PMV Middle East - July 2010

Latest news (p04)Crane safety (p14)Skid-steers (p24)Backtrack (p40)

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July 2010, Volume 4 Issue 7

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JULY 2010, ISSUE 7 VOL 4

1802 COMMENT

04 NEWSSome of the latest news updates from across the equipment industry.

10 NEWS FEATUREA concrete firm in Al Ain is the latest group to upgrade to GPS telemetry.

12 NEWS FEATUREA mountain of slag is turned into something more beauti-ful in Spain.

14 SITE VISITWe climb some cranes to see anti-collision systems.

18 TYRE PLANTWaste Special: A tyre recy-cling plant paving the way to Sharjah’s future.

24 TOP LISTThe best skid-steer attach-ments on the market.

28 PRODUCTSPlus Machine Month.

32 RUBBLE PLANTWaste Special: A facility to keep construction waste out of landfill.

38 CITY PROFILEAbu Dhabi’s projects under focus this month.

40 BACKTRACKThe Channel Tunnel.

14 32

04 24

COMMENT002

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SUMMER’S HERE, SO WHERE’S THE FIRE?

COMMENT002

Do you have any comments about the PMV industry, or the magazine? Please email: [email protected] or post to: PMV Middle East, ITP, Garhoud, PO Box 500024, Dubai

A number of fires and particularly one in the empty quarter lead to many problems at the Saudi Border last month.

Greg Whitaker, [email protected]

Every year in the UAE there is a sure sign that summer has proper-ly arrived. It isn’t the unbearable way that the mercury jumps ten degrees, nor is the gar-ish yellow effigies of Modesh that pop up on the roadside in order to promote the sales.

No, the summer is marked by the increase in fires that ignite around the UAE. I don’t have any data to suggest why this might be, nor to say that it does or doesn’t happen elsewhere in the Gulf. Interestingly, the fires that have occurred over the past few days seem to have happened for very dif-ferent reasons. Firstly, part of the macaroni facto-ry was razed, followed by a firetrap labour camp on the Abu Dhabi border. Following this a couple of millionaire’s yachts blazed – and finally there was a fire that levelled several trucks and closed the border in the Rub Al Khali.

Despite being what must have been a trying week for the emergency services, it appears that by some miracle nobody was killed in any of these infurnos. However, the fire at the border raises some other heath and safety concerns. The bor-der post was closed, leaving the remaining driv-

ers stuck for the best of a day in 47 degree heat. As usual, the UAE Red Crescent was on hand to distribute aid, but it isn’t at all clear to me why a fire which didn’t affect the operation of the border post should shut it at all? Even more accurately, it brings attention to the plight of drivers stuck at this dreadful crossing point. Part of the problem is that truck drivers are an ‘unseen’ minority – if you tried holding GCC nationals or Europeans up at a border point for 20 hours at a time, they would let you know about it. The other part seems to be a reliance on slow and ancient technology, like fingerprinting. Have these people not heard ofiris scanning?

From a fleet managers point of view, the prob-lem goes beyond flaked-out drivers. When the wheels aren’t turning somebody is loosing mon-ey – and times that by the amount of trucks in the 25km tailback, and you will see why I believe that modernising border control through the GCC should be the burning priority this summer.

Head Offi ce P.O. Box 20 Dammam 31411 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dammam Tel: +966 3 802 4938 / 37 / 53 Fax: +966 3 826 9894Riyadh Tel: +966 1 230 3613 Fax: +966 1 209 8767Abha Tel: +966 7 227 2471 Fax: +966 7 227 6284

REGIONAL NEWS004


DEMOLITION The director of a Sharjah-based waste management group has blasted the use of the LEED accreditation system in the Gulf as an irrelevance.

Jeremy Byatt, Director of Environmental Responsibility at waste management group Bee’ah said of the ‘green’ ranking system: “I’m skeptical about LEED in this climate. It works fantastically well in Chicago where there are seasons.”

He added, “It’s not the answer here as you don’t have winter, it is still very hot.” The system was devised in the US, and works by awarding points for having niceties such as extra insulation, efficient heating and even bicycle racks. However, points are awarded for accessories dubbed by experts as ‘eco-bling’, such as elaborate rainwater catch

Expert calls for building ‘design for demolition’

Checkpoint fi re causes trucker’s misery

A fire that destroyed seven trucks caused misery for hundreds of stranded drivers. (Pic for illustration only)

TRUCKS A fire at the border between the UAE and Saudi Arabia late in June spelt a period of chaos for the heavy truck drivers wishing to pass.

The blaze broke out in the cargo of one vehicle and quickly spread to a further seven in the queue, completely engulfing them in flames.

Nobody was injured in the fire, but the tailback, already 25km long, was made much worse as the Al Bat’ha checkpoint was closed until the following day.

Due to the high temperatures over the weekend, the UAE’s Red Crescent were on hand to distribute water and aid to the stranded drivers.

The misery was compounded by the complex Saudi immigration rules, which were introduced last year. Every driver is required to be fingerprinted on every journey, in addition to other checks.

Buildings should be designed so machines can easily separate them, an expert says.

systems and novel methods of heat retention, neither of which are of any significant use in the Gulf.

Mr. Byatt did however stress the need for ‘design for destruction’,

which take into account, not only the ambient conditions of the emirate, but also of the total life cycle of the building: “The classic case is that of internal walls. If you make them

out of concrete then they are awfully hard to move. Now, we all know that a building will be refurbished one day, so why not build it like this in the first place?

He added: “Our construction and demolition waste plant will always be there, but architects, engineers and designers need to think about end-of-life. The design for disassembly makes a huge difference. People are now keen on building with more sustainable materials, but why not design it to be taken down?”

Byatt is one of many professionals in the region who has critisised the current fad for obtaining LEED status on a new build. A recent comment piece by architect Frank Gerhy on this website recently drew comments from all sides of the construction industry.

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REGIONAL NEWS005

July 2010 \\ PMV Middle Eastwww.constructionweekonline.com

4People killed following

the collapse of a hoist in Sharjah

Readers react after Sharjah hoist fatality COMMUNITY Readers of constructionweekonline.com have reacted angrily following the collapse of a hoist cradle being used to change advertisement hoardings in Sharjah in June.

The accident occurred in the small hours of the morning when four men fell to their deaths when either the cables or the fixings holding the cradle in the air failed.

When ambulances arrived at the scene, three of the men were already dead, while the fourth succumbed hours later. Investigations are being carried out by Sharjah police, but there is no suggestion that any of the men were wearing, or had been supplied with, safety harnesses.

After the news appeared on the website, readers raised a number

A hoist, like the one pictured here, failed, killing four. (Getty Images)

those they believed to be responsible for the accident. “Companies that don’t appoint a safety person to monitor their work systems aren’t thinking about safety” said Nil from Al Ain, while PV Sivadas wrote: “This is a total failure from the company management in providing or ensuring HSE for their employees” These comments were tempered by Nil from Sharjah who added: “Don’t blame after an accident; by doing this we are just escaping from facts & the problem remains the same.

of questions regarding equipment checks, or possible lack of. “These things should have a maintenance plan. Who was in charge of that?” asked reader JT.

Abu Sharfuddin suggested that all of the HSE organizations needed

to be involved in the investigation, and the results made public. “That way, small contractors operating suspended cradles can eliminate such accidents and ensure the safety of their personnel” he said.

Others inevitably sought to find

REGIONAL NEWS006


Extra time for testing at Tasjeel

Qatar access deal gets a lift

A deal has been signed to ensure a new line of access kit is sold through Qatar.

Customer demand has lead to one truck testing centre to open all hours.

DEALS A deal has been struck to distribute a range of aerial work platforms in Qatar.

The agreement enables Qatari-firm Rumaillah Motors to supply self-propelled scissor lifts, articulating and telescoping booms, telehandlers, portable material lifts, aerial work platforms, light towers and trailer mounted booms. The machines are all made by the multinational Terex group, and will be marketed under the ‘Genie’ brand.

There is a growing interest in cherry pickers and other access kit in Qatar, as new safety rules seek to phase out the use of ladders and scaffolds.

The dealer will support the product line sales with preventative maintenance contracts, in addition to a stock of spare parts, to help maximise equipment ‘up-time.’ A high level of customer support will be provided by factory-trained service personnel and a fleet of twenty fully

equipped product support vehicles. The efficient operation of machinery will be enhanced through the operational and familiarization training offered by the company’s IPAF-standard trained staff.

Jim Elliot, General Manager, Rumaillah Motors said: “Envisaging the changing landscape in Qatar

TRUCKS Heavy vehicle operators in Dubai’s Al Warsan industrial area won’t need to take their vehicles off the road for testing and servicing as the local depot – known as ‘Tasjeel’ has now extended from 7am to midnight.

Ayas Bin Hendi, General Manager of Tasjeel, said: “The Warsan branch is one of our highest traffic sites due to its capabilities of servicing light to heavy vehicles including buses and trucks. It is also the preferred location for fleet management companies as well as auto retailers. The extended working hours will significantly add to the convenience of our customers. We are currently evaluating the possibility of extending the working hours at other Tasjeel sites too.”

The site is one of eight similar units in Dubai and Sharjah, all of which are operated under a joint venture between the RTA and ENOC. The operation recently

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Cat buys out JVSome mergers and acquisitions this month. First up, Cat has bought out XCMG’s stake in a joint venture to manufacture excavators in China. The deal means that Cat can now solely build machines under the ‘Caterpillar Xuzhou Limited’ (CXL) brand. The terms of the deal, which is subject to Chinese regulatory approval, have not been disclosed. The original JV between XCMG and Cat had been in place since 1995.

Fluor: All mineFollowing a successful bid to increase it’s mining capacity in Saudi Arabia, earthmoving conglomerate Fluor has also obtained the rights to run more mining operations in Chile. Globally Fluor is one of the largest consumers of mining equipment, such as very heavy duty off-highway mining trucks.

Komatsu tops excavator chartJapan-based plant maker Komatsu topped the excavator building chart last year, manufacturing 23582 machines. Citing data from Off-Highway Research, the company said its sold 8300 more excavators than its nearest rival, Hitachi. Other manufacturers in the major league of crawler excavator sales included Hitachi - 15214 machines sold, a 12.3% share, Doosan (12555 units, 10.1% share), Hyundai (11240 units, 9.1% share) and Caterpillar (10340 units, 8.3% share).

Bangladesh buys TerexChittagong Port Authority (CPA) in Bangladesh is adding to its fleet of six rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes supplied by Noell Crane Systems. The authority has ordered six diesel-electric straddle carriers from Italy-based Terex Noell.

celebrated its tenth anniversary and also introduced its second mobile vehicle inspection service where registration cards can be issued at customers’ premises.

and the introduction of new safety practices, we are confident of the relationship’s success”.

16Hours per day Tasjeel

will now be open

Essential insights into the Middle East’s plant, machinery and vehicle markets.

REGIONAL NEWS008


INDUSTRY The chief executive of Caterpillar is expecting revenue to increase by a quarter this year.

James Owens, speaking to reporters after a conference in Lima yesterday, added that the world’s largest supplier of construction vehicles would see a 65% rise in exports. The company has seen a rise in its value this year from US$58.55 per share to $66.07 on Monday.

Caterpillar saw sales and revenue drop from $51.324 billion to $32.396 billion last year, a 37% decrease. Fourth-quarter sales and revenues were $7.898 billion, down 39% from the fourth quarter of 2008. At the beginning of this year it expected to see an increase in sales of between 10-25%.

Caterpillar boost predicted by boss

New smelter plant awarded in Saudi Arabia

A state-of-the-art plant is set to modernise Saudi Arabia’s aluminum industry.

Worksite accidents are now recorded.

PLANT Industrial contractor Alcoa and state controlled Saudi Arabian Mining Co (Ma’aden) have started work on a plant that will be the world’s largest fully integrated aluminium complex

The $10 billion Ma’aden Alcoa joint venture will start by developing a fully integrated industrial complex, consisting of a bauxite mine at Ba’aitha and an alumina refinery, aluminum smelter and rolling mill at Ras Al Zour.

“Groundbreaking has now officially begun to pave the way for construction of the smelter and rolling mill that will serve the packaging and other industries” a statement from the company read.

The statement also said that the plant aims to become the world’s “lowest-cost supplier of primary aluminum, alumina and aluminum products”.

The Ma’aden-Alcoa joint venture, agreed in December, expects first production from the aluminum

smelter and rolling mill in 2013, and first production from the mine and refinery is expected in 2014.

Winning contractors were announced last month, with American firm Fluor involved in all three key projects. The first contract with WorleyParsons and Fluor covers the engineering, procurement and construction

complex and engineering works and supervision of infrastructure at the Ras Az Zawr Aluminium complex, was secured by Fluor Arabia for US$74m. Total contract worth is US $453m (AED 1.6bn).

Ma’aden President and CEO, Dr Abdallah Dabbagh said, “The signing of these contracts confirms the commitment of both Ma’aden and Alcoa to create an integrated aluminium industry based on the Kingdom’s considerable resources including bauxite and energy. The integrated nature of this project makes it unique and once completed, it will become a highly competitive long term supplier to both domestic and international markets.”

Fluor, in a joint venture with Raytheon Engineers and Constructors, designed and built a $1.5 billion grassroots refinery for the Rayong Refinery Company (Rayong), a joint venture between Shell and the Thai government.

management (EPCM) services for the bauxite mine and alumina refinery for SR758 million ($202 million); a second contract covers the $177m EPCM contract for the high-technology can sheet rolling mill, was signed with Fluor Enterprise; and the third, covering the contract for management of services at the

BSU: Accidents now better reported COMMUNITY Worksite accidents across the UAE are better recorded today than a couple of years ago – at least according to safety watchdog Build Safe UAE.

The news follows the latest BSU ‘Shared Safety Alert’, a regular email bulletin which this week includes half a dozen grim accounts of accidents involving serious injury and death. A glance at the kind of injuries that are being reported might suggest that safety problems are getting worse, not better, but an expert says this is not the case. “In terms of the detail and the reporting of the causes of the accident, it is far clearer now” said Elias McGrath, general secretary, BSU.

“We looked at the data from some of the accidents that were reported in 2008, and now sites are

much more open in communicating the incidents that occur, as well as adding more detail such as preventative measures” he said.

“Members see the importance of recording all incidents, whether a near miss, lost time incident, or a fatality. The next step is then to share that information with your stakeholders. From this, we (at BSU) can build up a picture of incidents that occur and we look at accidents that happened not just in Dubai, but all around the GCC” McGrath concluded.

Earlier this year BSU signed a memorandum of understanding with international safety organisation IOSH to agree to share safety knowledge and statistics.

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NEWS FEATURE010


More trucks get tracking in Al AinThe latest fleet of trucks in the UAE to receive guidance from above thanks to new GPS kitFollowing last month’s report on dustcarts and sewage trucks, a readymix concrete firm in Al Ain has become the latest firm to install a tracking system to help manage the company’s fleet of concrete mixing trucks.

The installation of the Skyline system has automated fleet management at Ocean Readymix & Precast, has given the company greater visibility of the fleet, ensuring that vehicles are taking the correct route to customers, checking that they are delivering on time and preventing vehicles from being left

idle for long periods of time. Ocean Readymix & Precast has even prescribed inputs from the Skyline system that tell the company exactly when the vehicles are unloading.

The accurate information provided by the system enables the concrete firm to move vehicles easily between batching plants, optimising both production and delivery resources and providing customers with more precise delivery information. The group is also using the Skyline system to monitor the performance of the company’s drivers, checking that they are not speeding and are adhering to the company’s code of practice.

The latest version of the telemetry is Internet-based, offering faster response, better functionality and enhanced flexibility through increased data analysis features.

200,000AED fine for illegal dumping of waste

SUPPLIERS RACE TO GRAB NEW MARKETThere are a number of different firms in the region supplying telemetry to vehicle fleets – this is one industry which has bucked market trends. John Bergl from electronics supplier Arab IT said: “I’m not so sure if the industry is demanding telemetry, but the municipalities certainly are. The queue for the (sewage) dump at Al Awir can be longer than seven hours, so it isn’t surprising that some drivers might be tempted to drive five minutes in to the desert.” Grand Projects, QDVC and Entrepose Contracting Joint Venture.

The universal design of the new Skyline 6.0 system now allows it to be used simultaneously not only in the Middle East, but also in Europe and elsewhere in the world such as Latin America and Africa.

The system reports vehicle movements tamper, ignition state and a host of other data including fuel level, battery level, coolant and so

on. Each system can be customised to provide the security and telemetry data required by both the customer and user.

As well as concrete trucks, the system can be used on any vehicle and all types of site equipment from excavators to forklift trucks. Even traffic light sets and powered access platforms can be used.

NEWS FEATURE010

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NEWS FEATURE012


Spanish mountain makeoverA European spoil pile is turned into a beautiful park with help from some heavy equipmentIt is 100 metres tall and weighs more than six million tonnes. It is composed of coal ash and waste from the nearby power station, and it is still burning inside. “It’s not very pretty,” says Ines Llerena Gil, the town’s municipal architect. “But it has become part of our little town and we’re rather fond of it.” The ‘Terri’, as it is affectionately called, is a huge slagheap that has piled up over more than 100 years of open cast coal mining and electricity generation. It lies just outside the town of Puertollano, in central Spain. And since the country’s main high-speed railway line runs past it, more than 50,000 people see it everyday. It has become quite a landmark, one that everyone associates with Puertollano.

So when this small mining town received a grant from the central government to remove what most people would consider an ‘eye-sore’ there was much debate about what the town should do. “Everyone knows it and it is part of our iden-tity,” says Llerena Gil. “We are an industrial town and there’s no hid-ing from that. We are proud of who we are.”

That’s when the town council had the idea of not levelling the mountain, but to landscape it into a beautiful park, high in the sky. The mission was to cut off the top, cover it with soil, plant grass and trees, and build a road up the side. Visitors could then take in the breath taking views of the sur-rounding countryside while sit-ting on one of the purpose-built terraces, or having a picnic on the grass. “It would be a way of pre-serving our coal mining identi-ty, but without all the dust,” says Llerena Gil.

TENDER“When we were asked to tender for the job,” says Tomás Omar, project manager, “we estimated that we would need to move about half a million tonnes of material to create the plateau, and we said in our tender that we would be using Cat machines – The Terri (a word play on the Spanish word for sand) is now half way through its remarkable makeover. Electricity and water lines have been laid to supply the planned public lighting and refreshment kiosks, but since the

Motor graders were also on hand to quite literally create a ‘level playing field’. Massive 994F loader can fill the truck in just four passes.

Terri is still smouldering inside these needed special heat-resistant conduits. “We will be laying top soil and planting trees soon,” says Omar. “And importantly we will use local tree and plant species, because the whole project is really a celebration of Puertollano’s identity.”

The Spanish contractor, Imes API, is using a Cat 330C exca-vator, a D6 track-type tractor, a M322D wheeled excavator, and a 140 motor grader to move and landscape this huge amount of earth.

DUST“Obviously, you can’t move half a million tonnes of ash without creating dust clouds,” say Omar. “So to prevent dust clouds drifting over Puertollano we only work when the wind is in the other direction. At first we considered using special filters and air handling equipment for the Cat machines, but then decided that they were already robust and tough enough. And to date it has all gone according to plan.”

The local Caterpillar dealer is

helping to keep the machines up and running. Its maintenance con-tract ensures regular service and inspection while its Scheduled Oil Sampling (or SOS for short) helps with predictive maintenance. Oil samples from each Cat machine are sent to the manufacturer eve-ry 25 days. “Most of the time the results come back with everything OK,” says Omar. “But occasional-ly the results identify a contami-nation problem, not surprisingly in such a dusty environment. For-tunately, these contaminations are rare and thanks to the SOS we always catch them well in advance before they cause any damage.”

The heavy machines have just left the site. “But it really isn’t com-plete,” says Raphael Sanchez, Puer-tollano’s urban planner. “The park must be given time to grow and mature, this will be an enjoyable experience, for us and generationsyet to come.”

50,000People pass through the

‘Terri’ park each day.


SITE VISIT014

PALM CRANESWe look at an anti-collision system in Dubai

Let’s face it; building sites are generally pret-ty grim places to work. A bleak landscape with heat, dust and occupa-

tional hazards are quite the indus-try norm out here. While there is little that can be done about the heat and the dust, the other aspects are a little better on the site that we are visiting today.

For one, the skyline is far from bleak, thanks to the ever-chang-ing vista across the Arabian Gulf, but more importantly the work-place hazards have been reduced a little, thanks to a modern anti-collision system fitted to the tow-er cranes working on site.

To be fair, this site is hardly the most complex in terms of cranes. Five fixed-jib Korean units are working on the resort which will comprise of the main hotel block, shaped roughly like a ‘W’, with a further block on the back.

The rest of the development has half a dozen other build-ings, plus various smaller struc-tures, the shape of which is becoming apparent now that the formwork system is begin-ning to rise out of the ground.

BREAKWATERThe project itself is quite inter-esting. Situated on the breakwa-ter of the Palm Jumeriah next to the Atlantis Hotel, this is surely one of the most prime real estate sites in the world, whatever the economic climate. Mirk General Trading owns the local franchise of posh French hotel chain Sofit-el and it has appointed Burt Hill as the lead consultant and Evan Lim – Penta Construction as themain contractor.

Because the development is on the curved breakwater of the Palm, it is not completely sym-metrical. Instead it resembles a kind of ‘curved oblong’ and as such the pattern that the cranes have been divided into meant that there are overlaps on each, as well as ‘no hoisting areas’, namely zones that the cranes are not permitted to slew into.

Working on separate struc-tures at the same time, means that communication might not always be clear between teams, and as such the project manag-er took the decision to install an anti-collision system known as the AGS AC3.

RISING The site looks bare, but is

now rising fast.

WIRING The anti-collision system

is wired in to the frame.

VIEW This is quite a pleasant site

to work on.

SITE The cranes fit on site in a

‘curved oblong’ shape.

ACCURACY Like most operations there is a need and an obligation to meas-ure the wind speed accurately. This is why part of the system includes an anemometer, a device not dissimilar to the air-flow meter on a car, and works similar in principle to an old fashioned weather vane. This is linked to a real-time display showing the wind speed, and a

siren sounds and lights flash if this speed is exceeded. This is a fairly fundamental piece of kit on any tower crane, but the box sullied to the Sofitel site can be further enhanced with an orange flashing beacon and a very loud 115db siren in case the tower is being operated on the ground via remote. You can also have data links to a repeater or a repeater-recorder if needed.

015

July 2010 \\ PMV Middle East

SITE VISIT

www.constructionweekonline.com

015SITE VISIT

TOWER CRANES IN TIGHT SPACESCranes also face dangers on very tight workspaces. Here are a couple that are currently jammed in a tight site in Singapore. Bovis Lend Lease construction superintendent Geoff Barrow says that the irregular-shaped site has a 95 m frontage on Orchard Road and 70 m on Somerset Road, with the other two sides hemmed in by other buildings. Sited directly above one of the busiest stations on Singapore’s metro and with Stamford Canal running through the site, space for the contractors has been severely constrained.

“We are very tight for space on this site, with buildings on either side of us,” says Mr Barrow. “Conventional tower cranes would have been very limited in operational terms and might not have given us the construction speeds we need. The luffing jib cranes have however resolved the problem of lifting within this very confined area.”

Liebherr’s HC-L series of luffing jib cranes has been designed to work in extremely restricted spaces, while still able to slew through 360 degrees.

The 160 HC-L 8/16 Litronic cranes on the site can work with the jib raised to 70 degrees and have a maximum lift capacity of 16,000 kg. With the jib fully extended to the maximum of 55 m, the crane can lift 2,000 kg.

Mr Barrow says that the building will be 45 m in height, which means that the 37.5 m tower height of the 160 HC-L coupled with the high placing power of the jib makes this model a very appropriate one for the project.

The average load being carried by the two cranes is around 3 to 4 t, he says.

The cranes are located in two of the lift shafts of the building, with the contractor having had no other choice but to place the foot of the cranes in the middle of the temporary course of the Stamford Canal, temporarily diverted while construction work is underway.

AST, at the request of Bovis Lend Lease, have arranged for the two units to be painted white and red to match the contractor’s corporate colours.

DUSTY Sensors for the ACS are

fitted all over the tower cranes.

WEIGHTY TOPIC Cranes in tight

spaces in Singapore

- discussed right.

STRETCHING OUT More strands

being jacked in the factory.

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SITE VISIT016


CRANE ANTI-COLLISION SYSTEMSThere are dozens of anti collision systems on the market, and different experts will give you different opinions on different types. Shata M , a safety consultant, and a member of the UAE’s crane safety forum suggested that the AGS system mentioned in the article is the best all round kit. Other types are available, but he points out that “Not all systems are compatible with every tower crane” He advised checking the systems carefully and seeking independent advice before committing.

alarms if the hook height drops below a certain point over the ‘no hoisting’ areas. This, understand-ably is to prevent members of the public from getting bonked on the head by a crane hook.

Of course, hi-tech cranes are always useful on a job site, but they do not build the whole struc-ture of course.

On the Sofitel site, a number of smaller mobile cranes belonging to subcontractors are also in use to sling items around. The heavy excavators have moved out, but there are still a couple backhoe

loaders for lighter trenching and loading jobs.

Apart from that, the site is alive with the hustle and bustle of a busy construction site – which itself is nice to see in the cur-rent financial climate. Whatever the season, the site is in a good spot, so hopefully the collision-proof cranes will continue until the structure is finished.

With crane safety still a seri-ous concern around the region, we hope similar systems will find their way on to other sites in the region soon.

SETTING The concrete is checked

after being poured into moulds.

PMV Middle East \\ July 2010

BRAIN An engineer inspects some

machinery. The CPU of the system

does not look impressive.

If the site manager had so desired, a number of wireless cameras could also be linked in to this system. Obviously, the primary use is to lose ‘blind spots’ around the operator, but it can also be positioned above the winch to make sure that the cable is being wound correctly.

The AC3 system comprises of a computer, and the crane itself is rigged with sensors which can determine things like the hook height, and the position of things like the position of the jib and counter jib of all the oth-er cranes on site. As the cranes slew, an alarm is sounded if the booms get too close together. If no action is taken by the opera-tor of one or both of the cranes, then the brake will be automati-cally applied.

There is another module available which will sound the


SITE VISIT018

FROM TREAD TO SHRED

Tyres that have finished rolling find a new life in a Sharjah cryogenic plant

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019


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019SITE VISIT

Shortages. Until recent-ly there were too few of just about anything As we all know, the con-struction industry was

plagued with a lack of essential materials such as cement, rebar steel and manpower.

The fleet or plant manager, meanwhile, was more concerned with the lack of the round black rubber so essential to beep-

ing the big machines rolling. It seemed everywhere was short of them, and nobody knew where to find the elusive products, short of joining a waiting list, which in some cases was longer than the life of the tyre.

Actually, there was one place where tyres were in abundance, an inexhaustible supply in fact. However, you might not want many of the units in stock on

019 SITE VISIT

your vehicle – most of them are distinctly past their best. The place? The Sharjah Municipal tyre dump.

In this vast expanse of the out-of-town desert a seemingly pile of tyres stretches in to the distance. Conservative estimates put the number of casings in the pile at around seven million, though as more tyres are thought to have been buried in the sand years

019 SITE VISIT


SITE VISIT020


erally at the site. Of course, there is no ‘used tyre sorting’ attach-ment as far as we are aware, so this task falls to a number of guys with pitchforks. With up to 7,000 tyres coming into the dump each day, it is safe to assume that they will not be out of work anytime soon.

From this vast wall of tyres, feedstock is moved up to the ‘in’ gate of the brand-new plant facto-ry. From here a worker physical-ly rolls a tyre into the plant room,

CRUMBS The crumb can be milled

to a number of uniform sizes.

ago, the real figure quite frankly is anybody’s guess.

Besides spoiling the wild beau-ty of the UAE, the tyres cause an enviro-hazard in a number of ways. Firstly, tyres in the ground can ‘leachate’ into the ground water table, but more seriously if the stack was ever to catch fire it would be extremely hard if not impossible to put it out.

Fortunately, the emirate of Sharjah has taken its responsi-bilities seriously and has actual-ly put its money where its mouth is. Among the various recy-cling projects masterminded by Bee’ah, which is a public/private waste management partnership, the flagship has surely got to be the US $50m plant for turning the discarded rubber in to a new material which can be used for making a number of products, the most significant of which is used in a new kind of asphalt for resurfacing roads.

RUBBISHAnyone who has ever seen a recycling plant of any type in action will know that they all fol-low a broadly similar pattern. First of all, while the material that is to be recycled is by defi-nition rubbish, if the feedstock is unsuitable then the end product will also be no good. To this end Bee’ah has started on the seem-ingly endless task of sorting the tyre mountain into more organ-ized stacks, with the waste piled in rough size order. Additionally, every ten meters or so, a large sand berm acts as a fire break, so any freak conflagration won’t be totally unmanageable. To build this, the environmental group has laid its hands on a number of large wheel loaders. We spotted a number of examples of Cater-pillar 950H, as well as some new-er Volvo L50F models, though there seemed to be a mix and match of equipment brands gen-

021


SITE VISIT


RTI CRYOGENICS TYRE RECYCLING PLANT SPECSOperational uptime: 22 hours per day, 7 days a weekMaintenance time: 2 hours for each 24-hour shift, on averageCapacity: 6,000 – 10,000 pounds (2,700 – 4,500 kgs) per hour inputCrumb size: 4 ‘mesh’ (6mm) to less than 100 minus mesh (less than 0.150 mm) Technology: fully controlled by a touch screen PLC, and includes a complete dust collection and fire detection systemManpower: as few as one operator and one bagger, in addition to 2 shredder operators

PLANT Tyres ready for the final

journey up to the primary shreder.

where another worker catches it and either puts it on a ‘debead-er’ which is a machine similar in appearance to a tyre mounting machine. However, the debead-er’s sole purpose is to rip out the largest steel bands in larger tyres.

CONVEYORAll other tyres are fed on to an elevating conveyor, which dumps them into a funnel-shaped shred-der, which as the name implies rips the rubber to pieces. From

here the destroyed tyres fall onto a vibrating screener where large pieces that need to go through the shredder again are sorted from the more useable bits.

At this point, the product is just torn up bits of tyre. It still contains nylon cord, rayon and bits of the steel belts. Fortunate-ly, the next part will loose most of the unwanted material – cryo-genic freezing.

Now, when most people think of cryogenics, an image of 1960’s industrialists and Walt Disney come to mind (For the record, Disney was never actually frozen, as he died a year before the meth-od had been invented.) Here, however, it is mangled pieces of tyre going up another elevated conveyor, and receiving a blast of liquid nitrogen. This process is understandably shielded inside the innards of the machine, and from there, presumably some kind of pulveriser smashed the frozen shreds to crumbs. The machine is made by a Canadian firm called RTI Cryogenics, who

claim to have developed the most efficient cryogenic freezing sys-tem to date.

VIOLENCEFollowing this violent end to the product looking anything like a tyre, the next stage is a spell under a powerful electro mag-net. This draws out the bits of steel present in the mix, which are then deposited in a separate container for recycling. Screen-ers meanwhile shake out bits of cord into a tray, so the product should be simply rubber gran-ules. The final stage is to put the granules through a mill to grind them to one of a number of uni-form sizes for use in various dif-ferent products.

That essentially is it. The com-pany has a machine for re-dy-

DUMP General landfill occupies

much of the rest of the site.

7mEstimation of tyre dump

size in Sharjah


SITE VISIT022

face, which Bee’ah claim will be quieter to drive on, longer lasting and very cheap to produce.

Obviously, such a new ingre-dient in road surfacing needs to be tested first, so the intention is to lay some road actually in the recycling yard itself.

From there, the Sharjah authorities can conduct tests on it to see if it really is suitable for blacktop, and if so, what types of mix are needed and so on.

A key test will be making sure that the reprocessed rubber doesn’t add to the pollution lev-els in groundwater, something that the plant owners and makers assure us is perfectly safe.

If the pilot is successful, more plants could be set up around the region. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have expressed interest int the project. With no end of tyres, and lots of highways it looks like the rubber could meet the road for a long time to come.

WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS?So, if tyre recycling is so great, why are the authorities demanding rigorous tests before it can be used as a road surface? Essentially, the product has to pass two tests, practical and environmental.

On a practical side, city bosses need to be sure that the new material can deal with the extreme temperatures found on the emirate’s roads. Also, they want to be sure that the surface is reasonably hard wearing and allows for water run off and reacts well to heavy braking and so on.

However, there are also concerns from an environmental point of view. Tyre ‘rubber’ is actually a complex substance which varies between manufactures, but often has heavy metals such as zinc used in it’s compound. One concern cited in various studies the world over is that that by grinding tyres up and spreading them over the roads, the toxic metals might ‘leachate’, or sink into the ground water table causing a larger problem than merely storing tyres in landfill. It should be stressed though, that no study has found this to be the case and that the manufacturers of tyre shredding equipment say that the problem has been eliminated.

However, some countries have stopped using crumb rubber as playground surfaces while further tests are carried out.

PILE Most tyres in the dump are

scrap, but some might have a few

miles left.

SHRED Larger tyres need de-bead-

ing before bing shreded.

$ 50mCost of turnkey recycling plant

ing the rubber crumb to be any colour required, and there is an autoclave (a sort of large, pres-surised, drum-shaped oven) for baking the crumb into the vari-ous finished products.

On our visit, the machine was busy churning out hexagonal tiles for gym floors. Interestingly, if a tile doesn’t meet the standard for whatever reason, it can sim-ply be chucked back to square one and reprocessed again.

The milled rubber can be used to make soft loose flooring for paddocks as well as an almost springy surface for children’s playgrounds and the like. Howev-er, the main use for the crumb is set to be a new kind of road sur-

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To sponsor the 3rd Building Sustainability into the Middle East Conference contactAndrew Parkes, tel: +971 4 210 8570, email: [email protected]

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PRODUCTS028

LATEST PRODUCTS

The newest tools and tech to help you with the job in hand


BOBCAT CABINThe latest news from the Doosan Infracore spin-off brand is a new cab design to be fitted across the telehandler range. The dashboard has been redesigned to ensure the operator can quickly gain an overview of the working conditions and operating configurations. All data is placed in front of the operator and is easy to read. This includes all ‘operational mode’ indicators which are shown in the top part of the display. The control switches on the display have been backlit to improve visibility and ease of use. Most welcome in our part of the world though, is an improved ventilation design, which the maker says improves the effectiveness of AC by 40%www.bobcat.com

HIGH LIFT LOADERA new extra high-lift option for the Cat 994F

wheel loader has been launched in order that the machines can fill mining trucks more easily.. The

Extended High Lift (EHL) linkage provides 42 inches (1075 mm) more dump clearance compared to the

regular High Lift linkage.The maker says that the extra lift height makes it

easier for the operator to load a 250-ton size class truck. For faster cycle times, the operator can back the 994F away from the truck without racking back

the bucket. The additional lift also enables the operator to dump the last pass without pushing

material. Centering the load, for reduced truck wear, better truck handling and less spillage, is easier, too.

www.zahid.com

PRODUCTS029

www.constructionweekonline.com July 2010 \\ PMV Middle East

SCISSOR REVISIONSA product from the people who make UpRight scissor lifts has just received a number of important revisions. Pop-Up now comes with improved heavy duty castors and the market-leading Trojan battery, to deliver up to 300 lifts on single charge. It is ideal for construction and facilities management applications such as electrical contractors, pipe work, retail, painters and decorators and air con installations.www.upright.com

STARBUS HITS STREETSThe latest vehicle to be built for the UAE’s federal guidelines for school buses is branded Tata, though actually a joint venture between the Indian company and Marcopolo. The Starbus incorporates features, including tooth-guards, guardrails, semi-sliding windows, a door with an alarm, anti-skid floors, retractable lower first step (on the 52-seater), stop switches on each window pillar, emergency exit doors and much more. The bus is specified with power steering, both tilt and telescopic type, and automated manual transmission (6-speed cable shift). Powered with a new generation Tata 3-litre DICOR BS-IV compliant engine the Starbus is available with 17-seater, 32-seater and 52-seater options.www.tata.in

GENSET SYNCAnother product from the Doosan empire is a range

of improvements to Ingersoll Rand generating sets (which, confusingly are neither built, marketed or

sold by the IR corporation) A new ‘synchronization option’ referred to as the AGC200 is now available

for the G250, G400 and G500 PowerSource generator models. Combined with the reliable

Cummins engines and Leroy Somer alternators, the makers say that the synchronization feature

will allow specialist generator rental companies to manage fleet modularity and thereby increase the

amount of uptime.www.doosan.com

IN PICTURES030


BP blowout thwarts ‘dozerLouisiana National Guard use a bulldozer to create a earthen barrier as they try to protect an estuary from the massive oil spill. The Deepwater Horizon oil rig operated by BP is leaking an estimated rate of 1,000-5,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf and the slick has now reached nearby land. However, it seems no amount of heavy machinery can quench this gusher.

MACHINE MONTH

Stories you might have missed in the heavy equipment world

Perth pavedWestern Australia asphalt specialist BGC Asphalt, is fully utilising its Dynapac F6-4W paver laying roads in the last few remaining sub-divisions of Ridge Wood in Brighton, the latest northern suburb of Perth.BGC’s latest contract, sub-contracted by earthmoving company R J Vincent, who are laying 6000m2 of asphalt over three days. A 40mm base coarse with 14mm aggregate will be topped by a 25mm wearing coarse – both sitting on a 200 mm limestone sub-base.

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IN PICTURES031


MONTH Trucks testedMore trucks are being tested in Dubai as the local Roads and Transport Authority as a licensing office known as a ‘Tasjeel’ will now open from 7am until midnight. The centre is in an industrial area, and operators with heavy goods vehicles and buses have welcomed the move, as there is now no longer a need for the vehicles to be off the road during working hours.

Digger Cannes doPeople have lunch while a Sumitomo E215B adds sand on the Carlton Hotel beach in case of strong winds and waves in Cannes near the Carlton Hotel during the film festival held in May.

Backhoe rescueA car is salvaged by a backhoe loader of uncertain make and year in the flood waters of Vadasz stream near Alsovadasz village in May, as heavy rainfall and floods hit Hungary. More than 2,000 people were forced out of their homes by the water, and had to rely on the local elderly machine fleet to rescue their personal effects.

Overheating in IndiaAn Indian tractor driver sleeps on his vehicle in New Delhi in May, as temperatures in the Indian capital soared above 45 degree Celsius. A torrid heat wave buffeted northern India with mid-summer temperatures rising above 46 degrees Celsius. Despite the constant heat, very few domestic market machines are sold with air conditioning – or even cabins.

IN PICTURES031

Companions ordered for big craneAustralia’s first LR1300 crane performs a pick and carry job in Melbourne. The unit belongs to contractor Alfasi Hire, which has recently ordered a further two units of varying capacities.

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MINING TECH032


MINING TECH032


A crushing plant in Abu Dhabi has placed itself at the quarry-face of sustainable construction, recycling concrete into aggregate for use in road building

033


MINING TECH


033MINING TECH


MINING TECH034


Construction and demolition in the emirate of Abu Dhabi has changed... and there’s more to come. You may not know it yet, but soon you will have to recycle all construction and

demolition waste.A new recycling plant in Al Dhafra, on the

very outskirts of Abu Dhabi’s future urban sprawl, has been developed by Thiess Serv-ices Middle East - a joint venture between Al Habtoor Leighton Group and Australia’s Thiess Services- for this very purpose. Last year the compa-ny won the right to build and operate the recycling plant for 15 years, for the first three it will be allowing contractors to dispose of recyclable concrete spoil for free.

“The concession agreement doesn’t allow us to charge for dumping materials for the first three years,” said Mark Chandler, who heads up the opera-tion at the site. “So it’s free to get rid of waste, from there we value add it and produce a high-grade material.”

The plant has several purposes. Firstly, is stops a lot of useful material simply head-ing straight to landfill. Secondly, it takes this

material and turns it into aggregate, ready to be reused in construction.

Right now the process is just for concrete, which is being turned into aggregate for road building. Gradually, aggregates for other construction uses will be developed. The site already has a stockpile of asphalt, which will soon be added to the recycling programme.

Having been officially opened about a month ago, production has just got start-ed. However, the business case for the plant

and its products is a strong one. The Cent-er of Waste Management Abu Dhabi - the government client behind the project - has developed regulations that will mean all con-struction and demolition waste will have to be recycled. Further regulation will require projects in Abu Dhabi to use a minimum of 40% of the engineered aggregate material in

their construction projects. “With the regulations they want to put in

place, waste has to come here,” said Chan-dler. “We can deem it unsuitable, but it has to come through our fingers, or it is illegal dumping.

“The regulations will mean that everything that is suitable for recycling can no longer go to landfill.”

This marks a sign of change in the emirate, where much waste has been used either as

landfill, or for land reclamation. Now the recycling will realise the full value of the materials, which are frequently thrown away.

PRODUCT“The beauty of recycled concrete is that you can actually recycle it endlessly, it doesn’t wear out,” said Chandler. “Concrete can con-

tinuously go around in circles, it’s a wonder-ful resource for recycling. Some plastic can be recycled once or twice; glass can only be done if it’s sorted correctly. So when you look at concrete, colour doesn’t matter, as long as you get the specifications right, you can recy-cle it as many times as you like.”

The cost per tonne of the end product will

A pair of Cats – a 988 and a 980 load the material. The units are remarkably clean considering the dusty environment in which they work.

“The regulations will mean that everything that is suitable for recycling can no longer go to landfill.” – Mark Chandler

035


MINING TECH


be the same as the market rate from any quarry. But traveling distance to projects in the emirate will be greatly reduced, com-pared to the usual sources of raw materials, such as Oman or Ras Al Khaimah.

This in turn will help to reduce the carbon footprint of projects under construction in the emirate.

Thiess has high-hopes for the product it will make from the construction waste.

“We believe we can produce a product that is not only as good, but actually better, than the original virgin material,” said Chandler.

The company claims a better degree of compaction, in part generated by the even size of the aggregate produced through recy-cling. For now the output will be suitable for the different base layers used in road build-ing, literally everything beneath the asphalt.

“We can build a road from scratch all the way up to asphalt out of concrete,” said Chandler. “There’s no reason why any road in the emirate can’t be built out of recycled concrete.”

3000KVA of generator power needed to

run the plant

With road projects on the scale of the Mafraq-Ghweifat highway, a 327km strip of tarmac that provides the only access to Abu Dhabi’s Western Region and the industri-al centre of Ruwais, there should be plen-

ty of opportunity to put the material to the test. Volume shouldn’t be a problem either. With a capacity to take more than a hundred truck loads of waste a day, the plant can take in between 5000 to 16000 tonnes per day. The facility has an output design load of over 7,000 tonnes per day.

PROCESSMeeting this capacity means having some big kit on site. Dump trucks leave piles of concrete at the top of a hill. A couple of Cater-

The crushing plant turns waste back into saleable material. A Volvo 460 excavator clears up around the labyrinthine installation.

pillar 980 wheel loaders are used at the face to drop this material into the feeders. These wheel loaders are the third biggest in range from Cat, but the second biggest, the 988, is also working on site.

The concrete is fed into two Lippmann Milwaukee prima-ry jaw crushers, to start its jour-ney through the processing plant, which features several screens, a number of powerful magnets, which are known to break peo-ple’s watches if they get to close, but pick out unwanted steel, and picking stations, all of which are linked by a series of conveyors.

The screens and picking stations allow con-taminants, such as plastic and cardboard, to be manually removed from the mix. The con-veyors are up to six feet wide, and designed

“There’s a massive saving in landfill space, general rubbish will compact 5:1, but you can’t do that with concrete.” – Mark Chandler

MINING TECH036


to put a nice even layer of material all over, so that the pickers can see it clearly. Picking is considered one of the plum jobs on site, as it actually takes place inside air-conditioned cabins.

“There’s a massive screening capacity,” said Chandler. “In my view, its the best equip-ment you can put in this type of plant for our volumes.” Screening is provided by a Cedrap-ids double deck machine.

The type of crushing employed is low speed compression crushing. While impact crushing is a common alternative and will be used for the asphalt process, big hunks of concrete can cause devastating wear and tear on such machinery.

“Something like a lift weight can go through the machine without busting any-thing,” said Chandler. “In an impact crusher it’s like a hand grenade going off.”

The whole plant was supplied by Lipp-mann TPS and was pre-built and assembled in the US before being shipped out to the UAE. It was then reassembled permanent-ly, wired up and commissioned on site. The plant consists of two jaw crushers, two cone crushers (made by Cedarapids) as well as a

pair of grizzly feeders and scalpers.A control system allows operators to mon-

itor the process from one spot. Parts of the crusher can be stopped and started, feed rates can be adjusted, and if there are any material quality issues, software allows the team to identify where the resulting product is in the stockpile.

Once extracted by the magnets, any steel is sorted, cleaned and sent off for recycling. The only rubbish to go back to the landfill is anything taken out that is unsuitable for recy-cling. Chandler estimates that less than 1% of the material from every ton of concrete recy-cled will go to landfill.

“There’s a massive saving in landfill space,” he said. “General rubbish will compact 5:1, but you can’t do that with concrete.”

SAFETY FIRSTWhat’s very noticeable is the clean and order-ly lay out of the site. A one way system keeps

everyone moving in the same direction and reduces risk of vehicle accidents. Conveyors and other fixed plant were raised an addition-al two metres above the height normally clas-sified as ‘plant clearance’. This offers workers in loose clothing and headgear added safety from entanglement in moving parts, since they are well out of reach.

This is just one of the areas where Thiess has made an investment in safety. “There has been a massive investment in safety in the plant. It doesn’t matter how safe you make it, there is always a risk somewhere, so the investment in safety was enormous,” said Chandler. “It’s nice that the company has actually encouraged and supported that in the design stage.”

When plant volumes ramp up to capacity and the materials produced are used in road works, the construction industry will have taken a step toward being able to use the word ‘sustainable’ without irony.

1200length in metres of the conveyors

feeding the crusher

Mark Chandler: “There is a massive screening capacity”

A pair of Lippmann jaw crushers, as well as a pair of Cedarapids cone crushers work to turn rubble to dust.

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CITY PROFILE038


SHIFTING While the rest of the

UAE has slowed down, Abu Dhabi

has just found the right gear.

At a time where other parts of the world are raining in their con-struction budgets and

suffering slowdowns, Abu Dhabi appears to just keep on going – a fact not lost on contractors in oth-er parts of the world.

The F1 Grand Prix may have been the exciting climax to one of Abu Dhabi’s major construc-tion projects, but it also marks the next phase, representing the steady construction flow in the UAE capital.

“Local companies are invest-ing in Qatar and Abu Dhabi Developers and contractors feel

comfortable starting new proj-ects in the area because new developments are progress-ing at a steady pace and are not accelerating too quickly,” says Wilo MD Simon Mrad.

Along with the well-known megaprojects of Yas and Saadi-yat Islands, Abu Dhabi’s growth is also creating opportunities in the form of housing. “Depend-ing on which estimate you fol-low, Abu Dhabi has a housing gap of anywhere between 5,000 to 40,000 homes,” says Baniyas Investment and Development Company CEO Wael Tawil.

Companies are already pick-ing up ancillary contracts relat-ed to the need for housing. October saw Drake and Scull International (DSI) win a $108.8 million (AED400 million) MEP contract for a neighbourhood project in Abu Dhabi. The proj-

TOP FIVE ABU DHABI PROJECTS1. The biggest single project is Khalifa City. It has a

masterplan budget of $40 billion and will comprise all federal ministries, local government offices and embassies. The city is expected to be completed by 2030.

2. Work has started on the Yas Island development – a massive $39 billion tourist development including residential accommodation, hotels, beaches, marinas, retail space, golf and equestrian facilities.

3. Burooj Properties is behind a $24 billion real estate community project in Abu Dhabi, which includes 11 residential towers, offices, four hotels and a shopping mall.

4. Saadiyat Island is another massive offshore development underway with a budget of more than $28 billion. It includes 29 hotels, three marinas, 8,000 residential villas and more than 38,000 apartments. The project also includes museums, concert halls, maritime history centre, three harbours, a park, golf course and sailing club.

5. A $22 billion budget has been allocated for the ambitious Masdar City project – the first zero-carbon, zero-waste city that depends on solar energy. Masdar City will also be car-free.

CITY PROFILE038

“Local companies are investing in Qatar and Abu Dhabi” - Simon Mrad

$109mPlumbing and electrical

contract value

ABU DHABIThe UAE’s capital is expected to push on with its steady building programme in 2011

ect consists of a 14-storey office building, 14 apartment build-ings, 148 townhouses and 11 luxury villas, as well as various commercial spaces.

“Being awarded this contract is an exciting and promising

start to Q4 for DSI. Our man-agement team and workforce have been working exceptional-ly hard to ensure the company’s success and profitability, and we hope to have more large-proj-ect announcements in the near

039


CITY PROFILE

BUILT UP Abu Dhabi is fast rising

from the ground.

future,” says DSI vice chairman and CEO Khaldoun Tabari.

Housing in Abu Dhabi should also not be considered as some-thing entirely separate from the megaprojects. In November, developer Aldar, which is cur-rently developing Yas Island, confirmed the possibility of a tie-up with Ferrari to create brand-ed housing.

“There is a massive possibili-ty that Aldar will work with Fer-rari on future ventures in Abu Dhabi, perhaps residential or commercial,” says Aldar chief commercial officer Mohammed Al Mubarak. “We’re still in initial talks – very early stages – and we’ll tell you more once there’s something more concrete to report. Housing is a big possibil-ity. We’d like to look at Ferrari branded villas in Abu Dhabi.”

However, any construction firm hoping to do well in Abu Dhabi will need to familiar-ise itself quickly with the new building codes, which come into force in 2010.

Housing in Abu Dhabi should also not be considered as some-thing entirely separate from the megaprojects. In November, developer Aldar, which is cur-rently developing Yas Island, confirmed the possibility of a tie-up with Ferrari to create brand-ed housing.

Along with the eagerly await-ed Masdar City, Khalifa City and the proposed Ghantoot Green City, construction is set to com-

039CITY PROFILE

$6.5 billionBudget for Mohammed

bin Zayed City

mence on a new mixed use com-munity set to house around 85,000 people.

With a budget of $6.5 billion, Mohammed bin Zayed City will include 374 residential and com-mercial towers and will cover an area of 5 million m².

KEO International Consultan-cy has been awarded a contract that covers master planning, traffic studies, landscape design and programme management. Daniel Weinbach and Partners is the architect. The construc-tion contract is currently out to tender and the development is set to be completed by the end of 2012.

Meanwhile, plans for the development of the Western Region in Abu Dhabi – now offi-cially ‘Al Gharbia’ – is reminis-cent of how many of the GCC’s most developed regions were a few decades ago.

The near endless desert between the seven major towns has so far evaded significant development due to its extraor-dinary contribution to the world’s oil and gas markets and to Abu Dhabi’s gross domes-tic product – from a population roughly akin to Downtown Burj Dubai.

“There is a possibility that Aldar will work with Ferrari on future ventures” – Mohammed Al Mubaraki

BACK TRACK040

PMV Middle East \\ July 2010

It took some first-rate machinery to dig one of the world’s most famous tunnelsCROSSING THE CHUNNEL

We are hearing a lot about vari-ous landbridge projects again. The fabled Bah-

rain-Qatar causeway is still a long way from being started, let alone finished and the assortment of other spans, such as that mooted from between Egypt and Jeddah drift into the realms of vapour-ware occasionally.

The too-ing and frow-ing is reminiscent of the Channel Tun-nel project in the UK. The idea was first mooted as far back as 1802, though as the development of steam drills was still some way off, it is unclear how chipping through 40km of limestone was to be achieved.

The project resurfaced several times in the late nineteenth cen-tury, Interestingly, all of these early plans had to include a meth-od of flooding the tunnel, should

the French get any big ideas about invading.

It took another 100years, before the political will was there, but even then the project was founded on the proviso that it was to be 100% privately funded. Needless to say, the money ran out faster than a drunk in Vegas, and the bill ended up being foot-ed by the tax payer, which over-ran by some 80%, and that was before a high-speed rail link con-necting London to the tunnel was built. As such, the whole opera-tion was highly politicised and the royal opening (on which a train broke down) was mired in controversy.

This was a shame as the machines used to build the tun-nel and the engineering behind them was astounding. The project consisted of two primary tunnels and one smaller access tube. The five TBMs that were built for the

project were state-of-the-art by any standard. Supplied by a firm named Robbins, machines were deployed on both sides of the tun-nels in December 1987. The three French seaward TBMs encoun-tered water inflows almost immedi-ately, forcing the use of the sealed mode of operation much earlier than anticipated. The sealed cut-terheads of the machines could withstand 10 bar (145 psi) of water pressure; however, additional measures were required to seal the remainder of the machines against water inflow.

The U.K. machines also expe-rienced some difficult tunneling conditions at the outset. Unfore-seen water inflows in a 3.2 km (2.0 mi) stretch caused the machines to slow their progress as each sec-tion of tunnel had to be grouted in advance of boring. After pass-ing through this section of tun-nel, the machines experienced

no further difficulties and began averaging 149 m (490 ft) a week. The machines on the U.K. side averaged 873 m (2,864 ft) per month and set world records for a best day of 75.5 m (247.7 ft), a best week of 428 m (1,404 ft), and a best month of 1,719 m (5,640 ft) all of which have yet to be beaten by any other tunnel project.

In December 1990, the French and British TBMs met in the mid-dle and completed the Channel Service Tunnel bore. In all of the tunnels the French TBM was dis-mantled while the U.K. TBM was turned aside and buried, where it remains to this day.

The Main Rail Tunnels met on May 22, 1991 and June 28, 1991. Both accomplishments were cel-ebrated with breakthrough cer-emonies to commemorate the building of one of the world’s longest and most ambitious undersea tunnels.

HUGE Some of the mighty TBMs were left in situ. Photos cour-tesy of The Robbins Company

HUGE Some of the mighty TBMs

Documents

PMV Middle East - July 2010