Big Project ME Concrete Supplement 2013

POURING OVER AN INDUSTRY BIG PROJECT ME CONCRETE SUPPLEMENT 2013

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CONTENTS

EDITOR’S COMMENT The first half of the year was an incredible six months for the GCC construction market, with a total of $67 billion worth of new contracts awarded, a 19% increase from the same period in 2012.

CONTENTS

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Despite the resurgence in the UAE and the continued growth of the Saudi Arabian market, it was Qatar that led the way with $15.9 billion in deals signed in H1.

CONCRETE UNDER PRESSURE Big Project ME looks at how companies are adapting to the changing demand of the market.

The massive 230% increase from the second period of last year is indicative of the major role that Qatar is set to play in the regional construction market.

What this means for the regional concrete market is easy to guess. There’s big business to be had and it’s no wonder that suppliers are gearing up for a massive increase in demand. It is forecast that the GCC demand for concrete will reach as much as $49 billion within the next two years.

THE RIGHT STUFF

TRUE TO FORM

Leading this demand is the massive market of Saudi Arabia, where one million homes are set to be built by 2015, along with massive infrastructure projects, which include hospitals, schools and transportation projects.

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So heavy is the demand in the Kingdom, local suppliers have long struggled to keep pace, as has been well documented.

There’s clearly huge potential and opportunities for the region’s concrete suppliers, from ready-mix to precast and everything in between.

However, concerns remain about regulating this supply and making sure it measures up to international standards on all levels, from green building to safety. There’s still much to be done, but it’s heartening to see suppliers here taking the initiative and leading the industry towards this change.

Big Project ME hopes this concrete supplement will provide some hard facts to the industry and allow you to make better and informed decisions as the pace of construction picks up across the GCC. Gavin Davids, Deputy Editor

Dominic De SouSa

GrOuP COO

naDeem HooD

ManaGinG DireCtOr

RicHaRD JuDD

eDiToRiaL GrOuP eDitOr STepHen wHiTe stephen.white@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5477 DePuty eDitOr GaVin DaViDS gavin.davids@cpimediagroup.com +971 375 5480 rePOrter neHa BHaTiS +971 4 440 9118

COMMerCial DireCtOr micHaeL STanSFieLD michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5497

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PUMPED-UP TRUCKS

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ON A STRONG FOUNDATION sales DireCtOr caRLo meneZeS carlo.menezes@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9151 MarKetinG ManaGer caRoLe mccaRTHY carole.mccarthy@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5498 DeSiGn seniOr GraPhiC DesiGner ReBecca Teece JuniOr GraPhiC DesiGner peRciVaL manaLaYSaY

maRKeTinG & aDVeRTiSinG PublishinG DireCtOr RaZ iSLam raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5471

THE HARD FACTS

ciRcuLaTion & pRoDucTion Database anD CirCulatiOn ManaGer RaJeeSH m rajeesh.nair@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9147

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COMMENT

MACRO THINKING

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PrODuCtiOn ManaGer JameS p THaRian james.tharian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9146

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Big Project ME speaks to UAE based ready-mix suppliers to examine how the surge of construction is likely to impact them. Gavin Davids reports

“WhEN WE TaLk abOUT ThE REadyMix bUSiNESS, ThiS iS ONE fiELd WhERE i bELiEvE, Sad TO Say, ThE iNdUSTRy dOESN’T havE ThE baCkbONE OR ThE gUTS TO STaNd UP aNd Say ‘ThiS iS My COST aNd ThiS iS hOW i CaN SELL”

of slowing down over the next few years, with the demand for concrete following a similar path.

Experts have predicted that Qatar and Kuwait will also represent big business for the sector, however the current focus remains on the Kingdom and the UAE. However, this increased demand poses its own challenges and intensifies the pressures on concrete suppliers.

E R Menon, the managing director of Emirates Beton Readymix, a Dubai-based ready-mix concrete manufacturer, says that the last four or five years have been especially challenging for his sector, given the impact of the collapse of the real estate bubble.

“As Emirates Beton, we’ve been in the market since 2008. So you can say that we started; and then the recession hit. So we had a very tough time, being a new company with a lot of overheads and so on. Considering the boom that was going on in 2007 and 2008, we had started the company with a size which was adequate, or big enough to cater to that market,” he relates to Big Project ME. Having been forced to tighten belts and ride out the crisis, Menon says that having a core customer base and a reputation for quality helped ensure his company’s survival during the lean years.

“In this company, we have some captive volume, some captive business,

Size of the concrete mArket n total value of GCC demand: $49 billion

n Value of KSA demand: $30.5 billion

n Value of UAe demand: $4 billion

iN ThE Mix The boom at the end of the last decade brought many new companies into the market.

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s the pace of construction in the GCC accelerates while infrastructure development and expansion projects take shape, it is easy to see why there is a sense of renewed optimism around the various supplier sectors that make up the construction industry.

One vital supply line that is poised to see a surge in demand is the concrete sector, which is forecasted to reach $49 billion worth of demand within the GCC over the next two years. Leading the charge is Saudi Arabia, with more than $30.5 billion of concrete forecasted to be needed from 2014 to 2015.

Coming in second is the UAE, with $4 billion in demand forecasted, a reflection of the country’s further advanced infrastructure development. Overall, the GCC construction sector shows no sign

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Saudi concrete demand n KSA population:28 million

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“Consultants Come to us in the early stages when they’re planning and we show them the best way of doing it, formulate the speCifiCations”

n Housing units to be built by 2015: 1 million

n Amount of concrete used in 2008: 30Mt

n Amount of concrete used in 2009: 37Mt

n Amount of concrete used in 2010: 45Mt

n Estimated number of ready-mix concrete companies in KSA: 350

n Projected amount of

concrete required in KSA: 190Mm3

Source: Global Cement

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on a roll Demand is recovering after a difficult few years.

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so we’ve been able to stand up and tide through this crisis. We had the best projects over the last four or five years which were running in Dubai. We’ve done the majority of the towers that have come up in Business Bay. There are some multinational companies who give all their work to us, like Brookfield Multiplex, so we’ve been able to ride through 2011 and 2012 – which were very bad,” he adds.

Now that normality is returning to the UAE’s construction sector, Menon says that there needs to be a change in the way the construction industry perceives the ready-mix concrete industry.

“I believe, the ready-mix business is one field where, sad to say, the industry doesn’t have the backbone or the guts to stand up and say ‘this is my cost and this is how I can sell’,” he laments.

“There are many people in the industry who are not professional and who’ll just look at this business and think you can buy some trucks and pumps and laugh all the way to the bank. We tried to get the Dubai Economic Department to exercise some control over the issuing of new

licenses, but we didn’t succeed because we were told that this is a decision that should come from the federal government.”

“As far as the UAE government is concerned, it’s a free economy and it’s a free country for business. Not like Oman or something, where they have some ministry controls or government control,” he says. “Anybody can come in, and this is what happened many years ago when there were few block factories here and the block market was booming. Twenty companies came into the market within two years and then the market collapsed.”

“Similarly, in 2003 we had maybe 11 or 12 ready-mix companies in Dubai; by 2008 we had 37. When they saw that there was work, they flooded the market.

These people don’t know their costs; they don’t know how to operate. It’s not a complicated business, but I believe that this is a business that only people with the relevant experience can handle,” Menon says, with a touch of ire.

This is clearly a major bugbear with the concrete supplier sector, or at least those that operate the right way. Thankfully, it is clear that the relevant government authorities are listening to their concerns; with the Dubai Municipality (DM) announcing that all ready-mix concrete suppliers operating in the Emirate need to register with the influential organisation.

Engineer Yusuf Abdullah Al Marzooqi, acting director of Buildings Department at DM, says that a joint team of Buildings Department and Dubai Central Laboratory (DCL) has been formed to take care of the registration, monitoring and issuing conformity certificate for the ready-mix concrete companies and onsite mixing units. He adds that contracting companies and engineering consulting offices are being urged not to use the ready-mix concrete in any construction site unless it was supplied by a registered

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UNIBETON AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING GREEN Unibeton is one ready-mix supplier that has heavily invested in sustainability.

Its work in developing greener production methods has won it numerous plaudits and contracts. Through its fleet management system ‘uTrack’ or products such as Green Concrete and Self-Compacting Concrete, Unibeton is raising the bar in terms of the contribution ready-mix contractors can make to greener buildings.

“Maybe 80% of our concrete is what you would call green,” says Christopher Stanley, technical director of Unibeton Middle East, who supervises much of the research and development that the ready-mix supplier undertakes.

Stanley adds that Unibeton is heavily involved in the development of new ready-mix concrete technologies, spurred on by their involvement with consultants and contractors, who often provide insights into what the market wants. For example, he says, a recent project in Makkah saw it produce a lightweight concrete of 70mpa for an architecturally demanding project.

“Strong can be beautiful,” says Stanley.

“We had to develop new technologies in order to do that. We try to be a onestop-shop. Consultants come to us in the early stages when they’re planning and we show them the best way of doing it, formulate the specifications. During the construction phase we’re there helping them. This is where we score.”

“THE SPECIFICATION OF READY-MIX CONCRETE HAS BEEN ADOPTED IN COORDINATION WITH THE DCL. A CIRCULAR ON THIS REGARD HAS BEEN SENT TO ALL RELEVANT PARTIES”

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firm with DM along with conformity certificate or mark for the factory or the mixing unit.

“The registered and approved companies are listed on the DM website.

A manual that includes the instructions and regulations is also available online,” says Marzooqi. “The specification of ready-mix concrete has been adopted in coordination with the DCL. A circular on this regard has been sent to all relevant parties in addition to the publication of the decision in the DM website.”

“Companies are given time to complete the formalities for registration until 31 December 2013. The time to get the conformity certificate or mark has been extended to 31 December 2014, provided that the applications were submitted before 31 August 2013,” he adds.

However, while Menon welcomes the move towards greater regulation, he expresses concerns over the effectiveness of such a strategy.

“I don’t believe it will serve any purpose, the plants may be all certified and working at 100% accuracy, but the people who operate it may not have the intention to operate it that way. Then the market suffers,” he warns.

Another area of the ready-mix sector that is starting to receive considerable attention is its ability to help its clients meet the green building regulations laid out by the government authorities.

With Dubai Municipality set to introduce its Green Building Code in 2014 and Abu Dhabi already enforcing its own green regulations, the pressure is on for ready-mix suppliers to measure up to specifications. Menon adds that Emirates Beton has also been focusing heavily on developing its own ‘green friendly’ materials, and has done so for a while because of their projects in Abu Dhabi.

“We’re very much into that, we’re looking at using cement replacement materials which reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere, we’re also looking at recycling materials that we already have, waste materials,” he explains. “In Dubai, technology is as advanced as any other place in the world. You take the US, the UK or name any place in the world, you’ll find that Dubai will be on par, or better.”

So what lies ahead for the ready-mix market? Menon remains quite optimistic about where the UAE market is headed.

“I have spent more than half of my life in Dubai, and it’s all been construction related and in the ready-mix industry. We have seen the market from the early 1980s.

We’re used to having three or four years of good business, followed by a few years of bad business, and then you had the same cycle again. Each cycle, when it happens, the boom has always been bigger and better than the previous one. You can draw a line like that across the curve. You can draw a 45 degree angle almost, so you can say that there has been consistency in the market, even though the cycle of lows and highs are there.”

“Dubai has always a very warm environment, it has always been a welcoming place for everyone. Since the end of 2008, the recession set in and now we have gone through that five-year cycle and I believe it (the market) will come back now. I don’t believe it’ll be as hectic or as ballistic as what we had previously, (but it’ll be back).” n

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The RighT STuff With ‘sustainability’ becoming a keyword, Big Project ME explores with experts how the industry will take to the burgeoning need for efficient construction.

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ong before it flickered with the bright building-tops of Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai’s skyline was an ornate and visibly horizontal one. Much before the discovery of oil altered the city’s economic, social and cultural maps forever, Dubai’s houses were humble establishments, stuccoed, clay-roofed and free of electric air-conditioning or thermal insulation.

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“Costs and additional time are required Compared to the Cheap and quiCk developments whiCh ultimately don’t meet the requirements of abu dhabi”

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It can be argued that the iconic and large-scale projects such as the Palm Jumeirah, popular during Dubai’s economic boom, have gradually led to aspects of its environment to decline.

Fortunately this was recognised by a city government willing to overhaul the emirate’s industrial practices. Soon solarpowered water heaters and parking ticket machines became the need of the hour; and water desalination and waste disposal plants increased in numbers. Abu Dhabi followed suit, learning from the mistakes of the past.

Sustainability went from being a chapter in a school textbook to an urgent perogative – a fact furthered by a WWF Living Planet 2008 report, based on data from 2005, that found UAE’s consumption

makinG an impaCt Environmental concerns are now the focus of largescale construction.

n 4 billion Number of

people living in cities globally.

n 30% Number of

buildings in Dubai that could be given a green retro-fit.

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hEavy PROdUCTiON The construction industry is a massive user of the region’s energy and materials resources.

house gasses, such as low embodied CO2 per kg, which would be better at mitigating global warming”, he added.

Embodied energy includes the transportation required in the stages of construction, and, “the use of materials harvested and manufactured in the same region as the construction site helps reduce the carbon footprint required for the same”, said Coombes. “The use of recycled, reused and rapidly-renewable construction materials is another example of good environmental and sustainable practice, rather than using new, resource-intensive materials.”

Sustainability is yet to have a dedicated organisation gauging and setting standards for construction products and materials.

This process in the UAE falls under the auspices of the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), whose departments overlook various aspects of construction, such as engineering and mechanical products, electrical and electro products and so on. Building codes, however, constantly

Top EnvironmEnTal concErns for ThE Gcc counTriEs: n Subsidised energy n Scarcity of water n Lack of renewable resources

n Total energy

consumption

n Management of urban growth

n Lifecycle of buildings and materials

n Embodied enerby in materials used

“ThERE iS NO bETTER vENUE TO ShOwCaSE UaE’S SUSTaiNabLE SOLUTiONS ThaN aT ThE wORLd ExPO 2020”

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of natural resources was the highest globally. The construction sector continues to play a huge role in this respect given its thirst for energy, with the UAE following global trends towards urbanisation.

Often a loosely-used term, a variety of sectors have targeted “sustainability” as per their need and capacity to provide for it. Every aspect of the concept – economic, social, developmental – can now be found incorporating itself when sustainability applies to construction.

“Sustainability is a very broad term which encompasses a range of topics and disciplines,” says Scott Coombes, Director at AESG. “A product may be sustainable because it is more efficient or effective than it’s alternatives, it may help reduce energy or water consumption, it could come from from a rapidly renewable resource or it may even improve a users well being.”

The urgency of the situation is clearly catching the attention of the private sector and a number of these issues were discussed when Siemens recently organised a roundtable conference in Abu Dhabi. Attended by representatives of governments and industry leaders from across the GCC, the conference sought to discuss the scope of sustainability and energy conservation in the region.

Concerns such as subsidised energy prices, scarcity of water resources and the lack of renewable resources was centric to the discussion, and the role of effective, efficient technology was highlighted as the need of the hour. It is therefore unsurprising that sustainable architecture and building materials are becoming a decisive part of project design and development. Industry experts and leaders are working on techniques to utilise them to their fullest.

“Assessing the total embodied energy in a construction material is one of the best ways to identify how environmentally friendly and sustainable it is,” notes Coombes. “The embodied energy in a material is a method to account for the total sum of energy (or its by products) involved in the life cycle of the material, including extraction of the raw materials, manufacturing processes, transportation, installation, and so on.

“One example would be the use of materials with lower embodied green

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undergo updates and many universal building codes are now growing to include sustainability and ‘green’ standards for construction projects.

“There are many regionally specific codes and directives which have been set for sustainability measures, such as those related to standards in material emissions, toxicity, or performance”, says Coombes.

UAE has taken pivotal initiatives with its building codes; the capital Abu Dhabi has established the Estidama system and economic hub Dubai will soon make its Green Building Code mandatory for the private sector, both of which include watertight government regulations and have gained voluntary participation from the private sector.

“The aim with Estidama was both to push and pull. Firstly, it was to push for an improved mandatory building standard by making all projects achieve the rating of Estidama 1 Pearl,” explains Francis Porter, Senior Environmental Consultant at WSP Middle East. “The pull was that within the same framework, aspiring developers could showcase their best practice and achieve recognition by achieving the voluntary 2 to 5 Pearls. Estidama is attached to Abu Dhabi’s 2030 Plan and it provides the mandate and zoning guidance for construction in the city.”

Dubai has been working on its Green Building Code for almost five years now; mandatory for government buildings since 2011, the Dubai Municipality will in 2014 make its application mandatory for all private sector construction projects in the emirate too. Consisting of 79 regulations, the code is largely a checklist of regulations and techniques that will need to be incorporated into all buildings constructed thereon. Whilst, unlike Estidama, it does not abide by a rating system of any sort.

Dubai’s Green Building Code will be implemented with the cooperation of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), ensuring project completion and

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handover is held back if the requirements of the code aren’t met.

Undoubted as the benefits of sustainability may be, prevalent questions across global construction markets pertain to the costs and economy of sustainable construction. There have been concerns in terms of the unwillingness of developers and contractors to implement a system that rakes in long-term advantages visa-vis their probable need for short-term, immediate profits.

“Costs and additional time are required compared to the cheap and quick developments which ultimately don’t meet the requirements of Abu Dhabi, but these impacts are reducing as more is known about the system.

“Implementing Estidama provides an excellent opportunity to showcase the services previously only offered as voluntary and with only an extended financial payback due to low water and energy costs. By earning credits they have an immediate, up-front value to the development,” says Porter.

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“IMPLEMENTINg ESTIdaMa PROvIdES aN ExCELLENT OPPORTUNITy TO ShOwCaSE ThE SERvICES PREvIOUSLy ONLy OffEREd aS vOLUNTaRy”

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a fOUNdaTION The industry must face up to the costs and economy of green construction.

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teams such as contractors, architects, and engineers that previously did not have a strong focus on sustainable design, are now using their knowledge and expertise to provide innovative solutions to address sustainability concerns in the region.”

The UAE’s ranking on the list of developed countries could be far better given the promising, ambitious leaders investing in its growth, and an environmental soundness will only contribute to attracting foreign investors into the markets here.

Should Dubai win the right to host the Expo 2022, sustainable construction will assume more importance than ever.

“The World Expo 2020 is a chance for UAE to display its commitment to the environment and sustainability,” urges Coombes. “With currently one of the highest carbon footprint densities in the world, the UAE has an opportunity to demonstrate how we are addressing this issue in the years leading up to the event, and there is no better venue to showcase these innovative solutions than at the World Expo 2020.” n

williAm whisTler

“The UAe hAs An opporTUniTy To demonsTrATe how we Are Addressing This issUe leAding Up To The evenT”

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Also notable is the apparent dearth of suppliers that can cater to the techniques and demands of sustainable construction.

The general consensus across authorities is that the apparent lack of suppliers with products required for sustainable production is manageable through enforcement of green regulations, with the expectation of creating a market need – thus facilitating competitive supply – of these materials.

All sectors of the construction industry government officials, private developers, contractors, architects, engineers - agree that green construction is the way of the future due to the rising necessity to preserve the environment; more so because of its visible benefits already.

“Estidama’s principles have greatly helped the construction industry. As I can recollect from firsthand experience, I was involved with the construction of an Emirati villa in Abu Dhabi in 2011, and its windows were sliding-style, but not fitted to suit building leakage standards”, says William Whistler, managing director of Green Building Solutions International.

“The developer went back to the drawing board with those designs and reworked them to be safer and more secure in terms of a residential structure. Recently, I conducted an air leakage test on a villa with similar specifications from the same developer and I was pleasantly surprised to see better standards and safer techniques employed in its construction, especially with the windows! So indeed, Estidama has raised the quality of construction.”

Sustainability has become a catchword for every company operating in the industry, and it is quite apparent that no institution involved with construction can – or wants to – ignore the phenomenon.

Coombes says that, in a region that currently has one of the highest carbon footprint densities in the world, these two programmes have been fundamental in driving the awareness and implementation of sustainability practices into construction projects.

“As both programmes are regionally specific, they respond to the UAE’s specific climate which helps focus attention on the issues which matter most,” says Coombes.

“It is great to see that due to Estidama and Dubai’s Green Building Code, construction

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post tensioning

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taking the

stress

Big Project ME talks to some of the leading posttensioning contractors in the region and finds out about the latest developments in the industry

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ost-tensioning as a technology has been around for more than half a century in Europe, Australia and the United States, but it was only in the mid-90’s that the technology first made its appearance in the UAE. As companies from the aforementioned countries made in-roads into the Emirates, local firms began to understand the benefits of the technology and proceeded to further popularise the technology.

Starting with bridges and buildings, post-tensioning has quickly become the accepted way forward for the industry,

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edging out rival pre-stressed concrete methods, such as pre-tensioning.

Furthermore, the UAE and regional construction have moved towards adopting bonded post-tensioning, a variant of the technology that sees compression being applied after the concrete is poured.

According to the Post-tensioning Institute of Phoenix, Arizona, the technology offers many advantages, including allowing longer, clear spans, thinner slabs, fewer beams and more slender, dramatic elements. In turn, this means that less concrete is used and there

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is a lower overall building height for the same floor-to-floor height.

“Post-tensioning can thus allow a significant reduction in building weight versus a conventional concrete building with the same number of floors. This reduces the foundation load and can be a major advantage in seismic areas. A lower building height can also translate into considerable savings in mechanical systems and facade costs,” a report by the Institute says.

“Another advantage of post-tensioning is that beams and slabs can be continuous, i.e.: a single beam can run continuously from one end of the building to the other.

Structurally, this is much more efficient than having a beam that just goes from one column to the next,” the report adds.

Stephen Burke, deputy general manager of VSL, an international ‘special construction methods’ specialist, adds that post-tensioning is one of the most environmentally friendly methods of pre-stressing concrete, and that it offers significant advantages to contractors.

“It’s environmentally friendly because you’re reducing concrete quantities and

reinforcing steel quantities,” he tells Big Project ME, adding that the durability of the concrete also increases significantly.

Furthermore, Engineer Mohammed Hisham Al Toubah, managing partner of Fastech Prestressing, a Sharjah-based firm that operates throughout the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Syria, adds that bonded post-tensioning has proved to be the safest method of pre-stressing concrete in the UAE. “The unbonded system is not commonly used here because the tendons in unbonded systems use only one strand, with each strand is covered by a plastic protective sheet. There is no bond between the concrete and the strand, there’s no grout or material to catch the strand and keep it in its place,” he explains.

Although the unbonded system is used in Europe and Australia, Al Toubah expresses reservations about them, pointing out that these systems have been developed or established without structural studies based on the conditions and environments found in the region.

“We have to do grouting as per procedures; we have to use additives and chemicals. But there is no structural research that has been done on this matter,” he says.

With an increased cycle of construction, this poses a risk when it comes to maintaining the quality of workmanship, Al Toubah adds, stressing that local knowledge of the technology is essential: “For sure, the staff shall have to be trained.

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“POST-TENSiONiNg CaN aLLOw a SigNifiCaNT REdUCTiON iN bUiLdiNg wEighT vERSUS a CONvENTiONaL CONCRETE bUiLdiNg”

If there’s no know-how, how will you train people, workers or helpers to go on site and work there? There has to be quality in the materials and there has to be quality in the performance of the people.”

As a result of this commitment, Burke adds that the industry has been looking up recently, with projects coming back on line following the global credit crunch.

With the industry dependent on how many projects are under construction in the market, the signs are looking good for the post-tensioning sector.

“I see a lot of growth coming from infrastructure. I see in the region, a lot of growth coming from rail projects that are in the pipeline, you’ve got metro schemes, so over the next five years I see a big push on infrastructure in the region, generally,” the man from VSL explains.

“KSA is a big market, Qatar because of the World Cup, Oman is developing its infrastructure and the UAE, they’ve got a lot of their infrastructure in place, but they’re still on the road to upgrading and finishing it.” n

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SPECIAL FEATURE FORMWORK

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TRue TO

high fORM Formwork complexity has increased as high-rise construction grows.

FORM

With high-rise construction the norm in construction, Big Project ME examines how formwork technology is changing and adapting to meet market requirements

H

igh rise construction is the new normal in the Middle East as developers try to get the most out of the land that they own. With

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“WE viEW ThE WhOLE REgiON aS vERy bUOyaNT aT ThE MOMENT bUT ExPECT ThERE TO bE MUCh MORE CONSTRUCTiON gROWTh iN ThE COMiNg yEaRS”

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space now at a premium, developers are looking to build vertical, resulting in buildings that rise hundreds of metres into the sky.

This means that formwork has a crucial part to play in the construction of these buildings, and as such, the technology associated with it has needed to catch up quickly. Having an efficient formwork system can make a crucial difference in the success of a construction project, in terms of speed, quality, cost and the safety of the site.

Formwork comes in several forms, but

SPECIAL FEATURE FORMWORK

“(WE’RE) USiNg MORE ENviRONMENTaLLy fRiENdLy MaTERiaL TO CUT dOWN ThE CONSUMPTiON Of NaTURaL MaTERiaLS aS WELL aS iMPROviNg ThE qUaLiTy Of CONCRETE”

SafETy fiRST New formwork systems allow for safer working environments.

The system allows for work to be safely conducted at any height, he adds, while also providing good natural daylight inside the enclosed work decks through translucent plastic inlays.

Simon Roachford, senior sales engineer at C-Vision Construction Materials Trading, adds that formwork technology is now shifting focus towards being stronger, yet more lightweight. This ties in with an industry led desire to increase the use of environmentally friendly material on construction sites, says his colleague, Waeil Al Chamma.

One of the main drivers of innovation in scaffolding and formwork systems is the need to improve the efficiency of erecting and dismantling operations, especially in wage-intensive markets.

With the development of Evermax, a plastic-composite formwork panel, manufacturer Ulma is aiming at greater durability and higher efficiency. The new formwork panel has a lightweight thermoplastic core.

Two reinforcing layers ensure mechanical properties similar to those of plywood. The surface layers, on both sides, deliver a clean finish and easy concrete separation. They are resistant to abrasion and can easily be repaired if damaged.

In contrast to plywood panels, Evermax panels take up no moisture, they do not bend and they do not rot, thereby ensuring a longer lasting service life on projects.

This also ties into the increasing the sustainability and environmental benefits of the process Roachford says.

“Customers are more aware of green issues and sustainability of formwork

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when it comes to high rise construction, the need for specialised systems increases due to the complexity of the projects being worked on. As such, manufacturers have been developing new systems to meet market demand. One such system is being launched by Doka, the international formwork supplier, as part of its exhibition at Bauma 2013. It’s newly developed gapless framed enclosure system, Xclimb 60, allows for construction crews to work at the top levels of a high-rise structure while being protected from dangerous weather and wind conditions.

“The self-climbing system is simple to adapt to varying layouts and inclinations, enabling it to be used even on complex high-rise projects,” says chairman Josef Kurzmann. “Depending on the requirements, users can choose between two different designs, with frames that have either polycarbonate or mesh inlays.”

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SPECIAL FEATURE formwork

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products,” he says, adding that “faster construction schedules and better costing as opposed to traditional formwork methods,” are some of the additional benefits of continued innovation in formwork. “There’s more safety (now) and it’s a lot less labour intensive,” Al Chamma chimes in. “(We’re) using more environmentally friendly material to cut down the consumption of natural materials as well as improving the quality of concrete to decrease the cycle of pouring,” he adds.

One of the major challenges formwork manufacturers face is convincing their client base to adopt and try out new technologies. In a market that’s traditionally been risk averse, there is often resistance to change, despite the obvious benefits on offer. As such, manufacturers are working closely with their clients to help develop formwork systems that fulfil specific requirements.

“Our value proposition is that when we develop the formwork concept, we incorporate aspects and experience that give our customers new insights and create genuine added value for them”, says Josef Kurzmann. “As a supplier we work alongside our customers in all stages of a construction project, from the development stage through until closeout. To do this, we offer a wide range of services to ensure that the very best use is made of the formwork systems.”

Roachford adds that he spends a lot of time “trying to make customers more aware of better engineered, efficient systems, like C-Vision’s Hydraulic Core System.”

“This is a system that we have evolved in order to cut down on construction time and costs and also more sustainability with products such as C-Visions Vinci 80 Panel System capable of 250 – 300 pours before the plywood needs to be changed.”

However, he asserts that there has been significant interest in the products, and predicts that there will be an upswing in the adoption of the technology over the coming years.

“We view the whole region as very buoyant at the moment but expect there to be much more construction growth in the coming years in all GCC countries.” n

CONCRETE SUPPLEMENT

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three questions for: Peter Vogel, DoKA Big Project ME asks Peter Vogel, director

solution, which requires skill and judgement

Middle East, Doka Group, three questions

derived from years of experience. In building,

about the formwork industry

climbing operations on an advancing structure core are often a make or break

Has tHe industry cHanged tHe way it views forMwork?

factor that decides whether the whole project

Nowadays, the building sector expects more

a smooth work flow, it is not enough to look

from formwork suppliers than just delivery

at the formwork solution in isolation, it is

of products and systems for a vast range

essential to optimally integrate them into the

of projects. Globally, high-quality systems

overall construction strategy.

stays on-schedule and on-budget. To achieve

are a basic requirement, but we still face formwork from the smaller segments in

wHat are your expectations for tHe forMwork industry?

the Middle East. These is an increased

Building projects are becoming increasing

demand for concepts that optimise the entire

complex. At the same time, investors are

construction process, so that goals are

particularly interested in a construction

reached quickly, efficiently and safely. Hence

process that is efficient and safe. The

our customers expect their own customised

demands placed on formwork technology lie

solutions for each project.

in the ever increasing speed of construction,

the challenge to shift away from traditional

accompanied by increased mechanisation of

witH construction going vertical, wHat lessons Have you learnt froM past projects?

the construction site, and therefore, formwork.

We know that formwork technology is

portfolio. During project and construction site

faced with two challenges: shortening

planning, everyone from architect to formwork

the construction process and establishing

supplier will be part of an electronic network.

construction methods aimed at improving the

Our goal is to collaborate with our customers

quality of the structure. The tendering phase

in thinking ahead and to contribute towards

requires planning an ingenious formwork

the future of formwork.

As a result, customers expect a product range supplemented by a comprehensive service

The Formwork Experts.

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717-1

Hall 1

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TECHNOLOGY

PumPed-uP

Concrete ready-mix companies are benefiting from fierce competition amongst manufacturers to improve and expand their product offerings new interests, so that they are able to offer the full range, from batching plants, mixer trucks, to truck and stationary pumps.

Putzmeister is a good example of this – acquiring mix truck builder Intermix, and then announcing at Bauma a strategic deal with the Italian batching plant manufacturer Simem. And for buyers, more choice can only be a good thing.

The concrete truck pump market is intensely competitive, but new products on the market have made the choice for customers even tougher. Putzmeister’s new range of truck pumps were built in order to comply with new European road weight regulations, which in the 56 metre boom class, saw its model, the M56-5, built over a 4-axle chassis, reduced from five.

One of the biggest contributors to the finished product is the number of axles the pump is built over, and savings on the vehicle build-costs are passed to

“The indusTry is headed Towards compeTiTion beTween ‘full-liners’, wiTh brands able To offer The full range”

the customer without compromising pump performance. Putzmeister’s new models are available in the key segments, including 36m, 42m, and the 56m. Overall the models have been simplified for their serviceability. On the 42m pump the number of types of arches or elbows has been reduced to only three, from seven, and the machine has been redesigned with a preference for bolts over welds.

Furthermore the amount of hydraulic fluid was reduced by 300 litres from the previous generation model.

Saudi Arabia is the most important market for concrete pumps, and market share is hotly contested by international manufacturers and their dealers.

Represented by distributor Saudi Diesel, the Korean manufacturer Everdigm makes a range of pumps, including its 43CX-5, contesting the all-important 42m segment.

The 5-section boom has a vertical reach of 42.1m, and horizontal reach of 38.1m, with a delivery pipe diameter of 125mm. The model has seen usage on many residential sites in KSA, and the service offering is key to Everdigm’s popularity.

Cifa was the first major concrete equipment manufacturer to be acquired

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I

n the construction machinery industry there is no sector that has gone through greater changes in the past few years than concrete equipment. Major European manufacturers were acquired

by Chinese manufacturers, beginning with Cifa in 2008, acquired by Zoomlion, and then Putzmeister in 2012, acquired by Sany, and later a tie-up between SchwingStetter and XCMG. And there has also been consolidation on the European front, with Liebherr acquiring the concrete pump manufacturer Waitzinger, a mid-sized German company with strong R&D pedigree, allowing Liebherr to offer the full range.

While there was a strong incentive for Chinese manufacturers to acquire valuable R&D as well as distribution networks, on a higher level the concrete equipment industry is headed towards competition between ‘full-liners’, with brands acquiring

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TECHNOLOGY

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by a Chinese company, Zoomlion in 2008, but the continuation of its product development programme showed that the intent was very much to continue Cifa as a strong standalone brand. Last year it collaborated with Zoomlion on a Guinness World Record truck pump with a 101m boom, something of a novelty. Likely to be of more interest to customers are its truck pumps built with carbon fibre booms, the Carbotech range.

Customers are increasingly price conscious on concrete mixer trucks, and well they can be given the available range of vehicles from diverse suppliers.

Ready mix companies are virtually spoilt with choice, whether buying chassis

“BATCHING PLANTS ARE A SERIOUS CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ITEMS”

Dubai reaDy-mixers to register Dubai Municipality (DM) has announced that all ready mix concrete suppliers in operating in the Emirate need to register

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from premium sellers such as Daimler or MAN, mid-range truck brands, or the new entrants in the market. And while mixer trucks have increasingly become seen as commodity goods in the concrete industry, in the critical application of a pumping job reliability remains all-important, which gives an edge to the established players in the market of drum manufacturing.

In the Middle East, key features of a successful transit mixer are large size and an ample water reservoir, since in many markets there are no on-road weight restrictions. Putzmeister debuted its new Intermix truck the IMI 12.1 at Bauma this year, which features an optimised geometry drum built with high quality steel from Thyssen-Krupp, including thicker plating in crucial areas, providing protection against wear and tear in harsh conditions, and ensuring a longer service life. The IMI 12.1, the largest in its range, has a nominal filling of 12m3, a water line of 13.55m3, and a geometric volume of 20.11m3, and its availability is a ‘concrete’ example of the benefits of industry consolidation for buyers.

Batching plants are a serious capital expenditure item, but smaller mobile plants are increasingly finding favour with buyers, as demand for concrete

CONCRETE SUPPLEMENT

rises incrementally. Cifa has recently released a new mobile batching plant, transportable on wheels, fitted with a 1m3 per cycle Cifa mixer, which guarantees an hourly production rate of 50m3 of ready-mixed concrete. Another feature is its mixer washing system that washes the mixer after each production cycle, using the water already batched into the concrete composition recipe. This leads to considerable water savings on the site.

In Saudi Arabia, KiCE Construction Equipment produces concrete batching plants for sale in the domestic market and the GCC, as well as distributing Snowkey concrete cooling machines. KiCE produces two types of stationary batching plants, the first which has a dry batch capacity of 50 to 140 m3/h, and a wet batch capacity of 50 to 240 m3/h, as well as mobile batching plant.

The company has recently expanded its factory in the Eastern Province to scaleup production, and speaking at a recent event, company CEO, engineer Saleh bin Abdulrahman Al-Katheir, said that demand for its mobile batching plants had quadrupled in the previous years, reflecting improved product engineering.

KiCE hopes to increase its sales of batching plants by 15%, mobile batching plants by 25% and washing plants by 25% in 2013. n

with the Municipality, as part of an administrative decision to monitor ready-mix concrete companies and on site mixing units to ensure safety and quality of work in the construction work sector.

A joint team from Buildings Department and Dubai Central Laboratory (DCL) has been formed to take care of the registration, monitoring and issuing conformity certificate for the ready-mix concrete companies and on site mixing units, said Eng. Yusuf Abdullah Al Marzooqi, Acting Director of Buildings Department at DM. Contracting companies and engineering consulting offices are being urged not to use the ready-mix concrete in any construction site unless it was supplied by a registered firm with Dubai Municipality along with conformity certificate or mark for the factory or the mixing unit.

“The registered and approved companies are listed on the DM website. A manual that includes the instructions and regulations is also available online,’ said Marzooqi.

‘A circular on this regard has been sent to all relevant parties in addition to the publication on the DM website.”

PILING

bigprojectMe.com

oN a StroNG

FouNdatIoN Big Project ME finds out about the state of piling in the market and how the industry is facing up to supertall construction.

I

n an old Beatles song there is a line: ’I heard the news today, oh boy, four thousand holes in Blackburn Lancashire. And though the holes were rather small, they had to count them all.’

It’s a problem that Tony Rocca, of Gulf Piling LLC would sympathise with. In ground works, one of the worst encountered problems is the presence of cavities. But on the whole, ground

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“ConCrete itself is a simple thing. But we are always making sophistiCated struCtural Changes to it. it’s not just a question of mixing sand and Cement and throwing it at a wall.”

ConCrete supplement

engineering is so sophisticated that you can almost literally build anywhere. It’s all about money and how much you are prepared to invest.

Rocca is at pains to point out that he is a geotechnical engineer. Piling is part of his work but his job is to understand the ground, and predict how it will behave both in the short and long term. Then he makes foundations work.

He is clear where the project skill lies: “Projects are won by the design” The fact is that ground can vary enormously even in the space of a few metres and piling projects are fixed-price and successbased. Simply put, structural engineers don’t want to get involved in something that unpredictable, so they employ men like Rocca to see it through.

He explains that it is mainly friction

PILING

drives into the ground to spread the weight of a building. Shoring is more concerned with securing the ground during excavation so that it doesn’t move.

When it comes to concrete, Christopher Stanley is an expert. He is technical director of Unibeton.

He talks to Big Project ME about some of his company’s achievements. They are currently working with Bauer for the piling of the Kingdom Tower in KSA. This will become the tallest tower in the world at 1.3km. Tall buildings require deep foundations and the foundations under the Kingdom Tower

PiLiNg iN Ground engineering is so sophisticated you can build anywhere.

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that makes the world of piling go round.

You try to build friction down the sides of the piles and also resistance at the bearing point. So you can support the pile with friction on the shaft and by the endpoint socketed in hard strata. It’s a combination of friction and bearing resistance. The geology in the UAE mainly consists of sand overlying a rock formation of sandstones, conglomerates and siltstone.

Most piles are between ten and twenty five meters deep. As a rule of thumb you can’t put piles closer together than three times the diameter of the pile. Obviously the larger the load you have, the deeper the piles are or the more piles you add.

In piling the cost of plant/labour and the cost of materials are generally around the same. The cost of foundations will rarely exceed 15% of the cost of the building.

Piles themselves are largely built of what’s available locally. Here in the UAE its pretty much concrete strengthened with steel, actually 80-90% of it is bored, and the concrete is cast in situ.

Rocca explains that it doesn’t really matter what the materials are as long as they are well treated and not exposed to air. Then they won’t rot at any kind of worrying speed. But wood?

“Sure why not, the Chinese were using bamboo to hold their houses up two thousand years ago.”

He explains that piles, even wood ones, can last a very long time.

“We had an old bridge in Canada, it was built on wooden piles and it had been there for eighty years. But after the latest building code with new seismic criteria, we carried out ground densification work using a vibro replacement technique to densify the soil around the pier to mitigate liquefaction just in case of earthquakes and protect the working wood piles.”

The main soil groups are clay and sand, these are called cohesive and cohesionless soils. Cohesive soil have smaller particle diameter. Cohesionless soil is like a coarse aggregrate, sand would fit into this group. Clay has a long term effect. If you put a load on clay it takes a long time for the water to dissipate and to settle, so you are studying the long term settlement (of the clay). If you are not a purist, you may not know the difference between foundations and shoring. Piling

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PILING

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IN place Sand is classified as cohesion-less soil.

are between 150 and 175 metres deep.

Unibeton produces concrete which is more sustainable and kinder to the environment.

It starts with the production process.

Cement is made from a calcium carbonate, which comes from limestone. That comes from seashells. To make cement you heat limestone to 1400c. It then becomes cinder which is made into cement.

“Concrete itself is a simple thing. But we are always making sophisticated structural changes to it. It’s not just a question of mixing sand and cement and throwing it at a wall.”

In the last ten years there have been major advances in concrete technology.

Even the way that they apply the material

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“We use our INgredIeNts more effIcIeNtly.

We replace some of the cemeNt WIth pozzolaNIc materIals, such as volcaNIc ash. By usINg less cemeNt We make our projects more sustaINaBle”

CONCRETE SUPPLEMENT

to a project has changed: “We use our ingredients more efficiently. We replace some of the cement with pozzolanic materials, such as volcanic ash. By using less cement we make our projects more sustainable,” he explains.

They are also experimenting with ways to use less water in their cement: “Water is actually a good thing in that it helps cement to set. Also if you had no steel in a pile and you kept it wet the cement would continue to get stronger.”

“Where there is water in concrete, it evaporates, leaving small capillaries. If water has been in concrete it can come back.” The UAE is actually quite advanced when it comes to concrete production; it has made major advances, and is continuing to do so,” he adds.

Stanley points out that you don’t need to develop super high buildings in the region because there is no shortage of land.

But it’s a case of wanting the world’s tallest tower, rather than any real need.

He has even heard of plans to develop a 2.3 kilometre tower: “The sky’s the limit when it comes to tall towers.” n

TECHINCAL FEATURE

bigprojectMe.com

mAcRo THINKING Gerard Attree and Klaus Alexander Rieder of Grace look at the use of synthetic macro fibre technology

T

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he advancement of synthetic macro fibre technology has moved rapidly over the last decade and through various levels of performance testing has allowed this technology to be embraced by the ready mixed concrete, construction and engineering fraternity.

The acceptance of synthetic macro fibres, which provide significant amounts of post-cracking toughness or post-cracking flexural strength to the concrete, in large projects, on a global scale, demonstrates and identifies technical and construction advantages offered to provide added performance, commercial benefits and improvements to health and safety for many prestigious projects.

A number of these projects (detailed below) have utilised the growing trend in the use of macro synthetic fibre use in concrete around the world, and demonstrates its flexibility in application.

The main components of this particular polymeric fibre called STRUX 90/40 are

CONCRETE SUPPLEMENT

polypropylene and polyethylene. This synthetic macro fibre’s mechanical and geometric properties are significantly different from existing synthetic macro fibres. The length of STRUX 90/40 is 40 mm with an aspect ratio (length divided by the equivalent diameter) of 90 and a specific gravity of 0.92. The fibre has a rectangular cross-section with an average width of 1.40 mm and an average thickness of 0.105 mm. The average tensile strength of the fibre is 620 N/mm2 (MPa) with a modulus of elasticity (chord modulus) of 9,500 N/mm2 (9.5 GPa).

The ‘flat’ fibre design was chosen in part to achieve a large fibre surface area to fibre volume ratio in order to increase the mechanical bond between the fibre and the cement paste. The elastic modulus of this synthetic macro fibre nearly matches the elastic modulus of the cement paste, where the fibre is embedded in, which allows the fibre to transfer stresses across a crack immediately after crack initiation

has occurred. Consequently, good crack control can be achieved. The toughness performance measured using beams in 3 or 4 point bending tests correlates well with the performance of fibre-reinforced concrete slabs supported on ground.

Inaugurated in December 2012 the state of the art, $390 Million, Khalifa Port is designed to handle all of Abu Dhabi’s container traffic and is a key part of the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 megaproject; with the neighbouring Kizad it is the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken in Abu Dhabi emirate.

The main concrete slab at the Container Terminal required a 100 year design life and to achieve this in the challenging, high chloride conditions both a high durability concrete and non-corroding reinforcement were required. Speed of construction was equally important.

Based on these needs and the design requirements Grace’s macro-synthetic fibre, STRUX 90/40, was specified and

TECHINCAL FEATURE

laying iT ouT A number of projects have successfully utilised macro-synthetic fibres.

KHALIFA PORT REQUIREMENTS n Project cost: $390 million

used throughout the 215,000m3 of fiber concrete laid, the largest area of macrosynthetic fiber reinforced concrete laid in the region. Successful project delivery for Grace relied on global co-ordination, with key specification support in the USA, project management in the UK and a dedicated team of site support engineers who trained contractors and ready mixed concrete producers at site and oversaw the critical early pours.

Designed to look like a modern Noah’s Ark, the new Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta, USA is one of the largest aquariums in the world, with more than 2 million visitors visiting the Aquarium during its first year. The imposing facility includes more than 47,000 m2 of conditioned space housing more than 100,000 animals in 36 million liters of fresh and saltwater.

The tanks are among the largest in the world – some as high as 10m tall and requiring 1.2Mthick walls at the base.

Grace’s STRUX 90/40 was chosen and used for secondary reinforcement in slab on-ground concrete throughout the structure, including concrete walkways, areas near the tanks and other high traffic locations. The STRUX fibres are easy to handle and dispersed evenly throughout the concrete matrix, and helped to maintain the project schedule. The tanks would contain saltwater, hence in addition to the concrete containing macro synthetic fibers the mix for the tank walls also incorporated the addition of a nitrite

based corrosion inhibitor, Grace product DCI-S. This admixture helps extend the lifecycle of concrete exposed to a marine environment and minimises the need for future repairs due to any corrosion from the primary structural reinforcement.

When complete the West Metro in the Finnish capital of Helsinki will be 13.9 kilometres in length, comprising two parallel tunnels travelling underground for the entire length of the track. In addition to the stations, excavation work will be carried out for 15 vertical shafts designed for emergency exit, pressure equalisation, ventilation and smoke extraction. As the project is a subsea tunnel major concerns arose over corrosion issues surrounding the use of steel within such an aggressive environment and synthetic macro fibres offered an ideal solution for the sprayed concrete linings. As part of the approvals process it was necessary to undertake performance tests and ensure compliance with the required specification for sprayed concrete linings. Grace STRUX 85/50 was the preferred fibre of choice.

The contractors noted an improvement in their spraying capacity with STRUX versus steel fibers when it came to covering water drainage areas and pipes in the tunnel. Traditionally they are forced to spray a thin cover with nonreinforced concrete on all drainage areas to reduce any risk of punctures and are required to come back the following day to complete the spraying application with an additional layer of reinforced concrete.

With the synthetic macro fibres they can fix and cover drainage pipes in one go improving the speed of spraying concrete.

The use of synthetic fiber technology is growing and is in use on a daily basis. showing that they have a place in the construction of concrete slabs, tunnelling, and even precast elements offering major benefits in design, handling, speed of construction, health and safety, durability and performance. n

n Total fibre used:

n Terminal lifespan: 100 years

“This admixTure minimises The need for fuTure repairs due To any corrosion from The primary sTrucTural reinforcemenT”

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215,000m3

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COMMENT

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A chAnging sector for A chAnging mArket NATHAN WAUGH

CONCRETE MARKET IN THE GCC n $49 billion demand for concrete forecast within the GCC over the next two years

n $30.5 billion in KSA needed through 2014 and 2015

n $4 billion UAE demand in 20142015 dominated by infrastructure spending

MEC 2013 show director Nathan Waugh looks at how the concrete sector is adapting to change

D

uring the Middle East’s construction boom, the traditional tendency towards informal commercial arrangements and negotiations often got the job done.

We’ve seen a lot of changes since those days and a clearer focus on contractual terms has emerged. The established business culture is still respected, but the construction industry is increasingly adopting common global practices to protect the interests of all parties.

Sustainability is now the buzzword of the industry, with all aspects from materials to structural design coming under scrutiny. And as governments continue to introduce increasingly stringent legislation targeting the sustainability; changes to the products and construction techniques used are guaranteed. As a major supplier, the concrete industry is well placed to be among the success stories as it adapts to the new expectations, although it will face challenges.

The expanded enforcement of Dubai Municipality’s (DM) Green Building Regulations is the latest move aimed at pushing the construction sector towards a long-term sustainable future. Already mandatory for government buildings, from 2014 the Green Building Regulations

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“CoNCreTe prodUCers ANd sUppliers HAve iNvesTed siGNifiCANT resoUrCes”

CONCRETE SUPPLEMENT

will also become mandatory for private sector projects. Every aspect of a building, from design, planning and execution to operation, maintenance and demolition must be considered in order to reduce its impact over its lifetime.

Such legislation has opened opportunities across the construction sector. And with materials being a major consideration in sustainable building design, concrete has been thrust into the limelight, with a particular growth in the use of precast concrete products.

As one of the primary materials used in the region’s buildings, any moves towards sustainability and environmental awareness from this industry will have an exponential impact on the overall construction sector. The effects on the industry itself have been numerous and overall they are proving to be beneficial.

Achieving a sustainability rating has become a major selling point for building owners aiming to raise their profile, project a certain image and reduce operational costs. Ratings systems such as the US Green Building Council’s LEED and Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council’s Estidama are now referred to as standard on the majority of new-build projects. Their popularity in the region has meant that sectors such as concrete industry are well prepared for the enforcement of the new Dubai legislation, which is closely based on the LEED system.

Over the past few years the major concrete producers and suppliers have invested significant resources in the

Comment

$49 billion GCC ConCrete market sees demand for optimisation & sustainable praCtiCes There is more than $49 billion of demand for concrete forecast within the GCC over the next two years. As such, the industry is keen to stay ahead of the trends with a prominent drive to ensure that concrete is more energy and cost efficient, as well as increase its contribution to the sustainability of buildings and infrastructure, meeting demand with innovative, long-term solutions. The GCC construction sector as a whole shows no signs of slowing down over the coming years; demand for concrete will follow a similar path, with

choice in many cases than glass or metal facades, despite developments in façade technology. The relatively cheaper cost of concrete, plus new restrictions on glazing use are likely to impact this decision. The challenge for design teams is to ensure that the building aesthetics demanded in this region are maintained. For the precast sector, meeting stricter U-values has meant an update of technology and casting methods. The casting has changed for many exterior wall products as a layer of insulation must be added in order to lower the overall U-value. This has meant bigger casts, plus a three-stage process to complete the sandwich form rather than a single pour mould. The extra time needed for this production process must again be considered during scheduling.

But one final area where concrete has significant benefits over alternative materials is in whole-life costing. As a primary aim of the DM Regulations is reducing a building’s impact over its life, the sustainable credentials of concrete are being increasingly recognised. A low-maintenance material, in the case of prefabricated concrete, there is a potential for recycling and reusing in future projects.

As regulation enforcement fast approaches, the financial and environmental advantages of concrete are making a mounting case for its use as a primary building material. With sustainability at the top of the list of demands, there is a wealth of opportunities for those in the sector who are in line with the changing needs in the market. n

Qatar and Kuwait also representing big business for the sector.

With this in mind, and with sustainable construction continuing to dominate industry debate, the concrete sector is working to understand its role in furthering this innovation and how concrete technologies can contribute to more sustainable building practices, whilst at the same time keeping pace with demand.

This is strongly reflected in the educational content at this year’s Middle East Concrete (MEC), as concrete professionals come together to share challenges and solutions for the most effective, efficient and sustainable applications.

The free-to-attend seminar theatre will host a range of industry professionals, discussing some of the latest, leading solutions from across the market, with companies including Grace Construction Products, Elematic, Fosroc and FADOX Group taking part. Seminar topics will include Enhancing performance and durability of concrete structures through the use of construction chemicals; New applications of lightweight cellular concrete; and Glassfibre reinforced concrete (GRC) - a green building material. In addition, there will be a full day workshop onsite focusing on Asset Maintenance.

MEC 2013 runs from 25-28 November, 2013 at DICEC in Dubai, UAE.

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research and development of new products and technologies that will raise the product’s sustainability.

In terms of materials used for the manufacture of concrete, the general product mix has changed: the percentage of cement has been greatly reduced and largely replaced by recycled fly ash. As a byproduct of the steel industry, fly ash is primarily a waste product; recycling this resource to produce concrete reduces the carbon footprint for both steel and concrete industries, giving even greater overall environmental benefits. Plus, the large steel industry in the region means that fly ash can be sourced locally to concrete manufacturers, reducing transport costs and fuel emissions and helping to meet the Regulations’ demand to use regionally available materials.

The changes to the concrete make-up have had other mixed effects. On a positive note, the product has gained strength.

However, it can also take longer to cure and this time difference must be accounted for in the project scheduling. Also, although the cost of fly ash was initially very low it has increased substantially in line with demand from the concrete industry and this trend is likely to continue.

Other time and cost penalties are being felt in the precast concrete sector in order to meet the tougher thermal transmittance values that the Regulations demand for air conditioned areas. Arguably the sector is better placed than many to meet the lower U-values: the naturally high heat resistance of concrete makes it a better

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SPECIAL FEATURE concrete sustainability

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a concrete plan for sustainability

The building material has a high sustainability quotient already, but new technologies can enhance it, writes Sona Nambiar

W

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hile concrete is a sustainable material in terms of its lifecycle, reducing the cement content in concrete with other alternatives such as fly ash is a good solution. Besides, the production of Portland cement leads to the release of significant amount of carbon and this is a concern that is being addressed globally and in the GCC. “Concrete is a sustainable building material, which ensures durable and long-lasting structures that will not rust and burn. It also ensures longevity – an integral part of reducing cost and use of resources in a project,” says Dr Huiqing He, corporate sustainability manager at Al Fara’a Group and deputy operations director (SME) at Unibeton. “Besides, the thermal mass of a concrete building

CONCRETE SUPPLEMENT

means reduced requirements for heating and cooling systems, which in turn means an energy-efficient building. In addition, concrete is manufactured using many post-industrial by-products and it can also be recycled and reused to save material resources.”

Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials globally due to its sustainability properties, agreed Rabih Fakih, managing director of Grey Matters.

“However, the production of Portland cement leads to the release of significant amount of carbon emissions. One ton of Portland cement clinker production creates approximately one ton of carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases (GHGs). Hence, environmental issues will play a leading role in the sustainable

development of the cement and concrete industry in this century.”

Still, concrete, as an end product, is a sustainable material. “It is produced with very little waste, made from some of the most plentiful resources on earth (limestone), and minimises the effects that produce urban heat islands, among other benefits,” Fakih said.

“At the process level, the re-use of post-consumer waste and industrial byproducts in concrete produces a ‘greener’ form of concrete,” he explains. “The use of coal ash, rice-husk ash, wood ash, natural pozzolans, GGBFs, silica fume, and other similar pozzolanic materials can reduce the use of manufactured Portland cement clinker and simultaneously produce a more durable concrete.”

SPECIAL FEATURE concrete sustainability

generation) or other materials solve the carbon emissions problem in the long run? Dr He agrees that using fly ash reduces embedded carbon emission in the long run and ensures a higher resistance to chemical attack, which also extends the life span of the product.

“Slag cement (ground granulated blastfurnace slag or GGBS) is another common supplementary cementitious material (SCM) used in manufacturing concrete,” said Dr He. “A by-product of a controlled process from iron production, it results in a very uniform composition, increases concrete durability and enables a higher volume replacement of Portland cement (by up to 70%).”

Tadros agreed that reducing the cement content in a concrete mix results

Carbon Emissions So, will replacing Portland cement with fly ash (by-product of electric power

“REgiONaLLy, TwO MajOR bOdiES MakiNg a TREMENdOUS iMPaCT iN ThiS aREa aRE ESTidaMa iN ThE UaE aNd gSaS iN QaTaR”

ConstruCtion Codes: n nrmCa sustainable Concrete Plant Certification US based code

n EsTiDama Locally formed UAE code

n LEED US based code n Gsas Qatar specific construction code

COST dRivEN Experts say that initial costs are driving the implementation of standards.

in significant sustainability: “Modern mixes are using cement replacement materials such as fly ash and rice ash in a proportion of above 70%. New varieties of cement are also in the development stages. Again, when a structure runs its lifecycle, the reinforced concrete used in the building can be recycled as aggregates and recycled reinforcing bars.

But since reinforced concrete is a structural material, one has to be careful about what is put into the concrete mix. It has to be carefully specified and regulated to avoid potential long-term durability problems,” he noted.

Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology said recently that increasing the amount of fly ash in concrete up to 70% can also prevent millions of tons of the waste product from ending up in landfills. Fakih added that replacing Portland cement with fly ash also improves the plastic behaviour of the concrete.

“Other SCMs have been widely and intensively used in the GCC for more

CONCRETE SUPPLEMENT

MIDDLE EAST

Local and international design and construction are governed by codes and certifications such as the NRMCA Sustainable Concrete Plant Certification (US), GreenStar, Estidama (UAE), LEED (US), GSAS (Qatar), Breeam Gulf, ASTM published technical standards and ASTM sustainability committee (E60), and ACI 318 building code requirement for structural concrete.

Green concrete can contribute to earning points for the certification of the structure. “Regionally, two major bodies making a tremendous impact in this area are Estidama in the UAE and GSAS in Qatar,” Fakih said.

According to Estidama’s Pearl rating system in Abu Dhabi, concrete is covered within credits SM-9 (regional materials) and SM-10 (recycled materials). “In June 2010, all new development applications for communities are mandated to satisfy all required credits to achieve a minimum 1 Pearl level of compliance,” Fakih said.

However, Maher Tadros, managing partner of the US-based firm, e.construct, and a professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska, said: “Currently, initial costs are driving the implementation of most standards.”

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SPECIAL FEATURE concrete sustainability

bigprojectMe.com

He added that currently, only Unibeton Ready Mix has achieved this certification in the region.

“Following our management requirement, waste water and waste concrete are recycled and reused through in-house developed water treatment plant and concrete recycling plant to enhance sustainable development and practice, and further reduce CO2 emission, waste disposal and resources usage. All recycled water is reused to reduce water consumption,” he said.

Additionally, chemical liquids (admixtures) are used to reduce the water demand needed for mixing while improving the fresh and hardened properties of the concrete, adds Fakih.

“Also, recycling process water is a common phenomenon in most GCC countries, where water is recycled/treated to be used in the concrete process,” he says.

Tadros noted a new trend emerging in North America as an alternate to reduce the usage of concrete – using precast concrete insulated panels (sometimes called sandwich panels).

A sustAinAble sAudi?

Despite big ticket projects worth $806 billion till 2030 in Saudi Arabia, according to Zawya Projects, data

“RECyCLiNg PROCESS waTER iS a COMMON PhENOMENON iN MOST gCC COUNTRiES, whERE waTER iS RECyCLEd/TREaTEd TO bE USEd iN ThE CONCRETE PROCESS”

on projects that are in the design, bid or construction stage, awareness of sustainable construction and development is still in the nascent stages, according to sustainability professionals.

While the green building materials sector has been developing environmentally friendly products, the higher costs deter clients who choose traditional construction materials – thus dampening the growth of sustainable construction.

Recent information on the progress of the new Saudi building code implementation that would mandate the use of efficient materials and design practices in the

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near future is hard to obtain.

CONCRETE SUPPLEMENT

than a decade. Recycled aggregates from demolished buildings and returned concrete can also be used to replace the natural aggregates,” he said.

In order to ensure that concrete production also ensures energy efficiency and reduction of valuable water resources in the GCC. He suggests that companies implement the NRMCA comprehensive programme called “Concrete Sustainable Plant Guidelines”, which addresses a sustainable operation and practice through life ycle perspectives.

It covers process control and evaluation from material purchasing, production and delivery, product use, to waste reduce, recycle and reuse.

“The insulation layer not only reduces the volume of concrete used but also adds considerable insulation value to the building envelope. Using fiberglass connectors across the insulation ensures that the two outside wythes of concrete work together in composite action,” Tadros says. “Thus a 75-100-75mm sandwich wall acts like a solid 250mm wall while using only 150mm concrete. It also provides an R rating of 20 (US units).”

In addition to these features, one could use a concrete mix with very little cement and a lot of fly ash, and still get the required capacity,” he said.n Article was written by Sona Nambiar, who is a writer for Zawya.