Construction Week - Issue 307

SAUDI ARABIA BAHRAIN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES QATAR OMAN KUWAIT

ConstructionWEEK NEWS, ANALYSIS, PROJECTS,

TENDERS, CLASSIFIEDS, ANDJOBS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

FEBRUARY 6–12, 2010 [307]An ITP Business Publication CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

INSIDENEWSNext two years crucial for construction, says consulting groupPAGE 09

AWARDSLearn one man’s secrets to innovation and award successPAGE 18

PROJECTSSix of the best active projects making real progress in the GCCPAGE 20

FENCINGMake your site safe and secure with the right fencing solutionPAGE 25

Licensed by Dubai Media City

IRAQ?IS IT TIMETO INVEST IN

CW LOOKS AT THE PROS AND CONS OF BEING PART OF IRAQ’S RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS

DOHACITY FOCUS

page 38

CONTENTS

10 DAMAC TO AWARD FIVE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTSConstruction contracts for fi ve Business Bay developments will be awarded in the next few months, Dubai-based developer Damac has announced.

12 NEWS IN BRIEFHighlights of the week.

14 NEWS ANALYSISAs the demand for construction

REGULARS2 ONLINE4 MAIL

FRONT9 NEXT TWO YEARS VITAL FOR CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRYConsultants outline what they believe the next few years holds for the construction and real estate industries.

increases in Iraq, so too does the demand for material supplies, as CW discovers.

18 AWARD WINNERMohsin Moliyathi looks at the work of Abdul Nazer and the research and development awards it has secured for Wade Adams.

FEATURES20 PROJECTSSix of the most signifi cant construction projects in the GCC that your company should be keeping an eye on

25 SPECIAL REPORTSafe, secure, practical and cost-effective: all the qualities you should look for when selecting a fencing solution for your site.

.DIRECTORY30 SHOWCASE32 TENDERS35 PROJECTS 36 SPECIALIST SERVICES

BACK38 CITY UPDATEThe latest news and projects from Doha, Qatar.

40 DIALOGUEKohler is now focusing on sustainable design as part of its new strategy, as company president and COO David Kohler explains.

FEBRUARY 6-12, 2010 | ISSUE 307

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CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 6–12, 20102

FEATURESComment

AN EVENTFUL MONTHGreg Whitaker looks back on a month of surprises.

Interview

TAKE A LOAD OFFMEP speaks to Scott Wilson associate director: building services Cathy Crocker.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport – Hajj Terminal received the 2010 American Institute of Architects (AIA) 25-Year award. The AIA 25-Year award, recognising architectural design of enduring signifi cance, is conferred on projects that have stood the test of time for 25 to 35 years as an embodiment of architectural excellence. According to the rules of the competi-tion, “Projects must demonstrate excellence in function – in the distinguished execution of its original programme and in the creative aspects of its statement by today’s standards.” The AIA award jury said the Hajj Terminal “exemplifi es the power of a clear idea.” Hajj.To read more visit www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com

IN PICTURES:KSA’S HAJJ TERMINAL WINS AIA 25-YEAR AWARD

ONLINEwww.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

MOST POPULAR10 KSA PROJECTS YOU SHOULD BE INVOLVED INKUWAIT, QATAR JOIN TALL BUILDING TRENDARABTEC WINS $193M DUBAI TOWER CONTRACTTDIC FLOATS TWO MORE SAADIYAT TENDERS

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

HAVE YOUR SAYIS THE MARKET READY TO GENERATE LONG-TERM REWARDS?Will we see a transition towards long-term investments in the GCC?

JOBS OF THE WEEKMEP QS/ SQS, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesSenior Cost Manager, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesSenior Project Manager/ Project Manager, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

ONLINE POLLWHAT IS THE CURRENT PAYMENT SITUATION?

47.4%BAd

21.1%We’ve lost hope

15.7%Good

15.8%Okay

Comment

MONEY FOR NOTHINGAlan Millin urges FMs to ‘raise the bar’ by guaranteeing 100%

performance for 100% payment.

Feature

BEST OF BAHRAINA look at some of Bahrain’s active design projects.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 6–12, 20104PUBLISHED BY AND © 2010 ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING, A DIVISION OF THE ITP PUBLISHING GROUP LTD,REGISTERED IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS COMPANY NUMBER 1402846

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MAILRE: ARABTEC WINS $193M DUBAI TOWER CONTRACTCongratulations Arabtec. I am excited to see the potential that this place can bring. Coming from a facilities management solutions background, I am also excited to see how the FM team is able to help in appreciating the asset value over the years, as well as providing quality service to the tenants.MOHAMAD FAIZAL BIN ZAINODIN

Congratulations for winning this prestigious project.KSURESH KUMAR

With the current over supply in the residential and commercial units in Dubai, it is strange that someone is actually building on SZR. How did they make the feasibility studies work? Do they know something that others don’t? Great news for Arabtec and good luck to the developer.HASSAN

RE: 25 BUILDINGS TOPPED OUT AT REM-RAAMIf the 25th building, in a project with 198 properties, has been completed, with the entire community forecasted to be fi nished by March 2011, do you think Mizin will be able to complete an average of 12 buildings per month up to the completion date?MIKE ELLIS

RE: SOLAR DISCUSSIONJit Chakravarty is 100% correct when he states that governments must take the lead by introducing

legislation and building codes designed to save energy. It is easy to see that building designs and implementation are severely lacking in this region, but developers have no motivation to introduce “green” codes because there is an initial cost involved from which they will not necessarily benefi t.JIM MARTIN

RE: NEW BAHRAIN LABOUR LAW TO GIVE WORKERS MORE RIGHTSLaws in Bahrain are implementable if workers know their rights and pursue them appropriately through the Ministry of Labour or the appropriate channel. Bahrain is setting a role model for the GCC countries in this vital area. The UAE, which has been innovative in a number of areas lags behind in applying appropriate labour law. Discrimination regulations must be in place in the country.NK

RE: DISTRICT COOL-ING FOR BAHRAIN PROJECT AGREEDGood project, especially if you will utilise TSE and TES technologies, but take care with this type of contract because the contractor always tries to reduce the project cost as much as possible, regardless of the energy techniques. I faced these problems with more than one project in the region. However, separation of consultancy and contracting is the best way forward.AHMED ABUSHANAB

WRITE TO THE EDITOR Please address your letters to: Post, Construction Week, PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE or email [email protected]. Please provide your full name and address, stating clearly if you do not wish us to print them. Alternatively log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com and air your views on any one of a number of the latest Middle East business articles.

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


FOREWORD

WRITE TO THE EDITOR Please address your letters to: Construction Week, PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE or email [email protected]. Please provide your full name and address, stating clearly if you do not wish us to print them. Alternatively log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com and air your views on any one of a number of the latest articles.

“AN ACTIVE TENDER MARKET GIVES THE IMPRESSION OF AN INDUSTRY FINDING ITS FEET AGAIN, AT LEAST FOR THE LARGER CONTRACTORS”

TENDER TALK

STUART MATTHEWS SENIOR GROUP [email protected]

Contractors will be pleased to see the recent fl urry of tender announcements.

Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) is at the forefront, with pre-qualifi cation requests for main contract works on the new Saadiyat Golf Villas, as well as piling works for the Guggenheim museum. TDIC is also active in Al Ain, with a major earthwork and enabling works tender up for grabs.

Elsewhere in Abu Dhabi Department of Transport has released tender documents for a road improvement project in the Musaffah industrial area. The contract covers study, design consultancy services and construction supervision.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) continues to pump out tenders too. Those with a few specialist engineering skills to hand could fi nd much in the way of sub stations to keep them busy. But the authority also needs the more mundane support structures that go along with any large organization.

Water infrastructure, roads and healthcare facilities are the areas where Qatari tenders are concentrated. Those from Saudi Arabia follow a similar profi le, there are just more of them and they are bigger. You can see what I mean if you check out our tenders online at www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/tenders.

An active tender market gives the impression of an industry fi nding its feet again, at least for the larger contractors. With many of the available contracts coming from government sources there is reasonable hope that the tenders will be awarded and work get underway.

As sub-contracting work from these and other jobs spreads through the industry maybe some of the smaller businesses will fi nd their feet too.

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The global economy is still in recession. Recovery will be slow, we’ll see increased regulation, governments will become more involved with businesses and their practices and construction companies will have to be daring or face failure over the next two years.

These were the principle messages from the global management consulting fi rm Boston Consulting Group (BCG), on the eve of the release of a book by the fi rm’s head David Rhodes. Entitled Accelerating out of the great recession: How to win in a slow-growth econ-omy, it has been praised by global captains of industry, such as the CEOs of BASF, Daimler, Apax and Whirlpool.

“A year ago, the world stood on the brink of a second Great Depression which was only prevented by unprecedented govern-ment stimulus packages,” explained Rho-des. “Some US $18 trillion was pumped into economy, with the US pumping $14-15 tril-lion into their economy – the equivalent of one year’s GDP.”

While those packages may have warded off a depression, Rhodes added that it was important to take a long-term view of recovery.

We may see an improvement in the fi rst half of 2010, he said, due to 2009 having been

FRONT

NEXT TWO YEARS CRUCIAL FOR CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATEBy Matt Warnock

so bad and also production to make up for defi cits allowed to build up. But this is not to be confused with recovery.

“The fundamental reasons behind the prob-lems remain.”

Rhodes continued, claiming that 2010 could see the emergence of a two- or three-tiered global economy.

“Look at history. On any occasion that a recession has touched developed countries, it has been deep and recovery has been long and slow. There’s no sign of this time being different.

“We’ve run simulations using International Monetary Fund data – the West grows slowly, while countries like China, India and Brazil see a period of good growth – between six and nine percent. Due to the oil situation, the Middle East is tough to call, although maybe growth of 4-6% would be an average.”

Such matters, said Rhodes, were discussed in detail at The World Economic Forum in Davos last week and the main messages were that we would see a new form of capital-ism, differing from the Anglo Saxon model; that government lobbying and government interference – pushing back the boundaries of the state and imposing increased, synchro-

nised regulation – would become much more prevalent; and that companies would need to create new social contracts.

So, how would all this affect the construction industry? “That’s a massive question, especially for somewhere like Dubai where it directly represents 28% of the economy,” commented BCG Abu Dhabi MD Sven-Olaf Vathje.

“Previously, the industry has been devel-oper and sales focused but we’re moving to a more stock and asset-based economy. How real estate companies, developers and con-struction fi rms react to that over the next two years will be crucial.”

A move to management services, down-streaming from sales to property management or FM, said Vathje, would be common. Mean-while, developers and contractors will look to become involved in more diverse projects, such as schools, hospitals and malls.

The model, added Vathje, would move from one of lots of developers working on many separate buildings, to less developers develop-ing communities, with complete, integrated lifestyle opportunities. He surmised that the next few years will also see fi rms redevelop-ing and refurbishing older developments or those that hadn’t yet found tenants.

CHANGES IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY COULD HAVE A MASSIVE IMPACT ON THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

>Damac to award fi ve construction contracts 10>Highlights 12>Analysis 14

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FRONTRAKEEN SEEKS TALKS WITH LA HOYA BAY INVESTORSBy Andy Sambidge

Senior offi cials behind the US $800 million (AED2.9 billion) La Hoya Bay project in Ras al Khaimah have said they are to meet with investors in a bid to make progress with the much-delayed scheme.

Six months after being named judicial custodian of cash-strapped developer Khoie Properties, Rakeen said it had still been unable to take the project forward “due to the lack of cooperation from Khoie Properties’ side”.

In June 2009, Frank Khoie, CEO and chairman, was jailed for three years over bounced cheques relating to the project.

Weeks after Rakeen was appointed by Ras al Khaimah Court, Khoie Properties claimed it was still in control of La Hoya Bay.

Last week, Rakeen offi cials said they were considering legal action against Khoie, who remains in jail, over what they claim to be “false allegations and a groundless media war”.

Dubai Airports will seek approval for expansion plans likely to cost “billions of dirhams”.

Company CEO Paul Griffi ths revealed the information in an interview with newswire Bloomberg, but did not go into detail about the costings.

As well as expanding the existing Dubai airport, the emirate is also building the Al Maktoum Airport, which the GCC’s second largest active airport development, with an estimated value of US $8 billion (AED29.4 billion).

If the project goes ahead as originally planned, Al Mak-toum International Airport will be the largest passenger and cargo hub in the world.

AIRPORT EXPANSION TO CONTINUE, SAYS CEOBy CW Staff

The airport is part of Dubai World Central, which will have residential, retail and leisure components. Al Naboo-dah Contracting Company won the contract to build the fi rst runway at the airport.

New Doha International Airport is the largest ongoing airport project in the region, with an estimated value of $11 billion.

Work began in 2004 and fi nal completion is expected in 2015. With a land area in excess 22 km² the New Doha International Airport is designed to handle 50 million passengers, 2 million tonnes of cargo, and 320,000 air-craft landings and takeoffs each year.

Construction contracts for fi ve Business Bay developments will be awarded in the next few months, Dubai-based developer Damac has announced.

Commercial Square and Water’s Edge are now under way with contractors making progress on shoring, fencing and ground clearance.

“As we have a number of projects already well under way at Business Bay, we are pleased to see yet further strong progress in the early stages at another two of our developments,” said Damac general man-ager Ziad El Chaar.

DAMAC TO AWARD FIVE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS By Sarah Blackman

“There is always a huge amount of prepa-ration involved in any development but we know that it is very important for custom-ers to see that physical construction work is progressing on site.”

Damac has also revealed that enabling works have been completed for other proj-ects in Business Bay namely Capital Bay, Executive Bay and Park Central.

The company expects to award main con-tracts for these developments shortly.

Foundation work is now at an advanced stage at the Commercial Square and piling work is progressing at the Water’s Edge.

MAIN CONTRACTS FOR PROJECTS AT DUBAI’S BUSINESS BAY ARE DUE TO BE AWARDED IN A FEW MONTHS.

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FRONT

US $1.5billion

Amount Emirates

Steel wants to raise to pay for

expansion

68%Reduction in energy usage

Bell & Gossett cleaims for its new line

of water recirculator

pumps

39.4%Sorouh’s

profi ts fall in the fourth

quarter of2009

HIGHLIGHTS

Architecture

GOLF CLUB TO FEATURE GEHRY CLUBHOUSEAbu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) – master developer of Saadiyat Island and its Saadiyat Beach Golf Club – has commissioned Frank Gehry to design the golf course’s new clubhouse. TDIC will put the project out to tender in late 2010. The 18,000m² clubhouse has been designed to meet Estidama guidelines and is set to be completed in 2013.

Contract

ARABTEC WINS $193 M CONTRACTArabtec Holding, the biggest construction company in the UAE, said on Sunday it had won a building contract valued at US $193 million (AED710 million) to build the fi rst stage of an 80-storey tower comprising a fi ve-star hotel. The Dubai-based company’s Arabtec Construction unit received a “letter of award” from Tasameem Real Estate Company, of Abu Dhabi to build “P17 Tower” on Sheikh

Zayed Road, Dubai, according to an company statement posted on the Dubai Financial Market website. It said the project would take 38 months to complete, adding that the tower had been designed by Atkins and comprised 80 fl oors, including a luxury hotel, furnished apartments, offi ces and a health club.Last week, Arabtec Construction announced it had won a $190 million contract to build the Bridge Towers offi ce and hotel project at West Bay, Doha in Qatar. The project comprises two buildings, one with 45 fl oors of offi ce space and a 45-storey fi ve star hotel.

Tender

ABU DHABI RELEASES MUSAFFAH TENDERAbu Dhabi Department of Transport has released tender documents for a road improvement project in Musaffah industrial region. The contract covers study, design consultancy services and construction supervision. Tender documents can be collected before February 18 from the Procurement and

Contracts Division of the Department of Transport at Al Bateen Towers.

MEP

QATAR COOL OPENS PLANT IN WEST BAYQatar District Cooling Company (Qatar Cool), which has a district cooling monopoly in Qatar, has launched its second plant in Doha’s fi nancial district – West Bay. The new plant adds 1 million m2 worth of cooling capacity to area. The plant Qatar Cool’s is third operational plant in Qatar, having launched its fi rst Plant in West Bay in 2006 and the world’s largest single integrated district cooling plant at The Pearl-Qatar earlier this year.

MEP

HITACHI DEVELOPS WORLD’S FASTEST LIFT Hitachi is stepping up efforts to fi nalise the design of the world’s fastest lift. In April, it will open the 213-metre tall G1 Tower in Japan, where it will conduct verifi cation tests on a lift with a speed of 1,080 metres per minute (m/min).

The tower will also be used for development of the world’s largest high-speed, high-capacity elevator, targeted to carry fi ve tonnes at 600 m/min. To improve riding comfort in high-speed lifts, Hitachi is developing new vibration control and air pressure adjustment devices. Further efforts focus on reducing the space required for elevator shafts and reducing the weight of the elevator cars.

District cooling

EMPOWER BULLISH ABOUT PERFORMANCEEmpower’s achievement in 2009 of 3.7 million m2 of district cooling services, over 80 buildings, has prompted the company to expand its services in 2010, despite the economic downturn. CEO Ahmad Bin Shafar says the company’s plans include bidding for more projects keen to benefi t from district cooling’s environment-friendly features. The operational savings percentage in a residential unit compared with conventional AC technologies ranges between 40% and 45%, he adds.

NEWS IN NUMBERS 400 m2

Area that Gekko, a disk-shaped façade cleaning robot,

can cover in an hour


ANALYSIS

Open for businessA WIDE VARIETY OF CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES ARE WAITING IN IRAQ

By Daniel Canty and Stuart Matthews

GROWING CEMENT SUPPLIESThe Ministry of Industry and Minerals has been encouraging

the licensing of new cement producers, as well as private public

partnerships to rehabilitate major state-run cement factories.

Lafarge, a building materials company, has taken advantage of the

opportunity represented by Iraq and has built two plants in the

country whose total capacity now reaches one quarter of domestic

Iraqi production.

Source: Republic of Iraq National Investment Commission

Government projections of population growth in Iraq, which run at 2.6% annually, lead it to believe that almost two million housing units will be needed by 2015.

As efforts at reconstruction have cre-ated demand for construction expertise and the money needed to pay for it, the

construction and building material industries have become ripe for investment.

In short, Iraq needs everything. Even the humble brick is in short supply, with the government estimating demand exceeds local supply fourfold. While Iraq’s domestic construction sector is growing, the government does not feel it has the capacity to cope with the expected demand, which is driven by greater stability, returning refugees and a general trend toward urbanisation.

While signifi cant sums have been set aside for reconstruction and infrastructure development – US $16 billion in the 2009 budget – the government has acknowledged that public fi nanc-ing will not be enough.

A recent overview of the housing and construction market, published by the government said: “Private capital and exper-tise will be needed to build and sustain the huge infrastructure investment needed. In housing, for example, the government expects that up to 85% of home building will be carried out by the private sector.”

Key opportunities exist in the building materials sector, con-struction and housing. According to the government investment licenses have been approved for $2 billion from a total of 40 projects. The Iraqi government also claims that a UAE developer has signed on to work on a $5 billion project, which is intended to include a hospital, apartments and shopping malls, all within the former Rashid Military base in Baghdad.

The government also seems keen to push the idea of local part-nerships. It is at pains to emphasise that what local developers lack in knowledge of current techniques, they make up for in their understanding of the legal and regulatory structure.

IRAQI BUILDERS CLIMB UP SCAFFOLDING ON AN UNDER-CONSTRUCTION GOVERNMENT BUILDING IN IRAQ.

SABAH ARAR/AFP/GETTY IMAGES


This inside knowledge could prove invaluable, as doing busi-ness in Iraq can be costly, frustrating and diffi cult. For the fi rst time in many years, however, the opportunity is so great that it easily outweighs the pitfalls, as many fi rst-movers from the international and Gulf region are fi nding.

To open the lid on the business environ-ment in Iraq, Construction Week tracked down Baghdad residents John Desro-cher, minister counsellor for economic coordination, US State Department, and Gary Soper, fi rst secretary, head of UK Trade and Investment, Iraq.

“Iraq is very keen to see more compa-nies establish operations there, but also to broaden that whole dialogue to include trade as well,” explains Soper.

However, getting your investments off the ground in Iraq will be an uphill task. “This is a country which is essentially rejoining the world economy for the fi rst time in decades,” says Desrocher.

For small and medium size enterprises Iraq remains a small but growing oppor-tunity landscape. For the time being the biggest rewards are there for the larger companies, which carry the clout of global support with them.

Breaking into to Iraqi markets also rep-resents challenges quite beyond those

> For the latest analysis log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

JOHN DESROCHER, MINISTER COUNSELLOR FOR ECONOMIC COORDINATION, US STATE DEPARTMENT.

of the rest of the region. “It’s important to bear in mind that the private sector is still small in Iraq. Over 43% of the working population is employed by the government or state owned enter-

prises, so there isn’t the same dynamism in private hands that you fi nd elsewhere,” explains Soper.

“However, it’s still early days and there is a very steep learning curve under way.”

A further consideration is that a great deal of international work is predomi-nantly handled by the ministries. SME’s might not have the level of fi nancial back-ing required to stay in for the long haul currently required.

In terms of getting started, both Des-rocher and Soper agree that your home country’s embassy is the best place to go. Following that step, the National Invest-ment Commission, which was established in 2006, is the next port of call. The NIC, led by its chairman Sami Al-Araji, is the face of private investment in Iraq, with a mission to serve as promoter, facilita-tor, monitor and policy advisor for fi rms looking to invest in Iraq.

“The NIC can help companies clear all the challenges which are out there. They work very hard promoting invest-ment,” says Desrocher.

“IT IS CLEAR THAT IN SOME WAYS THIS IS A CHALLENGING PLACE TO DO BUSINESS. THIS

IS A COUNTRY WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY REJOINING

THE WORLD ECONOMY FOR THE FIRST TIME

IN DECADES”

A GOVERNMENT MINISTRY BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND PROGRESSING IN THE IRAQI CAPITAL OF BAGHDAD.

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Whilst a number of agencies have sprung up focused on specifi c industries, in theory to streamline processes and procedures, but it is not always clear where the lines of demarcation between them lie, and vested interests still have a habit of coming to the fore. Clearly not a market for the feint hearted, but things are improving.

Government ministries don’t have the pedigree of making important decisions. The ingrained system is that everything goes up to the highest level. “There have been instances of $40,000 projects which

aren’t signed off because trade and development contracts do not have a framework in place. There is a tendency to send everything towards the prime minister’s offi ce for authorisation,” says Soper.

For companies looking to set up in Iraq and fi nding offi ce space in the International Zone (formerly the Green Zone), the consensus is be prepared to progress slowly. “There are companies on the ground in the International Zone which have facilities for rent – either for fl ying visits, kitted out as a standard board room, as well as temporary offi ce units,” explains Soper.

For long-term partnerships the model appears to be that once companies have the confi dence to set up a local joint venture that will facilitate moving out of the International Zone.

The market is clearly not one for the feint hearted, and much ground work must be laid before embarking on your business plan. Rich pickings won’t come quickly, and fi nding a suitable JV partner looks to be the best vehicle for medi-um-term penetration. For the fi rms that successfully crack the major projects, the rewards are unparalleled in the com-ing decade. �

WHILE IRAQ’S DOMESTIC CONSTRUCTION SECTOR IS GROWING, THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT FEEL IT HAS THE CAPACITY TO COPE WITH THE EXPECTED DEMAND.

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85%THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT

ESTIMATES THAT

OF HOME BUILDING WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY THE

PRIVATE SECTORGARY SOPER, FIRST SECRETARY, HEAD OF UK TRADE AND INVESTMENT, IRAQ.

“OVER 43% OF THE [IRAQI] WORKING POPULATION

IS EMPLOYED BY THE GOVERNMENT OR STATE

OWNED ENTERPRISES”


AWARD WINNER

‘And the award for research and development goes to Wade Adams’...

This announcement was fi rst heard in 2006 by a packed audience at the Construction Week Awards, held in Dubai. It came again a year later, and then again in 2008 and 2009. The award announcements made a point: here was a company that didn’t just add the word ‘innovation’ to its mission statement; here was a company that lived by it.

Wade Adams has been a major player, especially in the infrastructure segment, since it’s inception in 1976. It has delivered thousands of kilometers of roads, dozens of bridges and a large number of other infrastructure projects.

Managing these projects is a Herculean task, but, where most companies focus on adopting established best prac-

Project monitoring: a quest to redefi ne project management

MOHSIN MOLIYATHI LOOKS AT THE INNOVATIVE WORK OF ABDUL NAZER AND THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AWARDS IT HAS SECURED FOR WADE ADAMS

THE APPLICATIONS

VISUAL PROJECT MONITORING SYSTEM CW Award for R&D, 2006

Verifying the extent to which the

construction work has been executed is a

challenging part of project monitoring and

control. VPMS simulates 3D views of actual

and planned environments, from a set of

graphically-linked construction activities.

VPMS also has a process simulation engine,

which simulates the actual construction

process, in order to detect any unforeseen

confl icts and address them before they

become apparent on site. VPMS’s advanced

viewing system allows users to simulate

the construction process and to show the

planned site condition on any specifi ed date.

PROJECT ALERT SYSTEMCW Award for R&D, 2007

PAS generates weekly automated emails

about a project and sends them to the

various project associates. This provides a

weekly summary of work progress, delays

and completions, as well as 3D images

of the planned and actual views, trend of

performance indices, s-curves and other

information. Current project status will

be marked at the beginning of the email

with different color codes based on the

project performance. PAS allows users

to assess projects quickly, saves time

and increases transparency. This allows

project participants to have the same level

of knowledge about the progress of the

planned and actual conditions.

CONSTRUCTION PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEMCW Award for R&D, 2008

CPCS is a centralised construction

management system designed to control

shop drawing preparation, survey-data

processing, quantity calculation, project

monitoring and control. CPCS is a multi

user environment, running from a central

data base, to create shop drawings, survey

calculations, project progress tracking, et

cetera, for different users with different

profi les. CPCS permits only a single

entry point for data, which will refl ect

automatically in other documents wherever

required. A key feature of CPCS is that

the RFA database is linked with the CPCS

database though its element names – such

as ‘manhole’, or ‘pipeline’ – so progress of

an element is calculated based on the

RFA generated.

GRAPHICAL PROGRESS ANALYSERCW Award for R&D, 2009

GPA is a software system that can simulate

graphics from a users CAD project

drawing, based on the planning schedule. A

customised CAD drawing and the planning

program update are the only requirements

of GPA. GPA will generate graphics on its

own graphical engine, automatically based

on the schedule updates throughout the

project duration. GPA has four options

to monitor the project progress, ‘present

status’ to know the latest status of the

project, ‘target project simulation’ to

understand how the project is planned,

‘work done’ to go through a visual history of

the project and ‘look ahead’ to visualise the

road ahead.

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NICOLAS TANDELES AND ABDUL NAZER (R), OF WADE ADAMS, COLLECT ANOTHER R&D AWARD.

tices, Wade Adams has added its own innovative processes to improve the project delivery.

Wade Adams OE and CA manager Abdul Nazer, who joined the company in 2003, noticed that project manage-ment was getting more compelling as a company grew. The more a contracting company grew the more developments it attracted.

In short, project management was an area which was chal-lenging for senior management. Nazer felt that the indus-try-level progress reporting systems and processes needed improvement. He identifi ed one of the main reasons for project delays was progress reporting. If reporting project progress of one single large project was a big task, consider the problems faced when senior management had to man-age many large projects.

After months of conceptualising, design and research, Nazer unveiled a solution that revolutionised the way Wade Adams managed project delivery. It has been followed by award-winning applications in subsequent years.

Most of the project management applications Nazer has developed target the time factor in a project. He is cur-rently working on a new application that deals with the cost element of the project by clubbing time sheets, planning and task targets, which will dramatically reduce cost and improve project profi tability.

He designed this system to allow software installed in a dedicated server to do all the analysis, by pulling real time time sheets, generating graphical several reports and email-ing them across to the project members.

Nazer has also successfully developed applications such as Progress Drawings, Introuter, Project Management Dash-board and Enterprise Project Matrix. Nazer has enjoyed a great deal of inspiration and support from Nicolas Tandeles, the technical manager of Wade Adams. Many innovations were motivated by conversations between the two, about industry specifi c issues. �

CONSTRUCTION WEEK AWARDS 2010Nominations for the Construction Week Awards 2010 will open

shortly. With a total of 18 categories up for grabs, there will be

plenty of opportunity to show off your company’s strongest

skills, as well as its best people. Keep an eye out for more details

on www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com.

IF REPORTING PROJECT PROGRESS OF ONE SINGLE LARGE PROJECT WAS A BIG TASK, CONSIDER THE PROBLEMS FACED WHEN SENIOR MANAGEMENT HAD TO MANAGE

MANY LARGE PROJECTS.

CO-LOCATED WITH

Trade only, STRICTLY no children

ORGANISED BY:

29 - 31 MARCH 2010 ABU DHABINATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE

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

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

www.gulflandscaping.com


ABU DHABI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTDeveloper: Abu Dhabi Airports Company

Description: The Abu Dhabi International Airport expansion will increase the airport’s capacity to 20 million passengers per annum. Work on the expan-sion of the airport began in 2005 and is scheduled to fi nish by 2015.

The centrepiece of the project is the Midfi eld Terminal Complex, which will serve as the base of operations for Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE. The terminal will sit between two operational runways. The opening of the terminal is scheduled for early 2015. In January 2010, the Supervision Committee for the Expansion of the Abu Dhabi International Airport invited contractors to ‘express interest’ in the main Midfi eld Terminal Building package. Pre-conditions for expressions of interest included annual turnover of US $5 billion and ‘successful completion’ of fi ve similar projects in the last ten years, two of which must be worth more than US $1 billion.

Several construction tenders are listed as pending, including ‘Airport wide Utilities & Infrastructure’ and ‘Police Fixed Wing Apron’. Pending design tenders cover maintenance facilities, a cargo campus and duty free facilities.

THE FREEHOLD MARKET MAY HAVE GROUND TO A HALT, BUT HERE ARE SIX BIG PROJECTS WHERE OPPORTUNITIES STILL ABOUND

SIX OF THE BEST:PROJECTS TO KEEP AN EYE ON

Although many freehold residential projects across the region are ‘on hold’, regional governments are con-tinuing to commit money to infrastructure and other public projects. Saudi Arabia, for example, has allocated a reported US $36.5 billion of its US $144 billion (SR 540 billion) 2010 budget to education, including construc-tion work on new institutions and premises already under construction. US $3.17 billion has been set aside for construction of 6400 kilometres of roads.

In Dubai, where many freehold residential projects remain in limbo, the Road & Transport Authority has allocated US $2 billion for project development. The money will cover around 129 jobs, 13 of which will be new.

In Kuwait, the government has proposed an ambi-tious US $125 billion fi ve year spending bill. Amongst the plans awaiting funding are Silk City, a new town whose blueprint includes the world’s tallest tower; a new container harbour and 25km causeway; a railway and metro system; and Project Kuwait, a complete overhaul of oil production infrastructure. The bill still requires a second reading in the country’s parliament, which has a history of opposing the government.

The bottom line is that work is still out there, but it may be in a different place and different in nature to what has gone before. Here, we look at six ‘mega’ projects that are active and handing out contracts, or are set to begin picking up steam.

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

HARAMAIN HIGH SPEED RAILWAY PROJECTDeveloper: Saudi Railways OrganisationDescription: Five companies were given until the end of January this year

to submit their technical proposals for Phase 2 of the Haramain High Speed Railway Project linking Makkah and Medinah. The shortlisted companies were Saudi Bin-ladin Consortium (German); Al Rajhi Consortium (French); Al Shoula Consortium (Spanish); Badr Consortium (Korean) and CSR Consortium (Chinese).

This package covers the construction of tracks, signals, communications infra-structure and the operational control centre. It also includes the procurement and maintenance of trains and maintenance of all infrastructure for 12 years.

In February 2010, Saudi Railways Organisation is due to release tender documents for the construction of stations along the 450 km line. This tender forms part of Phase 1 Package 2; Fosters and Buro Happold has designed the stations.

Phase 1 Package 1, which covers civil works along the 450km route, was awarded to the Al Rajhi Alliance in 2009.

PRINCESS NOURA BINT ABDULRAHMAN UNIVERSITY

FOR WOMENDeveloper: Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Higher EducationDescription: Princess Noura bint Abdul-Rahman University for Women is one of the most searched-for projects in the con-structionweekonline.com projects database. Saudi Binladin Group was appointed as the project’s main contractor and has just awarded Vision Electro Mechanical Com-pany, a subsidiary of Construction Products Holding Company (CPC), an SR1.31 billion (US $349mn) MEP sub-contract.

The university will cover a reported 8 million m² and will have a total built up area of around 3 million m². It will have administration and faculty buildings, a 700-bed student hospital, laboratories, research centres and residential buildings. According to recent reports, it will also have its own light railway system.

Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) hereby invites suitable contractors with commensurate experience to undertake the Main Contract

Works for the new ADTA/TDIC Headquarters Project located adjacent to Maqta Bridge in Abu Dhabi.

The Project comprises of 3 inter-linked office buildings of G+8 Floors, G+4 Floors and G+5 Floors and 3 floors of basements car park with a total GFA (gross

floor area) of approximately 114,000 m². The buildings have been designed to reflect the latest Grade A Commercial Office Standards by integrating new

materials and systems not previously used in the region and incorporating sustainability design to achieve a LEED Gold accreditation.

The Enabling Works and Basement Structural Works including ground floor slab are already completed.

Contractors who meet the criteria can register their interest and obtain a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) email: [email protected] and arrange for

the collection of the PQQ before 4pm on 18th February 2010 from:

Tourism Development & Investment Company, Behind Khalifa Park, Eastern Ring Road (Salam Street), Abu Dhabi.

Conditions and Rules:Interested companies must demonstrate successful delivery of relevant construction projects that meet the following requirements:

1. Recent experience on projects similar in size, character and complexity.

2. Be a major registered construction company with representation in the UAE.

3. Have had a minimum annual company turnover for construction activities of AED 1.5 billion in each of the last 3 years.

4. Successfully completed 5 projects each in excess of AED 750 million in the last 3 years.

5. Be prepared to be one of ten short-listed companies willing to submit a construction works tender under a single stage competitive tender process.

A non-returnable payment (in the form of a manager’s cheque, made in the name of Tourism Development & Investment Company) of AED 25,000 will be required at the time

of collection of the PQQ. Responses to the PQQ must be submitted in a sealed envelope no later than 4pm on 28th February 2010 to:

Pre-qualification for ADTA/TDIC Headquarters Project, Tourism Development & Investment Company, Behind Khalifa Park, Eastern Ring Road (Salam Street), Abu Dhabi.

Pre-Qualification Invitation - ADTA/TDIC Headquarters (P037) - Main Contract Works

Abu Dhabi develops with TDIC

www.tdic.ae

TDIC Construction Opportunities


SOUTH OF SHAMKHADeveloper: Abu Dhabi Centre for Housing and Service Facilities DevelopmentDescription: South Shamkha is an AED 10 bil-

lion ‘new town’ that will contain around 10,000 villas for nationals as well as parks, retail & entertainment facilities and public services. Spread across a reported 43 km² and located around 50km from Abu Dhabi city, it will house up to 200,000 people.

KEO drew up the project masterplan and Idroesse is the project management company. Ground preparation work at South Shamkha is already underway, with Tristar Contract-ing and Bin Nawi Contracting known to be involved.

Infrastructure tenders are currently in the market and bids are likely to be evaluated before the end of this quarter. Infrastructure work will include the construction of main and internal neighbourhood roads, street lighting and signals, drainage systems, sewage networks and telecommunica-tions infrastructure. It is still unclear whether Abu Dhabi Centre for Housing and Service Facilities Development will hand over ready-to-build plots to Emirati owners, or will provide fi nished units.

Although South of Shamkha is the largest single social hous-ing project in the works in the UAE, others are underway and planned. A total of 17,000 houses will be built at more than 20 locations across the country over the next fi ve years.

SAADIYAT ISLANDDeveloper: Tourism Development & Investment Company

Description: Tourism Development & Invest-ment Company (TDIC) is overseeing the transformation of Saadiyat, an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi, into an international cultural destination. The development is made up of seven components and includes Guggen-heim and Louvre museums, a golf course, a marina and residential areas.

In January this year, master-developer TDIC sought expressions of interest for a number of different jobs on Saadiyat Island. These included enabling works in the marina, a piling job for the Guggenheim Museum and a luxury villa construction contract at the golf course. Approved bidder lists for these jobs will be drawn up and bids invited in the next few months.

One more job that will defi nitely be coming up later this year is the main construction contract for the Frank Gehry-designed golf clubhouse. The 18,000 m² property will be design-led, include hotel rooms and restaurants, and has been designed to meet Abu Dhabi’s ‘Estidama’ sustainability guidelines.

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PAN-UAE RAILWAYDeveloper: Etihad (Union) RailwayDescription: The timeframe for this one is still be fi rmed up, but there is no doubt

that the will to build a pan-UAE railway is there. Eti-had Union Railway was created last year with a brief to build a national railway with around 1100 km of track with an estimated development budget of AED 25-30 billion.

It will connect the principal centres of population and industry in the country and will link into the planned GCC railway network. The railway will run at speeds of between 80 and 120 kilometers per hour for freight transport, and between 160 and 200 kilometers per hour for passenger transport.

The railway will connect Ghuwaifat on the KSA bor-der with towns in the East on the borders of Oman. Inland areas such as Madinat Zayed and Liwa will be connected on the basis of economic need. The company is talking to Adnoc about carrying granulated sulphur from the Shah and Habshan oil and gas fi elds to the Ruwais petrochemicals complex.

A combination of government funds, bank loans and bonds will pay for the construction of the railway. In public statements, the end of 2010 has been given as the date for the fi rst tenders to be fl oated.

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

25JANUARY 9–15, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK


With so many other factors to consider during the design and construction of a project, the temporary perimeter hoarding may seem insignifi cant. In fact it provides several important functions that will impact on both

the individual project and those fi rms involved over the longer-term, with security, corporate image and sustainability among the issues that are impacting on the sector’s development.

“Site hoarding and fencing serves a multitude of purposes on sites,” states Paul Grundy, S&B Fencing, “these include aesthet-ic appearance and promotion of the project. They also prevent unauthorised access, especially of children; security; and a clean appearance.”

Some factors are still considered more important than others, with safety remaining top of the list and one of the primary fac-tors that determines the local regulations which state the required height and allowable gaps between panels, among other factors. “The number one purpose is for safety: for the project by keep-ing the public out, but also for public safety,” stresses Al Ghattaura, CEO, Logical Fencing & Hoarding.

And with public image rising in importance for companies while they strive for clients in the current market, ensuring that their brand is seen clearly and effectively is another vital area where hoarding can be utilised. “A lot of

THROUGHOUT A PROJECT’S CONSTRUCTION PERIOD THE SITE HOARDING AND FENCING PROVIDES A NUMBER OF FUNCTIONS AND REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST VISIBLE COMPONENTS

FROM STREET LEVEL. CONSTRUCTION WEEK EXAMINES THE FACTORS THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN SELECTING HOARDING AND THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE

By Alison Luke

BOARDED UP

companies put branding onto [the hoarding] to market themselves and the project,” explains Ghattaura.

MATERIAL CHOICESThere are three main materials used for site hoarding and fencing - timber, steel and plastics – with numerous confi gurations of these materials and products available in the Middle East. The choice of material depends on several factors, with each having advantages and disadvantages (see box).

The overall market use has developed alongside advances in the available products, with traditional timber fencing becoming less prevalent due primarily to its short lifespan. “Historically timber fences were used [in the Middle East], but after a couple of weeks these warped and became unsightly and dilapidated,” explains Grundy.

The use of timber can still be seen throughout the region how-ever and this is likely to continue, particularly given the current economic climate, as fi rms seek to reduce spending where pos-sible. “Timber is out of favour but it is still being used on smaller projects because of the cost factor,” reports Ghattaura.

Of the other materials available, to date steel has been the most abundantly utilised. “Steel is the most popular [hoarding and fencing material] now in the region, with in excess of 3,000 km installed both in panels and continu-ous systems,” reports Grundy.

“Since 2002 S&B has supplied alternatives [to timber] mainly in steel, which provides

“SITE HOARDING AND FENCING SERVES A

MULTITUDE OF PURPOSES ON SITES. THESE INCLUDE AESTHETIC APPEARANCE

AND PROMOTION OF THE PROJECT.”

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STEEL FENCING IS AN OPTION THAT PROVIDES A LONG LIFE SPAN.

HOARDING PRODUCTS

BARRICADEThe Barricade panel system is S&B

Fencing’s biggest selling product in the

Middle East. Comprising of 2.4x2.2m or

2x2m steel hoarding panels, key benefi ts

of the product are fast speed of erection

and dismantling; the potential for quick

relocation; ease of use; long lifespan; and

low maintenance. Further advantages

include a competitive price on the lifetime

roi (return on investment).

BARRICADE HOARDING SYSTEMLogical Fencing’s Barricade Steel System

is offered in two panel sizes with box profi le

sheeting and galvanised channels. The

panel is located into a concrete foot to

leave a nominal 200mm gap underneath

the hoarding and is mounted 2.2m or

2.4m high. Backstays are positioned at

2.2m distances; these can be loaded with

concrete blocks for kentledge or fi xed to the

ground with sleeve anchors where ground

is suitable.

ECO LOGICAL RPPLogical Fencing’s Eco Logical RPP

comprises panels of 2-2.4m high panels

STEELHOARD SYSTEMThe 2.4m-high SteelHoard System

from Logical Fencing and Hoarding is

comprised of continuous steel hoarding

with 2m powder-coated sheets and rails,

plus surface-mounted concrete blocks

400x400x600mm. No ground excavation

is needed for the concrete blocks and a gap

of 400mm is enabled under the bottom rail.

This gap helps to ease wind loading. The

top rail will be 2.4m from the ground. The

fencing will be back-stayed every 2.5m.

The hoarding consists of 0.7mm profi le

steel sheet and rails that can be polyester

powder-coated to meet the client

colour scheme.

TIMBER HOARDINGLogical Fencing offers timber hoarding in

frames of 2-12m high, with 6, 12 or 18mm

commercial ply panels painted to clients

colours. The panels are attached to timber

frames which are bolted to a concrete base

that leaves a nominal gap underneath the

hoarding and is mounted to the required

specifi ed height. Backstays are attached to

concrete blocks for kentledge and should

be positioned every 2-3m.

with white sheeting that are attached to

48.3mm galvanized tubing. There is a support

frame at the rear that is attached to Kelly

blocks for kentledge.

ECO PLASTIC HOARDINGS&B Fencing’s Eco Plastic Hoarding is a

locally-manufactured plastics hoarding

system that can be used in internal and

external applications. Formed from

lightweight, fi re-proof, fully recyclable

materials, our products not only reduce

transportation, installation, manpower

and insurance costs, but also provide an

aesthetically unobtrusive architectural

presence, dovetailing neatly with modern

urban landscapes.

STEELHOARDSteelhoard from S&B Fencing is available

in heights of 2-3.5m heights. The product

provides a continuous Steelhoarding that can

withstand windloadings of 100kph+. A wide

range of colours is offered. Key benefi ts of

the product include zero maintenance, a long

life (fi ve years plus), windloading guarantees

and the ability to reuse the product on

future projects.

long life, aesthetically good appearance and reusability for many years,” he adds.

But as product development continues, the market seems set to take a further step away from timber fencing. The latest devel-opment in the sector has been the use of plastic hoarding. And with its recyclable properties and long lifespan, the benefi ts of the product are now attracting customers seeking a long-term and economical solution.

Logical fencing fi rst introduced its Eco Logical RPP plastics hoarding system to the region three years ago. It has since sup-plied the product for several major developments including Abu Dhabi’s TDIC and Abu Dhabi Airport. “Volumes installed have grown by 50% over three years and in 2009 around 25km were installed,” reports Ghattaura. Manufactured from pvc within the UAE by its parent company Logical Plastics Industries, the system is fully recyclable and is offered with a ten year guarantee and buy-back options.

With interest in the product type rising, other fi rms are also offering plastics hoardings. S&B has recently introduced its Eco Plastic Hoarding recycled plastics system and has further develop-ment planned. “The plastics systems have already been launched, but new innovations combining customers current inventory of material refurbishing with plastics is in process for 2010,” reports Grundy.

And manufacturers are predicting an upsurge in demand in the future. Ghattaura reports: “Most jobs [we’ve been involved

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PRODUCT TYPES: PROS AND CONS

ADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

TIMBER

STEEL

PLASTICS

Cheap

Long lifespan

Reusable

Some trade-in value

Long track-record of use

in region

Approved by all ministries in

GCC countries

Reusable and recyclable

Easy to handle on site

Lightweight

Long lifespan

Holds a trade-in value

Flat surfaces good for

displaying marketing signs

Short life

Unable to withstand local

climate conditions

Cannot be easily reused

Sheets are profi led so poor

for signs

Medium cost

Can corrode quickly

If damaged, the recycling

process is harmful to the

environment

Relatively expensive

Short track-record in region

with] over the last four months have gone for ecological hoarding.”

“There is a shift happening towards more eco-friendly materials, which plastics may offer as a dual path with steel,” adds Grundy.

With a higher initial capital cost for the prod-uct, this trend demonstrates another change in market, that of a rise in focus on long-term thinking and corporate image.

One of the advantages of plastics hoarding is its appearance. In the current climate, where clients are seek-ing to raise their corporate image in order to win jobs, while simultaneously construction projects lie dormant behind their

perimeter fencing, this can prove essential. The fi rst part of a project that any member of the public and potential investors will see, a hoarding that has a high quality appearance can increase perception of the project’s fi nal fi nish and could provide essential in gaining investor confi dence and fi nancial backing.

“It looks like a fi nished fence, which is good for the company image and any marketing posters can be properly displayed,” explains

Ghattaura. “The main issue is when putting a brand on corru-gated sheet it doesn’t look good; pvc sheets are completely fl at and fl ush to the ground.”

The lack of gap at the base of the fence also helps to ensure site security and can prevent any loss of corporate image for the developer on projects that are on hold. “The only way people can get in and out is through the security gates and people can’t see what’s going on in the site,” stresses Ghattaura.

SUSTAINABILITY ISSUESThe recyclable nature of the plastics hoarding is one of its biggest benefi ts and with the push for sustainability throughout the region, this could prove to be a major deciding factor in future predicts Ghattaura.

“The problem with steel is people say that it’s recyclable, but it’s not. The problem with the panelling is that it will corrode and the appearance after one year is bad…once a steel panel is damaged then it has to be remelted again for reuse, which is harmful to the environment,” states Ghattaura. “With the Eco sheets there is no carbon footprint,” he adds.

All steel within Logical Fencing’s Eco Logical product is galvanised and should corrosion occur they are sandblasted and re-dipped locally. The fi rm offers clients a buyback option whereby at the end of a project term it will remove the entire system for recycling and reuse on other projects. Such terms help to negate the dif-ference in initial capital costs between plastics and steel systems, states Ghattaura: “It’s around 20% more expensive for [plastics] hoarding, but as we’re doing the buyback option and clearing the sites [at the project end] it works out cheaper overall.”

With corporate image, sustainability and cost set to grow further in importance within the construction industry over the next few years, it seems likely that so too will the use of plastics hoarding. “Maybe within the next 24 months the whole of the GCC will be using [these products],” predicts Ghattaura. �

“THE MAIN ISSUE IS WHEN PUTTING A

BRAND ON CORRUGATED SHEET IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD; PVC SHEETS ARE COMPLETELY FLAT AND

FLUSH TO THE GROUND”

A SHIFT IS HAPPENING TOWARD MORE ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS. SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC IS A PRIME CONCERN THAT GOOD FENCING CAN ADDRESS.

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www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory

DIRECTORY

FEBRUARY 6–12, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 29

SHOWCASE | TENDERS | PROJECTS | SUPPLIERS | CITY UPDATE

��

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To

advertise p

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SHOWCASE30 Meydan

32 TENDERS35 PROJECTS

SPECIALIST SERVICES36 Design software37 Construction manufacturers/steel

CITY UPDATE38 Doha, Qatar

TOP: ‘The Meydan’ hotel takes up a third of

the total structure.

RIGHT: The grandstand building is almost

1.6km long.

OPPOSITE PAGE, FAR RIGHT: The giant

cantilevered crescent roof is one of the main

structural features of the building, sometimes

described as a ‘landscraper’.

OPPOSITE PAGE: The atrium spaces of the

hotel emphasise the view, important in a

building that serves as a grandstand too.

To b

uy

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�SHOWCASEITP IMAGESTO BUY IMAGES WITHIN THESE PAGES PLEASE EMAIL [email protected] OR VISIT WWW.ITPIMAGES.COM

MEYDAN, NAD AL SHEBA, DUBAIPhotos by Aziz Shah

The centrepiece of Meydan City, the grandstand and racetrack facilities, opened its doors to the world earlier this year. The success

of the project can be measured by the burst of positive PR it received, especially from the global racing press. Measuring

almost 1.6km across and boasting a built area of 306,580m2, the grandstand has seating for 20,000 spectators,

although its actual capacity is closer to 60,000. A third of the complex is taken up by ‘The Meydan’ hotel.

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�TENDERSFREE TENDERS AND SERVICES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRYTO INCLUDE YOUR TENDERS IN THIS SECTION EMAIL TENDER DETAILS TO [email protected]

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BAHRAIN

Issuer: Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: 378/2009/3200Description: Construction of a customer service centre at Country Mall.Closes: February 10Fees: BD50Contact: Purchasing and Supply Directorate, Central Stores, Ground Floor, Electricity and Water Authority, PO Box 5325

Issuer: Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: 263/2009/4130Description: Procurement work for Alstom gas turbines.Closes: February 10Fees: BD15Contact: Purchasing and Supply Directorate, Central Stores, Ground Floor, Electricity and Water Authority, PO Box 5325

Issuer: Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: 001/2010/5310Description: Purchasing single core copper cable and PVC insulated copper wire.Closes: February 10Fees: BD15Contact: Purchasing and Supply Directorate, Central Stores, Ground Floor, Electricity and Water Authority, PO Box 5325

Issuer: Ministry of HealthTender No: MOH/101/2010Description: Expansion of pharmacy section and construction of guard room at Hamad Kanoo Health Centre.Closes: February 17Fees: BD15Contact: Tendering submission offi ce, tender board’s offi ce at Al Moayeed Tower, Seef Area

EGYPT

Issuer: Egyptian endowment authorityDescription: Construction of fi ve residential buildings comprising 484 housing units in Menia.Closes: February 16Fees: EP19,000Bond: EP1.5 millionContact: Egyptian Endowment Authority, 109 Tahrir St., Dokki, Giza

KUWAIT

Issuer: Central Tenders CommitteeTender No: MEW/39/2008/2009Description: Design and construction of Al Zour desalination plant, phase 2.Closes: March 9Fees: KD3000Contact: Central Tenders Committee, Ministry of Electricity and Water

Issuer: Central Tenders CommitteeTender No: RA\\140Description: Construction of Jaber Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah Bridge in Kuwait.Closes: June 8Fees: KD5000Contact: Central Tenders Committee – Ministry of Public Works

OMAN

Issuer: Ministry of Transport and CommunicationTender No: 418/2009Description: Construction of Wadi Al Ain link roads.Closes: February 8Fees: OR600Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Ministry of HealthTender No: 416/2009Description: Construction, completion and maintenance of a proposed medical store at Rustaq Hospital.Closes: February 8Fees: OR250Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Supreme Committee for Town PlanningTender No: 10/2009Description: Consultancy services for the preparation of the master-plan of Duqm Town.Closes: March 8Fees: OR300Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

QATAR

Issuer: Public Works Authority

Tender No: PWA/GTC/065/09-10Description: The construction, completion and maintenance of four schools in Doha.Closes: February 16Fees: QR1500Contact: Contract department, Public Works Authority

Issuer: Public Works AuthorityTender No: PWA/GTC/068/09-10Description: Construction of seven new schools in Doha.Closes: March 2Fees: QR1000Contact: Contract department, Public Works Authority

SAUDI ARABIA

Issuer: Royal Commission for Jubail and YanbuTender No: 627-C17Description: Procurement and construction of an elementary school for girls, three kindergartens and expansion of an elementary school for boys in Jubail Industrial City.Closes: February 24Fees: SR9000Contact: Directorate General of the Royal Commission in Jubail

UAE

Issuer: Dubai Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: CNE/0488/2009Description: Construction of four accommodation buildings at Jebel Ali Power Station.Closes: February 24Fees: AED2000Contact: The Chairman, Board of Directors, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority

In January 2004, Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashgal) was established as part of a decree put forward by HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The purpose of the body is to oversee all infrastructure related projects and public amenities in Qatar. Ashgal has since managed a number of projects including the construction Al Khafaji Street and Airport Street, as well as Al Khor Environmental Park and Al Wakrah Hospital.

Last year the organisation concentrated on the construction of schools in the Gulf state, and this year it continues to do the same. Asghal has recently invited fi rms to bid, by March 2, for the contract to build seven schools in Doha. A tender is also fl oating for the construction, completion and maintenance of four schools, also in the capital. The bidding deadline for this tender is February 16. �

Tender focus

ASHGAL

CONTRACTS TO BUILD NEW SCHOOLS WILL BE AWARDED THIS YEAR.

> For more tenders check online at www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/tenders

ONE TO WATCHIssuer:Issuer: Etihad Railway CompanyEtihad Railway CompanyDescription:Description: Engineering and design contracts for the Engineering and design contracts for the UAE rail network.UAE rail network.Open date:Open date: Q1 2010Q1 2010Fees:Fees: UnknownUnknownContact:Contact: [email protected]@EtihadRailways.comm

� PR

OJECTS To

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�PROJECTSA BAHRAIN DATABASE - BUILDING PROJECTS FOCUSTO LIST YOUR PROJECTS IN THIS COLUMN EMAIL DETAILS TO [email protected]

On August 16, 2009 it was announced that land reclamation on Durrat Mari-na, part of Durrat Al Bahrain had been completed ahead of schedule by a joint venture from Great Lakes and Nass Construction.

The US $1.5 billion (BD565.5 million) project, which has been designed by

Atkins, is scheduled to be complet-ed by the fi rst quarter of 2014. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company is the main contractor. The develop-ment consists of three islands covering 480,000m2 and will include a 400-berth marina, as well as retail, residential and public spaces. �

COMPLETION OF DURRAT MARINA IS SCHEDULED FOR 2014.

PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAINCONTRACTOR

VALUE(US$MN)

STATUS

BAHRAINISA TOWN HEALTH CENTER BUILDING Ministry of Health Adel Ahmadi Associates United Arab Construction

Company7 project under construction

CEBARCO TOWER AT UMM AL HASSAN Khaled Abdulrahim Modern Architects Cebarco 16 project under construction

MALL AT A'ALI Al Namal Group United Engineering Al Namal Construction 2.5 - 15 project under construction

RIFFA VIEWS - THE OASIS ESTATE Riffa Views Mohamed Salahuddin Consult-ing Engineering Bureau

Poullaides Construction Com-pany/Terna Contracting

31 - 100 project under construction

AL MATROOK TOWER Faisal Ali Al Matrook Mohamed Salahuddin Consult-ing Engineering Bureau

Charilaos Apostilides 19 project under construction

APARTMENT BUILDING IN JUFFAIR The Islamic Association Modern Architects Middle East Contg. & Trade Center

16 - 30 project under construction

MILLENIUM TOWER IN SEEF Hani Group Middle East Architects Classic Construction 31 - 100 project under construction

KING HAMAD GENERAL HOSPITAL IN MUHARRAQ Ministry of Health Ismail Khonji Associates/Aus-tralian Design Group

AA Nass/Burhan International Construction

135 project under construction

QATAR EMBASSY IN SEEF Qatar Embassy for MOFA Arab Engineering Bureau Not Appointed 2.5 - 15 project under design

REFLECTIONS OF BAHRAIN Ithmaar Development Company DP Architects Not Appointed 101 - 250 project under design

DIPLOMAT COMMERCIAL OFFICE TOWERS National Hotels Company Mohamed Salahuddin Consult-ing Engg. Bureau

Chase Perdana Berhad 70 project under construction

LIGHT OF BAHRAIN Ithmaar Development Company DP Architects Not Appointed 101 - 250 project under design

VILLA COMPOUND AT AL AREEN Al Khaleeji Commercial Bank Modern Architects AAA Homes 6 project under construction

ABU OBIDA AL JARRAH PRIMARY GIRLS SCHOOL Ministry of Education Dheya Towfi qi Engineering Bureau

Not Appointed 2.5 - 15 project under design

NURANA NS Holdings Co./Manara Developments

Davenport Campbell Not Appointed 1000 project under design

MANSOORI HOUSE Hassan Mansoori Mazen Al Umran Consulting Engineers

M & I Construction 2.5 - 15 project under construction

30 STOREY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IN JUFFAIR Tashyeed Properties Company Syrconsult Consulting Engineers

Not Appointed 16 - 30 project under design

15 STOREY MIXED USE BUILDING AT SEEF Essa Bukhowa Arabian East Bureau Salah Al Qaed Contractors 2.5 - 15 project under construction

7 STOREY BUILDING AT RIFFA Sheikh Khalifa Arabian East Bureau Charilaos Apostilides 5 project under construction

DCR APARTMENTS IN JUFFAIR Yousef Gulub Architectural World Bassman Contracting 2.5 - 15 project under construction

> For the latest projects information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/projects

Project focus

DURRAT MARINA


�SPECIALIST SERVICESCONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MADE EASY IN CONSTRUCTION WEEK’S DIRECTORYTO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL +971 4 435 6344, OR EMAIL [email protected]

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Wago is a family owned company with over 50 years experience in the development components for process engineering and building automation. The company is head quartered in Germany, but operates around the world, with subsidiaries or agencies on all continents and production facilities in G e r m a n y , Switzerland, Poland, China and India.

Wago Middle East’s offi ces are based in Sharjah Airport Free Zone, UAE. The company has recently introduced new rail mounted terminal blocks (electrical connectors).

The blocks have a conductor entry angle of 35° allowing for a very small bend radius and a short wiring distance to the cable duct. This way, conduc-

tors can be placed very close to the terminal blocks and their

height can be kept relatively low.

The blocks are vibration proof and have main-tenance-free connections. They are the smallest on the

market, accord-ing to Wago, and this compact size aims to minimise

costs through the reduction of panel

space used, as well as smaller enclosures and junc-

tion boxes. As Wago Middle East is a new

subsidiary, the main focus for the company this year is to complete

the establishment of the team in the region and build a strong customer base. �

Supplier focus

WAGO MIDDLE EASTMANUFACTURER OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

WAGO MANUFACTURES AND SUPPLIES TERMINAL BLOCKS FOR THE INDUSTRY.


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> For directory information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory

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OTAL (LLC) Dubai, U.A.EPhone: (+971-4) 267 9646 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.otal.ae

STEELSTEEL


CITY UPDATEDOHA, QATAR

Where is the current best place to construct a building in the Middle East? When asked by Construction Week in November 2009, many industry suppliers answered, Qatar.

And now, in 2010, this mind-set remains the same. Last week’s Con-structionWeekOnline spot poll revealed that, behind Abu Dhabi, Qatar is the spot people expect to make the most money this year.

Delivering DohaCW DISCOVERS THE REASONS BEHIND THE GROWING CONFIDENCE IN DOHA’S CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

By Sarah Blackman

NEW DOHA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS A KEY PROJECT IN QATAR’S DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.

Investors are showing growing confi dence in the GCC, particularly Doha, where there is an opportunity to build new projects.

“Local companies are investing in Doha and Abu Dhabi,” says Simon Mrad, managing director of Wilo, a manufacturer and sup-plier of pumps and pump systems for heating, air-conditioning

and cooling.“Developers and contractors feel comfort-

able starting new projects in the area because new developments are progressing at a steady pace and are not accelerating too quickly,” So which projects are leading industry play-

“DEVELOPERS FEEL COMFORTABLE STARTING NEW PROJECTS IN DOHA”


CONSTRUCTION HAS JUST BEGUN ON MUSHEIREB, PREVIOUSLY THE HEART OF DOHA.

BARWA FINANCIAL DISTRICT IS DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN 2013.

ers to the conclusion that Doha’s construction sector has huge potential for growth?

Like many other GCC cities, infrastructure seems to be the key area for expansion. The under-construction $14 billion New Doha International Airport is still on schedule for 2011 and will cover over 22km outside the city.

Further, in November 2009 the Qatari Diar Real Estate Invest-ment Company announced the signing of a joint venture with passenger and logistics company Deutsche Bahn AB to create the Qatar Railways Development Company.

The organisation will unify all planned railways in Qatar includ-ing the Doha Metro.

This 85km rail network will include an east coast link, a high-speed link, a freight link and a light rail system. The entire project is due for completion in 2015.

Construction on the $3 billion metro is set to begin this year, although main construction contracts are yet to be signed.

Development of 40km causeway that would connect gas exporter Qatar to the Gulf island state of Bahrain is also set to commence in the fi rst quarter of this year.

Contractors selected to carry out the project include France’s Vinci and Germany’s Hochtief AG. Completion is scheduled for 2015.

A number of projects in the residential and commercial sector are also showing signs of progression. Last month, a ground-breaking ceremony took place at DohaLand’s $5.5 billion Musheireb devel-opment, previously named The Heart of Doha.

“The project is a shining example of Qatar’s determination to innovate, not just for innovation’s sake, but with the end goal of

TOP PROJECTS US$New Doha International Airport 14 billionMusheireb 5.5 billionDoha Metro 3 billionQatar-Bahrain Causeway 3 billionBarwa Financial District 1.3 billion

“THE [MUSHEIREB] PROJECT IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF QATAR’S DETERMINATION TO INNOVATE, NOT JUST FOR INNOVATION’S SAKE”

improving quality of life and ensuring that heritage and culture carries on as the country grows and evolves,” says DohaLand vice chairman Abdullah Al Kubaisi.

The mixed-use development will contain 226 buildings and will be home to 27,637 residents. It will have a dedicated tramway, with a combination of commercial and residential properties, retail, cultural and entertainment areas.

The project will be completed in fi ve phases, with the fi rst phased due for completion by 2012 and the entire project is due to be completed by 2016.

In other recent news, French construction giant Bouygues won a $1.3 billion contract for construction in the Barwa Financial District project in November.

Barwa Financial District is developed by the Barwa Real Estate, the largest semi-public property group in Qatar.

The contract includes the construction of nine 18- to 52-storey offi ce towers, a fi ve star hotel, a shopping centre, a mosque as well as parking facilities and utilities.

Construction time for the project will be around three and a half years.

“This fast track project will involve 6000 people at peak times and considerable plant resources, notably 17 tower cranes,” says a statement from Bouygues.

“The work will also take place in a particularly challenging environment due to the cramped site.”

Bouygues will carry out the works in collaboration with two Qatari companies – Midmac Contracting Company and Al Jaber Engineering. �


DIALOGUEDAVID KOHLER

What inspired you to update your company strategy in 2008?There is a scarcity of fresh available drinking water around the world and it is a big issue here in the UAE. It’s important that companies and consumers become more educated about the areas of sustainability and understand how their actions can impact the world. We look at sustainability because we think it’s the right thing to do not the right thing to say. As we have grown as a company, our environmental footprint has increased and we need to change this. Around 40% of people around the globe are impacted by water scarcity. We believe that, given our business in the plumbing industry, it is critical for us educate people on how to use water more effectively without compromising desires for luxury.

How can Kohler contribute to a sustainable environment?The fi rst element of our strategy is footprint reduction – we want to reduce our carbon footprint as a company by 4% per annum, with an aggressive goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions with offsets by 2035. The second plank of our strategy is about growth and innovation. We want to drive new products and innovative technologies, which are better for the environment – a water conserving shower or a higher fuel effi ciency engine or generator, for example. The third plank is to educate customers on the importance of sustainability and how businesses can still be successful if they implement green initiatives. We believe the right sustainability strategy is one that integrates business principles with environmental principals. It has to make sound business sense.

Is there a limit to how energy effi cient a product can be?There must be a limit, but I don’t know if we will ever fi nd it. There has always been a belief that there is a limit to reducing the consumption of water, but then we created the waterless urinal. I believe that necessity is the mother of invention – we are running out of water so therefore we have to think of new

A new directionKohler, a manufacturer of kitchen and bath products, engines and power generation systems has a new strategy – to aggressively contribute to sustainable building. Company president and COO David Kohler explains the reasons behind this decision

By Sarah Blackman

ways of saving it. If you set aggressive goals, you will pioneer in new ways.

Is there a demand for energy effi cient products or do you have to persuade companies to invest?I don’t think there has been a big demand for water conservation in this region, but with programmes like Heroes of the UAE in Abu Dhabi [a campaign urging people living and working in the UAE to reduce their energy consumption], it will increase. There are also governments and companies that are trying to drive awareness in certain markets.

How energy effi cient are your power generators?We are primarily in the business of standby power generation. We power everything from standby generation in the home from small portable 4KW units all the way to the largest generator sets, with over 3MW. Some of our units can work on diesel fuel and the most sustainable units we have are those that work on natural gas – they are more energy effi cient and they produce low carbon emissions. We are driving the expansion of these. We are also evaluating different technologies for the future that can help us better link renewable energy with our generator sets.

What projects have you recently been involved in?We looked at the water consumption of our facilities that make faucets around the world and found that we waste water in a lot of different ways. So, through a careful design, we were able to reduce the water consumption per faucet produced by 90% at a new facility in India. Today the company has 51 manufacturing facilities in 16 different countries. We are also working closely with the Masdar City project in Abu Dhabi on the power side of our business, as well as the plumbing side. In addition, we supplied commercial faucets to the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai.

Kohler was elected to the president

and COO position in April 2009. He

is the eighth individual to serve in the

role of president since the company’s

inception in 1873. A member of the

company’s board of directors, Kohler

oversees three of Kohler Company’s

four worldwide businesses – Kitchen &

Bath Group, Global Power Group, and

Interiors Group, as well as the Corporate

Technical Services organisation. He

joined the Kohler executive management

team in 1993 and gradually moved up the

company ladder.

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Construction Week - Issue 307

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