SAUDI ARABIA BAHRAIN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES QATAR OMAN KUWAIT
Construction An ITP Business Publication
CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM
JANUARY 23–29, 2010 [305]
Licensed by Dubai Media City
WEEK
NEWS, ANALYSIS, PROJECTS, TENDERS, CLASSIFIEDS, AND JOBS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
INSIDE INTERSEC Are fire and safety standards in the GCC as high as they seem? PAGE 12
GLASS How are glass makers responding to calls for sustainable cladding? PAGE 25
SHOWCASE Views that cost over US $100 from At The Top of Burj Khalifa PAGE 30
EXCLUSIVE
STEERING
SCOTT CONSULTANT SCOTT WILSON ON CHASING PAYMENTS AND SETTING UP IN SAUDI ARABIA Eddie Foster, regional director, Scott Wilson
CITY FOCUS The latest news, projects and tenders from Makkah, KSA PAGE 38
Tru-lift Self Climbing Core Forming System
Tru-lift Product Features: All sizes of core walls accommodated Complete system raised during lifting cycle Controlled lifting of equipment through the use of hydraulics Fully boarded working platforms create a safe working area Unique striking corners allow quick and easy release of wall formwork Concrete placement from top working platform
MIDDLE EAST
Formwork and Shoring Solutions RMD Kwikform has the skill, expertise and experience to provide you with unique and elegant formwork and shoring solutions. Our team of technical experts and engineers are there to assist you in the creation of any concrete structure and our industry leading equipment ensures that throughout the process your project is correctly supported. RMD Kwikform will rise to any challenge so why not contact us today and see how we can help you create.
Tailored Solutions • Global Expertise
For expert solutions contact our specialists now on
+971 6 553 4173 rmd.me@rmdkwikform.com
www.rmdkwikform.com/ae
CONTENTS JANUARY 23-29, 2010 | ISSUE 305 4
12
FEATURES 18 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Eddie Foster, the regional director of Scott Wilson discusses the impact of the economic downturn, chasing payments and setting up in Saudi Arabia.
22 SITE VISIT Is machine automation worth investing in? CW investigates.
15
24 SPECIAL REPORT How are glass manufacturers responding to the growing demands for sustainable buildings and what can they expect from the year ahead?
8
DIRECTORY 30 32 35 36
SHOWCASE TENDERS PROJECTS SPECIALIST SERVICES
22 17
REGULARS 2 ONLINE 4 MAIL 12 NEWS ANALYSIS
FRONT 8 2010 BUDGET TO FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE A Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry analysis of the Dubai Government’s 2010 budget indicates a strong commitment to balance growth with economic welfare.
Experts are delivering a mixed verdict on the state of the region’s fire, security and safety industry.
15 COMMENT
38 CITY UPDATE
Philip Adams discusses what contractors should keep in mind before handing in their designs in quantities.
The latest news and projects from Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
40 DIALOGUE 17 FACE TO FACE
11 NEWS IN BRIEF Highlights of the week.
BACK
CW asks two materials suppliers what they expect the new year to be like.
How much paint did Jotun use to coat the Burj Khalifa and what’s next in store for the company?
JANUARY 23–29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK
1
ONLINE
www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com MOST POPULAR HOW THE BURJ WAS BUILT HISTORY RISEN THE GREAT INDOORS PUSHING THE LIMIT ASPIRING HEIGHTS
HAVE YOUR SAY IS THE MARKET READY TO GENERATE LONGTERM REWARDS?
Will we see a transition towards long-term investments in the GCC?
DUBAI OFFERS TO HOST THE UN The Dubai government last week issued a statement offering to house the United Nations, should the organisation decide to move from the US – prompting cheers from the construction industry. Following a report in Forbes magazine by an American professor in ‘Urban Futures’ at Chapman University in California, the government of Dubai announced in a statement that it is: “Fully prepared to host the UN headquarters on its territory in the event its officials take the decision to move from New York.” The academic, Joel Kotkin, argues that following the construction boom there is plenty of office, residential and hotel space available, saying that the government could “…offer to build a United Nations City to house the UN in any number of vacant office towers. Business Bay has 65 million ft2 of office space under construction in more than 200 high-rises. Dubai already has thousands of newly constructed apartments that await the international delegates.” For more on this story and to read Kotkin’s report, visit www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com
FEATURES BUSINESS
DESIGN
CITY UPDATE: ABU DHABI The UAE capital is expected to keep on building this year.
HIGHEST CONTRACTING JOB IN THE WORLD Fino’s Talal Saeed describes fitting out the Armani Hotel.
FM
YOUR SAY
GULF SECURITY INDUSTRY SHOWS GROWTH AED3.6 billion market is growing at some 10% per year.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OF THE DECADE: YOU DECIDE What has been the most outstanding construction project of the decade?
2
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
JOBS OF THE WEEK Senior designer hospitality, Dubai, UAE CAD operator interior design, Dubai, UAE Sales and trading manager – sand and gravel, Dubai, UAE
ONLINE POLL HOW WILL YOUR BUSINESS FARE IN 2010 COMPARED TO 2009?
30.8% 25.6% 23.1% 15.4% 5.1% I’m still really depressed.
The same.
A bit worse.
A bit better.
Much better.
TO VOTE IN THIS WEEK’S SPOT POLL GO TO www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com
MAIL army because so many UN missions and offices have been bombed. ALEX T
RE: FAKE CONSTRUCTION TOOLS SEIZED IN UAE Companies like Stanley go to a lot of effort to market their goods. This marketing reassures the consumer that the product does what it is supposed to do and if not, it can be replaced. Counterfeit products ruin the reputation of legitimate products and ride off the back of well known brands, which have done all the hard work. If a company wishes to establish itself in the market then let them do the work, that’s to say if it actually works. Destroying the products will teach people a lesson, it shows that Dubai is serious about maintaining a level of workmanship and that intellectual property rights is kept with the manufacturer. I hope to see more of this carried out. JIM
Absolutely super. Dubai has the right infrastructure and global ideology to support this move. The Middle East is situated in the heart of the world – near Africa and the rest of Asia and Europe, so it is a perfect place for the UN to be located. Dubai also has fantastic security – it was able to apprehend a gang of runaway robbers from Europe in a matter of weeks. The population is almost gun free, peaceful and safe, one of the least violent Middle East cities. Let’s champion this move. Dubai needs the UN, wants the UN and will fulfill all of the UN’s wishes. RANIA
What a wonderful idea. It would do Dubai good after the recent bashing it has received. Security should not be a matter of concern. Dubai is definitely safer than the US and is not known to be meddlesome. MOLLY
What is exactly fake? Most tool supply companies do not make the tools themselves. The majority of these are made by factories in China or India at very low costs. Once the brand label is put on, the price is increased by 50 to 100 times, and sold as a so-called branded item. Where are ethics of this practice? Unfair pricing causes the creation of so called counterfeit goods.
Destroying a load or two of such items does not solve the problem. JOE
RE: MOVE THE UN TO DUBAI: REPORT It makes perfect sense and the reasoning behind Kotkin’s report is excellent, but what about security? Has anyone gone to the UN building lately? The place has its own
RE: THE BURJ IS NOT A ‘STORM MACHINE’, SAYS HYDER All this talk about a storm machine and stack effect is reminiscent of when Stephenson first built his steam locomotive. People said that travelling at over 30mph would kill them as they would be asphyxiated by the wind rushing past
causing all the air inside the train carriages to be sucked out. Human nature is to fear what is beyond common boundaries. LAITH
A strong wind force crossing the top of an airtight cylindrical hollow structure will purge out everything from inside the structure due to a hydraulic principle known as Bernoulli. But, this is not the case with Burj Khalifa as it is not an airtight structure. Instead of generating a destructing storm, the it will keep surrounding developments safe from lightning. KESAVAN J
RE: DAMAC UPDATES JUMEIRAH VILLAGE PROJECTS I have purchased a studio apartment and we were promised the building would be completed by the end of 2009. Damac has not even written to its investors explaining the delay. Can Construction Week give us an update on the construction and infrastructure in the area of Jumeriah Village South? DELBOY
RE: ABU DHABI SET TO RELEASE MAJOR AIRPORT TENDER This is going to be the first major tender coming into the UAE market in 2010 and brings a great deal of hope for the contracting business in the region. FRANCIS MOYALAN
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. The opinions expressed in this section are of particular individuals and are in no way a reflection of the publisher’s views.
4
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
JANUARY 9–15, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK
25
Registered at Dubai Media City ITP Business Publishing PO Box 500024, Dubai, United Arab Emirates TEL +971 4 435 6000 FAX +971 4 435 6080 Offices in Dubai, Manama, Mumbai & London
ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING CEO Walid Akawi MANAGING DIRECTOR Neil Davies DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR Matthew Southwell EDITORIAL DIRECTOR David Ingham VP SALES Wayne Lowery PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Jason Bowman EDITORIAL SENIOR GROUP EDITOR Stuart Matthews EDITOR Conrad Egbert TEL +971 4 435 6256, EMAIL conrad.egbert@itp.com NEWS EDITOR Matthew Warnock TEL +971 435 6179, EMAIL matthew.warnock@itp.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Sarah Blackman TEL +971 4 435 6278, EMAIL sarah.blackman@itp.com MEP EDITOR Gerhard Hope TEL +971 4 435 6252, EMAIL gerhard.hope@itp.com PMV EDITOR Greg Whitaker TEL +971 4 435 6263, EMAIL greg.whitaker@itp.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Alison Luke
The market leader in mass door-to-door
, ! !
" # $ % & %'( ) % ( *
+ & #
,
.//0 1 " , *
distributors used
STUDIO GROUP ART EDITOR Daniel Prescott ART EDITOR Nadia Puma DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Sevag Davidian CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Khatuna Khutsishvili SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Efraim Evidor, Thanos Lazopoulos, G-nie Arambulo STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Jovana Obradovic, Isidora Bojovic, Rajesh Raghav, Ruel Pableo, Lyubov Galushko, George Dipin PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION GROUP PRODUCTION MANAGER Kyle Smith PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Devaprakash V.A MANAGING PICTURE EDITOR Patrick Littlejohn IMAGE RETOUCHER Emmalyn Robles DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Karima Ashwell DISTRIBUTION EXECUTIVE Nada Al Alami CIRCULATION HEAD OF CIRCULATION & DATABASE Gaurav Gulati MARKETING HEAD OF MARKETING Daniel Fewtrell DEPUTY MARKETING MANAGER Annie Chinoy TEL +971 4 435 6133, EMAIL annie.chinoy@itp.com
3 4 " + 55+ , '6 ! % 7 8 1 "
9//:
“
ADVERTISING PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Jason Bowman TEL +971 4 435 6344, EMAIL jason.bowman@itp.com COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Raz Islam TEL +971 4 435 6371, EMAIL raz.islam@itp.com ONLINE SALES MANAGER Scott Woodall TEL +971 4 435 6172, EMAIL scott.woodall@itp.com KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER Stephanie Paaske TEL +971 4 435 6324, EMAIL stephanie.paaske@itp.com
Brand Capital 2009 results indicated that IKEA UAE has the highest catalogue recall among the market, not only in the region but in the en re IKEA orld
�
2 3
& ( % 2
3 4 " + 55+ , '6
;:<. = 9>9 ?@@@
EVENTS & CONFERENCES DIRECTOR, CONFERENCES, MARKETING & EVENTS Kimon Alexandrou PRODUCER Oscar Wendel ITP GROUP CHAIRMAN Andrew Neil MANAGING DIRECTOR Robert Serafin FINANCE DIRECTOR Toby Jay Spencer-Davies BOARD OF DIRECTORS KM Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin CORPORATE WEBSITE www.itp.com CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE TEL: +971 4 435 6000 WEB www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com ITPIMAGES Certain images in this issue are available for purchase. Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details or visit www.itpimages.com. SUBSCRIBE online at www.itp.com/subscriptions NOTICE The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.
PRINTED BY Atlas Printing Press LLC Dubai CONTROLLED DISTRIBUTION BY Blue Truck
sso iate member "53).%33
Worldwide Circulation Statement Average Qualified Circulation 11,435 (Jan-Jun 2009)
PUBLISHED BY AND Š 2010 ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING, A DIVISION OF THE ITP PUBLISHING GROUP LTD, REGISTERED IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS COMPANY NUMBER 1402846
FRONT
>News in briefs
11
>Are fire safety standards really all that safe?
12
>Comment
15
>Face to face
17
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT GOVERNMENT REVENUES WILL REACH US $8 BILLION WHILE GOVERNMENT SPENDING WILL REACH $9.64 BILLION.
DUBAI’S 2010 BUDGET TO FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE By Gerhard Hope A Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry analysis of the Dubai Government’s 2010 budget indicates a strong commitment to balance growth with economic welfare, reflecting the emirate’s determination to pursue fiscal spending after a challenging year gone by. Dubai Chamber director-general HE Hamad Buamim said the budget represents a balance between the necessity to support and stimulate economic activity on the one hand, and a commitment to sound financial rules and principles of public funds management, on the other. “This sound and prudent balance will send a strong message to the business community about the seriousness of the government to push ahead with a rational budget in 2010, and ensure that the economy is on a longstanding, stable growth trajectory. “The budget is more likely to boost investor confidence on the back of the government’s
8
handling of the adverse situation, and in providing a timely stimulus to the overall economy of the emirate, which is looking forward to a better trading year.” It is estimated that government revenues will reach US $8 billion (AED29.4 billion), while government spending will reach $9.64 billion. This represents a deficit of $1.6 billion, equivalent to 2% of the GDP. In terms of the operating budget, the government has suggested it will operate a surplus on its current budget of $520 million in 2010, although it has not provided a breakdown of how it will accomplish this surplus. Key features of the budget are the completion of the emirate’s infrastructure projects, fostering advancements in public and social services, and improving overall security measures. The estimated spending on the economic sector, infrastructure and transportation (which includes the RTA, Airport Foundation, Dubai Air Wing, municipality
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
and tourism) is $4.75 billion and the estimated allocation of government investment expenditure for the development of infrastructure projects in accordance with set plans is $2.91 billion. The analysis concludes: “It is clear that the sectoral distribution of government spending reflects the balanced strategy of the Dubai government, which focuses on achieving high rates of economic growth and upgrading the welfare of the community. It takes into account the need to continue developing the emirate’s infrastructure and to support the economy, as well as adhering to the recommendations of the Dubai Supreme Fiscal Policy Committee.” The budget bodes well for sectors such as construction. The Dubai government’s continued commitment to infrastructure – both in terms of completing existing projects and developing new ones – is a light at the end of the gloomy economic tunnel.
FRONT HIGHLIGHTS UAE
CRANE DEMAND SLUMPS AS BUILD SLOWS The number of cranes in Dubai has slumped by around 50% from peak construction levels and current orders have ground to a halt. “For the last couple of months it is zero, totally dead,” said Manitowoc Cranes MD David Semple. But, he said his company plans to keep its HQ in Dubai for the foreseeable future. The peak time for crane manufacturing in the UAE was the middle of 2007, said Semple. During these boom times, the manufacturer was supplying between 10-20 cranes a month, mainly in Dubai.
completed within 22 months. Meanwhile, the newlyestablished Drake & Scull Water and Power (DSWP), has won a $32 million contract to develop a 20,000 tonne chiller plant and two thermal storage tanks for Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa City. Qatar
DSI WINS TWO MAJOR CONTRACTS Drake and Scull International (DSI) has won two contracts worth US $49.4 million. Rotana has awarded the company a $17.4 million contract to supply MEP works for the Centro Hotel in Abu Dhabi – construction of the 27-floor hotel has already started and is projected to be
DOHALAND LOOKS FOR YOUNG QATARI ARCHITECTS Dohaland has sponsored a professorship at Qatar University in an effort to begin teaching students of architecture and urban planning the modern Qatari architectural ‘language’ that will be employed in the 35-hectare Musheireb project. “DohaLand is the answer to Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned’s initiative to close a gap. The gap is an architectural language and a national identity that we’ve lost,” explained Eng. Issa M Al Mohannadi, CEO of DohaLand. “In the 1960s and 70s, we started to import architecture. There is nothing wrong with importing
NEWS IN NUMBERS
DEWA, which serves nearly
UAE
Contractors with an annual turnover of
US $5bn
and ‘successful completion’ of 5 similar projects in the last 10 years have been invited to bid for Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Midfield Terminal Building
600,000 customers in Dubai, aims to sign its first contract with private investors to generate electricity and water by H1 of 2011 at a 1000MW power and desalination plant
architecture but it is wrong to import a style that doesn’t fit for Qatar.” Kuwait
BUILDING BOOM Kuwait’s national assembly has given first approval to a five year development plan that could see massive spending on public works. According to a Global Investment House report, the plan will involve spending up to US $125 billion on oil and non oil projects and amongst the plans awaiting funding are Silk City – a new town to include the world’s tallest tower – a new container harbour and 25km causeway; a railway and metro system; and Project Kuwait, a complete overhaul of oil production infrastructure. The plan awaits second approval within the next two weeks. UAE
FAKE CONSTRUCTION TOOLS SEIZED Fourteen thousand counterfeit construction tools were found in the UAE, after a warehouse and shop of an
Abu Dhabi’s TDIC has issued pre-qualification invitations for 2 contracts in Abu Dhabi – one for the Deyar Al Mafraq project and the other for Sir Bani Yas Island hospitality and leisure buildings on 5 facilities between 1000m2 and
4000m2
unknown trader was raided at the end of last month. The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) seized the goods, including levels, snip cutters, chisels and measuring tapes from a distributor of fake Stanley products. The DED decided to fine the trader and destroy all seized goods. KSA
TALLEST TOWER NEARS COMPLETION Jeddah’s King’s Road Tower is now in the final phase of construction, according to Saudi developer Saqeifat Al Safa. The superstructure has a built up area of 10,000m² and will stand 140m and 37 storeys high once complete, making it Jeddah’s tallest tower. “It is easily distinguishable not just because of its height, but also because of its architectural features,” said Sageifat Al Safa president Mowafaq Al Hashimi. Faden Contracting is building it, while Abdullah Dughaither Architects and Consultants designed the building in collaboration with Kling Consult.
Structural work has been completed on Damac’s 46-floor, 500-apartment Park Towers project which will offer 3 retail and 7 office levels. Recently, construction progressed at a rate of 1 floor every 5 days
JANUARY 23–29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK
11
ANALYSIS Safe as houses? EXPERTS ARE DELIVERING A MIXED VERDICT ON THE STATE OF THE REGION’S FIRE, SECURITY AND SAFETY INDUSTRY By Matt Warnock
F
ire and safety standards across the Middle East have improved dramatically and now lie only a few levels below Europe. That was the message from many exhibitors at last week’s security and safety exhibition, Intersec, in Dubai. While the region has been responsible for many incredible developments and structures – none more so than the recently opened Burj Khalifa – many still view GCC countries as being behind best practice where security and safety are concerned, but industry experts say that is no longer the case. “I was working here in 2003 and it was altogether different – very few regulations, especially regarding the fireproofing of steel,” says Dr Herbert Weiss of the German firm Rutgers, which provides fireproof paint solutions for wood, steel and cabling. “In the past three to six years that’s changed and there are improvements all the time. “Today, the safety and fireproofing sectors are seen as being as important as they are in Europe. With all the high-rises here in Dubai, for example, they really need to be, but the regulators have learned a lot.” Vimpex is a UK-based specialist in fire safety products and alarm systems with
clients across the UAE. The company’s Ken Pearce claims that standards in the GCC are now approaching best practice. “Fire safety, certainly, is taken almost as seriously [as in Europe and North America] and there’s definitely still a demand for high quality products,” says Pearce. The news on the surface is good; but just the smallest scratches reveal that not everyone working across the safety industry feels as confident and, given the glistening towers that pepper skylines across the GCC, it’s troubling to find that fall protection is an area where shortcuts seem standard. “There’s a growing awareness of safety practices but many contractors concentrate on price rather than safety standards,” admits Nishith Dand, director of Sure Safety, a company providing safety and protection gear for construction site workers. “Of course, we’re talking about life itself here but, speaking more in terms of bottom lines, small companies not meeting standards can face fines heavy enough to bankrupt them. “Still, all too often, the right safety clothing and equipment come as an afterthought; contractors simply don’t budget for the right products from the very beginning.” Vertiqual CEO Roland Szasz agrees: “The market is splitting. The more specialist indus-
IT IS STILL OFTEN THAT SAFETY CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT COME AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT TO CONTRACTORS.
12
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
EXPERTS CLAIM THAT STANDARDS IN THE GCC ARE NOW APPROACHING BEST PRACTICE.
tries – rescue, law enforcement, the marine sector – they see the value of buying high quality, certified harnesses, webbing and ropes. But the average investor, entrepreneur or MD doesn’t want to spend money, so they look for the cheapest alternatives.” Some of the problem, says Szasz, could lie in the transitory nature of construction workers that come here. “Managers see workers come and go and, therefore, perhaps they’re a little reticent to buy anything but the cheapest shoes, helmets and harnesses.” One thing that everyone agrees on is that the industry requires more internationally recognised safety standards which, in turn, must be checked by authorities. “In Europe, there are standards across all countries,” continues Szasz. “If there’s a fall, for example, European regulations say that the harness and rope must be removed from operations – we have a new patented system which allow line managers to see which harnesses have been involved in a fall. “Contractors need to invest in equipment certified by respectable institutes – it’s too easy to knock out a dummy certificate on a computer these days,” adds Szasz. “Absolutely,” agrees Weiss. “We’ve seen certificates being used in the region that pertain to one product but certify completely different materials altogether.” Dand has had similar experiences too. “There have to be thorough checks. There are workers operating 70 floors up in what looks like a harness from the ground, but in reality is no more than some canvas or
> For the latest analysis log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com
material. That said, better contractors now are looking for specific, technical harnesses and helmets that suit each job – not just a one-size-fits-all solution. Those are the contractors that will prosper,” he added. Most in the industry are taking matters of health and safety extremely seriously and are looking for regulations, checks and guidance. But, there’s a vast opinion that authorities are found wanting in this area. “Product manufacturers appear to be frustrated by the lack of published information coming from Dubai Civil Defense about their ‘Product Approval Scheme’,” explains one industry observer. “And there is further opacity concerning the reorganisation of all the emirate’s civil defense departments under one General Directorate, to be run by the senior officers of Dubai Civil Defense, and how this affects product approval in the other emirates, particularly Abu Dhabi.” Time then for health & safety bodies to step up and provide the leadership and framework that the industry is calling for. Time
too for developers and contractors to take “The prospect of a fire in a high-rise is the initiative and place safety and security, very serious indeed and the results could be both during and after construction, at the catastrophic,” warns Thomas Bell-Wright, CEO and chief technicentre of their projects. cal officer of Thomas Vimpex’s Pearce says that “FIRE SAFETY regional designers, developers Bell-Wright InternaNEEDS TO BE and contractors need to think tional Consultants, CONSIDERED of security, fire and safety as highlighting the need FROM THE DESIGN early in the design process STAGE ONWARDS” for the highest quality as possible. fire products. In addi“Generally, the thought for fire protec- tion to providing façade and curtain wall tion comes too late and when it does, it’s consultancy services, Bell-Wright’s company rarely according to the initial specifications. owns the region’s only dedicated device for Fire safety needs to be considered from fire testing products. the design or outline stages onwards and “Firefighters here still lack high-rise expecertainly well before a project goes out to rience and evacuation from skyscrapers is obviously complicated. So it’s important tender,” says Pearce. The economic slowdown has given an that products and materials are legitimately excuse to many owners, contractors and tested, certified, labeled and able to contain specifiers for cutting back in certain areas any fires within the building. It’s critical but the message coming loud and clear is that products are fire tested and certified that under no circumstances should safety but also that the certification is checked. be one of those. Dubai will, at some point, be tested with a Especially in a region where some of the fire in a high-rise project and we need to tallest towers define the skylines. hope it’s up to the job,” he said.
COMMENT > For the latest news and comments log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/comment
Design Development by Stealth PHILIP ADAMS DISCUSSES WHAT CONTRACTORS SHOULD KEEP IN MIND BEFORE HANDING IN THEIR DESIGNS IN QUANTITIES AND WHAT TO CHECK WHEN IT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic of late and hankering for the good old days when a client’s quantity surveyor would prepare a traditional bill of quantities and utilising his vast experience, accommodate any ‘gaps’ in design in quantities. The result being a diffusion of the budget time-bomb that is usually ignited by the sudden realisation that the design wasn’t as ‘final’ as everyone thought it was. Whilst we may no longer have the traditional bill we still have the ‘gaps’ in the design, although these days they are described in much more sexier terms such as ‘design development’ or ‘design clarification’ or my personal favourite ‘end user requirements.’ An attempt is still made to include contingencies in the budget however, in the absence of the detailed knowledge gained from a full take-off, such contingencies may be subjective and as a consequence, too often eroded before the budget is finalised. Nevertheless, the problem of a ‘not so final’ design still remains and the ‘gaps’ need to be filled. But how is this done? In that Never-Never-Land where everyone is trusting, co-operative and impartial, a contractor will receive detailed revised drawings incorporating extensive revision notes. However, in the real world where most of us construction folk reside, the ubiquitous Shop Drawing inevitably comes to the rescue. This essential design development tool can appear in many guises such as a fabrication drawing or template. I have had experience of several situations where shop drawings have been rejected over and over again, until they have become unrecognisable as shop drawings. This protracted rejection and approval process can often result in the transformation of a shop drawing into something resembling a construction drawing. In some more extreme situations the initial ‘For Construction’
drawings may be no more than schematics with the result that the majority of the design is actually carried out through the shop drawing approval process. The main impact of this on the contractor or specialist subcontractor is a huge increase in their design resources and in particular, the requirement for armies of CAD operators. Plus, the receipt of changes and variations by the ‘back door’ and last but by no means least, accusations of delay and threats of penalties due to late approval of shop drawings. In other industries such as rail, oil and gas and telecommunications, design development occurs more often than not, via the design document submittal process. Each design submission prepared by the contractor and submitted for approval, will be returned resplendent with one of several big red stamps such as: ‘Approved’, ‘Approved with Comments’, ‘Returned for Re-Submittal’ or ‘Rejected’. In practice a contractor is more likely to spot a U-turn signal when driving on Sheikh Zayed Road, than see a nice big red ‘Approved’ stamped across his document. Frequently, the document will contain several comments, which will purport to describe some deficiency in the detailed design, but may in fact represent fundamental changes to the concept design or front-end engineering. So what can a contractor do when faced with these problems? Well, firstly he must implement a process whereby each shop drawing or design submittal returned not approved, is thoroughly checked and verified against the scope of works. If changes have been introduced, these need to be notified, investigated and if necessary, claims submitted including full substantiation of costs. Secondly, he may also develop a robust cost valuation reconciliation system, which could provide an early warning of increased design resources.
“IN NEVER-NEVER-LAND WHERE EVERYONE IS TRUSTING, CO-OPERATIVE AND IMPARTIAL, A CONTRACTOR WILL RECEIVE DETAILED DRAWINGS INCORPORATING EXTENSIVE REVISION NOTES”
Philip Adams is an associate director at Systech in Dubai. He has provided commercial, contractual and dispute resolution advice on projects ranging from high specification offices, data centres and long distance fibre optic networks to major civil engineering projects, multi-storey offices and hotels. He is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a fellow at the Chartered Institute of Arbitration.
The opinions expressed in this column are of the author and not of the publisher.
JANUARY 23–29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK
15
FACE-TO-FACE ALUMINIUM
MOHAMED AL DHAHERI
CHRISTOPHER HATZIGEORGIOU
Reem Emirates Aluminium, General Manager
Alumil Gulf, Managing Director
CW ASKS TWO MATERIALS SUPPLIERS HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE NEW YEAR
HOW WERE YOU AFFECTED BY THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IN 2009? The main affect was that we had to retender for many projects because previous values have decreased. We had to retender at a lower cost. The other affect was that many of the projects we had tendered for, or considered in our budget, were put on hold.
The downturn affected most of our customers and as a natural consequence, affected us also. But thanks to our widespread geographical coverage we were able to minimise the impact of the downturn for our business operation in the Middle East.
HAS THE MARKET CHANGED SINCE THE DOWNTURN? Yes. There was an influx of competitors to Abu Dhabi from China given Abu Dhabi’s financial strength and China’s low costs. Prices have also dropped and we’ve had to introduce value engineering. Companies are receiving late payments as clients have added new clauses protecting them from paying up front.
The market has become very competitive. Value engineering and discounts are prime. But we have always provided value engineered solutions by offering alternatives within our product range. We have over 50 different aluminium systems to propose from. We are also very aggressive with our pricing.
HAS YOUR BUSINESS STRATEGY CHANGED? In order to stay on top in a competitive market, we implemented certain changes to our business strategy. We now accept tenders of small scale projects and of various backgrounds, including Stick Systems as opposed to only Unitized Systems. We are also now more focused on working on projects within Abu Dhabi.
We are diversifying with new product development, which will allow us to enter new product segments. We have finished testing our new high performance unitized curtainwall range in Germany and the US, and are targeting several high rise projects. We are focusing on markets outside the UAE like KSA, Iran and India.
DO YOU THINK BUILDING MATERIAL PRICES WILL INCREASE IN 2010? Currently, we do not foresee a change in the market where the prices of building materials are concerned. However, this is an extremely unpredictable market and an increase or even a decrease in the prices is certainly possible.
Talking for aluminium specifically, prices have increased considerably recently. This trend will probably continue for the months to follow.
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR PROJECTS YOU ARE WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT? Abu Dhabi’s Al Reem Island including Reem Island, Etihad, Silver Wave and Corporate Towers, Gateway District and Marina Club. There is also Masdar and Danet Abu Dhabi. In Qatar we have Barwa Commercial Avenue and in Dubai the Jumeirah Lake Towers.
Currently, we are involved in projects in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, RAK, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Libya and India.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR 2010? We hope to be the top curtain-wall supplier in the Middle East. Like any company that is keen to grow, we need to continuously expand our existing clientele and win more projects. We are also focused on penetrating foreign markets with a stronger team.
2010 will be a difficult year. Upcoming projects are hard to secure and everyone is hungry for new projects. We are ready to play hard and match our excellent product range with added valued services at very competitive rates.
JANUARY 23–29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK
17
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW EDDIE FOSTER
ST E E R I N G
SCOTT WILSON CW SITS DOWN WITH EDDIE FOSTER, THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANCY FIRM SCOTT WILSON, TO DISCUSS THE IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, CHASING PAYMENTS AND SETTING UP IN SAUDI ARABIA. By Benjamin Millington
How has the last 12 months affected Scott Wilson?
It’s mainly affected our operations in Dubai, but it wasn’t such an upheaval because we didn’t have as big operations as many of our competitors. Certainly we’ve had to downsize considerably in Dubai and refocus attention to Abu Dhabi and Qatar. We still intend on doing work from our Dubai office, but not on Dubai projects. What about in Bahrain?
In Bahrain we have seen a slowdown on our projects; we haven’t actually lost any projects but we’ve seen them go pretty slow. We’re hanging in and at the moment everything is ok, but we’re hoping things are going to improve this year. Have you noticed more people coming into Bahrain in the last 12 months?
Yes definitely. Our main competitors here are Atkins, Hyder and to some extent, Parsons. But we are starting to see some other big names from Dubai come here or move over to Abu Dhabi. Are you worried about a lack of upcoming projects in Bahrain?
It is a concern, especially for a company like ours, which has concentrated more on private development work rather than government tenders. But having said that,
18
we are in negotiations at the moment for some new projects. As a consultant you are right at the front end and some people are still prepared to spend money on consultancy to get the project on the shelf and a design ready to move. Is chasing money from clients a problem at the moment?
Yes, certainly. We do still have some clients, bless them, which pay on time, but we’ve got more clients that don’t. You’ve got to appreciate that the clients are having problems and if we have faith in them then we will try and work through it keeping in mind our own financial constraints. Has it reached a point where litigation may be necessary?
ing payment, but we’re still trying to work through it with them. It is recognised that the Gulf has been badly hit and so there is a bit of patience from our board. Does this affect new projects in terms of your due diligence and risk assessment of the client?
Yes, now we look at their balance sheets very carefully and see if they have enough cash set up for the development. The problem before was that everyone had a laissez-faire attitude and we were doing so much work that we probably didn’t go as far as we could have. That’s catching up to people now. Looking back, could more thorough due diligence have prevented you getting burnt?
We’re not in litigation with anybody in the Gulf. Generally we have projects that have slowed down, we will get the money but it will take longer. In these cases we continue to work but minimise what we do until we get a return. There are a couple of cases where we’ve stopped work pend-
I don’t think we have actually been burnt; there are some people that are not paying us, but at the end of the day they will pay, because you’ve got some very big names. You’ve got to hope that the Kuwaitis are going to sort out their banking system. The finance situation in Kuwait has a great bearing on the Gulf, particularly Bahrain.
“THE PROBLEM BEFORE WAS THAT EVERYONE HAD A LAISSEZ-FAIRE ATTITUDE. THAT’S CATCHING UP TO PEOPLE NOW”
So many people are waiting for a government stimulus package for the Kuwaiti banking system?
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
I think that this is a significant issue in the market. There is a lot of Kuwaiti money
GEORGE DIPIN/ITP IMAGES
> For more people interviews log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com
in Bahrain and once the government gets the Kuwaiti banking system moving again it will be good. I’m fully confident that it will happen. I don’t think that they want to earn a bad reputation by defaulting on all these payments, but it’s caused a bit of a cash flow problem in the market at the moment.
there’s a lot of hungry people out there. We have significant experience in some sectors of the market here, so we can ask for a little premium, but certainly our prices are pretty rock bottom at the moment. When they come back and ask for additions or lower prices here and there, it hurts, but unfortunately that’s the name of the game now.
What about the tendering process, have you drastically dropped your prices?
Can these prices be maintained?
Yes, and you think you’ve got a job and then they come back and ask you to look at the price and they know, that you know, that
SCOTT WILSON The Scott Wilson Group is a global integrated design and engineering consultancy within more than 6000 staff members in 80 locations around the world. Key regions include the UK, Asia-Pacific, Europe, India and the Middle East, with regional centres in London, Hong Kong, Warsaw, New Delhi, Bahrain and Dubai. The Bahrain office was set up in 2005.
If we can develop into the new markets, it will give us a cushion to weather the storm here, which is what we are doing, and hope that next year will be better. Long term I see this office changing and becoming a regional base for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. Did the slowdown force you to refocus elsewhere in the region?
We’d already started to view the Bahrain office as a spring board for other things particularly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, because we recognised that Bahrain itself is a relatively small market over the long term. Of course the slowdown has focused our efforts even more on operations in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. We now have representatives in all those countries and we hope to have some good news on proj-
ects there very soon. We’re chasing a lot of work in Saudi Arabia. How are you establishing yourselves in Saudi Arabia?
We’re working on two fronts, as an international company working on specific project, which we’ve been doing on and off, for many years. The second front is to joint venture with a local entity, which we’re currently in the process of formalising. Why set up your own JV in Saudi?
As an international consultant we can look at big projects on a project by project basis. But having a JV with a Saudi company will bring us closer to the grass roots market, especially anything to do with petrochemicals. It basically opens up more doors. Our JV company will bring us into a certain area of the market that is more petrochemical related.
“WHEN THEY COME BACK AND ASK FOR ADDITIONS OR LOWER PRICES, IT HURTS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT’S THE NAME OF THE GAME NOW”
JANUARY 23–29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK
19
SCOTT WILSON IS WORKING AS CONSULTANT ON DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ IN MANAMA, BAHRAIN.
Is Scott Wilson, as a whole, undergoing a restructuring process?
Last year, completely independent of the recession, it was decided that Scott Wilson would move towards a more sector oriented organisation rather than being organised geographically. It doesn’t mean the regions are not important but that the sectors have a bigger say in how we operate in any region. We’re split into certain sectors such as environment and natural resources, highway and transportation, infrastructure and buildings and strategic consultancy, which includes marine and airport work. What are the advantages?
One major reason is that it breaks down people working in silos, our skills and resources can be applied where necessary
“THE FINANCE SITUATION IN KUWAIT HAS A GREAT BEARING ON THE GULF. YOU’VE GOT TO HOPE THAT THE KUWAITIS SORT OUT THEIR BANKING SYSTEM”
20
in the world. It will also help us tell which sectors are doing the best - these figures can be lost when reporting as a country office. This makes our growth strategies and opportunities clearer when analysing the figures. The change has not been fully implemented, it’s ongoing, but by the end of the financial year we intend to be fully sectorised in the Gulf and people will be reporting along sector lines rather than us reporting as an office. Scott Wilson is heavily involved with a number of land reclamation projects. Are environmental issues improving at all?
In the last four or five years we’ve seen much more focus on getting the environmental aspects, especially the marine environment, right. Five years ago people could do things that they can’t get away with now because there’s been a welcome strengthening of legislation. There is also much more emphasis on the consultant supervising the role of the dredging contractor and taking responsibility for it. This has improved the situation a lot.
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
GET TO KNOW EDDIE • Born in Yorkshire. • Studied civil engineering at Sheffield Polytechnic, graduating in 1970. • Spent four years in the UK consulting on motorway work. • Left for Hong Kong in 1974 and worked for the government on several large airport contracts. • In 1980 switched jobs to US consultancy firm Wilbur Smith to work on island projects around Hong Kong including reclamation, transport and infrastructure. • Spent nine months in Vanuatu, conducting studies on inter-island transport improvements. • Returned to the UK in 1989 and joined Scott Wilson. • Was managing director of Scott Wilson’s Indian office from 1998 until 2005 when he moved to Bahrain. • Has two children: one daughter and a son • Spends his spare time travelling to new countries with his wife, watching football and reading.
IN TOTAL CONTROL MACHINE AUTOMATION IS HERE, BUT WHAT PRODUCTIVITY INCREASES CAN BE WORTH THE INVESTMENT IN THE REAL WORLD? WE VISIT A SITE WHICH HAS SWITCHED TO AUTOMATIC MODE By Greg Whitaker; Photos by Rajesh Raghav
I
f there is one vision guaranteed to terrify the general public, it would be the image of autonomous, robotic bulldozers grazing over the wreckage of cities once populated by humans. Fortunately such a chilling dystopia is a little way off. While ‘total control’ ‘dozers are very much a reality, they only follow the blueprints fed into the computer, rather than making their own decisions on large scale urban planning matters. The question is, how do such machines work at all, and what advantage can they offer? Simply put, total control is a system where a site is first ‘staked’ using GPS Rovers. These devices consist of a rod, a receiver and a computer. The rod holds the receiver on top and it has a ‘point’ at the bottom, while the electronics sit in the middle. There is usually a handheld device, which looks like some kind of industrial PDA, which tells an operator what the whole system is doing. A base station is set somewhere on site and used as a reference point, and perhaps, marking out a site in this way supercedes the use of posts, string, chains or any other old way of marking the ground.
22
HIGH STAKES Once the ‘stakes’ have been set, the data is loaded onto a computer with the surveyor’s original drawings. These are then passed to the computers, via radio, in the heavy machinery. The on-board computers can be fully 3D, or they can display the information in two dimensions, or even just as a string of lights, depending on which system has been ordered. Machines that can benefit from total control systems include not only ‘dozers and graders, but also excavators and even road compactors. To put this to the test, we visited a large building site in the desert, some 50km outside Abu Dhabi. The site, named South of Shamka, on completion will comprise of 10,000 new villas, taking up no less than 17 million m2. Currently at the groundworks stage, operations have been split between Tristar Contracting and Bin Nawi Contracting. It is the latter who we visited.
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
“I’M SURE THAT THIS SITE WILL GET TRIPLE THE PRODUCTION FROM THE BULLDOZER”
When a project covers this kind of surface area, the exact location of the heavy equipment can be a difficult thing to establish, which is where GPS comes in. Smaller sites can get away with using regular surveying equipment, such as the now-common five-second Total Station, but with this amount of ground to cover, the contractor decided to try a package from electronics firm Topcon. Initially, this comprised of a system fitted to two bulldozers, with a base station and a ‘rover’ – another device which clamps to the side of a car for taking readings on the move. The contractor has just put in an order for a further four systems for bulldozers
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS: THIS SOLITARY TREE IS THE PROJECT’S EMBLEM.
THE VIEW ON THE SCREEN OF THE BULLDOZER.
ENGINEER WALID DAHER, OPERATIONS MANAGER, BIN NAWI CONTRACTING.
“AS MANY AS SEVEN BULLDOZERS CAN FOLLOW THE PATH GRADED BY THE FIRST MACHINE”
and some for motor graders, which should be extra suitable for fine grading, as the company has just bought several of the new electro-mechanical Cat 14M machines.
BULLDOZERS Mick Hales of Topcon, explains; “The two machines that have been equipped so far include a Cat D8R and a Komatsu D155A. The difference in terms of the electronics system is that in the Cat the unit calculates its position from the base of the track, while on the Komatsu it analyses the position of the blade itself.” There are different systems available, which work in 2D and in 3D, with the latter obviously displaying the topography of the ground in three dimensions. To be fair, the building site is currently so vast and barren that the display rarely shows much other than a graphic representing the machine itself. All of the blueprints for the groundwork have been fed in the computer, which then tells the operator how much to cut and how much to fill. When the amount is within the tolerances set by the surveyor (which in this case is 5cm for rough grading on rocky ground, while fine grading can be millimeter perfect, depending on the condition of the machines hydraulics.) The operator then just follows a ‘box’ which displays the exact height of the blade in millimeters, which is green when the tip is inside the parameters, and red when it is outside. The operator then just needs
FORWARD VISABILITY FROM THE CAB IS VERY LIMITED ON EITHER MODEL.
A BASE STATION IS NEEDED ON SITE AT ALL TIMES.
to make sure that the box stays ‘green’ to ensure a good grade. This works particularly well, according to Hales, as you don’t need the best operators in the world to get a good finish. We are sure that there are many site owners who will rejoice at this news – as we all know, there is nothing worse than having to double-handle work, because some of the drivers can’t follow the stakes. Not that such drivers should be blamed. From the cab of the D8, forward visibility
comprises mostly of the exhaust stack, while the view through the angled doors is little better. Truly, it would require skill to drive this machine in the usual way. However, with the aforementioned screen, it becomes much easier for the operator. Hales says: “Different people will tell you different things (about productivity gains), but I’m sure they will get triple the production out of this ‘dozer.’” He adds that even in fleets such as this, where equipment is only fitted to a number
JANUARY 23–29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK
23
FUTURE
USING A GPS ROVER AND A PICKUP TRUCK IS FAR FASTER AND MORE ACCURATE THAN STAKING.
THIS TRANSMITTER IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN A FIXED POINT ON SITE.
of machines, the efficiency gains can be quantified: “You might not see it with just one ‘dozer, but everyone around knows where elevation is they are all much improved.” Walid Daher, Operation Manager, Bin Nawi Contracting agrees with Hales. “As many as seven bulldozers can follow the path graded by the first machine” he says, adding that he was extremely grateful for the system, having used it in the past on other sites. “On this system, you just need to teach the operator how to use it and he
can do the job of both the supervisor and the foreman” he says. Recently the contracting company has placed orders for several more bulldozer and grader systems.
“DIFFERENT PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT I’M SURE THEY WILL GET TRIPLE PRODUCTION OUT OF THIS DOZER”
SATELLITE Interestingly, whenever equipment that uses satellite positioning is written about, it is usually referred to as being ‘GPS’, though in fact pretty much all of the systems from any of the manufacturers in construction is mentioned, what is being referred to is a technology that can not only pick up the Global Positioning System craft, but also the Russian GLONASS (derived from Global Navigation Satellite System) for increased accuracy. Hales points out that while is useful in the city, it is not so necessary in the wide open desert of this site.
While not employed on this site yet, or indeed anywhere in the Emirates as far as we know, the fully automatic systems referred to at the beginning of this article is very much a reality in other parts of the world. The advantages are obvious – there is no chance of operator fatigue, and accuracy is limited only by mistakes in the original engineering drawings. There are plans to get such a machine up and running over here. “We want to fit total control to a Cat D6T” says Hales. This model has modern joystick control as well as electronically controlled powershift transmission and drivetrain. Of course, at the moment it is inconceivable that there would be no operator at all, but perhaps in the near future there is no reason why he would actually be needed to sit on the machine, as all the monitoring and adjustments can be made from the ground with a remote control unit. One computer could be used to drive packs of machines together, so there will always be synergy across the entire fleet, as the computer will understand implicitly what the entire fleet is doing. Imagine how much more productive a road building site would be with such a package. Back in the here and now, the systems that are available today can be further enhanced for fine grading with the addition of rotating lasers which can ensure millimeter-perfect grading, even when cutting a slope. In short, it is a wonder that, given the obvious benefits in speed and efficiecy, that more contractors are not using it already.
WHAT IS A TOTAL STATION? A total station is an electronic optical instrument used in modern construction projects. It is also used by archaeologists to record excavations as well as by police, crime scene investigators and insurance companies to take measurements of scenes. The total station is an electronic theodolite integrated with an electronic distance meter to read distances from
24
the instrument to a particular point. Some models include internal electronic data storage to record distance, horizontal angle, and vertical angle measured, while other models are equipped to write these measurements to an external data collector, which is a PDA. Angles and distances are measured from the total station to points under survey, and
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
the coordinates (X, Y, and Z or northing, easting and elevation) of surveyed points relative to the total station position are calculated using complex algorithms as well as trigonometry and triangulation. Data can be downloaded from the total station to a computer and software used to compute results and generate an electronic map of the surveyed area.
SMASHING TRENDS
HOW ARE GLASS MANUFACTURERS RESPONDING TO THE GROWING DEMANDS FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS AND WHAT CAN THEY EXPECT FROM 2010? CW SPEAKS TO INDUSTRY EXPERTS TO FIND OUT By Sarah Blackman
G
lass is one of the most popular choices of cladding system used by architects across the GCC. You only have to drive down Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road or glance at the skyscrapers of Saudi Arabia to notice that. But, while it is visually pleasing, glass remains the greatest contributor to heat build up inside a building. “The heat doesn’t come through the wall, the roof or the floor; it comes through the window, so glass is critical,” says Emirates Glass technical consultant Arthur Millwood. So why do so many architects choose this material as their choice of cladding system? According to Millwood, it all comes down to visual amenity. “We all like daylight,” he explains. “And, the fact of the matter is that, even today, the combination of aluminium and glass is still a very cost effective way to cover a building.” There is a growing need to design buildings according to green building standards and with the forth-coming revision of Dubai Municipality’s (DM) Code of Practice for
the use of Glass for Windows, as well as the Emirates Green Building Council’s imminent green building guidelines for the UAE, 2010 can expect even stricter principles. The DM is expected to adopt Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) as the prime indicator of the solar-resistance of windowglass. SHGC is the actual percentage of the amount of solar energy transmitted through and reflected off a piece of glass. “Shading Coefficient is now becoming outdated, since SHGC (an American concept) is being adopted worldwide as a more meaningful indicator of glass-performance when exposed to the sun,” says Millwood. So is it green versus a glamorous, costeffective system or can we have the best of both worlds? Swiss Middle East, which handles the design of building envelopes, agrees with the latter. “We should maybe reduce the use of glass [in a building’s outer layer] to 30% or 40%,” says Swiss general manager Mohammed Enany. “We like to use glass but not a huge amount.” But, Millwood argues that glass doesn’t have to have a negative impact on the environment: “It is not a question of too much glass in buildings, rather, it is a question of too much of the wrong glass and we hope
that this new awareness of glass-performance in our severe desert environment will lead to a more informed and more efficient use of glass,” he says. “The sun will shine tomorrow and the problem will not go away. We have to minimise heat-gain into our buildings by recognising that windows are the conduit for this heat and therefore, the main solution will lie in reflective high-performance glass.” Emirates Glass’s new multi-million dollar facility is soon set to come online in Dubai Investment Park and will produce a new range of glass, which can be coated with solar applications before the tempering process (a heat treatment technique to harden the glass).
MEETING STANDARDS When considering the choice of glass coating and the use of glass in general there are local regulations that must be reviewed, including those aimed at minimising solar thermal heat gains. Further regulations are expected to be introduced in the future as the region strives for high levels of sustainable building.
JANUARY 23–29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK
25
GEORGE DIPIN/ITP IMAGES
EMIRATES GLASS TECHNICAL CONSULTANT ARTHUR MILLWOOD.
“CONSIDER THAT OUR MATERIALS COME ON SITE TOWARDS THE FINISHING STAGE OF THE BUILDING AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT 2010 WILL BE A YEAR OF SURVIVAL” “This is a major technical advance for our company as we will now be able to supply full stock sheets of annealed (not yet heat-treated) glass to other glass processors who will perform all the subsequent down-stream activities to reach the fin-
EMIRATES GLASS SUPPLIED GLASS FOR THE FORMULA 1 GRAND STAND AT YAS ISLAND, ABU DHABI.
ished product as installed on the building,” explains Millwood. “The big benefit is that the processor can order the raw material stock sheets from Emirates Glass, well before the availability of the final cutting-lists. By having the raw material already on-hand, they will overcome the problem of longer lead-times associated with “traditional” pre-tempered coated glass.” And, when it comes to glass, Cladtech International is also following the green trend. “We support our client in the design stage by providing them the proper solution for
the materials to be used to decrease the energy consumption,” says Cladtech president Henrik Christiansen. “There are a lot of factors that might affect such a decision, starting from the conceptual design stage, going through the glass types and thicknesses, as well as the coatings, which will reduce the amount of heat transferability between the outer and inner sides of the building.” Al Abbar Architectural Glass (AAG) also have green expectations for 2010: “I hope that all concerned parties will finally implement their green promises and start understanding the worth of the local industry
GLASS COMPANIES TO KNOW EMIRATES GLASS Emirates Glass is based in Dubai’s Al Quoz Industrial area, with its new coating lines located in Dubai Investment Park. Most recently, the company provided cladding for all buildings associated with the Formula 1 racetrack at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
AL ABBAR ARCHITECTURAL GLASS Al Abbar Architectural Glass (AAG) was established in 1959 and is an autonomous glass processing company that provides
26
assistance in the technical and commercial needs of glass-related topics. The firm’s services include practical advice on the correct selection of glass, substrate and coating for a project with regards to the aesthetics and required solar and thermal performance.
CLADTECH INTERNATIONAL Established in 2006, Cladtech is a fairly new company to the Middle East but has secured projects such as the Elite Residence Tower at the Dubai Marina and is supplying
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
cladding to the new Dubai Metro stations. In Saudi Arabia, the company has set up a sales office and will now be working on the Jawharat Alfalak tower in Jeddah.
REEM EMIRATES GLASS Reem Emirates Glass is one of the largest glass processors in Abu Dhabi UAE, located at industrial city of Abu Dhabi. It is committed to provide solutions for all kinds of glass processing. The company’s product range includes heat treated glass insulated units and laminated glass.
“WE SUPPORT OUR CLIENT IN THE DESIGN STAGE BY PROVIDING THEM THE PROPER SOLUTION FOR THE MATERIALS TO BE USED TO DECREASE ENERGY CONSUMPTION”
TRIANGULAR GLASS PANELS WERE USED FOR THE CLADDING OF AL BIDDA TOWER IN DOHA, QATAR.
with regards to manufacturing and processing the goods locally,” says AAG director for the product and technical department Jean Lelievre. AAG is introducing three new gold-reflective glass-types this year including CoolRay
Gold, CoolRay Amber and CoolRay Topaz. Gold’s high reflectivity and hence ability to reflect heat, has led to the increasing use of glass coated with a thin film of gold in modern buildings. But, while green technologies are rolling out, the financial crisis is still lurking around every block. And, with the huge drop in building material prices and cancelled projects, glass specialists in the Middle East are feeling the strain. Many firms bought their materials when prices were at their peak and, now they have dropped, cladding companies have been forced to lower their rates. “Towards the end of 2009, conditions deteriorated substantially mainly due to lack
of collectable money in the market. This situation still shows no sign of recognisable improvement,” says Millwood. Business is expected to suffer the most in Dubai due to the amount of projects on hold there. “Consider that our materials come on site towards the finishing stage of the building and you will understand that 2010 will be a year of survival,” adds Millwood. However, there are regional markets that are improving and can expect heavy investment from construction companies this year. Emirates Glass is now taking advantage of active construction projects going on in Saudi Arabia, for example. “The new Dubai is Saudi Arabia,” Millwood says. “Emirates Glass, together with our sister company in Riyadh, Saudi American Glass has been much more closely integrated into our Middle East operations. We have consolidated our efforts and we are operating now under one sales team.”
TDIC Construction Opportunities Pre-Qualification Invitation, Sir Bani Yas Island Hospitality & Leisure Projects Main Contract Works Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) hereby invites suitable Contractors with commensurate experience to undertake Main Contract Works on Sir Bani Yas Island. The following five high quality Hospitality and Leisure facilities shall require civil, structural, MEP, landscaping, interior fit out and external works. 7b OWcc BeZ][ *"&&&igc 7b 8WhWh_ BeZ][ *"&&&igc
;gk[ijh_Wd 9[djh[ )"+&&igc 9ed\[h[dY[ 9[djh[ ("+&&igc
:_l[ WdZ Ifehj <_i^_d] 9[djh[ '"&&&igc
Contractors who meet the criteria can register their interest and request a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), at desertislandsmc@tdic.ae, before (,j^ @WdkWho (&'& WdZ WhhWd][ \eh j^[ Yebb[Yj_ed e\ j^[ FGG Xo (dZ <[XhkWho (&'& \hec0
Tourism Development & Investment Company, Behind Khalifa Park, Eastern Ring Road (Salam Street), Abu Dhabi. Conditions and Rules: ?dj[h[ij[Z YecfWd_[i ckij Z[cedijhWj[ ikYY[ii\kb Z[b_l[ho e\ h[b[lWdj YedijhkYj_ed fhe`[Yji j^Wj c[[j j^[ \ebbem_d] h[gk_h[c[dji0 1. Recent experience on projects similar in size, character and complexity. 2. 8[ W cW`eh h[]_ij[h[Z YedijhkYj_ed YecfWdo m_j^ h[fh[i[djWj_ed _d j^[ K7;$ 3. Recent experience on projects incorporating pre-fabricated components and construction in remote locations. 4. >Wl[ ^WZ W c_d_ckc WddkWb YecfWdo jkhdel[h \eh YedijhkYj_ed WYj_l_j_[i e\ 7;: +&& c_bb_ed _d [WY^ e\ j^[ bWij ) o[Whi$ 5. IkYY[ii\kbbo Yecfb[j[Z + fhe`[Yji [WY^ _d [nY[ii e\ 7;: (+& c_bb_ed _d j^[ bWij ) o[Whi$ 6. Be prepared to be one of ten shortlisted companies willing to submit a construction work tender under a single stage competitive tender process. 7 ded#h[jkhdWXb[ fWoc[dj _d j^[ \ehc e\ W cWdW][hÉi Y^[gk[ cWZ[ fWoWXb[ je j^[ Jekh_ic :[l[befc[dj ?dl[ijc[dj 9ecfWdo e\ 7;: '+"&&& m_bb X[ h[gk_h[Z Wj j^[ j_c[ e\ Yebb[Yj_ed e\ j^[ FGG$ H[ifedi[i je j^[ FGG ckij X[ ikXc_jj[Z _d W i[Wb[Z [dl[bef[ de bWj[h j^Wd *0&&fc ed /j^ <[XhkWho (&'& je0
Prequalification for Sir Bani Yas Island Hospitality & Leisure Projects, Tourism Development & Investment Company, Behind Khalifa Park, Eastern Ring Road (Salam Street), Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi develops with TDIC www.tdic.ae
www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory
§ § § § § DIRECTORY
DIRECTORY SHOWCASE | TENDERS | PROJECTS | SUPPLIERS | CITY UPDATE
SHOWCASE 30 At the top 32 TENDERS 35 PROJECTS SPECIALIST SERVICES 36 Design software 37 Construction manufacturers/steel CITY UPDATE 38 Makkah, Saudi Arabia
To advertise please call Shishir Desai +971 4 435 6375, or email shishir.desai@itp.com
JANUARY 23–29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK
29
¦SHOWCASE
For images within these pages please email editor@constructionweekonline.com
ITP IMAGES FOR IMAGES WITHIN THESE PAGES PLEASE EMAIL EDITOR@CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM
ABOVE: Other towers next to the Burj Khalifa seem to pale into insignificance when looking out of the observation deck. TOP RIGHT: A panoramic view of the Jumeirah and surrounding areas, with the shadow of the Burj Dubai stretching across the vast landscape to almost reach the sea. RIGHT: Spectators look out over the expanse of Dubai from the floor-to-ceiling windows At the Top of the Burj. The borders of neighbouring Sharjah are also visible from here.
30
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
For images within these pages please email editor@constructionweekonline.com
LEFT: A sophisticated programmed telescope lets you view a clear landscape that you’re aiming at, even if clouds get in your way. It also allows you a ‘night view’ in broad daylight. BELOW: In the distance to the right, the mamoth Liberty House building looks like a midget from on top of the Burj, despite being among the list of tallest buildings in the world.
AT THE TOP: BURJ KHALIFA Photos by Efraim Evidor/ITP Images While tourists and Burj Khalifa enthusiasts are thronging the gates of ‘At The Top’ – the tower’s famous observation deck in Dubai Mall – Construction Week captured some of the spectacular views that people are paying upto US $109 (AED400) to get a glimpse of.
JANUARY 23–29, 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
QATAR PETROLEUM As the third largest company in the world in terms of its oil and gas reserves, Qatar Petroleum plays a key role in the region’s growth, as it is the natural resources that are driving Qatar’s construction sector. Chaired by Qatar’s deputy prime minister and head of the Ministry of Energy Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, the company’s activities include exploration, production, refining, transport and storage. Qatar Petroleum operates Qatar’s oil pipeline network, which transports supplies from oil fields to the country’s refinery and export terminals. Qatar Petroleum awarded the main construction contract for the expansion of Ras Laffan Port in Doha to joint venture Consolidated Contractors Company and Six Construct in March 2008. The development is due to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. Halcrow has been chosen to develop infrastructure and marine facilities at the port.
To include your tenders in this section email tender details to editor@ConstructionWeekOnline.com
BAHRAIN Issuer: Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs Tender No: RD/20/2009 Description: Construction of Al Rawdha Garden in Madinat Hamad. Closes: January 27 Fees: BD50 Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.bh Issuer: Electricity and Water Authority Tender No: 378/2009/3200 Description: Construction of a customer service centre at Country Mall. Closes: February 10 Fees: BD50 Contact: Purchasing and Supply Directorate, Central Stores, Ground Floor, Electricity and Water Authority, PO Box 5325 Issuer: Electricity and Water Authority Tender No: 263/2009/4130 Description: Procurement work for Alstom gas turbines. Closes: February 10 Fees: BD15 Contact: Purchasing and Supply Directorate, Central Stores, Ground Floor, Electricity and Water Authority, PO Box 5325 Issuer: Electricity and Water Authority Tender No: 001/2010/5310 Description: Purchasing single core copper cable and PVC insulated copper wire. Closes: February 10 Fees: BD15 Contact: Purchasing and Supply Directorate, Central Stores, Ground Floor, Electricity and Water Authority, PO Box 5325 Issuer: Ministry of Health Tender No: MOH/101/2010 Description: Expansion of pharmacy section and construction of guard room at Hamad Kanoo Health Centre. Closes: February 17 Fees: BD15 Contact: Tendering submission office, tender board’s office at Al Moayeed Tower, Seef Area EGYPT Issuer: Egyptian Endowment Authority Description: Construction of two residential towers in Qena
32
City (132 units). Closes:January 24 Fees: EP8000 Bond: EP500,000 Contact: 109 Tahrir Street, Dokki, Giza Issuer: Egyptian Railways Integrated Services Company Description: Engineering, design, installation and commissioning of four stationary train washing systems in Cairo. Closes: January 24 Fees: EP5000 Bond: EP200,000 Contact: The Railways Workshops, Al Farz, El Sharabiya, Cairo KUWAIT 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 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 OMAN Issuer: Ministry of Transport and Communication Tender No: 396/2009 Description: Construction of Wadi Mistal Road, phase 1. Closes: January 25 Fees: OR1500 Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om Issuer: Ministry of Health Tender No: 416/2009 Description: Construction, completion and maintenance of a proposed medical store at Rustaq Hospital.
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
RAS LAFFAN PORT IS DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
Closes: February 8 Fees: OR250 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: Qatar Petroleum Tender No: GT10100200 Description: Supply of labour, supervision, tools and maintenance and repair services for carrying our wire-line operations. Closes: January 31 Fees: QR500 Contact: Contracts Department, Corporate Division, Qatar Petroleum, PO Box 3212 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 UAE Issuer: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority Tender No: CNE/0114/2008(R) Description: Construction of water intake channel (onshore and offshore sections), and an outfall system. Closes: January 25 Contact: The Chairman, Board of Directors, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. > For more tenders check online at www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/tenders
¦PROJECTS
> For the latest projects information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/projects
§ PROJECTS
A SAUDI ARABIA DATABASE - BUILDING PROJECTS FOCUS TO LIST YOUR PROJECTS IN THIS COLUMN EMAIL DETAILS TO EDITOR@CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM
Project focus
AMAL POWER PLANT The second quarter of this year will see the construction of Nasmat Al Riyadh, a US $1.6 billion (SR5.9 billion) mixed use development spread over 3 million m2 of land. The project will include 4200 housing units divided into eight residential buildings ranging from three to nine stories in height. It will also include educational, commercial and entertainment facilites. Fayez Zuhair Architectural and Engineering was awarded the consultancy contract in November 2009, while Hill International was appointed project manager. The main construction contract is expected to be awarded this year and the entire development is set to be completed by Q1 2015.
PROJECT TITLE
CLIENT
CONSULTANT
THE US $1.6 BN NASMAT AL RIYADH.
MAIN CONTRACTOR
VALUE (US$MN)
STATUS
SAUDI ARABIA MUZAHIMIYAH POWER PLANT
Saudi Electricity Company
Fichtner
Not Appointed
NEW DAM IN HAIL
Ministry of Water & Electricity
SaudConsult
Progressive Construction Limited
53
project under construction
202KM TRANSMISSION LINE BETWEEN QURAYYAH POWER AND THE NATIONAL GRID
Saudi Electricity Company
Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company
106
project under construction
PP9 EXTENSION - 380-KV SUBSTATION
Saudi Electricity Company
YANBU INDEPENDENT WATER & POWER PROJECT
Marafiq / Saline Water Conversion Corporation
PRINCESS NOURA BIN ABDULRAHMAN UNIVERSITY HIGH VOLTAGE SUBSTATION
Ministry of Higher Education / Ministry of Finance
110/13.8-KV AL BAIDAA SUBSTATION
Saudi Electricity Company
CONSTRUCTION OF WATER NETWORKS - CONTRACT NO. 2
Siemens Mohammed A. Turki Mott Mac Donald
Not Appointed
91 4,000
project under design
project under construction project under design
167
project under construction
Siemens
10
project under construction
Ministry of Water and Electricity
Modameen Cont..Est./Ahmed Al Hurafi Co.
13
project under construction
380 KV MANIFA SUBSTATION
Saudi Electricity Company
National Contracting Company
123
project under construction
JIZAN ECONOMIC CITY - 132 KV SUBSTATION
South Steel Co.
REINFORCEMENT OF SIX 132 KV SUBSTATION IN JIZAN
Saudi Electricity Company
2000 MW QURAYYAH POWER PLANT
Saudi Electricity Company
QSAI DAM AT JIZAN
In House
ABB Contracting Company
21
project under construction
In House
Iscosa Industries & Maintenance
65
project under construction
Ministry of Water & Electricity
Zuhair Fayez Partners
Bin Jarallah Group
1200 MW THERMO ELECTRIC POWER PLANT IN RABIGH
Saudi Electricity Company/Acwa Power Int'l/KEPCO
Not Appointed
Not Appointed
NEW DAM IN ABHA
Ministry of Water & Electricity
Zuhair Fayez Partners
Bin Jarallah Group
PP11 POWER PLANT IN RIYADH
Saudi Electricity Company
132/380-KV SUBSTATION IN NAMERA
Saudi Electricity Company
EXPANSION OF 20 DISTRIBUTION SUBSTATIONS
Saudi Electricity Company
2400- MW RABIGH POWER PLANT - PHASE 6
Saudi Electricity Company
Fichtner GmbH & Co.
Not Appointed
115/380-KV HALF MOON SUBSTATION - PHASE 2
Saudi Electricity Company
In House
ABB Contracting Company
Arabian Bemco Contracting
Not Appointed In House
ABB Contracting Company ABB Contracting Company
778
project under construction
40
project under construction
2,500 16 2,133 162 34 2,000 66
project in concept stage project under construction award awaited for the main contract project under construction project under construction award awaited for the main contract project under construction
To list your projects in this section email details to editor@ConstructionWeekOnline.com
ABB Contracting Company / Al Fanar
950
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
AUTODESK MANUFACTURER OF DESIGN SOFTWARE Autodesk develops 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction and entertainment markets. Since the introduction of Autocad software in 1982, Autodesk has produced a portfolio of digital prototyping solutions to help clients experience their ideas before they are brought to life. Customers can visualise, simulate and analyse performance early in the design process to save time and money and enhance quality. The company also aims to help firms struggling to retain manpower and complete projects within the deadline by providing software, which keeps information coordinated and up-to-date in an digital environment, giving project teams a clear overall vision of their designs, the capacity to test and visualise, improve efficiencies, and reduce errors by streamlining the decision-making process. Autodesk construction solutions for building information modelling aim to improve visibility into building constructability, costs, schedules, and coordination, enabling construction professionals to more confidently forecast and successfully deliver projects. The company’s civil 3D software also provides project teams with a surveying, design, analysis, and documentation solution to deliver land development, transportation, and environmental projects. Omnix is the distributor of Autodesk’s products and, currently nine million professionals in 185 countries are using the solutions.
To advertise please call +971 4 435 6375 or email shishir.desai@itp.com
SPECIALIST SERVICES §
¦SPECIALIST SERVICES
36
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
AUTODESK MENA MARKETING MANAGER MANISH BHARDWAJ.
BUILDING MATERIALS
HARD LANDSCAPING SUPPLIER
CONSTRUCTION/MANUFACTURERS
ยง SPECIALIST SERVICES
> For directory information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory
STEEL
RECRUITMENT
STEEL
,OOKING TO RECRUIT WORKERS FROM
)NDIA .EPAL
"ANGLADESH 3RI ,ANKA
0HILIPPINES 4HAILAND
6IETNAM 0AKISTAN To advertise please call +971 4 4 435 6375 or email shishir.desai@itp.com
OR LOCAL LABOUR SUPPLY 7E ALSO UNDERTAKE -IGRATION 3ERVICE TO !USTRALIA #ANADA 4EL &AX % MAIL ASSIDUAA EIM AE PP CORRUGATED SHEETS
STEEL
HEM, IPE, IPN, UPN
STEEL
JANUARY 23โ 29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK
37
CITY UPDATE MAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA
A very good year A LOOK BACK ON MAKKAH’S PROGRESS DURING 2009 AND WHAT THE CITY CAN EXPECT FROM THIS YEAR By Sarah Blackman
A
fter a cautious year of slow movement in a frustrated, developing region, many of the Middle East’s cities have been glad to see the back of 2009. But, for Makkah, Saudi Arabia, last year was a period of progression.
38
It kick-started the year by signing an agreement with China to build the US $1.78 billion (SAR6.65 billion) Haramain High-speed Railway (HHR) (popularly also known as the Makkah-Madinah link), which is the first high-speed rail network to be constructed in the Middle East. It will connect the cities of Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah and the new King
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010
ABOVE: SAUDI PASSENGERS TAKE THE TRAIN ON AN INTERNAL TRIP IN RIYADH’S ONLY RAIL STATION.
Abdullah Economic City via a 320km/h rail track. Construction is currently being undertaken by China Railway Construction Corporation, together with Al Rajhi construction group and French firm, Alstom. In February, it was reported that 35% of the project’s capacity would be ready for use during this year’s Hajj.
“THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND HAS PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN SCREENING BIDDERS FOR THE PROJECT [MAKKAH-MADINAH RAILWAY]”
BILAL QABALAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
“WE CONSIDER IT A MAJOR PROJECT IN THE HISTORY OF TRANSPORT IN THE KINGDOM” “We consider it a major project in the history of transport in the Kingdom,” Saudi Railway Organisation chairman Jabara AlSeraisry told Arab News. “The signing ceremony is the result of great efforts made by the officials of the Saudi Railway Organisation and the Public Investment Fund, which has played a vital role in screening bidders for the project.” In May, eight companies, including Saudi Aramco, were awarded the Makkah Award for Excellence for their contributions to the development of the province. The winners were announced by Prince Khaled Al Faisal, governor of Makkah, at the event which was being held for the first time. The award was established in 2008 in hope of increasing competition and creativity by giving recognition in selected fields. “It completes our development strategy in the region by encouraging outstanding work from both individuals and organisations,” said Al Faisal. Also that month, Ahmad Zaki Saudi Arabia Company was awarded a $52 million contract to build reinforced concrete structures for Tower H1-A of the Jabal Omar development in Makkah. The work is expected to be completed by November this year and the entire mixed-use development is due for completion by Q3 of 2011. And there was no sign of a slowdown as the second half of 2009 saw the inauguration of the King Abdul Aziz Road project in Makkah, a development that is currently under construction and progressing; then, in November, came the announcement that the 700-room Ramada Plaza Makkah hotel
TOP PROJECTS Haramain High Speed Rail Project Makkah Metro Abraj Al Bait Jamaraat Bridge Makkah Ring Road
RIGHT: ABRAJ AL BAIT WILL BE THE TALLEST TOWER IN SAUDI ARABIA WHEN COMPLETED NEXT YEAR.
would be constructed in the Saudi province. Riyada International Hotels and Resorts Company is set to complete the five-star development by 2011. The last quarter of the year also saw the completion of the $1.2 billion Jamaarat Bridge, a pedestrian bridge used by Muslims in the stoning of the devil ritual, during Hajj. So, all in all, 2009 was a year for advancement and groundbreaking in Makkah, but what can the city expect from 2010? For starters, international consultancy firm Scott Wilson has won a $23.1 million contract to provide project management to HHR. The year is also set to see some serious progression on the Makkah Metro and the prestigious Abraj Al Bait towers development. Hope and excitement aren’t words often associated with today’s economic climate, but for construction companies investing and operating in Makkah, they’re words that can be said with some confidence… well, whispered at least.
US$ 2 billion 1.8 billion 1.6 billion 1.2 billion 126 million A TENDER IS OUT FOR PHASE TWO OF THE HARAMAIN RAIL PROJECT.
JANUARY 23–29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK
39
DIALOGUE ASHISH VASUDEV Top coat How much paint did Jotun use to coat the Burj Khalifa and what’s next in store for the company? UAE marketing manager Ashish Vasudev explains
By Sarah Blackman
Which paint products are most in demand in the region?
Will you expand your business this year?
Three categories in the decorative segment are the most widely used across the Middle East, as decorative surfaces need the most protection. These are water-based interior emulsion, exterior acrylic and enamels for wood and metal.
In addition to our newly opened facilities in Dubai, Jotun Saudia has also recently announced the completion of a US $26.6 million (SR100 million) investment into the expansion of an existing manufacturing facility located in Yanbu. The 34000m2 factory is slated to be the our largest production facility in the Middle East and will incorporate tank farms and silos with major raw material capacity, filling machines as well as labelling machines. Upon completion of this latest expansion investment, Jotun Saudia will have a combined production outcome of 110 million litres between its two KSA - based facilities in Jeddah and Yanbu. Furthermore, we are planning to establish over 1500 more Multicolor Centres in the region by 2011.
What was the scope of work Jotun carried out during its involvement with the Burj Khalifa?
All surfaces were painted by Jotun, including the spire on the top of the tower. We have used a total of 122,000kg of powder coatings and 487,000 litres of paint to decorate and protect the world’s tallest tower. The Burj Khalifa required the use of a metallic matt powder coated finish to complement the aluminum for the 28,261 cladding panels that make up the exterior of the tower and its two annexes. Jotun Powder Coatings used ‘Corro-Coat PE-F Façade Iris and Oyster Bond‘, and developed a specially formulated bonded metallic product for this project. The coating used for the 818m-spire of the tower is ‘Baltoflake’, a glass flake reinforced polyester that provides resistance to abrasion, water and most chemicals. The product was recommended by Jotun and chosen by the client for its 20-year life span and minimal need for maintenance.
Do you have plans to launch new products this year?
Yes, we will be launching new products, both in exterior (with extended warranty), as well as interior (finishes) segments. These are very unique paints with a new technology. Unfortunately we can’t provide details about the product at this point. How do your products prevent corrosion and deterioration?
Jotashield Super Durable is a low volatile organic compound coating based on a special hybrid silicone binder with twice We have expanded dramatically throughout the region in the the life span of traditional coatings. It provides superior durability, anti-concrete carbonation properties, and low last 10 years, and have become the first paint manufacturer to be awarded the ISO 9001 certification. Jotun has been at the chemical reactivity. Jotashield Heritage High Build is a single forefront in terms of developing products specifically pack modified acrylic, water-based high build textured coating that endures the unforgiving weather conditions in the region. suited to local conditions. Jotashield Thermo is equipped with Three decades of experience in the thermal insulation properties, which Middle East region has helped us Currently in charge of the marketing deflects heat and reduces interior produce a variety of conventional and aspect of Jotun Paints operations in temperature and cooling costs, and specialised coatings - each incorporating the UAE, marketing manager Ashish the latest technological developments provides high resistance to corrosion, Vasudev has gathered extensive while offering performance with heat shock and chemical changes, experience in advertising, retail trade, economy - catering to the various making a building more energy efficient. sales and marketing. He holds a master of product segments and demands of the What are your hopes for this year? business administration degree from the different markets. Today, our product XLRI School of Management in India, and We have plans and strategies in place range includes decorative, protective, has been working with the leading paint to maintain our market leadership and marine, floor/concrete protection, manufacturer for the last six years. current market shares in the segments powder coatings and intumescent [fire we are operating in. retardant] coatings. How has Jotun developed over the last decade?
40
CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 2010