Construction Week - Issue 309

SAUDI ARABIA BAHRAIN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES QATAR OMAN KUWAIT

Construction An ITP Business Publication

Licensed by Dubai Media City

WEEK

CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 [309]

NEWS, ANALYSIS, PROJECTS, TENDERS, CLASSIFIEDS, AND JOBS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

H D A RIY CUS O CITYpaFge 38

INSIDE NEWS

Foundation job on The World’s Germany island awarded PAGE 9

COMMENT

FM expert Allan Millin calls to build for people not clients PAGE 12

TOWER

FORMWORK

CW finds out how suppliers are adapting to new civil demands PAGE 24

WITH A

TWIST CW VISITS INFINITY TOWER PART WAY THROUGH ITS 90° TURN TO THE TOP

NEWS ANALYSIS • IS RENEGOTIATING CONTRACTS A MOVE FORWARD?

DIALOGUE D

W WSP’s Tom Smith tells us what elements are u key to turning green k PAGE 40 P

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 20-26, 2010 | ISSUE 309 9

FEATURES

12

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18 SITE VISIT CW discovers the twists and turns property developer Cayan has faced during the making of Infinity Tower.

24 SPECIAL REPORT With infrastructure currently one of the largest sectors in the region, CW investigates how formwork firms are tackling the work available. .

DIRECTORY

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30 32 34 35 36

10

SHOWCASE TENDERS PROJECTS APPOINTMENTS SPECIALIST SERVICES

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16

REGULARS 2 ONLINE 4 MAIL

FRONT 9 FCG WINS CONTRACT FOR THE WORLD’S GERMANY ISLAND Kleindienst Group has appointed Foundation Construction Group to begin soil improvement work on The World.

10 LEAD CONSULTANT LEAVES CITY OF ARABIA P&T Architects, the lead consultant working on the US $3 billion City of Arabia is no longer employed on the project.

11 NEWS IN BRIEF Highlights of the week.

12 COMMENT Facilities management expert Alan Millin talks of the need to build for the user rather than the developer.

BACK

14 LEGAL

38 CITY UPDATE

Fattah Aderinto looks at fair and sensible ways to deal with preliminaries.

The latest news and projects from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

16 NEWS ANALYSIS

40 DIALOGUE

CW talks to some of the top experts in the construction industry to find out what they think about the growing trend of renegotiating contracts.

WSP group global development director Tom Smith talks about the aspects of sustainable building, which should be prioritised.

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

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ONLINE

www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com MOST POPULAR

EXCLUSIVE: LEAD CONSULTANT LEAVES CITY OF ARABIA UAE ISSUES WORKER RIGHTS AND DUTIES BOOK SAUDI RAIL PROJECT ON TRACK CITY UPDATE: DOHA ABU DHABI SEES MATERIAL PRICES PLUMMET

HAVE YOUR SAY IS THE MARKET READY TO GENERATE LONGTERM REWARDS?

Will we see a transition towards long-term investments in the GCC?

IN PICTURES: TDIC COMPLETES PHASE ONE OF FISHERMEN’S MARINA Tourism Development & Investment Company has completed first phase renovation work on Al Bateen Wharf’s Fishermen’s Marina.

The first phase featured the completion of the marina’s mooring berths, which will accommodate 323 fishing vessels, varying in length from 10-18m. Each berth is equipped with running water, electrical power, fire fighting equipment and standard amenities. A 192-metre long underground culvert has been built to connect the water bodies of the east and west bays to improve the circulation and quality of water in the marina. A second phase of work is due for completion by the second quarter of 2012.

To read more visit www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com

FEATURES MEP

PMV

28 WAYS TO MAKE A LEED PLATINUM BUILDING A look at ASHRAE’s new LEED HQ in Atlanta, Georgia.

PLANT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Even basic programs can make construction processes more efficient.

PMV

FM

MONEY FOR NOTHING Alan Millen urges FMs to raise the bar.

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THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT If there was a ‘magic bullet’, would you use it?

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

JOBS OF THE WEEK Marketing Manager, Abu Dhabi, UAE Head of Facilities Management – Hospital, Dubai, UAE Urgent Requirement – Construction Manager Hos, Abu Dhabi, UAE

ONLINE POLL IS YOUR COMPANY HIRING AT THE MOMENT?

41.2% 32.4% 26.4% No way.

Maybe, soon.

You bet.

TO VOTE IN THIS WEEK’S SPOT POLL GO TO www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

MAIL RE: SIX OF THE BEST: PROJECTS TO KEEP AN EYE ON

RE: INDIAN PROFESSIONALS EARN BELOW ‘AVERAGE’ SALARIES

India has the second largest network of railways in the world. The British started it, but after independence a number of projects with more advanced technology have been undertaken.

The engineers are well versed with the installation techniques suited to the particular region. Their expertise has been utilised for African states and I have full confidence that the Indian rail engineers can be counted as some of the best in the world to execute jobs for difficult terrain. Saudi Arabia and the Middle East can take advantage of these people and with consortiums, their projects may also be competitive.

Guys wake up! The bottom line is people from ‘developed’ countries are paid more than people from “developing” nations.

As the Middle East is developing, [people] believe the “developed nation” professionals can develop them to the next level. If we need to be paid the same as “developed nation” professionals, we first need to develop our nation and prove it to the world.

NARAYAN KRISHNA

GHAITH

RE: NAKHEEL: SAVING AN UNDERWATER WORLD IN SECRET

RE: EXCLUSIVE: LEAD CONSULTANT LEAVES CITY OF ARABIA

To support [earlier] statements further, as at January 31, 2010, we have moved and transplanted 70300 corals.

PETER WILSON-KELLY

Good to hear that Kohler is getting into the water conservation/preservation game. Among the products Kohler follows other companies [with] are waterless urinals, which have already been installed successfully in Dubai. Kohler can be a leader in using their vast resources.

Renegotiation of existing contracts is inevitable in the existing climate. I think we can expect to hear of more such departures, as projects stumble on to the realisation that costs based on 2007 and 2008 figures are no longer reasonable. It will be a case of renegotiate or move on.

Engaging with clients to talk money at an early stage will save everyone a lot of time and effort. It will also avoid public bust ups and stop stable projects, which may be progressing slowly, from being marked as flakey dreams that are unlikely to ever be built.

KLAUS REICHARDT

JAMES BLUNT

RE: DIALOGUE: DAVID KOHLER

LE

RE: ARABTEC WINS FIVE-STAR SYRIAN HOTEL DEAL Congratulations to Arabtec, I hope it gets more projects in Syria.

WRITE TO THE EDITOR Please address your letters to: Post, Construction Week, PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE or email editor@ConstructionWeekOnline.com.

Please provide your full name and address, stating clearly if you do not wish us to print them. Alternatively log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com and air your views on any one of a number of the latest Middle East business articles.

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CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

PUBLISHED BY AND © 2010 ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING, A DIVISION OF THE ITP PUBLISHING GROUP LTD, REGISTERED IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS COMPANY NUMBER 1402846

FOREWORD

NEGOTIATE, NOT BULLY

“CONTRACTORS ARE OWED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN UNPAID WAGES AND ARE EVEN STRUGGLING FOR WORK. IN SUCH A SITUATION RENEGOTIATIONS AREN’T AS FAIRLY BALANCED AS THEY MIGHT APPEAR TO BE”

Last week, following extensive chats with developers, contractors and suppliers, it was clear that most of the industry is renegotiating contracts to better suit the current market conditions.

Now, even though this may seem like the best option (and it probably is) to kick-start the construction industry, a couple of things that Besix’s Philippe Dessoy and Arabtec’s Tom Barry pointed out, painted a different picture.

When Dessoy first called renegotiations “unfair,” I thought he may have been over-reacting a little, but as he explained how these so called ‘renegotiations’ were taking place, in a market where the bargaining power lay closer with the clients, the sensibility of the trend did in fact begin to look a little unfair. Contractors are owed millions of dollars in unpaid wages and are even struggling for work. In such a situation, renegotiations aren’t as fairly balanced as they might appear to be.

Barry on the other hand, used the past to make his point. During the boom time when material prices were ridiculously high, most clients didn’t think twice about dismissing calls for the inclusion of ‘escalation clauses’ in contracts. But now, when the markets have fallen and construction costs have dropped by almost 40%, some clients are expecting a ‘reasonable’ approach to the market. Let’s hope the favour is returned if and when the market picks up again.

Barry also chose to call it ‘repositioning’ rather than ‘renegotiating’ because clients, according to him, also often ask contractors to work towards lowering construction costs rather than signing a new contract. In this case there are no contractual changes, only lowered costs.

Repositioning or renegotiating – tomah-to tomay-to! It’s all the same. As long as the industry’s best interests are at heart and no one is getting bullied, successful renegotiations could actually be beneficial to clients, contractors and suppliers, by reducing the possibility of disputes within the industry, or the need to go down the legal path.

CONRAD EGBERT EDITOR conrad.egbert@itp.com

WRITE TO THE EDITOR Please address your letters to: Construction Week, PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE or email editor@ConstructionWeekOnline.com.

Please provide your full name and address, stating clearly if you do not wish us to print them. Alternatively log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com and air your views on any one of a number of the latest articles.

6

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

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FRONT

>News

10

>Highlights

11

>Comment

12

>Legal

14

>News analysis

16

KLEINDIENST GROUP HAS APPOINTED FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION GROUP TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION ON THE WORLD.

FCG WINS CONTRACT FOR THE WORLD’S GERMANY ISLAND

By Conrad Egbert

Kleindienst Group, developer of The Heart of Europe on The World islands, has appointed Foundation Construction Group Limited (FCG) to begin soil improvement work on the project.

A specialist foundation engineering contractor, FCG will begin work on Germany Island, the first of the six islands to be developed in the project, which was announced in December 2009.

Construction will begin with soil testing followed by improvement of the in-situ sand of the island, an engineering procedure undertaken to prevent subsidence, increase the overall bearing capacity and

ensure the future stability of the island. The soil improvement operation, called ‘vibrocompaction’, involves the use of electric depth vibrators that mechanically agitate and lock the sand particles together down to seabed level (a depth of 18m to 20m), to ensure that all construction on the island is stable and sound.

“Vibro-compaction will enable the islands to meet or exceed the demands of static effects (bearing capacity or settlement) and dynamic effects (liquefaction, in the unlikely case of an earthquake),” said Francisco Baez, technical manager at FCG, in a statement.

“This intensive process, once completed, will result in the increased stability of The Heart of Europe islands and in superior condition to naturally formed islands.”

FCG aims to complete ground settlement works by May 2010, after which Kleindienst Group will commence building 20 private holiday villas. The villas are scheduled for completion in 2011.

The Heart of Europe is a six-island, 12-site luxury holiday development by the Kleindienst Group on The World islands. It is situated on the islands of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, St Petersburg and Sweden.

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

9

FRONT LEAD CONSULTANT LEAVES CITY OF ARABIA

By Conrad Egbert P&T Architects, the lead tract to someone else; consultant working on the work is still progressing US $3 billion City of Arabia though,” said Alex Vacha, is no longer employed on director of projects, City of Arabia. the project, Construction According to Vacha, Week can confirm.

Last week, a source workP&T’s contract coming on the project told CW manded “about 2%” of that P&T Architects had the total construction costs two year ago. With “left” the project. the market having cor“They [P&T] submitted their termination letter to P&T ARCHITECT HAS LEFT THE CITY OF rected since then and the City of Arabia manage- ARABIA PROJECT. construction costs fallment on February 1,” said ing by about 40%, the the source. contract had to be reassessed.

When contacted by CW, P&T declined “The market has fallen; contracts, whether to comment. for construction or consultancy that were But a spokesperson for Ilyas & Mustafa signed two years ago, do not make sense Galadari (IMG) Group, the developer behind anymore. We also feel that it is better to the City of Arabia project confirmed that look for a fresh set of people in these situaP&T had been let go and that the consul- tions, rather than renegotiate with the same tancy contract is being renegotiated with people. We are currently in talks with two two other consultancy firms. other consultancy firms,” he said.

“They are no longer working for us and Vacha also said that the developer had already we’re currently looking to award the con- paid P&T a total of about $35.4 million.

DUBAI WORLD CREDITORS COULD GET 60% - REPORT

By Andy White Dubai’s handling of the debt crisis at flagship Dubai World will affect its ability to attract future investment, British Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said, amid a report the firm may offer creditors just 60 cents on the dollar.

Mandelson said the UAE must reach a ‘demonstrably fair’ deal with creditors. Dubai denied a Dow Jones report that it is mulling a two-part deal, including one that may repay lenders 60% over seven years. Dubai World is in talks with banks on the debt delay -- about $22 billion linked to its main property units Nakheel and Limitless World -- but has yet to present a formal proposal.

FRONT HIGHLIGHTS Project

AL WAHA HANDOVER Dubai Properties Group (DPG) says it has begun the handover of units within Al Waha, a freehold community within Dubailand. The development includes 260 high-end villas with terracotta roofs and cobbled driveways surrounded by desert landscape. Group CEO of Dubai Properties Group Khalid Al Malik said: “Al Waha is an important addition to our residential portfolio as it demonstrates our commitment to delivering a diverse range of communities in Dubai.”

Project

DPG TO COMPLETE HEALTHCARE PROJECT Dubai Properties Group says it has renewed an agreement with Al Basti and Muktha (ABM) to complete work on Al Khor Hotel and Residences in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC). The development, located in DHCC Phase 1, has achieved 60% completion.

The project will consist of two towers, a 34-floor hotel with 444 rooms and a 43-

NEWS IN NUMBERS

Rubber World Industries has won an

AED1 million ‘Gulf-O-flex’ rubber insulation contract for Al Raha Beach in Abu Dhabi

floor apartment building with 405 serviced apartments. It will feature a podium with six restaurants, a spa, gym, swimming pools and other amenities.

PMV

PAVING MACHINE FOR TINY SPACES Cat has come up with a solution to the problems faced by paving crews working in tiny spaces. The company has introduced the AP655D Track-type Paver with model AS4251C screed, a machine solution that handles the paving challenges of some of the most narrow job site situations. The 19,165kg AP655D (18-19 ton major class size for tracked pavers) is designed to excel in a wide range of applications, with the help of two track solutions: the Mobil-trac (MTS rubber track) and steel track undercarriages.

MEP

SMART TECH CAN SLASH UTILITY BILLS The acceleration of ‘smart’ metering and grid technologies can help GCC

Arabian Bemco has secured an

SR2.14 billion (US $570 million) project finance loan

utilities and governments avoid potential investments of around US $5 billion to $10 billion into peak load capacities up until 2020, according to AT Kearney Middle East principal Christian von Tschirschky.

In addition, the peak-load demand can be slashed by 10-20% through effective customer behaviour changes, along with smart metering implementation and remote control of air-con systems.

“Smart meters are the technology of the future to measure real-time electricity,” said von Tschirschky.

Construction

‘TOP TEN FOR 2010’ CONSTRUCTION TRENDS A top ten projections for the trends expected to shape the UAE construction and real estate markets this year have been revealed today

by Jones Lang La Salle. The report, compiled by the firm, showed that developers will focus on constructing residential areas locally rather than internationally and more affordable homes are expected to be built in

2010. But, developers must be more transparent in order to gain back the trust of their shareholders, according to Jones Lang La Salle head of research for MENA Craig Plumb.The report also projected that additional tenant and occupier demand will provide a ‘significant boost’ to market performance, but the UAE market will see a general decline in performance during 2010.

Construction

FINISH TO PHASE ONE OF FISHERMEN’S MARINA Tourism Development & Investment Company has completed first phase renovation work on Al Bateen Wharf’s Fishermen’s Marina.

The first phase featured the completion of the marina’s mooring berths, which will accommodate 323 fishing vessels, varying in length from 10m to 18m. Each berth is equipped with running water, electrical power, fire fighting equipment and standard amenities. A second phase of work is due for completion by the second quarter of 2012.

Oman’s Galfar DSI has reported an annual Engineering has profit of reported a fullAED280 year profit for million 2009 of

US $10.85 million, down from

US $59.99 million in 2008

for the starting 2009 calendar year, recording a year-on-year profit increase of

32%

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

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COMMENT > For the latest news and comments log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/comment

Build for the end user – not for the developer FACILITIES MANAGEMENT EXPERT ALAN MILLIN TALKS OF COMING OF AGE FOR POOR BUILD QUALITY AND THE NEED TO BUILD FOR THE USER RATHER THAN FOR THE DEVELOPER

“WE HAVE BUILDSAFE, WE HAVE GREENBUILD AND PROBABLY MANY OTHER ‘BUILD’ INITIATIVES. PERHAPS THE TIME HAS COME TO LAUNCH A BUILDIT-RIGHT-FIRST-TIMEEVERY-TIME CAMPAIGN”

Alan Millin is a chartered engineer and Leed accredited professional. He is an independent consultant, coach and trainer based in Dubai. He has led the consultancy mission of two major Dubai facilities management companies. He spends his spare time correcting defects in his Dubai home and can be contacted at: akmillin@hvacandr.com.

The opinions expressed in this column are of the author and not of the publisher.

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It’s not so long ago that buyers clamoured for properties in certain locations. Rumours abound of heated exchanges in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi as buyers tried to book properties off-plan.

Times have changed though. Buyers are looking more at what they are going to get for their money, and rightly so.

They want more for their Dirham today.

In the past, people have bought villas in prestigious locations around Dubai only to find their dreams turn to nightmares.

Imagine their disappointment when, after parting with a few million Dirhams and enjoying a year of sun, it rains in Dubai.

They discover, for example, that conduits provide a direct path for rainwater to enter their luxury villas from the roof.

It doesn’t matter which contractor actually built the villa, it’s the main developer that takes the reputation hit. For the contractor, maybe this would be his last contract with this developer.

On a project of one major Dubai developer, apartments have been handed over with defects such as a large hole in the wall, hidden from view above the kitchen false ceiling for instance.

Fire system cables enter the same apartment above the main bathroom false ceiling from the common corridor. Perhaps these cables might have been better used if they were actually connected to anything. The access hole knocked through the wall is left just as it was the day the contractor created it.

Bathtubs with handles on each side of the bath present an appealing scene. But how would you, as a construction professional, feel if this was your home and you found that those nice bathtub handles had not been fixed correctly and water could run straight through the holes, creating the potential for future damage not just to your own apartment, but to those beneath you too?

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

And then there are the windows, so pleasant to look through on a sunny day. Small operable windows, large arch shaped door-type windows, vast areas of glass everywhere we look; such a difference from the windows that were being installed in the 1960s in the UK, for instance. Those windows were single-glazed, metal framed with no special aesthetic features. Yet they shut out all draughts. Horizontal blizzards were held back. Torrential downpours posed no threat; the windows held everything back and kept the occupants comfortable.

Why then, more than forty years later, do we find brand new window units in the UAE that allow sand to blow into homes at the first sign of a breeze. Why do occupants have to put towels at the base of the windows to soak up water that runs in when it rains? The double-glazed units are not properly sealed in the frames. The frames themselves are not sealed.

All this paints a dismal picture of construction quality in the UAE. And yes, if you are in the construction industry it is your problem, not just someone else’s. If we want to attract buyers in the future we need to improve the quality of our products. That quality has to be designed in and built in, not just hoped for. There has to be a commitment to improve and create properties that reflect well on everyone, from the smallest subcontractor through to the master developer and ultimately on the region.

We have Buildsafe, we have Greenbuild and probably many other ‘build’ initiatives. Perhaps the time has come to launch a Build-ItRight-First-Time-Every-Time campaign.

The choice of whether to commit to higher quality is yours, but the real question is whether you want your business to thrive as the economic climate recovers, or whether you are going to try to continue as before, delivering low quality homes, alienating end-users and watching your business fail.

LEGAL > For more legal advice log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/comment

Administration of project preliminaries FATTAH ADERINTO LOOKS AT FAIR AND SENSIBLE WAYS TO DEAL WITH PRELIMINARIES

“THE NATURE OF PRELIMINARIES IS SUCH THAT IT COVERS FINANCIAL MATTERS, WHICH RELATE TO THE CONTRACT AS A WHOLE, AND NOT CONFINED TO ANY PARTICULAR WORK SECTION”

Fattah Aderinto is a contract administrator and chartered quantity surveyor. He obtained both his BSc quantity surveying and MSc construction management from Nigeria. He is a Certified Cost Engineer.

He worked as a senior quantity surveyor with Consulting Engineering Group in Qatar and presently works as a cost manager on infrastructure projects of Bahrain Bay.

The opinions expressed in this column are of the author and not of the publisher.

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Estimators and project administrators often administer preliminaries as either function of project cost, project duration or adjudication parameters.

Also, most contracts in the Middle East often include an item under preambles, indicating a fixed method of administering preliminaries. These approaches do not agree with the logic of preliminaries and in the long run, are to the disadvantage of both the client and the contractor.

Apart from this, administration of preliminaries has often been the cause of dispute between the consultant quantity surveyor and the contractors’ quantity surveyors.

The nature of preliminaries is such that it covers financial matters, which relate to the contract as a whole, and not confined to any particular work section. The contractor is thus given an opportunity to put a price for all matters affecting costs that arise out of the condition of contract, any special requirements of the client on his professional advice and for all temporary work necessary to carry out the contract.

As the construction work proceeds, the contractor is entitled to payment of the total value of work that is properly executed, less a specified percentage for retention, as it will be unreasonable to expect contractors to finance construction operations without assistance from employers.

All the standard forms include provisions for periodic interim payments to be made for these reasons.

Two common methods of valuation of preliminaries that are often used by contract administrators are monthly proportions of total preliminaries and proportion of the contract value. In the first method, the cost of preliminaries is apportion over the contract duration on a monthly basis, while in the second method, the preliminaries are paid to the contractor in proportion to the total value of the contract he has achieved at any time.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

Under both of these methods, any PC sums included in the contract must be deducted prior to calculation. The argument in support of these methods is that it saves time, but a number of disadvantages have been associated with their use.

The first method often resulted in overpayment to the contractor because when proportioning preliminaries against contract period, it does not take into account that work may be behind schedule, to the extent that the complete preliminaries costs may be paid to the contractor before the work is completed.

Secondly, neither of them deals effectively with lump sums inserted in the preliminaries. Examples of such items are site fencing and temporary roads, which may have to be inadequately valued because they have to be completed early.

Therefore, each item of preliminaries should be assessed individually and this permits a much more realistic and accurate approach to be adopted to suit the circumstances.

Certain items may be required at the outset and can accordingly be valued in full, such as the provision of temporary site fencing, construction of temporary roads, and the erection of hoardings, storage compounds and site huts.

These constituent parts are viewing from various cost parameters such as time related/ on-going periodic cost, work related cost, site overhead cost lumpsum, establishment cost (front end cost), terminal lumpsum (backend cost) and time and work related cost (combined).

This process of breakdown preliminaries will be made easier and the results will be more satisfactory if the co-operation of the contractor is obtained. Once an agreement is made between both parties, these amounts will then be available for valuation purposes and later, for the adjustment of preliminaries, if necessary, in the final account.

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We do not negotiate!

Or do we?

WITH THE MARKET HAVING FALLEN 40% UNTIL NOW, MANY CLIENTS, CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS ACROSS THE REGION HAVE BEGUN TO RENEGOTIATE CONTRACTS. CW TALKS TO SOME OF THE TOP EXPERTS IN THE INDUSTRY TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE TREND

By Conrad Egbert

L

ast week, CW discovered that City of Arabia – the Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari owned US $3 billion development – is currently renegotiating certain contracts.

According to the company, a shortlist of two consultancy firms have been drawn up, one of which will replace the original lead consultant P&T Architects. Along with this, the company is also renegotiating a few construction contracts.

After speaking to a few more people within the industry, it quickly became evident that this was just the tip of the iceberg and that renegotiations are the order of the day.

While some of the industry felt it was the best option in a difficult market, a part of it felt it was ‘unfair’ and it undervalued the legal strength of contracts in the region.

“It is the normal thing to do,” said City of Arabia project director Alex Vacha, when asked why he was renegotiating. “How can you expect us to keep on paying prices that don’t make sense in the current market?

Everyone knows how over-inflated the market was two years ago, so a correction had to come; raw material prices were out of control earlier and because that’s changed now, construction costs have corrected drastically.”

16

Steel and concrete prices plunged last year due to the economic slowdown.

The price of steel plummeted almost 45% while concrete rates declined 15% according to a report issued last week by the Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi.

Steel products were the worst affected in the construction material sector falling from around $1100 per tonne in 2008 to about $550 per tonne in 2009.

“RENEGOTIATIONS CAN HELP BRING SOME SANITY BACK INTO THE MARKET AND SAVE COMPANIES FROM POTENTIALLY GOING BANKRUPT” Region wide trend The renegotiation fever isn’t restricted to the UAE alone, but has spread across the region including neighbouring Oman.

“Why would you keep paying old and over-inflated rates in a new and corrected market?” asks Mish’al Moosa, managing director for the Muscat-based Dar Al Zain project, who has also recently completed successful renegotiations with sub contractors and suppliers.

“Renegotiation is the way forward, if you ask me,” says Moosa. “It is an essential tool to kick-start the region’s economy. Rene-

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

MISH’AL MOOSA, MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR THE MUSCAT-BASED DAR AL ZAIN PROJECT.

gotiations can help bring some sanity back into the market and save many companies from potentially going bankrupt, due to having previously signed ridiculous contracts under pressure.”

Moosa added that many of his suppliers offered to reduce their prices on their own, but he did come across a few who did not want to renegotiate.

> For the latest analysis log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

THOMAS BARRY, CEO, ARABTEC.

PHILIPPE DESSOY, GENERAL MANAGER OF SIX CONSTRUCT.

SACHIN KERUR, PARTNER, PINSENT MASONS LAW FIRM, DUBAI.

“Some people are greedy at the end of the day and to be honest, we don’t want to work with people like that. After the renegotiations, we gave back all the savings made to our customers in the form of reduced prices, which eventually, is good for the market.”

Contractors speak Everyone is not as vehement as Moosa when it comes to renegotiations. Philippe Dessoy, general manager of Six Construct wasn’t all for it, but agreed that it did have more benefits than drawbacks in the current situation.

“The good side is that at least you can expect to start getting paid after renegotiating a contract. Certain clients, who have chosen not to renegotiate, haven’t paid us up till now and those that we have renegotiated with, have begun to filter in some money.

But despite some clear advantages, Dessoy also pointed out the dangers that could come with renegotiation.

“It’s not ideal and certainly not fair to renegotiate a contract because, in effect, you’re breaking it. And that beats the whole point of signing a contract – protecting your right to get paid on what was agreed is why contracts are signed in the first place.”

Asking a rather interesting question, Arabtec CEO Thomas Barry says: “Would clients be happy to renegotiate if the market is flipped and prices sky rocket again? We’ve been through such a situation in the past and to be very honest, we had to deal with it on our own; we didn’t get the opportunity to renegotiate when we were facing tough times.”

But he also said that if the economy would benefit from the process it would be a road worth exploring.

“At the end of the day, we have to see the bottom line. Profit isn’t a bad word and if everyone is still making their margins, then its better to actively reposition contracts, rather than just sit and wait for something or nothing to happen.”

And like Barry says, if the end result is movement in the market, maybe renegotiations could prove to be the best option to aid an ailing construction sector. Money could begin exchanging hands again and companies would begin receiving payments that are due. 

What the law says The obvious question that comes to mind then is if one is within their rights to renegotiate a contract?

Moosa says he was. “It depends on the agreement. For us it was in our contract that we could renegotiate if there was a drastic change in construction costs.”

But Sachin Kerur, partner at law firm Pinsent Masons in Dubai says that such provisions in contracts are a rarity and the only way to be on the right side of the law in the absence of such a provision, is if both parties agree to a renegotiation.

“Only if both parties agree to renegotiate and draw up with a new contract, will it be within the law. If either of the parties does not agree, it could turn into a dispute.”

“WOULD CLIENTS BE HAPPY TO RENEGOTIATE IF THE MARKET IS FLIPPED AND PRICES SKY ROCKET AGAIN?”

RENEGOTIATION – PROS & CONS Pros Creates overall better value Kick starts business Brings down inflation Increases payments

Cons Upsets budgets Reduces confidence in the market Reduces trust between clients and suppliers Undervalues the legal strength of contracts in the region

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

17

TO INFIN

I

n 1173, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was built with the intention of standing vertically, but its current state is what drives tourists into the Italian district of Tuscany. London’s 30 St Mary Axe, nicknamed ‘The Gherkin’ for its unusual shape, also attracts the crowds, just like the Kuwait Towers do, with their unique glass spheres.

World famous buildings are often identified by their distinctive silhouettes, and now, Dubai is hoping to create a new icon, with a twist.

Infinity Tower, located in the Dubai Marina, is set apart from its neighbours by its rotating structure and is spiraling into the sky at a fast pace, with one floor being cast every five days. And, when Construction Week went to press, the building reached the 46th floor.

“We are actually ahead of schedule. We allocated seven days to finish a floor but we are doing it in five days,” says Ahmad Kasem chief development officer for Cayan, the project client.

“We will complete the structural work by mid June at the latest.”

INFINITY TOWER HAS N0W REACHED THE 46TH FLOOR AND IS RAPIDLY PROGRESSING.

18

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

ITY AND BEYOND CW DISCOVERS THE TWISTS AND TURNS PROPERTY DEVELOPER CAYAN HAS FACED DURING THE MAKING OF INFINITY TOWER

By Sarah Blackman; Photos by Efraim Evidor

The residential building offers studios, one, two three and four bedroom apartments, as well as duplexes and penthouses.

It also has six podium parking levels and amenities such as a swimming pool and retail outlets.

It is set to be topped off at 73 storeys and 305m in height, with the entire development scheduled to be delivered in April next year.

News about a completed ‘icon’ will be welcomed during this climate, after the economic crisis caused delays to projects across the GCC. But, for the Infinity Tower, the crisis is a gentle breeze, compared to the severe blow that knocked its construction plans two years ago.

On February 7, 2007, after enabling works had commenced and excavation works were

complete, a wall that held back the Dubai Marina was breached. The site was ultimately flooded, leaving only the arm of a crane peaking above the surface of the water.

“The diaphragm wall failed and the whole thing filled to the same level as the marina,” Kasem adds.

“THE PLATE IS HEAVILY REINFORCED TO TAKE CARE OF THE ECCENTRICITY OF EACH COLUMN”

Apart from physical damages, the flood also scarred the projects finances according to Kasem: “We spent close to AED100 million on dewatering and retrofication

AHMAD KASEM, CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR CAYAN’S INFINITY TOWER.

works after the incident occurred. This was added to the total construction costs, which now equates to AED1 billion.”

As a result, the project was delayed for over a year before construction started up again on June 15, 2008.

Prior to construction commencement and the flooding incident, main contracts and subcontracts were awarded.

In 2005, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) won the contract to design the structure, due to its ability to create an unmatched product, according to the client.

“At Cayan, we always want to be different,” says Kasem.

“We ran a design competition that included four or five consultants and eventually

INFINITY TOWER CONSTRUCTION SAFETY RECORD

KASEM POINTS OUT HOW THE ROTATION OF THE INFINITY TOWER IS ACHIEVED.

TOTAL MAN-HOURS COMPLETED TILL DATE

3,707,632

NO OF LOST TIME INJURIES (LTI)

7

TOTAL MAN-HOURS COMPLETED AFTER LTI

1,113,926

NO OF DAYS AFTER LAST LTI

120

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

19

THE SPIRALLING INFINITY TOWER REACHED 16 FLOORS IN JUNE LAST YEAR AND NOW, ONE FLOOR IS BEING CONSTRUCTED EVERY FIVE DAYS.

awarded the contract to SOM. The project is unique and distinguished.”

Arabtec won the main construction contract in December 2006, but price escalations later occurred.

“Between 2007 and 2008 material prices went up, which is when we signed the subcontracts. Still to this day, we have very high

priced supplies on site,” explains Kasem.

“We did a lot of negotiation with our subcontractors and main contractors to reduce costs and we have succeeded in doing so.”

The main construction contract is now valued at $209.6 million.

Over a year on, and rapid progress is finally being made on the eye-catching Infinity

FAST FACTS CLIENT

Cayan

CONSULTANT

Khatib and Alami (local) Skidmore Owings and Merril

MEP

Drake and Scull International

CURTAIN WALL

J & H Emirates

ELEVATORS AND VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION

Kone

TENDER DATE

April 2008

CONSTRUCTION START DATE

June 15, 2008

CONTRACT PERIOD

34 months

COMPLETION DATE

April 2011

CONSTRUCTION COST

US $209.6 million

PROJECT COST (WITH REMEDIAL WORKS AND LAND COST)

US $272.2 million

20

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

“AT INFINITY, WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF POINTS THAT HAVE TO BE CHECKED EVERY SINGLE TIME WE FORM”

Tower and Cayan is now confident that the project will be a success.

So, how exactly are the twists and turns in the building’s structure created?

In short, each floor, or slab plate, rotates 1.08 degrees around a fixed cylinder core.

Once the tower is complete, the 73 floors will add up to a cumulative 90 degree angle.

“The thickness of the core wall is 1m and it tapers down as you get higher. Right now I think it’s at around 90cm and it’s a fixed structure,” says Kasem.

There are no pillars in the building; instead it is supported via a complex concrete column structure that works with the core to hold the building up.

“The plate is heavily reinforced to take care of the eccentricity of each column as you go up a level,” he adds.

EACH SLAB PLATE/FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IS ROTATED 1.08 DEGREES AND ONCE COMPLETE, THE 73 FLOORS WILL ADD UP TO A CUMULATIVE 90 DEGREE TURN.

Camber formwork was also supplied to the project to counteract the effect of deflection caused by heavy reinforcement and concrete.

“We built the core so it was slightly tilted, so when the slabs were put in place, it was pulled back into a straight line. When you rotate, everything is pulled towards the core,” explains Kasem.

The rotation of the slabs and columns are so complex that they need to be checked much more regularly than they would in a traditional building.

“In a normal building, the four corners are monitored every five floors or so. At Infinity, we have hundreds of points that have to be checked every single time we form

and are monitored again after the form is taken away. We have to make sure that the columns have been constructed in accordance with the original design.”

Cladding work commenced in Q1 2009.

In such a complex structure, it should be a difficult process, but Kasem has a trick up his sleeve.

“The cladding is prefabricated in the factory and you just bring it in, slap it on and your done,” he says.

“When you have a stick system, you have worry about constructability and workmanship. Two labourers can do something different to the two workers on the other side and there might be problems with sealants and the installation process. With a unitised

system, like ours, things are a lot simpler.”

Before Infinity’s curtain wall could be implemented, however, it had to go through some rather vigorous tests.

“The trouble with a spiral building, is that nobody knows how it will behave, because a building like this hasn’t been constructed before. There were a lot of concerns and we want to make sure that the building was over designed, if you will,” states Kasem.

A curtain wall prototype was exposed to a typhoon situation, where jets of water were sprayed at it and strong winds were blown on to it using a propelled engine.

“It was proven to be 100% water-tight,” says Kasem. “The cladding also underwent pressure, suction and destruction tests.

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

21

“YOU CAN’T JUST COME DOWN THE BUILDING IN A MATTER OF MINUTES AND GOING BACK UP IS A REAL HASSLE”

NO ONE IS ALLOWED ON SITE WITHOUT A HARD HAT.

Further, the building has been designed in accordance with the seismic requirements for Dubai.”

The shape of the structure has also created challenges for Cayan when it comes to cleaning the tower.

“This was our biggest challenge of all,” insists Kasem. “We brought in three top

Ross Wimer, of architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, is the design partner for Infinity Tower. CW chatted with him about the distinctive design.

What inspired you to create the rotating structure?

The shape of the Infinity Tower is twisted to maximize the views out of the building. At the lower floors there are more units oriented toward the Dubai Marina, near the top of the tower they face the Arabian Gulf.

What seismic provisions have been implemented? If this is a unique structure, how do you know that it will resist ground movement and strong winds?

Our design for the tower structure is based on over 75 years of engineering experience.

As with all of our high rise designs, it was tested both in computer models and in a wind tunnel. One thing we discovered in the testing is that the twisted shape performs

22

suppliers of the building maintenance unit (BMU) in the world and it took six months to get right.”

Unlike on a vertical building, where a cleaner would go straight up and down, he or she has to attach his or herself to each floor and follow the spiral line, according to Kasem.

“You can’t just come down the building in a matter of minutes and going back up is a real hassle.”

The building takes months to clean and has to be cleaned four times a year. So, in effect, it will be cleaned all year, every year.

Elevators, on the other hand, are not affected by the spiral shape and move up and down at 7m per second inside the core of the tower.

Another obvious concern for Cayan is on site safety and security, and the company is keen to reiterate the importance of such issues to its workers.

“We will not allow anybody to smoke on site and anybody that goes onto our site, no matter who it is, will not be allowed to enter without hard hats and safety shoes etc.”

Cayan and Arabtec carry out weekly safety reports and take note of any incident that occurs before finding out why it happened and how to prevent it from happening again.

Further, safety meetings with workers are carried out regularly.

So far, there have been seven lost time injuries during the 3.7 million man hours worked on site.

So what’s next on the agenda for the Infinity Tower?

The coming months will see the completion of structural and cladding work at infinity tower, and interior fit outs will follow.

“Just imagine putting the Grosvenor House on top of infinity as it stands now and that is how much more work we have left to complete,” says Kasem.

With the trials and tribulations the tower has been through so far, however, constructing a few extra floors shouldn’t be too strenuous for the Infinity team. 

better in the wind than a rectangular extrusion of the same proportions.

What challenges did you face when designing this building?

One of the challenges was to keep the geometry of the condominiums as regular as possible, in spite of the tower’s external shape, and to be sure that the tower could be built quickly and efficiently. We achieved this by stepping the structure of the tower and designing the framing, so that the same formwork can be used for all of the floors in the building. The formwork is simply rotated about one degree at each successive floor level.

Have alterations been made to the design over the last couple of years?

The tower design has remained unchanged, relative to our original plans. The podium building has been adjusted slightly to allow for additional parking spaces.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

How would you compare the Infinity Tower to your Burj Khalifa project?

The Burj is a achievement by virtue of its remarkable height. The Infinity tower represents a new trend in tall building design where sculptural shapes are now possible.

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FORMING CIVIL

STRUCTURES WITH INFRASTRUCTURE CURRENTLY ONE OF THE LARGEST SECTORS IN THE REGION, CONSTRUCTION WEEK INVESTIGATES HOW FORMWORK FIRMS ARE TACKLING THE WORK AVAILABLE AND ADAPTING THEIR PRODUCTS TO SUIT CONTRACTOR NEEDS

By Alison Luke

T

ake a journey through most of the Middle East’s major cities today and the vast scale of the infrastructure work underway quickly becomes clear. Numerous roads, bridges, railways and tunnels are under construction and even more projects are planned, as the region’s governments seek to create infrastructure systems that will meet the intense growth rates in their countries.

This is creating opportunities for all firms involved in civil works, with formwork at the heart of the initial project build phases and one of the most visible aspects of many of the projects to date.

“The proportion of civil engineering in the construction business is set to increase over the coming years,” predicts Doka Gulf technical manager Bernhard Lindner. In addition to the need for infrastructure to meet the future growth within the region, the sector’s dominance is expected to rise, as the economic downturn continues to impact on other building projects.

Its importance to the formwork industry is already being noted: “Certainly in Dubai at present the civil infrastructure

24

sector is attracting the interest of Aluma and other formwork suppliers due to the current downturn in the commercial sector,” confirms Daniel Taylor, area manager (Abu Dhabi), Aluma Systems Middle East.

“As often happens during times of economic downturn, the Government stimulus packages pump investment into civil projects, meaning that the ratio of civil:commercial projects is increased,” notes Taylor.

ISSUES TO CONSIDER With infrastructure projects generally of a much larger scale and vastly differing proportions to most building projects, any formwork used should be carefully selected and designed to meet the required demands.

There are several issues that should be accounted for with such projects.

“From a design perspective, one of the main challenges is to create a true model of the bridge geometry and ensure that the design solution selected works for all cases,” stresses RMD Kwikform regional chief engineer Moira Cameron. One way to reduce this problem is to use specially developed software programmes to ensure accurate designs. “Traditionally this would have been done by cutting numerous sections through the bridge,” explains Cameron, “RMD Kwik-

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

form has developed a programme in-house that enables us to accurately model both the ground and bridge geometry in 3D and to place the falsework legs automatically in 3D, which cuts the drawing time.”

The sheer quantities of formwork required and their potential strength are other major considerations on infrastructure projects.

“The amount of material will be high, so there has to be enough stock,” says Peri product manager Shalin Adiparambil.

“The biggest issue is the large scale of the scope of work,” agrees Taylor. “Generally the bridge/intersection works ongoing in the UAE at present require very large volumes of shoring to be supplied on a rental basis; the infrastructure market is also extremely competitive, meaning that the formwork supplier not only has to have the sufficient rental availability, but also has to provide the equipment at a very competitive rate,” adds Taylor.

One benefit of this to formwork suppliers is that the long-term nature of infrastructure projects means if a firm secures a large contract it is guaranteed the long-term use of a large percentage of its rental fleet.

Although ensuring safety on projects in general is a high priority, on infrastructure jobs it becomes particularly important and

> For more special reports visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

to make a large volume of material available in a very short time,” stresses Lindner, “therefore the clients have to rely on formwork suppliers with a perfect logistic department and commercial abilities.”

“To cope with the need for traffic openings RMD offers its Megashor system to support simply supported steel beams over the live traffic lanes,” reports Cameron. “The product is modular and can be assembled to suit any propping height required,” she explains.

ALUMA FRAME COMMERCIAL USE MARINA HOTELS YAS ISLAND AL FUTTAIM CARILLION.

FORMWORK FEATURES

there can be additional requirements from the authorities. “Some companies have to prove to the RTA, in tests, that the formwork that they are going to use can carry the load that it says it can,” reports Adiparambil. “For example, a load test for the RTA was done in August 2008 with [Peri’s] PD8-System for the interchange near the airport tunnel in Dubai, which was contracted by Yuksel,” reports Adiparambil. Without passing such tests, the formwork would not be permitted for use on the projects.

“In infrastructure projects where high concrete pressures are involved, one cannot risk the safety issues, the time needed for reconstructing a damaged part and the additional cost, by using a cheap quality project instead of a reliable product,” stresses VSL sales manager (Bar Systems) Shemi PS. A further safety issue on infrastructure projects is their location: these are gener-

So with larger structures to consider, how does formwork for civil infrastructure works differ from that used in smaller scale projects such as buildings?

“As far as formwork material is concerned, there is not a big difference between building and infrastructure projects; sure the scale becomes bigger, but the idea of a formwork system incorporates the method of reusing standard items in as many different projects as possible,” stresses Lindner.

By maintaining the use of standard products, installers do not require additional training in the use of the formwork and those who have worked on buildings can easily be transferred to infrastructure projects. This can provide contractors potential savings on time and money for training and during onsite installation periods.

Firms such as Peri offer product ranges that can be used across infrastructure and building projects. “The product range [needed

ally close to, immediately over, or alongside live traffic routes. Ensuring the safety of the public and construction staff, plus uninterrupted traffic flow on the existing routes, are essential components of the projects. “In case of interchanges or road bridges/tunnels, the traffic has to be adjusted, which in some areas is quite difficult,” stresses Adiparambil.

“Building new bridges or flyovers accounts for similar problems, as when you are building a skyscraper, inside a congested city; the main problem is how to conduct the job, without interrupting daily life,” adds Lindner.

All of the major formwork suppliers offer products that can adapt to such situations.

Doka’s Ready-to-Use Services for bridge formwork can provide a suitable solution: pre-assembled formwork panels are delivered to site to suit the project design, thus reducing the onsite assembly work. “On bridge projects the requirement is always

FORMWORK ACCESSORIES (VSL) Selecting the correct ties and accessories for a formwork system is essential to ensure its optimal functioning. VSL is active as a supplier of form ties and accessories within the Middle East, locally stocking the products and materials in Dubai and shipping them to neighbouring countries to meet demand.

The firm offers a wide range of large diameter tie rods and accessories from its local stock, such as 20 and 26.5mm sizes that are specifically aimed at use in heavy construction and infrastructure projects.

In addition, VSL deals in tie rods of various grades up to 75mm diameter. Products

are offered in a range of steel grades to meet client requirements, and as hot-rolled, weldable and non-weldable types.

Tie-rod accessories offered by VSL include: • Wing nuts; • Waterstops; • Washer plates; • Loop anchors for single-sided formwork; • Combiplate: wing nut and plate combined; • Hexagonal nuts; • Couplers; • Cone; • Plate anchors for climb form in core wall construction.

VSL is planning to introduce taper ties that enable the use of plastics sleeves to be avoided. Used in the USA, the use of taper ties remove the risk of the plastic sleeve breaking during concrete pours, which can make it very difficult to remove the tie rod.

In addition, taper ties make the installation and removal of form ties simpler and faster.

The firm plans to stock products in other Gulf countries such as Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in future as demanded by the market conditions.

For further details see www.vsl.com and www.vslbar.com

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

25

for infrastructure projects] is different in some cases, in others it’s not,” states Adiparambil. “For example, Peri’s PD8, ACS, SKS and GT24 girders are universal products that can be used in both project types, but Vario kit, GKB platforms etc are specialised products for infrastructure projects only,” explains Adiparambil.

The differences in product are generally down to size and potential capacity. “We generally use our heavy-duty system scaffold, 80kN Rapidshor, instead of our mediumduty, 55kN capacity Kwikstage system,” explains Cameron. “In heavy construction and civil infrastructure projects, the need for large diameters such as 20 and 26.5mm arise compared to the building projects where 16mm tie rods are the commonly used ones,” adds Shemi.

AVAILABLE PRODUCTS With the focus on the infrastructure sector increasing, the formwork manufacturers are continuing to develop their products to meet the market demands.

Aluma’s primary product for infrastructure applications is the Aluma Frame Shoring System. “This fully aluminium, versatile shoring tower makes up the bulk of the Aluma Systems rental fleet in the UAE,” reports Taylor. “It is lightweight; fast and easy to install; versatile to any shoring application – commercial and civil; conforms to the highest safety standards; and has a very high load capacity (100Kn per leg) at optimal extension,” stresses Taylor.

All of the systems used by RMD Kwikform for infrastructure projects are included in the firm’s standard equipment ranges. For infrastructure falsework, the firm generally uses its 80kN Rapidshor System. “This system gives 80kN capacity with th-e ledgers spaced at 1.5m, which can dramatically reduce the amount of ledgers and bracing required for more traditional systems,” explains Cameron. “In addition, where heavy-duty propping systems are required, RMD offers our 1000kN capacity Megashor System,” adds Cameron.

Doka offers a wide range of components and products to suit projects that involve bridges of almost any design. Again, standard products can be utilised. “The specialist formwork engineers use standard components, as extensively as possible, in

26

order to ensure that even complex builds are completed cost-effectively,” stresses Lindner. “The proportion of rentable system components can be as high as 90%, slashing investment costs for the construction companies and making formwork solutions economical even when use cycles are short,” Lindner adds.

Doka’s Framax Xlife framed formwork or Top 50 beam formwork meets the needs of foundations and abutments. “If crane availability is a problem, the Frami Xlife framed formwork can be used because it is easily moved by hand,” explains Lindner.

For bridge piers, pier heads and pylons Doka offers a wide range of climbing formwork systems including the SKE 50 and SKE 100

RMD KWIKFORM’S WORK ON THE MAFRAQ INTERCHANGE, ABU DHABI.

hydraulic climbers. For large loads, high floor-slabs, tunnels or bridges, the Doka load-bearing systems combine safety with flexibility. “Doka’s Staxo 100 load-bearing system is extremely efficient and provides optimum adaptability to different layouts, floor shapes and large shoring heights,” says Lindner.

In addition, Doka offers formwork solutions for bridge superstructures and has developed its own fully rentable cantilever

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

forming traveller that comes complete with the integrated formwork for free cantilever bridging projects. The modular system is designed to meet the specific needs of bridge-building, including aspects such as optimum formwork interfacing, rentability, ergonomics and safety. The firm can also provide products for tunnelling infrastructure projects, planning and providing modular and rentable solutions for cut-and-cover, excavation by mining, sheet-pile cut-and-

cover tunnelling and galleries.

Peri has different product ranges for substructures and superstructures, plus special construction procedures such as the launching method. Several of the firm’s standard products can be used for infrastructure projects, including PD8, multiprops, stacking towers, ACS, SKS, HD200 props, Variokit, tunnel forms, GT 24 girders and SB brace frames.

Peri’s Variokit incorporates three standard components that can be applied to a wide range of applications: a steel waler universal SRU, climbing rail RCS and heavy-duty spindle SLS. Benefits of the systems include the need for few anchors in wall areas; optional hydraulic support for shuttering, striking, lifting and lowering; self-propelling or mobile solutions for moving complete units; and the ability to create different cross-sections by making simple modifications. All components can be optimally adapted: the HD 200 heavy-duty prop allows continuous height adjustment and grid-free longitudinal arrangement;

the RCS slab beam can be flexibly adapted; the Variokit diagonal strut is continuously usable from 4-9m.

In 2010 Peri is planning to release enhanced versions of several products. The Peri VT 20K is a 20cm-high solid web girder with improved protection at the girder ends.

Robust steel caps have been added to the ends of the girder and concave web ends to prevent damage in demanding and tough conditions on the construction site, considerably increasing the service life of the girder.

Here, the natural elasticity of the wood is also used to absorb the impact energy. In addition, the highly compressed solid web has a high proportion of synthetic resin that ensures high dimensional stability.

PROJECT DETAILS There have been several high profile infrastructure projects undertaken in the region over the past few years, with many more underway or still to commence.

The Jumeirah Palm Island Tunnel project involved the construction of a 1.4km tun-

nel to join the main island with the outer crescent. This included 600m of underwater tunnel at depths of up to 25m. Forming, reinforcement work and concreting were carried out using the separate casting method. In 25 m long concreting steps and four cycle sequences, the tunnel bottom plate, two wall sections respectively and then the slab could be concreted consecutively. Peri system components from the Vario girder wall formwork system provided the solution throughout. The loadbearing GT 24 formwork girders and SRZ steel walers were also used very flexibly as slab formwork. The concrete loads during construction of the tunnel slab were safely transferred into the bottom plate via PD 8 shoring towers.

Most recently, in early February Aluma won the contract for the Al Hodariyat Bridge Project in Abu Dhabi. The firm’s Aluma Frame, Aluma Table and Aluma Wall-Form system will all be used on the VSL/AST joint venture project, with work on site due to begin in the immediate future. 

FEBRUARY 20–26, JANUARY 9–15, 2010 2010 CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION WEEK WEEK

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www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory

§ § § §§ § DIRECTORY

DIRECTORY

SHOWCASE | TENDERS | PROJECTS | APPOINTMENTS | SUPPLIERS | CITY UPDATE SHOWCASE 30 Dubai Pearl 32 TENDERS 34 PROJECTS 35 APPOINTMENTS

SPECIALIST SERVICES 36 Design software 37 Construction manufacturers/steel CITY UPDATE 38 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

To advertise please call Shishir Desai +971 4 435 6375, or email shishir.desai@itp.com

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

29

¦SHOWCASE ITP IMAGES TO BUY IMAGES WITHIN THESE PAGES PLEASE EMAIL ITPIMAGES@ITP.COM OR VISIT WWW.ITPIMAGES.COM

To buy images within these pages please email itpimages@itp.com or visit itpimages.com

RIGHT: The pouring of 23 columns for Tower 1 has been completed on the B1 level and shuttering work is in progress.

Rebar cleaning works for columns in also underway along with water proofing work on top of raft sides. The Jump form outer shutter opening and cleaning work is also currently underway.

BELOW: Piling works on all four towers have been completed along with their rafts. Tower 1 raft pour was completed in August last year, followed by Tower 3 in September, Tower 2 in October and Tower 4 in November.

30

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

To buy images within these pages please email itpimages@itp.com or visit itpimages.com

RIGHT: On Tower 3 of the project, rebar work for the columns is also currently being worked on along with backfilling around the raft.

Pouring of six columns on the B1 level has been completed along with the Jump form system.

Rebar and shuttering work in also in progress.

BELOW: Chipping of the core wall area on Tower 4 is currently underway along with the Jump form shutter assembling. Water proofing work on top of the raft sides and backfilling around the raft is also in progress.

DUBAI PEARL – CONSTRUCTION UPDATE The US $2.4 billion (AED8.8 billion) Dubai Pearl project in Dubai is steadily progressing, according to the company. It has also achieved pre-certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) at the Gold level for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed). Al Habtoor Leighton is the main contractor on the project. The deal was the largest single contract of its kind in the Gulf Arab region. The Pearl Dubai development will cover more than 1.39 million m2, including four 73-storey towers and a hotel.

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

31

TENDERS §

¦TENDERS FREE TENDERS AND SERVICES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TO INCLUDE YOUR TENDERS IN THIS SECTION EMAIL TENDER DETAILS TO EDITOR@CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

Tender focus

SCADIA

The Supervision Committee for the Expansion of the Abu Dhabi International Airport (SCADIA) is engaged in a major development programme to expand the capacity of Abu Dhabi International Airport. Now, the focus is on the construction of the Midfield Terminal Building, which will house operations of Etihad Airways and will be built to handle 20 million passengers annually. SCADIA has invited contractors to express their interest in the project and successful bidders will have completed five similar projects in the last ten years. They must also be familiar with international green building codes and be able to comply with the forthcoming Estidama guidelines. 

To include your tenders in this section email tender details to editor@ConstructionWeekOnline.com

BAHRAIN Issuer: Electricity and Water Authority Tender No: 379/2009/6000 Description: New administrative building at Juffair – phase 2 (interior works and furnishing).

Closes: March 10 Fees: BD50 Bond: BD5000 Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.bh EGYPT Issuer: Egyptian Endowment Authority Description: Two tenders for the construction of 90 residential buildings comprising 2160 housing units in Asswan City.

Closes: March 3 and March 7 Fees: EP17,000 and EP16,000 Bond: EP1.24 million and EP1.2 million Contact: Egyptian Endowment Authority, 109 Tahrir Street, Dokki, Giza KUWAIT Issuer: Central Tenders Committee Tender No: BA/S/250 Description: Construction of a police station in Mubark Al Kabeer Zone, Kuwait City.

Closes: February 21 Fees: KD2500 Contact: Central Tenders Committee, Ministry of Public Works Issuer: Central Tenders Committee Tender No: MEW/39/2008/2009 Description: Design and construction of Al Zour desalination plant, phase 2.

Closes: March 9 Fees: KD3000 Contact: Central Tenders Committee, Ministry of Public Works Issuer: Central Tenders Committee Tender No: MEW/39/2008/2009 Description: Design and construction of Al Zour desalination plant, phase 2.

Closes: March 9 Fees: KD3000 Contact: Central Tenders Committee, Ministry of Electricity and Water

32

ABU DHABI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS GOING THROUGH A DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME TO EXPAND ITS CAPACITY.

Issuer: Central Tenders Committee Tender No: RA\\140 Description: Construction of Jaber Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah Bridge in Kuwait.

Closes: June 8 Fees: KD5000 Contact: Central Tenders Committee – Ministry of Public Works Issuer: Central Tenders Committee Tender No: MEW/54/2009/2010 Description: Construction of a water plant in East Amgarh.

Closes: March 9 Fees: KD500 Contact: Central Tenders Committee – Ministry of Water and Electricity OMAN Issuer: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tender No: 4/2010 Description: Construction of an office building for the Gulf Consulting Commission.

Closes: March 1 Fees: OR1100 Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om Issuer: Ministry of Health Tender No: 16/2010 Description: Supplying and installation of 11 air-cooled chillers at the Royal Hospital.

Closes: March 1 Fees: OR450 Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om Issuer: Supreme Committee for Town Planning Tender No: 10/2009 Description: Consultancy services for the preparation of the master-plan of Duqm Town.

Closes: March 8 Fees: OR300 Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om QATAR Issuer: Public Works Authority Tender No: PWA/GTC/068/09-10 Description: Construction of seven new schools in Doha.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

Closes: March 2 Fees: QR1000 Contact: Contract department, Public Works Authority SAUDI ARABIA Issuer: Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu Tender No: 627-C17 Description: Procurement and construction of an elementary school for girls, three kindergartens and expansion of an elementary school for boys in Jubail Industrial City.

Closes: February 24 Fees: SR9000 Contact: Directorate General of the Royal Commission in Jubail Issuer: Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu Tender No: PIC A-1003B Description: Procurement and construction of waterfront infrastructure including roads, parking, walkways, pedestrian bridges, a storm water drainage system and an irrigation system.

Closes: February 28 Contact: Director, Purchasing and Warehousing Department, PO Box 30031, Yanbu Industrial City UAE Issuer: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority Tender No: CNE/0488/2009 Description: Construction of four accommodation buildings at Jebel Ali Power Station.

Closes: February 24 Fees: AED2000 Contact: The Chairman, Board of Directors, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority

ONE TO WATCH Issuer: SCADIA Description: Construction of Abu Dhabi’s International Airport’s midfield terminal building.

Closes: Unknown Contact: www.scadia.com

> For more tenders check online at www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/tenders

PROJECTS §

¦PROJECTS

> For the latest projects information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/projects

A KUWAIT DATABASE - BUILDING PROJECTS FOCUS TO LIST YOUR PROJECTS IN THIS COLUMN EMAIL DETAILS TO EDITOR@CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

Project focus

AL HAMRA TOWER The US $950 million (KD273.8 million) Al Hamra Tower is a mixed-use development, which includes a shopping centre and an office tower. Located in the heart of Kuwait City, the project covers 10,978 m2 of land, in addition to 7000m2, which will be used for a multi-storey car park. Ajal Real Estate Entertainment

Company awarded Al Ahmadiah Contracting and Trading the main contract in 2005 and construction work commenced soon after.

The entire development is expected to be completed by the last quarter of this year.

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed the project. 

HAMRA TOWER.

PROJECT TITLE

CLIENT

CONSULTANT

MAIN CONTRACTOR

VALUE (US$MN)

STATUS

CENTER FOR RESEARCH & STUDIES AT SHARQ

Ministry of Public Works

Gulf Consult

Al Jaraih Contracting

17 STOREY OFFICE BUILDING IN HAWALLY

Almad Real Estate

Option One

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

project under design

SHOWROOM IN SHUWAIKH

Mr. Zayed Al Khalid

Al Mousawi Engineering Consultant

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

project under design

FURNITURE SHOWROOM IN SHUWAIKH

Mr. Zayed Al Khalid

Al Mousawi Engineering Consultant

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

project under design

ACCOMMODATION FOR JUMEIRAH DEVELOPMENT IN AHMADI

Jumeirah Development

Al Aliyan Consulting

Not Appointed

16 - 30

project under design

MEDICAL CLINICS PROJECT

A'Ayan Real Estate Company

Soor Engineering Bureau

Not Appointed

16 - 30

KUWAIT CONTROL & METEOROLOGICAL CENTER

Directorate General of Civil Aviation

The Associated Engineering Partnership

Sayed Hamid Behbehani & Sons

38

project under construction

POLICE HEADQUARTERS AT MUBARAK AL-KABEER

Ministry of Public Works

SSH

Not Appointed

30

bidding underway for the main contract

IDEAL HIGH SCHOOL AT AQAILA

Ministry of Public Works/Ministry of Education

Al Zamami Consultant

Bader Al Mulla & Brothers Company

17

project under construction

PETROLEUM RESEARCH LABORATORY IN AHMADI - PHASE 2

Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research

Al Zamami Consultants

Bader Al Mulla & Bros Co.

2.5 - 15

project under construction

AL HAMRA TOWER

Ajial Real Estate Company

Al Jazeera Consultants

Ahmadiah Trading & Contracting

241

project under construction

COMMERCIAL BUILDING IN SHUWAIKH

Mr. Zayed Al Khalid

Al Mousawi Engineering Consultant

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

bidding underway for the main contract

19-STOREY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IN JABRIYA

Wafra Real Estate Company

Option One

Not Appointed

16 - 30

project under design

KUWAIT NATIONAL MUSEUM RENOVATION - PACK 2

Nat'l Council for Culture Arts & Letters/MPW

Pan Arab Consulting Engineers

Kuwait Dynamics

KUWAIT INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE

Ministry of Public Works/Ministry of Justice

Al Zamami Consultant

Not Appointed

KUWAIT BUSINESS TOWN AT AL MIRQAB AREA ZONE 1

Kuwait Business Town Holding Company

Projacs/KEO Int'l/Gensler Associates

First United General Trading & Contracting

BIBI TOWER

Al-Recardo General Trading Company

Option One

Not Appointed

To list your projects in this section email details to editor@ConstructionWeekOnline.com

KUWAIT 12

8 31 - 100 108 16 - 30

project under construction

project under design

project under construction award awaited for the main contract project under construction award awaited for the main contract

¦APPOINTMENTS

COWI-Larson

§ APPOINTMENTS

CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MADE EASY IN CONSTRUCTION WEEK’S DIRECTORY TO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL +971 4 435 6344, OR EMAIL JASON.BOWMAN@ITP.COM

Joint Venture

COWI-Larsen Joint Venture (C-L JV), are the Engineering and Architectural Design Consultants for the Development of Muscat and Salalah International Airport Projects in the Sultanate of Oman and will be performing as the ‘Engineer’s Representative’ during the post contract stage. We are looking for highly experienced and competent people to add value to the team. If you are willing & able to rise to the challenges of building a national landmark to the Sultanate of Oman. Apply here: www.cowi.com/jobs --> Point & Click on Gulf Jobs We are seeking one Senior Contracts Administrator to join the Salalah Airport project: - Extensive experience managing a team of QS & Contract Administrators is essential (10+yrs min) - Extensive experience administering the entire suite of airport packages is essential (7+yrs min) - Extensive experience administrating FIDIC contract on airport infrastructure projects essential. Working knowledge of the ‘Yellow Book’ is essential.

- Possess an excellent knowledge of contract administration, project management and procurement through a Design & Build Procurement Strategy - Must hold attested university degree /diploma in QS/Civil Eng. from a reputable institution.

- Extremely competent communicator on contractual correspondence is essential - Extensive experience holding & chairing stakeholder meetings.

- MRICS desirable - Valid driving license & quali ed education degree are essential.

- 10+ years experience working on airport infrastructure - 5 years Middle East experience is essential - Leadership of a team of professional engineers & inspectors.

- Guardian of safe working practices and welfare standards.

- Managing the ow of information in accordance with the Contract (FIDIC Yellow Book) - Representing the Engineer and maintaining the highest level of professionalism.

- Facilitate the Contractor’s role in completing the project to the standards de ned on the speci cation and in a manner that delights the Employer.

- Represent the SRE at meetings and through correspondence.

- Analysis of submissions using experience of safety, constructability and technical matters.

- Ensure due diligence is employed during the reviews of Contractor’s submittals.

- Record all issues, communications and occurrences such that at later date, sequences of events can be reconstructed.

- Report in an accurate, concise and timely manner.

- Must be degree quali ed & chartered desirable.

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

To advertise please call +971 4 435 6375 or email shishir.desai@itp.com

All staff must have 100% respect for Health Safety and Environment.

Expatriate Package as per norm.

We are seeking one Resident Engineer to lead the site supervision team for the upcoming Salalah project and one Resident Engineer for Mucat.

35

SPECIALIST SERVICES §

¦SPECIALIST SERVICES CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MADE EASY IN CONSTRUCTION WEEK’S DIRECTORY TO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL +971 4 435 6344, OR EMAIL JASON.BOWMAN@ITP.COM

Supplier focus

EXOVA

SUPPLIER OF TESTING AND ADVISORY SERVICES

To advertise please call +971 4 435 6375 or email shishir.desai@itp.com

Exova provides testing and advisory services to construction, aerospace, energy, oil and gas, civil engineering, transportation, pharmaceutical, and consumer products industries and has over 130 facilities in 25 countries.

Formally Bodycote Testing Group, the rebranded company Exova tests everything from concrete constituents through to furnishings and fittings, structural investigations and monitoring, fire product assessments, testing and fire safety engineering consulting.

In addition, the company carries out vital tests on curtain wall systems for a variety of services including air permeability, water penetration, wind resistance, acoustic performance and thermal insulation. The Dubai-based Cladding Technology Centre is the only cladding testing facility in the region to be internationally accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) against the ISO 17025 standard.

The company’s fire safety consultancy divisions also advise engineers and architects worldwide to ensure the buildings they design meet stringent safety standards and can provide innovative solutions to ensure that both safety standards and the design aspirations of the architects are

36

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

EXOVA MANAGING DIRECTOR ROB JACKSON.

met. Exova Warringtonfire ME is now partnering Dubai Civil Defence to deliver a fire-testing facility in the UAE providing fire testing and product certification services.

This division provides guidance to clients on strategic design, code compliance, fire safety management planning, in addition to the provision of computer modelling simulation studies. 

BUILDING MATERIALS

CONSTRUCTION/MANUFACTURERS

HARD LANDSCAPING SUPPLIER

ยง SPECIALIST SERVICES

> For directory information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory

CONSTRUCTION/MANUFACTURERS

Painting and ๏ฌ nishing tools

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FEBRUARY 20โ 26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

37

CITY UPDATE RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

A race against time WITH A LOW SUPPLY OF HOMES AND OFFICES RIYADH IS WORKING TO MEET HIGH DEMANDS, CW DISCOVERS

By Sarah Blackman

A

s the population of Riyadh continues to grow, due to family growth, inward migration and immigration of expatriate workers, so too does the demand for houses and commercial units. But, is this demand being met?

Fortunately, the Saudi Arabian capital was relatively unscathed by the downturn and construction projects across the city are

38

ruthlessly pushing on. The latest figures from global real estate services company Jones Lang La Salle show that there were around 904,000 residential units in Riyadh in the second quarter of 2009.

However, several of new projects have since been announced, which could add

“THE TWO OFFICE BLOCKS WILL CONSIST OF 34 AND 26 FLOORS AND WILL COVER AN AREA OF 27,000 M2”

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

NEWLY ANNOUNCED PROJECTS COULD ADD THOUSANDS MORE HOMES TO THE CITY.

thousands more homes to the city. One such project is the US $1.6 billion (SR6 billion) Nasamat Al Riyadh development, which will consist of 4200 housing units once complete. The homes will be split into buildings ranging in height from three to nine floors.

Fayez Zuhair Architectural and Engineering was awarded the supervision consultancy contract in November last year, while Hill International was awarded the project management consultancy contract. The main contractor is due to be revealed within the next few months and the entire project is scheduled for a 2015 delivery.

Meanwhile, phase one of the huge mixed use Al Wasl development, which will cover 14 million m2 once completed, is currently

AL OLIA TOWER.

JONES LANG LA SALLE EXPECTS THAT 1.1 MILLION M2 OF OFFICE SPACE WILL BE DELIVERED BY 2014.

“THE HOMES WILL BE SPLIT INTO BUILDINGS RANGING IN HEIGHT FROM THREE TO NINE FLOORS” NASMAT RIYADH.

under construction. The urban community is being developed by Limitless and will provide 60,000 homes, eight shopping complexes and several five star hotels. The project is expected to be completed by 2016.

In terms of business units, Jones Lang La Salle expects that 1.1 million m2 of office space will be delivered during the years to 2014. “Most of this space will, however, not be delivered until the completion of the major King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in 2012 and beyond,” the firm’s Riyadh City Profile said. In October 2009, the Saudi BinLaden Group was awarded the 3.73 billion contract to design and build 30 parcels within KAFD, 27 of which must be delivered by March 2012, according to the client, Rayadah Investment Company.

“It’s an enormous challenge and Binladin might be the only contractor in Saudi Ara-

bia capable of producing 30 parcels in 38 months,” Rayadah’s KAFD project manager Waleed Alesia told Construction Week.

“We didn’t want to hire more than one contractor for the job because we wanted to reduce the complexity of the logistics and basically Binladin is the most qualified.”

The contract includes the construction of the two tallest towers in KAFD – the 303m World Trade Centre and the 240m GCC Bank Tower.

Overall it’s expected that by mid-2012 around 70% of KAFD will be built out, with the remaining land developed over time according to demand.

A separate commercial development – Olaya Towers is also under construction and is expected to be completed by Q1 of 2012.

The two office blocks will consist of 34 and 26 floors and will cover an area of 27,000 m2.

In May last year, Nesma Construction Company was awarded the main contract and construction began soon after.

As the population of Riyadh soars to new heights, infrastructure is another vital element that needs to be updated. ith this in mind, work on the Riyadh Metro began in November 2009.

Phase one of the project will see the construction of a 25km route from the northern side of the ring road to the southern side, while the 14km phase 2 will stretch from east to west.

Thirty districts are expected to be covered by the project.

Work has begun on both routes, according to an official at the Arriyadh Development Authority.

The rail system is expected to serve 1500 passengers per hour per track initially and then up to 8,000 passengers per hour. Riyadh’s population has grown to over 6.5 million.

New ring roads, utility supplies, schools and hospitals are also being added to the city. 

FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

39

DIALOGUE TOM SMITH Top of the green list Reduction of energy use, water conservation and solar technology are all aspects of sustainable building, but which issue should be considered first?

WSP group global development director Tom Smith gives his opinion on the matter and discusses how his company is going green

By Sarah Blackman

In which sector of the construction industry are you gaining the most business?

We are increasingly active in the infrastructure and community development markets. The investment focus for many governments is dealing with changing demographics and the need for housing and jobs and infrastructure, both hard and soft: hard relates to transport infrastructure and soft relates to hospitals and schools.

Which projects are you currently working on?

We have a mixture of building and infrastructure projects – in Abu Dhabi we are working on Masdar and the Mina Tunnel projects – across the region, we are working for MAF on a number of retail and mixed development projects in Egypt, Syria, Dubai and Fujairah.

started to introduce some elements of the Estidama thinking and approach into the planning approval managed by the Urban Planning Council. In addition, the Department of Municipal Affairs in Abu Dhabi is introducing the Abu Dhabi Energy Efficiency Code setting mandatory standards for all buildings as part of the introduction of a comprehensive and integrated suite of building codes based on internationally recognised codes of practice. Other examples across the region include the consideration of green building regulations in Dubai and the development of the Qatar Sustainability Assessment Scheme by Barwa Real Estate Company and Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company.

Which aspects of sustainable building should be prioritised?

I believe the top two priorities are water and energy conservation, because demand across the region is projected Which developments are you involved in at Masdar? to continue to increase significantly, existing supply capacity We are currently working on a mix of residential and is increasingly constrained and new capacity is expensive to commercial buildings. A lot of attention has been given to develop (in both economic and environmental terms). For all aspects of the design and construction of the buildings to energy, the clear priority should be on designing to minimise make them as sustainable as possible. The building design has demand before considering the installation of photovoltaic focused a lot on reducing energy demand. They will consume panels. Paying attention to issues such as building insulation, approximately 75% to 80% less energy than is currently U-values, glazing, shading and infiltration will generally be consumed by typical buildings in Abu Dhabi. The buildings much more cost effective than installing solar panels. There is will also be net energy producers by including a significant huge potential for solar energy in this region but the subsidised amount of photovoltaic panels of the roofs and some facades, cost of electricity and lack of significant policy or financial as well as using solar thermal technology support from government for renewables to generate hot water. means that uptake is likely to remain Smith holds responsibility for the fairly limited. There are also significant development of major projects with WSP’s What are the most important trends in savings that can be made in buildings global clients. In 2009 the Global Business green building at the moment? through relatively straightforward A very interesting trend in green Growth Team (GBGT) was established measures such as specifying water and he became head of the department. buildings in the Middle East is the efficient fixtures and fittings. One of the development of regulations and locally The aim of the team is to identify, bid for, other challenging areas is the use of water developed green building assessment win and deliver the projects that will make for landscaping and balancing the need to a impact on WSP group in respect of their and rating schemes. Abu Dhabi is well make the most efficient use of water, with sector, size and profile. advanced with the development of its the desire for pleasant and comfortable Estidama Pearl rating scheme and has open and public spaces.

40

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 20–26, 2010

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