. (OPL) until 1997. He returned

out with their families.

protected,” explains Mathias.

in 2009 to join the Odebrecht Organi-

To inﬂuence the workers, the

The role of communication

group of leaders relied on various

companies’ leaders spread the cul-

The leaders of OOG and the

Any anomalies that presented risks,

ture of safety throughout the work-

shipyard realized that, to prevent

from a bare wire to oil spilled on the

place. Whenever a new stage of work

accidents, they needed an efﬁcient

ﬂoor, was photographed for educa-

began, production was halted for an

communication system that went

tional purposes and posted on the

hour-long meeting with the work-

beyond giving lectures and putting

factory’s bulletin boards. “Pictures

ers, who attended talks on safety

up posters throughout the manu-

send a powerful message,” said

and received explanatory materials

facturing area. To this end, they

Mathias, who has been in Korea

on accident prevention. Other sim-

formed a group of leaders whose

since 2009 and oversees all of OOG’s

ple but highly symbolic initiatives

main job was to disseminate safety

projects at the DSME yard.

rewarded the people who showed

rules and culture among the work-

The milestone of 8 million man/

outstanding compliance with safety

ers. However, the language barrier

hours worked without a single lost-

standards and, accordingly, exer-

was a major challenge. The leaders

time accident is even more signiﬁ-

cised leadership in relation to their

spoke in English, which was trans-

cant considering the risks inherent

peers. In gestures highly valued in

lated into Korean, but at ﬁrst, be-

to operating a shipyard. What’s

Asian culture, the company’s lead-

cause of differences that were more

more, at the peak of the projects,

ers publicly presented the workers

cultural than linguistic, the mes-

DSME worked with more than 800

with gifts, certiﬁcates, their compa-

sage was slightly garbled. Thanks

people, often in adverse condi-

to the leaders’ missionary zeal,

tions, exposed to rain, snow and

that obstacle was eventually over-

wind. Worker turnover was another

come. “We made it very clear that

challenge, as many profession-

our goal was not to build ships at

als joining the workforce had to be

the expense of hurting people, and

trained in accident prevention from

zation through OOG. Working on the same page, the

Drill ship Norbe IX in South Korea: a central role in setting a workplace safety record

tools. One of them was cameras.

scratch. In an environment like that, even the slightest precaution makes all the difference. The drill ships average 240 m in length and 107 m in height, from the keel to the top of the tower, which is equivalent to a 26-story building. Many workers operate in tight spaces where the air is thin, and in high temperatures caused by hot welding, which is widely used, not to mention that they are constantly exposed to ﬂammable liquids like paints and solvents. Dangers exist, but the OOG and DSME teams have proved that achieving the mark of 8 million man/hours was, in itself, a well-deserved reward for everyone.

INFORMA

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PERU

The river brings the future F The Chaglla hydroelectric plant will give a key boost to energy generation in Peru and transform a region with major growth potential

rom Wednesdays to Sundays, the fountains in the city of Lima’s Parque de las Aguas put on a

sparkling light show. A few miles away, in Larcomar, Peruvians and tourists

written by JÚLIO CÉSAR SOARES photos by GUILHERME AFONSO

stroll along the well-lit beachfront boulevard. “The country has 6,300 MW of installed power. If we continue to grow like we have in recent years, we will need more than 12,000 MW by 2020,” says Erlon Arfelli, President of Empresa Generadora Huallaga (EGH), a subsidiary of Odebrecht Energia. EGH is responsible for the concession for the Chaglla hydroelectric plant, which is under construction in the Department of Huanuco, 420 km from Lima. This is the first time that Odebrecht has participated in a power concession outside of Brazil. As in 1979, when the Organization won its first contract outside Brazil, for the Charcani V hydroelectric plant, also in Peru, this challenge is an important milestone. “We will change our profile in this country, running the entire supply chain, and it has been a gratifying experience,” says Erlon. The “entire supply chain” means that Odebrecht Peru is also responsible for building the plant, a USD 1.2-billion project that will add 406 MW to the national system when completed by 2015. Chaglla hydroelectric plant construction site and, opposite, a local merchant: fresh expectations for residents of a once-isolated region

INFORMA

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Chaglla will be built in a densely forested area in the Peruvian Amazon. “In 2011, we are building the infrastructure for the project,” says Project Director Sergio Panicali. That stage of the project involves building 40 km of roads on the left bank of the Huallaga River, in addition to rehabilitating the dirt road that already runs along the right bank. The plant’s design is different from conventional hydros. The powerhouse, which is usually located near the dam, will be built 15 km away. “To get the water to the plant so it can generate power, we will build a tunnel that will

pleasant spot for tourists to visit for rest

A native of Chaglla, Cleni Climer

take advantage of the falls in the river

and relaxation. The other side of the

Claudio Cudeño, a driver who acquired

between the dam and powerhouse,”

river, toward the dam, will be focused on

his professional skills through Creer,

explains Sergio. Also, the spillway will

adventure tourism,” says Paola Nacca-

says the program has changed his life.

not be an integral part of the dam. In-

rato, the project’s ofﬁcer Responsible for

“We learned about the environment

stead, it will be on the left bank of the

Sustainability. Because it ﬂows through

and everyone’s individual responsibility.

river. “We will have three 1-km spillway

a canyon in the rain forest, the Huallaga

I think the program will not only help

tunnels for the reservoir,” he explains.

River is surrounded by beautiful scenery

those who got a job on this project but

and rock formations.

everyone who takes part in it,” he ob-

A fourth tunnel will run alongside

serves.

the spillway tunnels to supply the 6 MW

Paola explains that her program’s

Small Hydropower Plant (SHP), which

activities are not limited to tourism.

In July, the program began accepting

will also be built as part of this project.

“Huánuco produces some of Peru’s

applicants from communities near the

“We decided to use an SHP to harness

ﬁnest coffee, as well as cocoa and po-

project for the next edition. “Our goal is to

the energy from the dam’s mandatory

tatoes. We want to enable producers

have 800 more students and steadily ex-

instream ﬂow,” says Sergio. The “in-

to manage the entire supply chain,”

pand the number of members trained by

stream ﬂow” is the amount of water re-

she says.

Creer, who are all local residents. To do

quired to ensure that the stretch of river

The project that is having the biggest

so, we will work with mobile classrooms

between the dam and the powerhouse

impact on the community, however, is

to reach as many people as possible,”

does not go dry.

the Creer Program, the Peruvian version

says Gilda Cespedes, Responsible for

of the Acreditar (Believe) program, which

the Creer Program. She expects to have

Future tourist attraction

was created during construction of the

2,500 applicants this time around.

Before ground is even broken for the

Santo Antônio hydroelectric plant in

Chaglla is a dream that is com-

construction of the plant, residents of

Rondônia, Brazil. “We came here a year

ing true for the Huanuqueño people,

Chaglla will already enjoy the beneﬁts

before the cornerstone was laid for this

according to the President of the Re-

of the project, according to Mayor Mi-

project to groom skilled workers,” says

gional Government of Huánuco, Luis

chaela Tolentino. “The roadworks will

Gonzalo Bussalleu, the ofﬁcer Respon-

Raúl Picón. “For over 50 years, there’s

improve access to communities near

sible for Institutional Relations. “The ﬁrst

been talk of building a plant on the

Chaglla, which are on the right bank of

edition, held in April 2010, trained and

Huallaga, and that is what the local

the Huallaga and cut off from neighbor-

certiﬁed 863 people from this region,” he

community wants. That dream is be-

ing provinces,” she says.

recalls. “During the ﬁrst two months of

coming reality and will bring a variety

In addition, the project’s Sustain-

construction, 88 of our current members

of investments to this Department, as

ability Program plans to turn the region

participated in the Creer program and

well as directly creating about 2,000

into a tourist destination. “We have plans

are now working on the service fronts as

jobs and indirectly generating another

in place to make the dam’s reservoir a

well as in administrative areas.”

10,000 opportunities.”

INFORMA

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PROFILE: Jairo Brito Gomes

The luck of the plucky written by ANA CECÍLIA AMERICANO photo by LÍVIA AQUINO

His passion for challenges has resulted in transforming experiences for Jairo, both in work and life

“Working with Sister Dulce was an up-close and personal experience of someone who truly lives to serve” 70

INFORMA

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8/3/11 5:25 PM

airo Brito Gomes considers

building a project that became a

conﬂict in that country, there were

himself a lucky man. Lady

landmark in Salvador: Santo Anto-

tense situations at some of the Ode-

Luck has helped him many

nio Hospital.

brecht construction sites, and they

times in life, he says, to guide and

According to Jairo, one of his

needed the protection of the Ango-

shape his career at Odebrecht. An

jobs was managing stores of mate-

lan armed forces. In one of the most

economist who graduated from the

rials. Therefore, it was not unusual

emotional moments of his career, it

Federal University at Bahia (UFBA),

for him and Sister Dulce to set out

fell to Jairo to manage the evacua-

he has had unique opportunities and

together in a truck to collect dona-

tion of the team that worked on the

been a witness to history in the vari-

tions around the city. “It was an up-

construction of the Capanda hydro-

ous countries where he has worked.

close and personal experience of

electric plant on the Kwanza River

For him, life has been generous

someone who truly lives to serve,”

in Malange province in 1996. “When

in the challenges it presents, as well

he says. The nun’s goodness trans-

the plane took off, a colleague start-

as enabling him to work with sev-

formed his world view and had a di-

ed singing the national anthem,” he

eral leaders who showed him how

rect impact on his career. “It made

says. The memory gives him goose

to make the most of every situation.

me want to refocus my work on

bumps. “We all sang arm in arm,

The father of three, Jairo admits to

dealing more with people.”

with tears in our eyes.” For Jairo,

being in love with Odebrecht. “I go

A few years later, the same kind

Lady Luck played a major role in

where the company sends me and I

of luck that accompanied him in

that episode, too. “We all got out of

stay there as long as it takes.”

Bahia took him across the Atlan-

there safely,” he recalls.

His passion for the Organization

tic to Portugal, to work at the Ode-

Today, after having lived in São

was born 33 years ago, when he

brecht subsidiary Bento Pedroso

Paulo, where he worked with Faus-

embarked on his ﬁrst Action Pro-

Construções (BPC), where his lead-

to Aquino, the ofﬁcer Responsible

gram as an intern, and has grown

ers were Paulo César Fonseca and

for Administration and Finance at

ever since. He says that being hired

Hilberto Silva, both in the Financial

Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial,

in 1978 by Marcos Lima, who was

area. “For me, they were my com-

Jairo is in Venezuela. He’s the Ad-

then Responsible for Audits at Con-

pass,” says Jairo. While there, his

ministrative and Financial Manager

strutora Norberto Odebrecht’s (CNO)

mission would be to train local pro-

of Converpro, a joint venture of

Salvador headquarters (he is now

fessionals and spread the Odebrecht

Odebrecht and the state oil com-

Responsible for Odebrecht Admi-

Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO).

pany PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezu-

nistradora e Corretora de Seguros

On his return from Portugal,

ela S.A.), under the leadership of

– OCS, the Organization’s captive

Jairo went to Salvador, Bahia, to

Project Director Paulo Sá. Based

broker), was one of his ﬁrst lucky

work as the Administrative-Finan-

in Caracas, he is carrying on with

breaks.

cial Manager of the Organization’s

his mission of spreading TEO. “We

“By a stroke of luck, it happened

Headquarters. There, he once again

have lots of new people here, and

in 1981,” he says. That year, Jairo

had the opportunity to interact with

we need to communicate our val-

went to work at a construction site.

the Organization’s founder, Norber-

ues,” he says.

“I was working on a project that Mr.

to Odebrecht. “Every encounter with

Jairo is very close to his family.

Norberto Odebrecht himself was

him was a lesson learned,” recalls

His second wife, Jane, and his third

personally supervising on Satur-

Jairo. “Even when demands were

child, Caique, 8, have joined him in

days, and he was interested in ev-

being made, the observations were

Caracas. The economist who once

ery detail,” he recalls.

made quietly, without any hurry.”

worked alongside Sister Dulce on

For the young Head of Adminis-

Jairo says he also learned a lot

a daily basis is happy and increas-

tration, that experience was even

during the time he spent in Angola

ingly motivated, both personally

more rewarding because he was

and Mozambique. In those coun-

and professionally. About his role

gifted with Sister Dulce as a client.

tries, he experienced the challenges

at Odebrecht today in Venezuela, he

Known for her social work for the

facing the peoples of Africa. In An-

emphasizes: “Nothing is better than

poor and sick, the tireless nun was

gola, during the period of armed

working with people.”

INFORMA

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COLOMBIA

Approach route

The symbol of resumed operations in Colombia is the construction of one of the most important infrastructure projects in Latin America

written by ZACCARIA JUNIOR photo by MARCELO PIZZATO

“W

e’ve never left Colom-

tion of 223 km of the national rail

the contract for the Ruta del Sol

bia. We’ve been here for

network, including design, fabri-

Highway – one of Latin America’s

19 years.” That obser-

cation, assembly and operation of

most important infrastructure and

vation from Luiz Antonio Bueno

the entire superstructure, as well

engineering works in recent years

Jr., CEO of Odebrecht Colombia,

as construction of a thermal pow-

– and the Tunjuelo-Canoas inter-

sums up a history that dates back

er plant, a sewage treatment plant

ceptor, a sanitation (water and

to 1992. That year, the company

and, ﬁnally, the Miel I hydroelec-

sewer) project in Bogota.

became responsible for the con-

tric plant (375 MW) in Caldas, built

“The resumption of the Orga-

struction of oil pumping stations

with roller-compacted concrete,

nization’s activities in Colombian

for British Petroleum for the next

and still considered the world’s

territory is explained by the fact

two years. After that, from 1994 to

highest RCC dam: 192 m high and

that the country has achieved good

1995, it took charge of the Port of

354 m long.

political, economic and social con-

Drummond project. In later years,

Having completed those con-

ditions that will ensure its sustain-

it added the La Loma-Santa Marta

tracts in 2003, Odebrecht stayed in

able development,” says Bueno

Railroad to its track record, a proj-

Colombia to look for new business

Junior. Emphasizing that his mis-

ect that resulted in the reconstruc-

opportunities until, in 2009, it won

sion is to restructure the Organi-

INFORMA

0022_OI155_Rio_OK_INGLES.indd 72

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zation’s presence in that country and make the most of opportunities and businesses, both quantitatively and qualitatively, he says that the way forward is promising, supported by an environment where the rule of law prevails. “Odebrecht is positioning itself in this country in two ways: as a contractor and as a company that invests in infrastructure, because in the next few years the Government will be developing large engineering projects structured as PPPs (public-private partnerships) and public works concessions, which foster a long-term relationship and a commitment to the development of this country,” he explains. Bueno Junior’s observations are based on truly attractive facts and ﬁgures. The country has a GDP of USD 250 billion/year, a population of 44 million people, major oil reserves, and the fourth-largest Ruta del Sol: improving transport infrastructure. Below, Jorge Barragán in one of the tunnels of the Tunjuelo-Canoas Interceptor: the nation is investing in sanitation

coal reserves on the planet. It was recently rated “investment grade” (a rating agency risk category conferred on a country or company to demonstrate its ability to meet ﬁnancial commitments) and has a relatively stable economy, demonstrating that it has what it takes to encourage the march of growth.

Resuming operations In 2009, Odebrecht Colombia won the contract to build the Tunjuelo-Canoas interceptor. Led by Colombian Project Director Jorge Barragán, it involves building 11 km of tunnels, each about 5 m in diameter, which will convey sewage from Bogota to the future Canoas Treatment Plant. The USD 120-million project is divided into stages, starting with the sewer pipe and

INFORMA

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73 8/3/11 5:26 PM

Ruta del Sol toll plaza: a special period for the nation’s investments in transport infrastructure

construction of the tunnel leading

in length. It begins in Puerto

Community outreach

to the treatment plant, as well as

Salgar and ends in San Roque,

Eder Ferracuti, President of

a power tunnel at the treatment

connecting the capital, Bogota,

the Ruta del Sol concessionaire,

plant. In line with the partnerships

to the Caribbean Sea. Odebrecht

observes that since operations of

with Colombian companies that

is also responsible for the con-

the highway began in April 2010,

Bueno Junior mentioned, Ode-

struction of this section. Ground

the need to work with the local

brecht has formed a joint venture

was broken in May 2011 and the

community has gained promi-

with Cass Constructores to build

roadworks will completed in ﬁve

nence and resulted in the creation

the project.

years. The concession period,

of nine Community Service Cen-

which includes operation and

ters as bases for running the Ba-

maintenance, is 20 years.

sic Social Plan. That plan offers

The Ruta del Sol Highway is a project of a completely different

magnitude. It is the most important

The Ruta del Sol project also

support programs for the com-

route in a country with some of the

includes the expansion and con-

munities impacted by the project,

fewest paved roads in Latin Ameri-

struction of a stretch in rural Co-

including the User Program (that

ca. The 1,071-km highway involves

lombia, beginning in the town of

ensures constant communication

a USD 2.5-billion investment and

Villeta (80 km northwest of Bo-

between the highway’s users and

will be divided into three sectors.

gota) and running through eight

the concessionaire), the Safe Mo-

Ruta del Sol SAS, a concessionaire

departments and 39 counties, an

bility Program (taking measures

led by Odebrecht (62.1%), with two

area representing 26.1% of na-

to improve safety on the road) and

Colombian partners, Corﬁcolom-

tional GDP and 30% of the popu-

the Communicate and Neighbors

biana (33%) and Solarte (4.99%),

lation. This venture will make

Program (a place where the local

is responsible for Sector 2, which

Colombia more competitive in the

community can go to make sug-

represents an investment of ap-

international market and help im-

gestions and complaints about

proximately USD 1 billion.

prove access roads to the ports of

the project); the Initiatives Pro-

Considered the largest and

Cartagena, Santa Marta and Bar-

gram (which supports productive

most important section of the

ranquilla, which account for 52%

projects in the sphere of inﬂuence

Ruta del Sol, Sector 2 is 528 km

of the country’s port trafﬁc.

of Sector 2 of the highway); and

INFORMA

0022_OI155_Rio_OK_INGLES.indd 74

8/3/11 5:26 PM

the Reinhabit Program (which

528-km stretch of Sector 2, the

res S.A., explains that they are us-

seeks to mitigate the impacts on

concessionaire has signed a Co-

ing sophisticated heavy equipment,

communities directly affected by

operation Agreement with the

350 units of which were acquired

the project). “It’s a huge respon-

Colombian Highway Police cov-

directly by Consol out of the total of

sibility and a very special time.

ering more than 3,000 items,

820 that will be used along the entire

This is the longest highway in

including 56 high-powered mo-

length of Sector 2. When describ-

the country, and we are respon-

torcycles, dozens of cell phones

ing the project, Manuel high-

sible for the longest stretch. So

and computers and hundreds of

lights the use of three Shuttle

far, there have been no exam-

trafﬁc cones, which should help

Buggies for the ﬁrst time on an

ples of complete success in the

the police patrol the area.

Odebrecht project – equipment

history of road concessions in

In addition to operation and

used to keep the layer of asphalt

maintenance, under Eder Fer-

smooth. “Thanks to these ma-

The factors that set this new

racuti’s leadership Ruta del Sol’s

chines, we can keep trucks and

era of concessions apart are

operations also include building a

pavers from bumping into each

clear. As soon as they entered

further 528 km and widening the

other,

the concessionaire’s center of

existing roadway. This is an exam-

speed in the execution of the

Colombia,” says Eder.

maintaining

constant

operations, the Odebrecht Infor-

ple of the Odebrecht Organization’s

asphalt layer so it isn’t wavy,”

ma team saw attendants trained

investment arm giving way to the

observes Manuel, who will de-

to communicate information to

construction arm. Manuel Ricardo

liver the project by 2016, with

users, and a large-screen moni-

Cabral Ximenes, Project Director

the help of a workforce of 5,000

tor that displays images from

of Consorcio Constructor Ruta del

people.

cameras already installed along

Sol (Consol), the joint-venture con-

the route. The people working in

tractor formed by Odebrecht and

that room can also determine the

Colombian contracting ﬁrms Cor-

exact location of each of the 70

ﬁcolombiana and CSS Constructo-

support vehicles the concessionaire uses to operate the concession, including vans, tow trucks and cranes. To ensure the safety of that

Manuel Ximenes: project uses 820 pieces of heavy equipment

INFORMA

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PEOPLE DEVELOMENT

Theory and practice Students have a chance to experience the daily life of a construction site written by JÚLIO CÉSAR S OARES photo by G UILHERME AFONSO

quick tour of Lima, Peru,

From left, Raul Rojas, Julia Alva, Alfredo Alfaro and Dennis Sanchez, participants in the Alternate E-Pr@tices Program: complete view of the profession

reveals a growing city. Real estate and road projects

are multiplying and changing the

in July and August, and online, on a

You have to build a project with the

landscape. These days, investment

daily basis,” said Liliana Vertiz, the

desire to serve and satisfy the cli-

in workers’ training and qualiﬁca-

ofﬁcer Responsible for People and

ent.” Dennis Sanchez, 22, a PUCP

tions is crucial for the Peruvian capi-

Organization at Odebrecht Peru.

student, notes that TEO “shows the

tal. “This is a major challenge: young

While taking the course, students

importance of being more than a

people are absorbed into the labor

are ofﬁcially Odebrecht interns until

good engineer. It is also important

market in the last year of college,

they complete the program in their

to be a good person.”

and generally speaking, businesses

senior year. “After that, their leader

Because most of the classes

don’t have a vision of joint educa-

will assess them and decide which

are taught online, the program

tion combining theory and practice,

project these young people will be

does not interfere with partici-

which hurts the students’ grades,”

working on, according to each indi-

pants’ studies. “In the case of the

says the Dean of the Pontiﬁcal Cath-

vidual’s background,” says Liliana.

Alternate E-Pr@ctices Program,

olic University of Peru (PUCP), Daniel

She says the selection process

as the name implies, theory and

Torrealva. Implemented in October of

was very challenging. “There was

practice go hand in hand,” says

last year, Odebrecht Peru’s Alternate

huge interest among students when

Daniel Torrealva.

E-Pr@ctices Program can help turn

we introduced the program. At the

The Dean of the UNI, Javier Pi-

that situation around.

end of the ﬁrst stage of testing – sim-

qué, points out that participating

Fifteen of the 359 civil engineer-

ilar to the Young Partner Program –

in this program will enrich young

ing students at the National Univer-

53 candidates passed and we needed

people’s careers. “In college, they

sity of Engineering (UNI) and PUCP

to reduce that number.” To do so, the

receive basic instruction, so it is es-

who applied for the program’s se-

program team introduced a new ac-

sential for them to experience the

lection process are already on their

tivity based on improvisation. “It was

practical side of the profession.”

way to helping meet the challenge.

important to know the ‘emotional’

Piqué also highlights the program’s

The Alternate E-Pr@ctices Program

side of each of the participants and

beneﬁts for Peruvian engineer-

gives students an opportunity to ex-

identify who, in some way, was best

ing and national development. “We

perience the daily life of a construc-

suited to our culture,” says Liliana.

will have professionals who do their

tion site, learn the entire process

Raul Rojas, 21, a student at UNI,

jobs conﬁdently, and since I believe

of carrying out a project, and come

was quick to adapt. “The Odebrecht

that Odebrecht wants to establish

into contact with the Odebrecht Cul-

Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO)

deeper roots in this country, it is

ture. “The course has two stages:

is a philosophy of life,” he says.

important that we have this identity,

face-to-face, during the holiday

“It’s different, because it shows

that the company’s workforce be

period, from January to March and

that it’s not enough to just do a job.

Peruvian.”

INFORMA

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FOLKS

From countryside to seaside

Nature lover at work and play She took an early interest in the environment

PHOTO:

BRUNA ROMARO

HOLANDA CAVALCANTI

The ocean has become part of his life

amila Guerbas grew up on her grandfather’s farm in Mato Grosso do Sul. Since she was a girl, she has ob-

served plants and animals, and it was no surprise when she decided to study Biology in college. She joined ETH Bioenergy, at the Santa Luzia Unit, three years ago. Today, at the age of 25, she represents the company on the HSE (Health, Workplace Safety and Environment) Committee of the Social Energy Project in Nova Alvorada do Sul, Mato Grosso do Sul, a town she knows very well. Her favorite pastime is ﬁshing with her grandfather on the river that runs through the farm where she was raised. “We only catch what we can eat,” she explains. At work, her goal is to combine eco-friendly practices with economic development and production. Camila also takes part in environmental education events at local schools. “We must learn the principles of sustainability from childhood,” she says.

Multiple interests

native of Conchal, São Paulo, Wilson Mario Fadel Lozano, 34, graduated in Civil Engineering in Bauru, also

in São Paulo State, and has three graduate degrees – in Logistics, Administration and Project Management. He plays guitar, and his favorite style is sertanejo (Brazilian country). He loves life in the countryside and being in close contact with people. However, he has lived and worked in the Port of Santos for the last six years. He is accustomed to life on the coast and married to a local resident. He has even started enjoying the ocean more and going on boat rides. He likes Santos, but is still a loyal Corinthians fan – it never occurred to him to celebrate when the city’s soccer club won the Liberators of the Americas Cup. He took the helm of the engineering area for the port terminals company Embraport (Empresa Brasileira de Terminais Portuários) in late 2009, and has overseen construction of the Embraport Terminal from start to ﬁnish. “I’ll celebrate when the ﬁrst ship docks there!”

orn in Jaú, São Paulo, Carlos Gabos has always loved machines. He got a technical diploma and went on to study Mechanical Engineering

in college, when he was married with three small children. Today, all of his children are engineers, married and living on their own. Carlos, 55, has developed a liking for orchids, woodwork and cooking. On weekends, he cooks for friends and relatives, and devotes himself to fertilizing and repot-

PHOTO:

HOLANDA CAVALCANTI

ting his orchids. “It’s a hobby that involves hard work and dedication, but the beauty of the ﬂowers makes it all worthwhile,” he says. After three years in AFEQ (Functional Equipment Support), he is now an Equipment Manager.

An engineer who cooks, grows flowers, teaches and more

He also teaches. Overcoming his shyness, he gives lectures and develops programs to groom and certify key professionals for engineering and construction projects. “I believe that knowledge should be shared,” he says.

INFORMA

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SAVVY

Looking for wisdom and knowledge

In this issue, Odebrecht Informa is introducing Savvy: Folks who’ve Learned from Work and Life, a series of reports, stories and memories from, by and about Odebrecht Organization members Personal account by Antonio Cardilli, given to Valber Carvalho Edited for Odebrecht Informa by Alice Galefﬁ

he ﬁrst member to tell his

meetings with the communities

but that was not always what they

own story is Antonio Car-

that were affected by construction

needed. We did things differently.

dilli, who joined the Or-

of the Santo Antônio hydroelectric

We wanted them to build accord-

plant.

ing to their needs, and it worked.

ganization in 1979. Cardilli is the

I took part in 64 participatory

ing Professional Education Pro-

meetings, from Calama, near

gram, which began in Brazil on

the Amazon region, to Abunã, on

the Santo Antônio hydroelectric

Bolivian border. I visited commu-

plant project in Rondônia, and

nities I never dreamed existed.

Learning from indigenous people

has been replicated at other Ode-

There was one called Ramal dos

I learned a lot from the Indians.

brecht projects in other states and

Arrependidos (Branch of the Re-

Indians have no sense of time or

countries.

pentant), consisting of six or sev-

schedules. They do things when

en families who lived in the heart

they feel like it. A funny thing hap-

of the rain forest.

pened. We scheduled a meeting

In a video statement given to reporter Valber Carvalho, he de-

Today we don’t have any problems

creator of Acreditar, the Continu-

with the resettled communities.

scribes, among other things, how

The real Brazilians are the ones

in an indigenous community for

the Acreditar program got started,

out there in the Amazon, sticking

9 am. The ﬁrst Indian arrived at

his relationship with indigenous

to the land and giving it its proper

5 pm. Their clock is biological,

peoples and the thrill of seeing

value. We were the newcomers,

not one that tells time like ours,

a worker return his Family Grant

and why had we come? To move

and we have to understand that to

card. Cardilli describes himself as

them away. We would have to re-

work with them in harmony.

a man who likes people and works

settle them because progress was

for their good – a “peopologist.”

coming. How could we go about

Missing skills

Here are some excerpts from

it? We began to hold meetings

If you look back at the history of

Cardilli’s statement. The full video

with them so they could partici-

Rondônia, you’ll see that extrac-

version (16 minutes) can be viewed

pate in decisions. In the past, not

tion has always been part of the

at Odebrecht Informa’s website

long ago, two or three technicians

region’s economic life: in the 18th

(www.odebrechtonline.com.br).

would ﬂy over an area in a plane,

century there was a rubber boom,

take a look at a community and

and then came the cycle of con-

Arriving in the Amazon

say: “That one there, we’ll give it a

struction of the Madeira-Mamoré

I joined the Madeira Project in

school; that one will get a hospital;

Railway, in the late 19th, early

2005, and soon started to attend

and we’ll build a road over there,”

20th centuries. The last boom was

INFORMA

0022_OI155_Rio_OK_INGLES.indd 78

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the mining period, which was the most predatory of all, and lasted for years. And there was a nagging question in my mind: “What can we do to change this situation?” Then we conducted a survey in the region and found that al-

though there were 30,000 unem-

Antonio Cardilli giving a talk in Rondônia: “Are you a ‘peoplogist’?”

ployed people in Porto Velho, if we had started the project that day, we could only count on 30% of the local population at most, given the lack of job skills there. The rest would have to come from elsewhere. That is, we would have to bring in about 8,000 or more people, which would aggravate the social problems in region, such as poor sanitation (water and sewer), education, health, public safety, etc.

Inspiration for Acreditar That’s when the light bulb lit up: “We have to change this story. We can’t build this project the way we’ve always done.” There was only one way to do that, which was trying to provide the local people with the necessary skills. We looked for a government or private entity that had already done something similar on that scale. (At the time we were thinking of grooming 10,000 eligible people.) We looked all over Brazil and couldn’t ﬁnd one. We just found bits and pieces that didn’t suit our needs. That’s when I decided to put this program together and call it Acreditar – “Believe.” I have to believe that society will get on board with this program; that there will be students

INFORMA

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to educate and train. And I believe

cal people. And that makes a big

that?” A ‘peopologist’ is someone

we can provide them excellent job

difference.

who likes people. Does the strong smell of workers make you sick to

skills and hire them to build this project.

Beginning of Acreditar

Worker returns Family Grant card

your stomach? If it does you should

Given the success of Acreditar,

sweat disgusts you, you should go,

I arrived here in Porto Velho on

we got a visit from President Lula

because you’re in the wrong place.

January 14, 2008, along with part

last year, which was overwhelm-

of the team to start up the pro-

ing, not only for me but for the

gram.

whole team there.

Lessons from his grandfather

We went through the neighbor-

One of our workers handed his

Someone else who taught me

hoods to tell people about the pro-

Family Grant card to the president,

to like people was my grandfather.

gram: we visited churches, com-

telling him: “I don’t need this any-

He took good care of his livestock,

munity associations, soccer ﬁelds

more. Thank you for your help,

the horses and donkeys that

and bars. Wherever there were

but now I can walk on my own two

worked for him, and when those

more than four people in a bar we

legs. I’m a citizen. I’m a ﬁrst-class

animals reached a certain age,

would stop, open the van and ex-

citizen. I’m just as worthy as any

when they didn’t have the strength

plain the program. It worked – in

other.” It was incredibly moving.

to work on the farm, my grandfa-

one week, I had 5,000 applicants.

If you ask me if I cried, I’m not

ther didn’t sell them off like most

ashamed to say I did. I really did.

of his neighbors, who sold them to

We began teaching people job skills six months before break-

the abattoirs.

Are you a “peopologist”?

those animals out to pasture and

job market. One day someone

Here’s what I say: liking people

let them die of old age. He’d say:

said, “You’re just like a baker.” I

doesn’t mean you’re their friend.

“Son, that animal worked for me

said: “A baker?” “You’re kneading

I’m not those people’s friend. I

and helped me, so now I’m going

bread for someone else to eat.”

don’t have a close relationship

to take care of him.” He’d take

I told him I didn’t care. This was

with them, but I work for their

corn out to feed the livestock ev-

an opportunity to get to know the

good. All my decisions are based

ery day and I’d go with him. That

workers, and they were getting

on helping people.

had a big inﬂuence on my child-

ing ground for the plant. They graduated and went out into the

leave. If the stench of people’s

Not him. My grandfather put

to know my company, my orga-

I use the term “peopologist.”

hood and I think that it inﬂuenced

nization. What I wanted was for

When a recent graduate or train-

my personality as well. It made

them to have lots of job offers in

ee comes to work with me, the

me come to like people, because

the future, and for us to be their

ﬁrst thing I ask the kid is: “Do you

a person who treats animals that

ﬁrst choice. You can see the re-

like people?” “Yes, I do,” he says.

way – well, I don’t even need to say

sult: 85% of our workforce are lo-

“Are you a ‘peopologist’?” “What’s

how well he treated people.

INFORMA

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Next issue:

Communities rESPONSIbLE FOr COrPOrATE COMMUNICATION AT CONSTrUTOrA NOrbErTO ODEbrECHT S.A. Márcio Polidoro

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# 155 vol. XXXVIII July/August 2011 English Edition

photo: ricardo telles

ODEBRECHT informa INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

“People show their creativity by proving to be capable of viewing reality from different angles and taking pleasure in playing with ideas” TEO [Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology]

INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY # 155 VOL . XXXVIII JUL/AUG 2011

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Creativity and the spirit of service come together in a transforming encounter

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