The Big Project Middle East

ARCHITECTURE • ENGINEERING • CONSTRUC T I O N • P M V

March 2010 noveMber 2009 PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

MASDAR CITY

an update on abu Dhabi's us $22 billion sustainable development following the exit of two top execs

plus

inside

Cale tend ndar, e and rs, jobs mor e... nEws

KSA's fastestgrowing construction companies

grEEn tEam EGBC, Atkins, Aldar, Hyder Consulting and Woods Bagot

bridgEs

How to build stronger structures that last longer

Contents

March 2010

19

11

27 4 Editor’s Letter Stay in the loop with our pick of the region’s top stories of the month.

As bridges get bigger and more complex, contractors are required to guarantee a 100-year maintenance-free lifetime through the intelligent use of materials.

9 news in focus

39 Supplier spotlight

Workers’ rights in the headlines.

News, appointments and product launches from Middle East suppliers.

6 news bulletin

13

11 project update Kleindienst and Foundation Construction Group on building The World’s Germany.

42 solar race

13 KSA’s fastest-growing construction companies

Enviromena and AT Kearney say it is only a matter of time before Middle East governments bump up energy costs; encouraging renewable alternatives.

The top five construction companies in the 2010 Saudi Fast Growth 100 index.

47 jobs listing

19 cover story: masdar city

34

34 Better bridges

An update on Abu Dhabi's US $22 billion sustainable development following the exit of two top executives.

The latest vacancies in the Middle East.

51 career ladder

23 talk: mott macdonald

Head of the Sustainable Design of the Built Environment Programme at the British University in Dubai on the upcoming launch of its new green-building course.

Senior sustainability consultant Joanne Crawshaw on meeting clients' demands.

54 tenders

27 the big debate Aldar, Atkins, Emirates Green Building Council, Hyder Consulting and Woods Bagot on who gains from going green.

Keep up to date on the latest projects.

61 diary: save the date Your handy guide to the must-go industry exhibitions and events in the region.

March 2010

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editor’s letter

Publisher Dominic De Sousa

Revolution

Chief operations officer Nadeem Hood Sales director Liam Williams liam@cpidubai.com GSM: +971 (0)55 310 9256 Group advertising manager Alex Bendiouis alex@cpidubai.com GSM: +971 (0)50 458 9204 Editor Louise Birchall

W

e may have moved on from the days of believing making a building 'green' calls for a paint job (as Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC) chairman Jeffrey Willis remembers a client thinking), but we've still got a long way to go.

Masdar calls it an "evolution"; saying that like the field of renewable energy, the organisation is continually evolving.

And while news of two of Masdar's key executives resigning — director of innovation and investments Ziad Tassabehji and director of property development Khaled Awad — came as a shock, Masdar said that was merely "an anticipated part of corporate evolution". You can read more about the ongoing review of the ambitious Masdar City development on page 19.

Meanwhile, in The Big Debate on page 27, EGBC, Aldar, Atkins, Hyder Consulting and Woods Bagot attempt to answer the question of 'just how far have we come sustainability-wise?' and — perhaps even more crucially — 'how far have we still to go?' Let's just say regulations, cost concerns and incentives are high on the agenda.

You'll notice there is one emirate in particular that keeps popping up in this sustainability issue of The Big Project: Abu Dhabi. And it's not just in relation to Masdar City.

The introduction of International Building Codes, standards set by the Urban Planning Council and the goal of generating 7% of all power consumed in the emirate from renewable energy sources by 2020 are driving the sustainability cause.

In fact, Enviromena tells us that it’s “inevitable” that the Government of Abu Dhabi will soon increase the cost of conventional energies to meet this target (see page 42). This will have a massive impact on the implementation rate of solar power.

And good news for the region; our roundtable ‘green team’ has also witnessed more international suppliers coming into the Middle East; boosting the availability and value of energy-efficient technologies and products.

So even if you are dealing with a confused, behind-the-times client; at least now you can get hold of a nice shade of green low-VOC paint!

Louise Birchall Editor louise@cpidubai.com

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March 2010

Designer Marlou Delaben Photographer Abdul Kader Webmasters Troy Maagma Elizabeth Reyes

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THE BULLETIN Stay on top of Middle East construction news headlines with The Big Project’s pick of the month’s stories

Qatar’s US $1 billion subsea tunnel to go ahead The billion-dollar fund will be used to develop various new projects in Kuwait.

US $108 billion to develop Kuwait’s ports and cities The Kuwait Government has allocated US $108 billion to develop new ports and cities in the country, said Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) board director Wael Jassim Al-Sagar, as he addressed the Japan- Kuwait Businessmen Committee.

The joint meeting was inaugurated by Kuwait’s minister of finance Mustafa Al-Shamali and Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry senior vice minister Teruhiko Mashiko, reported the Kuwait Times.

The Japan-Kuwait Businessmen Committee was established in 1995 mainly to facilitate the transfer of Japanese expertise and technology for the development of the Kuwaiti workforce, and to improve Kuwait’s public services in health, education and environmental sectors.

Among the projects Al-Sagar mentioned were the construction of railway systems, seaports, new industrial cities and investments in power, water, oil, health and education sectors.

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March 2010

Qatar will go ahead with plans for a 12km subsea tunnel linking Doha’s new airport with the financial centre at a cost of more than US $1billion.

“The road is under [the] urban planning department for the concept design and then we will be taking that project for the detailed design and construction phase,” said Qatar’s Public Works Authority acting manager of the design department Jamal Al Kaabi at a recent conference in Doha, organised by Middle East Economic Digest.

Danish engineering consultant COWI has submitted a feasibility study and a preliminary concept design, which is now awaiting approval from the Qatari government’s urban planning department, Al Kaabi said.

He added that the tunnel, which will run under Doha Bay and is one of Qatar’s most ambitious road projects to date, would cost “a lot more” than $1 billion to implement.

However, the country has budgeted $20 billion for road projects over the next five years, according to the authority.

Dubai Metro Red Line to open in April The remaining stations on Dubai Metro’s Red Line will be completed in phases in April, according to Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA).

“The operation of Red Line stations will be in phases starting from April 25, 2010; where several key stations will be operational; namely Emirates Station, Airport Terminal 1 Station, GGICO Station, Al Karama Station, World Trade Centre Station, Marina Station, and Ibn Battuta Station. The remaining stations will be operated over the following months of 2010,” said RTA executive director Mattar Al Tayer.

Furthermore, all works in the stations on the Green Line will be completed in August 2011, according to the statement.

The Green Line is the second line of the Dubai Metro; a 22.5km route comprising 40 trains that will run from Dubai Airport Free Zone to Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) through Saeediya and will include two interchange stations with the Red Line at Union Square and Burjuman.

Dubai Metro has served more than nine million passengers since it was launched last September, according to recent statistics compiled by the Rail Agency, part of the Roads and Transport Authority.

regional news

Limitless seek revise paymens to ts

UAE Contractors' Association says increasing cement prices could lead to more problems.

Firms urged not to hike cement prices The UAE Contractors’ Association has called on cement producers in the country to withdraw their decision of increasing the minimum price of loose cement to AED 220 (US $60) per ton.

“We are against any increase in cement prices at present,” UAE Contractors’ Association vice-chairman Ahmed Al Mazroui told Emirates Business. “This increase is useless and local factories will not succeed in implementing it.”

He added that any increase in the prices of locallyproduced cement will lead to an increase in the demand for imported cement, which is sold at lower prices, reported Emirates Business.

Countering claims of domestic manufacturers that this increase was necessary to limit their losses, he said: “This is totally untrue. Increased prices are not a solution; it might, in fact, create further problems for local factories, because the prices of imported cement are logical and acceptable to contracting companies. Any increase in the demand for imported cement might lead to the market moving away from locally-produced cement, and then the problem will worsen for domestic producers.”

He added that the association was currently coordinating with the Ministry of Economy (MoE) to urgently find solutions to the problem.

Limitless, one of Dubai World’s property units, payment schedu is renegotiating les with constru ction companies Dubai developm on three big ents ahead of a US $1.2 billion loan repayment (AED 4.4 billion due in March, re ) ported The Nat The property co ional newspaper mpany ’s liabilit . ies are part of th debt that Dubai e $26 billion World is renego tiating with cred Limitless is windi itors. ng down contra cts on the Dow Ali developmen ntown Jebel t, a business an d residential ce Zayed Road, as ntre on Sheikh well as the Arab ian Canal, a hu property projec ge waterway an t that is still in its d early earth-mov on payment for ing stages. Talks Limitless’ headqu ar ters on Emirates underway, acco rding to the repo Road are also rt.

Contractors wer e being paid un til as recently as but are now be last month, ing asked to agre e to a payment schedule that co delay and a new uld stretch repa yment over four spokespeople fro years, senior m some of the firms told The N ational.

Drake & Scull Q3 net profit US $19 million Dubai-based contractor Drake & Scull International (DSI) recorded a third-quarter net profit of AED 71 million (US $19.33 million) and said it continued to review expansion opportunities in the region, reported Reuters.

The company, which specialises in mechanical, engineering and plumbing businesses, made a net profit of AED 239 million ($65 million) in the first nine months of the year, up nearly 50% from the same period in 2008.

“With resilient cash flow and abundant liquidity, DSI successfully enhanced profitable returns in the first nine months of the year, despite the slowdown in the construction industry,” chief executive Khaldoun Tabari said.

BREAKING The Big Project now delivers the region's breaking news stories direct to your inbox with our regular e-newsletter. Email louise@ cpidubai.com to register for the free news blast.

Also, keep an eye out for the new, improved thebigprojectme.com site soon to be re-launched.

March 2010

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7

neWs in FoCUs worKers' right

acc responds to news reports of employee disputes KSA contractor denies that there has been staff upheaval at the firm over pay conditions and contracts

When asked whether illegal salary deductions had been made or whether employees were forced to sign new contracts, the spokesperson said “never”. similarly, aCC said that it had paid overtime rates to “employees entitled to receive overtime”. “aCC remains one of the top employers in our construction industry in the region managing continuously to attract top international talent (currently 27 nationalities). aCC remains a preferred employer to Filipino nationals; some have been working for aCC for more than 21 years now and we confirm that there were no strikes.” TBP

"acc rEmains a prEfErrEd EmpLoyEr to fiLipino nationaLs; somE havE bEEn worKing for acc for morE than 21 yEars now and wE can confirm that thErE wErE no striKEs"

s

audi arabia-based al arrab Contracting Company ltd (aCC) has denied reports that it delayed salaries, made illegal deductions and failed to pay overtime rates to more than 200 of its employees. migrante-middle east claimed that 200-plus overseas Filipino Workers (oFWs) at aCC, comprising engineers, supervisors and construction workers had sought assistance from the Kapatiran sa gitnang silangan (Kgs), a riyadh-based member-organisation of migrante-middle east, and had planned a one-day strike at the beginning of February over pay disputes and various conditions of employment. migrantemiddle east regional coordinator John

leonard monterona said employees had complained about aCC “holding back their two months’ salary, delayed salary release, illegal deductions and nonpayment of overtime worked”, according to monterona. the organisation also said that — among other grievances — employees had been forced to sign a contract with revised provisions from the original version.

However, aCC told the big project that there had been “no situation” and the complaints related to an individual worker making false accusations “for a private reason”. the company spokesperson said: “salaries are not delayed, salaries are paid on time”.

aLso in thE nEws... thousanDs of Migrant worKErs to havE livEs tracKED in Pilot ProjEct

Thousands of Filipino and Indian nationals heading to the UAE for work will be studied to improve the quality of life of people moving to the emirates, reported The National.

Under a pilot project, backed by groups such as the International Labour Organisation, Arab Labour Organisation and the International Organisation for Migration, 3000 people will be selected for the project.

nyu iMPosEs strict labour stanDarDs for uaE caMPus

New York University (NYU) has imposed strict labour standards for construction of its campus in Abu Dhabi, reported Reuters. NYU said it agreed with its Emirati government partners to require contractors to limit work hours, let workers keep their passports, and absorb recruitment costs.

A group of ACC employees called a meeting with Kapatiran sa Gitang Silangan over pay conditions, according to Migrante-Middle East.

March 2010

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proJeCt Update the world

the world starts to take shape We speak to Kleindienst Group chief executive josef Kleindienst after the developer became the first to break ground on Dubai’s The World development, last month, with the start of construction on Germany

K

leindienst Group paired with engineering contractor Foundation Construction Group Ltd (FCG) last month to start work on The World’s Germany island in Dubai, which makes up part of the developers’ Heart of Europe project.

The developer was the first to break ground on the Nakheel-owned development, having started the soil-improvement operation; vibrocompaction. The process involves the use of electric depth vibrators that mechanically agitate and lock sand particles together at seabed level (1820m deep), to ensure construction on the island is stable and sound.

“Once vibro-compaction — a standard procedure in the densification of reclaimed land — is complete and the next step in soil testing has been conducted, foundation work for villa construction will begin,” Kleindienst chief executive Josef Kleindienst told The Big Project.

“While we are the first developer to begin construction, we are aware of

the end of Q1. Since the launch of The Heart of Europe project in December, we have met every deadline set for the project and we hope to continue doing so until its completion in 2015”.

In fact, Kleindienst said he expected to be living in a villa on Germany by the end of the year.

“We have 11 investors who have already bought villas on the island and there is a healthy level of interest for the remaining nine,” he added.

The Heart of Europe is a six-island, 12-site luxury holiday development situated on the islands of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, St Petersburg and Sweden. When complete it will house 75 holiday homes, six apartment buildings, hotels, lighthouses and floating palaces. TBP

aLso in thE nEws... thE worlD invEstors lanD in Dubai Prison L-R: Nakheel chairman HE Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem and Josef Kleindienst.

several more that are not far behind us. The World project is very real, it is taking shape as we speak and I firmly believe that when complete it will become the most expensive property in the emirate of Dubai,” he added.

Furthermore, Kleindienst said: “We will be announcing the development of our next island soon, and construction of this particular island — which is a totally different concept to Germany island — is scheduled to begin before

The owners of two islands on Nakheel’s The World project have been arrested for allegedly issuing a bouncing cheque for more than US $54.4 million, according to reports.

Dubai residents Mustafa Nagri and Safi Qurashi were said to have been in Port Rashid prison for six weeks awaiting trial over the alleged bad cheque, apparently in connection with a land deal, reported The National.

naKhEEl: thE worlD is not sinKing Developer Nakheel has denied a report that its 300 man-made islands shaped like a map of the world are sinking, calling it “wholly inaccurate.”

“Speculative reports suggesting that The World islands are sinking are wholly inaccurate,” a Nakheel statement said in reference to an article on Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper’s website claiming a picture from the US space agency NASA suggested that the islands were merging together and that they appeared to be sinking.

Kleindienst Group said it would be announcing the development of its next island soon, with construction due to begin before the end of Q1.

March 2010

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11

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news Feature

Ksa’s fastest-growing construction companies The Big Project looks at the top five construction and engineering firms that made it into this year’s Saudi Fast Growth 100 index, released by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) at the annual Global Competitiveness Forum held in Riyadh recently WorleyParsons Arabia Ltd, Al-Khobar Ranked in first place out of all companies In first place, WorleyParsons Arabia Ltd was named Saudi Arabia’s fastest growing company out of all sectors.

In Saudi Arabia, the company said it delivers a broad range of engineering services from straightforward minor plant modifications to leading project management contractor roles on mega-projects, such as the mine and associated chemical plants at Jalamid and Ras az Zawr for Ma’aden. In addition, it delivers improvement services through contracts such as the Maintain Potential programme for Saudi Aramco’s offshore facilities.

WorleyParson’s Saudi Arabia operation has five Eastern Province offices located in Al Khobar, one Western Province office in Yanbu and a newly-opened offshore office in Bahrain.

1

FAST FACTS

Founded: 2001 Revenue range in 2008: US $53 million — $133 million Growth rate: 4357.94% Employees (2008): 778 CEO: Fahad Al-Tamimi Web: www.worleyparsons.com

March 2010

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news Feature

5 Building Construction Co. Ltd (BCC), Al-Khobar Ranked in fifth place out of all companies listed As one of the largest heavy civil contractors in Saudi Arabia, BCC has undertaken a variety of infrastructure projects in the public and private sectors, offering site-preparation services, buildings construction, plants, subdivisions and other facilities.

2

FAST FACTS Founded: 1996 Revenue range in 2008: $13 million — $53 million Growth rate: 724.85% Employees (2008): 500 CEO: Othman Gasim Al-Gasaby Web: www.bcc-sa.com

Some ongoing projects the company said it was involved in include Al Riyadh View, the four-storey Amaer Al Tamiyaz Residential building and Al Rwad Factory among others.

Brains for Contracting Ltd, Al-Khobar Ranked eighth place out of all companies listed Set up in February 2007 by the founder of MCE Gulf for Contracting Ltd, construction firm Brains for Contracting Ltd offers a large variety of strategic consulting services, including business planning services, as well as salesstrategy development.

3

FAST FACTS Founded: 2007 Revenue range in 2008: $3 million — $13 million Growth rate: 573.69% Employees (2008): 250 CEO: Saleh Bin Jahlan

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news Feature

Al Fouzan for Trading and General Construction, in Riyadh Ranked 17th place out of all companies listed Having started as a small construction firm in 1963, Al Fouzan has built up its reputation and project portfolio over the last five decades to make it onto Saudi Arabia’s fastest-growing list.

According to Al Fouzan, the success of the company is due to the positive attitudes of its staff.

4

FAST FACTS Founded: 1963 Revenue range in 2008: $133 billion-$267 billion Growth rate: 292.75% Employees (2008): 3100 CEO: Tarek Mohamed Al Fouzan and Samih Jamil Al Kishawy Web: www.alfouzan.com

5

Saudi Readymix Concrete Company, Al-Khobar Ranked 20th place out of all companies listed On the Saudi Fast Growth 100 list for the second year running, Saudi Readymix achieved a 255.99% growth rate from 2004 to 2008, a significant improvement on its growth rate of 166.11% achieved between 2003 and 2007; taking it from 29th place in 2009 to 20th place this year. The company was the only ready-mixed concrete company to make it onto the list. TBP

ABOUT SAUDI FAST GROWTH 100 What is the Saudi Fast Growth 100?

The index puts the spotlight on a new generation of companies that are creating jobs and spurring innovation and growth, according to its founders.

The initiative was created by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority’s (SAGIA) National Competitiveness Centre, with founding partners AlWatan, AllWorld Network / Next Economics and professor Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School. Joining as a national strategic partner is the National Commercial Bank.

Winners are ranked according to their revenue performance over the last five years. The application process is strenuous, including reviewing the audited financial statements of applicant companies.

How are companies ranked?

Companies are ranked by the percentage growth of their annual revenue (turnover) between 2004 and 2008. Each company qualified for the Saudi Fast Growth 100 must meet international standards of competitive entrepreneurship.

Criteria To be eligible for the 2010 Saudi Fast Growth 100, companies must:      

Be privately held, for profit and independent Be based in Saudi Arabia Have eight or more full-time employees Have generated revenue of at least $106,674 in 2004 Have generated revenue of at least $1.1 million in 2008 Provide audited financial statements to verify revenue numbers

Note: Companies must not be a publicly-traded company, non-profit, holding company, franchise, bank or utility company.

Private companies established by government, or where government is a majority stakeholder, are not eligible.

FAST FACTS Founded: 1978 Revenue range in 2008: $267,000 million plus Growth rate: 255.99% Employees (2008): 2450 CEO: Rami Al Turki Web: www.saudireadymix.com.sa In order to be eligible for the 2010 Saudi Fast Growth Index, companies were required to have eight in-house employees or more.

March 2010

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Masdar City an update on abu Dhabi's us $22 billion sustainable development following the exit of two top execs

N

ews broke at the end of February that two of Masdar’s senior executives had left the project, with CEO Sultan Al Jaber reportedly steering a comprehensive review of the development deemed the world's first carbon-neutral, zero-waste city and headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Director of innovation and investments Ziad Tassabehji, who was often referred to as a ‘founding father’ of the project and was on both the executive and investment committees of the Masdar Clean Tech Fund, and

director of property development Khaled Awad are believed to have resigned at around the same time.

When asked about the circumstances that surrounded the two resignations, an official spokesperson said: “Masdar, like the field of renewable energy, is continually evolving — the organisation is dynamic yet remains focused on the vision of making Abu Dhabi the pre-eminent source for renewable energy and the world's benchmark for sustainable development.

“It requires a different skill set to grow a business than to establish one and it’s natural for the composition,

skills and numbers of company management to change; it’s an anticipated part of corporate evolution,” the spokesperson added.

Speaking exclusively to The Big Project, Tassabehji gave his reasons for leaving: “After having started what became the Masdar project, I ran utilities and asset management (effectively all investments in technology and utilities).

“Masdar is now a big company and set to deliver on clear objectives. It was therefore time to move on for me and do something new and entrepreneurial.

I am still a special advisor to Masdar and kept two board seats. I am exploring

March 2010

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cover story masdar city

several new ideas, but [have come to] no decision yet. I have decided to move out of the UAE with my family. After 23 years here, it was time to move on”.

Awad was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

Masdar said that the transition from Tassabehji and Awad to their successors

plans said to have started mid-February, as reported on the Arabian Business website, the organisation said that Masdar “is by definition a work in progress and all projects — especially those of a visionary nature like Masdar [City] — require a constant process of review and evaluation.

“Observers should expect Masdar to continue making changes and adjustments to projects, timescales and plans” Frank Wouters and Alan Frost, who will lead the Masdar Power and Masdar City business units respectively (see boxout for full details) was gradual, with a handover that was coordinated over the past five months.

In response to suggestions of a sixweek review of the project’s original

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March 2010

“Future energy technology — which is Masdar’s business — is rapidly evolving, and our plans are constantly under review to ensure the execution of the original vision matches the needs of the market and the latest technology innovations,” added the spokesperson.

Masdar asserted that its perspective

today on the potential for scalable, clean technologies was far more developed than four years ago when Abu Dhabi leadership created the vision for Masdar.

“We continue to grow and invest in our energy future; there is a very long road ahead and observers should expect Masdar to continue making changes and adjustments to projects, timescales and plans to ensure that we succeed in delivering the most efficient future energy solutions.”

However, the organisation said that the commitment of parent company Mubadala and the leadership of Abu Dhabi remained unchanged and it was very optimistic about future developments of the initiative and its various investments.

When asked whether the project would be delayed from its original timescale, the company could not comment. The development is expected to be completed in 2013.

Speaking last month, shortly before leaving Masdar, former director of property development Khaled Awad told reporters that the six km² development was “on track” to be completed to the planned schedule. TBP

MASDAR city FACTS: Summary: A mixed-use, fullysustainable development Objectives: 100% renewable energy, carbon-neutral city, zero-waste, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, the world’s greenest commercial buildings, to become a centre of excellence in sustainable technologies, global examplar of sustainability research and development in practice, partnerships of excellence.

Location: Abu Dhabi, adjacent Abu Dhabi International Airport and to the east of Central Abu Dhabi.

Owner: Mubadala Development Company (Abu Dhabi Government’s investment vehicle).

Designed by: Foster and Partners Size: 6km² Started: 2007 Due for completion: 2013

NEW VISIONARIES “150 years of experience”

DirEctor of innovation anD invEstMEnts: franK woutErs

Frank Wouters replaced Ziad Tassabehji as director of innovation and investments. He joined Masdar in September 2009 and holds an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the Delft University of Technology, in the Netherlands.

Wouters has 20 years’ experience in the renewable energy field and is a member of the Scientific Board of BWE (the German Wind Energy Association). His career has spanned a number of companies, including Evelop International, Sol Holding, Silicium de Provence SAS and Econcern Gmbh.

DirEctor of ProPErty DEvEloPMEnt: aLan frost Ground Engineering World Wide Keller Grundbau is a leading international ground engineering contractor providing solutions for soil and ground water problems all over the world. Our challenge is to carry out complex ground engineering works by combining products and procedures into a value engineered solution.

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mott maCdonald talK

Keeping up with the times

Mott MacDonald senior sustainability consultant joanne crawshaw says the company has implemented various initiatives and mandatory staff-awareness training to meet clients’ growing demands for green buildings

and for courts and consultation rooms; acoustic privacy. Building orientation, massing, shading and engineering systems were key elements in achieving these requirements.

are environmental considerations provided to clients as an add-on service or part of the package?

We have developed our Integrated Design and Sustainability – INDUS – approach that treats sustainability not as an add-on, but as a balance between economic, environmental and social goals, and takes account of our clients’ sustainability policies and aims, as well as the needs of other stakeholders.

INDUS and the tools that support it provide a practical way to integrate the complex drivers that impact on any major development, and to design an outcome that meets the needs of our clients, the community and the planet.

how do clients typically respond to the mention of sustainability?

Crawshaw: Increased awareness of energy efficiency means clients are more enthusiastic about best practice in their projects.

Clients are generally becoming more aware of the need for their projects to demonstrate strong commitments towards improved sustainable

“cLiEnts arE gEnEraLLy bEcoming morE and morE awarE of thE nEEd for thEir projEcts to dEmonstratE strong commitmEnts towards improvEd sustainabLE pErformancE” how does mott macdonald approach the issue of sustainability?

Thoughtful integration of sustainability principles within architectural design is fundamental to the delivery of a building or infrastructure project.

Sustainability does not necessarily have to be a visible component of a project; however, features within a project that have a visible function can support awareness raising and present a developer with an opportunity to make a clear statement about their commitment towards a ‘greener’built environment. Given that so many opportunities for integrating

sustainability within projects lies within architectural design, Mott MacDonald’s sustainability specialists and engineers continue to work in close collaboration with architects to ensure these opportunities are fully realised.

can you give an example of successful collaborations on past projects?

The Manchester Civil Justice Centre, UK, officially opened in March 2008, it fulfils its brief to provide a sustainable building of civic generosity and European significance. The brief demanded comfortable conditions, plentiful daylight, natural ventilation

performance. Many have adopted a corporate sustainability policy, but are looking for advice on how to implement it in their day-to-day activities. There is also recognition that although early integration of sustainability into the master planning and design process is essential, we are seeing that clients are becoming mindful of the need for sustainability to be a continuum — not only throughout all stages of design, but throughout construction, operation and maintenance of their assets. Due to the increasing awareness, clients tend to be enthusiastic about their projects being more sustainable and are encouraged March 2010

THE BIG PROJECT

23

talK mott maCdonald

to achieve a more sustainable end by recognising the short- and long-term benefits of integrating sustainability measures within their projects.

how does mott macdonald ensure its workforce is knowledgeable on sustainability and energy efficiencies?

Because of our size and skills, Mott MacDonald has a highly-influential role in our customers' activities. They look to us to demonstrate how changes can be made to infrastructure, systems and lifestyles that will reduce the resources we consume, the waste we produce and the harm we do to the environment and communities. In support of our own and our customers' activities, Mott MacDonald adopted a Group Sustainability Policy and appointed a group board director who is responsible for the policy and its implementation.

There is also a group sustainability champion with the brief to drive forward Mott MacDonald’s sustainability agenda, addressing our operations and services.

The group publishes an annual Corporate Responsibility Review; a key section of which summarises our performance and track record over the year.

do you offer an in-house training programme to staff?

A notable achievement for Mott MacDonald has been the implementation of mandatory sustainability training for all staff,

Crawshaw: It is imperative that staff remain knowledgeable on sustainability issues to perform their day-to-day activities well.

which has been rolled out across our global operations covering some 140 countries and 15,000 staff.

Awareness-raising posters and other publicity materials have been developed and are on display in all offices to encourage sustainable behaviour in the office (switching off lights and IT equipment when not needed etc.) and to provide quick technical prompts on steps that can be taken for more sustainable projects.

These initiatives mentioned are generally sector specific, such as for

An increasing number of clients are looking for assistance in implementing their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.

24

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March 2010

water engineering, building services, or oil and gas engineering.

why is it important to offer ongoing sustainability awareness programmes to employees?

It is imperative that staff remain knowledgeable on sustainability issues both in terms of their day-to-day activities and the influence they can have in delivering sustainable projects for our customers. In response to this, a sustainability taskforce comprising representatives from each business unit meets monthly, helping to measure our carbon footprint, raise awareness of sustainability among staff, and collating our track record of projects with a strong sustainability theme.

In addition, agendas for board meetings at all levels of the company now include sustainability as an agenda item; reports are prepared both on internal operations and office management and on our services and projects for clients.

Office managers are responsible for the preparation of Local Environmental Practice Plans for each office. These are revised each year, and include reporting on use of energy, water, waste and CO2 emissions. This information is used to calculate Mott MacDonald's global carbon footprint, which we are actively reducing year on year. TBP

the big debate

grEEn tEam Experts from Aldar Properties, Atkins Global, Emirates Green Building Council, Hyder Consulting and Woods Bagot met The Big Project to discuss what sustainability in construction means, how it can be achieved and who benefits

how has your role developed with changing attitudes towards sustainability? carolyn mcclean: Over the past two years there’s been much more of a focus on sustainability and implementing it from the drawing stages. mark grundy: Generally there is a lot more awareness within our organisation. We’re starting to see that consultants and designers are no longer looking at sustainability as an add-on service; it’s becoming integrated within their services. We’re trying to promote integrating sustainability within contractual requirements and we’re starting to see progress now. joe tabet: In 2004 I met a client who said ‘I want the greenest building in the world’. So for three weeks we conducted research to see how we could turn the building into a sustainable one incorporating all the ‘green’ aspects. Then we did the presentation and the client said ‘but where is the

colour green’. Today the discussion is different, we have moved on. In

Atkins, we’re looking into the design

fiachra Ó cléirigh: The past three years have been very interesting; I’ve seen a lot of change here. jeffrey willis: Within Arup, sustainability has been on the agenda for a long time and as a mechanical engineer, part of the job is thinking about energy efficiencies, for example.

Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC)

was established because there was nothing here in terms of sustainability at the time. There were lots of people

“thErE nEEds to bE a compLEtE changE of attitudE and a massivE EducationaL procEss thEn thE poLicing of standards” approach to sustainable buildings.

There is still the issue of cost though, people are looking at the 10% extra on the initial investment, but by taking into consideration the orientation of the building and wind direction, for example, it will save you a lot.

Sometimes you talk to the client about sustainability and they panic, but it’s up to designers to make it part of the process. It costs us more because we have to do more research, but it is the best approach.

who cared, but no one was actually making the decisions. how do clients generally respond to the issue of sustainability? jt: At the moment it’s a very positive response. Everyone is asking for it, but we’re still waiting for regulations to come out. We’re waiting for Estidama to say what it wants us to do because we’re struggling to choose between Estidama (www.estidama.org) guidelines, the LEED system and so on.

March 2010

THE BIG PROJECT

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the big debate

JW: It is clear that clients are interested in being more sustainable, but there is also the misconception that it will cost more money. One of the things EGBC is doing is collecting examples of things that have been done that haven’t cost more money.

For example, there is a contractor in Dubai offering insulated concrete; it’s cheaper, faster, results in less problems on site and your air conditioning doesn’t need to be on 100% all the time.

So we’re collecting these stories, going to clients and saying this is real, and look it didn’t cost more money.

Is it enough for clients to have an interest or do regulations need to be set and standards need to be enforced?

JW: One of the issues is that we cannot get all of the emirates to use the same regulations. There are regulations being launched in Abu Dhabi, which will definitely raise the overall standards a lot, but every emirate needs to work from the same platform; standards need to be consistent.

JT: In Abu Dhabi they’re releasing International Building Codes (IBCs),

Willis: Every emirate needs to work from the same platform.

the industry. We could start by getting EGBC and the Oman Green Building Council working together, for example, and start becoming Gulf wide.

MG: There are two issues; regulations and minimum standards, and then there’s building sustainably.

Sustainability is a vision and we should not really be looking at that as a regulation. We should be looking at

“Sustainability is a vision and we should not really be looking at that as a regulation” but what about Dubai and the other emirates? Why is there not a council that oversees the whole UAE and ensures that there is one set of guidelines for everybody? It’s not easy to follow the standards in the UAE at the moment; there are too many different approaches within the same country.

JW: As a council we can lobby the government and that’s what we lobby for; consistency. But this part of the world has grown very fast in a short period of time, when I came in 1983; there were just a few small clusters of buildings and not very much communication. The authorities are really looking at connecting things up now, but it’s always going to be difficult to get every emirate to work together.

FO: There aren’t the federal bodies driving it. You need the regulations and policing to be done at federal level.

Karl Simons: Legislation should follow 28

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March 2010

guidelines to try to point people in the right direction. One of the issues with LEED is it becomes a points-chasing exercise and can lose the focus. We will see when IBCs are launched in

Abu Dhabi and we also get minimum standards in Dubai.

At the moment corporations hear a lot of rumours about what’s going to be happening and when it’s going to happen and everybody waits before they commit. What would have benefitted developers and designers would have been the introduction of interim requirements. For example, if EGBC had said a couple of years ago: follow LEED or follow BREEAM; we will recognise this and your company will receive some acknowledgement.

KS: It may be based on points, but I think LEED has gone a long way towards driving standards.

MG: Yes, designing a LEED Gold building will most certainly give you a better building, but if you get the right people on board; it shouldn’t be a case of following it to the letter.

Should industry look to follow LEED standards then?

KS: I was involved in the development of the Oman Botanic Gardens project, which is heading for LEED Platinum.

The contractors’ responsibilities in terms of delivering on the specifications of the design were immense and it made contractors think in a completely different way through the tender process and ultimately through the construction process. It was their responsibility to take the environment into consideration, and for responsible and sustainable procurement.

MG: But there are still two separate issues; one is sense of commitment in

Ó Cléirigh says that the federal bodies are not driving sustainable standards, Simons adds that it takes industry to lead legislation.

the big debate

PANEL JeFFrey willis chairMan oF eMirates green building council and associate director oF arup trained as a mechanical engineer, Jeffrey willis has been working with global firm arup for 31 years. in the Middle east, willis was based in Qatar for a decade before he came to abu dhabi in 1993. he left the region to take up roles in singapore and indonesia; returning to the uae in 2005 to open arup’s dubai office. at around the same time, willis met a group of people looking to set up a council for sustainability. emirates green building council was established in 2006, with arup a founding member. willis recently took up his current role.

Karl siMons Msc iMs director, hyder consulting Middle east having recently taken up his current role at hyder consulting, Karl simons has a varied career background. he completed a Masters in environmental management and has clocked up 20 years’ experience in health and safety and sustainability, 10 years of which have been spent in construction. before joining hyder consulting, simons was iMs director at carillion alawi, oman. aside from his day-today position, simons puts his experience to good use chairing build safe oman, promoting best practice in health and safety.

Fiachra Ó clÉirigh, Function Manager — environMent, hyder consulting Middle east chartered engineer Fiachra Ó cléirigh graduated in 1999 and went on to do a Masters in field dynamics before joining a consultancy in ireland, which was primarily focused on environmental protection, energy use and risk management. Ó cléirigh assisted various clients, mainly in approaches to pollution control and environment management systems. he came to the Middle east in 2007 to join hyder consulting’s environmental team in abu dhabi, which he now leads. his client base in the region spans developments by aldar and Masdar among others.

MarK grundy sustainability & environMent Manager, aldar properties pJsc with a background in chemical process engineering, Mark grundy has spent more than 15 years as an environmental consultant. he moved to abu dhabi with Mott Macdonald to set up the company’s environmental department before joining aldar in 2008 to take up his current role. his vast project experience includes the development of sustainable design guidelines, impact assessments, strategic assessment, policy development, due diligence, auditing and engineering to name a few.

carolyn Mcclean principal, woods bagot Middle east originally from australia, carolyn Mcclean has been an architect for 18 years, 15 of which have been spent in the uae, based in abu dhabi and dubai.

Mcclean is part of woods bagot’s global ‘green team’; overseeing sustainability and comparing best practice across countries. she says looking at different approaches worldwide is important for sharing ideas, knowledge and materials to achieve the highest levels of sustainability right from the drawing stage. having been with woods bagot for more than 11 years, Mcclean has worked in Malaysia, sydney and canada.

Joe tabet head oF architecture, atKins global Joe tabet joined atkins global in dubai in 2002, bringing 11 years' experience to the role. he is a member of atkins carbon critical building panel and is on the advisory panel for several universities in the region. tabet has also found the time to compile his extensive hotel design expertise as author of the book atkins hotel guidelines,

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the big debate

adhering to minimum standards and then there’s sustainable building, which is more voluntary.

It’s about setting voluntary targets that will drive contractors, developers and designers in the same direction.

That’s where the problem is; there is confusion over what a sustainable building is and what you’re actually trying to achieve.

Does industry fully understand the meaning of sustainability?

MG: Sustainability used to refer to mainly climate-change issues, but it’s moved away from that. Sustainability is adding value. A building isn’t sustainable if it costs too much money and remains unoccupied, it needs to perform efficiently.

JW: In the past no one considered how the building would benefit the consumer; that was missing.

You only have to look at the end of Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai and see how some of the buildings have been plonked together with no consideration of the space in between them or how that building fits in with the community and has an impact on it.

FO: How the building fits in with the community is absolutely a sustainability issue. You can have a very efficient building built in isolation, with no community, it would not be occupied, there’d be no business case for it; it

Grundy: Sustainability used to mainly refer to climate change, but now that has changed; being sustainable is about adding value.

How will the client benefit from funding a sustainable development?

KS: Clients need to balance the lifecycle cost of the building against the wider environmental impact and consultants can offer the specialist advice to balance that in a project.

MG: Sustainability has to be driven by the client. Because Aldar retains a lot of its assets, we will see the benefits at some point. But traditionally it’s not in developers’ interests if they are going

it’s the end user that is living in this iconic building and so iconic should be defined by them. It shouldn’t mean the tallest or biggest building; iconic should be determined by the comfort and sustainability of the end user. It has to be a sociable, sustainable approach JW: During the construction boom, the end user was not being considered at all.

There was one developer I remember talking to; we were doing some master planning for some apartments and I

“This country is lucky that it experienced the recession because it reminded people to think more about efficiency” would not be a commercial success.

CM: Buildings must be designed for maximum impact and interlinked with the main infrastructure services.

Similarly, long-term considerations such has how much power and water the building uses need to be taken into consideration. Thinking about the whole development from design stages is a major part of sustainability.

MG: From Aldar’s point of view, you can’t have inefficient buildings in a sustainable development. You’ve got to have the vision and understand how the community will benefit.

to simply be selling the asset on. So it’s left to whoever is retaining the asset to drive sustainability because they’re the ones getting the benefit.

JT: Sustainability has to be built into the process to push engineers, designers and architects to go back to the ABC of design. Then you will achieve an efficient building that will not cost that much money. This country is lucky that it had the recession because it reminded people to think more about efficiency.

The word sustainability is similar to the word ‘iconic’ in that it has been abused. No one can define iconic, but

said to him: 'what is your bestseller?' He said 'we don’t know what our bestseller is because we’ve always sold everything we’ve built and we’ve built everything differently'. I always find myself asking the same questions: who are we building for? Who is the end user? In 2005 there wasn’t an answer — they were just building to sell.

What are the main drivers of change?

MG: It’s becoming a more competitive market. Buildings that are being developed have to be better and more user friendly than those developed March 2010

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the big debate

companies to carry out environmental consultancy services. It’s about improving staff and developing roles.

MG: The Environment Agency will take people off the list if they demonstrate they’re not capable of operating sustainably. Setting minimum building performance targets is essential to get everyone thinking about adding value.

Large, international architects don't have a problem adhering to standards, it's the smaller firms that often don't have the knowledge.

previously. There are buildings going up in Dubai that might never be occupied.

CM: It takes the firms here to set the standard and a lot of international companies in the region are beginning to do that.

Can contractors and suppliers offering sustainable solutions compete pricewise?

FO: In Abu Dhabi they certainly can because the Urban Planning Council (UPC) has made strides towards making

that we’re facing is there needs to be a complete change of attitude and a massive educational process, then the policing of standards.

Surely if people understand the benefits of sustainably, it won’t need policing?

JT: If you’re looking at buildings designed by large, international architects there’s not an issue, but you have a load of architects and designers who don’t have the skills or resources.

What about existing buildings?

JW: It will start with the new builds first and UPC is currently working on an existing buildings programme. It should be publicised that it’s amazingly easy to save money on energy that’s being used. One of our members makes a good business out of saying 'I know without even looking at your building that I can save you 20% on energy bills'.

MG: And that’s a significant statement here because the cost of conventional energy is so high.

FO: Energy prices will drive change.

Will governments increase conventional energy prices?

FO: I think eventually prices will go up.

MG: Masdar has got the solar panels and feed-in tariffs will help. Going forward it's a long-term project so people will make existing buildings more efficient.

JW: In terms of the feed-in tariff; as more and more companies incorporate

“We are waiting for Estidama to say what it wants us to do because we’re struggling to choose between Estidama guidelines, the LEED system and so on” it mandatory to at least consider these issues in the planning process, such as considering energy and water budgets from design stages.

So you can’t shy away from it as a consultant or fail to price for it; there is no way out of it so you have to do it. It’s different in other jurisdictions, but it’s a level playing field in Abu Dhabi. You can add value and pitch sustainability as a unique selling point and that’s what we need.

JW: The UPC has made it part of the planning process to forecast your energy and water use; they’ve made great progress. However, the challenge 32

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MG: And in this economic climate, some clients will go and get a proposal and opt for the cheapest, but it ends up costing more in the long run.

JW: If you start vetting companies and setting minimum standards that consultants, architects and suppliers must achieve, you’re saying that a number of people in the UAE cannot operate anymore. There is a strong lobby for this to be law and it’ll be interesting to see how it goes.

Who should provide the training?

FO: In Abu Dhabi’s situation, the Environment Agency approves certain

solar panels it drives change and will make it of financial benefit.

KS: There are projects throughout the world that demonstrate that this can be achieved. One of the key things is early contractor involvement and more international contractors set up in the Gulf with the supply chain at the right cost. Globalisation helps hugely.

CM: Industry is improving. We’re seeing more suppliers from overseas bringing the products here.

MG: And for the contractors with no knowledge of sustainable materials; they just need to be educated and to be given the right incentives. TBP

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technical bridges

Better bridges The trend for bigger bridges calls for the intelligent use of materials to guarantee a longer maintenance-free lifetime; not just to save money, but to appease the public

“The designs are becoming extremely complicated and the structures are growing in size. Consequently, the investments are enormous and there is an increasing understanding that these structures should be maintenance free for many years. Not only from a financial point of view, but also because traffic loads are increasing and the inconvenience of closing these large structures for repair or maintenance will not be tolerated by the public,” says Arminox Gulf FZCO general manager Torben Krebs.

Arminox is a specialised service provider, which assists in the design of structures and acts as a consultant to ensure the intelligent use of stainless steel reinforcement.

Stainless steel does not corrode and is therefore placed in the splash zone of a bridge or marine structure, where chlorides would attack carbon steel.

Carbon steel in these conditions would start to corrode within a few years and large amounts of money must be spent on repairs throughout the lifetime of the structure.

Using stainless-steel reinforcement is likely to eliminate the cost of maintenance, according to Arminox.

Smart solutions Part of the Business Bay Canal extension in the UAE involves elevating Sheikh Zayed Road over the canal to form a bridge 800 metres long.

By ‘intelligent’ use of stainless steel, we mean ‘sparing’; stainless steel is

“Traffic loads are increasing and the inconvenience of closing these large structures for repair or maintenance will no longer be tolerated by the general public”

A

tendency of the competitive Middle East construction industry has been to think rather short term; looking at initial costs and leaving the maintenance burden to future generations — particularly in the construction of bridges.

However, the ‘cross that bridge when you come to it’ attitude (excuse the pun) is becoming a thing of the past, with money and expertise being poured into large, iconic structures throughout the Middle East region.

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March 2010

an expensive commodity compared to carbon steel, so it is important to substitute the carbon steel with stainless steel only where it is needed. Kreb says that in a normal bridge structure, only 3-5% of the carbon steel needs to be replaced with stainless steel. This will ensure a 100-plus years’ maintenancefree lifetime. The first structure using stainless steel reinforcement was a pier built in Mexico around 1940. This structure is still in use and has reportedly never received any maintenance works. We’ll have to wait

bridges technical

another 30 years to see if it can meet its 100-year maintenance-free lifetime guarantee, but it looks promising.

And with this in mind, more economical alloys have been developed over the past decade, which has seen the use of stainless steel reinforcement become commonplace across Europe, with the rest of the world catching on.

In the Middle East, Arminox has provided modern stainless-steel reinforcement solutions for projects such as Sheikh Zayed Bridge in the UAE, Pearl Qatar bridges and Sitra Causeway in Bahrain. It is currently looking into a number of projects in the region, including Qatar-Bahrain Causeway and Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah Causeway in Kuwait.

In fact, Arminox says the worldwide consumption of stainless steel is expected to have increased from 5000 tons in 1995 to reach more than 500,000 tons by 2015. And bigger bridges do not just require smarter steel solutions; the more sophisticated use of ready-mix concrete is required.

The Sitra Causeway project in Bahrain was planned in 2005 to replace the two previous concrete bridges between Sitra and Manama.

THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE Arminox® stainless steel reinforcement – the most maintenance free and economic solution for the construction industry.

Arminox stainless steel reinforcement does not rust.

Used for concrete structures it is therefore the certain way of avoiding corrosion related damage to the concrete – and subsequently comprehensive and expensive renovation.

By intelligent use of stainless steel we assure a positive outcome to the bottom line.

Recent clients and projects include: The RTA Dubai, Dubai Highway Bridges Al Habtoor, Abu Dhabi Airport Gamuda Berhad, Sitra Causeway Bridges Bahrain Port Authority of Sharjah, The Commercial Port Archirodon, Sheikh Zayed Bridge Abu Dhabi

ARMINOX GULF FZCO. P.O.Box 16941. Tel: +971 4 8872 777 Fax: +971 4 8872 778 www.arminox.com arminox@eim.ae

STAINLESS

technical bridges

Tried and tested Like Kreb, Denis Beaupre, operations director for technical, sales and research and development at Unibeton Ready Mix, says an increasing number of clients are looking for long service life, which is usually achieved by controlling the corrosion of reinforcement.

“This has led to the production of very low water/cementitious ratio concrete combined with the use of supplementary cementitious material such as slag, fly ash and silica fume. The use of new-generation superplasticiser (polycarboxilate type), and sometimes corrosion inhibitors, have made concrete more durable, but also more susceptible to early cracking,” according to Beaupre.

“Use of synthetic structural fibres might be a good solution to provide the whole system with protection of the main reinforcement.

“Of course, the use of post-tensioning can reduce the total area where concrete is under tension and thus susceptible to develop surface cracks that may affect

The new Garhoud Bridge in Dubai required 150,000m³ of concrete with GABS and silica fume, pumping services and low heat of hydration concrete.

“Varying cement prices in the UNITED ARAB EMIRATES meanS it CAN BE difficult to set the raw material price for more than 12 months from the start of the project”

The US $250 million Sitra Causeway bridge reconstruction incorporates stainless steel reinforcement replacing the previous structure built in the 1970s.

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the real service life. These parameters are difficult to control and even more so to predict,” he adds.

Beaupre says the Middle East also demands tough durability (rapidchloride permeability for example), for controlling concrete temperature and workability during the hotter months.

The company has witnessed trends such as the ongoing use of selfcompacting concrete in the GCC, IBB workability probes for quality control, iCRETE systems for optimisation of mixture design and QAQC control at batching plants.

Furthermore, varying cement prices in the UAE mean it is difficult to set the raw material price for more than 12 months from the start of the project, says Beaupre.

“We make sure we have a batching plant nearby. During the last cement crisis, Unibeton was able to supply all its

bridges technical

customers because of our good relations with suppliers,” he adds.

The company has serviced a number of bridge projects in the region; it provided more than 240,000m3 of concrete with high slag content, incorporating calcium nitrate as corrosion inhibitor, pumping services, and self-compacting concrete for highcongested/non-accessible parts of the Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi.

For the Sheikh Khalifa Bridge linking Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Island, Unibeton Ready Mix supplied up to 140,000m³ of concrete, piling with set control to allow barging and early highstrength concrete.

The new Garhoud Bridge in Dubai required 150,000m³ of concrete with GABS and silica fume, pumping services, and low heat of hydration concrete for the raft supplied at 25°C in summer.

In addition, Unibeton tells The Big Project that it is currently commencing piling and foundation work on Hudayriat Bridge in Abu Dhabi.

In conclusion, Kreb suggests: “If a life-time cycle costing exercise was obligatory in all large projects in the Middle East, we would see a rapid change for the better”. TBP

FIVE BIG BRIDGE PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE

1 Bahrain-Qatar Causeway

This US $3 billion Qatar-Bahrain Causeway is a 40km two-lane dual carriageway linking Qatar and Bahrain and being developed by the Qatar Public Works Authority and the Bahrain Ministry of Works. The road will run over 18km of embankments where the sea is shallow and 22km of viaducts and bridges over deep water, including two 400m cable-stayed bridges over shipping channels.

2 Subiya Causeway

The Ministry of Public Works in Kuwait is developing this $3.7 billion causeway, which will stretch approximately 37km across the Bay of Kuwait connecting Shuwaikh Port with Subiya New Town Development. As part of the project, a 27km low-level bridge across the bay, a main bridge spanning 200m, an elevated road and a 5km approach road onshore in Subiya will be constructed in phases.

3 Hudayriat Bridge

Abu Dhabi’s $50 million Hudayriat Bridge is being developed by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) and will connect Hudayriat Island with the capital’s mainland.

4 Sheikh Zayed Bridge (Business Bay Canal Extension — Phase one)

Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) is spearheading the extension of the Business Bay Canal. Phase one involves elevating Sheikh Zayed Road above the canal to form a bridge stretching 800m.

5 Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Crossing (sixth crossing)

Designed to be the longest arch bridge in the world and largest single road project, the Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Crossing being developed by Dubai’s Roads & Transports Authority will be 1.7km long, 64m wide and positioned 15m above water level. It will comprise 12 lanes, a rail track and hold Dubai Metro’s Green Line. The bridge will have a capacity of around 20,000 vehicles per hour and will link Al Jaddaf and Business Bay at Bur Dubai. The giant arch of the bridge will peak at 205m and will be 667m long. The project also includes 12km of new roads and 22 intersections in surrounding areas.

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tenders

suppliers news

Suppliers in the spotlight A ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST NEWS and announcements FROM INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS IN THE middle east

Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower) CEO Ahmad Bin Shafar.

Empower expands to meet districtcooling demand More than 12,000km² of district cooling solutions were provided by the company last year Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower) will bid on more projects in the region as part of its expansion plans to meet a growing demand for district cooling, according to the company.

The Tecom Investments and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) joint venture claimed it provided more than 12,00km² of district-cooling solutions covering 80 buildings in 2009.

“We succeeded in building worldclass, district-cooling infrastructure that is considered an ideal economic and environmental solution for residential and commercial units, offices and hotels,” said Empower CEO Ahmad Bin Shafar.

“In Dubai, residential units are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of using districtcooling systems as an alternative to conventional AC systems, leading to energy saving and conservation, as well as lower operations and maintenance costs. This is in sharp contrast to lower awareness of its importance in other parts of the Middle East.”

In the UAE, district cooling was first used in the 1970s at Dubai International Airport, according to Empower. It was adopted commercially more frequently in 1998 with the real-estate boom and has been implemented increasingly in the past five years in large-scale projects.

Shafar claimed that the operational savings in a residential unit using district cooling was between 40-45%, compared to air-conditioning technologies.

Empower has providing district cooling to a number of projects in Dubai, including Dubai International Financial Centre and Dubai Healthcare City.

Capital to host luxury interiors event

Italian trade commissioner Francesco Alfonsi, based in the UAE.

Around 35 interior design companies are expected to exhibit at Italian Luxury Interiors 2010, taking place in Abu Dhabi from March 4-6. The event, which will be held at Emirates Palace, is expected to attract trade buyers, designers, architects and consultants.

“Italy is the leading furniture exporter and the second largest furniture manufacturer in the world, including to the UAE,” said UAE-based Italian trade commissioner Francesco Alfonsi.

He added that Italy is ranked number two among European countries in terms of trade volume with the UAE, with business exceeding US$8 billion a year.

Shaikhani Group launches subsidiary Financial downturn has brought about significant changes to business models, says MD

Shaikhani Developments managing director Rizwan Shaikhani.

UAE-based The Shaikhani Group has launched Shaikhani Developments, a new property developer, contractor and project management company.

The company will offer a range of services within real estate development, construction and project management across residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects within the UAE. “The global financial crisis has tested the resilience of the UAE property market, and although the country is yet to completely break out from the clutches of the credit crunch, this phenomenon has underlined the inherent strength of its economic foundation and has brought about significant changes to business models and processes. The launch of our new subsidiary is a testament to our strong confidence that the UAE is headed for an outstanding recovery,” said Shaikhani Developments managing director Rizwan Shaikhani.

He added that the group had studied current market trends and had based plans on its observations.

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news suppliers

KSA flooring firms eye lucrative European market

in brief Doha to attract sector bigwigs

Al Sorayai plans to increase the company's EU market share through more overseas exhibitions Al Sorayai Trading and Industrial Group is monitoring Europe’s construction industry, which is expected to achieve market stability this year, according to the firm's managing director Saleh Nasser Al-Sorayai.

“Europe has been a lucrative market for us, even amid the downturn. We intend to further expand our presence in the region, specifically by interacting with current and potential customers through high-profile industry events.

“This year is of great significance because there are high expectations for at least moderate recovery across sectors that are linked to our line of business. We are highly prepared to meet demand should a strong market upswing occur,” explained Al Sorayai.

Prior to the full worldwide impact of the economic downturn towards the end of 2008, the global market value of the flooring and carpets trade was set to

Al Sorayai Trading and Industrial Group MD Saleh Nasser Al-Sorayai.

climb by 2.5% annually and reach US $150 billion by 2012, claimed Al Sorayai Trading and Industrial Group.

Positive 2010 forecasts such as the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s prediction of a 1-3% growth in international tourism and the McGraw-Hill Construction Outlook 2010 Report’s expectation of increased construction activity are expected to boost the demand for flooring materials and coverings.

Europe is a particularly profitable target market due to the huge volume of its planned and ongoing construction activities, added Al-Sorayai.

The company exhibited at carpets and flooring trade show Domotex Hannover in Germany in January.

Dewan and European COBA team up

L-R: COBA executive president Victor Carneiro, Dewan’s Mohamed Al Assam, COBA’s Ricardo Oliveria, Hassan Wahab and Alexander Portugal.

Dewan Architects & Engineers has partnered with European infrastructure and environmental engineering consultancy firm COBA to enable expansion in infrastructure design in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar and the UAE. “This endeavour and our move into the infrastructure market mark the start 40

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of innovative, cost-effective, quality design with European experience. This joint venture will enable us to offer a comprehensive multidisciplinary service to our clients, drawing on the expertise of various specialists to ensure the success of every project we run,” said Dewan Architects & Engineers MD, founder and chairman Mohamed Al Assam.

“It will also advance Dewan’s diversification plans in terms of markets, geography and services; helping us enter the field of infrastructure design consultancy across the GCC countries and Iraq,” he added.

COBA chairman Ricardo Oliveria said the demand for cost-efficient, effective and timely delivery of infrastructure projects was high and that the GCC presented unique challenges. TBP

Hundreds of top-name international construction sector exhibitors and visitors are expected to descend on Doha for this year's Project Qatar, according to the show's organisers.

The event will take place from April 12-15 and is intended to provide a good platform for investment deals. Exhibitors will showcase the latest machinery, equipment and materials.

Keller celebrates 150 years' of service

Ground engineering contractor Keller has completed 150 years of service, having been established in back in 1860.

The company continues to be the world’s largest independent ground engineering contractor, working in around 40 countries and employing more than 6000 staff members.

Keller Group Plc is listed on the London Stock Exchangs and achieved record sales in 2008.

The company has operated in the Gulf region for more than 30 years with its main centres in the KSA, UAE and Bahrain. It specialises in the area of ground-improvement products, such as vibro compaction and vibro replacement.

Bridges MiddlE east returns to Qatar

Following the reported succes of Bridges Middle East 2009, the event is returning to Doha.

Bridges Middle East — Qatar 2010 will take place from April 11-14 at The Ritz-Carlton Doha.

The conference, which is organised by IQPC, is focused on the design, building and maintenance of bridges and provides excellent networking opportunities, according to IQPC.

renewable energies

soLar racE

It is only a matter of time before the Middle East government bodies make solar power a necessity through incentives such as feed-in tariffs and attractive subsidies, say specialist contractors and suppliers

But, as AT Kearney, Dubai, principal Christian von Tschirschky point out; there are currently no feed-in tariffs in this region: “Solar needs to compete economically with generation fuels, such as oil and gas, which are highly subsidised,” adds Tschirschky.

And this is a problem because the cost of electricity produced by a solar power plant — taking into consideration a large

CASE STUDY ONE 10Mw solar PowEr Plan, MasDar city abu Dhabi at a glance: first grid connected system in the uaE providing green energy to the municipal grid. custom-designed maintenance programme. unique design tailored to the overall look of the project. one of the first projects to be completed in Masdar city features: combination of poly crystalline silicon and thin film modules remote online monitoring systems enables energy production levels to be easily checked and monitored. carbon emissions saved are equivalent to approximately 11,000 air passengers travelling from abu Dhabi to london. tEchnicaL spEcifications

Germany was the first country to introduce feed-in tariffs, which proved effective in motivating smaller projects to incorporate solar power.

Y

ou would expect an aerial view of the sunny Middle East to reveal a blanket of powergenerating solar panels in designated clusters and lining the roofs of its many large buildings.

However, the number of structures incorporating this technology is relatively small when you compare to some less-sunny European countries, such as Germany. The reason for this, according to various contractors and suppliers, is a lack of government incentives to install solar panels; however, it is only a matter of time before this changes: “What you see in other regions is implementation of 42

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feed-in tariffs by government, which promises to buy back clean energy generated at around US 30-40 cents per kilowatt hour. So anyone can put solar modules on a roof and sell the energy back to the government; it’s an initial investment and slow payback period,” explains Enviromena Power Systems LLC VP-technical Sander Trestain.

“Germany was the first country to do this and it was a fabulous success for the promotion of solar capacity.

“The secondary benefits include decentralised power production and a decreased demand on the energy grid, which can reduce the overall cost of solar energy.”

type of modules

50% first solar thin film 50% suntech poly crystalline

number of modules

87,777

type of inverters

sMa sc 560

Power capacity

10Mwp

Energy produced

17Mwh/year

lifespan

25 years plus

Project time Eight months from frame project award to operation co2 emissions saved p/a

approx. 15,000 t

source: Enviromena Power systems

renewable energies

Pilot projects, such as the 10 megawatt solar power plant Enviromena has installed in Abu Dhabi's Masdar City are proving the real capacity of solar power, according to Enviromena's Sander Trestain.

initial investment, but low running costs and a life-span of around 25 years — is around US 25-27 cents per kilowatt hour, says Trestain. This is cheaper than conventional electricity in some parts of the world, but not in Dubai or Abu Dhabi for example.

oil and gas to the world markets at attractive prices than to burn it”.

While both experts say more needs to be done to push solar power, it seems things are moving in the right direction. Trestain acknowledges that when the company set up in 2007,

plant producing 17,500 megawatt hours of energy per year within Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City.

The plant is the largest in the Middle East and is grid connected. The solar panels are ground mounted on steel and concrete racking systems.

“wE ExpEct govErnmEnt subsidiEs to bE rEducEd for oiL and gas in thE mid- to Long-tErm which wiLL maKE soLar morE compEtitivE” “Governments need to further focus on solar [power] and need to establish a favourable regulatory and investment environment, which pushes investments into solar. For example, by introducing attractive feed-in tariffs and reducing subsidies for fuels such as oil and gas,” adds Tschirschky.

“Governments have to evaluate from the country macro perspective that it makes economically more sense to sell

there was no demand for solar energy, no installed capacity and no drive for projects to bring solar into their power portfolio. But now, there’s a large pipeline of upcoming projects in the region driven almost exclusively by government programmes. The government is the client, he asserts.

One of the most significant examples of this is Enviromena’s installation of a 55-acre, 10 megawatt (MW) solar power

Trestain says the intention is to offset energy used during the construction phases of the city by putting clean energy back into the system. Furthermore, the plant fits into the master plan of the city and therefore will continue to be one of the site’s clean energy sources.

Pilot projects, such as the Masdar City, the 10MW Solar One and Solar Two heliostat demonstration projects in March 2010

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43

renewable energies

the Mojave Desert and the 15MW Solar Tres Power Tower in Spain, are proving the capacity of solar power However, there a still obstacles with the technology: “Panels require regular cleaning to be fully efficient, this requires access to water which is again an expensive source — this hurdle can be overcome if Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) is combined with

CASE STUDY TWO Photovoltaic ParKing shaDE structurE, MasDar city, abu Dhabi at a glance: Dual-purpose shade structure protects cars from the heat while producing carbon-free solar energy structure acts as a highly-visible display of a company’s corporate social responsibility commitment

desalination and water can be used for cleaning the panels, says Tschirschky.

“Once built, solar-panel maintenance is extremely cheap, there are no moving parts or fuel, and typically running costs only amount to 1% of the system price,” adds Trestain.

Integrating solar solutions from the drawing stages of a development can keep costs down and results in a more aesthetically-pleasing, smarter design.

Enviromena has a team of engineers specialising in developing customised, effective and attractive systems and there are a number of solar products on the market, available in different colours, shapes and designs.

That’s not to say buildings cannot be easily and adequately retrofitted, asserts Tschirschky, adding that 90% of the photovoltaic (PV) solar installations in Germany have been retrofitted. So with an increasing interest from the

private sector and the technology in place, it seems that the Middle East is just waiting from the governmental incentives to exploit solar power; and this could be on the cards in the not too distant future.

“We expect government subsidies to be reduced for oil and gas in the mid- to long-term which will make solar more competitive,” says Tschirschky.

“Solar industry has the opportunity to create up to 100,000 jobs in MENA if governments drive the solar story, set-up production facilities and operate solar plants,” he adds.

And in the meantime, Trestain says that developers investing in solar power won't just have a clear conscience; they can reap the public relations benefits of operating a corporate socially responsible business, just as Google did with the launch of its solar power plant at its California head office. TBP

features: incorporates a water-collection system for enhanced sustainability inverters can be mounted directly onto the structure output cables are concealed within the system design

tEchnicaL spEcifications type of modules

sunpower 315 wp

number of modules

650

type of inverters

sMa sMc 7000 hv

Power capacity

204kwp

Energy produced

343 Mwh/year

lifespan

25 years plus

Project time frame

six months form project award to completion

co2 emissions saved p/a

approx. 300 t

number of parking lots

105

source: Enviromena Power systems Tschirschky: Solar panels require regular cleaning in order to be full efficient, which calls for the use of water; also an expensive source.

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COMMERCIAL MANAGER REF: CON049 LOCATION: Middle East (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait) SALARY: Excellent salary, car, housing allowance and benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: We currently have a number of excellent opportunities for experienced commercial managers to join different leading international quantity surveying and project management consultancies in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia or Oman. You will be part of a growing commercial team working on array of different types and scales of projects depending on the company and location.

QUANTITY SURVEYOR REF: CON001 LOCATION: Dubai, UAE SALARY: Excellent salary, car, housing allowance and benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: We have an excellent opportunity for a Quantity Surveyor to join a leading international quantity surveying and project management consultancy in Dubai. You will be part of a growing commercial team working on various capital projects across Dubai.

QUANTITY SURVEYOR REF: CON008 LOCATION: Ajman, UAE SALARY: Excellent salary, car, housing allowance and benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: We have an excellent opportunity for a quantity surveyor to one of the world’s leading quantity surveying and project management consultancies in the new construction hot-spot in the UAE; Ajman (20Km from Dubai). You will be part of a growing commercial team working on array of developments.

ASSOCIATE QUANTITY SURVEYOR REF: CON051 LOCATION: Middle East (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, wider UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait) SALARY: Excellent salary, car, housing allowance and benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: We have a number of Associate Quantity Surveyor positions to work for different leading Quantity surveying consultancies across the Middle East (Dubai, UAE, Qatar, Oman).

CONTRACT MANAGER REF: CON0136 LOCATION: Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Middle East SALARY: US119K basic tax free plus excellent benefits JOB TYPE: Any DESCRIPTION: We have an excellent opportunity for a contract manager to join a leading-, UK-based-, international quantity surveying and project management consultancy.

Project Description: Construction of a new Phosphate Plant. The work involves three days per week in the main contractor’s office in Al-Khobar which is situated 40 minutes by car from Bahrain and three days per week on the site.

This position is a 16 months fixed-term role, however, further opportunities/ projects would be available at the end of the project, in the UK or abroad.

SENIOR QUANTITY SURVEYOR REF: CON038 LOCATION: Middle East (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait) SALARY: Excellent salary, car, housing allowance and various benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: Experienced quantity surveyors from all levels (intermediate quantity surveyors, senior quantity surveyors, managing quantity surveyors or commercial managers) are urgently required for a number of different clients across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, UAE and the Middle East.

Our clients are some of the most respected and leading building and civil engineering main contractors in the world and the Middle East.

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COST MANAGER REF: CON022

COST MANAGER REF: CON021

LOCATION: Dubai, UAE SALARY: Excellent salary, car, housing allowance and benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: We have an excellent opportunity for a quantity surveyor to join a leading quantity surveying and project management consultancy in Dubai. You will be part of a growing commercial team working on array of commercial, retail, residential and leisure projects across Dubai.The successful Cost Manager will be offered excellent career prospects.

LOCATION: Dubai, UAE SALARY: Excellent salary, car, housing allowance and benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: We have an excellent opportunity for an experienced cost manager to join one of the world’s leading Cost and project management consultancy in Dubai. You will be part of a growing cost management team working on array of construction projects.

PROJECT DIRECTOR REF: V0146 LOCATION: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia SALARY: Excellent tax free and benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: We have an excellent opportunity for a project director to join one of Saudi Arabia’s and the Middle East’s top construction main contractors.

PROJECT TYPE: Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

PROJECT MANAGERS (ROADS AND BRIDGES) REF: V0149 LOCATION: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia SALARY: Excellent tax free plus benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: We have an excellent opportunity for project managers to join one of Saudi Arabia’s and the Middle East’s top Construction main contractors PROJECT TYPE: Roads and bridges in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR / SENIOR QUANTITY SURVEYOR REF: V0144 LOCATION: Middle East, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia SALARY: $90-$149K tax free plus excellent benefits JOB TYPE: Any DESCRIPTION: We have an excellent opportunity for a contract administrator/senior quantity surveyor to join one of Saudi Arabia’s and the Middle East’s top Construction main contractors This is a great opportunity to work in one of the few countries, which is not affected by the global recession.

PROJECT TYPE: Railway Project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

QUANTITY SURVEYOR REF: CON010 LOCATION: Abu Dhabi, UAE SALARY: Excellent salary, car, housing allowance and benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: We have an excellent opportunity for a quantity surveyor to join a leading building and civil construction contractor at their offices in Abu Dhabi. You will be part of a growing commercial team working on some of the most exciting building and civil engineering projects in the Middle East

CONTACT For further details on the jobs listed or to find out about other vacancies in the region, please email: max@kadtech.co.uk and quote the reference code.

Don't forget to mention where you saw the advert.

Jobs supplied by UK-based Alan & Partners recruitment firm.

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PROJECT MANAGER REF: CON039 LOCATION: Dubai, UAE SALARY: Excellent salary, car, housing allowance and benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: Project Manager We have an excellent opportunity for a project manager to join a leading international contractor at their offices in Dubai. You will be part of a growing project management team working on array of different ambitious projects across Dubai

QUANTITY SURVEYOR (MIDDLE EAST) REF: CON017 LOCATION: Middle East (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait) SALARY: Excellent salary, car, housing allowance and benefits JOB TYPE: Permanent DESCRIPTION: Experienced quantity surveyors from all levels (intermediate quantity surveyors, senior quantity surveyors, managing quantity surveyors or commercial managers) are urgently required for a number of different clients across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, UAE and the Middle East. Our clients are some of the most respected civil engineering and construction contractors in the Middle East and the world.

All companies offer excellent career prospects, experience and remuneration packages for the right Quantity Surveyor.

regional news

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recruitMent and training

Career ladder Head of the Sustainable Design of the Built Environment Programme at the British University in Dubai (BUiD), professor bassam abu-hijleh, says there is a growing demand for industry courses offering sustainability are engineering students interested in sustainability?

who is the course most suitable for in your opinion?

Yes, the issue with sustainability is that it covers many aspects and disciplines.

The programme is suitable for junior to mid-career professionals in fields related to the built environment such as architecture, building services, landscaping, urban design, interior design, civil engineering building technology or environmental studies and will appeal to professionals from private consultancy business, construction firms and governmental regulatory institutions.

how does the university currently cater to this demand?

BUiD offers an MSc in Sustainable Design of the Built Environment, which specifically deals with this topic.

when was the course introduced?

The programme was first offered on September 2005. There are two intakes to the programme each academic year (September and January).

do you plan to introduce any new related courses in line with the changing marketplace?

how has the course been received?

It had a slow start as at the time few people in the UAE were interested in this area. Since 2007 the programme has seen a strong and steady increase in the number of students.

what are the core modules involved?

The programme comprises four core modules and two elective modules. The core modules cover human environmental needs, energy requirements, types and uses of different renewable resources and

evolve and adapt to minimise the negative impacts on the environment.

The elective modules provide a greater understanding of the sustainability implications and the environmental impact of buildings, the

“wE arE now worKing on a nEw msc sustainabiLity programmE that is gEarEd to thE tEchnicaL aspEcts of EnginEEring� integrating them into the design, research techniques for a critical assessment of the design of the built environment. And the need for a symbiotic and functional relationship in which ecology, culture and technology

large-scale influence of urban design, the increasing importance of the internal environment and its design, interaction with the surrounding landscapes and techniques used for energy conservation in buildings.

The current Sustainable Design of the Built Environment programme is more design-oriented so we are now working on a new MSc programme that is geared to the technical aspects of engineering.

The new programme is entitled Intelligent Building Design and Automation (IBDAA) and it is expected to be on offer from September of this year, just subject to final approval by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. TBP

PROFILE: BASSAM ABU-HIJLEH in addition to his role as head of the sustainable Design of the built Environment Programme at the british university in Dubai, bassam abuhijleh acts as atkins chair, is a member of the american society of Mechanical Engineers (asME), a member of the association of Energy Engineers and possesses lEED professional accreditation.

March 2010

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supplier emirates glass

Breaking into new markets Dubai-based Emirates Glass LLC has identified India, South Africa and Saudi Arabia as lucrative project start-up markets for 2010, while competition among suppliers in the UAE keeps glass prices down

A

n anticipated lack of start-up projects in the UAE in 2010 means demand for glass locally will remain depressed, which is why Emirates Glass LLC is expanding outside the region into India, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.

“Saudi Arabia has the most buoyant property market in the Middle East.

Through new synergy and interaction between Emirates Glass and its sister company Saudi American Glass in Riyadh, we are the leading provider of high-performance flat glass in the Middle East and are moving to consolidate this position,” asserts Emirates Glass technical consultant Arthur Millwood.

vertically-integrated glass industry from raw material to finished product.”

But while prices remain low, Millwood says environmental requirements means the industry will be more careful in the selection of glass products and suppliers in future.

“Growing awareness of green building and issues of sustainability will further stimulate the need for betterperforming glass products for windows.

“Clearly, if we are to continue enjoying the visual and protective properties of large windows into the 21st Century, we need to give much more attention to selection of the right glass to minimise solar heat-gain and, thereby, to minimise the consumption of electricity for cooling,” he says.

Supplying demand

Dubai-based Emirates Glass technical consultant Arthur Millwood.

Emirates Float Glass in Abu Dhabi, as our primary supplier of raw float glass giving us a unique position as a

Emirates Glass has introduced a range of products in line with market trends. The company has developed a 20-cathode line from Messes Applied Materials GmbH (formerly Germany-based Leybold), with a loading bed of 6000mm x 3000mm and an annual capacity of three million m² of MSVD sputtercoated glass.

This new line will enable the company’s Emicool range — multifunctional low-E glass designed to minimise solar heat gain — to be expanded into areas of highperformance, sputter-coated glass.

“There will be more careful selection of glass in future. Growing awareness of green building and issues of sustainability will further stimulate the need for better-performing products for windows” However, Millwood says that one of the company’s largest orders in 2010 will come from Azerbaijan — a new market — located at the crossroads of eastern Europe and western Asia.

Trends for 2010 Good news for project budgets, but tough for suppliers; competition in the regional market will remain intense and Millwood doubts there will be any increase in glass prices this year.

“Fortunately, Emirates Glass is well supported by another sister company, 52

THE BIG PROJECT

March 2010

In addition, Emirates Glass will introduce a new concept called Shamslite; a high-performance glass with a combination of solar control and low emissivity coatings on the same surface of the glass, providing high performance at a lower price. Finally, the company has developed two new, coloured, reflective coatings in pink and gold, which are applied on clear glass, and all of which are post-temperable.

Emirates Glass is a subsidiary of Glass LLC; a holding company set up by Dubai Investments PJSC. TBP

tenders

Bahrain Project Capital Trade Centre (Manama Central Market) Value 2,600 Status Planned Update Tashgeel will work on a five-phase plan. Work will take 18 months to complete.

Construction work is expected to start by the end of 2011.

Owner Bahrain Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs Project North Bahrain New Town (NBNT) - Phase 1 Value 500 Status Design Update Construction work is expected to start in June 2010.

Owner Bahrain Ministry of Works Consultant Ama - Architecture Project Bahrain International Airport Expansion - Phase 1 Value 400 Status Design Update Design contract tender will be issued shortly. Tender for the main contract is expected to be issued in May 2010.

Owner Bahrain Ministry of Works Consultant Jacobs Engineering Project North Manama Causeway and Bridge Value 260 Status Bidding Update Main contract will be awarded in April 2010.

Owner Bahrain Ministry of Works Consultant Hyder Consulting Project Tameer - Bahrain Investment Wharf in Hidd (BIW) - Infrastructure Value 250 Status Execution Update 80% of infrastructure work is complete.

Owner Al Khaleej Development Company (Tameer / Inovest) Consultant Ansari Engineering Contractor Bahrain Motor Project Reef Island (Lulu Island Resort) - Conrad Hotel Value 250 Status Study Update The project is still under study.

Owner Diyar Al Bahrain Project Reef Island (Lulu Island Resort) - One Bahrain Value 200 Status Design Update Design work is ongoing.

Owner Global Real Estate Company Consultant Spowers Project Reef Island (Lulu Island Resort) - Mina Dar Al Salam Residential Value 150 Status Bidding Update Main contractor has not been appointed yet.

Owner Bin Faqeeh Investment Company Project Bahrain Investment Wharf in Hidd (BIW) - Business Park Value 119 Status Design Update Tender is still to be issued for the main contract.

Owner Al Khaleej Development Company (Tameer / Inovest) Consultant Hyder Consulting

kuwait Project Kuwait Railway Value 14,000 Status Study Update The study work is complete.

Owner Kuwait Ministry of Communications Consultant Kuwait Technical Project Kuwait Metro Value 11,300 Status Study Update The study is complete.

Owner Kuwait Ministry of Communications Consultant Kuwait Technical Project Subiya Causeway (Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah Causeway) - Kuwait Value 2,700 Status Bidding Update Tender has been issued for the main contract.

Bid submission is expected by June 8, 2010.

Owner Kuwait Ministry of Public Works (MPW) Consultant COWI – Kuwait www.ccsgulf.com | Tel: +971 4 267 6115 | info@ccsgulf.com

Project KMoE - Al Zour North Phase 1 - Power Value 1,800 Status Bidding Update The main tender has been cancelled and the project will be re-tendered in mid February 2010.

Owner Kuwait Ministry of Electricity and Water Consultant Parsons Project Silk City - Mubarak Tower Value 1,500 Status Design Update Project is pending government approval.

Owner Tamdeen Real Estate - Ajial Real Estate Consultant OHA Engineering Project Bubiyan Island Development - Phase 3 - Port Work Value 1,500 Status Study Owner Mega Projects Agency (MPA) Project KOC - Crude Storage and Export Facilities at Ahmadi Value 1,245 Status Execution Update Full commissioning is expected by March 2010.

Owner Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Consultant WorleyParsons Contractor Hyundai Heavy Project KMoE - Al Zour North Phase 1 - Desalination Value 1,140 Status Bidding Update The main tender has been cancelled. The project will be re-tendered in mid February 2010.

Owner Kuwait Ministry of Electricity and Water Project KMPW - Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah Hospital (South Surra Hospital) Value 1,091 Status Execution Update Construction work has started.

Owner Kuwait Ministry of Public Works (MPW) Consultant Gulf Consult Contractor Kuwait Arab

oman Project PDO - Harweel EOR Phase 2a & 2b Value 1,000 Status Execution Update Finishing work in progress and expected to be commissioned by March 2010.

Owner Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) Consultant AMEC - Abu Dhabi Contractor Petrofac - Galfar Project InterContinental Muscat Hotel Expansion - Oman Value 500 Status Design Update The project is still under design.

Owner Oman Tourism Development Company Consultant Geo - Resources Project PDO - Harweel EOR Phase 2c Value 450 Status Execution Update Finishing work in progress and expected to be commissioned by March 2010.

Owner Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) Consultant IPEDEX Production Contractor Petrofac - Galfar Project Takamul Garmco Adwea - Aluminium Rolling Mill - Sohar Value 350 Status Design Update Siemens VAI is the project management consultant.

Owner Takamul - Garmco - Adwea JV Project Ghubrah IWPP - Desalination Value 300 Status Design Update EoI for the main contract has been issued. Expressions are due by 10 February 2010.

Owner Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (PWPC) Consultant British Power Project New Sohar Airport - Package 3 - Passengers Terminal Value 300 Status Design Update Design work is in progress on the development. Airport is expected to start operation in 2012.

Owner Oman Ministry of Transport & Communications Consultant Hamza Associates

ESTIMATING AND PROJECT CONTROL 54

THE BIG PROJECT

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tenders

Project Concert Theatre Muscat Project (Royal Opera House) - Oman Value 250 Status Execution Update Construction work is in progress on the development with completion by the end of 2010.

Owner Oman Ministry of Palace Affairs Consultant Wimberly Allison Contractor Carillion Alawi Project PDO - Offplot Design & Maintenance Services (ODS) North Value 125 Status Execution Update Project is in commissioning phase and will be fully commissioned in Q2 2010.

Owner Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) Contractor ILF Consulting Project PDO - Offplot Design & Maintenance Services (ODS) South Value 125 Status Execution Update Project is in pre-commissioning.

Owner Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) Contractor Amec - Al Turki

qatar Project Qatalum Project - Smelter Value 5,600 Status Execution Update Nexans is supplying cables to the project.

Owner Qatar Aluminum (Qatalum) Consultant SNC-Lavalin Contractor SNC Lavalin Inc. Project Qatar Bahrain Causeway (Friendship Bridge) Value 3,000 Status Execution Update Contractors have submitted their prices for the early works contract. Work will start in March 2010.

Owner Qatar-Bahrain Causeway Foundation Consultant COWI - Qatar Contractor VINCI Construction Project The Pearl of the Gulf Development - Abraj Quartier Value 2,000 Status Design Update Project is still under design.

Owner First Qatar Real Estate Development Company Consultant KEO International Project Pearl GTL - Onshore Processing Plant - Liquid Processing (C5) Value 2,000 Status Execution Update Work in progress as planned.

Owner Pearl GTL Consultant KBR - JGC JV Contractor Hyundai - Toyo Project Pearl GTL - Onshore Processing Plant - Gas Processing (C4) Value 2,000 Status Execution Update The Offshore access system expected to be delivered in Q2 2010.

Owner Pearl GTL Consultant KBR - JGC JV Contractor Chiyoda - Hyundai Project ExxonMobil - Al Khaleej Gas Project Phase 2 (AKG 2) Value 2,000 Status Execution Update Finishing work in progress and expected to be commissioned by March 2010.

Owner Qatar Petroleum (QP) Consultant Chiyoda Contractor Technip - Chiyoda Project Qatalum Project - Power - Combined Cycle Plant Value 1,500 Status Execution Update The Project is expected to be completed in December 2010.

Owner Qatar Aluminum (Qatalum) Consultant Mott MacDonald Contractor Doosan Heavy Project Dolphin Gas Project Expansion Value 1,500 Status Study Update Project is still in the study phase.

Owner Dolphin Energy Limited (DEL) Consultant Velosi Limited

Project Education City Development - Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) Value 1,200 Status Execution Update Construction work on the first stage is complete.

Owner Qatar Foundation Consultant Syska Hennessy Contractor Baytur – Qatar Project Pearl GTL - Onshore Processing Plant - Air Separation Units (C2) Value 1,000 Status Execution Update The air separation units are expected to produce over 28,000 tonnes of oxygen per day.

Owner Pearl GTL Consultant KBR - JGC JV Contractor Linde AG Project Pearl GTL - Onshore Processing Plant - MEI & Civil Value 1,000 Status Execution Update Work in progress and expected to be completed in Q3 2010.

Owner Pearl GTL Consultant KBR - JGC JV Contractor Descon Project Pearl GTL - Onshore Processing Plant - Utilities & Infrastructure Value 1,000 Status Execution Update Work in progress and expected to be completed in Q3 2010.

Owner Pearl GTL Contractor KBR - JGC JV Project Ashghal - Doha South STP Value 1,000 Status Execution Update The project is expected to be completed in June 2011.

Owner Public Works Authority (ASHGHAL) Consultant Hyder Consulting Contractor Teyseer Project New Doha International Airport (NDIA) Project - Phase 3 - North Node Value 687 Status Bidding Update Bids have been submitted for the main contract.

Award is expected in May 2010.

Owner New Doha International Airport (NDIA) Steering Committee Consultant Bechtel - Qatar Project Pearl GTL - Onshore Processing Plant - Storage Tanks (C3) Value 500 Status Execution Update Work in progress and expected to be completed in Q2 2010.

Owner Pearl GTL Consultant KBR - JGC JV Contractor Chicago Bridge & Project Pearl GTL - Onshore Processing Plant - Water Treatment & Utilities (C8) Value 500 Status Execution Update Work in progress and expected to be completed in Q3 2010.

Owner Pearl GTL Contractor Veolia Environment Project ExxonMobil - Al Khaleej Gas Project Phase 2 (AKG 2) - O&U Value 500 Status Execution Update Finishing work in progress and expected to be commissioned by March 2010.

Owner Qatar Petroleum (QP) Consultant Chiyoda Contractor Dodsal Pte Limited Project QatarGas IV - Train 6 & 7 - Onshore - Process Areas Value 500 Status Execution Update Full commissioning is expected by Q2 2010.

Owner Qatar Liquefied Gas Company IV (QatarGas IV) Consultant Chiyoda Contractor Consolidated Project QP - Dukhan Field Development - EOR Value 500 Status Bidding Update The EPC contract is still to be awarded.

Owner Qatar Petroleum (QP) Consultant Technip - Abu

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ESTIMATING AND PROJECT CONTROL March 2010

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tenders

saudi arabia Project GCC Railway Value 25,000 Status Study Update Tender is expected to be issued by the first quarter of 2010.

Owner Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf Secretariat General (Gulf Countries Council GCC) Consultant Consultants Project Maaden - Al Zabirah Bauxite Development - Aluminium Smelter - Phase 1 Value 15,000 Status Execution Update Maaden will launch the financing deal for the project in the second quarter of 2010.

Owner Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) Consultant Alcan Contractor Bechtel Project Aramco-ConocoPhillips - Yanbu Refinery Value 13,000 Status Bidding Update The bid submission date for the EPC contract has been extended to January 26, 2010.

Owner Saudi Aramco Consultant Kellogg; Brown & Project Aramco - Ras Tanura Integrated Refinery & Petrochemical Complex Value 10,000 Status FEED Update Project progress is facing delay.

Owner Aramco - Dow JV Consultant Foster Wheeler Inc. Project Aramco - Ras Tanura Integrated Refinery & Petrochemical Complex Value 10,000 Status Planned Update Phase 1 in FEED is facing delay.

Owner Aramco - Dow JV Consultant WorleyParsons Project Kingdom City - High Tower Value 10,000 Status Design Update Project is still in the design phase.

Owner Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) Consultant Arup Project Aramco - Ras Al Zour Refinery Value 8,000 Status Planned Update The project is still in the planning phase.

Owner Saudi Aramco Project Aramco - Ras Tanura Integrated Refinery & Petrochemical Complex Value 7,000 Status FEED Update Project progress is facing delay.

Owner Aramco - Dow JV Consultant Foster Wheeler Inc. Project Aramco - Ras Tanura Integrated Refinery & Petrochemical Complex Value 5,000 Status FEED SRO - Mecca Medina Railway Value 4,200 Status Bidding Update Bid submission date has been extended to until late April 2010.

Owner Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) Consultant SNCF International Project Jabal Omar Development Value 3,300 Status Execution Update Construction work is expected to complete by the end of 2010.

Owner Jabal Omar Development Company Consultant Laceco Contractor Saudi Binladin Project SRAK - South Rub Al Khali Gas Development Value 3,000 Status Execution Update Fifth and sixth wells, Zaynan 2 and Umm Quloob 1, have been lined up.

Owner Saudi Aramco Contractor KCA DEUTAG

www.ccsgulf.com | Tel: +971 4 267 6115 | info@ccsgulf.com

Project ADA - Riyadh Light Rail Value 3,000 Status Design Update The project budget has not been approved yet. Tender is expected to be issued by the end of the first quarter of 2010.

Owner Arriyadh Development Authority Consultant Dar Al Handasah Project Saudi Water & Wastewater Privatization - Riyadh Value 3,000 Status Execution Update The project is expected to be completed in May 2014.

Owner Saudi Arabia Ministry of Water and Electricity Consultant Halcrow Group Ltd Project Aramco - Manifa Oilfield Gas Plant Value 3,000 Status Study Update FEED contract expected to be awarded to SNC-Lavalin and KBR. Owner Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) Project Princess Norah University - Package 2 - Buildings Value 2,670 Status Execution Update Vision Electro Mechanical Company (Vision) has been apointed as MEIP contractor.

Owner Saudi Arabia Ministry of Higher Education - Saudi Arabia Ministry of Finance JV Contractor Saudi Binladin Project SEC - Qurayah IPP Value 2,100 Status Planned Update The main tender is expected by summer 2010.

Owner Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) Consultant Fichtner GmbH Project Sharq - Jubail Petrochemical Complex - Cracker Value 2,000 Status Execution Update Finishing work in progress and expected to be commissioned by March 2010.

Owner Eastern Petrochemical Company (Sharq) Consultant Stone & Webster Contractor Shaw - CTCI Project Kayan - Jubail Olefins Complex - Cracker Value 2,000 Status Execution Update Full commissioning is planned by mid 2010.

Owner Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company Consultant Fluor Ltd Contractor Kellogg; Brown & Project HOI-Midroc-Sara - TDI/MDI Complex in Yanbu Value 2,000 Status FEED Update FEED is still in progress.

Owner HOI - Midroc - Sara JV Consultant Chematur Value 2,000 Status Execution Update 90% of infrastructure work has been completed.

Owner Saudi Arabia Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs Consultant Systra Contractor China Railway Project Haer Wastewater Plant - Phase 2 Value 1,900 Status Planned Update The main tender is due in March 2010.

Owner Saudi Arabia Ministry of Water and Electricity Project SRO - Mecca Medina Railway - Civil Package Value 1,800 Status Execution Update Scott Wilson Group has been appointed to provide project management support for the Haramain Railway project.

Owner Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) Consultant SNCF International Contractor Al Rajhi Saudi Project Kayan - Jubail Olefins Complex - O&U Value 1,500 Status Execution Update Construction work is 90% complete.

Owner Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company Consultant Fluor Ltd Contractor Fluor Ltd -

ESTIMATING AND PROJECT CONTROL 56

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tenders

UAE Project Chemaweyaat - Complex 1 Value 20,000 Status Planned Update FEED is expected to be awarded in Q1 2010.

Owner Chemaweyaat Project ENEC - Nuclear Power Plant Value 15,000 Status Execution Update The joint venture of Kepco - Hyundai Samsung has been awarded the main contract for the project.

Owner Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) Consultant CH2M Hill Contractor Kepco - Hyundai Project Abu Dhabi International Airport Expansion - Phase 1 Value 6,800 Status Bidding Update Contractors have been invited to submit their bids for the main construction contract.

Owner Supervision Committee for the Expansion of the Abu Dhabi International Airport (SCADIA) Consultant Kohn Pedersen Fox Project Motor World - Abu Dhabi Value 3,000 Status Design Update Project is still in the design phase.

Owner Aldar Properties PJSC Consultant Dar al-Handasah Project Adoc - Nasr; Qusahwir; Bida Al Qemzan Fields Development Value 3,000 Status Bidding Update EPC award is expected in February 2010.

Owner Abu Dhabi Oil Company Ltd (ADOC) Consultant Washington Group Project Porta Moda Development - Abu Dhabi Value 2,000 Status Planned Update Project is still in planning, and no progress has been made on this matter.

Owner Abu Dhabi Investment House (ADIH) Project Taweelah Aluminium Smelter in Abu Dhabi - Phase 2 Value 2,000 Status Study Update Phase 1 of the project has been commissioned.

Owner Emirates Aluminium Limited (Emal) Consultant SNC Lavalin Contractor

Project ADWEA - Shuweihat 3 IPP Value 2,000 Status Planned Update The main tender is due in the first quarter of 2010.

Owner Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA) Project Adnoc - Air Separation Plant in Marfaq Value 2,000 Status Execution Update Descon Engineering has been awarded a $100 million sub-contract.

Owner Adnoc Linde Industrial Gases Co. Ltd. (Elixier) Contractor Linde - Abu Dhabi Project DEWA - Jebel Ali Station M Phase 1 Value 1,800 Status Execution Update The project is expected to be completed in June 2010.

Owner Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) Consultant Fichtner Consulting Contractor Fisia Italimpianti Project Adma - Umm Shaif Gas Injection Value 1,597 Status Execution Update Full commissioning is expected in Q2 2010.

Owner Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA OPCO) Consultant WorleyParsons Contractor Hyundai Heavy Project Elixier - Nitrogen Gas Injection Plant Value 1,500 Status Execution Update Work in progress and expected to be completed in Q1 2011.

Owner Adnoc Linde Industrial Gases Co. Ltd. (Elixier) Contractor Linde - Abu Dhabi

Project OGD 3 & AGD 2 - Plant Facilities and Pipelines - Package 2 Value 1,400 Status Execution Update Full commissioning is expected by Q2 2010.

Owner Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Limited (GASCO) Consultant Fluor - Bechtel Contractor Bechtel - London Project OGD 3 & AGD 2 - NGL Recovery and Pipelines - Package 3 Value 1,200 Status Execution Update Full commissioning is expected by Q2 2010.

Owner Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Limited (GASCO) Contractor Bechtel - Abu Dhabi Project Gianfranco Ferre Stresa - Dubai Value 1,200 Status Study Update Project is still in the study phase.

Owner Galadari Investment Office (GIO) - Gianfranco FerrĂŠ JV Project ADWEA - Taweelah C IWPP - Power Value 1,200 Status Study Update The main tender is expected to be issued in early 2011.

Owner Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA) Consultant Fichtner GmbH Project Dubai Light Rail Transport (LRT) Project - Phase 2 Value 1,092 Status Execution Update Construction work is progressing as per schedule.

Owner Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) Consultant Geoconsult Asia Contractor Obayashi Project Dubailand - Remraam Project - Phase 1 Value 1,087 Status Execution Update Structure work is complete. Interior work has commenced.

Owner Mizin Contractor Dubai Civil Project Borouge - Ruwais Olefins Phase 3 - PP & PE Value 1,000 Status Bidding Update Tender for the EPC contract has been issued.

Owner Borouge Pte Ltd. Consultant Tecnimont S.p.A. Project Borouge - Ruwais Olefins Phase 3 - LDPE Value 1,000 Status Bidding Update Tender for the EPC contract has been issued.

Owner Borouge Pte Ltd. Consultant Tecnimont S.p.A. Project Borouge - Ruwais Olefins Phase 3 - O&U Value 1,000 Status Bidding Update Tender for the EPC contract has been issued.

Owner Borouge Pte Ltd. Consultant Tecnimont S.p.A. Project Adco - Bab Expansion - Phase 2 - Compression Units Value 818 Status Execution Update Work in progress as planned.

Owner Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) Contractor SK Engineering & Project Arzanah Development - Arzanah Medical Complex Value 800 Status Bidding Update The bids have been submitted for the main contract.

Owner Mubadala Development Company Consultant EllisDon Corporation Project Emirates Aluminium (Emal) - Potroom Equipment Value 750 Status Execution Update GE Energy has signed a contractual service agreement (CSA) with (EMAL) to support the power requirements of the project.

Owner Emirates Aluminium Limited (Emal) Consultant SNC-Lavalin Contractor Lahoud

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ESTIMATING AND PROJECT CONTROL March 2010

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ESTIMATING AND PROJECT CONTROL

www.energyworldme.com

diary

SAVE the

DATE

Plan the next three months with our handy Middle East construction events diary

MAIN EVENT

March 8-10 Front Roof and Cladding 2010 Expo Centre Sharjah UAE March 15-17 Interiors & Buildex 2010 Oman International Exhibition Centre Oman May 18-20 Hardware + Tools Middle East Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre UAE March 21-24 Dubai Plast Pro 2010 Crowne Plaza Dubai UAE March 29-31 Middle East Coatings Show Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre UAE March 29-31 Interiors UAE Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre UAE April 11-14 Bridges Middle East – Qatar 2010 The Ritz-Carlton Doha Qatar April 11-14 Saudi International Windows, Doors, Shutters and Solar Protection Exhibition Riyadh Exhibition Centre Saudi Arabia April 12-15 Project Qatar 2010 Doha Exhibition Centre Qatar

March 7-10 Fourth Annual Cost Effective Sustainable Design and Construction Summit Park Hyatt Dubai, UAE

Explore construction materials, methods and approaches that use less energy, minimise pollution and reduce waste at this four-day event.

The summit is aimed at general managers, construction directors, managers, engineers, consultants, architects, project directors, managers, asset directors, sustainability and engineering managers, master planners and facility managers among others.

A series of key speakers and workshops are on the agenda, covering a range of related issues, including sustainability return on investment, technology, the design of cost-effective projects and so on.

April 13-15 Dubai International Woods and Woods Products Show Dubai Airport Expo

May 3-6 Jordan Furniture and Interiors Expo Amman Jordan May 4-6 GulfBID Bahrain International Exhibition Centre Bahrain May 5 Green Building Forum (part of gulfBID) Bahrain International Exhibition Centre Bahrain May 16-20 Libya Build Tripoli Libya May 18-20 Facilities Management Expo Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre UAE May 23-26 Saudi AirCon 2010 and ConBuild Riyadh International Exhibition Centre Saudi Arabia May 24-26 Arabian Construction Week 2010 Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre UAE

15-19 April Middle East Climatech and Watex 2010 Damascus Syria

June 1-4 Project Lebanon Forum de Beyrouth Beirut Lebanon

April 18-21 CityBuild Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre UAE

June 7-9 Cityscape Jeddah Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events Saudi Arabia March 2010

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61

tea breaK

PICTURE OF THE MONTH al futtaim carillion Dubai and al-futtaim carillion abu Dhabi took on al-futtaim group and facilities management company Emrill in the al-futtaim carillion cricket cup 2010. the afternoon match took place on Dubai festival city labour camp cricket ground last month and was followed by an evening of dancing and entertainment. thanks to al-futtaim carillion for sharing its snaps from the event. if you have a photograph you think could be the big Project’s next Picture of the Month, send it to louise@cpidubai.com

>>smaLL taLK<< Having recently started construction on Germany — one of The World islands off the coast of Dubai that makes up the Heart of Europe project — Foundation Construction Group Ltd technical manager francisco baez gives us a step-bystep guide to building a country from scratch

 Start with vibro compaction (sometimes called vibro flotation).

This is a ground-improvement technique used to densify in-situ loose granular soils with low fines content (i.e. such as many of the reclaimed islands in the project) to increase the bearing capacity, improve shearing resistance and also to reduce the risk of liquefaction by rearranging the soil particles from a loose to a denser configuration.

62

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 Once the soil conditions have been assessed, then the site is divided into ‘grids’ of treatment points whereby at each point, a powerful vibrator is driven to the full depth of treatment; hence, as the vibro probe is slowly withdrawn from the soil, the vibratory action causes the soil around the point to subside and compact. Typically, additional backfill is added to compensate for the effect of subsidence.  This process is repeated over again along the full depth and throughout the area of improvement. In addition to the stringent quality control taken during the improvement works, independent soils testing is carried out to assess the conditions of the fill after the works.  Plant, equipment and materials needed are sourced from mainland using special barges or ‘landing crafts’ to be able to mobilise the

construction equipment to these islands in the absence of docking facilities. Technically, we are also challenged to optimise the usage of the sand, as once the vibrocompaction treatment takes place, we are required to compensate the sand compacted due to the subsidence process.  Regardless of the filling method, the fill that remains below the water table will always have a looser density than the one that is above.

And that is why it is so important to always implement ground improvement with a specialty ground-improvement contractor.

Did you know? the process of vibrocompaction was invented in germany in the mid 1930s and has evolved to meet modern requirements. it has been successfully used on the majority of large reclamation projects such as the new hong Kong airport and associated infrastructure, hong Kong Disney (40m depth) and the Palm islands in Dubai.

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Roof InsulatIon foR factoRy

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