Construction Week - Issue 310 by ITP Business Publishing

SAUDI ARABIA BAHRAIN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES QATAR OMAN KUWAIT

Construction CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

An ITP Business Publication

Licensed by Dubai Media City

WEEK

FEB 27–MAR 5, 2010 [310]

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

M A M M DA FOCUS

INSIDE NEWS

Piling work gets under way on the Louvre Abu Dhabi

CITYpage 62

PAGE 9

EVENTS

Two major events will run concurrently in Jeddah, in early March PAGE 14

INTERVIEW

Scott Wilson’s Cathy Crocker explains how to slash air-con costs PAGE 20

NEW MODEL CW LOOKS AT HOW PARTNERSHIPS ARE MAKING MASDAR CITY POSSIBLE SEE PAGE 31

CITY

SIX OF THE TH BEST

Lucrative GC GCC road buildingg con contracts you should know w about PAGE 23

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2010 | ISSUE 310 10

FEATURES

20 INTERVIEW Scott Wilson’s associate director Cathy Crocker sits down with CW to talk about the reduction of energy reduction of cooling systems.

23 SIX OF THE BEST Top GCC road projects you need to know about.

14 18

27 SPECIAL REPORT CW speaks to major air-con companies about how they are meeting the increased demand for energy-efﬁcient products.

31 MASDAR CITY The process of building a carbon neutral city from the ground up and the construction partners involved in the ambitious project a reality.

REGULARS 2 ONLINE 4 MAIL

27 .

DIRECTORY

FRONT

54 SHOWCASE 57 TENDERS 58 PROJECTS 59 APPOINTMENTS 60 SPECIALIST SERVICES

9 PILES SUNK FOR THE LOUVRE ABU DHABI Bauer International has begun piling work on The Louvre Abu Dhabi, part of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District.

10 UAE’S DEWAN WINS BAGHDAD MUNICIPALITY DESIGN CONTEST Dewan Architects & Engineers has submitted the winning design for the development of the holy shrines area in Al Kadhimiya, Baghdad.

12 NEWS IN BRIEF Highlights of the week.

14 EVENTS Industry dates for your diary.

BACK

16 COMMENT

62 CITY UPDATE

Syed Ali Dilawer talks about the responsibilities of an expert while preparing a delay claim.

The latest news and projects from Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

64 DIALOGUE

18 LEGAL Examining the rise of contracting giants from the Asia-Paciﬁc region and what that mean for Gulf business.

Jones Lang LaSalle’s Blair Hagkull discusses the key trends for the real estate and construction industry in 2010.

FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

ONLINE

www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com MOST POPULAR

SIX OF THE BEST: TOP GCC ROAD PROJECTS MAKKAH LAND PRICES HIT $133,000 PER SQ METRE RENEGOTIATION BECOMES THE ORDER OF THE DAY DUBAI METRO RED LINE SET FOR APRIL COMPLETION

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: DUBAI PEARL CONSTRUCTION UPDATE 2

Dubai Pearl will cover more than 1.39 million m and include four 73-storey towers, plus a hotel. Piling works on all four towers have been completed along with their rafts. The pouring of 23 columns for Tower 1 has been completed on the B1 level and shuttering work is in progress. Rebar cleaning work for columns is also underway along with waterprooﬁng work on top of the raft sides. On Tower 3 of the project (pictured), rebar work for the columns is also currently being worked on along with backﬁlling around the raft. To see more visit www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com

FEATURES

Resident Engineer, Salalah, Oman Sales Head - Consumer Healthcare, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia General Manager - Distribution Business, Kuwait City, Kuwait

ONLINE POLL IS YOUR COMPANY RENEGOTIATING CONTRACTS?

53.9% 19.2% 15.4% 11.5% Yes, we were forced to.

BUILD FOR THE END USER, NOT FOR THE DEVELOPER Alan Millin says developers must heed consumers’ calls for quality.

PREDICTABLE BENEFITS Dan Mizesko on the beneﬁts of predictive maintenance.

PMV

CID

THE FIRST TRUE SKYSCRAPER Greg Whitaker reﬂects on how tall buildings became possible.

OMANI THROUGH AND THROUGH Six Senses Zighi Bay proves luxury and sustainability can co-exist.

JOBS OF THE WEEK

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

Yes, it’s great.

No way, never.

Nope, we’ve dodged that bullet so far.

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

MAIL RE: BUILD FOR THE END USER, NOT FOR THE DEVELOPER

RE: HIGH-END BATHROOM FITTINGS FOR ACACIA AVENUE

Alan Millin, you are so right. As a manufacturer of a premium brand of products for HVAC, we are so often faced with competition from cheap, inadequate Far Eastern products, which simply neither go the distance, nor do the job for which they were intended. I feel sorry for the unknowing individual who forks out his hard cash for a property that will turn out to be more of a liability than an investment. How often have I been told by contractors that as long as a product can struggle through their one year maintenance period they will buy as cheaply as possible. After that it is the problem of the property owner. The sooner the government initiates a building guarantee scheme that protects the home owner the better.

How about using some good quality luxurious products that are water saving? Everyone in the western world is looking at these products, but in Dubai they still talk about the water wasting sanitary ware and mixers.

JIM MARTIN

RE: THE NANO MAN Interesting article but with very limited content. I tried to get more information and I searched the internet for Claude’s company “Nano Solutions Corp” in Malaysia but did not manage to ﬁnd anything. Additional information would be really appreciated.

ARJUN

RE: RTA DENIES SLOWDOWN ON METRO The above story is not true. The consultant of Dubai Metro has terminated 75% of its staff last week due to payment issues. The remaining are staff also under severe risk of terminating in the future. It’s a disaster. CNN2NET Dubai’s Roads and Traffic Authority is in denial that the Japanese-led consortium building the Dubai metro has slowed work on the project due to a US $2.5 billion (AED 9.2 billion) payment dispute. I have several friends who work on the Metro and confirm that their bosses have instructed them to slow the works, owing to cash flow problems, which have been caused by the non payment by the RTA. Why does the RTA deny this? JOE

AHMED

RE: AL AIN CITY UPDATE

It would be more interesting if the nano man gave us some more pictures or samples of nanotechnology, such as how it is being used in housing appliances etc.

Al Ain is the most suitable place to live in UAE. It is very nice place with green all over, but the government has to increase the standard of living for UAE residents here.

STEVE ARZOUMANIAN

DOXON JOSEPH

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.

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 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 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 STUDIO GROUP ART EDITOR Daniel Prescott ART EDITOR Nadia Puma DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Sevag Davidian CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Khatuna Khutsishvili SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS G-nie Arambulo, Efraim Evidor, Thanos Lazopoulos STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Isidora Bojovic, George Dipin, Lyubov Galushko, Jovana Obradovic, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION GROUP PRODUCTION MANAGER Kyle Smith PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Devaprakash V.A MANAGING PICTURE EDITOR Patrick Littlejohn IMAGE EDITOR 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 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 readers’ 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

Worldwide Circulation Statement Average Qualified Circulation 11,435 (Jan-Jun 2009)

The opinions expressed in this section are of particular individuals and are in no way a reﬂection of the publisher’s views.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

Thermal insulation systems for the entire building envelope • Environmentally sound in it’s manufacturing, usage and eventual disposal • Totally free from CFC and HCFC • 66% recycling glass content

Ref: Abu Dhabi Ofﬁcer’s Club (pictured under construction)

THERMAL INSULATION WITH SEAM ROOF FINISH

FOAMGLAS®

Ref: Social Service Department, Stuttgart, Germany

THERMAL INSULATION FOR ROOF GARDEN

FOAMGLAS®

Ref: BMW factory, Regensburg Germany

ROOF INSULATION FOR FACTORY

FOAMGLAS®

Ref (also main image): Islamic Museum of Modern Art, Doha

ROOF INSULATION FOR TERRACE

FOAMGLAS®

PITTSBURGH CORNING Europe (Rep Middle East) Dubai office: TEL +9714 434 7140 FAX +9714 432 7109 Doha office: TEL +974 465 5360 FAX +974 431 7760 EMAIL info@foamglas.ae WEB www.foamglas.ae

FOREWORD

NEUTRALITY IS NOT EASY

“CARBON CREDITS ARE NONSENSE. THE POINT OF TRYING TO BE CARBON NEUTRAL IS TO STOP WRECKING THE PLANET’S ATMOSPHERE”

I am not carbon neutral. For a start, I come from a long way away and rack up flying time measured in days, not hours. I drive gas guzzling vehicles with a heavy right foot and take ready advantage of cheap petrol. I may have district cooling at home - lauded as environmentally friendly, but murderous on the wallet – but I waste it because I have to pay a high fixed charge, regardless of how much I use. Economists would suggest that there should be an incentive to encourage me to use less. They’re right. But apparently not right enough to have local developers pay any attention. Economists, however, have also come up with other clever incentive schemes to aid carbon neutrality. Carbon credits are an artificial economic device layered over the real economy, allowing companies to buy their green credentials and off-set any carbon they spew into the atmosphere, through the purchase of ‘credits’, essentially theoretical trees. Online businesses are flourishing, selling peace of mind to the carbon guilty, after helping them calculate just how bad they are. Airlines like this too. Some include it as an option when you buy a ticket: ‘would you like to off-set your carbon?’ No thanks. Carbon credits are nonsense. The point of trying to be carbon neutral is to stop wrecking the planet’s atmosphere. This should be a genuine effort, not an economic sleight of hand. Buy enough carbon credits and you can off-set anything. Anyone fancy a carbon-neutral coal-fired power station? Or perhaps plant a tree with your next six-litre V8? Pointless. Real change can only come after genuine effort. Yes people, if you want something, you have to work for it. And if it is a new idea, you may have to be the first to try. This is the position the developers of Masdar City find themselves in. They are trying something new in developing a zero carbon city and learning as they go. It will not be easy, but the experiment they are engaged in may produce useful lessons for everyone. Regardless of what you think of the project and its progress, they should be applauded for trying.

STUART MATTHEWS SENIOR GROUP EDITOR stuart.matthews@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.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

WORLD’S FIRST VERTICAL POWDER COATING FOR 12M LONG PROFILES

AT AL JABER EXTRUSIONS LLC

Internationally renowned Al Jaber Aluminium Extrusions is the proud owner of the World’s first Vertical Powder Coating Plant for coating 12m long aluminium profiles. The plant is already adding to the company’s reputation for delivering high quality, custom finished aluminum extrusions to the Gulf construction industry and worldwide.

Contact Details

• Key player in the extrusions industry • Market leaders in customized finishes • Facilitates 30,000 tons of extrustions in different finishes - total production capacity • Efficient quality management system • Enhanced process capabilities to meet tight delivery schedule

Al Jaber Aluminium Extrusions L.L.C. PO Box 41073, Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates Tel : +971 2 555 3 707 Fax : +971 2 555 3 977 Email : ajesigns@eim.ae www.aljaber.com

FRONT

>News

>Highlights

>Events

>Comment

>Legal

PILING WORKS GET UNDER WAY FOR THE LOUVRE, ABU DHABI, PART OF THE SAADIYAT ISLAND CULTURAL DISTRICT.

PILES SUNK FOR THE LOUVRE ABU DHABI By CW Staff

Bauer International has begun piling work on The Louvre Abu Dhabi, part of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District. Over the next 20 weeks, a total of 5638 piles are scheduled to be sunk, including 4298 steel piles and 1340 concrete piles. Laid end to end, the piles would stretch to 94.2km in length. “We are very excited about the Louvre Abu Dhabi project and how it is progressing so rapidly,” said Lee Tabler, CEO of Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), the master developer of Saadiyat Island. “Taking the development aspect into perspective, our requirements for contractors are very demanding and we are proud to work with the world’s leading construction ﬁrms.”

This piling works contract constitutes the second package to be issued for the Louvre Abu Dhabi since its ground breaking last year. The ﬁrst package of enabling works, also executed by Bauer International, was completed in January 2010 after 503,000 m³ of earth had been excavated to accommodate the base of the museum. Once this current phase of piling work is complete, a sub-structure contractor will be appointed to construct the concrete and waterprooﬁng works up to ground level. The tender for this was sent out in mid February 2010 and the contractor will be appointed in May 2010. The package for the main building work will be tendered later this year. Designed by Jean Nouvel, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is part of the Saadiyat Island Cultural

District, which will also include the Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum. The Louvre design features a perforated aluminium dome, 180m in diameter, which will represent one of the key construction challenges. “The dome is the largest architectural element in the project and we want to test both its functionality and manageability,” explained Felix Reinberg, project director of the Cultural District for TDIC. To that end, a six-metre prototype of the dome has been installed on Saadiyat Island for the sole purpose of testing the play of light and shadow on the site, prior to fabrication of the ﬁnal structure. All work in the Cultural District is scheduled for completion in 2013.

FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

FRONT MAZAYA QATAR BAGS QR 500 MILLION FOR PROJECTS By CW Staff

DEWAN PLANS TO DEVELOP AL KADHIMIYA WHILST PROTECTING THE HISTORICAL CHARACTER OF BAGHDAD.

UAE’S DEWAN WINS BAGHDAD MUNICIPALITY DESIGN CONTEST By CW Staff Dewan Architects & Engineers has submitted the winning design for the development of the holy shrines area in Al Kadhimiya, Baghdad. A jury decided that Dewan’s proposal, one of 10 shortlisted submissions, was the most aesthetically pleasing and sensitive to the area’s historical and social character. “The development needs to be manoeuvred in such a way that the place does not lose its soul and this was one of our most important considerations throughout the design process,” said Mohamed Al Assam, founder of Dewan. “Another consideration was that during seasonal religious ceremonies and festivities, the area of Al Kadhimiya receives large numbers of visitors. It is critical that the

urban fabric can cope with exceptional demands during such peak periods.” Explaining the vision behind Dewan’s winning design, Al Assam said: “The final design we submitted envisions the shrine as the innermost ‘kernel’ of the city, enveloped and protected by different urban layers that mediate between the interior and the exterior world and together form a coherent whole. Dewan Architects & Engineers is a regional architectural and engineering design firm with offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, and Philippines. The firm was recently ranked the 60th largest architectural firm in the world, and the fifth largest in the region, in Building Design Magazine’s recent annual ‘World Architecture Top 100’.

Mazaya Qatar Real Estate Development’s recent IPO has raised US $137.3 million(QR500 million), increasing its paid-up capital to QR1 billion. The IPO ran from January 17 until 31, with 50 million shares offered at a price of QR10 per share. According to a statement, Mazaya Qatar is focusing on ‘low risk’ projects, though no details on any of its planned projects have been disclosed as yet. Last month, ahead of the IPO, company chairman Rashid Fahad Al Naimi, said: “The board of directors decided to wait and study the market so as to be able to identify the perfect timing to take advantage of opportunities. The company’s ﬁrst project will be announced soon.” The company has been accepting prequaliﬁcation applications from contractors during February, in advance of making contract selections for the projects it is planning to announce.

DUBAI METRO RED LINE SET FOR APRIL COMPLETION By CW Staff The remaining stations on Dubai Metro’s Red Line will begin opening in phases in April 2010, a senior ofﬁcial from Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) announced in a press release on Saturday. All works in the stations on the Green Line will be completed in August 2011, said Mattar Al Tayer, executive director of RTA. “The operation of Red Line stations will be in phases starting from April 25th, 2010; where several key stations will be operational; namely Emirates Station, Airport Terminal 1 Station, GGICO Station, Al Karama Station, World Trade Center Station, Marina Station, and Ibn

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

Battuta Station. The remaining stations will be operated over the following months of 2010,” Al Tayer said. The Green line is the second line of the Dubai Metro; it will be a 22.5km route comprising 40 trains that will run from Dubai Airport Free Zone to Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) through Saeediya and will include two interchange stations with the Red Line, at Union Square and Burjuman. Dubai Metro has served 9,872,545 passengers since it was launched last September, according to recent statistics compiled by Rail Agency of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Alumil Gulf fzc subsidiary of ALUMIL in the Middle East

Technology Park, RAK FTZ, RAK tel +971 7 2444106, fax +971 7 2444107 email support.uae@alumil.com, sales.uae@alumil.com

FRONT HIGHLIGHTS Project

ABU DHABI DESIGN MANUAL Contractors and suppliers can look forward to the prospect of more business in Abu Dhabi following the launch of the ‘Urban Street Design Manual’. Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) has released the document, which constitutes a set of comprehensive guidelines for the redesign of the capital’s streets and outdoor spaces. Together, they aim to make the UAE capital safer and more aesthetically pleasing and, ultimately, promote the use of public transport. UPC has previously outlined plans to reduce dependence on cars and promote the use of public transport. The Urban Street Design Manual aims to further this goal by redesigning streets to make walking and cycling more viable options for residents. Real estate

FUND LAUNCHED Al Rajhi Capital, the investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s Al Rajhi Bank, and Arcapita Bank, based in

Bahrain, have launched a US $500 million (SR1.875 billion) real estate fund. The fund will buy incomegenerating buildings, primarily in Saudi Arabia, in sectors such as logistics, healthcare and education. The fund has already made its ﬁrst acquisition, the main distribution centre for Azizia Panda United Company, a leading supermarket company in Saudi Arabia. It was acquired for US $79.7 million and will be leased back to Azizia Panda for a period of 18 years. Al Rajhi and Arcapita plan to seed the fund, the ARC Real Estate Income Fund, with $50 million and market it to institutional and high net worth investors in the GCC. PMV

TUNNEL PARTNERSHIP Abu Dhabi-based Aabar Investments and Germanybased Herrenknecht AG are to set up a UAE-based ﬁrm specialising in tunnel boring equipment. The company, 51%-owned by Aabar, will own and operate a facility that will assemble and

NEWS IN NUMBERS

The expansion of the Grand GE is to help Mosque in Pakistan meet Makkah is projected energy sending land demand of 54,000 MW prices soaring, to as much as by the year

2020

US $133,000 2

per m

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

manufacture tunneling products and vertical drilling rigs. The share capital of the joint venture company is AED25 million, of which Aabar’s share is AED12.75 million. Aabar recently made headlines by agreeing to acquire a majority stake in Arabtec, a leading Dubaibased contracting company. MEP

GREEN CHAMBER An official plaque-unveiling ceremony has been held at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry to highlight its new LEED certification. The unveiling took place in the presence of HE Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad, the UAE Minister of Environment and Water. The certification makes the Chamber the first existing commercial LEED building in the region, and one of only four outside the US and Canada. The Dubai Chamber’s efforts to go green started more than ten years ago, during a time when environmental responsibility was not fashionable or expected,

Saudi Arabia allocated

US $3.17 billion

2010

in its budget for construction of

6400 km of roads

led by the Chamber’s green building team, which worked on a number of energy- and water-saving initiatives in the region. The Dubai Chamber has succeeded in reducing water and energy consumption by about 77% and 47% respectively between 1998 and 2008, leading to signiﬁcant carbon emission reductions and accumulated power savings of around AED7.1 million. Real estate

PALM DEMAND European investors spent around AED60 million on ﬂats at the Oceana Residence in January, according to the property’s manager, Asteco. Unit sales averaged almost one per day. “We have had a very busy January,” said Ian Hollingdale, head of project, Asteco. “Almost half of the investors are British; Russians account for around 25% of our sales, with the French, Dutch and Belgians making up the bulk of the rest.” Oceana Residence is a gated community, developed by Seven Tides and located on The Palm Jumeirah.

ASEC Holding has bought

9.48% of

ASEC Cement for

US $80 million in cash and shares

E st i ma ti on & C os t C o n t ro l s o f t w a r e f o r C li ents , C on s u l ta n t s a n d C o n t r a c t o r s The Causeway Construction Suite delivers a simple solution to all parties in the construction process. Causeway provides software to manage cost based on the original estimate and allows information to be shared throughout the project life cycle. Instead of using a series of spreadsheets that could be prone to errors, information can be automatically shared between systems, avoiding the need for re-keying and constantly reviewing spreadsheets

To find out how Causeway can help your business call us today on +971 (0) 4 434 2119 or visit www.causeway.com

Causeway Middle East, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, P.O Box 500843 t +971 (0) 4 434 2119 f +971 (0) 4 434 2118 MEmarketing@causeway.com

EVENTS Event focus

CONSTRUCTION WEEK CONFERENCE SAUDI ARABIA DATE: 7TH – 8TH MARCH 2010 LOCATION: JEDDAH GATE, CENTRAL JEDDAH TIME: 9.30PM TO 3.30PM Event focus

SAUDI PMV SHOW DATE: 7TH – 9TH MARCH 2010 LOCATION: JEDDAH GATE, CENTRAL JEDDAH TIME: 3PM TO 9PM Saudi Arabia is the fastest growing economy in the region. The economy is set to become one of the top ten global investment centres. This determination for growth is fuelling expansion on infrastructure as it tries to keep pace with an ambitious development plan. Amid a year of global economic challenges, construction projects in Saudi Arabia have remained relatively untroubled with as little as 1% of projects delayed or put on hold. There are few countries in the world who can boast the scale and scope of some of the landmark projects in the kingdom. The Saudi PMV show is intended to spark discussion on how major projects impact on their business. Hundreds of billions of dollars will be invested in the construction and ﬁt out of these major projects. The question for the Cranes & PMV market is how do we resource this expansion program? Comparisons and benchmarks do not exist however we must ensure that all resources in the build are managed. Delays which lead to cost increases or penalties on this scale must be avoided. The Saudi PMV Show is now in its third year and promises to build on the success of last year’s exhibition in Dammam, which saw the largest gathering of cranes, heavy vehicles and equipment ever seen in the Kingdom. In 2010, in addition to the equipment on display, the show will include workshops, demonstrations and auctions, making it a not-to-be-missed event for PMV professionals from all across the Middle East. Organisers expect purchasing representatives from more than 250 construction ﬁrms to attend the show. 

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

The rampant growth of the Saudi Arabian construction market over the past 5 years has been driven by ongoing infrastructure projects in oil and gas, power, education, transport and telecoms. The Saudi Government continues to promote capital development projects in the areas of power, desalination, roads, railways, and economic cities. Private sector projects such as commercial buildings, malls, and hotels also represent signiﬁcant opportunities, as they are in line with the drive to develop infrastructure in the business and leisure sector. Recent trends illustrate just how important the Saudi Arabian market is for the region. The Kingdom boasts the largest population and projects that dwarf those in neighbouring countries, and the relaxation of foreign investment laws has resulted in major contracts being awarded to foreign companies. The Construction Week Jeddah Conference will bring together inﬂuential individuals in the Kingdom’s construction industry to discuss and debate these issues, network with peers, and celebrate the industry’s success. 

SPEAKERS Abdullah Hamidaddan Governor of Economic Cities, SAGIA Dr. Abdulrahman Al Shaikh Deputy Minister for Town Planning Dr. Abdulgader O. Amir VP, Jeddah Development and Regeneration Co Eng. Mu’taz Sawwaf CEO, CPC Holding John Harris National Director, Jones Lang LaSalle Dr. Sami Mohsen Angawi Director General, AMAR Centre for Architectural Studies Mark Dickson Project Director, Knowledge Economic City Samir Khairallah Project Director, Saudi Oger Tahir Sharif President, buildSMART ME

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

An expert’s job SYED ALI DILAWER TALKS ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN EXPERT WHILE PREPARING A DELAY CLAIM

An expert’s specific task in preparing or defending against a The investigation and data-gathering phase: This phase is delay damage claim is dependent upon the agreement established oriented toward identifying, collecting the specific data required by the counsel and the client as to the expert’s exact role. to document original plans and actual performance in order to In this regard, it must be clearly noted that any reports or con- identify and confirm the problems and delays encountered. This clusions developed by the expert must be fair to all sides, firmly phase generally requires considerable time in the field offices of grounded in the facts of the project, and derived from complete the project. The material gathered through the following tasks provides the base for the fact-finding and evaluation phase. Steps and proper reviews of appropriate project data. Thus, for expert testimony to be of value it must reflect a fair and include: review of project records and chronological listing of complete review of the project data and it must reflect analyses claim issues. that take into account major and controlling delays of all parties on the project. Fact–finding and evaluation phase: The task associated with The byword for the expert role in preparing scheduling analyses this phase are originated towards providing a clear understanding must include fair and complete reviews of all relevant project of the delays and issues identified and organising them into a data. The expert should not comprehensive position. accept any engagement that Effective co-ordination with requires ignoring or excluding legal counsel is particularly the failings of the client. important to ensure that all Once the charter and role of findings are correlated with the expert have been properly the legal plan. Strategic key established, the process by tasks during this phase are: which the expert prepares Establishment of an ashis/her report is typically planned schedule, detailed analysis of the project records, organised into four broad phases: familiarisation, invesidentification of data comtigation and data gathering, paring actual and planned fact finding and evaluation performance, researching claim issue. and presentation of reports Conclusion should include a and conclusions. Throughout all phases, it is important determination of responsibility that the expert participate in for delay, the quantification periodic reviews with legal counsel. “THE ABILITY TO WRITE of the net time and cost impact associA COHESIVE REPORT IN ated with each delay and identification COLLABORATION WITH THE The familiarisation phase: This phase of its relationship to any other delays COUNSEL IS CRITICAL TO THE is essential to effective interpretation that occurred previously or are occurOUTCOME OF THE CASE” and participation in a claim. In addition ring concurrently. to providing the necessary overview of the project and an understanding of the claim theories and issues Presentation of report and conclusion phase: The preseninvolved, it provides a sound basis for planning, organising and tation phase activities will vary from project to project. This conducting the remaining phases with maximum efficiency. This ultimately depends on expert’s findings, conclusions, order of phase includes two tasks: presentation, and procedures to be followed. Careful evaluation of the audience, to whom the previously developed information 1. Review of the project’s requirements: An initial understanding of must be effectively communicated, is required to establish the the project is accomplished by thoroughly reviewing all contract most suitable, presentation techniques. Close coordination with documents, including the plans and specifications. legal counsel is necessary to ensure that the presentation of claim 2. Review of overall submission with legal counsel: In situations is supportive. where a defendant receives a delay and/or cost impact claim, it is additionally suggested that an independent and detailed review Many experts can discuss a case intelligently, but the expert’s of the overall claim submission should be made in consultation ability to write a cohesive report in collaboration with the counsel with legal counsel. is critical to the outcome of the case.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

THE PREMIER SOLAR EVENT FOR NORTH AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

ALIFY F QU

OFF

2nd North Africa and Middle East Solar Conference & Expo

£150

QU NT OTE

MENASOL 2010

DISCOU OR

MAY 4 – 5 2010, CAIRO, EGYPT

How to ﬁnance, develop and build utility scale solar projects in MENA Speakers include: Abengoa, Desertec, Masdar, Acciona, Orascom, Mediterranean Solar Plan, UN, League of Arab States, UN, and Adwec Why is MENASOL 2010 the premier solar event for the region? Hear what the speakers have to say…

■ SOLAR TARGETS COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY - gain exclusive insight into the government mandated targets to develop utility scale solar plants that are driving growth in various territories ■ BEST STRATEGIES TO SECURE SOLAR FINANCE - hear directly from the top international organisations and expert private investors on how to gain the funding you need to develop your next solar project ■ TERRITORY SPECIFIC SOLAR TECHNOLOGY CHOICES benefit from a comprehensive guide on what technology is best suited for each country, enabling you to make the most profitable choices for your plant ■ WHAT UTILITIES WANT FROM SOLAR - find out directly from utility companies how they plan to work with solar technology and get the insider knowlegde that will help you develop long-term partnerships with them ■ SOLAR PROJECTS UPDATE - uncover practical tips and advice by hearing real life lessons from up and running plants and hear about the latest upcoming projects that can present new opportunities for your business and ■ SOLAR DESALINATION POTENTIAL IN MENA - prepare your business for the next big solar advancement in the MENA region and find out exactly what you need to know to make the most of this growth opportunity

WHAT IS NEW FOR 2010? 1.

Site Visit; Unique opportunity to visit the Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Power Plant (ISCC) Kuraymat and talk with delegates outside the conference room as you get up close to this exciting plant.. Online Networking; connect with top level delegates, speakers and sponsors before and after the event and build relationships with the people that really matter. Workshops; extra value with our free to attend workshops that offers another way to network and gain more information on cooling methods for multi MW sized CSP power plants and solar desalination

DESERTEC and the Solar Plan are the biggest and most promising co-operation projects the Mediterranean region has seen in a long time. We want to get serious about installing Clean Power from Deserts. MENASOL 2010 plays an important role in the DESERTEC Foundation’s efforts to coordinate and communicate with all the stakeholders: Governments and private sector, industry, academia and civil society Oliver Steinmetz, Desertec MENASOL 2010 has attracted leading players in the solar industry to discuss the development and ﬁnancing of solar energy in a region with enormous potential Simon Monk, Instrata Capital MENASOL is the top conference for the leaders in renewable energy business to connect and exchange best practices Christian von Tschirschky, AT Kearney

Why is MENASOL 2010 key to your business strategy? Hear what the people said about our event in 2009… The conference provided the perfect venue for those who are serious about the solar industry in the MENA to move forward with their business plans Samer Zureikat, MENA Cleantech The conference was an excellent way to meet the players in the MENA Solar Market. There were some eye-opening discussions that were held. On the whole, it was a very valuable experience for me Mohit Abraham, US Digital A good mix of technology aspects along with interesting economic global views to better understand the CSP business development in the MENA region Antoine Echard Delta Solar System

TO FIND OUT MORE: ■

Latest agenda and speakers: www.newsolartoday.com/solar-conference Sponsoring or exhibiting: Mark Wheeler, Business Development Director +44 20 7375 7177 or email mark@newsolartoday.com ■ Getting involved: Heidi Hafes, Events Director +44 207 375 7206 or email heidi@newsolartoday.com ■

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

The emergence of Asian construction contractors in the Middle East MARK RAYMONT EXAMINES THE RISE AND RISE OF CONTRACTING GIANTS FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR GULF BUSINESS

In recent years, the Middle East has proved to be one of the most attractive construction and engineering markets in the world for international contractors. Notwithstanding the present global economic climate, parts of the Middle East continue to present significant opportunities and many global construction contractors are active in the region. Among the most prominent are construction contractors who are head-quartered in the Asia Pacific area, as is illustrated by some of the more high-profile projects in the Middle East, where construction contractor consortia have include many of the major Japanese and South Korean construction firms. This is demonstrated in microcosm in the United Arab Emirates. In Dubai, for example, Japanese contractors have been heavily involved in constructing the Dubai Metro and the joint venture involved in the construction of the recently opened Burj Khalifa (previously known as the Burj Dubai) was led by South Korea’s Samsung. The profile of Asian contractors in the Middle East is therefore higher than perhaps at any time in the recent past. Part of this may be explained by the dominance of Asia-based contractors in the global construction market generally – as reported in the ENR 2009 Top 225 Global Contractors, 10 of the top 25 construction contractors came from Asia. The current levels of activity of Asian contractors in the Gulf region can perhaps be attributed, at least in part, to two issues: the effect of the 1997 Asian economic crisis; and the close economic relationship between Asia and the Middle East. The effect of the Asian economic crisis is perhaps the most significant. While some Asian countries were affected more than others by the economic crisis, the net effect was to reduce economic activity and dent financial confidence throughout the region with the inevitable reduction in the number and value of the construction projects

“MOREOVER, HISTORICAL TRADE TIES BETWEEN ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST HAVE BEEN STRONG. THE MIDDLE EAST IS ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL SOURCES OF ENERGY SUPPLY FOR THE ASIA REGION”

event increasingly looked towards generating a greater proportion of their revenue from overseas. The Asian economic crisis speeded up the process. The Middle East was an obvious target given its appetite for infrastructure development and expansion of the Petrochem sector and its financial ability to support the high value construction development across the region. Moreover, historical trade ties between Asia and the Middle East have been strong. The Middle East is one of the principal sources of energy supply for the Asia region. Moving in the other direction, traditionally China, Japan, and South Korea have been among the major providers of engineering goods and services to the Gulf region. Asian companies had therefore entered the Gulf markets at a relatively early stage, gaining experience in dealing with the logistical issues involved in transporting labour and materials into the region thereby facilitating the expansion of their Middle East construction and engineering operations. While nothing is certain, it is likely that given the current financial climate and in particular the continued primacy of price and quality competitiveness in the letting of construction projects, the profile of Asian contractors in the Middle East is likely to continue to increase for the foreseeable future.

that achieved financing. The traditional home and regional markets on the large construction contractors in Asia became significantly more competitive. While Asian contractors have been active in markets outside the Asia-Pacific region for many years, the 1997 crisis caused some of the larger Asian contractors to look more closely at entering overseas markets through exploiting their traditional strengths in resourcing and procuring large-scale construction projects. Facing dwindling government, domestic and corporate spending at home, Japanese and Korean contractors in particular had in any

Raymont is a Partner at Pinsent Masons based in Dubai. He advises contractors, employers and suppliers in the Construction & Engineering, Oil & Gas, and Power sectors and has worked extensively in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. His particular expertise is in relation to advising on contract management, risk avoidance and dispute resolution in connection with complex, large-scale projects around the world with a particular focus on the Asia Pacific Region and the Middle East.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BURJ KHALIFA WAS LED BY SOUTH KOREA’S SAMSUNG.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

• Compliance with regulatory requirements • Energy efﬁciency and lower carbon emissions

• Veriﬁed compliance with Product Standards

• Full product traceability

• Recyclability of steel products

• No need for product test data certiﬁcates

Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1XR

Pembroke House, 21 Pembroke Road,

UK Certiﬁcation Authority for Reinforcing Steels,

Alternatively, contact the ofﬁce:-

Telephone - 01732 450000 Fax - 01732 455917 E-mail - general@ukcares.com

For further information about CARES and an up-to-date list of manufacturers and suppliers holding CARES certiﬁcation please consult the CARES website: www.ukcares.com

Independent, impartial and trusted

• Product traceability to production source and manufacturing process

• Independently validated carbon footprint data

• Avoid unnecessary site delays

• Monitoring of scheme performance

• Environmental Management System to ISO14001

PLUS CARES Sustainable Reinforcing Steel

• Quality Management System to ISO 9001

CARES Product Certiﬁcation

Gives You

CARES Sustainable Reinforcing Steel

The CARES Sustainable Reinforcing Steel certification scheme is concerned with ensuring that approved firms operate to the highest standards of product as well as management system and environmental system compliance. The ISO 9001 and ISO 14001management system standards are used to provide the necessary level of assurance and confidence to the end-users of reinforcing steels and related products. These management systems, if properly operated, enable firms to have robust data collection and reporting systems. It is the role of CARES to audit such systems and to periodically verify that they are being operated effectively.

Management Systems to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001

Emissions calculations by CARES approved firms will be underpinned by a system of agreed calculation methodologies, consistent boundaries and independent verification.

Voluntary disclosures of firms’ performance data may tend to err on the side of self interest and critical examination and adjustment is required before such data can be used with confidence by those seeking to understand if a particular supplier may be used or not.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission estimates for a firm can vary widely depending on who prepares the data, what assumptions have been made, which method of estimation is used and where organisational boundaries are drawn.

Independently validated carbon footprint data

Details of approvals are maintained in an updated form and appear on a list of approved firms kept on the CARES website (www.ukcares.com).

Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1XR

Pembroke House, 21 Pembroke Road,

UK Certiﬁcation Authority for Reinforcing Steels,

Alternatively, contact the ofﬁce:-

Telephone - 01732 450000 Fax - 01732 455917 E-mail - general@ukcares.com

For further information about CARES and an up-to-date list of manufacturers and suppliers holding CARES certiﬁcation please consult the CARES website: www.ukcares.com

The responsibility for compliance with legal requirements and standards rests absolutely with the approved firm. CARES assessments and on-going audits provide assurance that these requirements continue to be met.

Governments have succeeded in driving sustainability high up the agenda in many walks of life, and legislation has come into force to support sustainability targets.

Compliance with Regulatory requirements

When steel arrives on site no further testing is required, resulting in avoidance of undue and costly delays at the construction site.

All reinforcing steels produced by CARES approved firms are uniquely identified.

Reinforcing steel products produced by CARES approved firms are fully traceable throughout the entire supply chain, from hot metal to delivery of steel to the construction site. CARES requires an unbroken chain between the steel producer and the construction site, thus enabling the local end-user to know the production source and manufacturing processes used.

Product traceability to production source and manufacturing process

Requirements for sustainable products are increasingly being adopted by construction industry clients who now have a duty to know what has been done in their name. To achieve CARES sustainability certification, a reinforcing steel manufacturer’s or processor’s product as well as his quality and environmental management system must be assessed and approved by CARES. This includes assessment to the relevant product standard and to environmental issues such as global warming emissions and raw material use.

CARES Sustainable Reinforcing Steel Scheme

INTERVIEW CATHY CROCKER

TAKE A LOAD OFF CW SPEAKS TO SCOTT WILSON ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR: BUILDING SERVICES CATHY CROCKER

The ‘huge proportion’ of the electrical load consumed by air-con has resulted in a large scale focus on efﬁciency measures to try and reduce this consumption. “Over the last eight to ten years, developers have focused on how we can reduce the electrical consumption for cooling. A district cooling solution, in the correct application, with the correct design, can consume up to 55% less energy than the equivalent standalone cooling system,” is Crocker’s main argument. However, it is also important to try to reduce energy consumption at the source, which means the buildings themselves. This, in turn, means that building services designers play a critical role from very early on. “Basically site selection and the outline design stage are, in my opinion, the key time for the design team to get together to lay a good foundation for a building design. “This is the time at which you can get the building orientation right, the building form and the building fabric. These three elements have a huge impact on the energy consumption of a building throughout its life.”

CHANGE “No one will thank a designer, after a detailed design, for suggesting a change in orientation, even if it does bring about a huge reduction in cooling load,” argues Crocker. “Clients, engineers, architects and sustainability consultants really need to get together from day one to agree on a good methodology for the design of a building or the design of a site, so they have a good foundation for an energy-efﬁcient solution.” What elements need to be taken into account in the early design stages? “Building orientation is obviously the key to reducing energy consumption,” points out Crocker. “Here in Dubai it is the early sun in the morning and the late sun in the

evening that has the ability to penetrate deepest into the building, and these are the areas we need to concentrate on. The overhead sun, while it has a strong irradiation, does not penetrate as far because it is “JUST BY RAISING THE higher overhead.” SETPOINT Crocker refers to a project FROM 21°C IN in Dubai where Scott Wilson SUMMER UP worked with the architects to TO 25°C YOU come up with a self-shading ALMOST HALVE solution. The building comYOUR MW/H prised three wings, and to OF COOLING protect the building against CONSUMPTION” the low morning and evening CATHY CROCKER. sunshine, a heavyweight, opaque façade was applied to the east and west. “This fairly simple approach had a huge effect on the heat gain, so the building did not suffer from high temperatures in the morning and evening, and we could really drive down the cooling loads,” explains Crocker. The next critical element for the design to consider is the building fabric. “If we can get the correct building fabric in terms of thermal mass and UV value, we can dramatically reduce the peak cooling load. This, in turn, will drive down the energy consumption and size of equipment,” says Crocker. “Another element which I think is very important for designers to consider is inﬁltration – the unwanted passage of air in each building due to external pressures. We need to make sure that buildings are well-sealed so that the hot external air does not come into our building and add to the cooling load. This is a design issue, and also a site issue, to make sure that the buildings are detailed and constructed correctly. “Over recent years, building services designers in the UAE have become more familiar with energy-efﬁciency mea-

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

> For more people interviews log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

sures. Variable speed drives, heat recovery and other measures are being implemented more and more into buildings now as a matter of course, which is great for energy consumption,” says Crocker. She says that Scott Wilson’s favoured design approach, wherever possible, is deemed ‘mix match’. “In essence it just means turning off the air-con when you do not need it. You have to have a building that is designed correctly to enable natural ventilation – that is, opening windows and a shallow-plan ﬂoor plate. In certain periods of the year in Dubai, we do have the capability of turning the air-con off completely. AN EXAMPLE OF AN ENERGY-EFFICIENCT HOTEL PROJECT THAT SCOTT WILSON HAS WORKED ON.

30% REDUCTION IN ENERGY USE THROUGH PASSIVE DESIGN MEASURES ALONE

TURN OFF “The best way to reduce energy use is to turn off the system completely,” Crocker says simply. She acknowledges that this can be problematic in terms of dust and noise, but these issues can be addressed successfully at the design stage. “For residential buildings or leisure facilities, it is very important for us to be able to design buildings so they can be ventilated naturally in winter, as that will save a huge amount of energy. “Another consideration is really to think about increasing the setpoint of the air-con. Just by raising the setpoint from 21°C in summer up to 25°C you almost halve your MW/h of cooling consumption,” argues Crocker. Similarly, the design process also needs to take daylighting into account. “Thermal analysis allows us to experiment with different window designs to ensure we get the correct balance between window size and minimising solar gain. It is a bit of a ﬁne balance because obviously we do not want to introduce too much heat, but we also need

to ensure that areas are well lit through natural means wherever possible.” So what does all this boil down to? Do all the ‘green’ platitudes translate easily into what Crocker terms the ‘construction reality’? “I think it is all very well designing a good building and having good intentions, but we need to make sure this is followed through into construction. Here in the Middle East, some buildings are well built, and some are not. As a design team it is our responsibility to work together so that the intent at the design stage is worked through into installation. “A key area we need to work harder on I think is commissioning, putting the building to use and making sure it is up and running correctly before it is handed over to the client. If the building is not set up correctly at hand-over, then the client/ operator can never be expected to run the building correctly.” “An interesting debate in the UK recently is energy certification of buildings. A number of public buildings are getting a rating from ‘A’ to ‘F’, which informs the public at large and the occupier how well the building is performing. I think it will be an interesting analysis in this part of the world to begin considering some form of energy certification,” says Crocker. How does the design phase interface with district cooling, for example, in terms of energy efficiency? “District cooling has been a popular way of providing cooling to large developments and large areas. The way we approach district cooling systems is, first

of all, to take a good long look at the site, at the buildings on the site, and how they will be used.”

CONFIGURATION “When we work out a district cooling network we look at the best configuration, which is obviously informed by the site phasing, the load profile and then the remote station size. And that, in turn, generates a footprint area for the district cooling plant. The district cooling plant size is generated purely by the load it carries. “So to return to my earlier point: if we can achieve a 30% reduction in energy use through purely building measures, we can in turn reduce district cooling plant sizes, whereby you can service an increased area through the same plant. Our aim is to really try and demonstrate how interlinked all these elements are. If we can work very hard on the building systems, we can influence the larger utilities infrastructure. “In conclusion, I believe it is very important for designers to work very hard from day one of design to reduce the electrical load at source. We need to incorporate passive design measures such as orientation, shading and daylighting, and active design measures such as mixed-mode ventilation and even turning off the air-con and raising the setpoints. That, in turn, will provide benefits to the clients and developers through releasing commercial space, reducing energy consumption and, of course, reducing capital and running costs,” says Crocker. 

FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

You have been using WAGO spring type terminal blocks for decades...

...but most of you were not even aware of that, since WAGO products are maintanance-free and reliable over the whole lifetime of your equipment. WAGO is the world market leader and inventor of spring type terminal blocks. CAGE CLAMP速 and CAGE CLAMP速S are registered trademarks of WAGO. Since 1951, WAGO is providing innovative interconnect and automation solutions. You will find our products in the fields of transportation, mechanical engineering, power plants, and in the chemical and process industries. Wherever electrical power is used, you will find WAGO. WAGO Middle East (FZC) Bldg: Z1- Office: 19 Sharjah Airport Free Zone P.O. Box: 120665, Sharjah Phone: +971 6 5576 340 Fax: +971 6 5576 341

www.wago.com

WAGO is now close to you - contact us!

CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY IMAGES

OF THE BEST:

TOP GCC

ROAD PROJECTS

HERE ARE SIX ACTIVE ROADING PROJECTS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT Private developers may be having their difﬁculties, but oil-rich governments in the region continue to invest in infrastructure. Thanks to new urban development and rampant growth in car usage, road building is one area where they are really focusing their efforts right now. Saudi Arabia allocated US $3.17 billion in its 2010 budget for construction of 6400 kilometres of roads. Last year, the country set aside SR 11.5 billion (US $3.06 billion) for road construction.

In Dubai, where many freehold residential projects remain in limbo, the powerful Road & Transport Authority has allocated US $2 billion for project development in 2010. The money will cover around 129 jobs, 13 of which will be new. While it may not be glamorous, road building is big business and there are opportunities galore for contractors and suppliers focused on the sector. Here, we look at six of the GCC’s most valuable road construction projects.

MAFRAQ-GHWEIFAT HIGHWAY (UAE WESTERN REGION) Client: Abu Dhabi Department of Transport Estimated value: US $2.7 billion Description: The Department of Transport is offering a 25 year concession to upgrade, operate and maintain the Mafraq-Ghweifat Highway. The project will see the highway widened to four lanes in each direction (three around Ghweifat) and upgraded to meet international standards in design and safety. The road, which stretches 327 km from Mafraq to the border at Ghweifat, provides the only access route to the Western Region, including the industrial centre of Ruwais and several tourist destinations. Payment to the winning consortium will be made via a series of equal payments spread over the 25 year period. These ongoing payments will be subject to deductions for failure to meet the prescribed performance

standards and will ensure the consortium remains accountable for the operational performance of the road over the 25 year period. In early February (2010), the Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi received bids from three international consortia competing for the 25 year concession to upgrade, operate and maintain the motorway. Amongst the three that made bids were Irtibaat, including Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank; Construtora Norberto Odebrecht; Besix, Al Jaber, Mouchel Middle East and others; Mafraq Motorway Group, including Strabag SE; Saif Bin Darwish; Joannou & Paraskevaides, Egis Projects and others; and MTD-CSCEC Consortium, including MTD Group; China State Engineering Construction Company and Ghantoot Transport. Schedule: Widening and surface improvement work is due to begin this year and end in 2014.

SALAM STREET & MINA ROAD DEVELOPMENT PHASE 1 (ABU DHABI) Client: Abu Dhabi Municipality & Town Planning Department Estimated value: US $1.4 billion Description: The project focuses on development of Salam Street & Mina Road, a key route into and out of Abu Dhabi. Once completed, the road’s capacity will be increased to more than 6000 cars per hour in each direction. Work includes construction of a 3.1 km, eightlane tunnel, and the construction of 1.2 km of roads leading into and out of the tunnel. This will serve projects on Reem, Suwa, Saadiyat islands and the Mina area to the east of Abu Dhabi Island. A joint venture of Saif Bin Darwish Engineering Co. and Samsung Engineering & Construction was awarded the main construction contract early in 2008. Schedule: Construction started in May 2008 and completion is pencilled in for the end of 2010.

FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

OLIVER LANG/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Client: Supreme Committee for Town Planning Estimated value: US $712 million Description: The 241 km Batinah Coastal Road project involves construction of a four-lane carriageway (two lanes on each side) running from Naseem Garden to Khatmat Malaha in Wilayat Shinas. Work will take place in two phases. Phase 1 of the project has been split into two packages. Package 1, worth US $325 million, was awarded to Turkey’s Makyol. It involves construction of a 60km road from Naseem roundabout to Sayyid Said bin Sultan Naval Base at Wudam Al Sahel in the Wilayat of Musannah. Package 2, worth US $387 million, was awarded to India’s Nagarjuna Construction Company. It requires construction of a 65.7km road from Majees roundabout in Sohar to Khatmat Malaha. Construction of the remaining stretch of the road, around 116km, will be covered in Phase 2 of the project. Al Rajhi Company has been contracted to build 2200 homes for people displaced by the new road. Schedule: Work on Phase 1 is underway and scheduled to ﬁnish in 2012. A time frame for Phase 2 has not been released.

AL KHOR TO AL RUWAIS ROAD PHASE 3 (QATAR) Client: Authority of Public Works Estimated value: US $600 million Scope: The project involves further development of the Al Khor to Al Ruwais

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

Road. The road is 61 kilometres long and will include four lanes in each direction. It will also feature 11 cloverleaf junctions and five tunnels. Dar Al Handasah is the project consultant. Tekfen Construction was awarded the main construction contract in October 2008. Schedule: Construction work started in late 2008 and is due for completion in 2010. JOERN POLLEX/GETTY IMAGES

BATINAH COASTAL ROAD PHASE 1 (OMAN)

> For more top 10s visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

AL KHAIL ROAD UPGRADES PHASES 1-4 (DUBAI) Client: Roads and Transport Authority Estimated cost: US $591.5 million (US $157 million for Phase 1, US $232.1 million for Phase 2, US $119.4 million for Phase 3 and US $83 million for Phase 4) Scope: The Al Khail Road Upgrade project involves widening and improving a 15km stretch of Al Khail Road between the junctions at Muscat Road and Emirates Road. The existing road will be widened from four lanes to six throughout and the roundabouts along this stretch will be turned into flyovers to allow the uninterrupted flow of traffic. New slip roads and interchanges will be added to enable access to the new residential developments along this stretch. Al Khail Road will also be extended by nine kilometres to connect it to Dubai Bypass Road. All four phases of work are currently underway, with completion at around 80% on Phase 1 and 45% on Phase 4 (February 2010). Gunal Construction, Wade Adams and Ascon are amongst the contractors involved in the project. Schedule: Work on all four phases is underway and is due for completion in stages in 2010 and 2011.

PARALLEL ROADS PHASE 4 (DUBAI) Client: Roads and Transport Authority Estimated value: US $500 million Scope: Phase 4 of the parallel roads project includes construction of 31 kilometres of eight-lane roads connecting Dubai Industrial City and Jebel Ali Free Zone South between Sheikh Zayed Road and Emirates Road. Al-Naboodah Contracting was awarded the contact to execute the project in mid 2008. Schedule: Work began in mid 2008 and is expected to take two years.

ARE YOU REALLY INSULATING? ARE YOU PROVIDING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT?

Insulation of pipes has not been given enough importance or attention, previously the main focus has been on condensation prevention. Now Engineers, designers and owners NEED to consider the environmental impact AND the opportunity to SAVE ENERGY and REDUCE CO2 Emissions. INSULPHEN is THE MOST EFFICIENT THERMAL INSULATION vs Fibre or Rubber. YOU WILL SAVE ENERGY - ask us for comparisons. Also in High Occupancy buildings Thermal Insulation MUST be Fire and Smoke safe - low flame spread and low smoke emission is critical to enable people to escape in the event of a fire. Products selected must meet the regulations - Class 0 to UK buildings regs AND ASTM E84 25/50 flame spread/smoke emission rating!! Only Insulphen WORLD CLASS Insulation gives you the best of all worlds.

GREEN

COOLING CONSTRUCTION WEEK SPEAKS TO MAJOR AIR-CON COMPANIES ABOUT HOW THEY ARE MEETING THE INCREASED DEMAND FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT PRODUCTS By Gerhard Hope

A SUSTAINABLE HOTEL BUILDING SERVICES DESIGN BY SCOTT WILSON, WHERE ENERGY-EFFICIENCT HVAC PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE.

ir-con accounts for up to 70% of the total electrical output in the GCC. This has resulted in a largescale focus on energyefﬁciency measures to try and reduce this consumption. “Over the last eight to ten years, developers have focused on how we can reduce the electrical consumption for cooling,” says Scott Wilson associate director of building services Cathy Crocker. This has resulted in a major focus on district cooling in the region. “A district cooling solution, in the correct application, with the correct design, can consume up to 55% less energy than the equivalent standalone cooling system,” says Crocker. However, it is equally important to try and reduce energy consumption at the source, which means the buildings themselves – and this is where the latest developments in air-con technology are playing a major role. LG Electronics senior sales manager Dharmesh Sawant says that “of late there has been a high interest in environmentfriendly air-conditioners.” Trane Middle East, Africa and India region marketing manager Peter Blanchﬂower adds: “The

energy-efficiency drive is moving away from individual components like chillers to a more holistic system overview (‘system’ kW per ton). “A high-efficiency chiller does not automatically translate into a high-efficiency system. The pumps, cooling towers and controls must all be integrated to minimise the energy consumption of the entire system.”

ECO-FRIENDLY REFRIGERANT Sawant points to the Multi V, LG’s premium-brand inverter system. This VRF air-conditioner uses a new eco-friendly refrigerant and high-efficiency inverter. The new inverter allows for optimal control of a single large compressor, based on multicompressor technology comprising a DC inverter compressor and high-efficiency, constant-speed compressor. The adoption of this technology has enabled precise control dependant on the cooling/heating load, leading to ultra energy-efficient heating and cooling. “LG Electronics is currently focusing on eco-friendly air-conditioners, whereby the carbon dioxide emissions are controlled throughout the lifecycle from design and

manufacturing to usage and disposal, thus allowing the products to be more energyefficient. In the past few years, LG’s residential air-conditioner segment has witnessed enormous growth, together with an expanding market share in commercial air-conditioners, all due to its high energyefficiency technology.” The latest development is LG’s innovative hybrid energy solution systems such as Hybrid COGEN and Hybrid XEO, which has further demonstrated the company’s capabilities in energy-savings and cost reduction. Hybrid COGEN simultaneously generates electricity and heat, utilising liquefied natural gas (LNG). Hybrid COGEN uses 32% less energy, while also reducing the emission of environmental pollutants such as carbon dioxide gas. Hybrid XEO, a hybrid air-conditioning system, combines a highly-efficient, energysaving inverter system air-conditioner with geothermal heat pumps, one of the most innovative renewable energy solutions. Hybrid XEO is said to reduce energy consumption by about by 30% a year.

LATEST TRENDS As to the latest trends in the industry, Sawant says: “The HVAC industry has developed

FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

ISIDORA BOJOVIC/ITP IMAGES

RAJESH RAGHAV/ITP IMAGES

“AIR-CON ACCOUNTS FOR UP TO 70% OF THE TOTAL ELECTRICAL OUTPUT IN THE GCC”

“OF LATE THERE HAS BEEN A HIGH INTEREST IN ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY AIR-CONDITIONERS”

CATHY CROCKER, SCOTT WILSON.

DHARMESH SAWANT, LG ELECTRONICS.

rapidly in recent years, and the market for HVAC products has been expanding consistently. It has also been catering more for eco-friendly products. The continuous increase in the number of supermarkets and shopping malls has provided an impetus to the growth of the market for commercial refrigeration and cold chain equipment. This certainly highlights the fact that the HVAC industry in the UAE will undergo many changes and expansion within the next ﬁve to ten years. “Through sustainable product management, LG Electronics is helping to promote environmental awareness in society at large. Our motto is: ‘Life’s good when it’s green …’ Our eco-products will go a long way in helping to create a safer, cleaner world. LG Electronics is committed to establishing clear operational accountability, and

creating products that not only enhance consumers’ lives, but which also encourage an environmentally responsible lifestyle,” concludes Sawant. Panasonic Middle East FZE senior manager: consumer electronics department Abby Thomas says his company’s key focus area for 2010 will be split air-conditioners, followed by large-room air-conditioners using ducted units. “In the case of split air-conditioners, our aim is to provide for multi-functional products. In the case of large-room air-conditioners, we would like to focus on thin indoor ducted and quiet operational units.” Thomas says that consumer trends or patterns have been changing rapidly, with such new additional requirements as a quick air-cleaning facility and humidity control for both the residential and commercial sectors.

PETER BLANCHFLOWER OF TRANE.

ABBY THOMAS OF PANASONIC.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

“THE RIGHT HVAC SYSTEM IS CRITICAL TO GREEN BUILDING” NIGEL HAWLEY, TRANE.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY In terms of energy efficiency, Thomas boldly claims that Panasonic is the undisputed industry leader: “Recent tests carried out by ITS, and also by our internal laboratories, show clearly that our energy-efficiency ratio as per industry standards is the highest. If customers require any documentation in this regard, Panasonic can provide this for purposes of comparison.” As for the main market drivers, Thomas says growth will invariably come from the major markets such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. Trane’s new GM for the Middle East, Africa and India region Nigel Hawley says: “Our growth initiatives are focused on market expansion (Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and India) and new product introductions. With regard to the latter, we are especially excited by our new AquaStream range of air-cooled chillers, which are equipped with high-efficiency scroll compressors. “We are also focusing on expansion of services (maintenance, repairs, parts, etc.), new offerings from our controls and contracting businesses, while we also aim to attract, develop and retain the best talent in the industry. “Despite the current market we stay fixed on a strategy of profitable growth based on aggressive new product introductions, market expansion and, of course, providing even better levels of customer service.” Hawley adds that the district cooling and unitary business segments have been “badly affected by the market downturn, especially in Dubai, and I do not expect to see this changing dramatically in 2010.”

THE MOVE TO GREEN Commenting on the move to green, Hawley says: “We detect a greater emphasis on indoor air quality from owners and developers, which is also driving demand for more sophisticated and efficient selections. We are the global leader in direct drive, lowpressure, high-efficiency centrifugal chillers, which is the industry’s preferred choice for large district cooling projects. “Trane’s philosophy is to produce and sell the most energy-efficient and environmentallyresponsible HVAC systems and solutions possible. Refrigerant change is a constant in our industry. Last year was particularly exciting and challenging as a result of the US decision to stop producing equipment with R22 from 31 December 2009. “This was the catalyst for a massive redesign project that resulted in Trane introducing more new models in 2009 than we had in the previous 20 years. But I want to be clear that this redesign process went much further than simply regulatory compliance. We used this opportunity to further raise the

performance of our range in areas where we already lead the field. “Even in markets like the Middle East, which are not being driven by legislation, we are seeing increasing interest and demand for newer environmentally responsible and efficient product ranges, and we are happy and determined to remain at the forefront of these developments,” says Hawley. Trane’s offering for 2010 focuses on the following products: AquaStream (CGAM scroll chillers, being the top of the range in the market from a quality, efficiency and durability perspective), new R410a unitary products, a new TVR product (VRF application), chilled beams and eddy current testing. Hawley says that the demand for environmentally responsible buildings is growing as people realise it is not a cost, but a wise investment. Green buildings are designed with energy efficiency, indoor air quality (IAQ) and sustainable materials in mind. “The right HVAC system is critical to green building. As a leading global supplier of HVAC systems and services, with more

than 450 LEED Accredited Professionals (APs), Trane can help clients achieve their green building goals.” Commenting on the current business environment, Hawley says: “I believe 2010 will be just as difficult as 2009 – and, in some respects, more difficult this time around, as we all know what to expect now. I believe we will continue to see growth in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but at lower levels than experienced previously. Dubai itself will stay depressed for several years to come, but one has to put things into perspective, there are still more new projects here even today than anywhere else in the world.” Enhanced efficiencies achieved with air-con products also translate into more efficient district cooling. “District cooling has been a popular way of providing cooling to large developments. If we can achieve a 30% reduction in energy use through purely building measures, we can in turn reduce district cooling plant sizes, whereby you can service an increased area through the same plant,” concludes Crocker. 

BLÜCHER STAINLESS STEEL DRAINAGE SYSTEMS ®

Authorized Distributor: ABDUL RAHMAN FARAIDOONI P.O. Box No.3 DUBAI U.A.E Tel: 04-2268968 Fax: 04-2269239

Mr. SRINIWASAN Mob: 0506561642 Email: arent@emirates.net.ae or

BLÜCHER® EUROPIPE

BLÜCHER® DRAIN INDUSTRIAL

BLÜCHER® CHANNEL

BLÜCHER® DRAIN DESIGN

Mob: 0506240241 or

gsw.sriniwasan@gmail.com

Regional Office: BLUCHER, DUBAI AIRPORT FZE P.O.Box No. 54991 DUBAI U.A.E Tel: 04-7017795, 04-7017796 &

BLÜCHER manufacture and supply drains, pipes and channels in high quality stainless steel.

04-7017797 Fax: 04-7017799

We deliver to all residential, commercial and industrial buildings. For instance hotels, shopping malls, hospitals, airports, breweries, food processing industries, pharmaceutical industries and diaries. www.blucher.ae

Alcan International Network and Novelis have combined their expertise to develop solid pre-painted aluminium with a low carbon footprint and high recycled content *

for more information Novelis Deutschland GmbH www.novelis-painted.com

Alcan International Network Gulf www.alcan-network.com

*This product development is related to AINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GO Initiative program which aims at providing expertise & solutions to support customers in their environmental issues.

FEBRUARY 13â&#x20AC;&#x201C;19, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

MAS DA R C I TY ZERO CARBON, ZERO WASTE, IS THIS THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?

CONTENTS

>Introduction

>Solar power plant

>Construction partners

>Energy partners

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

U R B A N EXPERIMENT BOLD AMBITIONS AND TOUGH TARGETS FORM THE BACKGROUND TO AN ATTEMPT TO BUILD A ZERO-WASTE, ZERO-CARBON CITY FROM THE GROUND UP By Stuart Matthews & Conrad Egbert

asdar City is an experiment. Launched in 2006, it has the grand aim of being the world’s first carbon neutral city. The Abu Dhabi government has been a prime mover in the plan to bring Masdar to fruition. As a partnership between the government and the private sector, the city is being developed in line with the emirate’s attempts to diversify into not just an industrial economy, but a knowledge-based one as well. Part of that investment is already paying off through the opening of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), which accepted its first intake of students last September. The process of building a carbon neutral city starts with the master plan, where the design team can have an impact on how people use the city. “I would say it’s a question of how you lay out the city,” says Jürgen Häpp, an associate partner at Foster + Partners, and part of the master planning team. “How people live in the city depends on how you see it and lay it out. Lay out, plus the public transport clustered around hubs, are things which influence the later result.” “One fundamental thing about designing a sustainable city is having a flexible master plan: providing a framework that can be adapted to the needs, which are unknown at the beginning of the planning process.” Central to making the city carbon neutral was not having urban spaces dictated by the dimensions of the car. The aim is to build spaces that encourage people to walk and use public transport. “We went back and tried to learn from history,” says Häpp. “We looked at old cities and their dimensions. These cities are much more successful for people to walk in; buildings are close together and shade each other.” In these older cities, such as Aleppo in Syria, shading and the local microclimate make for a better walking environment. In Masdar’s case, the plan calls for narrow streets, with structures of different heights placed close together, combining to manufacture areas where breezes will flow.

ROAD TO ZERO Banishing cars to the outskirts of the city makes for a good headline. If the implausible sounding PRT system (personal rapid transit – public transport pods that go

FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

WORK UNDER WAY AT THE MASDAR SITE: THE DEVELOPERS ARE LOOKING AT TEH ENTIRE SUPPLY CHAIN.

where you want, via 85 planned stations) turns out to be more than a Disneyesque ride and people do walk, it will make a signiﬁcant contribution to keeping carbon emissions, within the city, down. But, if aiming to be zero carbon is to be a practical achievement, attention to detail is paramount, all along the supply chain. This attention to detail has in effect changed the way that some technology providers have been doing business. A partnership with the city project is now starting to be seen as the ‘green’ seal of approval, simply due to exacting nature of Masdar’s demands.

“We want to make sure our supply chain is good for us and can achieve our vision,” says Khaled Awad, director of Masdar’s property development unit. “Without having the supply chain aligned it is impossible to achieve numbers we want. If you look at the whole supply chain, we have to work with each of the components to make sure we achieve our minimum demands. “We have set ambitious targets, we can’t do it without making sure that each of the components is optimised to deliver on these targets.”

“ONE FUNDAMENTAL THING ABOUT DESIGNING A SUSTAINABLE CITY IS HAVING A FLEXIBLE MASTER PLAN: PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK THAT CAN BE ADAPTED TO THE NEEDS, WHICH ARE UNKNOWN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PLANNING PROCESS” JÜRGEN HÄPP, ARCHITECT, ASSOCIATE PARTNER, FOSTER + PARTNERS

THE ANALYST VIEW Roberta Gamble, director, Energy & Power Systems, Frost & Sullivan, discusses the view of Masdar from abroad. As someone based in the US, what’s the overseas perspective of Masdar? Even though we’ve been researching a lot of solar and wind projects globally, from the US, we don’t hear about Masdar as much as I think we should. Masdar is gaining international recognition, but it’s an amazing project that needs to be advertised further. It has implications for more than just the Middle East. It’s also applicable to Asia, India and the rest of Africa. What is so different about the Masdar concept? The great thing about Masdar City is that

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

it’s the full solution – it’s totally sustainable – which is way ahead of other projects in, say, the US or Europe. Those regions have been looking at pieces of the puzzle - whether it’s lowering the carbon footprint, being sustainable, reducing waste, or reducing dependency on fossil fuels – but I don’t think we’re really seeing it all come together in one solution sanctioned by the government. I really do think it’s the future. How do you think the concept of renewable energy will play out in the Gulf? What I have heard from the gas, oil and renewable energy industries is that they need all the BTUs and all the megawatts they can get. When a country or company wants to become more green, usually the ﬁrst step is energy efﬁciency. Waste is expensive. But right now, less than 1% of the installed capacity of electricity in the MENA region is from renewables. Even if you have a target of 2% by 2015, that’s still a massive amount of extra capacity you’re going to have to install. So it will happen, but it will also take time.

A CONCEPT IMAGE OF THE MASDAR/IRENA HEADQUARTERS.

“BECAUSE WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO START FROM SCRATCH, WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO USE THE BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY. WE DON’T HAVE TO INVENT THINGS” KHALED AWAD, DIRECTOR, PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT UNIT, MASDAR

The project has been criticised in some circles for being too ambitious. The large scale and timeline have left questions about the level of practical achievement possible. Should, for instance, the US $22 billion be

invested in testing green innovations within established cities, rather than building a single showpiece? There have also been suggestions that a series of smaller scale projects would produce useable results more quickly. Awad points out that what the development is trying to achieve is meant to be ambitious, but was never intended to happen all at once. “The city is based on phases,” he says. “The building structures are complex, there is nothing like this in the region and the learning curve has been very steep. Progress will start going faster now because of the knowledge that has been gained. We

ACHIEVING CARBON NEUTRALITY Masdar City Building Design

Conventional City -56%

Energy Efﬁcient

Building Design

Conventional

80% Energy Generation

-24%

Renewable Transportation

Oil & Gas

-7%

Electric/Solar Recycling

Waste

13%

Landﬁll

-12%

Waste to energy Carbon offsetting

Energy Generation

Transportation

Fossil fuel

-1%

Carbon sequestration MASDAR BELIVES THAT ENERGY SPENT PER CAPITA WILL BE NINE TIMES LESS THAN IN THE UNITED STATES.

Carbon neutrality

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

1,100,000 Tonnes CO2

have clear design guidelines and as all this planning is starting to mature, I think the pace will increase.”

LINES OF SUPPLY Lifecycle assessment calculations are an important part of the product selection process. These are done to establish the carbon value of a product across its entire useful life, from manufacture through to ﬁnal disposal. “Unless we have suppliers committed to giving us a lifecycle assessment of their product, how can we know,” says Awad. “We need to understand what the footprint of a product is, of the whole life cycle, how much energy it uses, how much it saves. Then we can see if it is really a good choice for our design.” While this might seem like it puts increased pressure on suppliers, companies seem happy to respond, both for the value of the contracts and the proﬁle. Richard Grohe, deputy CEO of the bathroom company Hansgrohe, described it as being a ‘brother in arms’ with an organisation that has similar ideological convictions. “Being ‘green’ has become a necessity,” he says. “As a supplier you can see it as a risk or an opportunity. Green becoming a necessity means we will have a lot of different opportunities coming toward us and we just have to grab them.” With water being a consumable that takes a great deal of energy to manufacture, savings made in consumption play a big part in reaching zero carbon. The city plans call for the recycling of 90% of grey water and the reduction of network losses to 3%. Water

HYBRIDenergysystem Introducing the Hybrid energy system, available exclusively with Insight™ Touchless faucets from Kohler. The world’s ﬁrst commercial touchless energy system to last 30 years without replacement. No turbines, no photocells, no batteries, no nonsense. It just works. Day after day, month after month, year after year.

Find the future at KOHLER.com/commercial

“BEING ‘GREEN’ HAS BECOME A NECESSITY. AS A SUPPLIER YOU CAN SEE IT AS A RISK OR AN OPPORTUNITY” RICHARD GROHE, DEPUTY CEO, HANSGROHE

use in the home will be minimised via the use of hi-tech appliances and irrigation will cultivate largely native plants. “We want people to use less than 80 litres of new water, per person, per day,” explains Awad. “This means they must have ﬁttings, showers and other things that Hansgrohe develops; so companies like Hansgrohe make up an essential part of supply the chain. “The quality of product is available, we’re just trying to put it in the right context. Because we have the chance to start from scratch, we have the chance to use the best available technology. We don’t have to invent things.”

FOCAL SHIFT Awad also explains that it has not been enough to think of the building as ‘a component that you had to solve’. Thinking about a building’s standalone carbon neutrality on its own is a step forward, but far more needs to be done if the same is to be achieved on a city-wide scale. Awad sites bottom up pressure to change attitudes to property development, away from the recent focus on waterfront and luxury. “In the crisis, if we go the way we were going, we would never see the need to change,” he says. “Now, with what happened, there is an opportunity for us to step back and say is this the right way? “This shift in approach would not have happened without Masdar City. It’s a bottom

up pressure and I think this is positive. We are not in a competition [with developers], we are working with developers and suppliers, to make sure our influence reaches outside our boundaries.” The wider impact of the project is starting to be felt, says Awad, in what he calls the ‘Masdar affect’. The feeling is that there has been a lift in regional awareness, thanks to the spread of the ideas being collected together in Masdar City. It’s an influence that those involved are noticing too. “I think the project will be a fantastic success,” says Bashar Al Saadi, communications manager for Al Falah Holding. “Even if the concept is not adopted by the rest of the world immediately, it will certainly be become a benchmark for countries within the Middle East who have the resources and the space to build cities like these. “Even the concrete we have supplied to Masdar is 30% more environment friendly than any other concrete available in the market, so there’s no doubt that the city will manage to become a carbon neutral zone.” For others in the supply chain, it is not about reducing carbon output, but amortising it over a long product lifespan. Doka, which supplied formwork during the construction of MIST (Phase 1A), as well as for other parts of the project, is a case in point. “One can not say that formwork is carbon neutral,” said Doka marketing manager, Agata Orlowska. “But we can reduce the carbon emission during the production of formwork and by reducing the percentage of material being damaged and trashed after use. All Doka products (made out of wood and steel) are manufactured in Europe, with the modern technology, abiding by European restrictions and with minimal environmental impact. “The company’s products are made to be long-lasting, which maximises their lifespan and minimises damages. We also buy raw wood material only from certificated wood suppliers,” she added.

INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK While development of the city continues just outside the UAE capital, the Masdar organization has also been keen to add investment to overseas companies to assist with the development of sustainable

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

technologies. Such investment not only means that the entity can take a lead in the roll-out of new products, but it also means that the rest of the world can beneﬁt as well. The major investment vehicle in terms of renewable energy has been the Masdar Clean Tech Fund, a US $250 million venture capital fund that was launched in association with Credit Suisse, Consensus Business Group and Siemens in November 2006. Around US $190 million has already been spent in direct investments in clean tech companies, with the remainder earmarked for leading funds that focus on cutting-edge clean technology.

EXPERIMENTALISM From the planning stage, Masdar City offered an opportunity unlike any other. Starting a city from scratch is bold enough, without attaching a host of tough targets, based on emerging technology. In Abu Dhabi there was the opportunity, which managed to combine with the rare ingredients of political will and funding. But will ‘test-tube city’ as it is often called, really be able to achieve a zero-carbon zero-waste status? And how far will it go

“[MASDAR CITY] WILL CERTAINLY BE BECOME A BENCHMARK FOR COUNTRIES WITHIN THE MIDDLE EAST WHO HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE SPACE TO BUILD CITIES LIKE THESE” BASHAR AL SAADI, AL FALAH HOLDING

to becoming a model for future sustainable developments? “Does the world need Masdar City?” Awad asks. “If not, then we may not be aware of what is happening around us; of how cities over the last 50 years have been abusing technology. If we can succeed in achieving our vision, then any city in the world, when it comes to future development, should be asking itself, ‘why do we not build a Masdar City?’” Whether the ﬁnal, complete city is carbon-neutral or just more environmentally friendly, it’s a step in the right direction – a step that the UAE has been the ﬁrst to take and in so doing has attracted the attention of the rest of the world. 

years in the Gulf

and thats only the start Present in the Gulf since 1978 and with a full service regional ofďŹ ce in Bahrain since 2000,Technal is more than ever committed and equipped to address the fast growing potential of the region â&#x20AC;&#x201C; over the next 30 years and beyond.

THE GRID CONNECTION ENVIROMENA’S STARTED FEEDING POWER TO MASDAR CITY IN 2009. ITS CONNECTION TO THE MAIN GRID MADE IT A FIRST FOR THE REGION

he largest grid-con- are also expected to hold up better to high nected solar power temperatures, suffering less degradation of plant in the Middle peak power output. East went live in the “The reason we’re using two technologies middle of last year. is that this is a new type of installation for Built on a 212 000 m2 the region and we wanted to see how both site in Abu Dhabi, the would hold up under our unique conditions,” plant is a product of the Masdar Initiative said Khoreibi. “We went with proven bestand will ultimately power Masdar City’s of-breed technologies to make sure we were university. In the meantime though, the using the best components available. We’re renewable energy produced will support not testing anything new, just ensuring that what we had in there the construction of was exciting.” the city itself. The EPC contractor “FROM A COST PERAmong the unique KILOWATT-PEAK for the power plant, conditions referred PERSPECTIVE, WE’VE Enviromena Power to is the fine dust that DESIGNED ONE OF MOST Systems, is an Abu will constantly cover EFFICIENT SYSTEMS Dhabi-based solar the panels and the ON THE PLANET TO DATE” systems integrator, extreme temperatures designing systems to which they will be that use existing technology supplied by exposed. Cleaning is a large component of industry leaders. Relatively speaking, it’s the operations and maintenance schedule, also the new kid on the grid, having been but Khoreibi points out that this is relatively minimal compared to other technologies. formed in October 2007. “Abu Dhabi is the epicentre of solar power The panels are installed at a fixed tilt, so right now,” said Sami Khoreibi, the com- there are no moving components, further pany’s president and CEO. “For Masdar reducing maintenance requirements. this project is the first 10 MW of over sev“There are numerous factors you have eral hundred, potentially. Also with Abu to put in place when trying to design the Dhabi’s 7% renewable energy target, you are most efficient system for the geography and looking at a potential 1-1.5 GW [of renew- for the footprint,” said Khoreibi. “From a able generation capacity]. Countries that cost per-kilowatt-peak perspective, we’ve are comfortable with conventional energy, designed one of most efficient systems on seem to be able to transfer that comfort the planet to date.” to renewables.” So, despite the challenges of the environThe Masdar City plant produces a peak ment, the output of the panels is expected to of 10 MW from its 87 777 solar modules. provide some of the best results available. This massive installation contains two dif“Compared to a panel, say in Germany, ferent types of solar panel, thin film and which has the largest installed capacity in polycrystalline silicon, in a 50:50 split. Thin the world, a panel here produces about twice film panels offer a lower cost per watt, but as much energy, just based on how much occupy a larger footprint, compared to the sun we get,” said Khoreibi. “As long as you polycrystalline alternatives. Thin film panels keep it clean, it’s very straight forward.”

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

SAMI KHOREIBI, PRESIDENT & CEO OF ENVIROMENA POWER SYSTEMS.

In order to do just that as efﬁciently as possible Enviromena is inviting cleaning companies to take on a portion of the solar plant and trial their particular technologies. This will let it measure results – through the real-time monitored power output of individual panels – and determine the most effective and sustainable cleaning method. This is an essential part of solar development in the region and determining the right cleaning method early on will expedite a wider roll out both in Abu Dhabi and elsewhere.

INTEGRATION Taking on the role of a technology integrator meant being able to make the most of the technologies available on the market. Doing this meant having an experienced design team. “We were able to hire some very talented individuals, with dozens of years of experience, to head up our design and engineering team,” said Khoreibi. “We’re also building a staff of bright young engineers who are becoming solar designers.

SUNTECH POWER Suntech Power is a global designer and supplier of solar and photovoltaic panels. In late 2008, Suntech was selected to provide 5MW of solar panels for the ﬁrst Masdar City power plant, which has supplied clean energy to the Abu Dhabi grid since 2009. “As the carbon-neutral Masdar City continues to grow and develop, photovoltaic panels will serve a prominent role generating clean electricity on rooftops and building facades,” says Suntech Middle East director Nader Jandaghi. “We are excited about many of the environmentally-conscious and sustainable building practices on display throughout the city, and we are extremely proud to contribute.” The company’s goal is to make solar technology more affordable, ﬂexible and attractive so that architects and construction professionals have the tools they need to create a sustainable building. Other projects using Suntech systems throughout the Middle East include the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi – a 292KW solar array (a collection of solar modules) serves as a canopy for the carport structure surrounding the racecourse’s VIP viewing platform. In addition, a 750KW Suntech solar array was built into the skin of the roof of Meydan’s grandstand in Dubai and the company’s solar systems generate electricity for 19 remote schools in Lebanon. 87,777 SOLAR MODULES WERE INSTALLED OVER A 212,000 M2 SITE.

“One of our goals, to ﬁt with Masdar’s sustainability mandate, is to foster local growth and use as many locally sourced projects as possible. For instance, we designed our racking locally and used a local fabrication company. “We’re trying to keep the knowledge here. Our long-term success is based on the long-term success of developing the industry in the region and growing the Abu Dhabi-based solar economy.” Although Enviromena is a young company, its team had a well-developed skill set, based on previous projects. “Members of our team have built utility-scale installations using some of the same modules,” said Khoreibi. “They were able to use their experience, from previous plants. “Both module manufacturers – Suntech and First Solar – needed to be comfortable that we had the skills to install their products properly. We also had to meet very stringent sustainability criteria. This plant is an example that you can use sustainable practices and build on time and on budget.”

Plugging into the city’s municipal grid, using inverter technology from SMA in Germany, is a key element in the integration equation, allowing the solar plant to ‘virtually store’ excess power production for use later. “This is far more cost-effective than battery technology,” said Khoreibi. “It also reduces the challenge of getting people comfortable with the up front capital cost.” Solar energy always raises uncomfortable cost comparisons with conventional power sources. Improved supply of solar panel modules has helped to reduce costs, which had been kept artiﬁcially high by a supply shortfall, but Khoreibi believes that without subsidies or incentives in place, it is not a fair comparison. “We do need to subsidise or have government support for the implementation of speciﬁc technologies, to get over the initial economic hump,” he said. “What a lot of countries have done successfully is promote solar through a rebate and incentive system. “The most successful solar model is still Germany because it has the feed-in tariff,

where power is brought back by the utility at a higher price than conventional energy, bringing down the payback period for the implementation of solar power systems. We hope to see the same thing put in place throughout the region.” Although the company has worked as the EPC contractor on the project, Khoreibi doesn’t rule out expanding the company’s remit in the future. “A lot of our strategic investors are companies that also finance solar development, so what we can foresee is Enviromena taking ownership of some of these projects and selling power to the end user,” he said. Khoreibi is aware of the significant and growing interest in solar energy in the region. He also knows that the opportunity to get first hand operational knowledge of what it takes to run a plant here, puts Environmena in a prime position to exploit that interest. “Our goal is to further develop the regional industry in line with the Masdar Initiative. Then we can start having home grown champions first, regional competitors next, then international competitors.” 

FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

PARTNERS MEAN PROGRESS MASDAR CITY WOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT A COMPREHENSIVE SUPPLY CHAIN, CAPABLE OF MAKING A LOW-CARBON CONTRIBUTION. CW LOOKS AT SOME OF THOSE SUPPLIERS WHO HAVE BEEN PROVING THEIR GREEN CREDENTIALS

AL FALAH READY MIX Al Falah Ready Mix will supply 2 million m3 of concrete, worth US $190.5 million (AED700 million), to the Masdar City project over a period of four years. The concrete meets Masdar’s green requirements, as recycled aggregates and by-products are being used to produce this material. Al Falah’s aim is to minimise the waste generated from operations within its batch plant and to decrease harmful emissions

generated by equipment and vehicles at the plant. The latest product from the company is ALFAcrete, which is made from crushed aggregates, sand, water, cement, pozzolans, and chemical admixtures. In addition, granulated blast furnace slag (a by-product of iron or steel making) and/or other pozzolanic materials replace a portion of the cement, to improve the durability of the product.

AL FALAH AIMS TO MINIMIZE WASTE.

ARISTON THERMO GROUP Ariston Thermo Group offers heating and water products, which are designed to provide comfort while consuming a minimal amount of energy. In line with its green initiatives, the company will offer solar panels, storage tanks, back-up gas boilers (if needed), expansion vessels a control unit and all components for the production of sanitary water to the Masdar City project. “As producer of solar thermal panels and systems, we see in Masdar City a major opportunity for supply the most advanced technology for the production of sanitary hot water at zero carbon emission,” says Ariston marketing manager for the Middle East Emanuele Stano. “We already are in contact with Masdar City managers and we expect more opportunities to come during 2010.” Ariston has supplied energy saving solutions to projects around the world, including a 7500 m2 solar system for the Beijing Olympics.

TROUVAY AND CAUVIN GULF Trouvay and Cauvin Gulf (TC Gulf) has been supplying cast, ductile, stainless and carbon steel pipes, ﬁttings, valves and accessories for the past 30 years in the region. The company also supplies plastic products for the UKbased manufacturer Pipex, whose strapline has been ‘protecting the environment’ since 1975. “All of Pipex’s thermoplastic and composite products are 100% recyclable with Pipex operating a 0% waste to landﬁll policy,” says TC Gulf building division general manager Rajesh Jhurani. Pipex was responsible for the specialist fabrication and supply of corrosion resistant bio-secure

waste drainage products through TC Gulf for the Masdar City project. In addition, the company was responsible for providing the necessary training and machinery to install products on site, with product support provided throughout. In total, Pipex supplied approximately 300m of light weight biosecure polypropylene pipe and associated ﬁttings. These low maintenance materials were pre-fabricated off site ready for site installation. The company also supplied the Masdar City project with stainless steel ﬂoor gullies and jointing machinery. “Pipex is currently developing the ‘Pipex Nimbus

Systems’ which are passive rainwater collection systems that convey rainwater directly into WC collection tanks. This allows the harvested rainwater to be gravity fed through the system without the need for large below ground harvesting tanks or expensive and energy inefﬁcient pumps,” adds Jhurani.

FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

DOKA GROUP

KIMMCO

The Doka Group is one of the biggest timber-processing enterprises in Austria. For many decades now, Doka has actively lived out a responsible approach to the use of timber, a resource which it sources primarily from sustainable forestry, as a central ‘plank’ in its commitment towards the ecological and social environment within which it operates. Doka GmbH is certified to the internationally recognised PEFC standards. Rigorous compliance with all environmental regulations and continual optimisation of its energy and resource consumption also take top priority in all its production processes. By having its range of timber formwork beams certified to the globally implemented PEFC standards (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes), the Doka Group has underlined its unreserved commitment to sustainable forestry which pays equal regard to environmental, economic and social criteria. This PEFC accreditation guarantees complete traceability of the timberflow in the production process, verifying every single link in the ‘chain of custody’, starting with the certified forest stand and continuing via the timber machining and processing entities all the way through to the finished product. For Doka, certification of its formwork-beam product line is only a first step along the way – in the medium term, Doka is aiming at PEFC certification for its line of formwork sheets as well. Even before this first certification, the Doka Group was already sourcing its timber primarily from certified suppliers. Over 70% of our active suppliers of sawn timber already have the relevant certification, and in the case of our plywood suppliers, the proportion of certified companies is over 95%. Doka formwork components and systems stand out for their extremely high manufacturing quality. All production steps are rigorously geared to a single overriding objective: manufacturing top-quality products that give customers measurable added value and that have an above-average service life. Faced with rising freight volumes, the Doka Group took a deliberate decision to increase the share of its freight traffic sent in containers on goods trains and cargo vessels. This changeover has been reflected in a clearly recognisable structural shift in the distribution of annual freight volumes between different modes of transport. In 2003, 9100 shipments were sent by truck, and only 800 shipments in containers. Five years later, there was already a marked shift towards rail and ship: by 2008, the number of container shipments had climbed to over 4600, a growth rate of around 480%.

KIMMCO’s firm commitment to environmentally-friendly building standards and its low carbon “footprint” were MASDAR MIT recognized when the BUILDING. company was selected as an insulation supplier and collaborator for Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, the world’s first green, zero-carbon city. The company was one of the first suppliers to approach Masdar because its concept is aligned with KIMMCO’s long term strategy to promote green building standards and maintain a low carbon footprint. Initiated in 2006, Masdar City is estimated to cost US $22 billion and will take approximately eight years to complete. The city, which covers 6 sq km, will become home for 40,000 residents and 1,500 businesses; it will require the use of clean mass transit and personal rapid transit systems to transport 50,000 commuters. The initial development Phase 1 of Masdar City has now started. The company’s ongoing efforts to provide innovative, eco-friendly and energy-efficient insulation solutions make it a natural partner for Masdar City. Mineral wool is one of the most environmentally-friendly, stable and sustainable insulation products available and its impact on the environment during manufacturing, utilization and disposal are minimal. In addition, glasswool contains up to 80% recycled glass and has excellent thermal and acoustic insulation properties. It can be compressed up to 10 times which reduces the need for transportation and storage. KIMMCO has provided thermal and acoustical insulation for the building of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST). It has supplied the project with 240 tons of insulation with less than 2% of waste generated and is committed to further reducing the wastage by designing customized solutions suitable to Masdar’s requirements. This partnership is a benchmark for future green building projects and establishes the insulation provider as a leader in sustainable development. They hope to continue the collaborative relationship with Masdar City after construction is complete, through joint research and development projects. In addition to Masdar, KIMMCO is also working closely with the Dubai Municipality to develop their new green building code and with the Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research to conduct a study aimed at upgrading the Kuwait Building Code of Practise. Both projects will improve the way buildings are insulated and thereby drastically reduce energy consumption and CO2 emission. Moving forward, KIMMCO is committed to continuing its work on green building, energy-saving and eco-friendly projects.

DOKA SAYS ITS PRODUCTS ARE MANUFACTURED TO HAVE A LONGER THAN AVERAGE LIFESPAN.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

SAINT-GOBAIN GYPROC

MAPEI

Saint-Gobain Gyproc Middle East provides system solutions for lightweight internal partition systems. These include Gyproc gypsum boards, Gypframe metal framing and a range of accessories that contribute to the performance requirements for sustainable living. The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology is the first project to benefit from Gyproc’s technical support and advice and a range of Gyproc gypsum boards, Gypframe metal components and ProTop jointing compound are currently being installed. “Gyproc’s involvement with Masdar city to date has not only been the provision of high quality product systems but more importantly in an advisory role,” says Gyproc marketing manager Peter Robinson. “By proposing the most efficient way of achieving performance requirements, such as fire and acoustic measures, Gyproc will ensure the environment is not only more comfortable, but a safer environment for future users and inhabitants.” Gyproc’s plasterboard is made from approximately 90% recycled content and the company is also a local producer, with a new manufacturing facility opening in Abu Dhabi in April 2010, so the environmental impact from haulage and transportation will minimised.

Mapei is a supplier of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for buildings and has been developing environmentally friendly products for some time now. In fact, there are now over 150 products within the company’s range that can contribute to LEED points and other environmental or green building certification systems. “The products typically will have extremely low VOC’s (volatile organic content) as we formulate many of our products for example without solvents, which are not only harmful to the environment but also to the users and installers of the product,” says IBS Mapei specification consultant Vincent Robinson. “We also invest heavily in local production facilities and reduce the transportation of our products via ships, thus reducing our carbon footprint.” Due to the company’s green initiatives it has been able to supply many of its products to the Masdar City development. Such products include Kerapoxy – an acid-resistant epoxy grout for joints of at least 3mm; Mapetex Sel – polypropylene reinforcing fabric, to reinforce and increase waterproof membrane crack bridging; and Mapelastic – a modified cementious based waterproofing for protection of concrete. “Mapei it able to bring almost 10 years ‘sustainable eco-friendly product’ and LEED related experience to Masdar,” adds Robinson. “We can offer the benefits of significant expertise in this sector with the provision of low VOC products, which in addition to protecting both human and the environment, also contributes significantly towards cleaner indoor air quality.”

TECHNAL Technal is a supplier of aluminium building envelopes, which aim to reduce the energy consumption of a building. The company uses a minimal amount of materials during the manufacturing of these systems and provides

integrated insulation, which reduces the power required to cool or heat a building. It also offers photovoltaic panels, which convert solar radiation into electricity. “The aluminium systems are 100%

recyclable but ﬁnal products also include gaskets and accessories,” says Technal general manager Jean-Marc Luvisutto. Currently, the company is supplying its systems to the Masdar HQ project.

VOLVO CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT Volvo Construction Equipment is well known for its environmental friendliness, low fuel consumption and working harder to reduce that fuel consumption even further. Volvo and Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co. (FAMCO) understand this responsibility and commitment to ensure that its products reduce the effects of greenhouse gases. With the above vision in mind, Volvo CE has introduced a system to help ensure greener operation of the equipment: Care Track. Care Track is used to monitor equipment and one could be forgiven for describing it merely as a GPS system. On the surface that is what it appears to be and such a description only helps to explain the system in its very simplest form. Yes, it uses satellites, and yes it allows the location of equipment with exact accuracy. But Care Track is also a green ﬂeet management system that allows the monitoring and management of a ﬂeet from any computer with internet access. It provides real-time information in easy-to-understand formats. Information will include details of the equipment’s operational performance, including items

such as daily usage reports, service reminders, history and planning, real-time fuel levels of individual machines, as well as remote troubleshooting and diagnostics. Care Track can help identify the need for operator training, before any failure. It also helps manage work, allowing operations to produce more by slowing down and working smarter. Easing up on the accelerator reduces operator stress and can result in increased operator efﬁciency. Proper operation results in lower fuel consumption and hence lower emissions (COx and NOx). Fuel consumption involves big numbers but it is a simple arithmetic. If you use 5 000 litres of fuel per day and if you save 10%, this reduces C02 emissions by half a ton. Remote diagnostic capability reduces diagnostic time by up to 30% and will result in lesser visits by the mobile service vans to the site. Fewer service vans on the roads will mean less vehicular pollution. Service reminders and alarms allow for timely maintenance. Timely maintenance further reduces emission levels. The replaced lubricants and consumables are less hazardous when disposed of, or recycled. VOLVO’S CARE TRACK CAN BE USED TO MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF VEHICLES, DOWN TO THE FINEST DETAILS.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

Exova Open UKAS Accredited Laboratory in Saudi Arabia Exova (Saudi Arabia) Ltd has invested in excess of SR 25m to open their new ﬂagship testing facility in Saudi Arabia. The brand new multidisciplined laboratory extends to nearly 4000 sq meters and is capable of providing an extensive range of testing and analytical services including:Environmental testing and monitoring Analytical chemistry Metallurgical testing and analysis Microbiology testing services Civil Engineering testing The laboratory will play a key role in the expansion of Exova’s services throughout Saudi Arabia. The new Saudi facility is the latest addition to the Exova global network which already extends to over 130 locations in 25 different countries. The United Kingdom Accreditation Service assessed the laboratory in August 2009 stating “The new Saudi facility is of the highest possible standard” and formally granted ISO/ IEC 17025 accreditation in September 2009. The Exova Saudi business is also formally registered by Saudi Aramco.

T: +966 (0) 3 812 7750 F: +966 (0) 3 812 1837 E: saudiarabia.lab@exova.com or market@exova.com W: www.exova.com

MASDAR PARTNERSHIPS CONSTRUCTION WEEK REVIEWS SOME OF THE FIRMS WORKING ALONGSIDE MASDAR IN THE PURSUIT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE CLEAN ENERGY INDUSTRY

GE ENERGY

TORRESOL

At the beginning of 2009, GE announced that it had become an anchor partner in the Masdar City project. The two companies released plans to house a new Ecomagination Centre in the city, as part of GE’s wider collaboration with Abu Dhabi investment and development giant Mubadala. At around 4,000 m2 in size, the centre will showcase GE clean tech products and should provide a location where both ﬁrms can explore areas of collaboration with regard to research and development. One of the most recent fruits of the partnership saw Masdar sign a link-up deal with GE Consumer & Industrial that has launched a pilot programme to investigate the reduction of peak power demand through the use of smart home appliances.

Formed by a partnership between Spanish engineering and consultancy firm Sener and Masdar in March 2008, Torresol Energy is designed to promote the development and exploitation of large and and cost-efficient solar thermal energy plants across southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and the US south-west. Torresol’s portfolio of Spanish projects includes Gemasolar – a 17MW plant based on central tower technology – and Valle 1 and 2, two parabolic trough 50MW plants. In the Middle East, Torresol is building a tower power plant in Abu Dhabi, and hopes to build another three CSP plants before 2012. In the US, the firm is planning to establish an agreement with a renewable energy company to start the design of at least one CSP plant in the south-east of the country.

E.ON As part of its investment into overseas technology, Masdar announced in May that it was teaming up with E.ON and Chinese firm DONG Energy to invest US $3.3 billion in the world’s largest wind farm. The money is being spent on the rollout of the 650MW first phase of the London Array site, which is in the Thames Estuary. It is hoped that the project will supply enough power for around 750,000 homes – or a quarter of Greater London – and displace around 1.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Onshore work on the project has already begun, with offshore work expected to start in early 2011. The consortium hopes that the 175-turbine first phase will be completed in 2012, with later capacity due to exceed 1,000MW. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “The London Array is a flagship project in our drive to cut emissions by 80% by 2050 and meet future energy needs. E.ON, DONG Energy and Masdar are to be congratulated for their work on the London Array.”

FIRST SOLAR Masdar awarded a contract to US firm First Solar to supply 5MW of its thin film solar modules to be a part of the longest grid-connected PV network in the Middle East, supplying power to the Masdar City development and the Abu Dhabi grid. “First Solar is changing the way the world is powered by creating truly sustainable solar energy solutions,” said Jos van der Hyden, First Solar’s vice president for business development, EMEA. “First Solar manufactures solar modules with an advanced semiconductor technology and provides comprehensive PV system solutions. By constantly decreasing manufacturing costs, First Solar is creating an affordable and environmentally responsible alternative to fossilfuel generation. First Solar set the benchmark for environmentally responsible product life cycle management by introducing the industry’s first prefunded, comprehensive collection and recycling programme for solar modules.”

FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

Masdar and ADNOC are working together on a number of major initiatives that are designed to reduce carbon emissions from Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas facilities. As part of the partnership, which was announced in January 2009, Masdar is identifying and developing a portfolio of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, as set out by the Kyoto Protocol. ADNOC has five CDM projects under way, with the capacity to reduce 4 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. “ADNOC’s partnership raises the bar for oil firms looking to reduce their carbon footprint. We are proud to work with Masdar so that the CDM can be used to support our efforts to reduce environmental impact and ensure a sustainable future for the industry,” said HE Yousef Omair Bin Yousef, ADNOC’s chief executive officer.

ENVIRONMENA

SANDER

TRESTAIN. Abu Dhabi-based solar integrator Environmena announced that it had completed the 10MW Masdar solar power plant, the largest grid-connected solar system in the Middle East and North Africa region, in 2009. The 55-acre project comprises 87,777 PV modules and can produce 17,500 MWh of clean energy annually, offsetting around 1,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Worth US $50.4 million, Environmena says the plant is one of the most cost-effective PV installations in the world. “We are delighted that the plant is performing as expected and that we were able to deliver the installation on budget and on schedule,” said Environmena vice president Sander Trestain. “This facility proves that utility-scale grid-connected renewable energy projects are feasible in Abu Dhabi and the wider region.”

FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT WINWIND In another substantial overseas investment, Masdar made its move into the wind energy market in September last year via its interest in Finnish wind turbine manufacturer WinWinD. Masdar has invested US $178 million in the Helsinki-based company, which designs, develops and assembles 1 and 3MW turbines. As a result of the partnership, Masdar now holds three seats on the Finnish ﬁrm’s board and is working to expand WinWinD’s geographic expansion in Europe, India and the Middle East. “For WinWinD, the investment is a testament to the high quality of Finnish wind energy know-how and the increasing global demand for renewable energy,” says Lassi Noponen, WinWinD’s executive chairman. “The deal also provides us with a solid basis for developing our company further.”

German applied research organisation Fraunhofer Gesellschaft inked a partnership with Masdar in June 2009 to develop a Sustainable Cities Research Centre to be based in the Abu Dhabi project. The research centre will focus on critical technologies for sustainable cities of the future including solar energy, energy-efﬁcient buildings, water and desalination technologies, cooling technologies, intelligent electricity supply concepts, electro-mobility and carbon footprint measurement and evaluation,” said Masdar CEO Dr Sultan Al Jaber. “The agreement also includes close collaboration with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) and regional institutions to undertake joint research programmes and achieve the transfer of knowledge between the Gulf and Europe.”

HYDROGEN ENERGY Hydrogen Energy, itself a joint venture consisting of British supermajor BP and Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, unveiled the world’s largest carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) scheme in January 2008. Abu Dhabi’s state-owned hydrocarbons company ADNOC is also involved in a scheme that is designed to enhance oil recovery from ﬁelds by injecting carbon dioxide into wells. The gas would then be permanently stored underground. But earlier this year, a representative from BP told local media that a decision as to whether to go ahead with the US $2 billion project had been postponed to the end of 2010. The delay means that it is unlikely that the CCS development will be the ﬁrst to go into commercial production, although it is still likely to be the world’s largest by the time it comes online.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 5, 2010

EFRAIM EVIDOR/ITP IMAGES

ADNOC

Sika Solutions for Waterprooﬁng

Technology and Quality Sika, the world’s leading waterproofing company has been producing innovative and high quality waterproofing products since 1910. Sika’s waterproofing technologies include: high-quality flexible PVC and FPO membranes with unique compartment system; polyurea, polyurethane and epoxy coatings; complete injection systems; mortars, renderings and more. Many of the products fulfil the most stringent drinking water approvals.

Sika Gulf BSC Kingdom of Bahrain Tel : +973 177 38 188 Fax : +973 177 32 476 www.sika.com.bh

Sika Saudi Arabia Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Tel: +966 2 692 70 84 Fax: +966 2 692 12 72 www.sika.com.sa

Sika UAE Dubai, U.A.E Tel: +971 4 439 8200 Fax: +971 4 438 0549

Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Yemen Contact Sika Gulf BSC (Bahrain)

Renitherm and Intumex for fire protection! ®

THE REGION’S LEADING TRADE SHOW FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, DEVELOPERS AND CONTRACTORS IN THE COMMERCIAL, RETAIL, LEISURE AND RESIDENTIAL SECTORS, INCLUDING CITY PARKS AND HIGHWAYS.

29 - 31

MARCH 2010 ABU DHABI NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE

RENITHERM® intumescent coatings for steel, wood and cables. INTUMEX® sealants, seal, collars, mortar and more.

For more information and to register for your free entry badge please visit:

www.gulﬂandscaping.com CO-LOCATED WITH

AUDAX-Keck GmbH Germany Phone +49 70 51/16 25-0 fire@audax.de www.renitherm.com

Trade only, STRICTLY no children

ORGANISED BY:

www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory

§ § § §§ § DIRECTORY