April 2010, Volume 4 Issue 4
News (p04) Interview (p14) Events diary (p38) Backtrack (p40)
WESTERN REGION Fahad Y. Zahid speaks about the opportunities in west KSA
MASSIVE JACKS 280t beam lifted with hydraulic draulic heavy lift machines
An ITP Business Publication Licensed by Dubai Media City
ENGINES ON SHOW The latest diesel technologies go on tour our exclusive guide to the MANAMA PROFILE Read island of Bahrain’s busy capital
001 APRIL 2010, ISSUE 4 VOL 4
10
40 18
14 02 COMMENT 04 NEWS Some of the latest news updates from across the equipment industry.
10 ENGINE UPDATE The latest rules that engine makers are compelled to abide by.
14 INTERVIEW Sheikh Fahad of Zahid Tractor speaks about the growth of the Western Region.
18 SITE VISIT We watch something heavy being moved with jacks.
24 IN PICTURES Our show in Saudi plus more.
26 PRODUCTS New kit in the run up to the show season.
29 BUYERS GUIDES Expert advice on what to go for when buying a skid steer or excavator attachment.
37 CITY FOCUS Manama unwrapped.
40 EVENTS DIARY Some industry dates for your filofax for the coming weeks.
40 BACKTRACK They were big, steamy and good around the farm – a celebration of the giant old traction engine.
002 COMMENT
IS THAT CRYSTAL? Registered at Dubai Media City PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: 00 971 4 210 8000, Fax: 00 971 4 210 8080 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Dubai & 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 Group Editor Stuart Matthews Editor Greg Whitaker Tel: +971 4 210 8150 email: greg.whitaker@itp.com Contributors Elsa Baxter, Sarah Blackman SALES Publishing Director Jason Bowman Tel: +971 4 210 8351 email: jason.bowman@itp.com Business Development Manager Atif Majid Tel: +971 4 210 8155 email: atif.majid@itp.com STUDIO Group Art Editor Daniel Prescott Art Editor Simon Cobon PHOTOGRAPHY 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 Deputy Production Manager Matthew Grant Production Coordinator Devaprakash V A Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Image Editor Emmalyn Robles
It’s the niggling things always make things easier or more functional. I’ve that can make Dubai in noticed some other places in the world issue conparticular a frustrating tracts, permits, and other items of pettifogging beauplace to exist. Here in rocracy with a ‘crystal mark’. This shows that the Dubai, I’ve just resolved document has been checked by a panel of boffins to a thorny problem with be as clear possible, so that the intended audience will the RTA about transfer- have no doubt at all as to what is happening as well ring ownership of a car – as how, why and when. It’s a bit like PMV really, but not normally a problem, without words like ‘pettifogging.’ We hope local verbut this one didn’t have sions of these ‘marked’ documents both in English a functioning engine. and Arabic will be available soon. It only took a year. Elsewhere, my landlord has a disElsewhere, a big thanks to all those who attended pute with the developer, with the upshot that through our recent machinery show in Jeddah. There were no fault of mine, I can’t use any of the building’s facili- some great plant and on the stands and some brilties, including the parking while the pair of them slug liant displays of live equipment in the sand pit. I’m it out. On both occasions I’m met with the ever-so-help- pleased to say some business was done too, with ful response; ‘It’s your problem’. I’m sure you have sto- one firm shifting no less than ten trucks to severries of your own. al different customers. If you have any thoughts Translated into the workplace, such small details about the event, or suggestions for next year, do where the precise, or at least alternative, way to pro- let me know. ceed is unclear leads to unplanned downtime, and therefore idle machinery, increased costs and operators who should be operating. Usually this comes through no fault of the machine contractor, but from further up the chain – and usually because something wasn’t clear to somebody in the first place. Dubai has been built on a culture of minimal reg- Greg Whitaker, Editor ulation – which is great – but cutting detail doesn’t greg.whitaker@itp.com
CIRCULATION Head of Circulation & Database Gaurav Gulati MARKETING Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP DIGITAL Director Peter Conmy Internet Applications Manager Mohammed Affan ITP GROUP Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors K.M. Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 210 800 Scanning and Printing by Colorline Printing Press Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions Certain images in this issue are available for purchase. Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details. 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 reader’s 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.
A rusty dragline awaits an uncertain future. Modern quarries are more likely to use hydraulic shovels – see our news pages. Published by and Copyright © 2010 ITP Business Publishing,a division of ITP Publishing Group Ltd. Registered in the B.V.I. under Company Registration number 1402846.
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
Do you have any comments about the PMV industry, or the magazine? Please email: greg.whitaker@itp.com or post to: PMV Middle East, ITP, Garhoud, PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE.
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004 REGIONAL NEWS
Safety chairman reacts over trenching fatality SAFETY A recent incident which left a labourer dead has prompted safety watchdog Build Safe UAE to issue an alert highlighting the causes of what it views as a ‘horrendous accident’. The accident happened on the 8th of March in Ras Al Khaimah when the shoring wall of a threemetre-deep excavation collapsed, bur ying a worker under tones sand, rocks and other debris. Police were alerted, but the 43-year-old victim, named as Jol Ahamed, was dead at the scene. A photograph, taken by a local news reporter, showed that the rock pile, which had fallen in, was right next to the excavation. In addition, the snap showed that onlookers were standing right on the edge of the already partially collapsed hole. BSU identified a number of failings that were apparent from the details available. The safety alert noted that excavations of this type should be boxed in, and that a simple risk assessment would have identified the danger.
Additionally, the report noted that collapses of this type are a ‘ver y common issue’ and that regular briefings should be held with staff. The organisation’s chair has reacted over the fatality. Grahame McCaig of Dutco Balfour Beatty said: “There is frankly speaking, no excuse for allowing people to enter and work under the conditions that were evident from the photograph of the accident scene and I would hope that the RAK Authorities are undertaking a full investigation of the circumstances surrounding the incident and will act accordingly.” He added that the management of the contracting company involved: “must be held accountable”. McCaig also pointed out that the group has issued a number safety alerts for this type of incident over the past two years, saying that : “BSU has recognised trench collapse as a major cause of concern over the last two years.”
Unlike this trench, an excavation in Ras Al Khamiah was not shored up.
New batch of mixing trucks in volume Doha deal DEALS The dealer of MercedesBenz in Qatar has bagged a multi-million Qatari Riyals deal selling 10 Actros 4140B transit mixers to concrete batching firm Redco International in Doha, Qatar. NBK Autos will supply the fleet of 8X4 concrete mixer trucks to the firm over the next few weeks. The machines have all been specified with 10 m3 Liebher drums, while the base vehicles all have six cylinder, 400hp engines and ABS brakes. Ahsan Khan, director of Redco. said: “We’re very pleased to add 10 new Mercedes-Benz trucks to PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
Ten new trucks are handed over in what could be seen as a revival for the sector.
our existing impressive fleet of more than 40 trucks and trailers bearing the same brand.” Ashraf Kahoush, commercial vehicles’ sales manager at Mercedes-Benz, Qatar said: “We’ve enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Redco in Qatar, providing the company with the most advanced of commercial vehicles that add value to their operations and we’re very happy to be chosen as their reliable partner of choice.” The Actros in it’s various forms is currently the best selling truck in Qatar, following the launch of the revised model back in 2008.
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005
REGIONAL NEWS
Zahid Chief: Saudi contractors want service INDUSTRY Saudi Arabia’s heavy equipment users are now less focused on getting the cheapest price and more concerned with after-sales service, according to Sheikh Fahad Y. Zahid, executive vice president of Zahid Tractor. The company has responded, he says, by providing a service that goes beyond “just the wrench and oil filters.” The company provides financing and aims to become a “partner” for its customers. “We are very pro-active with our customers today.” “They appreciate that [our] value is five to seven percent higher than the competition,” said Sheikh Fahad, speaking at the recent Saudi PMV Show in Jeddah.
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“They know that their profit is in the project, so they finish the project, deliver it on time and make money – rather than the old days when they used to come in, squeeze the dealers and manufacturers and at the end of the day it was a lossloss situation for everybody.” Zahid, the long-term partner of CAT in Saudi Arabia, has recently added Bauer and a line of Egyptianmade buses to its portfolio. Read more from Sheikh Zahid elsewhere in this issue.
$6bn
Value in USD of MakkahMedina rail projects Sheikh Fahad (left) suggests the Saudi contractor is now more concerned with service.
April 2010 \\ PMV Middle East
006 REGIONAL NEWS
‘Quarry Academy’ hits Qatari construction TRAINING A two day ‘Quarry Academy’ for key management in Qatar was recently staged to discuss blasting and crushing solutions to meet demand for the large volume projects forecast for the Gulf Kingdom. The ‘Academy’, jointly sponsored by local distributors Q-FAB and Boodai, was attended by almost 40 key senior management representing Qatari contractor, quarry operators and drill and blast companies. “The ‘Academy’ was a continuous lecture-style presentation on the quarry process,” said Jukka Naapuri, General Manager, Sandvik Middle East FZE. “As such, there were just two key papers – the first covering everything from opening the quarry up to feeding rock to the crushing plant . The second described in detail the
crushing process and introduced the concept of mobile crushers.” Upcoming projects such as, for example, the new Doha Port, specifying the movement of more than 50 million m3, have not been undertaken before in Qatar and are therefore expected to pose problems for local and international contractors alike. Blasting, for example, in terms of the high volumes and how it can be handled by the authorities was just one key topic of discussion. Crushing solutions involving the removal and processing high volumes of aggregates, sand and gravel including reuse on the project and stockpiling were also discussed in detail. The ‘Academy’ is seen as a training programme focussing on the excavation process and mutual
End in sight for DIP Park
Brace of new buses to stop in region
A suction excavator in a part of DIP.
CONTRACTS The master developer of Dubai Investments Park (DIP) has announced the launch of the eighth and final phase of the sprawling industrial and residential complex. Stretching across half a million M2, the launch is due to what Dubai Investments PJSC describes as ‘growing demand from companies across industry verticals.’
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
BUSES A pair of new bus brands have made an appearance in the region from two different manufacturers. On display at a regional show in March the was the new Hino Citiliner 60-seater air conditioned bus and the smaller 34-seater Senator bus. These are exhibited alongside other products from BT, Toyota Forklift and Hino trucks that form part of Al-Futtaim Motors’ Commercial Division in Dubai. Hino is well known for its trucks, but this is the first time that the Korean bus line-up has come to the Middle East. Paul Henning, General Manager, Al-Futtaim Motors Commercial
AED 300m Cost of final phase of DIP
Delegates learn about mobile crushers and the like at a special ‘quarry academy’.
interdependencies of its various sub processes. It emphasises optimisation of the entire excavation process, not simply patchwork measures aimed at individual areas of operation. Besides sharing knowledge about quarrying for the production of crushed stone products, the lessons Quarry Academy teaches
can also be applied to a wide range of excavation operations used in other types of construction projects such as building roads, railways, and electric power plants. To date, almost 1000 people representing excavation companies from around the world have participated in this novel training programme.
A pair of new bus brands have hit the market, including this Hino school transport.
Division, stated: “The two buses launched here are aimed at the staff and school transport segments of the market as well as the tourism market sector. ” Meanwhile, Zahid Tractor launched a line of worker transport buses from Egyptian manufacturer Temsa Global. The range of full-size
people movers was launched at our Saudi PMV Show in March. Sheikh Fahad Y. Zahid, exec vice president of Zahid Tractor explained: “We feel with this line-up of high quality buses, we are really giving depth to our range. Already we have had a number of enquires on these vehicles.”
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008 REGIONAL NEWS BUSINESS BRIEFS JCB Bauma line-up First on the list of Bauma entrants is a new line-up from JCB. Chief among these is a new Tier IV engine (see right), but the line-up also includes an improved quick hitch, a revised mini excavator, an all-new midi excavator and a really clever new micro telehandler, which is less than 3m long. Sennebogen to launch 70-tonne crane Among many other preBauma announcements, Sennebogen have announced they will pull the wraps off a new 70-tonne telescopic crawler at the show. The new model will be the strongest in the firms line-up. Terex AC1000 undergoing trials Elsewhere in Germany this month, the new TerexDemag AC1000 has been undergoing trials. Exact details of the prototype have yet to be confirmed, but sources suggest it will eclipse the largest Liebherr LTM as the biggest wheeled crane in town. We’ll keep you posted. RB Auctions go up in 2009 For most it was an Annus Horribilis, but 2009 has proved to be one of the best on record for auction firm Ritchie Bros, who released figures in March. Bidder numbers were up, and total sales revenues increased in every market between 2-11%. In October, it sold its most expensive ever item, a 200-tonne unused Manitowoc crawler for US $1.275m Go figure. New 600-tonne from Liebherr A crane specifically for building wind farms has been announced by the German firm. The narrowtrack crawler will be on display at Bauma.
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
Engine meets rules without filter EMMISIONS Machine maker JCB has announced a line-up of Tier IV compliant diesel engines that don’t require a particulate filter or urea injection to meet the new European and US emission standard. The company has invested around US $140 million in researching and developing a new combustion system for the new ‘Ecomax’ 4.4 litre engine, which in an industry first, dispenses for the need to have exhaust treatment. The power unit is now undergoing in-field testing before going into production in 2012 to meet Tier IV interim/Stage 3B rules which are to become mandatory across Europe, the US and elsewhere within two years. In the Middle East, a lack of urea-based exhaust fluid, and low grade, high sulphur diesel would render particulate filter and exhaust treatment technology largely useless. Alan Tolley, the engine programme director at the UKbased firm said: “The expectation for the first part of the [new] legislation was that to achieve these really low particulate levels you needed to fit a diesel particulate
A new line-up of diesel engines hit the new laws without DPF.
filter, but when you look at that technology for our particular part of the market, namely mid-range construction equipment, we see there are some real disadvantages with that solution, in particular increased fuel consumption through increased back pressure to the engine. Also, in many applications, load cycles are light and the DPF doesn’t self regenerate so you have to force it to do so and it needs fuel to do it. “Our strategy therefore has been to meet Tier IV interim
emission standards without a filter, but also to achieve this without any exhaust aftertreatment. We have focused our research and development efforts on a high efficiency combustion system; in other words we have made sure we don’t create the pollutants to start with rather than try and deal with them later. This approach also gives us very low fuel consumption levels.” Tolley’s remarks came as the company was previewing a number of new items ahead of the Bauma machinery show.
Most powerful crane gets down to work CRANES One of the fastest and most powerful tower cranes on the market is working to its limit on an industrial project in Germany. The giant red Wolff 1250B is pictured hoisting the numerous heavy parts needed to build the boiler support structure for a new power station in Wilhelmshaven. The available working space around the supporting structure of the boiler is very constricted and as a result there is very little room for crawler or telescopic cranes.
Thanks to compact dimensions however, the luffing jib tower crane is ideally suited for these conditions. “The tight space constraints necessitated that we pay particular attention to the footprint of the cranes,” said Mr. Löser, a project manager for lead contractor Donges Steeltec. The design of this particular crane, with low component weights, enabled assembly times to be kept short. That isn’t to say that the crane is a lightweight. With a load moment of 1500 metre-tonnes, a maximum
capacity of 60 tonnes and a triple fall working speed of 63m/minute it is the most powerful and fastest luffing crane in its class. Elsewhere on site, a smaller model 355B crane from the same maker is also toiling at conveying work for its living. The smaller machine is located on a purpose-built crane track on the roof of the boiler supporting structure at a height of 110m. This enables the luffer to reach all sides of the boiler, and the adjacent assembly areas for the boiler house, without difficulty.
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Upcoming Unreserved Auctions Istanbul, Turkey - April 17, 2010 Dubai, United Arab Emirates - May 3, 4 & 5, 2010
For up-to-date listings, equipment searches and sale day information, visit our website.
010 NEWS FEATURE
Engines clean up their act We take another look at the challenge meetingg tough new emissions laws around much of the world, and the path followedd by two makers
For most of us, a diesel engine is the big oily lump which occasionally needs an expensive rebuild, but generally gets on with the job. For an engineer, however the diesel motor is something of a paradox – on one hand it follows the same principals as the man from whom it takes its name. On the other, ever more demanding emissions rules from legislators, and efficiency needs form users mean that the
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
blueprints grow more technical each year. However, engine companies have been up against their toughest challenge to date, as a new standard referred to as ‘Tier IV/Stage 3b’ comes in to force. This standard means that the amount of unburnt hydrocarbons, more commonly known as soot, must be brought down to the sort of level that is going to make the exhaust almost cleaner
going out, than the air being drawn in. Ironically, as we will see some of Rudolf Diesel’s original design elements are being reintroduced as the drive for more pressure, more power – and literally more ‘bang for your buck’ continues.
REDUCTION ‘Selective catalytic reduction’ or SCR is a very technical way of getting a catalytic converter to work effectively.
To put what is a complex process into layman’s terms, a regular catylic converter, such as what you might find on a car, works by introducing a ‘catalyst’, usually platinum, to a chemical reaction, which renders the end product (in this case the exhaust gas) relatively harmless. SCR differs by using a liquid ‘reducing agent’ actually a fluid which is sprayed onto the catalyst. At one time ammonia was used , to kill the nitrous oxide
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012 NEWS FEATURE (NOx) by converting the output of industrial boilers into harmless diatomic nitrogen or water. These days, a number of manufacturers have adapted this technology for use in roadgoing diesel engines, but by using an injection of a chemical based on the substance found in animal urine known as urea, the NOx is knocked down by up to 95% with no other toxic by products. There are a variety of different systems on the market at the moment, though as using urea injection is not mandated in the Middle East, few users take advantage.
One notable exception is the RTA in Dubai, who is using the stuff across its fleet in such quantities that it has been worthwhile for one manufacturer of AdBlue, as it is known, to establish a small factory in the emirate.
FORCED AIR One of the defining principles of Diesel’s original design was that compressed air was supplied with the fuel, enabling combustion at an atomic level. Improvements in injector technology have rendered this concept obsolete for about 100 years, but now the idea is coming back into vogue, as engine designers try to make every last drop burn completely.
PLANT DERV Contrary to popular belief, running a vehicle on so-called biofuels is not automatically any cleaner, nor in many cases will manufacturers honour the warrantees of users
A DPF element removed from the ‘pipe
PERKINS Soon to be seen at this year’s Bauma show, the Peterborough-based company will be showing 3b off if it’s new Tier IV/Stage 3b t line. Chief among these is the m’s 1200 series, which is the firm’s range of 6-cylinder enginess ranging in capacity h as would ld commonly l between 4.4 and 7 litres. such be found in earthmovers. The larger model is fitted with two turbochargers – one small, one large - which are mounted in series. The smaller first stage turbo accelerates quickly, giving response and torque at low speeds, while the larger second stage provides the high airflow required to provide the power density. All of the engines in the line-up meet the new smog rules by being fitted with a ‘diesel oxidation catalyst’ as well as a ‘particulate filter’. As the names suggest, the catalyst uses something (either platinum or palladium) to react with the exhaust and convert the soot and other matter into something more inert by means of simple oxidization. Meanwhile, the particulate filter literally filters out the harmful matter.
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
A diesel particulate filter
who have tried it. Properly refined ned though, there is no reason why it can’t be done. Indeed, Diesel esel himself tried refining peanut oil when no refined fuel was available able with excellent results.
JCB Using a different method d get, of reaching the same target, machine maker JCB has designed announced a line-up of designed iin-house Tier IV compliant nt diesel diiesel e re a particulate engines that don’t require ffilter or urea injection to meet mee et the new European and U US emission standard. T The company has invested around US $140 million in rresearching and developing a new combustion system ffor the new ‘Ecomax’ 4.4 litre engine, which in an industry ffirst, dispenses for the need to have exhaust treatment. T The power unit is now undergoing in-field testing before g going into production in 2012 to meet Tier IV interim/ S Stage 3B rules which are to become mandatory across E Europe, the US and elsewhere within two years. IIn the Middle East, a lack of urea-based exhaust fluid, a and low grade, high sulphur diesel would render p particulate filter and exhaust treatment technology largely useless. Alan Tolley, the engine programme director at the UK-based firm said: “The expectation for the first part of the [new] legislation was that to achieve these really low particulate levels you needed to fit a diesel particulate filter, but when you look at that technology for our particular part of the market, namely mid-range construction equipment, we see there are some real disadvantages with that solution, in particular increased fuel consumption through increased back pressure to the engine itself”. “Also, in many applications, load cycles are light and the DPF doesn’t self regenerate so you have to force it to do so and it needs fuel to do it.”
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Metropolis of Mobility
Make the most of 2010!
May 25 – 27, 2010
Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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014 INTERVIEW
Eyes on the West Sheikh Fahad, Executive Vice President of Zahid Tractor suggests western KSA is ready for new technology and radical development f course there are shops lining the streets of downtown Jeddah, but mostly these are fulfilling a specific need or function. For example, the main drag through town has a great number of car and parts dealers, interspersed with hardware stores and, somewhat bizarrely, about a dozen shops that stock Frenchstyle chandeliers. Giant light fittings aside, there aren’t that many ‘lifestyle’ shops on the streets – stores that might be fun to visit, such as you might find in a mall, but there is one exception. On the side of a busy street, small boys and their fathers press their noses up against the window of the shop, which is full of branded caps, sportswear, toys and other related paraphernalia. Interestingly, this shop doesn’t print the brand of some major football team, or even a self-congratulator y ‘swoosh’ or diagonal stripes. Instead, it sells stuff with the brand of an industrial machiner y manufacturer all over it – and the masses can’t get enough. Sound unlikely? Not when you realize that the brand in question is Caterpillar, surely the most recognised marque of heavy equipment in the world.
CATERPILLAR
O
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
Sheikh Fahad Y. Zahid at the opening of the PMV Show.
“The Saudi contractor today is very sophisticated and he is also on a time frame” - Sheikh Fahad
So, it will come as no surprise that the family name most associated with Cat is nearly as well known as the brand itself. Zahid Tractor has been the sole dealer of the famous yellow machinery in the Kingdom for over forty years and is one of only two Cat dealers across the whole GCC. As you might expect, this makes the Zahid family a pretty big name in the Gulf, and none is bigger than Sheikh Fahad Y. Zahid, the executive vice president of the company. The group has sold Cat machinery through good times and bad – from the near collapse of the Peoria factory in the early 1980s, through to the boom times of the mid 2000s. Today of course, the machines are highly sophisticated, with complex electronics allowing the machines in most cases to be operated with just a pair of joysticks, rather that the banks of levers and pedals of old. Saudi Arabia has generally been regarded as a price-sensitive country, but Sheikh Fahad believes that this is no longer the case: “When the electronic and laser guided systems were first fitted in the equipment about ten years ago, [Caterpillar] was really looking at the western hemisphere and maybe one or two far eastern countries for application.” www.constructionweekonline.com
016 INTERVIEW
New, highly advanced products such as the ‘M’-series motor grader, seen in the centre of the picture, offer a better and more efficient way of doing business, says Sheikh Fahad.
SOPHISTICATED “But the Saudi contractor today is a ver y sophisticated contractor and he also is on a time frame” he stressed. “He wants to get the job done in time, make his money and then move on to another project. We were able to successfully demonstrate to the Saudi contractors how this new technology can assist him and make him more efficient providing him better quality, and that they don’t need the ver y top-notch operators who are hard to
283,000 Number of new housing units planned for Jeddah, 151,600 of these will be replacements for cleared slummed areas.
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
find and to keep. We were able to introduce this new technology in Saudi Arabia.” We noted that we’d seen a lot of ver y old machines working around the countr y, a point which Zahid conceded: “Of course you do have these traditional contractors who like to ‘fly the plane by the seat of their pants’ and they would like to feel the gradient as they are working with the machine!” Expanding on this he added: “Competitors are, of course, ver y competitive, but they are not involved in the cut-throat pricing war as they used to be in the past. They have a healthy margin, they know that their profit is in the project, so they finish the project, deliver it on time and make money – rather than the old days they used to come in and squeeze the dealers and manufacturers and at the end of the day it was a loss-loss situation for ever ybody. They weren’t getting the value.”
SERVICE KSA, and her Western Region in particular have been fascinating contractors for some time now, as it seems that when the downturn really began to bite, the Kingdom announced a number of new projects. In actual fact, the downturn hit private developers in much the same way as everywhere else, but the oft-written about,
M-series grader in action on a demonstration circuit
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017
INTERVIEW
Cat forklifts on display at the PMV Show in March.
“Our direction is heading north west. Over the years the population has increased greatly” Sheikh Fahad
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and much needed boost in public spending to improve the roads, sea ports and to build a railway network around the area. Sheikh Fahad believes that the bulk of the work will come from one direction: “The Western region has had its unfortunate share of flooding recently, and again it is a unique place vis-à-vis the central and eastern regions by having the mountains to our east and the Red Sea to the west, and a refinery to the south of us.” “But our direction is heading in one direction, which is north west. Over the years, as the population has increased tremendously, they [the people] have been trying to spread to areas that they can afford, whether they went to areas that they shouldn’t have [because of a flooding risk] or today are considered danger areas, I think the latest announced government plan in the master plan in Jeddah and the Western region is going to eradicate a lot of the problems that has caused these problems to take place.” Clearly, this will create demand for firms such as Zahid Tractor, a point which Sheikh
Zahid is quick to point out: “We see a phenomenal opportunity over the next three to five years minimum, as all the dams will be built and relocation in certain areas of villages that were built in dangerous areas and basically face lifting areas of Jeddah to meet the requirements of the cities growing population.” Who knows, the next generation of Caterpillar machines could yet be used to build more of the ever so popular Cat apparel shops.
DEMAND IN WESTERN KSA There is a huge scope for construction machinery across the Western Region. With almost a quater of the population living in delicately named ‘uinplanned settlements’ the plan is to rip these out, dam areas prone to plooding and embark on a massive construction programme, bringing the area into the modern age.
April 2010 \\ PMV Middle East
018 SITE VISIT
SITTING ON TOP OF THE BAY One of Business Bay’s most ambitious projects, the complex U-Bora towers continue to rise from the ground. We drop in to see an enormous steel section being hoisted into place
T
here was talk a couple of months ago about the UN moving its headquarters from New York to Dubai. If you read the story, then you might remember that this was fuelled by a US academic who suggested that the building that houses the talking shop was too far away from the world’s population centres, was falling down through years of over use and neglect, and anyway was resented by the majority of the Big Apple’s residents for being an expensive way to snarl up traffic on a regular basis. The professor argued that Dubai on the other hand, was perfect for the task – and the place he suggested was most perfect, was Downtown Burj Khalifa’s Business Bay.
TOP The massive section is slowly moved into place with jacks.
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www w w .co coons nst nst struc ruuucctio ruc ioonw nwe weeeko we weeko ekkoonli nliline.com nline nl nee..com ne ne. coom co m www.constructionweekonline.com
A VOLVO CAN TURN ANY SITE INTO A GOLDMINE. MORE CARE. BUILT IN.
Volvos are built to work harder, for longer. It’s the way we’ve always done things at Volvo. And it’s why putting Volvos to work on your site pays. Take the Volvo excavators, for example. Automatic work mode hydraulics, a fuel efficient Volvo engine, the industry-leading Care Cab. Every component working together to increase productivity, reduce costs and deliver more profit. Get into a Volvo. And get more out of your site.
Volvo Construction Equipment
www.volvoce.com
A.A. Bin Hindi B.S.C (c) BAHRAIN Tel: +973 17 70 3078/1247 E-mail: ciesales@binhindi.com
Al Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co UAE Tel: +971 2 502 9100, +971 4 213 5100 E-mail: arif.chishti@alfuttaim.ae
Arabian Agencies Company WLL QATAR Tel: +974 4 500 925 E-mail: araco@qatar.net.qa
General Engineering Services Est (GENSERV) OMAN Tel: +968 244 90 755 E-mail: sales@genserv-oman.com
Parsian Pishro Sanat IRAN Tel: +9821 88 77 44 99 E-mail: info@parsianind.com
Abdelmassih Trading Company - Amtrac LEBANON Tel: +961 1 88 76 60 / 61 E-mail: michel@amtrac-lb.com
Al Rehab Equipment and Machinery Co. Ltd. SAUDI ARABIA Tel: +966 2 680 4444 E-mail: info@alrehab-ksa.com
C&M PlantPlus Ltd. CYPRUS Tel: +357 26 913 050 E-mail: info@plantplus.net
Universal Equipment Ltd JORDAN Tel: +962 6 586 6114 E-mail: ueshaban@go.com.jo
Volvo Otomotiv Türk Ltd. Sti. TURKEY Tel: +90 212 482 4040 E-mail: ugur.basturk@volvo.com
Al-Zabin International Group Co. For Heavy Equipment KUWAIT Tel: +965 483 4721/6017 E-mail: alzabin@alzabinkuwait.com
Elaghil Trading Co. YEMEN Tel: +967 1 207 595 E-mail: elaghil@y.net.ye
Nassib Saad Est. Trading & Import SYRIA Tel: +963 11 222 5432 E-mail: saadmt@scs-net.org
VPL Limited PAKISTAN Tel: +92 42 111 666 000 E-mail: aamir@vpl.com.pk
020 SITE VISIT VIISI V SIT
GOING UP The section took a day to
WEIGHTY TOPIC The pre-fabricated
be lifted 50m in complete safety.
unit construction steel truss weighed in at around 270 tonnes.
Now, there is absolutely no suggestion that the UN would or has ever considered relocating to the Middle East, though the government did issue a statement saying that the body would be most welcome if it chose to come, but if it did, then we can see why the leather-patched lecturer specifically mentioned Business Bay. Put simply, it is where most of us would aspire to work, and the sweeping, mixeduse towers are ideally suited for large organizations who want their white-collar staff to work and live in the same place. Apart from the practical benefits, such a development is also very secure, but being a stone’s throw from the Dubai Mall and the rest of the city it will hardly feel like being confined to barracks.
45 Metric tonnes each ‘strand jack’ is able to lift.
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
SELF DEVELOPMENT There are lots of these mixeduse projects in Business Bay, but one of the most noteworthy is the U-Bora towers. Being built by Korean firm Bando, the project consists of a large five-storey podium as well as a magnificent 56-storey office tower, with a sail-like
as subcontractor. The subcontractor left site in September 2008, leaving Bando both as developer and lead contractor. Like most of Dubai, the project was launched with massive optimism, and the residences sold out fast thanks to a payment scheme where investors could put 20% down and pay
“Often, people don’t realise the amount the steel expands during the day, and this can make a difference.” - David Gratteau
curved side. Every single floor of this business tower was snapped up by a foreign hedge fund firm, off-plan, back in 2006, before a single bore was cast. As an aside, the term ‘Bando’ has a double meaning, as literally translated it means ‘self development’. The build was started back in 2007, initially with Simplex acting
the remainder on handover. This lead the off-plan apartments to change hands at one stage for a reported AED3000 per square foot. The market has changed considerably now of course, but Bando are still confident that the market wants a building constructed to the highest standards of design and finish. However, due in part to the market and
also because of the challenging design, the build is running behind the originally projected completion date of September 2009. That said, the project is progressing at a steady rate again and project director Jae Myung Park told us that the building would still be ready at the end of the year.
STEEL MOVING PMV visited on a special day in the project, as a huge pre-fabricated steel extrusion said to weigh as much as 270 tonnes is being fitted to the top of a cutout in the residence block. This huge piece of metalwork spans 35 meters and consists of heavy trusses, beams and many types of pipe bracings. There are always a great number of workers scurrying around the site, but now there is a number more, as specialists from metal maker Techno Steel, as well as the firms that provide the gear to climb it up the building. “I’ve checked the records www.constructionweekonline.com
022 SITE SITEVISIT VISIT
CRANE YOUR NECK A Liebherr
FUTURISTIC U-Bora towers is be-
LTM 1500-8.1 helped on the lift.
ing built by Bando.
the whole frame inches its way up inside the arch.
LIFITNG
Steel Expansion of the steel during the day had to be factored into how the lift was conducted.
and today we have more than 1,500 people on site,” says the project coordinator Kim Myung Jin. It would have just about been possible assemble the steel structure in situ, but the amount of delay and costs to the project meant that alternatives needed to be looked at. Fortunately, moving extremely heavy metal is one thing specialists in Dubai are skilled at doing, so specialist heavy lift and post-tensioning firm VSL were brought in.
STRONGEST After the prefab section arrived on a low loader from the steelwork prefab yard in Jebel Ali, the first step was to remove it and lift it up the first eight storeys to the podium. First of all, the metal had to get on to the podium. To do this, a giant crane has been
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
called in from rental firm Al Faris. This Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 has a 56m luffing jib and 165t counterweight, which provides an almost vertical boom setting. In simple terms, this means that it can lift almost straight up, because of the unusual design of the mast. In fact, this particular crane is rated at 500 metric tonnes, making it one of the strongest mobile units working anywhere today. The crane lifted the steel section up to the top of the podium, but it needed to go another 50 meters higher, and into a position that no crane on the ground could reach. Instead, the developer turned to the local branch of Swiss firm VSL to raise the girders using a series of hydraulic jacks to ‘climb’ the section into position. Pressure is put on each corner of the section with the pressurised units, and so
VSL hydraulics operator Peter Lehe explained: “Each jack is capable of lifting 45 tonnes and we used a series of these to get it to the desired height. Luckily, there were no major problems with this lift and we only need to get one other lintel in place on this job.” David Gratteau, also of VSL added: “On many jobs the time of day that we move the steel is a factor. Often, people don’t realise the amount the steel expands during the day, and this can make a difference.” He added that on this lift, precise measurements allowed for the variations though the day, which on a piece with this span can be several inches. Neverthe-
less, there must have been some nail-biting moments as a crowd of onlookers watch the steel creep into position. Fortunately, after a tense twelve-hour session and as the sun set across the creek and in the shadow of the Burj, the section was finally in position, where it was bolted firmly in place while the sun set in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa. Like the rest of this build, the pace was not lightening-fast, but the quality is very high. If the hedge company ever relinquishes it’s grip on the business tower, some very lucky firms, or just possibly the folks involved in a huge international non-governmental organization, will get to enjoy the view from this grade-A office every night.
WHAT IS HYDRAULIC JACKING? Jack-up construction, or ‘Strand Jacking’ is a method where concrete slabs and steelwork are lifted into position with computer-controlled hydraulic jacks. Because the multiple jacks can be moved in unison and with great precision, heavy structures can be assembled at ground level (with increased safety and reduced cost) and then lifted into position, rather than having to be built in the air. Traditional cranes and other lifting methods cannot provide this level of precision.
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024 IN PICTURES
MACHINE MONTH This month, we look at our Saudi PMV show as well as the recent earthquake in Chile Opening ceromony The Saudi PMV Show was held in Jeddah between the 7-9th of March. Around 1000 items of equipment were on display and the show was attended by most of the machine industry’s prominent figures, such as Sheikh Fahad Y. Zahid of Zahid Tractor, Freddy Sherman, CEO of Kanoo Commercial Group, Ahemed Ali Al Kulli from Emaar Middle East and many others as well.
Bight driving Back at the PMV Show, equipment continued to run in the dark, and displays from the likes of Caterpillar, Bobcat and JCB ensured the area was crowded with enthralled onlookers.
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
Chile clearance The operator of this Komatsu PC200 probably wishes that the cab was equipped with FOPS, as he clears up the rubble following the devastating earthquake in Chile during March. The ‘quake measured 8.8 on the Richter scale and claimed more than 300 lives.
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025
IN PICTURES
More in Chile An open platform Komatsu wheel loader clears more debris from a site in Chile last month. Looking at how comprehensively levelled many buildings are, it is a miracle that more people were not killed.
More at the Saudi PMV Show Many innovative machines were on display at the show, such evil-looking beast from Italian firm Cassagrande. Designed for diaphragm wall excavation, the C400 KRC can bite down to a depth of 33m. Below are Oliver Keates and Matt Lucas, operators from the JCB display team.
Buildings come down A Cat 320 excavator knocks down an old building at a neighbourhood in central Beirut in March. Most of Beirut’s traditional architecture is sacrificed to be replaced by modern buildings, which will bring in more money for landlords and developers, and hopefully provide decent places for working people to live.
www.constructionweekonline.com
April 2010 \\ PMV Middle East
026 PRODUCTS
LATEST PRODUCTS
This month, we take a look at some of the new items that we expect to see at Bauma and elsewhere
MINING LOADER A new compact, rubbertyred digging arm loader from Sweden’s GIA Industri AB, the 7HR and 7HR-B Häggloader, will make it’s debut at Bauma. The machine for use in construction and mining tunnels and drifts with a cross section area of just 7 m2. The machine features two digging arm systems – digging arms or rotating backhoe - to load the spoil/muck from the tunnel face directly onto the Häggloader’s conveyor, which fills the haulage vehicle with a constant supply. www.gia.se
SCISSOR LIFT A push-around scissor lift for low-level access, the Pop-Up scissor lift, also branded as the UpRight Pax has a platform height of 1.6m, fits through a single doorway and weighs only 235kg. With a compact footprint and no outriggers, the maker says that the machine it is easy to maneuver and operate and will fit through a standard doorway. www.upright.com
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
www.constructionweekonline.com
027
PRODUCTS
SMALL LOADALL The smallest telescopic handler model ever produced by UK-based JCB has been launched as the result of a complete redesign which has reduced the height to less than two metres. The new 515-40 model is 1.8m high, 2.97m long and weighs less than 3.5 tonnes. The machine will let telehandlers in to previously inaccessible construction and industrial applications. www.jcb.co.uk
ROLLERS Machine giant Caterpillar has introduced a pair of vibratory soil compactors. The new CS44 and CP44 offer many of the same characteristics of the existing 400E-Series machines. However, the newcomers also feature design enhancements that increase machine serviceability, reliability and operator comfort compared with the outgoing series, according to the maker. www.zahid.com
NEW BUS Korean conglomerate Hino Motors has brought in a new 34-seat bus, which will be pitched squarely at the school bus market. The newcomer is a proper coachbuilt bus, but built without jumpseats as these are now illegal on student transport in the emirate. www.alfuttaimmotors.ae
www.constructionweekonline.com
April 2010 \\ PMV Middle East
029
BUYER’S GUIDE
Excavator attachments Shovel heads, drum cutters, pile cutters and riddle buckets are all part of the excavator’s arsenal – but for which applications are these the weapons of choice? We all know that excavators have buckets on the front. After all, that’s the point, right? Well, yes, but there are several new technologies to increase the speed and reduce costs of excavating. Some you have probably heard of, if not actually used. Others might be less familiar. A good place to start investigating different attachments for machines was German Gulf Engineering based in Sharjah. This firm has been going since 1974 and incredibly, at least one Atlas excavator from this date remains in service, though the majority of the fleet are now Hyundai machines of various weights. “This is to be mounted on a thirty tonner,” said the firm’s plant hire manager, Mr. Menon said, indicating a large bucket with a quick hitch coupler, and a set of tungsten-tipped teeth, “This is for the normal excavation. Generally about 80 per cent of the work in the UAE is normal excavation, because the soil is very sandy.”
BUCKETS Of course, correct bucket selection also makes a big difference to the speed of a job, as well at the amount of diesel used. Any bucket needs to be the correct one for the job. In any application, the bucket must be able to stand up to the huge break-out forces involved in it. Buckets come in a wide variety of sized and shapes, but generally they can be put in to two categories: the smaller type for earthmoving, as seen on construction sites and larger buckets found in the quarrying industry. With extreme earthmoving projects ongoing, such as the anticipated Arabian Canal, these large rock buckets have fount their way onto construction sites. “For the canal, they need huge buckets” said Menon, gesturing towards a scoop roughly the size of a studio flat in Sharjah. “We have an even bigger one, too,” he added, as a giant 50-tonne Hyundai RC-500LC trundles into the yard with an even larger bucket. However, bigger isn’t always better. When digging specific areas such as tight city workspaces, or narrow gulleys, it is obviously
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Drum cutters can be a real boon to operators, especially in difficult or rocky soil conditions.
better to have the correct bucket for the job as the amount of fuel saved by not having to double-handle work would be substantial.
DRUM CUTTER The first device to catch our eye is a spikylooking wheel attached to a machine that had just come back from hire. This is an Erkat drum cutter, and has been developed to eliminate the need for traditional rock breakers when trenching in hard stone. Users recon that the cutters nearly double
the output compared to traditional methods. Menon explained; “There are areas where the soil is too hard and the bucket just scratches, for this you need the drum cutter. It is very fast and safe.” While drum cutting is only used on a handful of UAE sites at the moment, in other parts of the region it is very popular. “In Oman and Doha is very popular” he said. “We were the first company to use it here, and on several sites including The Waterfront where there is something not totally rock, not
“Riddle buckets are ideal for any applications where you want to move the debris, rather than the soil itself.” Andrew Morrison
April 2010 \\ PMV Middle East
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031
BUYER’S GUIDE
Whatever the application, the chances are that there will be an attachment to suit. ‘Riddle’ buckets are becoming increasingly popular.
totally limestone,” Apparently, the drum cutter ‘simply crunches through’ this type of highcarbide stone.
PILE CUTTER The old method of demolishing unwanted foundation piles involved jackhammers, saws, and a whole lot of labour. Clearly, this would very quickly become a drain on resources should more than one pile need removing. “One of my specialities is pile cutting. We have cut over a million piles now” Memon said, “We have a longitude cutter working in Dubai. This one cuts from the inside, outwards. Any pile over 1.4 metres we can’t crush with our machine. For that we use this and auger it from the inside, out. At the moment it is working at the Schumacher Tower in Business Bay.” Larger piles are necessary as buildings get heavier and taller. “At the moment, the standard here is piles 1.8 metres tall, but 2 metres will be common soon” he explained.
RIDDLE BUCKETS Not common in the UAE yet, these buckets with a meshed rear are invaluable for any application where soil or sand needs to be sorted from stone or rubble. They allow www.constructionweekonline.com
brick, concrete, stone, vegetation or any other debris to be separated from soil, and the heavier duty, ribbed back models are suitable for sorting rock or concrete, prior to crushing or screening. While these buckets are not often seen here, a company new to the region, Fleco Attachments have brought these and others to the region. Andrew Morrison, a regional manager at the company said; “Riddle buckets are ideal for any applications where you want to move the debris, rather than the soil itself.” The gap between the riddle bars, known as ‘tines’ will depend on the nature of the stone and soil you wish to separate.” He added these were popular in the demolition industry in the ‘States, as well as closely related attachments such as skeletal rock buckets
GRAPPLES For moving large boulders, or handling rubble on a demolition project, the tool of choice is a grapple, sometimes known as a grabber. Menon said; “This is for stone placing. We have a project coming up, where this grapple will be put on the end of a fifteen metre boom.” Used for placing stones, the grapple can also be found in the scrap handling
and demolition industries. A close relative of the grapple is the pulveriser, which is an evil looking jaw used in demolition, which can literally ‘chew’ its way through brick. Modern developments now allow this attachment to also be used as a rebar cutter. So now you’ve read the scoop, go and choose a bucket.
PILE BREAKING The most basic method of breaking down piles is to either use hand held breakers or plantmounted pneumatic breakers. While this method is perhaps the easiest to specify and takes no initial planning, it can produce unacceptable heath and safety risks and causes unnecessary damage particularly to small diameter piles if not very carefully controlled. Specially designed pile breakers are available in a range of sizes and capability. Hydraulic pile breakers are both available for cast in situ and precast piles.
April 2010 \\ PMV Middle East
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033
BUYER’S GUIDE
Skid-steer loaders These small machines are evolving from simple mini-loaders into multi-function ‘tool carriers’ as modern compact engines and hydraulic drive systems become evermore efficient Today, there are a multitude of skid-steers on building sites throughout the world. PMV managers are drawn to the usefulness of the compact machines on building sites. Although there is a choice regarding, size power, brand, and single or double arm lift, the most fundamental decision for the plant manger to make is whether to buy wheeled or tracked model.
APPLICATION In certain cases, you have to go in to a tight area and the width and weight of the machine makes a difference, but that doesn’t often apply here (in the UAE) It is more about the payload and bucket capacity. “Skid-steer loaders are a combination of workhorse and gopher at most jobsites,” says Jim Hughes, of Case CE. “In fact, they’re often the most productive and versatile machines on a jobsite. Throw in the fact a skid-steer loader is less expensive than other construction equipment and you’ve got a winning combination for many contractors.” Hughes says he most often sees skid steers in these size classes used in material handling, digging, grading, clean up, site prep, scrap removal, truck loading and unloading. “Include an attachment such as a broom, power box rake, pallet forks, hammer or specialty bucket,” he adds, “and the applications are pretty much limitless.”
REQUIREMENTS Machine selection depends on many factors, but the main concern is to define what the machine is going to be used for, and what sort of power is required. “The application is number one, what kind of payload capacity is the primary driver” said one expert. “Also if
Power is critical when considering the right skid-steer for any application. Bobcat still dominate the market here.
you are going to use it for work tools, depending what kind of hydro-mechanical or hydroelectrical attachments you have, what kind of power they need, and will the machine be able to supply that?” He added that working on tight sites can be a factor when choosing a machine. “In certain cases, you have to go in to a tight area and the width and weight of the machine makes a difference, but that doesn’t often apply here (in the UAE) It is more about the payload and bucket capacity.”
TRANSMISSION ”You may want to ask about a two-speed transmission if you need to drive long distances when the machine is unloaded from a trailer,” says Gaby Rhayem, a regional manager
“You may want to ask about a two-speed transmission if you need to drive long distances when the machine is unloaded from a trailer.” Gaby Rhayem
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for Bobcat. “Using two-speed transmissions allow our skid-steer loaders to travel up to 12 mph in high speed, saving contractors valuable time.” In addition, Rhayem says, Bobcat pioneered the development of four-wheel-steer skid steers, with independently articulating wheels. “ They’re excellent machines for applications where turf damage is a concern because the skidding motion is eliminated during turns, saving damage to the ground” he explained.
More skid-steer manufacturers are now placing a greater emphasis on cab ergonomics and offering a slate of cab comfort options. If you feel increased comfort levels equate to greater productivity, you can take your pick from deluxe, fully enclosed cabs with heat and air conditioning, stereo systems, ride control, suspension seats and low-effort servo controls.
April 2010 \\ PMV Middle East
035
CITY PROFILE
MANAMA, BAHRAIN The packed city on the tiny Kingdom of Bahrain offers oppotunities for newcomers, but there are also pitfalls for those who are not aware of the ways of the Gulf’s self-styled ‘Pearl Island’ For the most part, the tiny island of Bahrain is empty, but for a few square kilometers, the place is packed with people, machiner y and extravagant building projects. Like the other GCC countries the tiny island spent much of the twentieth centur y diversifying away from pearling, fishing and the yolk of British rule, and into an oil-based economy. Today sees the nation changing again, as tax incentives make the country a haven for the offshore banking industry, as well as having a developed construction industry and attractions such as a fully-fledged F1 track. In fact, the importance of taking advantage of all revenue streams was underlined in the National Economic Vision 2030 plan, which was launched with great fanfare this time last year, just as the recession was starting to bite. Unfortunately the downturn did hit Bahrain very hard, with one report putting the number of shelved projects since last October at around 30%. This obviously has had a drasic effect on both contractors and investors alike – most of whom are waiting for their money.
780km2 Nearby King Fahd Airport is larger than the whole of Bahrain
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the back of a trailer pulled by a middle-aged truck head. There is evidence that the industry is modernising though, as the recently-formed Bahrain Logistics Zone, with large fleet operators such as Danzas and CEVA starting operations.
TRAFFIC
STORE Redeveloping the logistics industry remains an opportunity.
From our perspective as fleet managers, perhaps the most interesting industry in Bahrainis the transport sector. While the other countries still moot the idea of 100% foreign ownership of companies, Bahrain already does it, which has lead to the recent opening of a new industrial area, as well as a new seaport capable of handling the largest ships. Steen Davidsen, manager of APM Terminals Bahrain said “Bahrain itself offers benefits for businesses, including a number of free trade agreements, a liberal tax eegime and the allowance of forign ownership. Operating from the port makes clear economic sense and being 40% closer to the upper Gulf ports saves money for shipping lines.” “Bahrain has invested billions of dollars to develop the best transport links in the region,
incorporating road, sea and air.” He added: “Our strategic location can provide companies with road access to the booming economies in the Gulf, supported by the 25km causeway to Saudi Arabia and the forthcoming Friendship Causeway to Qatar, which is scheduled for completion in 2013.” There is no railway on or near the island, so the freight needs to be moved by road, usually on
Currently, the only roadway on or off the island is the causeway into Saudi Arabia. This is often busy, as Saudi customs are notoriously slow and most truck drivers will have horror stories about being stuck for many, many hours. Steven Gomes from Bonaventure in Dharan noted that: “Trucks lined across the SaudiBahrain Causeway on both sides of the border present logistical nightmares for business, custom authorities, not forgetting the endless waiting times for the trucking crew to get across.” Gomes also observed that waiting in the stifling heat (temperatures have been known to hit 52 degrees) was having a bad effect on the heath of the truck
Bahrain – Fast Facts Population
703,000
Religions
Muslim 82% Christian 9% Other 9%
Languges
Arabic, Farsi, English, Urdu
Labour force
352,000
Industries
Oil and Gas, Aluminum smelting, chemicals, offshore banking & financial services, ship repairing, tourism
Imports
Crude oil, machinery, chemicals
Import partners
KSA 37.6% Japan 6.8% US 6.2% UK 6.2% Germany 5.2%, UAE 4.2% (2006)
April 2010 \\ PMV Middle East
037
CITY PROFILE
SHIP Machines are loaded onto a ship after an earthquake in Iran.
crews – something newcomers to the island should consider. Of course, there is very little that can be done about there
FACTSHEET: KALIFA BIN SALMAN PORT • Opened April 2009 • Wide range of port handling equipment, notably ZPMC rail mounted cranes. • Capacity of 1.1 million TEU (containers) Possibility of expanding up to 3 million TEU These all need to be moved by heavy trucks. • Allows easy movement of machinery, parts and other freight to Saudi and Qatar, as well as to new markets such as Kuwait and Iraq. • Adjacent to a large industrial area.
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being only one way out of the country, but is does make moving trucks, machinery and people somewhat harder. It should be noted though, that the lot of the Bahrani-based trucker is generally better than that of his Saudi counterpart in terms of wage, living conditions and workers’ rights in general.
OIL AND GAS It would be churlish to write about Bahrain without mentioning the rebounding energy sector. Recently Dr Abdulhussain Mirza, the oil and gas affairs minister for Bahrain has said that the kingdom is planning to invest US$20 billion in the development of its hydrocarbons sector. As US$5bn of this will be used to bring existing facilities up to date, it is likely that there will be work for heavy lift subcontractors, as well as work for regular cranes and equipment. “We have started in earnest the modernisation process in Bahrain over the last few years after Noga came into existence in 2005,” Dr Mirza is reported as saying in a recent interview.
“The process is now well and truly under way with offshore drilling for oil set to begin by the oil giant Occidental, in the very near future,” he added.
INFRASTRUCTURE Besides the road network, Bahrain has reasonable infrastructure, but it is clear that it is struggling with what the island’s ambitious plans demand. The power grid, for example could just barely cope with the load put on it over the summer. Works Minister Fahmi Al Jowder recently that efforts were underway to limit the problem. “People shouldn’t be blaming us for the cuts because the weather then reached 52C and I don’t believe any machine can withstand it,” he said, adding: “Yes, we are trying to limit cuts, but it is impossible to stop them because anything may go wrong with the machines or the network.” There were ambitious plans to develop the Tubli power plant, but the economic crisis has put this on hold for the time being at least.
OPERATORS Though the country prides itself on it’s human rights record, and that employees are allowed to unionise and are not sponsored by their employers, it must be noted that Bahrain lags behind the UAE in terms of employee protection. Workers are still routinely carted about in open trucks, despite a ban on the practice. More seriously, cramped, overcrowded living quarters, with no proper cooking facilities have resulted in a number of horrific fires recently. Apart from this, some contractors have been caught doing the most shocking HSE violations. One was found to be using workers as counterweights when proof loading an elevator. Lead contractors are advised to watch subcontractors carefully for this kind of practice.
352,000 Labour force in Bahrain (2009 estimate)
April 2010 \\ PMV Middle East
038 DIARY
INDUSTRY EVENTS Some upcoming shows for your diary including events in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Germany WHAT: Automechanika Middle East
WHAT: Bauma Germany
WHEN: May 25-27th 2010
WHEN: 19 – 25 April 2010
WHERE: Trade Centre Exhibition Halls, Dubai
WHERE: New Munich Trade Fair Centre
Automechanika is a large annual show covering the auto parts industry, as well as the trade in spares for heavy trucks and earthmovers. Expect to see stands from local firms, some you might know, as well as international brands and smaller enterprises from almost every country in the world. Admission is free for anybody in the industry.
Bauma features more than a half million square meters of exhibition space, making it by far the largest exhibition of its type. Featuring almost all of the main players in the machine world, we expect to see a number of launches and innovations at the show.
WHAT: Construction Week working at height conference
WHAT: Construction Week Riyadh Conference 2010
WHEN: May 12th, 2010
WHEN: June 1st 2010
WHERE: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Abu Dhabi
WHERE: Radisson Blue Hotel
Safety is a crucial aspect in any construction project regardless of the height it is built. However, the taller the structure, the more complex and higher the stakes become. This conference will focus primarily on showing contractors how to build cost- effectively and quickly while not compromising on safety when overcoming the many practical challenges of building at height. A central theme is how contractors can adopt technology that offer the best results and return on investment. Contact us at PMV for more details. PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
After successfully holding four major conferences and exhibitions in the last three years across the Saudi Kingdom we are proud to be launching our Construction Week Riyadh conference. Call the editor of PMV for more details.
www.constructionweekonline.com
040 BACK TRACK
STEAMY These giant, self propelled boilers put the industrial world on wheels for the first time.
ATTRACTION OF TRACTION The big, smoky traction engines provided a link to the future through the Industrial Revolution
Y
ou can call them tractor heads or prime movers, but the main power unit for hauling heavy loads has just one ancestor – and it had four legs. Slightly more recently though, the Industrial Revolution and its steamy glory meant that it was now possible to drive heavy loads over hill and dale. In Great Britain, the term steam tractor is more usually applied to the smallest models of traction engine – typically those weighing seven tons or less – used for hauling small loads on public roads. Although known as light steam tractors, these engines are generally just smaller versions of the road locomotive.
PMV Middle East \\ April 2010
They were popular in the timber trade in the UK, although variations were also designed for general light road haulage and showman’s use. The most popular of these designs was probably the Garrett 4CD, which claimed to have four ‘compound horsepower’. Designed for haulage of heavy loads on public highways, it was not uncommon for two or even three to be coupled together to allow heavier loads to be handled. The characteristic features of these engines are very large rear driving wheels fitted with solid rubber tyres; three-speed gearing (most traction engine types have only two gears); rear suspension; and belly tanks to provide a
greater range between the stops needed to replenish water. All these features are to improve the ride and performance of the engine, which used to be used for journeys of hundreds of miles. Most road locomotives are fitted with a winch drum on the back axle. This can be used by removing the driving pins that secure the rear wheels, allowing the drive train to power the winch drum instead of the wheels. A number of road locomotives are fitted with a crane boom on the front. The boom pivot is mounted on the front axle assembly, and a small winch is mounted on an extension to the smokebox in front of the chimney; the cable passing over a sheave at the top
of the boom arm. The winch is powered by bevel gears on a shaft driven directly from the engine, with some form of clutch providing control. These road locomotives can be used to load a trailer as well as to haul it to a new location. They are often referred to as ‘crane engines’. A particularly distinctive form of road locomotive was the Showman’s engine. These were operated by travelling showmen both to tow fairground equipment and to power it when set up; either directly or by running a generator. These could be highly decorated and formed part of the spectacle of the fair. Some were fitted with a small crane that could be used when assembling the ride.
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