Big Project ME May 2015

www.meconstructionnews.com

MAY 2015

110

ALSO INSIDE foundations quantity surveyors oman projects salary survey

t he bi m visi o n a ry HE Dr. Mubarak Al Ahbabi is on a mission to educate the GCC’s construction leadership about the importance of BIM

M

CONTENTS

MAY 2015 07 the big picture Qatar revives cruise ship plans for world cup accomodation Organisers look at using cruise ships as temporary hotels for football fans

12 News aNalysis salary surge recent surveys have highlighted an upward trend in salaries for the gcc construction sector. what impact will it have on the industry?

16 iN prOfile the Bim visionary gavin Davids has an exclusive interview with Dr Mubarak al ahbabi, chairman of the Department of presidential affairs, about his vision for biM

20 iNDustry fOcus - fOuNDatiONs a firm footing Jerusha sequeira examines the need for newer, more cost-effective methods of implementing foundation technology

24 sectOr fOcus - quaNtity surveyOrs Quantifying success Jerusha sequeira reports on the evolution of the quantity surveyor’s role

30 cOuNtry fOcus – OMaN top 10 oman infrastructure projects listing the 10 biggest infrastructure projects underway in the sultanate

40 iNDustry eveNt - big prOJect Me gOlf Day the contractors cup 2015 the great and good of the gcc construction industry teed off at the emirates golf club

44 teNDers top tenders big project Me lists the region’s biggest construction tenders for May 2015

Big Project ME talks to Dr Mubarak Al Ahbabi, Chairman of the Department of Presidential Affairs, about his vision for BIM

52 cONstructive criticisM see you in court Diale’s walied abdeldayem explains why uae courts should fully recognise quantum and delay analysis experts

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

PAGE 16

1

INTRODUCTION

MEconstructionnEws.COm

BIM on the revolution

Group Chairman and Founder Dominic De SouSa Group Ceo naDeem HooD

puBLiShinG direCtor RaZ iSLam

During my interview with HE Dr Mubarak Al Ahbabi for this issue, I was thrilled to hear him talk about how vital it is that executives and senior management are educated about BIM and its processes. As long-time readers will know, BIM is something we’re very passionate about here at Big Project ME Towers, and one of the issues we’ve faced is getting senior level executives and management on board with the concepts of BIM. Whether it’s for roundtables or for general discussion, we’ve always been handed over to the ‘experts’ and asked to direct our questions to them.

While they’re some of the brightest men and women we’ve had the pleasure of speaking with, talking to them about BIM can only go so far. While it’s great to hear about the ‘nuts-andbolts’ of BIM processes, what can get frustrating is trying to find out about BIM from a strategic and leadership point of view.

That’s why it was so refreshing to have Dr Mubarak tell me that his vision for the Institute of Sustainability and BIM included the education of senior executives and management in the UAE’s government departments and municipalities.

This could be a game-changer in more ways than one.

Not only is it likely to have a major impact on how BIM is viewed and understood by the public sector, but it’s also likely to have a knock-on effect, with both private and semi-government developers likely to follow the lead of the government and implement it on their own projects.

That’s going to trickle down into the rest of the construction industry, with the mid-range and smaller contractors also being cajoled into looking at BIM in a new light.

We could finally be seeing the start of the long-awaited BIM revolution, and in my opinion, it’s not a moment too soon. Given the amount of construction work that is going to be up for grabs, BIM is going to be sorely needed to make sure deadlines and budgets are met.

raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5471 editoriaL direCtor ViJaYa cHeRian vijaya.cherian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5472 eDiToRiaL editor GaVin DaViDS gavin.davids@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5480 reporter JeRuSHa SeQueiRa jerusha.sequeira@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5477 SuB editor aeLReD DoYLe

aDVeRTiSinG CommerCiaL direCtor micHaeL STanSFieLD michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5497

maRKeTinG marKetinG manaGer LiSa JuSTice lisa.justice@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5498

DeSiGn art direCtor Simon coBon ciRcuLaTion & PRoDucTion diStriBution manaGer SuniL KumaR sunil.kumar@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5476 produCtion manaGer ViPin V. ViJaY vipin.vijay@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5713

DiGiTaL WeB deveLoper moHammaD awaiS WeB deveLoper umaiR SHamim

PuBLiSHeD BY

Registered at imPZ Po Box 13700 Dubai, uae Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 www.cpimediagroup.com

PRinTeD BY Printwell Printing Press LLc © copyright 2015 cPi all rights reserved

2

MIDDLE EAST

Gavin Davids Editor

MAY 2015

while the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

ONLINE

MEconstructionnEws.com

L AU N C H PA RT N ER

Big Project ME’s home on the web MOST POPULAR

EDITOR'S CHOICE

READERS' COMMENTS

Site visit: Volvo CE road machinery on show

It is certainly a good thing that this website has addressed the issue of the psychological impact of construction work – which is, as you say, a labour-intensive, high-stress environment. And while I would applaud more focus on this in the Gulf, it is surely worth noting that the availability of easily accessible mental-health services is lacking across the board, not just in construction.

1

Construction workers torch building site, 17 cars in UAE strike

Protest in Ras Al Khaimah apparently sparked by death of worker after fall from fifth floor of under-construction building

2

Dutco Balfour Beatty wins $408m Dubai Creek project

PHOTO GALLERIES

build waterfront hotels, markets,

FAMCO, local distributor for Volvo Construction Equipment (CE), organised an event for customers in Abu Dhabi.

restaurants and retail outlets

See photo galleries at: meconstructionnews.com/photos

Meraas appoints contractor to

3

Migrant workers “forced to run Qatar marathon”

Simon Crompton, comment to the story, ‘Mental health of construction workers needs more thought’

Workers allegedly “press-ganged” into participating, although organisers deny claims of coercion

READER POLL

4

Are Gulf governments doing enough to ensure fire safety?

Nakheel unveils three-year plan for Dubai projects worth $3.8bn

Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed briefed on developments, which include extensions to Dragon Mart and Ibn Battuta Mall

5

Dubai property prices drop, rents flat in Q1, says JLL

VIDEO

‘Spiderman’ climbs world’s tallest twisted tower

flat” while sale prices see “marginal

French climber Alain Robert, also known as ‘Spiderman’, scaled Dubai’s Cayan Tower without a safety harness.

decline”, consultancy says

See videos at: meconstructionnews.com/videos

Residential rents remain “relatively

12%

12%

31%

43%

Yes: Regulation in place is adequate

No: Better legislation is needed

Yes: It’s up to the private sector to address

No: There should be stricter enforcement

4

MIDDLE EAST

Log on for the latest from across the Middle East construction sector. Write to the editor at contact@meconstructionnews.com

MAY 2015

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

THE BIG PICTURE

plans afloat Qatar plans to address its need for 60,000 hotel rooms for the World Cup partly through the use of berthed cruise ships in Doha.

Qatar revives cruise ship plans for world cup accommodation Qatar tourism authority plans to contract 6,000 luxury rooms on cruise ships The QaTar Tourism authority plans to contract at least 6,000 rooms on cruise ships to accommodate visitors to the 2022 World Cup, according to media reports. The authority is reviving an idea to accommodate some football fans and guests in “floating hotels”, as the country races to increase its accommodation supply in the run-up to the World Cup, Doha News reported.

6,000 rooms equates to five averagesized cruise ships, and would be equivalent to approximately one-third of the 16,000 hotel and apartment rooms currently available in Qatar. although the Tourism authority did not say where the cruise ships would be berthed during the tournament, there have been previous discussions about transforming the existing port near the museum of islamic art into a dedicated cruise ship terminal. should this be the case, the repurposing of the

house rules n 6,000 – number of rooms that would be available on cruise ships

n 16,000 – number of rooms currently available in Qatar

n 60,000 – Minimum number of rooms Qatar should have available during the world Cup

port would likely happen following the completion of the first phase of the $7.4 billion hamad Port in mesaieed in 2016. according to FiFa guidelines, Qatar must have a minimum of 60,000 rooms available during the event for fans, players and officials. The nation, however, pledged in 2010 to develop 100,000 rooms by the time the tournament begins.

This is part of a wider strategy to have 80 new hotels and apartment hotels operating within the next five years.

The idea of commissioning floating hotels first came about at a Cityscape conference two years ago, where plans were unveiled for a $5.5 billion oryx island project to be built by Barwa real estate. The project would add some 25,000 rooms to the hotel pipeline, with cruise ships docked at the island. The plan, however, was reportedly scrapped a year later.

Despite Qatar’s ambitious plans to

step up its hospitality offering, analysts have raised concerns about a potential oversupply of hotel rooms after the event. a 2014 Deloitte report forecast, based on previous numbers, that Qatar would only be able to support 38,000 rooms after the tournament, based on room occupancy of approximately 60%. matthew Green, head of research at the consultancy CBre in the uae, told Big Project ME in a recent interview that Qatar would need to significantly upgrade its leisure offering to attract tourists, in order to avoid the issue of a possible oversupply.

“The leisure side of the market is very immature at this point. There’s no major leisure drivers really. so that’s something that they really will have to expand upon and improve upon if they do not want to be left with an overhang of properties when it comes to the end of that event,” he pointed out.

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

Big project me interviews he Dr. Mubarak al ahbabi, ChairMan of Dopa – Page 16 7

THE BIG PICTURE

MEconstructionnEws.Com

construction work begins on 280,000 hectare expo 2020 site mega-event expected to generate two million joBs for emirati and araB youth ConsTruCTion Work has begun on the expo 2020 venue infrastructure and other facilities that will be part of the 280,000-hectare project, a senior government official announced on Tuesday. reem al hashimy, minister of state and managing director of the expo 2020 higher Committee, said the megaevent and its associated development are projected to generate two million jobs for emirati and arab youth. her remarks were made at a gathering at the expo site in Jebel ali hosted by the committee, state news agency WAM reported. it was attended by sheikh mohammed bin rashid al maktoum, Vice President and Prime minister of the uae and ruler of Dubai. nearly 300 businessmen and Ceos of arab and foreign companies were also present. expo 2020 will be a landmark exhibition not just for the uae, but also for more than two billion people in the

middle east, north africa and south asia, al hashimy said. The minister also called upon business leaders and national and international companies to share ideas and thoughts towards the success of the expo, which is projected to welcome 25 million visitors from across the world.

“Dubai expo 2020 higher Committee will consider all opinions, ideas and proposals it receives from experts and businessmen seriously, and subject these to thorough discussions and close follow-up… so as to make Dubai expo the most successful, significant and vibrant event ever,” she said. earlier this year, massimo rustico, head of international business development at the associazione nazionale Costruttori edili (anCe), an italian association of private construction contractors, said that expo milan 2015 and expo Dubai 2020 would serve as a way to boost ties between italy’s

expo numbers n 280,000 hectares – size of the expo Dubai 2020 venue

n 25 million – number of visitors expected in Dubai for expo 2020

n 2 million – number of jobs expected to be created for emirati and arabs

and uae’s construction sectors.

“We hope to work on substantial new projects... The aim is to bring new italian companies to the uae and vice versa.

We have to have the support of both the italian and the uae government,” rustico said. “There will be a tremendous partnership between expo milano 2015 and expo Dubai 2020. There will be a lot of cooperation between the two teams.”

The planned World expos in both milan and Dubai are expected to attract millions of visitors to each city, but the success of the events will partly depend on the uae and italy sharing ideas for development, said umberto Bernardo, deputy head of mission of the italian embassy in abu Dhabi.

“There is a very strong partnership between the uae’s construction companies historically operating with the italian ones, and now gigantic projects are on their way,” he said.

landmark site The Dubai Expo 2020 site will be built on a 280,000 hectare plot of land.

8

MIDDLE EAST

Big project me finDs out how ContraCtors are DeManDing More froM founDations – Page 20

MAY 2015

THE BIG PICTURE

visit the kingdom Saudi Arabia is expected to see continued growth in tourism, increasing the need for hotels and tourism facilities.

riyadh and jeddah to get 16,000 hotel rooms by 2018 over half of the new rooms will Be part of five-star hotel developments sauDi araBia’s TWo major cities, riyadh and Jeddah, are predicted to see 16,000 new hotel rooms by 2018, according to a recent report by real-estate consultancy JLL. over half of these rooms will be part of new five-star hotel developments, as international hotel brands race to establish a foothold in the kingdom.

Jeddah is expected to see 2,700 more rooms in 2015 alone, JLL said. accor Group plans to open nearly 10 hotels in the country by 2018. meanwhile intercontinental hotels Group (ihG), which currently has 24 hotels in saudi arabia, has announced the opening of another nine properties, including the world’s largest holiday inn in makkah.

hotel demand n 16,000 – number of new hotel rooms in riyadh and Jeddah by 2018

n 2,700 – number of new hotel rooms Jeddah is expected to see in 2015

Pascal Gauvin, chief operating officer for india, middle east & africa at ihG, said saudi arabia has been one of the strongest markets for the hospitality group since its entry into the region 40 years ago.

Tourism in the kingdom is expected to grow significantly in coming years, he added, with the industry forecasting 400% growth in domestic tourism to around 640 million nights by 2019.

“The number of pilgrims expected to visit the kingdom is set to more than double and reach five million religious visitors this year, which presents a great opportunity for us to continue to expand our footprint in the country,” Gauvin said, quoted in a statement.

“We are in a great position to cater for this growth with the opening of

holiday inn makkah in 2016, which will be the largest holiday inn hotel in the world with 1,238 rooms,” he added.

DoubleTree by hilton was the only hotel delivered during the first quarter of 2015, adding 196 keys and increasing the total stock to about 10,100 keys. major projects expected to be completed in 2015 include hilton riyadh hotel & residences and movenpick hotel in the commercial business district.

Year to February occupancy rates have remained stable at 64%; however, average daily rates have improved marginally by 2% compared to the same period in 2014. as a result, revPar has improved by 2.5% to $162 over the first two months of 2015, the JLL report pointed out.

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

Big project me exaMines the Changing role of Quantity surveyors in ConstruCtion – Page 24 9

THE BIG PICTURE

MEconstructionnEws.Com

tdic awards enabling works for mamsha al saadiyat project nael & Bin harmal hydroexport wins contract for 1.4km Beachfront mixed-use aBu DhaBi’s Tourism Development and investment Company (TDiC) has awarded the enabling-works contract for its mamsha al saadiyat project to nael & Bin harmal hydroexport (nBhh). mamsha al saadiyat, a 1.4km beachfront mixed-use project, is the first residential development in the saadiyat Cultural District. The development comprises five clusters, each about 250m long, and features nine low-rise residential buildings including apartments and townhouses. The project, which is being developed in phases, will also include a serviced apartment building and a retail destination offering approximately 5,000sqm of leasable area.

Work has begun on the first phase of construction, with an anticipated 263,917sqm being unearthed and 2,929

piles expected to be used over the next six months. The various stages of work will use a total of 2,678t of steel reinforcement, along with the pouring of approximately 53,575t of concrete. additionally, 1,000 linear metres of temporary shoring will be put into place to protect the foundation work on the 61,907sqm site. Work is scheduled to be completed in september 2015. earlier this year, TDiC said that it had delayed fundraising plans to build abu Dhabi’s largest shopping mall in collaboration with a unit of the French luxury goods firm, LmVh. according to a Reuters report, the abu Dhabi investment firm was in talks with banks in late 2014 to raise cash for The District, with a view towards finalising the deal by the end of January

beach details n 1.4km – length of the beachfront mixeduse project

n 5 – number of clusters within the development

n 5,000sqm – offered amount of leasable area for the project

2015, with building work scheduled to commence by march or april. however, with funding being delayed, doubts have been cast about the future of this key part of the uae capital’s infrastructure plans. sources told reuters that recent changes in senior leadership were one of the reasons behind the project stalling. TDiC chief financial officer shaun o’Connor left the firm in December and has yet to be replaced. Deputy finance head matt matharu is acting chief financial officer. o’ Connor was on the board of the joint venture overseeing the development of The District. The joint venture is made up of TDiC and L real estate, a global property development and investment fund sponsored by LmVh.

phase one Groundwork on the beachfront project has begun, with a scheduled completion date in September 2015.

10

MIDDLE EAST

Big project me reveals oMan’s top infrastruCture proJeCts – Page 30

MAY 2015

Create a safe environment for your children where they can explore, play and grow Recycled Rubber Tiles & Pavers

Colored Rubber Mulch

Crumb Rubber & Jogging Tracks

Recycled Rubber Products from Bee’ah.

Using an innovative process, Bee’ah recycles 9,000 used rubber vehicle tyres every day, to create a range of safe and eco-friendly products that can be used to accessorize different spaces around your homes and communities.

Our rubber tiles and materials are ideal for paving child-friendly playgrounds, jogging tracks, swimming pools and landscaping your homes.

To find out more: Call 800-BEEAH (800-23324) or Email: sales@beeah.ae or info@beeah.ae

WE ARE THE FUTURE

beeah.ae |

NEWS ANALYSIS SALARY SURVEY

MEconstructionnEws.com

SALARY SURGE

Recent surveys have shown an upturn in salaries in the GCC construction sector.

Big Project ME finds out what this means for the industry

T

12

MIDDLE EAST

hroughout 2014, residential prices in the region continued on an upward trend, sparked by a succession of announcements of high-profile megaprojects. In conjunction with this, the manufacturing, tourism and retail sectors continued to accelerate, creating a positive bubble in the construction and property industry, for job seekers and hiring managers alike.

Saudi Arabia has been the biggest driver of growth in the construction sector, with a number of pipeline projects coming on stream in 2014, continuing into this year. In addition, the Northern Emirates of the UAE have seen a surge in tourism, which has resulted in more construction activity there.

Meanwhile, Expo 2020 continues to provide sustained momentum in the UAE’s construction industry, continuing a trend that began in 2013, with transportation expansion in major airports. In 2015, growth is expected in the hospitality and real estate sectors.

Qatar has been another active market, while the likes of Oman and even Kuwait have seen large-scale infrastructure projects kickstarting the growth of their economies.

This increased activity throughout the GCC means the job market within the industry has

MAY 2015

also picked up. Earlier this year, international recruitment consultancy Hays Group released its Salary and Employment Report 2015, which highlighted the increased demand for construction professionals in the region, with project managers, construction managers and professionals with 12 to 15 years of experience in particularly high demand.

As a result, there has been a considerable surge in salary levels, with employers willing to pay for quality and job seekers feeling justified in asking for more. As part of the Hays report, construction, architecture, engineering, facilities and property professionals were surveyed about their salaries and their expectations for the coming year.

“2014 was a very positive year with salaries increasing and better benefits across the whole sector. This is particularly true for Architecture, Property and Construction where the majority received an additional 15%+ to their salary.

Compared to 2013, last year saw a lot of movement in terms of internal promotions and new employment, which is the main contributing factor to the large surge in salaries. People who moved jobs on average increased their salary by over 15% compared to just 5% for those who stayed at the same business and received a pay increase as part of a company-wide review,” the report said.

These findings back up Big Project ME’s findings in its own salary survey, conducted at the end of 2014. The Construction Intelligence Report, released in January 2015, found that 75.1% of all respondents reported some movement in their salary, with 21% of all respondents reporting a salary rise of more than 10% over the course of 12 months.

In addition, the Hays report said that 50% of its survey respondents were expecting at least another 10% increase to their annual paycheque in 2015. In this group, property professionals are expecting the largest increase as a result of finding new employment (60% of those surveyed).

There was also a 50/50 split between those in engineering who saw a pay rise in 2014 and those who didn’t. However, this year more than 80% of respondents to the Hays survey said they were expecting to see some change to their monthly income.

CompEtitivE maRkEt

What these figures and responses indicate is that the GCC’s construction sector is set to be one of the most competitive job markets in the region, with the UAE among the most competitive of all, reflecting the strength of its industry.

NEWS ANALYSIS SALARY SURVEY

Position

AverAge

By whaT percenTage has your ToTal salary increased in The lasT year?

Architecture Senior Architect

35,000

Senior Interior Design

27,000

Site Architect

21,000

Junior Architect

12,500

Interior Designer

12,500

Construction C-Suite/Principal Level

83,000

Senior Estimating Manager

61,000

Commercial Manager

55,000

Senior Contracts Manager

52,000

Senior Project Manager

44,000

HSSE Manager

44,000

Senior Cost Manager

40,000

Senior Quantity Surveyor

35,000

Project Manager

34,000

Contracts Manager

30,000

Construction Manager

30,000

Cost Manager

25,000

Quantity Surveyor

20,000

0%

24.94%

0.1-5%

30.86%

5-10%

22.96%

10-15%

11.11%

15-20%

4.69%

20%+

5.19%

It has decreased

0.25%

which gcc counTry offers The mosT compeTiTive salaries?

engineering MEP

39,000

UAE

Senior Electrical Engineer

34,000

Saudi Arabia

17.53%

Qatar

18.52%

Senior Civil Engineer

30,000

Oman

0.99%

Planning Engineer

25,000

Bahrain

1.23%

Kuwait

1.73%

Resident Engineer

24,000

Project Engineer

20,000

Quality Assurance Engineer

18,000

Electrical Engineer

15,000

60.00%

how long do you expecT To remain working aT your currenT company?

Facilities Senior Facilities Manager

35,000

Facilities Manager

21,500

Property Senior Development Manager

58,000

Senior Leasing Manager

48,000

Leasing Manager In-house

27,000

MRICS Valuations Manager

25,000

Property Manager

22,000

Source: Hays Group

Less than 12 months

20.49%

1-3 years

28.15%

3-5 years

17.53%

5+ years

33.83%

Source: Construction Intelligence Report

In the CiR, an overwhelming 60% of professionals surveyed picked it as being the best for wages, with Qatar coming in second at just 18.5%, followed by Saudi Arabia at 17.5%.

The remaining three nations were Kuwait (1.7%), Bahrain (1.2%) and Oman (1%), meaning that cumulatively the smaller GCC nations were picked by less than 4% of the professionals who completed the survey.

While the UAE may have the most competitive salaries, the perception is likely boosted by the number of international construction firms and related companies who have regional headquarters in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, meaning that many higherpaid jobs may have their base location in Dubai, with much of the actual work carried out in other markets.

The high ranking of the emirates may also be a reflection of the survey’s bias, with 62% of survey entrants coming from the UAE. The second-best represented markets in the survey were Saudi Arabia with 16% and Qatar with 10%, followed by Kuwait and Oman.

When it comes to bonuses and benefits, Qatar may have the edge, with 25% of respondents from Qatar reporting bonuses and benefits of $50,000+ in the past 12 months, far higher than the survey’s average of only 10.1%. By comparison, Saudi Arabia may not be the place to go for those hunting big bonuses, with only one person reporting bonus and benefits above $50k. a QUEStion of LoyaLty

“When it comes to accepting a new job offer high salary and career development are the most important contributing factors for those in Facilities & Property. Whereas those in Construction and Architecture are more likely to seek challenging roles and generous benefits.

When we saw there was dissatisfaction with their current employer the common denominating factor was lack of training offered as part of the benefits package,” the Hays report said.

Although employee turnover is typically higher in expat job environments, many professionals remain focused on their medium-term interests and look to maximise their opportunity for remittance and savings, rather than prioritising company loyalty or other long-term interests, the CiR found.

The good news for companies is that many employees are loyal, and when asked “How long do you expect to remain working at your current company?” the largest group of respondents (33.8%) said five years or more.

This indicates that there are rewards to be had for companies which invest in employee training programmes and up-skilling. n

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

whaT They earned

13

In ProfIle H. E. Dr Mubarak al aHbabi

The BIM Visionary

Big Project ME’s Gavin Davids sits down for an exclusive interview with HE Dr Mubarak Al Ahbabi, chairman of the Department of Presidential Affairs and chairman of the Institute of Sustainability and BIM

I

n most walks of life, being an early adopter of technology puts you ahead of the curve.

While the competition is still figuring out yesterday’s technology, the early adopter is already learning how to use tomorrow’s. In industries where the margins of success are razor-thin, this ability to embrace change can give companies that crucial leg up on their rivals.

When it comes to construction, this is even more pertinent. In a local industry as cut-throat as it is traditional, being an early adopter of technology is difficult, but also hugely rewarding. The proof of this is in the success of major contractors and consultants.

The ones who took the initiative to embrace Building Information Modelling early on are now reaping the benefits as some UAE government establishments are pushing its implementation throughout the construction industry.

Despite this, there is a slightly worrying trend developing in the regional construction industry, with the early adopters within the industry coming from middle management or base-level users.

While that is well and good, there also needs to be better adoption and acceptance from higher up. If the leaders of construction don’t adopt and understand BIM technology, then there is a very real risk that the region will be left behind. This doesn’t just apply to contractors and consultants, but also to government bodies and developers

who will be awarding contracts to the industry.

No one recognises this more clearly than Dr Mubarak Al Ahbabi, chairman of the Department of Presidential Affairs, and that is why Big Project ME sat down for an exclusive interview with the man who aims to shape the future of the UAE’s construction industry.

As the chairman of the department that has to be at the forefront of technology and performance improvement, Dr Mubarak is a major contributor the performance of industry. Clearly, then, he is a man to be reckoned with. As impressive and varied as his résumé is, the reason he has agreed to an interview is because of his role as chairman of the newly formed Institute of Sustainability and BIM. As chairman of the institute, Dr Mubarak believes that he is answering a calling to spread the message of BIM. Not only does he hope to educate the leaders of the industry, but he also aims to bring those in government and local municipalities on board to work together and create a common agenda for BIM. “First of all, you know this institute is not for profit, but, because of the career I’ve had, [I wanted] to give back to my country, the UAE. So this idea came to me; we have a very good relationship with the market and with public sector organisations, so I found that the institute is the best idea to train engineers and other professionals to understand BIM.

16

MIDDLE EAST

“I’ve been around constructIon for 23 years, and the most Important lesson I’ve learnt Is that leaders should be abreast of exIstIng knowledge, so as to be able to lead”

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

MAY 2015

17

In ProfIle H. E. Dr Mubarak al aHbabi

18

MIDDLE EAST

“We give them enough knowledge to start on future projects that will be based on BIM, by holding workshops and inviting our colleagues from the UK, the US and from Singapore to come and give lectures. This will keep going and will feed these engineers with huge amounts of information, which will be in line with the developments we have here in the UAE,” Dr Mubarak explains.

Having earned his doctorate in Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and BIM, the chairman is supremely qualified to extol the benefits of BIM adoption in the region. With the UAE’s economy continuing to go from strength to strength, he is adamant that his institute is coming at a time when the construction industry needs it the most.

“This government needs BIM. In 2015, we’re expecting the UAE’s economic growth, only in construction, to be about $50 billion.

Using BIM will save, at a minimum, 10% to 15% of this budget, if we apply it correctly.

“BIM is the key to achieving the goals that the government is now planning – the strategic plans. Emiratis, and non-Emiratis, they have to be trained and be ready for this. It’s only when they have enough knowledge in BIM, they will be able to achieve this savings. They will be able to achieve an understanding of what is required from their supply chain when they come and work for them. So this is what we’re trying to teach them.”

This desire to spread the word of BIM isn’t something that has come to Dr Mubarak recently.

Having first encountered the technology back in 2001, he has been a long-time advocate, as he has seen its benefits first-hand.

“In 2001, a big task was given to me. I had to deliver a huge project within three years. That project was the Emirates Palace. If we had followed the traditional procedures, it would have taken a minimum of five years to deliver the project. So I formed a specialised client committee to provide a strong client leadership. That team’s main job was to create a collaborative environment between the project stakeholders and to over-ride the routine and make sure that there were no clashes between the stakeholders,” he recollects.

Consisting of a small group of highly professional and highly experienced people, chaired by Dr Mubarak, the team was tasked with analysing the project and creating a culture within the project that encouraged the sharing of information. This collaborative effort resulted in the completion of the massive 260,000sqm high-end, iconic and multi-faceted hospitality project within three years, at a time when ordinary villas were taking between three and four years to be completed.

Without realising it, Dr Mubarak had asked his

MAY 2015

MEconstructionnEws.coM

In ProfIle H. E. Dr Mubarak al aHbabi

region. By building a good relationship with institutions, industries and governments, we will develop good links and build strong bridges to share ideas,” he explains.

“They have been contacting Dr Mustafa, and they’re very keen to learn more about it. The people who are working with me [to set up the institute] are very well-known. Dr Marwan was at the UAE University, and Dr Mustafa is a very experienced BIM expert who has contributed to this concept from its early stages in the 1990s in the UK. Dr Marwan’s and my links in the country are very strong, so we are people who have had good experience and we want to disseminate it to the wider community.

“Professor Mustafa has also received an enquiry from a public sector client in Dubai who is [interested in taking part], but for now, I’m focused

“bIm Is the key to achIevIng the goals that the government Is now plannIng – the strategIc plans. emIratIs, and even non-emIratIs, have to be traIned and ready for thIs”

on large client organisations and municipalities.

They’ve shown that they’re very much interested in learning more about the institute.

“As time goes by, we hope that we become the number one institute in conducting research in this field and in training people about what BIM is and how best to implement it. They can then feel the benefit of BIM when they first test it on their projects,” he adds.

Crucial to this will be the education of executives and senior level management. Dr Mubarak is quick to acknowledge that this is something the institute will have to address.

“We need to make executives aware, because if you teach just the lower ranks, then the higher ranks will have a difficult time to understand and approve it. That is, whenever the lower ranks go to the higher-ups [to talk about BIM], they will face a problem. So the CEOs, the higher ranks, have to be

aware of BIM and its business benefits,” he asserts.

With his team already working on bringing international experts into the fold, the next step is partnering with international organisations to give the institute the credibility it needs to survive. As a result, Dr Mubarak says that extensive negotiations are underway to tie up partnerships with the likes of CIOB and other certifying bodies.

A collaboration with Penn State University in the US has already been agreed in principle, which will allow the institute to issue BIM Manager Certification to its attendees, enabling them to effectively lead and manage BIM projects. In contrast to other certificates available in the UK, this will be more focused on management and processes, rather than just the technology.

In addition, Dr Mubarak says that talks are underway with the likes of Autodesk and Bentley to provide support to the institute. Initially, the focus will be on providing the software and the licences for the systems, but ultimately he hopes that the software providers will work with the institute during the training process.

For now, though, the biggest challenge remains getting the institute up and running. Whatever the future holds for the institute, Dr Mubarak insists that its core focus must never waver.

“To be honest with you, I haven’t even thought about that [future plans], because really, to achieve the first goal of getting people and to train them on BIM, that is a great achievement.

I’m sure that there are other things that we have to do and think about, but we’ll never stop paying back this great government and sharing our knowledge with others – not just the Emiratis, but also the others, and to continue supporting the construction field,” he asserts.

Finally, as the interview comes to a close, Dr Mubarak sums up the most important lesson he’s learnt on this long road towards bringing the Institute of Sustainability and BIM to fruition.

Referring to his quotes earlier in the interview, he returns to the theme of leadership.

“I’ve been around construction for 23 years, and the most important lesson I’ve learnt is that leaders should be abreast of existing knowledge, so as to be able to lead. Because what happens if a leader has a lack of information? Or if he/she’s behind in technology? Then he/she cannot lead effectively.

“Anybody who is responsible or in charge, he should be very well trained, so that he understands the innovative methods of delivery for projects, and to over-ride the traditional practices. He/ she should build trust with his/her team and share the risks. Take responsibility, learn more and never be scared of failure,” he concludes.

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

team to mimic the IPD and BIM process, teaching him a valuable lesson. “When I learnt about BIM, [I realised] it was exactly what I had done. We shared ideas and information at the same table, there were no clashes and we managed to over-ride so many routine systems,” he points out, adding that this experience inspired him to begin his doctorate, which of course was centred on IPD and BIM. During his PhD, Dr Mubarak began the implementation of IPD and BIM on a smaller scale as test cases for the viability of the collaborative approach and technology.

“Three years ago, I tested BIM on three projects – the Landmark Tower, the Post Office and Meena Towers. The Post Office, from zero, was based on BIM [from concept design to facility management]. Imagine, the pricing of all the tenders was very close! When you open tenders that are done in the traditional way, you could see one at $100 million, another at $300 million.

That’s because there’s incomplete and inconsistent designs with lack of information. Using BIM, you provide all bidders with equal information generated from highly coordinated design. There will be no clashes at the construction stage, and all stakeholders will understand [their role] very well.”

This test phase also had a profound impact on Dr Mubarak, as it showed him just how unready the industry was for the BIM revolution, already well underway in Europe, Britain and the US. “The start was very hard! But most of the contractors and consultants, they were happy to learn more about this approach. Because they realised they had to have it, sooner or later. So they were very happy to have a client like us, who started their own projects using BIM. Not only that, we have our own facilities management division, so when we hand over the project, it would have an effect on the operations systems later on,” he says.

Having seen the enthusiastic response to the implementation of BIM on these projects, the decision to establish an institute was an easy one. Working with long-time colleagues and confidants Dr Marwan Jabakhanji, a regional construction expert, and Professor Mustafa Alshawi, director of Imarti Engineering Consultants, Dr Mubarak began taking the steps that led to the establishment of the Institute of Sustainability and BIM, which is scheduled to open this summer.

While it targets local government and municipalities, there has already been considerable interest from outside the UAE, with the chairman revealing that there have been enquiries from as far afield as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“This institute is the first of its type in the region. I think it will be a hub for BIM in the

19

SPECIAL REPORT FOUNDATIONS

20

MIDDLE EAST

IMproved technology Technology associated with building foundations has seen a dramatic change as new methods and techniques are explored.

MAY 2015

MEconstructionnEws.cOm

SPECIAL REPORT FOUNDATIONS

A firm footing

As buildings become more complex and expensive, the need for reliable, sustainable and cost-effective technologies in foundations is gradually growing stronger. Jerusha Sequeira examines the options In addition to being cheaper, a key advantage of CFA is that it’s much faster, Titus notes.

“The time you spend making each pile is reduced. You can auger the pile, pump the concrete, lift the cage and drop it in, say, one fourth or one fifth of the time it would take you to excavate using a kelly bar system.”

However, CFA does pose limitations in terms of the depth and diameter of the piles.

CFA piles can be drilled down to 41 metres deep and 1.5m in diameter using high torque specialist CFA rigs. “If you get very tall buildings like the Burj Khalifa, you have piles much deeper and much larger in diameter than this can provide,” Titus explains, adding that in this case, the rotary bored piling machine works best. Micropiling machines are also becoming more popular, he points out.

“All these different machines are used to be able to create holes in the ground, temporarily

“the trend Is heavIly MovIng towards MIcropIlIng, so to have soMethIng sMall enough to put In through a buIldIng, adjacent to a buIldIng, under a buIldIng, Involves usIng sMaller MachInes”

or permanently,” he says. The problem is that soil is not uniform or homogenous. Additionally, in coastal areas the water table is quite high, and once a contractor excavates below it, water begins to appear. While contractors have traditionally overcome the issue by dewatering using pumps, this is quite an expensive process.

A way around this is by casting a jet grout bottom plug. Jet grouting is a technique of creating a pile using in-situ soil and grout mixed together under high pressure to create a soil-reinforced column. Jet grouting improves the soil’s mechanical characteristics while decreasing permeability, Titus notes. A jet grout bottom plug can be created well below ground level by casting multiple short jet grout columns in an overlapping arrangement to cut off the influx of water into a future excavation.

Commenting on how the market is shaping up, Titus says that while piling and diaphragm walling machines were mainstays in the past, micropiling machines are more in demand now as construction needs evolve.

“We have a lot of buildings here which are valuable and need to be retained. Sometimes some of them have had some issues with settlement or differential settlement.”

Additionally, some clients are also looking to extend existing buildings, which will need foundations to be strengthened.

“The trend is heavily moving towards micropiling, so to have something small enough to put in through a building, adjacent to a building, under a building, involves using smaller machines. The same machine can create a jet grout column, when used with a very high pressure pump.”

These techniques are becoming popular as the market realises that drilling large piles isn’t always necessary, he adds. “Definitely that’s the new demand, where we have buildings that might require extensions or remedial work if

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

A

s important as a building’s design and structure are, there’s no denying that what lies underneath is just as crucial. Technologies for building foundations have evolved and improved over the years, and alternatives to traditional deep piling methods have emerged. But among contractors and government entities, there remains a tendency to rely on the familiar, perhaps to be safe rather than sorry.

Big Project ME decided to speak to professionals to find out where the industry is heading and what alternative solutions can be offered to deep foundations.

For the high-rise construction projects increasingly dominating skylines across the country, piling remains a must. The most common method in Dubai remains rotary bored piling, says Peter Titus, managing director of Total Foundation Solutions (TFS), a company supplying specialist equipment for deep foundations and piling across the GCC. However, alternative piling methods such as continuous flight auger (CFA) are becoming more widely used, due to their cost-effectiveness, Titus says. “In Western Europe, the United States, parts of South America, CFA is the main method you would use because it is so much cheaper. Everyone is trying to trim the cost of their overall building, not just the foundations. And they’re looking to find ways to do this faster and cheaper, so CFA is the main method used in France, Spain & the UK.” CFA piles are formed by drilling a continuous flight auger into the ground. The sides of the hole are supported at all times by the soil-filled auger, eliminating the need for temporary casing or bentonite slurry. Upon reaching the required depth, concrete is pumped down the hollow stem as the auger is steadily withdrawn, and a reinforcement cage is placed into the wet concrete after withdrawal of the soil by the auger.

21

SPECIAL REPORT FOUNDATIONS

MEconstructionnEws.cOm

there’s some problem. There is more and more understanding that perhaps you don’t have to give a large diameter pile under a villa.”

ground understandIng Ground improvement techniques have emerged as viable alternatives to deep foundations.

ground improvement

22

MIDDLE EAST

It is this understanding that has spurred the rise of ground improvement techniques as a viable alternative to deep foundations, when piling may not be entirely necessary.

One company specialising in soil improvement techniques is Menard Vibro, which offers cost-effective alternatives to deep piles or deep concrete footings.

“Quite often, the prices that are given or the recommendations that are given for piling or for certain types of foundations are not necessary because of what we do, which is to offer an alternative,” explains Jason Redgers, regional business development manager at Menrad Vibro.

The firm offers a host of services including rapid impact compaction, dynamic compaction, vibro compaction, vibro replacement (with stone columns) and vertical drains. The improvement methods can be broadly classified as either using additional material, in which the soil is reinforced; or without additional material, with soil compacted.

Redgers reiterates that for high-rises, piling is the right option. “But certainly, when they’re looking at warehouses, villas, residential areas, even mosques and lots of industrial units, piling is not necessary because of the loads of the building. It can be done by improving the bearing capacity and the settlement control of the ground.”

As the majority of soils in the UAE and GCC are sandy, the recommended ground improvement techniques are vibro compaction or dynamic compaction. However, in Oman and parts of Qatar where silt or clay are present in the soil, one should consider stone columns or dynamic replacement, Redgers notes.

In the vibro compaction technique, loose granular soils are compacted by penetration of a vibratory probe or vibroflot. Based on results from a test zone, Menard Vibro determines the optimal probe frequency and power as well as the required period of vibration for the site. The technique increases soil bearing capacity while reducing total and differential settlement. It is possible to treat up to depths of 70m, according to the company’s website.

The sand on the Palm islands was treated with vibro compaction, Redgers says. “When they placed this sand, it was four metres above

MAY 2015

the long gaMe Convincing the industry to take on new techniques and methods will take time, due to deep-rooted beliefs in traditional methods.

SPECIAL REPORT FOUNDATIONS

Ground improvement: how to Go About it When a client decides they want to use a ground improvement method, they approach a company like Menard Vibro and explain what they’re looking to build. initially, a site investigation is carried out to determine the kind of soil present, says Jason redgers. Once this has been determined, the company can treat the area to deliver specified results, in line with local or federal requirements.

The time frame varies according to the project, redgers points out. “it will depend on how big the project is, because every rig can produce so much treatment per day. Typically for the dynamic compaction, you would treat 1,000sqm in a day. for the stone columns, maybe you’d treat 500sqm in a day. And then as a form of other compaction, rapid impact compaction, we would do 3,000sqm in a day. Depending on how you need to treat and the size of the area that you have, these are typical average figures.”

“When they have large projects, they employ us first and then they can hand over their site to their main contractor, who can just build with no worry.”

On smaller developments, the company works directly for main contractors. it offers them the option of working according to the specifications of the appointed consultant, or working on a design and build basis with full warranties.

the water. Then we did the vibro compaction, and after that it was only three metres above the water, because you compacted the sand so you made it denser, you made it stronger.”

In terms of the benefits of ground improvement techniques compared to piling, Redgers says they are faster, cheaper and better for the environment. “It’s a more valueengineered option. You are using less resources, so you have no concrete and no steel. From a cost point of view it’s better, but also from an environmental point of view, you don’t have the extra transport and the extra use of diesel and petrol and many materials on-site.”

Additionally, when drilling piles, the soil comes to the surface and needs to be taken away. “When you do ground improvement, this doesn’t happen. So there is less truck movement, less use of aggregates, less use of steel, so it’s all around a better solution. It’s technically better, it’s environmentally better, and it meets the requirements that are needed.”

Moreover, the foundation doesn’t need to be as heavily reinforced as when wide piles are used, further lowering costs.

As good as it sounds on paper, are contractors and government entities seeing the advantages? Redgers admits this can be a problem. “What we suffer from here is because the municipalities or the approving bodies have

seen many problems from poor quality in the past, they are very conservative in any method they build now or they don’t understand.”

Foundations, therefore, tend to be overdesigned and thus “overpriced and over-engineered”.

Titus agrees that foundations are typically overdesigned, adding that this is also due to the uncertainty of soil. “We put much higher factors of safety on the design of foundations than we do on buildings, because of the soil being non-homogenous. So engineers are very careful. The fact is most engineers will tell you that foundations are a little bit over-designed because of the uncertainty factor of soil.”

Another challenge, Redgers notes, is that due to the wide mix of cultures and educational backgrounds, many in the industry stick to what they know and are unwilling to embrace change.

“There are new techniques, and something that you learned 30 years ago at university is now changed. Everything is progressing,” he insists.

Redgers admits, however, that the process will take some time to become the norm, as with any other new technology, because people will be sceptical at first. “It happened in Europe 50 years ago when these methods were used, and in the US. It’s the same learning curve that everybody is going through, and as more people come here from different places and experiences, it becomes more accepted.”

IMT ROTARY BORED PILING RIGS

LLAMADA CFA PILING RIGS

ICE USA VIBRO HAMMERS

TECNIWELL JET GROUTING PUMPS

TONE DIAPHRAGM WALL HYDROCUTTERS

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

COMACCHIO ANCHORING & SOIL INVESTIGATION RIGS

23

SECTOR FOCUS surveyors

MEconstructionnEws.com

Quantifying SucceSS

As a quantity surveyor’s role evolves in the modern construction landscape, professional organisations are helping ensure that the skills of a QS practitioner go beyond the strictly technical. Jerusha Sequeira reports

I

24

MIDDLE EAST

t’s easy to think of a quantity surveyor’s work as purely concerned with costs and quantities in a construction project. While that is an essential element of the role, good quantity surveyors go above and beyond the dictionary definition of the job, professionals in the field insist. They can add value to projects, offer advice to clients and bring expertise to a wide range of construction activities.

However, this knowledge is often lost on contractors in the UAE and GCC, who don’t seem to realise the added value that quantity surveyors can bring on board, Big Project ME has learned.

Additionally, with a multicultural workforce on construction projects in the GCC, there’s bound to be a wide range of educational backgrounds. This brings to the fore another worrying trend: there is no uniform standard of quantity surveying expertise across the board.

Enter professional bodies like the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The RICS, originally established in the UK, is a worldwide body providing accreditations, qualifications and standards in property and construction. By offering its members the chance to attain chartered status, the RICS ensures that quantity surveyors are regularly and rigorously trained, and abide by the standards of the organisation.

But what is the value for a contractor in seeking the services of a chartered surveyor?

“From a client’s perspective, a chartered surveyor will have a much wider range of competencies,” says Robert Jackson, director of RICS Middle East and North Africa. Moreover, a chartered surveyor is more than just a bean counter.

“He is able to apply those skills and add value to the clients across a wide range of construction activities, not just measurement,” he says.

“Secondly, it gives the client confidence

MAY 2015

that the individual is going to be working to the appropriate standards, because we mandate it as RICS. He gets a quantity surveyor that can add value to his project by offering advice, and he gets the confidence that that individual is working professionally and ethically.”

The RICS was established in the Middle East in 2007, and currently has about 3,500 members in the MENA region. Over 95% of its members are in the GCC, with the highest concentration in the UAE and Qatar.

The body offers three levels of membership: MRICS (Member), FRICS (Fellow) and AssocRICS (Associate). Members with the MRICS and FRICS designation are known as chartered surveyors.

“We need our members to show both an academic qualification and work experience.

Those members that may not have academic experience need to demonstrate a longer period of working experience,” Jackson says.

In order to attain chartered status, candidates

“Because the Gcc is a meltinG pot, you’ve Got people cominG in with different traininG and BackGrounds, and they all think what they know is correct”

need to undertake a combination of examinations, written submissions and an interview assessment by a panel of qualified members. At the end of the process, they should be able to demonstrate technical, professional and ethical standards.

“When we assess quantity surveyors to be chartered, we have what we call three levels of competencies. Level one is the technical competencies. We need to make sure that an applicant has a broad range of skills,” Jackson notes.

The second level involves applying the knowledge learned, while the third is advising clients. “This is where the real value comes in for a RICS-chartered quantity surveyor.

They can actually use their skills and competencies to advise their clients and to advise their own companies, so it’s taking the application of their skills one further level.”

Although quantity surveyors in the region may be technically sound, they often lack broader skills and competencies, Jackson says.

“Very few of them can demonstrate that they can apply their knowledge and offer advice, and therefore real value, to their clients. That to me is one of the shortcomings across the Middle East at the moment; the true value of a quantity surveyor has been lost.”

Are private companies, however, seeing the benefits of having a more qualified staff?

Steven Batchelor, FRICS and Operations Director – Abu Dhabi at Faithful + Gould, seems to think so. “We encourage all our staff to aspire to RICS membership as a minimum,” he says.

“We will support them, we’ll set a structured training agreement with our candidate, and we’ll assist them with their training.”

Faithful + Gould also encourages quantity surveyors on its payroll to enroll in a quantity surveying degree at the bachelor’s or master’s

SECTOR FOCUS surveyors

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

lackinG in skills Although quantity surveyors in the GCC are technically sound, they often lack in broader skills and competencies.

25

SECTOR FOCUS surveyors

MEconstructionnEws.com

The move To BIm Acquiring BIM expertise is becoming increasingly important for quantity surveyors in the region, although the GCC has been relatively slow to adopt the technology and realise its full value. But as more and more projects in the GCC specify the use of BIM, the RICS has started offering courses in it.

However, the technology is not being used to its full potential, Jackson says.

“What we’re sadly seeing in some contracts is that BiM is just being used as a bolt-on. the traditional methods of contract management and project management are still being used, and BiM is then being populated and the data input retrospectively. therefore, none of the parties are getting the true value of BiM.”

employer support Companies need to support their staff as they look to become RICS-qualified.

“from a client’s perspective, a chartered surveyor will have a much wider ranGe of competencies. he is aBle to apply those skills and add value to the clients across a wide ranGe of construction activities, not just measurement”

While quantity surveyors aren’t being forced to use BiM in the region, azzam says it will become the norm pretty soon. Moreover, effective use of BiM requires collaboration between different stakeholders, he adds. “you need people to come together [and] start talking in the same language, with the architect producing the drawings and layers in a way that the quantity surveyor understands them and is able to extract the required information from them. So still there is more to be done.”

But BiM’s collaborative nature is its best part, Jackson points out. “that’s one of the hidden benefits that BiM does bring, it forces the parties to work more collaboratively on projects.” the reason why BiM uptake has been slow so far might have to do with the recent recession, Batchelor points out. “BiM’s still in its infancy here in the gCC. We’re just coming out of a recession here to start with, so the industry has been quiet for a few years.”

While it won’t be the norm for another five to ten years, clients will eventually see its value, he adds. “things are starting to move positively forward. if there hadn’t been a recession, no doubt everybody would be embracing it, it would have been a natural progression. But as they’re all slightly coming out of their shells

26

MIDDLE EAST

again, it is taking a while to foster.”

MAY 2015

level at Heriot-Watt University in Dubai, which is RICS-accredited. The company gives employees study leave to prepare for exams as well as financial assistance.

This kind of employer support is crucial for prospective candidates becoming RICSqualified, Jackson stresses, as on-the-job training is a vital component of becoming a chartered member. “A lot of emphasis is actually put on [candidates’] employers to try and give them a structured training in the workplace,” he says.

Additionally, the RICS also offers training programmes in online and face-to-face formats, covering a range of topics like preand post-contract management, project management essentials, cost estimating and BIM. The organisation also mandates continual professional development, where candidates have to log 20 hours of annual training to keep up-to-date with industry developments.

Although there may be long-term professional advantages, not all are equally convinced that joining the RICS can benefit them. Heinrich van den Bergh, senior quantity surveyor at ALEC, currently isn’t affiliated with any professional organisations but says there’s nothing stopping him from joining in the future.

“The only reason I haven’t done it yet is it wouldn’t help within my own company,” he says. He adds that while it may not grant him a promotion with his employer, it could provide added value when looking for a new job, seeking to move abroad or starting up an independent practice.

RaiSing the baR

Training and professional development aside, a key reason for more surveyors to obtain certifications is so that there can be a uniform standard across the industry, something direly needed at the moment.

“Because the GCC is a melting pot, you’ve got people coming in with different training and backgrounds, and they all think what they know is correct,” Batchelor says.

For those without a quantity surveying degree per se, obtaining RICS membership is a good way to receive more training in the field, explains his colleague Simon Millman, MRICS and Regional Director – Dubai at Faithful + Gould. But in essence, it is simply about being able to demonstrate that you have a standard, Batchelor notes.

Higher standards aren’t just beneficial for quantity surveyors; they can help governments in the region by introducing more consistency in the industry, thereby making it easier to regulate.

“We are talking to governments about a wide range of standards now, in both the real estate sector and the construction sector, and some of the problems and the lack of standards that exist across the region,” Jackson says.

“Many of them do now recognise the need for consistency in technical standards. They also recognise that there’s a need now to improve the professional standards of people working in the construction and quantity surveying professions.”

For instance, a major issue caused by the lack of standards is the absence of a uniform

Providing a one stop solution...

For all your interior fit-out needs

From individual elements of furniture to complete turnkey solutions, we have over 30 years of experience in providing a complete spectrum of services catered to Hospitality, Commercial & Residential projects.

P. O. Box 31291, Al Ghail Industrial Area, RAK, UAE Tel: + 971 7 258 9353 Fax: +971 7 258 9154 Email: info@romeo-interiors.com

www.romeo-interiors.com

SECTOR FOCUS surveyors

means of construction measurement, he notes.

Luay Azzam, executive director of construction consultancy N. E. Azzam & Partners, has first-hand experience with this. Developers and clients often have different terminology for what they consider to be the built-up area of a project, leading to disparities and potential disputes. “We deal with various clients everywhere, and every client comes up with a different method. If we have something standardised, this will create consistency,” he says.

Different measurement standards can create glaring inconsistencies, particularly in the property management sector. Research from JLL shows that a property’s floor area can deviate by up to 24% depending on the method used.

“Quite simply, the floor space of buildings is measured inconsistently in countries across the globe, so it doesn’t allow cost jurisdiction comparison. The problem with this in the Middle East is even worse, because we have professionals from every corner of the globe coming in to these markets and using their home standards.”

To tackle this recurring problem, the RICS worked with a coalition of other professional

MEconstructionnEws.com

bodies to create an International Property Measurement Standard. It was successful enough that the World Bank requested a similar standard for the construction sector to create a single and consistent means of measuring construction quantities, Jackson says.

The new standard could potentially replace the current one largely in use in the Middle East, the Principles of Measurement (International), or POMI, published by the RICS in 1979. Although used widely in the region, the POMI is a bit outdated, Azzam notes.

Van den Bergh, on the other hand, notes that the disparity in standards isn’t a huge problem currently for quantity surveyors in the UAE because POMI is fairly standardised in the country. However, he admits that the system could use some updating. “There is scope to add some additional items to POMI.” It is not a stretch of the imagination to consider the disputes that could arise as a result of discrepancies due to different standards, and this is certainly something the region needs less of at the moment. In a 2013 report, EC Harris said that the Middle East had the highest value of construction disputes by region in the

world in 2012, clocking in a total of $65 million.

Disputes also took the longest to resolve in the Middle East, taking an average of 14.6 months.

“On the property side, about 60% of the disputes that we’ve seen relating to real estate are concerning space-related disputes,” Jackson says. “The same thing applies with construction measurement standards. Every party needs to be clear about which standard they’re using [so] there’s less chance of disputes.”

Governments in the region are now taking note of the issue, Batchelor says, citing the example of the Dubai Land Department last year adopting the International Property Measurement Standards, developed by a coalition of professional bodies including the RICS. With more and more international contractors and consultants working on projects, often across national borders, this trend towards standardisation can only be good for the industry, Jackson concludes.

“It becomes much more transparent.

Particularly as we see now a lot of the work being done by international consultants and contractors, all working across jurisdictions, it just makes absolute sense.”

“very few of them can demonstrate that they can apply their knowledGe and offer advice to their clients. that to me is one of the shortcominGs across the middle east; the true value of a quantity surveyor has Been lost”

28

MIDDLE EAST

standard trend With more international contractors and consultants coming to the GCC, standardisation is becoming more prevalent.

MAY 2015

TOP 10 INFRASTRUCTURE

MEconstructionnEws.Com

1O O1 oman infrastructurE PrOJEcts

Khazzan & MaKareM Gas Fields developMent owner: Ministry of oil & Gas BudGet: $16bn proGress: EPC ContraCts

30

MIDDLE EAST

Despite the decline in global oil prices, Oman isn’t planning to cut spending on infrastructure projects, especially on those seen as vital to economic diversification

MAY 2015

BP is developing tight gas reservoirs in Block 61 and the Khazzan and Makarem gas fields that cover an area of some 2,800 sq km. The Khazzan Project has the potential to deliver up to 30% of Oman’s gas supply in 2020. The formal agreement between Oman and BP for the development of the project was ratified in February 2014. BP plans to drill around 300 wells over 15 years to deliver plateau production of 28.3Mcm/d of gas and 25,000bpd of gas condensate. So far, the company has awarded $4bn worth of contracts, including a $1.2bn engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for building the central processing facility (CPF), and two long-term drilling contracts totalling $730m.

TOP 10 INFRASTRUCTURE

oMan national railway project

duqM oil reFinery developMent project

Batinah expressway construction project

owner: oMan railway CoMPany BudGet: $15.5bn proGress: EPC staGE

owner: oMan oil CoMPany BudGet: $6bn proGress: Eoi staGE

owner: Ministry of transPort BudGet: $3.9bn proGress: work undErway

Oman’s national railway network comprises 2,244km of track with 35km of tunnels, 40km of bridges, 50 terminals and eight marshalling yards. The network, which will connect the ports of Sohar, Duqm and Salalah, will comprise a double non-electrified track carrying both freight (120km/h max speed) and passenger (220km/h max speed) traffic. Three consortia – Korea Rail Network Authority (KRNA), Técnicas Reunidas and Parsons International – have been shortlisted for the Project Management Consultancy (PMC) contract, which has yet to be awarded. ORC’s EPC tender for the 207km Phase 1 stretch between Sohar and Buraimi has attracted 18 bidders. The construction contract is expected to be awarded by mid-2015.

The project is being developed by Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Company (DRPIC), a 50:50 joint venture of Oman Oil Company and Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC). In March, Foster Wheeler was awarded the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract for project. The first phase will see the development of a 230,000bpd grassroots merchant export refinery within the Duqm Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

Designed as a full conversion refinery, the plant will use delayed coking technology for bottom-of-the-barrel processing. The second phase is being planned as an associated petrochemical complex.

One of the biggest road projects in Oman, the Batinah Expressway will act as an extension of the Muscat Expressway and run for 265km to the Oman-UAE border. To be complete by 2018, the expressway will have four lanes on each side, with 75 interchanges and tunnels.

The first 11 packages, including six main packages, have already been floated and are under various stages of planning and construction. Work has started on Packages 2, 3 and 4, while contracts are being finalised for Packages 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Parsons International and Turkey’s Bosphorous Technical Consulting Corporation (BOTEK) rendered consultancy services for the project.

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

O2 O3 O4

31

tOP 10 InFRaSTRUCTURE

MEconstructionnEws.Com

O5 O6 O7 liwa plastics project

owner: oMan oil rEfinEriEs and PEtrolEuM industriEs CoMPany BudGet: $3.6bn proGress: rfQ staGE 2

32

MIDDLE EAST

The Liwa Plastics plant will be the country’s first steam cracker, allowing it to produce a range of products and providing several opportunities for downstream industries. The client has completed the first of the two-stage prequalification process for the four EPC packages – an 859KTA steam cracker, 880KTA polymer units, a natural gas liquids (NGL) extraction unit and a 300km-long NGL pipeline.

According to Muscat Daily, the Invitation to Tender (ITT) will also be issued in two stages.

The first stage started at the end of January 2015, with the basic design engineering package information and the conditions of contract issued to the bidders. The second stage began at the end of March 2015, once the FEED was finalised.

May 2015

sohar reFinery iMproveMent project

BidBid – sur dual carriaGeway project

owner: orPiC BudGet: $2.1bn proGress: undEr ConstruCtion

owner: Ministry of transPort BudGet: $1.1bn proGress: undEr ConstruCtion

SRIP aims to overcome the existing technical constraints resulting from the change in the quality of the Oman Export Blend (OEB) and meet the increasing demand for refined products.

Sohar Refinery will add 82,000bpd to its existing capacity of 116,000bpd, taking the total capacity to 198,000bpd. The ground breaking for the project was done in June 2014. A joint venture of Petrofac and Daelim was awarded the EPC contract in November 2013. Recent developments include the appointment of Trowers & Hamlins as legal counsel to advise the consortium of 21 local and international financial institutions funding the project. In November 2014, Majis Services was awarded a contract for long-term supply of cooling seawater to the project.

The project connects the cities of Bidbid and Sur with a 247km, six-lane highway, and also includes the building of nine interchanges, two underpasses, two overpasses, associated retaining wall structures and about 171 reinforced concrete culverts. In February 2011, a joint venture of Italy’s Astaldi and Turkey’s Ozkar Insaat was awarded the $325.2m Phase 1A, while a JV of UAE’s Habtoor Leighton and Turkey’s STFA was awarded the $300m Phase 1B. Phase 2 was awarded in February 2014, with the $251m Phase 2A going to L&T Oman and local KAS Construction bagging the $233m Phase 2B. In August 2014, Hill International was awarded the Project Management Services contract.

tOP 10 InFRaSTRUCTURE

MEconstructionnEws.Com

O8 O9 1O sur steel plant project

Muscat – sohar product pipeline

owner: oMan oil CoMPany BudGet: $600M proGress: EPC award in 2015

owner: sun MEtal CastinG BudGet: $400M proGress: undErway

owner: orPiC BudGet: $300M proGress: EPC staGE

The project involves an EPC contract to build a Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) plant with capacity of 1.1MTPA and a Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plant with capacity of 500,000TPA. In December 2012, the client signed a Joint Development Agreement with South Korea’s LG International (LGI) to implement the scheme. The JV company is owned 70% by the client and 30% by LGI. Initially put on hold in 2013, the project was revived in March last year with the award of the project management contract to WorleyParsons to oversee the EPC phase. In October 2014, it was announced that the FEED was almost complete and the client was planning to tender the EPC contract at the beginning of 2015.

The project involves setting up an integrated steel mill with capacity of 2.5m t/y of liquid steel, which will be converted into finished saleable products such as TMT re-bars, low alloy rounds, carbon construction and low alloy sections. South Korea’s Posco Engineering and Construction will undertake the project planning, engineering, procurement, construction and operation and maintenance of the plant. Japan’s Sojitz Corporation has been appointed as raw material supplier and finished product offtaker.

Sojitz will also supply the plant equipment. Most of the steel products are for the domestic and Gulf market. When operational, tentatively in 2017, it will be the first non-petroleum-based industrial investment in Sur Industrial Estate.

The project involves building a new 280km product pipeline to connect refineries in Sohar and Muscat. Last month saw the signing of the EPC contract for the project between Orpic Logistics Company (OLC) – a joint venture between ORPIC and Spain’s Compañía Logística de Hidrocarburos (CLH) – and the consortium of Oman’s Gulf Petrochemical Services (GPS) and Spain’s Abantia and Diseprosa. The financing agreement, which will cover 70% of the project value, has been given to Ahli Bank and Ahli United Bank (AUB). The construction of the pipeline and oil tanks facility will start in the first quarter of 2015, and the project is due to be commissioned in the second quarter of 2017. The pipeline is expected to reduce heavy fuel-tank truck traffic in Muscat by 70%.

MIDDLE EAST

34

pta & pet coMplex project – sohar port

May 2015

LIFTING ON TO THE FUTURE

Excellent reliability, durability, stability, and operability cultivated by Toyota – the 8 Series has all this, and can enhance efficiency at your worksite.

Call 8002444400

COMMENT Craig gibson

MEconstructionnEws.Com

craig gibson

And then she asked him to explain what he wanted...

It’s a conundrum so many construction professionals have faced. How do we demonstrate disruption, and how do we value it? Craig Gibson explains

F

38

MIDDLE EAST

“To succeed aT arbiTraTion, a global claim musT demonsTraTe ThaT iT is noT possible To disenTangle cause and effecT and This is Therefore a lasT resorT To demonsTraTe loss”

MAY 2015

irst of all, remember that delay and disruption are not the same thing.

Disruption is the effect an event (or a number of events) has on the efficiency and productivity of a project. Delay and disruption events can be very similar in nature, such as late design information or uncoordinated drawings, but they are not the same.

There are two kinds of disruption claim.

The simplest is when a non-critical activity is disrupted, so the activity takes longer, but float time means the project is not critically delayed.

The lack of efficiency in completing the activity leads to a greater cost, but because time is not critical, there is no delay and the contractor is not entitled to an extension of time.

A more complex predicament is when cumulative and extensive disruption leads to what may previously have been a non-critical activity becoming critical, resulting in delay and prolongation of the time for completion.

In this event, the contractor is entitled to an extension of time, and the demonstrable prolongation costs associated with it.

As disruption does not always delay the time for completion, its assessment is not as simple as prolonging the particular activity, as contractors often claim (as they would for a delay claim).

So how doeS he explain what he wantS?

A contractor normally pursues a disruption claim based on impeded efficiency, loss of labour productivity and the uneconomic use of equipment. The problem is that these aspects are often extremely difficult to assess, because they are reliant upon comprehensive

records, not only the records kept through the execution of the work but also the records used when tendering for the project.

The contractor needs to demonstrate his pre-contract calculations of the anticipated productivity for labour, plant and so on were reasonably accurate. The reason this is so important is because the only way to prove disruption is by comparing the anticipated figures with those actually achieved.

A strong disruption claim requires the following prerequisites: i. Analysis of the activities that suffered disruption. Simply saying it was, doesn’t make it so; ii. Establishing the cause and effect of the disruption; iii. Reasonable evidence that the disrupted activities planned in the tender were correct, including the anticipated output, resources and time to complete; iv. Sufficient calculation of how and why the impacted activities suffered disruption through inefficiency; v. Demonstration that the duration logged on labour and plant time sheets matched what really happened on-site.

RecoRdS, RecoRdS, RecoRdS…

If the contractor has accurate records available, he can readily calculate the cost of disruption by simply subtracting the number of hours his tender anticipated from the number of hours actually worked, then multiplying the result by the cost of the particular resources disrupted per hour.

Nevertheless, and as per (iii) above, the contractor should also be able to demonstrate clearly that the number of hours originally

COMMENT Craig gibson

anticipated were realistic and that he has tried to mitigate the effects of the disrupting events.

In the event the contractor doesn’t have such sufficient records throughout the project, he may look to support his claim for disruption by comparing work performed in one particular period that was adversely affected by events, evidently resulting in a loss of productivity and efficiency.

The contractor would need to have similarly accurate records as those referred to above for his disruption claim to be credible. However, if he is in the midst of a project that historically has not kept sufficiently good records, a special effort could be made to improve the records and focus his claim on that period. acceleRation?

When acceleration of the progress of the works is required, the cost may include the expense of: a) Working additional hours; b) Providing additional labour; c) Providing additional or different equipment; d) Advancing the date of delivery of manufactured elements; The claim that the contractor will likely suffer disruption as a result of accelerating his work through loss of productivity due to the dilution of supervision (more labourers per supervisor), and the lack of sufficient detailed design information to support the accelerated work – as per (ii) and (iv) above – needs to be supported by calculations.

At project level, many prolongation and disruption claims are presented as an allencompassing global claim for commercial / resource reasons. However, that is unadvisable if the claim goes so far as arbitration. To succeed at arbitration, a global claim must demonstrate that it is not possible to disentangle cause and effect and this is therefore a last resort to demonstrate loss: the risk with this is that if the contractor doesn’t push the tipping point of probability in his favour, he risks all of his claim falling away.

As for the conundrum: the better you know your subject, the happier you’ll be with the result. n Craig Gibson works with Omnium International. He is dual-qualified in law and quantity surveying amd is a chartered surveyor with experience of ICC and DIFC arbitrations and a passion for simplifying construction, commerce and conflict.

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

Keeping record Contractors should keep accurate records to accurately calculate the costs of disruption.

39

INDUSTRY EVENT BPME GOLF DAY

MECONSTRUCTIONNEWS.cOM

HoT sHoTs The participants gather for a group photo before teeing off at Emirates Golf Club.

INDUSTRY EVENT BIG PROJECT ME COnTRaCTORs CuP 2015 Big Project Me Brought the contracting industry together to coMPete for the contractors cuP 2015 at the eMirates golf cluB on aPril 8, 2015 On April 8, 2015, Big Project ME held its annual Golf Day at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai. The second Contractors Cup saw the GCC’s leading contractors return to the Faldo Course for a day of fun-filled competition.

Following the success of last year’s event, 2015 saw a record number of registrations and expressions of interest from the regional construction industry. However, due to high demand and limited spaces, a final list of 72 players was selected, with priority awarded to senior executives.

The event this year included a number of new faces, which helped mix up the teams and add fresh competition for the top three spots. As well

as participants from sponsor companies, the cup saw general managers, directors, presidents and other senior figures from companies such as AlEC, TAV Construction, Arabtec, Alemco and Brookfield Multiplex take part, among many more firms.

“As always, without our sponsors these golf days would not be possible, so on behalf of myself and Cpi Media Group, many thanks for your continued support and we look forward to welcoming consultants and architects to the course on 29 October,” said Michael Stansfield, commercial director for Big Project ME, during the awards dinner after the competition. participants were split into teams of four, with the top spots taken by the following:

40

MIDDLE EAST

THANK YO U TO ALL O UR sp O NsO Rs

MAY 2015

1st place: rory Binder, Hentie Burger Jnr, Hentie Burger Snr and Graham Braybrooke 2nd place: Andrew phillips, Alan Humphrey, Steve lankester and Tom Bower 3rd place: Toby Hall, Chris Smerdon, Des Hennessey and Steve Higson in addition to the trophy and certificates, the podium placers also received gifts and vouchers celebrating their achievements. The first-placed team received vouchers worth AED1,000 each for rounds of golf and golf equipment and apparel from Emirates Golf Club. The second place team each received vouchers worth AED400 for dinner at The Meat Company. Third place got a rAZr golf shoe bag each from proGolf.

INDUSTRY EVENT BPME GOLF DAY

“YET aNoTHEr wEllorgaNisEd EVENT bY big ProjEcT ME. THorougHlY ENjoYablE aNd dEligHTEd THaT alEMco wErE iNViTEd To TakE ParT” roBert Mcdonnell, aleMco

“YET aNoTHEr grEaT golf daY PuT oN bY big ProjEcT ME! as alwaYs, THE daY was THorougHlY ENjoYEd bY all aNd ProVidEd a grEaT NETworkiNg oPPorTuNiTY for PEoPlE associaTEd wiTH THE coNsTrucTioN iNdusTrY”

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

PatricK coPe, coins Middle east

41

INDUSTRY EVENT BPME GOLF DAY

Other prizes were also handed out to participants for the following categories: nearest to the pin and longest Drive. Des Hennessey and Graham Braybrooke were the respective winners. They each received a complimentary Friday brunch for two people at le Classique.

Geberit kicked off the sponsors’ competitions by challenging players on the driving range to hit their pipe display to win a prize. There were quite a few winners, which was a promising start, considering players were only practising their swings at this stage.

CCS, sponsors of the Contractors Cup, also held a bowl competition for participants to guess the total number of tees. With a correct guess of 485, Tom Gilmartin and Tamir Mohamed took home this prize.

Sponsors Genavco also held a prize draw, which saw Fatih Bozkurt and Andrew phillips take home special prizes on the night. “i would like to thank the team for organising a great golf day enjoyed by all. These days are much appreciated by the construction community who play golf and enjoy the social atmosphere at the 19th hole,” said Des Hennessey of Des Hennessey llC. Big Project ME would like to offer a special thank you to our partners – CCS, Coins, Geberit, Hill international, Genavco & liebherr, Mouchel and WSp parsons Brinckerhoff – for their support of this year’s event.

Finally, thanks are due to The Meat Company and le Classique, who provided prizes for the winners of 2nd place, nearest to the pin and longest Drive. “it was a wonderful day of golf, meeting and connecting with construction industry professionals in a relaxed and fun environment. Thank you to Big Project ME, all the sponsors and Emirates Golf Club for a great day!” Carl Wamsley of AlEC told organisers at the end of the day’s events.

CONGRATULATIONS the 2015 winners of the Big Project Me contractors cup were:

n 1st place: Rory Binder, Hentie Burger Jnr, Hentie Burger Snr and Graham Braybrooke

n 2nd place: Andrew Phillips, Alan Humphrey, Steve Lankester and Tom Bower

n 3rd place: Toby Hall, Chris Smerdon,

42

MIDDLE EAST

Des Hennessey and Steve Higson

MAY 2015

MECONSTRUCTIONNEWS.cOM

“THE big ProjEcT golf daY ProVidEd a grEaT oPPorTuNiTY To MEET wiTH MaNY PEoPlE across our iNdusTrY, as wEll as PlaYiNg soME fairlY aVEragE golf oN a suPErb golf coursE! rEallY wEll orgaNisEd aNd THorougHlY ENjoYablE – THaNk You To all iNVolVEd” toM BoWer, WsP Parsons BrincKerhoff

COMMENT GILES PERKINS

GILES PERKINS

What is the future for our cities?

It can be argued that transportation is the lifeblood of any city – a vibrant economy depends on the efficient movement of people, goods and data.

Giles Perkins, Business Development Director, Intelligent Transport, Mouchel explains

Transportation will be viewed, even more than ever, as an essential utility driver for economic activity and growth. Innovation and technology will underpin an integrated and symbiotic network, operationally resilient, invisibly maintained, meeting evolving need and aspiration and connecting people, places and activities.

Our personal transportation agendas will soon become even more complex as vehicles become more efficient, connected, shared and autonomous.

Given the need for economically successful, attractive places to live, work and play, perhaps today’s consideration should be “what does transportation look like in a connected, smart city”?

We all want an easily accessible, integrated, multi-modal transport network. Travel will be cashless, streamlining operations, improving flow and reducing journey times.

Customers will use real-time and predictive personal travel information to be financially rewarded for their behavioural decisions Reduced congestion, improved safety, improved accessibility and reduced environmental impact will allow for the reallocation of city space to the more productive functions of commerce, retail, leisure, health and education

providing a real sense of place and well-being.

Establishing carefully thought out criteria for vehicles entering our towns and cities will help, in part to realise such changes.

Perhaps the time is right to consider urban performance holistically with transportation, economy, place, health and social wellbeing all contributing to success. Where success is measured in terms of happiness as well as financially. The next 20-30 years will be a journey of collaboration to deliver transportation to fit for all our futures.

At Mouchel, we recognise that things move quickly and, in order to develop efficient services and solutions which meet client needs and are fit for the future, we invest heavily in innovation. We are continually developing new approaches, solutions and partnerships using our knowledge and experience from the construction, technology, utilities and IT sectors.

We are leaders in the field of ITS and whether clients need assistance solving specific challenges, realising aspirations or improving the efficiency of networks, we can help to develop robust, value-for-money solutions. n Giles Perkins is Business Development Director, Intelligent Transport at Mouchel.

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

A

ccording to the World Health Organisation, 2 in 10 people lived in urban areas 100 years ago, this rose to over half by 2010 and by 2050 it is anticipated that 7 out of 10 will live in dense urban areas.

With such growth anticipated, how can the quality of life be protected and enhanced from an environmental, social and health point of view.

Different modes of transport have the ability to benefit or harm these factors as well as playing a vital role in economic competitiveness and success at local, national and global levels.

There are also significant challenges in the movement of people and goods (particularly food) and the management of water, energy and information that need to be addressed if economic prosperity, social cohesion and improved environment are to be enjoyed.

What is clear is the role technology plays in our everyday – smart phones, smart ticketing, smart meters and even smart highways are essential features of our lives. These ‘smarts’ all play a major role in the connected, intelligent mobility agenda, providing networks with extra capacity, improving reliability and giving us more information ‘any time, any place, anywhere’.

Therefore there will be a future need for large investment in technology to keep us moving.

43

COMMENT martin haagen

meconstructionnews.com

martin haagen

The opportunities of solar thermal energy in the Emirates Martin Haagen of Industrial Solar Thermal Solutions writes that the ongoing economic growth in the UAE has opened up new avenues for solar thermal energy

W

ith the ongoing economic growth of the United Arab Emirates, energy demand in the UAE continues to rise. Due to the challenges associated with the combustion of fossil fuels and in order to save resources for more productive uses in the industry, the UAE has already undertaken substantial steps to support energy efficiency and the development of renewable energies. They host some of the most exciting solar projects, such as the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, where more than 1,000MW of solar electric capacity power will be installed.

While renewable power generation is increasing in the UAE, solar heat supply still only plays a marginal role despite its large potential. The increase of industrial production in the Emirates provides particularly great opportunities for use of solar thermal energy.

Within industry, approximately 2/3 of the energy is needed for process heating. The petro-chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries in particular mostly need heat at below 400°C, which can be supplied by the sun.

Industrial Solar has developed a collector optimised for solar process heating. Its Fresnel collector is a linear concentrating solar collector. Incoming sunlight is focused

44

MIDDLE EAST

“for companies using oil for their heat supply solar process, heating is an attractive opportunity to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel supply”

MAY 2015

by uniaxially tracked mirrors on a central absorber tube which is installed on top of the collectors. Through the absorber tube, a heat transfer fluid (water, thermal oil or steam) is circulated and provides heat of up to 400°C. Due to its design, the collector can be installed on roof tops and easily be integrated in existing hydraulic networks. As the solar collectors run parallel to an existing heat supply, reliability is guaranteed. In various installations in the Gulf, the collector already has proven its suitability for the harsh environmental conditions of the Emirates.

At the same time, the collector can also be used to power thermally-driven chillers. This is an attractive opportunity to cut peak demand.

Last year, Industrial Solar commissioned a 500sqm solar collector with 272kW capacity at MTN, a major telecommunication company in South Africa. The heat is used to drive a doubleeffect absorption chiller which cools one of MTN's data centres. In South Africa, where blackouts are common, absorption chillers reduce peak demand in summer and thereby contribute to the stability of the electric grid.

Another project is currently under construction. RAM Pharma, a pharmaceutical company in Jordan, has installed an industrial solar Fresnel collector with a total aperture area of 400sqm and a capacity of 230kW. The collector will generate steam for the manufacturing processes and will operate in parallel to an existing diesel-fired steam boiler.

Within the UAE, there are various interesting applications for large solar thermal systems.

With the ongoing growth and diversification of the industry, energy consumption continues to rise. Within the petrochemical sector, particularly in refining, there is substantial

COMMENT martin haagen

solar system Industrial Solar recently commissioned its latest solar process heat system in Jordan.

for solar thermal cooling. A nice side effect is that the solar collectors already shade the building and thereby reduce the cold demand.

Hospitals and hotels, with substantial demand for both heating (e.g. laundries) and cooling, also provide an attractive opportunity.

Already today, for companies using

oil for their heat supply, solar process heating is an attractive opportunity to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. n For feedback on his articles and for enquiries, Martin Haagen can be reached at: martin.haagen@industrial-solar.de

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

heat demand. When these processes are powered by the abundant sunshine, scarce resources become available for export.

In respect to solar cooling, there are various interesting opportunities. While skyscrapers, with marginal roof space, are not suitable, larger commercial centres are rather attractive

45

TENDERS

MEconstructionnEws.com

tOP teNdeRS

Housing, Female Housing, Model Schools, Academic units and external works PerIod 2018 stAtus Current Project

Project kiNg abDullah sPecialist chilDreN hosPital Budget $500,000,000 Project Number WPR604-SA reGIoN Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia clIeNt National guards Health Affairs

clIeNt department of transport (Abu dhabi) Address C2 towers, 6-11th Floors,

Project Dubai Wharf Project – culture Village Budget $220,000,000 Project Number WPR466-u reGIoN dubai, united Arab emirates clIeNt dubai Properties Address Bldg. No. 15, dubai Internet City PostAl/ZIP code 500424 PhoNe (+971-4) 391 1114 emAIl info@businessbay.ae WebsIte www.dubai-properties.ae descrIPtIoN Construction of four towers comprising 582 residential units, 150 retail units and dining units, as well as 2,080 car parking spaces at basement level PerIod 2017 stAtus Current Project

Bainunah Street, Al Bateen PostAl/ZIP code 20 PhoNe (+971-2) 656 6666 emAIl info@dot.abudhabi.ae WebsIte www.dot.abudhabi.ae descrIPtIoN Construction of a 13-kilometre railway line comprising 21 stations PerIod 2018 stAtus New tender

Project acaDemic suPPort facilities – sabah al-salem uNiVersity city Budget $463,000,000

Project abu Dhabi light rail NetWork – Phase 1b (greeN liNe) Budget $300,000,000 Project Number WPR582-u reGIoN Abu dhabi, united Arab emirates

Project Number WPR594-K reGIoN Safat, Kuwait clIeNt Kuwait university Address Building 119, 1st Floor, Khalidiyah PostAl/ZIP code 5969 PhoNe (+965) 2498 4271 emAIl info@kuniv.edu WebsIte www.kuniv.edu descrIPtIoN Construction of Academic Support Facilities (ACF) comprising 27 unit buildings, an Administrative Staff Club, Male

directorate (Saudi Arabia) Address King Abdulaziz Medical City PostAl/ZIP code 22490 PhoNe (+966-1) 252 0088 WebsIte www.ngha.med.sa descrIPtIoN Construction of a hospital building comprising a ground floor and 12 additional floors offering 350 beds PerIod 2016 stAtus Current Project

Project sur steel PlaNt Project Budget $400,000,000 Project Number MPP342-O reGIoN Oman clIeNt Sun Metal Casting LLC (Ajman) Address New Industrial Area, Ajman PostAl/ZIP code 3787 PhoNe (+971-6) 743 1042 emAIl off@sunmetalgroup.ae WebsIte www.sunmetalgroup.com descrIPtIoN engineering, procurement and construction (ePC) contract to build an integrated steel mill with capacity of 2.5 million tonnes a year (t/y) of liquid steel, which will be converted into finished saleable products such as tMt re-bars, low alloy rounds, carbon construction and low alloy sections, and stainless steel seamless pipes PerIod 2018 stAtus Current Project

INTEGRATED ESTIMATING, PROJECT CONTROL AND ERP SOLUTION FOR CONTRACTORS

46

MIDDLE EAST

www.ccsgulf.com | Tel: +971 4 346 6456 | info@ccsgulf.com

MAY 2015

Presents

2015 Seminar on Energy Efficiency & Energy Management 24 May 2015  Habtoor Grand Beach Resort Dubai Marina, UAE As the UAE continues to move towards a sustainable country, what initiatives in energy efficiency are being undertaken including the harnessing of renewable energy? And how is this being effectively managed?

At the Infrastructure Middle East Seminar panels of speakers will be discussing RETAIL Building automation developments Innovations in technology Laws and scope for amendment Campaigns and initiatives Improving air quality Energy Saving case studies

HOSPITALITY Building Management Systems Energy saving through sensor technology and smart metering Controlled room automation Energy efficient lighting Energy saving case studies

ROOF TOP SOLAR The economics of rooftop solar Structural considerations Getting all stakeholders on-board Typical efficiency for panels

To register, go to: www.cpi-industry.com/events/infrastructureme/ FOR SPOnSORSHIP OPPORTunITIES PLEASE cOnTAcT Jude Slann, Commercial Director // jude.slann@cpimediagroup.com // +971 50 4563924

SponSored by

ASSociAtion pArtnerS

mediA pArtner

M

‫ﺟﻤﻌﻴﺔ اﻟﺸﺮق اﻻوﺳﻂ ﻟﺼﻨﺎﻋﺎت اﻟﻄﺎﻗﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﺴﻴﺔ‬

Middle East Solar Industry Association

Empowering Solar across the Middle East

orgAniSed by

TENDERS

MEconstructionnEws.com

miDDle east teNdeRS sPoNsored by

ProVIded by

tel +9712-6348495 Web www.middleeasttenders.com email sales@middleeasttenders.com

tel +9714 346 6456 Web www.ccsgulf.com email info@ccsgulf.com

uAe durAr 2 hotel APArtmeNts Project – jumeIrAh VIllAGe south

budGet $55,000,000 Project Number WPR580-u reGIoN dubai, uAe clIeNt durar Al emarat Properties LLC (dubai) Address Office No. 118, Bldg.

No. 4, eMAAR gold & diamond Park, Sheikh Zayed Road PostAl/ZIP code 181501 PhoNe (+971-4) 341 8558 FAx (+971-4) 341 8668 emAIl info@durar.ae WebsIte www.durar.ae descrIPtIoN Construction of a hotel apartments building comprising 3 basements, a ground floor and 19 upper floors stAtus New tender teNder cAteGorIes Hotels, Leisure & entertainment, Prestige Buildings teNder Products Hotel Construction, Residential Buildings

Abu dhAbI scIeNce ceNtre Project – mAsdAr cIty

budGet $30,000,000 Project Number WPR579-u

reGIoN Abu dhabi, uAe clIeNt technology development Committee (Abu dhabi) PostAl/ZIP code 131304 PhoNe (+971-2) 651 1200 FAx (+971-2) 651 1201 WebsIte www.tdc.gov.ae descrIPtIoN development of a 6,500 square metre state-of-theart Science Centre featuring an interactive outdoor space and seven galleries with over 200 handson exhibits, a planetarium and a robust programme of informal science education activities PerIod 2016 stAtus New tender teNder cAteGorIes Construction &

Contracting, education & training, Leisure & entertainment teNder Products educational developments, Museums/Art galleries

QAtAr NeW dohA Zoo Project

budGet $63,000,000 Project Number MPP2846-Q reGIoN doha, Qatar clIeNt Public Works Authority - ASHgHAL (Qatar) Address Al Faisal tower, Al

Corniche Street, dafna PostAl/ZIP code 22188 PhoNe (+974) 4495 0077 FAx (+974) 4495 0777 emAIl contracts@ashghal.gov.qa WebsIte www.ashghal.gov.qa descrIPtIoN Construction of a new zoo, covering an area of 750,000 square metres PerIod 2017 stAtus New tender teNder cAteGorIes Construction & Contracting, Leisure & entertainment teNder Products Construction & Addition Works, theme Parks development

INTEGRATED ESTIMATING, PROJECT CONTROL AND ERP SOLUTION FOR CONTRACTORS

48

MIDDLE EAST

www.ccsgulf.com | Tel: +971 4 346 6456 | info@ccsgulf.com

MAY 2015

TENDERS

sAudI ArAbIA desAlINAtIoN PlANt Project – jIZAN ecoNomIc cIty

INdustrIAl WAste WAter treAtmeNt PlANt Project – jIZAN ecoNomIc cIty

Project Number MPP2964-SA reGIoN dhahran 31311, KSA clIeNt Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco)

PostAl/ZIP code 5000 PhoNe (+966-13) 872 0115 FAx (+966-13) 873 8190 WebsIte www.aramco.com descrIPtIoN Construction of an industrial waste water treatment plant with capacity of 40,000 cubic metres a day stAtus New tender teNder cAteGorIes Industrial & Special Projects, Sewerage & drainage teNder Products Waste Water Network & treatment Plants

KuWAIt Al KhIrAN mIxed-use deVeloPmeNt Project

budGet $700,000,000 Project Number NPR045-K reGIoN Safat 13079, Kuwait clIeNt tamdeen Real estate Company (Kuwait) Address Souk Al-Kuwait PostAl/ZIP code 21816 PhoNe (+965) 246 8881 FAx (+965) 246 8882 WebsIte www.tamdeenrealestate.com descrIPtIoN development of a mixed-use scheme comprising a shopping mall, two freehold residential towers, a serviced apartment building and an upscale hotel PerIod 2019 stAtus New tender teNder cAteGorIes Construction & Contracting, Hotels, Leisure & entertainment, Marine engineering Works & Seaports, Prestige Buildings teNder Products Commercial

Buildings, High-rise towers, Hotel Construction, Marina development, Residential Buildings, Retail developments

bAhrAIN rAs Al bArr resort deVeloPmeNt Project

Project Number WPR572-B reGIoN Manama, Bahrain clIeNt Kuwait Finance House – KFH (Bahrain) PostAl/ZIP code 2066 PhoNe (+973) 1722 1666 FAx (+973) 1722 8666 WebsIte www.kfh.com descrIPtIoN development of a resort, which will be spread over several islands housing theme hotels, resorts and souqs, residential units, schools, parklands, public waterfront and sports facilities stAtus New tender teNder cAteGorIes Construction & Contracting, education & training,

INTEGRATED ESTIMATING, PROJECT CONTROL AND ERP SOLUTION FOR CONTRACTORS www.ccsgulf.com | Tel: +971 4 346 6456 | info@ccsgulf.com

MAY 2015

MIDDLE EAST

Project Number MPP2967-SA reGIoN dhahran 31311, KSA clIeNt Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) PostAl/ZIP code 5000 PhoNe (+966-13) 872 0115 FAx (+966-13) 873 8190 WebsIte www.aramco.com descrIPtIoN design-and-Build contract for the construction of a reverse osmosis desalination plant with capacity of 55,000 cubic metres a day stAtus New tender teNder cAteGorIes Water Works teNder Products Water desalination Plants

49

TENDERS

Hotels, Leisure & entertainment, Marine eng. Works & Seaports teNder Products educational developments, Hotel Construction, Marina development

omAN boutIQue hotel Project – sArAyA bANdAr jIssAh

budGet $55,000,000 Project Number WPR598-O reGIoN Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Oman clIeNt Saraya Bandar Jissah (Oman) PostAl/ZIP code 605 PhoNe (+968) 2464 0000 FAx (+968) 2469 8988 emAIl info@sarayabandarjissah.com WebsIte www.sarayabandar

MEconstructionnEws.com

jissah.com descrIPtIoN Construction of a 5-star hotel comprising 106 rooms PerIod 2017 stAtus Current Project teNder cAteGorIes Construction & Contracting, Hotels teNder Products Hotel Construction

eGyPt cAIro metro Project – lINe 3 – PhAse 4

Project Number MPP2682-e reGIoN Cairo 11794, egypt clIeNt National Authority for tunnels (egypt) Address Ramses Building, Ramses Square PostAl/ZIP code 466

PhoNe (+20-2) 3574 2968 FAx (+20-2) 3574 2950 emAIl infoc@nategypt.org WebsIte www.nategypt.org descrIPtIoN Construction of a

metro line spanning 15 kilometres stAtus Current Project teNder cAteGorIes Public transportation Projects teNder Products Metro, Railways

IrAQ bAZyAN IPP

Project Number MPP2952-IQ reGIoN erbil, Iraq clIeNt Qaiwan group (Iraq) Address 4th Floor, Sulaymaniyah Mall PhoNe (+964-53) 319 0248 emAIl contact@qaiwangroup.com WebsIte www.qaiwangroup.com descrIPtIoN Construction of a simple-cycle Independent Power Project (IPP) with capacity of 750MW PerIod 2016 stAtus Current Project teNder cAteGorIes Power & Alternative energy teNder Products Independent Power Plants (IPP)

INTEGRATED ESTIMATING, PROJECT CONTROL AND ERP SOLUTION FOR CONTRACTORS

50

MIDDLE EAST

www.ccsgulf.com | Tel: +971 4 346 6456 | info@ccsgulf.com

MAY 2015

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

MEconstructionnEws.CoM

Walied abdeldayem

See you in court?

Walied Abdeldayem explains why uae courts should fully recognise quantum and delay analysis experts

52

MIDDLE EAST

CommerCial disputes heard by the uae courts are generally conducted with an exchange of written submissions without oral advocacy or witness examination. the uae courts are empowered to appoint one or more experts to give an opinion on any of the issues in dispute. should the court decide to appoint an expert, the court must determine the issues for which it requires assistance and define the expert’s assignment, as per Federal law No. 10. typically, the court appoints an expert registered in the list of experts maintained by the ministry of Justice. the court expert is expected to embark on a fact-finding mission and is empowered to visit governmental and non-governmental entities to obtain relevant information. this function of the court-appointed expert is rather different from what may be expected from a partyappointed expert in arbitration or litigation. in the uae, the court expert invites the parties for a first meeting to discuss the case, hear their positions and so on. the expert manages the meeting, which often exposes

MAY 2015

them to legal arguments and tactics which may present a real challenge for the court expert. in contrast, the party-appointed expert’s interface is mainly with the lawyers who instructed him and he or she is therefore somewhat shielded from legal battles between the parties. the Cabinet’s decree No. 6 provides a list of the professions and specialisations which are recognised by the ministry of Justice under which experts can register in the list of experts. surprisingly, the ministry does not recognise the quantum or delay analysis categories within these specialisations. this does not mean that there are no quantum or delay analysis experts qualified in the list of experts, rather that these two specialisations are not distinguished in their own right and therefore the court may not necessarily consider these specialisations when making an appointment.

For parties in construction disputes – who perhaps are used to referring their disputes to arbitration where they can select their own experts – enduring a situation where their dispute is referred to court may be

very worrying. Clearly it represents serious risk and uncertainty for the parties, who have not only surrendered the control of arbitration but are also unlikely to know the capabilities of the court expert in the two areas of specialisation they need most. parties may, however, separately appoint experts at their own expense. a party’s own expert in this setting would not give opinion/ evidence before the court; rather, their main role is to prepare a report for the consideration of the court’s appointed expert. this option is very practical, and vital in some instances. the party’s own expert can narrow the issues and ensure that the court’s expert has the relevant information, especially if they are able to conduct objective discussions. this practice, of course, adds to the cost of litigation and can lead to procedural delays, which is precisely the opposite of the intention of having a court-appointed expert. in my opinion, a more efficient and cost-effective solution would be for the courts to recognise these specialisations and allow quantum and delay analysis experts to register in the ministry list.

Walied Abdeldayem is a delay expert and an expert witness for Diales.

CONSTRUCTION AND SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE NOVEMBER 24, 2015 JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS, DUBAI www.bigprojectmeawards.com

AWARDS 2015

THE INDUSTRY EVENT

THAT IS GROWING EVERY YEAR REcogNISINg INDUSTRY ExcEllENcE

GOLD SPONSORS

FOR AWARD NOMINATION ENQUIRIES

FOR TABLE BOOKING & SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

GAVIN DAVIDS EDITOR +971 4 375 5480 GAVIN.DAVIDS@CPIMEDIAGROUP.COM

RA Z ISL A M PUBLISHING DIRECTOR +971 4 375 5471 RA Z.ISL A M@CPIMEDIAGROUP.COM

SILvER SPONSOR

SUPPORTING PARTNERS

CATEGORY SPONSORS

1

22 33 4 55