construction week issue 297

SAUDI ARABIA BAHRAIN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES QATAR OMAN KUWAIT

ConstructionWEEK NEWS, ANALYSIS, PROJECTS,

TENDERS, CLASSIFIEDS, ANDJOBS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

NOV 21–27, 2009 [297]An ITP Business Publication CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

INSIDELEGAL ADVICEWhat to watch when entering into a joint venture in the region PAGE 26

EXCLUSIVESix Construct boss Philippe Dessoy, on coping with the crisisPAGE 28

SITE VISITCW gets on site to see fi rst hand, progress on Downtown Jebel AliPAGE 40

BUILD BRIDGESCW investigates the changing trends in bridge constructionPAGE 44

SALARY SURVEY REVEALS HOW YOU REALLY FEEL

UUNNLLOOVVEEDD

OOVVEERRWORWORKKEDEDUNDUNDERERPPAAIIDD

CONTENTS

24 COLUMNSyed Ali Dilawer highlights the growing importance of project controllers within the construction industry.

26 LEGALJames Bremen advises what to keep in mind while entering into a joint venture or construction agreement.

REGULARS2 ONLINE4 MAIL

FRONT11 AL HAMAD WORKERS PROMISED WAGESWorkers in Bahrain returned to work last week after being promised that their wages would be paid in short order.

12 CONSTRUCTION LAW COURSE LAUNCHEDThe British University in Dubai has launched a post-graduate master’s programme in construction law and dispute resolution.

14 NEWS IN BRIEFHighlights of the week.

18 NEWS ANALYSISThe future face of construction.

19 FACE TO FACEIndustry experts discuss the Building Information Modeling framework.

23 EVENTSIndustry dates for your diary.

FEATURES28 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWSix Construct’s Philippe Dessoy sits down with CW to discuss his time working in Dubai’s construction world.

31 SALARY SURVEYThe region’s largest construction salary survey revealed

40 SITE VISITCW discovers what progress has been made on Downtown Jebel Ali.

44 SPECIAL REPORTThe changing trends and technologies inbridge construction.

DIRECTORY52 SHOWCASE54 TENDERS55 PROJECTS 56 SPECIALIST SERVICES

BACK60 CITY UPDATEThe latest news and projects from Baghdad, Iraq.

62 CONSTRUCT SAFEThe industry’s very own comic strip on health and safety best practices.

64 DIALOGUERoderick Wiles, consultant for the American Hardwood Export Council, discusses the benefi ts of wood as a sustainable material.

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2009 | ISSUE 297

1NOVEMBER 21–27, 2009 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

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CONSTRUCTION WEEK NOVEMBER 21–27, 20092

FEATURESDesign

HEAVEN SCENTAjmal Perfumes’ new fl agship store Ajmal Perfumes’ new retail concept was designed to broaden the company’s appeal.

MEP

TOP BILLINGMEP speaks to Ista Middle East managing director Tarek El Far.

The best interior designers in the region converged in Dubai for the annual CID awards – fi nd out who was voted best of the best in a glittering awards ceremony. Winners included Isabel Pintado of Godwin Austen Johnson who was voted Interior Designer of the Year, Dinan Salaheddine, who was judged as Young Designer of the Year, and Bishop Design Associates, who were declared Interior Design Firm of the Year by the panel.For more images visit www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com

IN PICTURES: BEST-OF-THE-BEST UNVEILED AT 2009 COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN AWARDS

ONLINEwww.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

MOST POPULARLAST BURJ DUBAI CRANE COMES DOWNTENANTS MOBILISE TO TAKE ON DAMACACC AND TDIC TO BUILD ABU DHABI HOTELWORK STARTS ON RIYADH METRO$657BN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN UAE STILL ACTIVE

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

HAVE YOUR SAYHAVE YOU ANY FOND CONSTRUCTION MEMORIES?What changes have you seen over the last 30 years?

JOBS OF THE WEEKArea Sales Manager, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesCountry Manager, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesProject Manager, Doha, Qatar

ONLINE POLLARE YOU EXPECTING A PAYRISE IN 2010?

65.2%Yes, I think my salary is going to increase

29.1%No, there’s a pay freeze at my employer

5.7%I’m just hoping I’m going to get paid

PMV

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNELA breakthrough has been made at the Diftah-Shis tunnel project.

MEP

HVAC’S ROLE IN H1N1 TRANSMISSIONHVAC systems may contribute far more to

disease transmission than fi rst thought.


MAIL

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.

This lapse again from the employer should not be tolerated. I heard that the Labour Department and Government of Bahrain are strict in dealing with such cases. The government should not allow the image of Bahrain to be let down by a private company.JOHN

In most Indian cities, the daily wage for an unskilled labourer is around $6.50 to $7.50 (INR300 to INR350) for eight hours work. Why should Indian labourers

This often leads to people not understanding their maintenance requirements. Servicing is not just about a quick clean to make it look good or a quick oil change. The problem is this costs money and building owners do not see a short-term return for spending. They prefer the ‘buy cheap but twice’ method. People in this region do not tend to hang around long enough to be there when it needs doing the second time, so they do not care as much. Pride of ownership is lacking.SIMON

RE: LAST BURJ DUBAI CRANE COMES DOWNIt is indeed one of the marvels of civil engineering. Anybody can have dreams but to fulfi l the dreams, you need passion and courage. Burj Dubai depicts them. It’s not only the tallest tower in the world, it’s a statement of Dubai to the world. Congratulations to the civil engineering team, including the brave construction workers. GC SEKHAR

RE: AUSTRALIA & UAE TO STRENGTHEN SUS-TAINABILITY TIESSustainability is truly important for our global preservation. I’m always delighted to see some efforts within the Middle East in this regard, but I still believe we are far away from achieving the minimum requirements to spread the knowledge about such issues. So the path is still very long, and the cost

suffer in this region by working more hours and getting paid less? The minimum salary of a labourer must be above $400.AZEEZ

RE: GOVERNMENTS MUST LEAD THE WAY ON MAINTENANCEMany people in the industry have been saying this for some time now, with the popular misconception of facilities management as cleaning and security with maintenance taking a much lower priority.

is tremendous. Therefore, we can’t really depend on individual efforts, and if private organisations are not interested in investing in such non-profi table activities, then governments have to interfere for the best of their own people and the best of this world.MEDHAT KOUCHOUK

RE: TENANTS MOBIL-ISE TO TAKE ON DAMACCan anyone believe that I have been living in the Crescent for almost seven months and I still have no television? Du keeps on pushing the delivery date! From March, to May, to November, and now to January 2010. This is ridiculous! On top of that, there’s no car parking spaces, and the elevators don’t work properly.NORA

RE: OWNERS BLAST NAKHEEL OVER DISCO POOLSWhat else is left to say? There has been no maintenance whatsoever, building construction is more fragile than Lego, nothing works and everything breaks. The gardens are now dying because of absolute lack of care. There is trash everywhere and even dead rats. It has been nothing but disappointment after disappointment. Not to mention our very own exclusive sand pool.IN SHOCK TENANT

RE: AL HAMAD WORKERS STRIKE IN BAHRAINI read about Al Hamad strike in June and the promises made, and now again they have gone on strike. It means the company has not kept their promise. The Bahrain Labour Department should take immediate steps to solve this issue otherwise the workers suffer. It is a total failure on the part of Al Hamad management that the labours and the engineers do not want to work with them and want to be sent home.

PRADEEP NAIR

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

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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.

“WE STILL HAVEN’T REACHED THE POINT WHERE A CANDIDATE IS ASSESSED SOLELY ON THEIR CAPABILITES, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS”

CONRAD EGBERT [email protected]

The results of the Construction Week salary survey are fi nally out, shedding a lot of light on the inner workings of the construction industry. Some pretty amazing trends have been revealed, along with some rather alarming facts.

A positive outlook for the future is evident with 61% of people expecting to get a pay rise in the next 12 months, coupled with only 8% of respondents claiming not to have received a pay rise for the past three or more years. In addition, 78% of people get some kind of allowance along with their basic salary. These could be in the form of accommodation, commissions and bonuses, travel expenses, annual return air tickets, bi-annual air tickets and vehicles given to them by their companies.

On the fl ip side, the survey also revealed that despite the market maturing on a lot of levels, there’s still a long way to go before we see more professional recruitment practices being applied in the GCC.

We still haven’t reached the point where a candidate is assessed solely on their capabilities, experience and qualifi cations and are therefore paid accordingly. Nationality is still among the leading factors in deciding remuneration packages.

The survey revealed that a typical construction professional from India earns almost US $2000 (AED7300) less than the industry-wide average each month. The average salary of an Indian construction professional working in the Gulf is $4111 per month, which is $1936 lower than the industry-wide average of $6047 per month.

Similarly, the average salary of a project manager from India is $5617 per month, compared to an industry-wide average of $7774.

A total of 1221 people took part in the survey with Indian professionals being the largest single nationality group identifi ed in the survey at 31% of respondents, followed by professionals from the Philippines and the United Kingdom.

Look out for a detailed breakdown of wages according to different nationalities, which will be released this month, in phases, on ConstructionWeekOnline.com.

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Workers for Al Hamad Contracting in Bahrain returned to work last week after being promised that their wages would be paid in short order.

More than 2000 construction workers had been on strike to demand for payment of their wages.

The workers, who earn around US $185 (BD70) a month, said that they were owed one month’s salary, which was due to be paid the previous week.

The company had promised to pay all salaries by the 15th of each month following a mass strike in June, when between 5000 and 7000 workers called a mass strike amid claims they had not been paid for two and a half months.

“They agreed to pay us before the 15th every month but this did not happen so we are not going to work,” said one Indian worker who preferred not to be named.

FRONT

AL HAMAD WORKERS FINALLY PROMISED WAGESBy Benjamin Millington

MORE THAN 2000 CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN BAHRAIN RETURNED TO WORK LAST WEEK AFTER STRIKING OVER NON PAYMENTS.

“If we are not going to be paid on time then many of us would prefer to be sent home.”

He said that more than 4000 workers have already been sent home this year since construction has slowed or halted on many of Al Hamad’s big projects in Bahrain, including Marina West, Villamar Towers and Reef Island.

“If the company sends me home I will be happy,” said another worker, also from India.

“We cannot get any overtime now. This used to be an extra $53 every month. Now it is not worth staying here, especially if we don’t get our wages.”

A source within the company said the problem was due to a delayed payment from one of Al Hamad’s clients.

He said Bahrain’s Labour Market Regula-tory Authority (LMRA) went to Al Hamad’s

labour camps yesterday to discuss the situ-ation with the workers.

“The LMRA helped explain the diffi cul-ties that the company was facing and reas-sure the workers that they will be paid,” he said.

“The company has said they will get the salary on the 18th, if that doesn’t happen they will strike again,” he added.

An offi cial spokesman for Al Hamad was not available to comment.

Two weeks ago, international NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a public state-ment criticising the Bahraini government for not taking strict enough action against employers who delay payment of wages.

“Bahrain portrays itself as a regional leader in migrant labour rights, but the govern-ment has some way to go before it really earns that reputation,” said HRW deputy regional director Joe Stork.

>Bouygues wins massive $1.3bn contract in Qatar 12>Highlights 14>News Analysis 18>Face to Face 21>The role of the project controller 24


FRONTACC AND TDIC TO BUILD ABU DHABI HOTELBy Sarah Blackman

Arabian Construction Company and Tourism Development & Investment Company will form a joint venture to build the Regent Emirates Pearl Hotel after winning a construction contract worth around US $236.85 million (AED870 million).

The 10,000m2 project, which will stand 240m-high upon completion, will be located on the Abu Dhabi Corniche and is set to open its doors in 2012.

The hotel will sit on a 10,000m2 plot comprising four podium levels, 45 fl oors, 377 rooms and suites, and 60 furnished apartments.

ACC’s chairman said that the Regent Emirates Pearl contract is an exciting project to be involved with as it is set to become an Abu Dhabi landmark.

ACC has worked on projects such as Capital Plaza and Emirates Palace Hotel. TDIC is a master developer of tourism real estate assets within Abu Dhabi. The company is charged with assisting the provision of infrastructure.

French construction giant Bouygues has won a US $1.3 billion (QR4.75 billion) contract for construction in the Barwa Financial District project in Doha.

Developed by Barwa Real Estate, the largest semi-pub-lic property group in Qatar, the contract is for work in Doha’s new West Bay business district. It includes nine 18 to 52 storey offi ce towers, a fi ve-star hotel, a shop-ping centre and a mosque, as well as parking facilities and utilities.

The total construction timetable will span three and a half years.

BOUYGUES WINS US $1.3 BILLION QATAR CONTRACTBy Benjamin Millington

“This fast track project will involve 6000 people at peak times and considerable plant resources, notably 17 tower cranes,” said a statement from Bouygues. “The work will also take place in a particularly challenging environment due to the cramped site.”

Bouygues will carry out works in collaboration with two Qatari companies – Midmac Contracting Company and Aljaber Engineering. Bouygues CEO Yves Gabriel described the contract as excellent news. “In the current economic environment, it enables us to improve our visibility abroad and become a major player in a high-growth area.”

The British University in Dubai (BUiD) has launched a post-graduate master’s programme in ‘construction law and dispute resolution’.

The course, which is currently accepting applications for the February 2010 intake, is designed for practising lawyers, engineers, architects, surveyors and those working in other relevant construction and development disciplines.

“The construction industry in the Middle East is growing at unprecedented levels, and in today’s economic climate, there is an essential need for experts in the relat-ed fi elds,” said The British University in

BUID LAUNCHES CONSTRUCTION LAW COURSEBy James Boley

Dubai’s vice-chancellor Professor Abdul-lah Alshamsi.

“With the support of the Dubai courts and leading construction and law organi-sations, our new MSc in construction law and dispute resolution will develop com-bined expertise in law and construction, further developing the local regional talent and providing the necessary knowledge required as a complement to the industry’s rapid development,” he added.

The new programme is offered in association with the Centre of Construc-tion Law and Dispute Resolution at King’s College London.

THE MSC PROGRAMME WILL BE AVAILABLE BOTH FULL TIME (ONE YEAR) AND PART TIME (TWO TO THREE YEARS).

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FRONT

Work on Dubai’s Princess Tower has reached fl oor level 65 and core level 75 – on the way to the 107-storey

topping out height. Sitting on a 3475m2

footprint, the building is due for

completion in 2011

This year’s Big 5 show has

grown in

size by

15%from

2008,according to organisers

Saudi Arabia is to build3200

schools across the kingdom at a cost of

20 billion riyals ($5.33 billion)to accommodate

more than1.7 million students

HIGHLIGHTS

Saudi Arabia

ABB SEALS US$120M UNI CONTRACTABB has won a $120m order from the Saudi Electricity Company to provide power to KSA’s fi rst university for women which aims to enroll 40,000 students. The campus will have several energy-saving and sustainable features, such as 40,000m2 of solar panelling that will provide about 18% of the power required for air-conditioning. “The substations will ensure that this educational establishment has access to a reliable, effi cient and high-quality supply of electricity,” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB power systems division.

UAE

REEM’S HYDRA AVENUE HITS MILESTONEHydra Properties’ development on Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, is progressing ahead of schedule according to the developer, with 50% of structural work for towers C4, C5 and C6 on track for an April 2010 completion. “We’re pleased to see the

progress that has been made here, and the quality of work is exemplary,” said Hyrda Properties CEO Ali Bin Sulayem. The whole development is scheduled for a Q4 2011 completion.

UAE

RAK CERAMICS TO LAUNCH GREEN LINERAK Ceramics will increase its sustainable products range with the launch of its new ‘Rakslim’ energy-saving façade system, taking place at Atlantis, Palm Jumeirah, on November 24. “The long-term strategy of the UAE is based primarily on the concept of sustainable development. RAK Ceramics will proactively support this and contribute towards the UAE’s mission to reduce its carbon footprint through the

use of a superior range of green-certifi ed products and techniques,” said assistant CEO Abdallah Massaad.

Saudi Arabia

CYRIL SWEETT WINS TOWER CONTRACTThe Capital Market Authority (CMA) has appointed Cyril Sweett to provide cost and project management services on the ‘crystalline’ tower, in The King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh, which has been designed jointly by HOK and Omrania & Associates. Reaching a height of 385m, the project is due to complete early 2012. “We wanted to select consultants who have a proven track record of delivering tall buildings throughout the world,” said CMA project department manager Said Rabiah.

UAE

IMPROVED Q3 RESULTS FOR TABREEDAbu Dhabi’s National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed) posted gross profi ts of 9% in Q3 2009, although non-cash fi nance costs associated with the 2011 convertible sukuk

meant net profi ts slid by 4% year-on-year. Total revenue rose by a strong 15% to US $155.4 million, while chilled water revenue rose by 27% year-on-year. “We have also been making progress on improving our operational effi ciencies,” said Sujit Parhar, Tabreed CEO.

UAE

HODARIYAT ISLAND BRIDGE CONTRACT AWARDEDThe construction contract for the Hodariyat Island Bridge in Abu Dhabi has been awarded to VSL Middle East and AST. The project will be the fi rst stay-cable bridge to be constructed in the UAE and will link Abu Dhabi to Hodariyat Island. “Stay cable bridges are very suitable for traversing wide rivers or large bodies of water,” says VSL deputy general manager Stephen Burke. “In the case of the Hodariyat Bridge the stay cable is a good solution both technically and aesthetically due to the fact that there is a wide maritime navigation channel to cross.”

NEWS IN NUMBERS

1845 projects worth $657 billion are still

active in the UAE, with 69% of total

projects still ongoing. The residential sector

is valued at $312 billion, while leisure

and entertainment accounts for $233

billion spread across 445 projects

CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS AT HYDRA AVENUE.


ANALYSIS

It marked a new era for building and design communication throughout the GCC but it could also come to be seen as an even more momentous occasion – the point at which Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology took a stranglehold of the region’s practices.

For the uninitiated, think of BIM as being to AutoCAD what the iPod was to the Walkman. BIM employs three-dimensional, real-time, dynamic building modeling software to produce a model storing all data related to the construction and maintenance of a building during its lifecycle.

“From an information science point of view, BIM looks at a building as being a large databank of operations, without any thought as to its end use or return on investment,” explained Professor Vladimir Bazjanac from the University of California’s Building Technologies Department – the leading research centre of its kind in the world.

“From there, it produces a memory map – with different disciplines fed in from the different segments.”

The key is interoperability. As a change is made to the model at one point, all clashes and ramifi cations are updated instantly – as the structural engineer makes a small change, the MEP contractor can see how that has affected their work straight away.

“I asked the audience at one conference what exactly was in an iPod,” said Building Smart alliance and National Institute of Building Sciences executive director Deke Smith, who has also authored books on the subject.

“They answered with things like memory, silicon chips, a speaker, a

display…but the simple answer is music. We need to look at BIM in the same way.”

Smith emphasised that BIM is not a solution or a single software package but a tool or framework in which other programs could operate.

“We’re seeing so many uses now. Try it with a geo-spacial software to see how orientation affects the daylight or ventilation to your building. Simulation is a whole new fi eld that is just getting started.

“Code compliance checks could be run. Basically, it’s a mathematical model and once you have the information anything can be calculated.

“To see how far this technology can go, look at BIMStorm which applies BIM to a city planning level. You can see exactly how an individual building behaves in a master-plan situation.”

BIM technology is nothing new and designers, contractors and even clients are starting to embrace the 3D framework, but the biggest advantages, according to Building Smart ME communication director David Jellings, is in the community and sharing of information that Building Smart brings to BIM.

“Imagine if I could create a single fi le from all the knowledge of all the people in this room,” he told the audience. “How much would that be worth?

“Interoperability is evolution and learning through the experience of others. Members of Building Smart both receive and deliver. If you discover a solution to a specifi c problem, your process could become best practice, benefi ting the entire industry, just as you will benefi t from others.”

The future face of constructionTHE INTERNATIONAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANISATION BUILDINGSMART OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED ITS MIDDLE EAST CHAPTER LAST WEEK WITH ITS BUILD SMART 2009 CONFERENCE, ENTITLED BETTER CONSTRUCTION THROUGH INTEROPERABILITY

By Matt Warnock

Jellings was also quick to highlight some of the more tangible benefi ts of Building Smart and BIM.

“It’s about consistent delivery – this market lacks that; improved effi ciency; sustainable design and improved communications. Why not deliver all projects on time and on schedule? Why not have zero RFIs [requests for information] on all projects?

“Is anyone interested in saving 20% on a project costs? Imagine that 20% saving applied to the whole of Abu Dhabi’s 2030 plan. How much does that add up to?”

Deke Smith maintained that it was up to governments in the region to drive the use of BIM and set an example to industry. “If you buy a great car, you don’t wait for the engine to seize then buy a new one,” he commented. “You keep it running, you get check-ups, and you change the engine oil.

“Governments have a responsibility to citizens to provide leadership and maintain buildings. We have to do better than buildings that will need replacing in 20 years’ time.”

“IMAGINE THAT 20% SAVING APPLIED TO THE WHOLE OF

ABU DHABI’S 2030 PLAN”

PROFESSOR VLADAMIR BAZJANAC.

Cost certainty is what all clients and developers are looking for.”Professor Bazjanac insisted that owners and developers did not even need to fully understand BIM technology. “You don’t need to know how it’s used, just that it is used. Ask as many questions as possible right the way down the line.”

And speakers insisted that right the way down the line was exactly where the benefi ts of BIM could be felt.

“You simply get better bids with BIM, as you can accurately demonstrate the complexity of projects to contractors. The scope is better defi ned and it gives construction companies and suppliers an accurate tonnage right from the time of bids – all at the touch of a button,” said Thornton Tomasetti principal Kyle Krall.

As a structural engineer, Krall added that the projects which embraced BIM throughout the entire design stage demonstrated an improved schedule due to the collaboration and risk analysis beginning so early in the process.

However, others said that owners and developers would play a crucial role.

“The biggest challenge we face is people,” said Nakheel’s head of sustainability and environment, Brendan Jack. “People are a double-edged sword when it comes to effi ciency – they want to do bigger and better things.

“For Nakheel, and doubtless other large developers, unless you do things right from the beginning, there can be so much inertia that you can get a long way down the route to completion without being able to correct errors quickly enough. For us, that’s where BIM helps us make informed decisions early.”

Al Rashid Investment CEO Ramesh Tolani added: “As we all know, cost is the massive challenge facing developers, more now than previously, whether that is the cost of procurement, design, operating or maintaining. The BIM process is a collaborative, open approach that leads to more creative designs, with changes incorporated along the process.

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

“Paper drawings can still be generated, which many in the industry prefer to work from, but there’s a very specifi c language being generated as this approach will someday be the standard used to deliver a project.

“BIM is the future, but it’s certainly already here now,” he concluded. �

ABOUT BUILDSMART• The Middle East represents the 14th

regional alliance of Building Smart.

• Chapters already exist in Australasia,

Benelux, China, Italy, Japan, Korea,

Singapore, North America and the UK,

amongst other territories.

• Building Smart International users group

will be holding a meeting in conjunction

with the Ecobuild Conference in

Washington DC, USA, on December 8.

• Find out all the latest news, projects and

events at www.buildingsmart.com/

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FACE-TO-FACE

RAGURAM JAYARAMBuilding consultant, Bentley Systems Middle East

DANIEL FRAWLEYChief technology offi cer, Aretas

This conference was about the practical, working side of the

process and attracted people who wanted to know how to

implement BIM. Looking at BIM from a broad point of view, along

with the importance of interoperability, that’s the focus of the

discussion and of Bentley. It really helps to be part of these events.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE BUILD SMART CONFERENCE TO SHOWCASE YOUR SERVICE?

WHAT WAS THE REACTION TO LIKE FROM DELEGATES?

HOW AWARE IS THE MIDDLE EAST CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY OF BIM?

HOW EFFECTIVE A FRAMEWORK COULD BIM BE FOR THE REGION?

DOES THE REGION HAVE THE BIM EXPERTISE REQUIRED?

Aretas chose to sponsor the Build Smart conference as an

extension of our membership of Building Smart ME. We were

among the founding members, as it is the leading organisation

dedicated to providing a framework for BIM standards across the

AEC industries. It’s defi ning the path for interoperability.

There was a lot of interest. People are starting to understand that

BIM will be extremely benefi cial in a whole range of ways to how

they operate going forward. They realise that it is a good, open and,

most importantly, transparent platform on which to work, share

ideas and reduce all associated building losses.

We were very pleased and happy to see a diverse group of

professionals with a direct interest in construction and BIM. Aretas

has positioned itself outside the traditional single software vendor

scope and, as such, is providing services to fi rms across multiple BIM

delivery tools by selecting the right tool for each particular task.

There’s an improving knowledge of boxed systems and tools

– Autodesk, for example –but BIM goes so much further than

that. Bentley provides the product, but you also get the expertise,

training and connectivity – two sides of the same coin. Companies

like ours provide subscription-based technical support and service.

Knowledge of BIM does exist in many Middle East fi rms. Those with

an eye to the future are already using it within their fi rms and we’re

also seeing it used on very high profi le developments. The next step

is for these fi rms to exchange information inherent in BIM with one

another and related professionals as part of normal project delivery.

The UAE is currently a shared market, not following a single standard.

Our latest MicroStation v8i is all about exactly what the conference

is about – interoperability. There’s a lot of expertise fl oating around

the building and design industries – our mission is to help users take

information from all departments and maximise the use of that data.

BIM has the potential to radically improve project delivery here.

Potential benefi ts of coordinating construction information are far

ranging in scope and fi rms can exploit opportunities at a very early

stage if they’re prepared to address BIM from within and adapt

their business and their processes.

The market is something of a mixed-bag right now. There are

certainly some users that have a high level of expertise in BIM

but the key to BIM is that it is used in a team. It’s not a tool for

individuals. As a team, you share knowledge, deal with issues and

iron out all potential problems as early as possible.

The Middle East is reaching a critical mass of BIM knowledge.

Presently, there exists a community of skilled BIM professionals which

is only getting stronger as fi rms continue training of existing staff in

these new processes. Firms who are proactive in this approach are

becoming self-suffi cient in delivering their projects in BIM.

TURNING TO BIM

IS THE BIM REVOLUTION AS MUCH ABOUT EDUCATION AS IMPLEMENTATION?

Education needs to be continuous; it’s not a one-off, one-time-only

course. It took fi ve years for the industry to become familiar with BIM

and, even still, only 10% to 20% use it. Most in the industry are now

aware of BIM, but they don’t know how to implement it.

BIM skills are on the rise although a common misconception is

that it’s just adding another software program or tool. We can’t use

existing 2D delivery methods with a BIM process. This has an impact

upon business processes and the adoption of BIM within fi rms.

Event: Construct Libya 2009Overview: Three-day construction fair in this growing North African marketDate: November 24-26Venue: Tripoli International FairPhone: +218 333 2255Website: www.eventseye.com

Event: Home and Life Style 2010Date: March 2010Venue: Oman International Exhibition CentrePhone: +968 24 512 100Email: [email protected]: www.eventseye.com

Event: Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition and Symposium 2010Date: April 4-7, 2010Venue: Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention CentrePhone: +966 2 654 6384Email: [email protected]: www.eventseye.com

Events: DWRW 2010Overview: A trade show for doors, windows, roofs and walls, as well as cladding products, machinery and accessories.Date: March 8-10, 2010

Venue: Expo Centre SharjahWebsite: www.eventseye.com

Event: Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition and SymposiumDate: April 4-7, 2010Venue: Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Centre

Events: Saudi International Windows, Doors, Shutters, and Solar Exhibition 2010.Date: March 11-14, 2010Venue: Riyadh Exhibition CentreWebsite: www.eventseye.comPhone: +966 2 654 6384

Events: Buildex Syria 2010Overview: Building, tourism, construction and real estate expo.Date: May 12-16, 2010Venue: Damascus International FairgroundWebsite: www.eventseye.com

Event: Libya Build 2010Overview: Construction conference for those interested in Libyan contractsDate: May 16-20, 2010Venue: Tripoli International FairWebsite: www.eventseye.com

The Big 5 is the annual meeting place for all industry professionals. Over 58,000 key buyers and decision makers from the public and private sectors attended the 2008 event. �

Event focusTHE BIG 5DATE: NOVEMBER 23-26VENUE: DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTREWEBSITE: WWW.THEBIG5EXHIBITION.COM

EVENTS

Event: The Big 5 PMVOverview: International exhibition for PMV.Date: November 23-26

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bauma has half a million square meters of exhibition space. Not only is it the largest exhibition in the world. It is also a key international driving force behind innovations in the industry that gives visitors a comprehensive look at the market:

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Use bauma‘s leading international position for your success.

Information: German Emirati Joint Council for Industry

www.bauma.de


COMMENT> For the latest news and comments log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/comment

The opinions expressed in this column are of the author and not of the publisher.

Most professionals agree that project management skills can be divided into two basic components, commonly referred to as the skill and the knowledge of project management.

A major segment of the project manager’s work deals with the skill, or leadership side of project management. It demands vision, communication, negotiation, moti-vation, and interpersonal skills. In this case, business acumen and knowledge of the industry are critical.

On the other hand, knowledge of proj-ect management methodology and tools, plus strong analytical and problem-solv-ing skills are required. Here, the ability to quickly gather data and communicate it under pressure is critical. Because these two distinct skill sets are best provided by two very different types of people, some organisations have begun to divide these two sets of responsibilities.

The development of the project control-ler’s position has been an evolutionary process. Initially, many organisations cre-ated a position called “coordinator.” The coordinator was responsible for handling administrative tasks, entering data into a timekeeping and scheduling system, gath-ering status information, and helping to produce status charts.

Over time, additional requirements — such as development of the initial schedule and estimates — forced many organisations to develop the role of “planner”. Some organisations required this role to perform on-going schedule tracking and analysis, often using the term “scheduler.” Respon-sibilities of tracking issue and risk logs, analysing schedules, and facilitating all planning and status sessions were usually assigned to this role.

More recently, responsibilities increased to include handling resource allocations and constraints, schedule and critical-path analysis, fi nancial reporting of earned

value and providing other documenta-tion suffi cient to comply with authorities’ requirements.

Today, the role of a project coordinator, planner, and scheduler has evolved into that of “project controller”. The project controller supports the project manager by handling most of the critical, detail-oriented, analytical-focused, time-intensive project tasks. As a result, the project manager is free to focus on more strategic project goals and objectives, and is often even able to take on additional projects.

Both the project manager and project controller carry out crucial duties, and both possess signifi cant, albeit, different skill sets and responsibilities in order to bring the projects in on time and within the budget.

The project controller is a key member of the project team and works directly with the project manager to help defi ne the project’s goals and objectives; create and maintain a project’s budget and sched-ule, analyse progress reported against the work schedules; and recommend actions to improve progress. In order to ensure accurate documentation and reporting on a consistent basis, many organisations are positioning the project manager and project controller as part of a centralised project support organisation.

In order to effi ciently handle the respon-sibilities of a project controller, a successful controller must possess insight into business process, cost budgeting and estimating, risk analysis, critical path diagramming and analysis, resource forecasting and change control. It is important to note that the proj-ect controller may be supporting several projects simultaneously (based on project size and work experience).Therefore, he or she must also be fl exible in dealing with multiple project managers, while maintaining the required level of standards demanded by the organisation.

The role of the project controllerSYED ALI DILAWER HIGHLIGHTS THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF PROJECT CONTROLLERS WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Syed Ali Dilawer is a planning manager with EC Harris International for their Dubai and Saudi Arabia offices and has 18 years of experience as a project management professional with expertise in time and cost management, contract administration and claim substantiation/analysis. He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and is a certified cost consultant. He is also an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the UK.

“BOTH THE PROJECT MANAGER AND PROJECT CONTROLLER CARRY OUT CRUCIAL DUTIES, AND BOTH POSSESS SIGNIFICANT, ALBEIT, DIFFERENT SKILL SETS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.”

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LEGAL

The use of joint ventures or consortiums are attractive because they allow contractors, consultants and fi nanciers to team up and offer owners a single interface for all needs of a project.

Owners are increasingly requiring that con-sortiums be formed to provide a single point responsibility and to ensure bidders have the ability to perform the scope of work.

In light of this development, this article seeks to highlight some of the key legal and practical issues, which should be considered when entering into a joint venture or con-sortium agreement. The term “consortium” is used throughout the article to refer to both “consortium” and “joint venture.”

Form of the bidding entityThe form of the commercial entity bidding for the project can be dictated by the owner and/or local law. In the UAE, the Commercial Companies Law (Federal Law No. (8) of 1984) recognises seven forms of commercial entity, including “joint participation” and “limited liability company.”

As an incorporated entity, the consortium will, subject to the corporation’s law of the country concerned, enjoy limited liabil-ity. But the protection afforded by limited liability may be of little benefi t in a major project as the owner is likely to require guarantees from the parent companies of the consortium members to ensure per-formance of the contract.

Therefore, before entering into a consor-tium agreement, a party should consider the form of commercial entity, as this may effect its legal relationship with other members and the owner.

Local partnersWhere the consortium includes foreign entities or shareholders, local laws may limit

the involvement of those foreign participants or shareholders and/or require at least one of the participants to be a local entity. Where the main members of a consortium are foreign entities, the selection of a local partner can be critical to the success of the bid and project. • Where the potential infl uence of the

local entity over the consortium, is disproportionate to its contribution to the project, it can create tension between it and its foreign partners;

• A quality local partner can ensure that many of the pre-conditions to the submission of a bid or award of a contract are met including permits;

• Local expertise and experience can also assist when dealing with labour or the supply chain.

Local lawsDepending on the jurisdiction, there are various other laws, which may have an impact on the formation or operation of the consortium.

The consortium should seek specifi c advice on local law matters, particularly on employment law and taxation.

There are legislative requirements governing the employment of nationals and expatriates. The tax position of the consortium and the project should be examined.

For example, some cities in the UAE impose income tax on certain entities and most of them levy municipal taxes.

Delineation of scopeThe members of a consortium should ensure that the delineation of scope between the members is suffi ciently and clearly set out in the consortium agreement, so that each party and the owner are clear as to the

Key points while entering into a joint venture in the Middle EastJAMES BREMEN ADVISES WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE ENTERING INTO A JOINT VENTURE OR CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT

The opinions expressed in this column are of the author and not of the publisher.

James Bremen is a partner in King & Spalding’s London office and a member of the Global Transactions Practice Group. Bremen has practised exclusively in construction law for more than a decade. He has significant experience in project development and dispute resolution both in the UK and internationally.

“BEFORE ENTERING INTO A CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT, A PARTY SHOULD CONSIDER THE FORM OF COMMERCIAL ENTITY, AS THIS MAY EFFECT ITS LEGAL RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER MEMBERS AND THE OWNER”

separate roles to be performed; the pricing of all costs associated with the bid can be apportioned appropriately between the parties; and in the event of any dispute or default, it is clear which party is liable for associated costs and losses.

A consortium leader and decision making protocols should also be established.

Cross-indemnifi cationThe consortium agreement should address the issue of cross-indemnifi cation where the members may be jointly and severally liable towards the owner in respect of the scope of works. The consortium agreement ought to provide that each member shall be wholly responsible for any losses and claims arising out of its scope of work; in the event a claim is made against a member for default where another member is liable, the liable member ought to have control of the dispute resolution procedure; and there ought to be an express indemnity in respect of the above matters, so that each member takes responsibility for any loss it causes.

Bidding costsThe consortium agreement should address the issue of bidding costs, which can be a signifi cant unrecoverable expense. In the event a bid bond is required, the parties ought to consider whether to apportion costs according to the relative scope of work for each consortium member.

Exclusivity of membersThe consortium agreement should require all parties to submit their bid on an exclusive basis in order to discourage them joining a rival consortium and using the information to assist the rival consortium. Further, if one of the parties withdraws from the consortium, it should be prohibited from entering another bid with a rival consortium on the same project. Finally, the exclusivity clause ought to extend to affi liate and subsidiary companies of the consortium members.

Termination and long-stop dateThe consortium agreement should include termination clauses covering different

circumstances. These include where the bid is unsuccessful; where the owner cancels the tender; and where the consortium agreement only covers the tender and the bid is successful. In this case, the termination of the consortium agreement will typically trigger the formation of a new consortium agreement covering the execution of the project.

In addition, all consortium agreements ought to have a long-stop termination date in the event that none of the events men-tioned above occur.

A long-stop date provides security that the consortium will only last for a specifi c period of time (typically one or two years).

ConclusionA poorly drafted consortium agreement could lead to internal disputes amongst the members, which could adversely affect the project. This, in turn, could lead to claims from the owner, which would further burden the consortium.

> For more legal advice log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/comment

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWPHILIPPE DESSOY

Before the towering Belgian stepped off the plane and onto the tarmac at Dubai International Airport sixteen years ago in 1992, he’d never heard of the emirate.

He joined Besix in 1989 and had worked at the head offi ce in Belgium for three and half years when he was asked by the com-pany if he fancied moving to Dubai.

Confused and unfamiliar with a name that was destined to become one of the most well known cities in the world, Des-soy feebly asked “Where?”

“The company asked me to go, so I went,” says Dessoy. “I had never heard of Dubai before that, but I had of Saudi Arabia of course. Some friends from university had gone to work in Saudi and they weren’t very happy, so I wasn’t too keen to come to the Middle East or anywhere in the Gulf for that matter,” he adds.

For Dessoy, the Middle East consisted of Saudi Arabia and little other versions of it. Names like Dubai and Sharjah were of no particular relevance and idea of the Gulf in his head painted classic story book tales of shifting dunes, camels and oases.

“My company then convinced me to go to Dubai for two weeks to see if I liked it. I came, I saw and thought why not. I went back to Belgium and said ‘okay’ but also that I would stay for only two years.” It’s been sixteen years since then.

“When I got here I was surprised to see that it was quite well developed and open. I was not expecting that. I was expecting Saudi Arabia. At that time, the company had a compound there where all the staff was staying and I thought living in a com-

pound was not the type of life I wanted. So I went to the city and the company put me in an apartment where it was okay,” he reminisces.

“Dubai on the other hand was quite well developed at that time, I mean Sheikh Zayed Road was being developed into four lanes; some parts were already four lanes to Jebel Ali. Since then I don’t think Dubai ever looked back. Development went well until, I’d say 2003 or 2004, when it began to go too fast and it became a nightmare. In 2006 to 2008, there was just maddening traffi c with everybody rushing everywhere, so in a way I think the crisis has actually been good for the region. Things are back to normal and you can have a decent life again.

So what brought on such an epic turn-around for Dessoy who started out in the back offi ces of Besix as an estimator?

He is now one of the most wanted men in the construction fraternity not only in the Middle East but globally. His little offi ce in Al Quoz is responsible for more than half of the turnover for the company worldwide. Dessoy’s legendary rise to his current posi-tion as general manager of one of the biggest contractors in the Middle East is a success story that is second to none.

“I suppose the reason I chose to stay on here, from a work point of view, is because business here is interesting. I mean the projects we are currently working on here are quite nice. We cannot do these types of projects in Europe anymore. There isn’t that

type of demand in Europe and the money is also not there sometimes. Plus I’ve also grown in the company which plays a big role in my staying on,” says Dessoy.

“On a personal note, the quality of life here is good too; it’s a central place so you can fl y off to almost anywhere; places that are

often only a dream are at your doorstep here; it’s liberal too, of course not as free as Europe but its not too bad. I’ve been on holiday a few times to

Oman, Iran, North Pakistan, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia. There’s great food here too. The variety is amaz-ing.”

While living in Jumeirah one and often seen at his favourite after-work haunt, Madinat Jumeirah, Dessoy says Dubai has several beautiful places and is a great city to live in, but would still prefer to buy and own property in Europe.

“There are a few very nice places; what they’ve done with the Burj Dubai downtown area, when it is fi nished more than what it is today, it should be a very nice place.

But I don’t think I’ll buy property here. I prefer to keep properties in Europe. I mean today I don’t need it. If I come back here, I won’t be back for that long – maybe a few weeks in winter and for just that much time, dealing with the many issues surround-ing the buying of property here – it’s not worth it. The cost is high, the maintenance charges are high. One would rather stay in a hotel; no headache.”

“IN A WAY I THINK THE CRISIS HAS ACTUALLY

BEEN GOOD FOR THE REGION”

SIX DEGREES IN CONSTRUCTION

THE SIX DEGREES RULE NORMALLY APPLIES TO PEOPLE, BUT IN THE PECULIAR CASE OF PHILIPPE DESSOY, IT SEEMS TO APPLY BETWEEN HIM AND HIS JOB TOO. WELL OVER SIX

FEET TALL AND HEADING UP SIX CONSTRUCT IN DUBAI, HE HELPED BUILD THE TALLEST TOWER IN THE WORLD.

IT’S DESTINY.

By Conrad Egbert


> For more people interviews log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

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They say Dubai makes you stronger and if you’ve survived here, you can make it anywhere in the world. But many of these survivors have had their moments and Des-soy has had his share too.

“At one stage I remember, I said to myself I have had enough and I wanted to leave; this was in 2007 and then I got promoted to this position and the business life changed. I mean it was a nightmare when you had to go somewhere, because you needed half a day to get to a meeting in town; it was awful but that’s changed now.”

But like every action has an opposite and, mostly, equal reaction, the “good for the region” downturn also sent many compa-nies running for cover. Dessoy reveals why he had it better than most.

“I think it was more diffi cult for other companies than for us, because from the beginning we’ve always tried to be diver-sifi ed, so we have different clients; we’ve been working in different parts of the Gulf including here in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Qatar and Bahrain. Work in Dubai is down but Abu Dhabi is doing okay, Qatar is still very good; Of course we have suffered a little because a lot of projects in Dubai have been stopped but it’s still okay; we’re still working and we’re still busy.”

But unlike many companies in the same bracket Besix has not made a knee-jerk decision to enter the Saudi market. But it does feature in the company’s future plans. Egypt, on the other hand is a market that

the company is already working in and one that Dessoy has a soft corner for.

“My fi rst ever job was in Cairo. I’ve got very good memories of it. It was in 1983 to 1988. With endless trips to the Dead Sea, going to the mountains, diving; those were good days. Besix is working on two projects there. We’re just fi nishing the Fairmont and we’re doing a job for Qatari Diar. But Egypt is a diffi cult market as the quality on many projects there is not of standards that any international contractors would work to.

“In terms of Saudi, I’ve been there a few times and we’ve decided to enter the kingdom, so we’re going to put some-body there full time, but of course, it will take time before we start on a job and sign the contract; it may take a few more months. We don’t regret not entering Saudi earlier. I mean we were in Qatar before a lot of companies went there so we’ve got a good name there. Similarly, we were in Bahrain before and Oman as well, so we’re in a pretty comfortable place at the moment.”

Comfortable for some, means not-so-com-fortable for others, at least, until the economy begins to look up again. But when?

“I think, the recovery, will still take some time. From what I hear, some people say 2010, 2011, 2012. Some even say 2010 is going

to be even worse, so I think we need to be prepared as it will take some time.”

An interesting outcome of the downturn has been the offer of property in lieu of payments by several developers to con-tractors. And despite not being a fan of the idea, Dessoy says he’s open to hearing what’s on offer.

“As a company we’ve already bought 20 properties about four or fi ve years ago, in order to house our staff. We have been offered property in lieu of payments before, in fact just a few months ago one of the

biggest developers here did that – the problem here is how do you evaluate the property they give you? According to the market rate?

It’s infl ated, it’s too high.” “The downturn has left us with a backlog

of payments. In Dubai we have not put in a tender for the past nine months. Its not that we haven’t been invited to bid, but that we’ve declined. If you’re not paid, what’s the point in taking up a job? We are owed about AED500 million (US $136 million) currently. I mean we are all working here to earn money. We’re not a bank.”

A risky road in a region where contrac-tors often tender to stay on the right side of developers. Dessoy thinks not. “If you’re based here, I suppose you’d tender to sur-vive, but not companies like us.” �

“IF YOU’RE NOT PAID WHAT’S THE POINT IN

TAKING UP A JOB? WE’RE NOT A BANK”


The fi rst Construction Week salary sur-vey was conducted via construction-weekonline .com , during April to September 2009.

These were the darkest days of the reces-sion in the Gulf, with a sense that everyone was waiting to see what would happen. The mood was quite pessimistic. Yet, despite the feeling at the time, the results show signs of optimism. Opinions on the likelihood of securing a pay rise, or even just retaining a job, are surprisingly positive.

Responses were voluntary and passively solicited. Respondents were not asked to provide their names or any contact details. Results were collected and collated by a third-party online provider.

A total of 1221 people took part. Not all answered every question. Invalid responses, such as selecting multiple age and salary

brackets, have not been counted. Salary windows for specifi c positions are based on people identifying themselves by that job title.

Specialists in the fi eld of recruitment and human resources have been consulted to verify the results and identify anomalies.

ON THE RISE?With any survey there are always anomalous results, but they are frequently the most interesting. They can demonstrate a gulf in perception between an individual’s view and that of the wider industry.

The starkest example of this in the CW salary survey was people’s expectations regarding pay rises. A staggering 61% of respondents believed they would receive a pay increase at some point within the next 12 months. The response to this from experts CW consulted was a resounding ‘no way’, with no one prepared to believe that 61% of the industry would be getting

a pay rise anytime soon. It was pointed out that it is easy to be cynical about people’s expectations, but that there could be some basis in the optimism. Those that have held on to jobs may feel that if their company has looked after them so far, it may well do so again in the future.

LOYALTYWhile this is a nice idea, another result indicated that it is not a widely held view. When it came to questions of loyalty most

2009CONSTRUCTION WEEK

SALARY SURVEYHOW MUCH ARE YOU WORTH?

By Stuart Matthews

SALARY SURVEY

TOP 3 COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN FOR SURVEY RESPONDENTS

1. INDIA2. PHILIPPINES3. UNITED KINGDOM


SALARY SURVEY

people saw themselves as more loyal to their company than vice versa. But there is plenty of evidence that individuals can be prone to fi ckle changes.

“Your company is a vehicle to work on big projects and get good money,” said one recruitment expert. “The last few years have proved that if you get offered a big salary increase, you are going to move. Alterna-tively, you only need the CEO or MD to change and the new guy might bring in his own people.”

So, while all of us may be inclined to believe we are more loyal than the companies we work for, the reality is far more likely to be

determined by the opportunity to change jobs. Companies may, however, be encour-aged to be loyal to longer term employees, because of the cost of letting them go. Gra-tuity packages accrued over many years can add up to a signifi cant capital outlay for a company.

GOLDEN HANDCUFFSLoyalty is in large part derived from a combination of salary and perceived career opportunities. Oddly though, a large number of people who took part in the survey regarded their salary to be average or below. Only 13% indicated they thought their earnings

were above average, when compared to industry earnings around the globe.

An HR expert CW consulted described this as ‘absolute nonsense’. “I don’t know anybody here, who on a daily basis, is earn-ing less than they would in their own coun-try,” he said.

The perception that wages are below inter-national levels seems to come from a sense of being hard done by, when compared to others. But, given that a large majority of the industry is made up of an expat work-force, why would people not move on to better paid jobs elsewhere, if rates in the Gulf were not competitive?

AVERAGE BASIC SALARIES

Respondents were given the option of selecting salary windows

to identify their pay level and job titles to identify their role.

Averages have been worked out based on the lower and upper

fi gures within those salary windows, with a midpoint of the average

provided as a guide fi gure. All fi gures are in US dollars and represent

basic monthly salaries across the six GCC countries.

ALL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY EMPLOYEESMidpoint: $6047

The average salary of a construction industry employee is between

$4849 and $7246 per month. The average salary drops to $5190

if executive positions such as CEO, managing director and general

manager are removed from consideration.

ARCHITECTMidpoint: $4500

The average salary of an architect is between $3643 and $5357 per

month.

CIVIL ENGINEERMidpoint: $3370

On average, a civil engineer earns between $2573 and $4168 per

month. If the top 20% of results is removed, the average drops to

between $1818 and $3318, producing a midpoint of $2568.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGERMidpoint: $8750

A construction manager earns an average of between $7079 and

$10,421 per month.

COST ESTIMATORMidpoint: $3904

A fi gure between $3095 and $4714 is the average monthly salary of

a cost estimator.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERMidpoint: $4015

The average salary of an electrical engineer is between $3214 and

$4817 per month.

GENERAL MANAGERMidpoint: $8335

General manager was the job title with the greatest spread across

the salary window options. The average salary worked out to be

between $6900 and $9771 per month.

MANAGING DIRECTORMidpoint: $12,162

The average salary of a managing director is between $9391 and

$14,934 per month. The wider window in this result comes about

because of the smaller number of people identifying themselves as

managing directors.

PROJECT ENGINEERMidpoint: $4023

Project engineers earn an average salary between $3141 and $4905

per month. Remove the top 20% of results and this average drops

to between $2271 and $3771 per month, producing a midpoint of

$3021.

PROJECT MANAGERMidpoint: $7774

Project manager was the largest category of job title in the survey,

with around 25% of those who provided both salary and job title

details selecting this option to describe their role. The average salary

of a project manager is between $6406 and $9143 per month.

People who have worked in the region for three years or more are likely to have experienced increased salaries and benefi ts over that time, making it harder for them to fi nd better paying positions elsewhere. Package structure has had a part to play in this; as rent infl ation forced accommo-dation allowances up, people considered these allowances as an integral part of their salary. As companies struggled to deal with rent demands, packages migrated to lump sum structures, leaving employees to deal with rent independently.

The calmer mood of the employment mar-ket has benefi ted employers, who are now no longer having staff poached for huge increases in pay and benefi ts. The result, say those in HR, is that now an employer can pay someone what they feel is the right money, rather than being a slave to the fl uctuations of a supply and demand market.

Results indicated that bigger companies tend to pay more, though, while smaller companies aren’t quite as good for the average employee, they’re a good place to

be for more senior professionals. It was international companies that seemed to have the greatest impact on this trend, with a possible reason being the need to recruit staff familiar with global manage-ment systems and processes.

International companies need to employ people who can help make this happen, but also understand local conditions. As a result international companies appear to select their hires from a wider range of nations, whereas local companies show a greater concentration of employees origi-nating from the Mena region.

MOVING ONThe nature of construction work in the

region means that employees are not kept on stand by, but employed project by project. This explains why unpaid leave was not a big feature for any respondents. When

there is work, it goes at a fast pace. People reported long working hours

(92% said more than 40), with plenty of six day weeks: 60-70 hours is considered ‘about average’.

Looking ahead, there are signs of change as projects are reactivated.

This is generating more competition for available resources and, according to one recruiter, higher salaries are emerging – something in the order of 20% more than six months ago. This is an upward shift that some expect to continue into 2010.

A full report will be available at Construc-tionWeekOnline.com in December.

For detailed results read on >>>

1221RESPONDENTS TOOK PART

IN THE SALARY SURVEY

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SALARY SURVEY

THE RESULTS RESPONSES & ANALYSIS

THE BULK OF RESPONDENTS (82%) WERE AGED 26-50; IN FACT, 76% WERE 31 OR OVER.

The Gulf is not a place for fi rst-jobbers. The majority of people working in the region’s construction industry are old enough to have had a few years of experience, at the very

In which country do you work? How old are you?

least, in their country of origin. However, it is seen as a place where an experienced person can capitalise on their skills, be exposed to a greater range of job options,

or expand their career horizons. Later in their career, people tend to move on, or move home, a factor sometimes related to children reaching a secondary education age.

International companies tend to hire from a wider range of nations and employ more Western Europeans and North Americans than companies described as either regional or local. Local companies show a greater concentration of employees drawn from the wider region, especially Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. Bigger

JUST OVER HALF (52%) OF THE RESPONDENTS DESCRIBE THE COMPANY THEY WORK FOR AS ‘INTERNATIONAL’. 43% OF

RESPONDENTS WORK FOR COMPANIES WITH 500 OR MORE EMPLOYEES. The majority of construction employees

in the region have taken jobs with new employers within the last three-to-fi ve years. It is clear this was in response to the available opportunities, but those in fi rst are getting the best deal. As such, a larger proportion of the higher salary earners were represented by people who have worked for their current employer for more than fi ve years.

79% OF RESPONDENTS HAVE BEEN WITH THEIR

CURRENT EMPLOYER FOR FIVE YEARS OR LESS.

How long have you worked for your current employer?

Which description best fi ts the company you work for?

How many people does the company you work for employ?

companies tend to pay more across the board, though the highest earners were spread around from the smallest to the largest firms. Smaller companies aren’t as good for the average worker, but show signs of being the best place to be for senior professionals up to general manager level.

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Airport Terminal Buildings Underpasses Bridges Stations and Tunnels Hospitals

Multi Storey Car Parks Shopping Centres Reservoirs Tunnel Formwork


SALARY SURVEY

THE AVERAGE SALARY OF A CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY EMPLOYEE IN THE GULF IS BETWEEN US $4849 AND US

$7246 PER MONTH (BASED ON 1090 VOLUNTARY RESPONSES).

What is your basic monthly wage?

This is the average across all professions and all GCC countries, though the majority of respondents are based in the UAE, with KSA and Qatar coming a distant second and third. People were asked to indicate their basic salary, exclusive of allowances. There is a signifi cant mix of nationalities in senior positions, especially among the engineering community.

Those that said they get no allowances come from all Gulf countries, including the UAE where several allowances are a legal obligation of the employer. The likelihood is people don’t realise that allowances are built into their salary.

78% OF PEOPLE GET SOME KIND OF ALLOWANCE IN ADDITION TO THEIR MONTHLY SALARY.

Do you get any allowances in addition to your salary?

Trav

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ses:

29.

5

Not

hin

g: 2

2.2

Acc

omm

odat

ion

: 55.

2

Com

mis

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s an

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21.

2

An

nu

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etu

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icke

t: 5

3.3

Bi-

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air

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9.5

Car

: 37

When did you last receive a pay rise?

PROFILENiko is a 28 year old quantity

surveyor originally from South

Africa. He earns around US

$5000 per month. He has worked

in the UAE for just over four years.

Initially recruited from his home

country for a major infrastructure

project, he has stayed with the same

company since he arrived. He is now on his

third project with the company, having seen

the fi rst completed and the second put on

hold and turned into a car park. However,

this third project is in Abu Dhabi, where he

must commute every day from his home

in Dubai. Niko feels he is likely to leave the

Gulf within the next 12 months.

The impact of the boom years on salary was clear, with most respondents having had a pay rise within the last two years. Infl ation in the GCC countries, as well as a shortage of skilled people and the staff poaching that resulted, were all factors in the steady pay increases people in the industry experienced. Of the 8% who have not received any increases in the last three years, a disproportionate number were among the highest earners in the survey.

PROFILEJulius is 43 years old and moved from Dubai to Doha in the early part

of 2008, after being offered a considerable pay increase. Working

as a managing director of a small ‘regional’ company, he now earns

approximately US $10,500 per month.

ONLY 8% OF RESPONDENTS HAVE NOT HAD A PAY RISE FOR THREE OR MORE

YEARS.

Less than US $1,500

US $1,500 - 3,000

US $3,000 - 4,500

US $4,500 - 6,000

US $6,000 - 7,500

US $7,500 - 10,500

US $10,500 - 13,500

US $13,500 - 15,000

US $15,000 - 30,000

US $30,000 +

(Multiple selections were permitted)

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CONSTRUCTION WEEK OCTOBER 31–NOVEMBER 6, 200938

SALARY SURVEY

For the small number of people who were offered an alternative to a pay rise, the most common options were an accommodation allowance and commission. Unpaid leave was not on the agenda

either, with 88% saying it had not been offered by their company, illustrating that in construction at least, if you have a job it is because there is work to be done.

PERKS OR OTHER INCENTIVES HAVE NOT BEEN USED IN PLACE OF SALARY INCREASES, WITH 85% OF RESPONDENTS INDICATING THAT

THEY RECEIVE NO SUCH INDUCEMENTS.

Were you offered any perks instead of a salary increase?

Trav

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xpen

ses:

2.2

Not

hin

g: 8

5.2

Acc

omm

odat

ion

allo

wan

ce: 5

.1

Com

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s an

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5.5

An

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eq

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h: 2

.8

Bi-

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: 0.6

PROFILEPatrick is a 39 year old

project manager

from Ireland. He

earns around

US $7500 per

month plus

allowances.

He has

worked in

the UAE for

fi ve years,

having spent

most of that

time on a hotel

project. After

the project was

fi nished he spent a few

months on paid leave,

while his company tried

to secure new contracts.

He still works for the same

company, but now spends

a great deal of time in Abu

Dhabi working on a major

interior fi t out project.

Car

: 2.2

39NOVEMBER 21–27, 2009 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 39

How long do you expect it to be until your next pay rise?

61% STILL EXPECT TO GET A PAY RISE WITHIN THE NEXT 12

MONTHS.

This is the most surprising result to emerge from the survey, which was run during the darkest months of the downturn. Despite the prevailing mood of the industry, at the time, being pessimistic, with projects being placed on hold and construction work visibly slowing, particularly in the UAE, a large proportion of people expected the pattern

Which of the following statements is true?

On average, how many hours a week do you work?

Salary, position, age, country of origin and country of work make no difference to this; hours in the GCC construction industry are just long.

91% OF RESPONDENTS WORK MORE THAN 40 HOURS A WEEK; 38% WORK MORE

THAN 50 HOURS A WEEK.

I expect a pay rise of more than 10% within

the next year: 28.1

I expect a pay rise of between 5% and 10% within

the next year: 18.4

I expect a pay rise of less than 5% within

the next year: 8.7

I do not expect a pay rise within the

next year: 29.4

My company has announced a pay freeze: 10.2

I believe my salary will fall over the

next year: 5.2

Regionally, you consider your salary to be...

ONLY 8% THOUGHT THEIR SALARY WAS ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THE REGION, WITH JUST 13% CONSIDERING IT ABOVE AVERAGE

ON A GLOBAL SCALE.

This contradicts the perception that working in the Gulf is a big pay day for people from around the world. In fact looking at it globally, 44% thought their salary was below average. The majority of these people indicated they earn less than US $4500 per month. The

results raise the question of what are people doing here if they feel they can earn more elsewhere? This alone casts doubt on the veracity of the results and suggests people simply perceive themselves as a bit hard done by.

Globally, you consider your salary to be...

of regular pay rises to continue. Those that kept their jobs remain optimistic about future rewards and 44% agreed with the idea that they ‘look forward to the future with complete confi dence’.

Less than 6 months: 17.3

Between 6 months and 1 year: 44.4

Between 1 year and 2 years: 30.4

Between 2 years and 3 years: 5.1

More than 3 years: 2.7

With 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest, how do

you rate...

Loyalty to a company was not infl uenced by salary or position, but the perception of a company’s loyalty to an employee was. More senior employees, with higher salaries tended to rate a company’s loyalty to them as higher than the 68% of respondents who put their company in the bottom 60% when it came to reciprocating their loyalty.

70% REGARDED THEMSELVES AS BEING IN THE TOP 40% WHEN

IT CAME TO LOYALTY TO THEIR COMPANY.

Your loyalty to your current company

Your company’s loyalty to you as an employee


The Dubai-based developer Limit-less – part of Dubai World group of com-panies- has been on something of a PR drive of late; how-

ever, removed from the usual stories about breaking ground or topping out towers, these press releases have had a much more human feel.

They’ve dealt with how people would ideally like to commute; how far Dubai residents walk each day on average; and creating a sense of community.

For all the wondrous projects that Dubai has realised, words like ‘tallest’ and ‘biggest’ have often crowded out ‘friendliest’ or ‘greenest’, so CW was intrigued to see the site of Down-town Jebel Ali (DJA), a project that has placed much emphasis on quality of living.

“Work on The Galleries began with pil-ing in mid-2006 and the main buildings were completed at the beginning of 2009,” says Limitless deputy executive director for the Middle East Salah Ameen, who has also acted as proj-ect director for the DJA development.

DJA, explains Ameen, is a 2 million m² master-planned development that runs 11km back from Sheikh Zayed Road, to the south west of Dubai. The Galler-ies is an eight-building complex compris-ing offi ces, apartments, retail and leisure facilities which was the fi rst community project to be completed within the fi rst phase of DJA.

“We already have multinationals renting offi ces here, such as L’Oreal and Ericsson,”

continues Ameen. “We’re now approach-ing 50% occupancy, with many more retail outlets, restaurants and cafes to come.”

Impressively designed and fi nished, these buildings have, however, been completed;

not the stuff that Construction Week is usually interested in. For that, we head to one of the podium level gardens that adorn all The Gal-

leries’ buildings.They’re designed to add a lifestyle twist – a

green, landscaped area for offi ce workers to enjoy a coffee break. More importantly, they provide a spectacular vantage point from where to view all the construction work that is taking place.

We look out over the 11km corridor of DJA that, once completed, will comprise four

BUILDING A

COMMUNITY

“WE’RE NOW APPROACHING 50%

OCCUPANCY, WITH MANY MORE RETAIL OUTLETS

AND CAFES TO COME”

CONSTRUCTION WEEK CHECKS OUT THE CURRENT PROGRESS ON DOWNTOWN JEBEL ALI AND EXAMINES THE NEED FOR COMMUNAL SPACES IN MODERN COMPLEXES

By Matt Warnock


separate zones, each with its own dedicated interchange. Infrastructure works are being carried out by ARC and Kier Dubai.

“We’re concentrating on infrastructure, of course, as it’s essential we get this right straight away. Around 80% of that is now in place in zone one, while the fi gure lies at around 50% for zones two, three and four. It’s a really tight schedule and we’re extremely close to it – all the major areas have been completed.”

Leaning over the walls that run around the podium gardens helps to get an idea of the work involved, its sheer scale and the speed at which contractors are asked to operate. A huge channel has been dug along the route that a road will run. “That wasn’t there before the weekend,” says Ameen. It’s Sunday morning.

Most workers, however, are buzzing around a 300m-long strip that runs between the two main sides of The Galleries. The strip

of trees, water features, benches and picnic spaces is an area of pride for Limitless.

“There are lots of trees, as well as an amphitheatre that holds 300 people and a giant screen. The amphitheatre will be a venue for cultural, arts and social events; we’ll show things like the World Cup, F1 races and Wimbledon on the screen – a real focal point for the project.

“It’s a place for people to enjoy – not just an offi ce where you have to come to work but a living environment to interact with.”

This 20,000m² accounts for US $32.6 mil-lion (AED120 million) of the $544 million The Galleries project, but Ameen insists that it could have actu-ally been done for much cheaper.

“It’s about going further. The fi nish and the detail is essential and, for that reason, we’re using a heavy granite for the fl ooring. It costs around four times more than the standard stuff. We also imported hundreds of trees from China – they had to be correct.”

It’s strange that even at this early stage, before the water features are fi lled and people eat lunches and chat on the fl owing lines of the benches, the heavy granite makes a genuine difference. Compared to many of Dubai’s developments, it gives the whole project weight – a feel of permanence or, bizarrely, age even.

Balancing that are the main water fea-tures that lie at each end of the plaza. One

will have modern, decorative fountains, while the other will be alive with fi sh and turtles.

Such is the rate of work on this outdoor area, Limitless expects it to be completed by the end of the year. On the day of CW’s visit, more than 200 workers swarm around, and a smiling Ameen shares a, “As-Salam Alaykum” with almost all of them.

A large portion of these are laying the intricate stone work, while a roughly equal amount have been set to work on the com-plex lighting systems.

Pointing a narrow trench, Ameen adds: “There, what we call the shallow services

are going in – telecoms and electricity. Sewer-age and district cooling are, of course, a long way beneath us now.

“From a project management point of view, yes, it can be a

very big task, as we’ve a range of different contractors. Now, for example, there are the pool contractors, the landscape con-tractors, the lighting installers and the MEP contractors.

The main buildings at The Galleries were constructed by the Japanese contractor Taisei, with Al Habtoor taking the lead as the principle landscape contractor.

Imagining the edge of the plaza to be fl anked with restaurants and cafés, as Limitless hopes it will be, it’s easy to imagine the area as a charming, atmo-spheric European street; something that,

THE GALLERIES IS AN EIGHT-BUILDING COMPLEX COMPRISES COMPRISING OFFICES AND APARTMENTS.

“WE’RE CONCENTRATING ON INFRASTRUCTURE,

OF COURSE, AS IT’S ESSENTIAL WE GET THIS RIGHT STRAIGHT AWAY”

DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SALAH AMEEN.

THE MAIN COMPANIESWORKING ON DOWNTOWN JEBEL ALI (ZONE ONE):• Landscape contractor: Habtoor

• Main building contractor: Taisei

• Infrastructure: ARC and Kier Dubai

• Galleries architect: Burt Hill

• Landscaping architect: SWA

• SZR fl yover and interchange 8: Shimizu

in itself, is a commendable feat of design and construction.

“Even during the height of summer, the plaza will receive just two and a half hours of direct sunlight per day. We’ve maximised shaded areas and you can imagine how pleas-ant that will be during the rest of the year,” explains Ameen.

Inevitably but still unfortunately, the design expertise for such a project was not available locally.

The Galleries was designed by Pittsburgh’s Burt Hill Architects, while the landscaping of the plaza came from the imaginations of designers at California-based SWA.

“We turned mainly to US-based architects with international experience, which really makes a difference to this over other projects. We wanted a landscape that interacted with its surroundings and its occupants.

Transport is a key ingredient in the liv-ing ethos that Limitless has tried to bring

to DJA, and the Metro station that lies a few hundred metres from The Galleries is a reminder of that.

“I was with the RTA a month ago and they said that the station would be up-and-run-ning by March 2010. We did a lot of research

with a dedicated team and between DJA and Jafza (Jebel Ali Free Zone), we believe we’ll get around 20% usage – that means 40,000 people using this station alone.”

Limitless corporate media relations manager Rebecca

Rees adds: “We accept that people will want to use cars and that’s a question of education, but the point is that you don’t have to. There’s mass transport and you’ve everything within a stone’s throw – City-bank and Standard Chartered have now opened offi ces here.”

The fi rst 300 residential units are expect-ed to be delivered mid-2010 and Limitless hopes that many of the companies with offi ces or head quarters in The Galleries A PODIUM GARDEN AT THE GALLERIES, DJA.

“WE ACCEPT THAT PEOPLE WILL WANT

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YOU DON’T HAVE TO”

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will take advantage of the residential units for their employees.

With The Galleries covered, we take a drive around the rest of the zone one site. Two substations are currently under construction – one each for zones one and two – with the fi rst ready in three months’ time.

Seventy-six further projects have been approved by Limitless for development by third party developers. Many of these have already broken ground on their proj-ects and workers we’re visible on some of these. Others had made tentative steps, placing hoardings around the site. This, says Ameen, had not been the case a couple of weeks earlier.

“We have a specifi c developer code that must be adhered to and each sub-developer also has to submit a programme – as standard, that means fi ve years from handover which in most cases has already taken place.

“We ask them to share their programmes so that we can help them to deliver DJA together. Of course, now more than ever, we do realise that projects will be market driven too.”

Work is underway on a fl yover taking traffi c directly from Sheikh Zayed Road to zone one of DJA, with Japan’s Shimizu Corporation carrying out that contract, along with the work on interchange eight, due for completion in 2010.

Ameen also points out where, he hopes, work will soon begin on the development’s fi rst mosque. The design has been approved and there will be room for 450 worship-pers. The tender for the mosque will go out soon.

Both the interchange and the mosque are signs of a young but maturing area.

Jebel Ali still straddles the divide between being the barren expanse of desert it once was and the industrial, manufacturing capi-tal it’s set to become. Its sense of place and identity is palpably growing, with the giant Maktoum airport just minutes away, where work, according to some reports, has already begun on runway two.

More business and industry can only be a good thing for the area and help to increase the value of projects such as Downtown Jebel Ali. In years to come, it may be that Limitless has not just constructed a mixed-use project, but a tranquil oasis in an ocean of industry. �

CRANES FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE

On the roof of The Galleries, various parts

of lift machinery were installed using seven

machines from Chinese fi rm Zoomlion with

the model number TC6517A. While these

cranes are not the most expensive on the

market, they have some good features,

such as modern PCL control and a 10-tonne

SWL. Munusamy. Mano, the HSE manager

from Taisei, the main contractor on the

commercial towers was most satisfi ed with

the performance of them. “These have been

good cranes” he said. “We bought them

brand new for this project, and we have had

no trouble. Actually, the support from the

factory has been excellent.” Cranes from

Asia have become a common sight in the

Middle East over the last few years. Price

aside, during the boom times, they were all

anybody could get hold of, with lead times

of around three months as opposed to as

long as two years for some western brands

at the time.

Like most modern CAD-designed cranes,

the seven identical units were designed to

be modular, so that they might be easily

taken down and moved somewhere else

when the project is complete. Speed

modulation with frequency conversion

means a more stable operation.

Quality was a concern, especially with

the grade of steel used in some Chinese

products, but with this brand Mano had

no such worries. “They undergo regular

and very thorough inspections” he said,

indicating coloured stickers which signify a

recent check.

Up on the roof, it was a pleasure to

witness the attention to detail in keeping the

place as safe as could be. All the scaffold

towers had an inspection tag, which was

renewed every seven days if safe.

The men all wore the correct PPE,

including high-impact eyeware, and Mano

assured Construction Week that all of

the crane operators had refresher courses

on the ground every six months. Wouldn’t it

be great if all construction sites were run in

that way?


Twenty or so years ago, bridges passing through the Middle East were built to run over vast open deserts with few obstacles to contend with.

Now, new highways are going live, islands are being built at sea and buildings are rising from the sands. Bridges have to get over such obstructions and, as a result, their design and construction has had to become much more advanced.

SAVING TIMEOne of the knock-on effects of a developing city is the rise in population, which leads

to congestion. So, when building bridges, contractors now have to work faster to avoid interfering with other infrastructure.

“Constructing a bridge is often a signifi -cant degree more complicated than build-ing other structures, given the presence of live waterways, roads, and railways,” says Warwick Ironmonger general manager of Nasa Structural Systems in the Middle East, which offers services in post-tensioning, external pre-stressing, stay cables, heavy lifting and strengthening.

“These [obstacles] may not only restrict access but often demand the comple-tion of the structure in the shortest pos-sible time to minimise the disturbance of existing traffi c.”

NASA GENERAL MANAGER WARWICK IRONMONGER.

“CONSTRUCTING A BRIDGE IS OFTEN MORE COMPLICATED THAN BUILDING OTHER STRUCTURES”

BUILDING

AS THE MIDDLE EAST DEVELOPS, SO TOO DO THE TECHNIQUES AND TRENDS FOR BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION. CW DISCOVERS THE SYSTEMS USED TO SAVE TIME, ENERGY AND MATERIALS

By Sarah Blackman

BRIDGES

> For more special reports visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

Consultants working on the Al Wadha Road project in Sharjah, UAE were given just two years to close one of the emirate’s busiest highways in order to carry out their work, which included the construction of a 550m-long viaduct.

RJR Engineering is one company that offers a solution aimed at meeting the needs of developers who need to construct a bridge quickly and effectively.

The company supplies a system that can be moved along a bridge without disman-tling. The system has unique features, which enable quick and easy assembling.

“We can move the system three times without dismantling it. If you have lots of repetition, you don’t need to keep taking it up and down, you can move the whole system as a big chunk,” says RJR managing director Roger Ratcliffe.

“The equipment is robust, thus ideally suited to the rough and tumble conditions on civil engineering sites. It is not unusual to see our large tables being carried between structures with large all-terrain fork lifts.”

RJR has supplied its formwork to the com-pleted Sheikh Khalifa Bridge, as well as over 300 bridge structures across the UAE.

“Bridge construction, if in situ, is very much formwork dictated and the choice of a fast, effi cient system is imperative to speedy and quality related work.”

MAINTAINING QUALITYConstruction in the Middle East was once about watching a city grow and come to life, now developers need to take into account the long-term effects on their projects.

Premature corrosion of concrete structures, such as bridges, is a growing problem here,

IMPLEMENTING POST-TENSIONING INTO BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION CAN RESULT IN SAVINGS OF CONCRETE.


especially in marine environments. This can result in the need for regular maintenance, which often comes at a hefty price.

But, according to Torben Krebs, general manger for Arminox, a leading supplier of stainless steel reinforcement, many con-tractors are blind to this fact.

“Although we have seen a lot of futuristic structures coming up over the past two decades, construction is still very tradi-tional in the Gulf,” he says.

There are two reasons behind this. One: the developer likes to use the same old systems and the same old materials. “He knows the setbacks, but he believes he can handle it.”

As a result, Krebs predicts that the Gulf will soon experience an unexpected explosion in maintenance and repair costs, to be allocated to existing but quite new structures. VSL DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER STEPHEN BURKE.

“STAY CABLE BRIDGES ARE VERY SUITABLE FOR TRAVERSING WIDE RIVERS OR LARGE BODIES OF WATER”

BRIDGE SUPPLIERS AND THEIR PROJECTS

NASA STRUCTURAL SYSTEMSEstablished in 1959, Nasa Structural

Systems offers a variety of specialised

services in bridge construction which

include strand, wire and bar post-tensioning,

external pre-stressing, stay-cables,

incremental launching, heavy lifting, load

handling, and strengthening.

Selection of bridge projects:

• Interchanges two and four on Sheikh

Zayed Road, Dubai

• Dubai Ring Roads (Emirates Road) Phase

1, Dubai

• Dubai International Airport Access

Bridge and Terminal 3 and Cargo Village

access bridges

• Improvement of North Manama

Corridor, Bahrain

• Zallaq Bridge, Bahrain

• Mall of the Emirates access bridges, Dubai

VSLVSL is a specialist contractor whose fl agship

activity is post-tensioning of buildings,

bridges and other civil engineering

structures. It also provides solutions in

precasting and segmental bridge erection

STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS PROVIDED PRE-STRESSING SERVICES FOR INTERCHANGE NO.2, SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD.

MULTISTRAND POST-TENSIONING WAS SUPPLIED TO BUILD THE MALL OF EMIRATES ACCESS BRIDGE.

“The second reason is the fact that any change in design or research into new mate-rials means application of man hours,” he continues. “Therefore, unfortunately, we see specifi cations for designs or products, which would never be used in Europe or the US.”

Epoxy coated reinforcement, increased concrete cover, chemical inhibitors and cathodic protection have been tested on structures, such as bridges, but failed to protect the concrete against corrosion.

Krebs believes there is only one solution for this problem: “If stainless steel rein-forcement is introduced in the corrosion


zones of the structures, there will be no corrosion and grades of stainless steel with a guaranteed lifetime of more than 150 years are now commercially available.”

Arminox has worked on projects such as Pearl Qatar Bridges and Site Causeway Bridges in Bahrain.

TREND SETTERSNew trends in the industry have also affected the way we build bridges. One of the key trends in the Middle East is to build man-made islands, resulting in a need for bridges to be built over water.

Modern technologies implemented by NASA Structural Systems, such as the incre-mental launching of bridge decks via the use of launching noses, combined with sliding bearings and bonded post-tensioning, per-mit bridge structures to be completed over existing waterways and in-service roads and railways, where building in a more conventional manner with traditional scaf-folding is not possible or practical.

VSL, a post-tensioning and structural strengthening company, together with its partners AST Overseas, has recently been awarded the Hodariyat Island Bridge in Abu Dhabi as the main contractor.

This will be the fi rst stay-cable bridge to be constructed in the UAE.

“Stay-cable bridges are very suitable for tra-versing large bodies of water,” says VSL deputy general manager Stephen Burke.

“In the case of the Hodariyat Bridge the stay-cable is a good solution both techni-cally and aesthetically due to the fact that there is a wide maritime navigation chan-nel to cross.”

Nasa Structural Systems’ stay-cable technology is also proven to give bridges extra strength.

“It offers a means of supporting bridge decks from cables attached to the bridge towers or pylons, providing an aesthet-ic and economical solution for bridges longer than those typically seen in cantilever bridges and shorter than those typically requiring suspension bridges,” explains Ironmonger.

Saving on materials and systems, such as cables, is another key trend in the con-struction world – particularly when green

building standards and codes are rapidly coming into place.

“The application of pre-stressing, whether it is via internal or external post-tension-ing, and/or the introduction of stay-cables to bridges results in signifi cant savings of concrete and reinforcement when com-pared to conventionally reinforced bridge decks,” adds Ironmonger.

“This translates into savings in not only water and cement but aggregate, steel etc.”

VSL’s post tensioning technology also con-tributes to the environment by reducing CO2 emissions in the construction process, according to Burke.

Overall post-tensioned structures have a reduced environmental impact when compared to more traditional construction methods. For example, the CO2 emission for reinforced concrete is 129.9kg CO2 per m² compared to 95.3kg CO2 per m² for post-tensioning.“By using post-tensioning instead of rein-forced concrete on a typical high rise tower, you save on structural concrete cross sec-tions, allowing for thinner fl oors and slabs, thus giving rise to immediate reductions in concrete volumes,” he says.

Whether developers and contractors like it or not, the Middle East is changing and construction companies will have to follow suit if they want their projects to stand the test of time. This is a challenge, but devel-opers need to face it now and not just cross that bridge when they come to it. �

BRIDGE SUPPLIERS AND THEIR PROJECTS (continued)

launching gantries, retained earth, stay-

cables, heavy lifting, strengthening and

repairs, foundations and bar systems.

Selection of bridge projects:

• Sheikh Zayed Bridge – Abu Dhabi

• The superstructure works for the Dubai

Metro

• Saaydiat and Yas Island Bridges

• The new Al Garhoud Crossing

• Gateway Bridge onto Palm Jumeirah

• Trunk Spine Bridge on Palm Jebel Ali

• Business Bay crossing

• The double decking of Doha Road

• Interchange 5.5, Dubai

ARMINOXArminox is a leading supplier of stainless

steel reinforcement for concrete structures

and has factories and service centres in

Europe, the US, UAE, Bahrain, Australia

and China.

Selection of projects:

• Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Abu Dhabi

• Pearl Qatar Bridges, Qatar

• Sitra Causeway Bridges, Bahrain

• Qasr Al Alam Palace, Oman

• RTA Flyovers, Dubai

• Financial Harbor, Bahrain

• Ras Laffan Port Expansion, Qatar

RJR ENGINEERING RJR Engineering Global Formwork offers a

system that can be moved along a bridge

without dismantling. The system has unique

features, which enable quick and easy

assembling. RJR has worked on over 300

bridge structures in the UAE.

Selection of projects:

• Interchange 5.5, Dubai

• Business Bay Bridge, Dubai

• Muscat Expressway, Oman – over 22

bridges and Wadi crossings are using the

RJR system widening of Emirates Road

• Sheikh Khalifa Bridge

90%POST TENSIONING IS NOW

USED IN MORE THAN

OF BRIDGES IN THE UAE

Organised by

11.00 - 22.00 daily23-26 November 2009

Dubai World Trade Centre,Dubai, United Arab Emirates www.thebig5exhibition.com/visit

11.00 - 20.00 daily

AN EXPERIENCE WHICH IS TRULY...‘BEYOND EXCEPTIONAL’

www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory

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DIRECTORY

NOVEMBER 21–27, 2009 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 51

52 SHOWCASE54 TENDERS55 PROJECTS

SPECIALIST SERVICES56 Building materials57 Construction chemicals/concrete58 Education & training/fl ooring59 Recruitment/steel

CITY UPDATE60 Baghdad, Iraq

SHOWCASE | TENDERS | PROJECTS | SUPPLIERS | CITY UPDATE

TOP LEFT AND RIGHT: These two images

depict a part of Mirdif City Centre’s most

dramatic feature, the main central galleria.

It is designed as an active urban street

and town square that progresses from the

landscaped entrance through the heart of

the scheme, forming a series of themed

interconnecting rooms, with roof structures

spanning 37m, 20m high carrying decorative

aluminium screens weighing 0.3 tonnes each.

The Galleria is divided into three courts, two

of which can be seen in these images – the

Palm Court and Eden Court. The emphasis

on the overall design has been a strong use of

natural light to illuminate the mall.

RIGHT: The northern side of Mirdif City Centre

linking the north eastern car park and the

western car park. There have been spaces

provided for 7000 car parks. Shop units are

being fi tted out on either side of the travelator,

linking Carrefour on the ground level to the

upper level car parks.

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�SHOWCASEITP IMAGESFOR IMAGES WITHIN THESE PAGES PLEASE EMAIL [email protected]

CONSTRUCTION WEEK AWARDS 2009: Alec picked up the Contractor of the Year award for its work on Mirdif City Centre project.

MIRDIF CITY CENTRE

Mirdif City Centre is a 196,000m² super regional community destination scheduled for opening

on March 16, 2010 in the North East Growth corridor of Dubai. Built at an investment of

approximately US $816.7 million (AED3 billion), the centre strategically integrates community

services, an innovative leisure and entertainment component, and a mix of top brands – with

200 being new to Mirdif, Deira and the Northern Emirates.

For im

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LEFT AND BELOW: Mirdif City Centre is

designed in a simple rectangular, racetrack

layout with nodes at the intersections to act

as areas for the mall’s eight anchor stores.

These images show two triple height pivotal

corner nodes with alternative decorative

design solutions, as seen from the fi rst fl oor

of the mall, to allow for natural light to come

into the mall. The city centre project was fi rst

announced in April 2007 with construction

beginning in August of the same year.

Facilities will include two food courts, cafes,

restaurants, a 10 screen cinema complex,

an outdoor cinema, Magic Planet children’s

entertainment area, and an ‘iFly’ indoor

skydiving center.



�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: 283/2009/4130Description: Supply, installation and commissioning of chimney lights for Riffa phase one and two.Closes: November 25Fees: BD15Bond: BD500Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.bh

Issuer: Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: 307/2009/6015Description: The scope of work includes renovation of administration building at Sitra Power and Water Station.Closes: December 2Fees: BHD15Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.bh

EGYPT

Issuer: Chamber of Commerce in AssuitDescription: Construction of the Chamber’s new residence.Closes: November 23Fees: EP1000Bond: EP150,000Contact: Al Awqaf Buildings, Building No.5, Assuit

OMAN

Issuer: Petroleum Development OmanTender No: C311132Description: Engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning of an integrated power station at Qarn Alam.Closes: November 21Contact: www.pdotenders.com

Issuer: Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water ResourcesTender No: 297/2009Description: The scope of work includes the construction of a sewage treatment plant and sewerage network system for Misfat Al Abrean suburb in Wilayat Al Hamra.

Closes: November 30Fees: OR500Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Ministry of Foreign AffairsTender No: 320/2009Description: Expansion of Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Al Qurm BausherCloses: November 30Fees: OR1000Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Ministry of HousingTender No: 301/2009Description: Construction of 32 housing units and a mosque in the Al Sharqiya region.Fees: OR500Closes: December 7Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Ministry of HealthTender No: 307/2009Description: Construction of health centre at Musanah.Closes: December 7Fees: OR375Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

QATAR

Issuer: Public Works AuthorityTender No: PWA/GTC/044/09-10Description: Construction of temporary and permanent roads in zones 76 to 79.Closes: November 24Fees: QR2000Contact: Contract Department, Public Works Authority

Issuer Public Works AuthorityTender No: PWA/GTC/045/09-10Description: Reconstruction of Najma Road extension.Closes: December 8Fees: QR7000Contact: Contract Department, Public Works Authority

Issuer: Public Works AuthorityTender No: PWA/GTC/045/09-10Description: Reconstruction of the Najma Road extension.Closes: December 8Fees: QR7000Contact: Contract Department, Public Works Authority

SAUDI ARABIA

Issuer: Royal Commission for Jubail and YanbuTender No: PIC G-1679EDescription: All work necessary for a complete operational facility of Juma Mosques.Closes: December 5Contact: Director, Purchasing and Contracting Department, PO Box 30031, Madinat Yanbu Al Sinaiyah

Issuer: Saudi Railway OrganisationTender No: 218Description: Specifi cation for the design of new bridges for the rail line with the assessment of the existing railway bridges and concrete sleepers on the rail line in various locations between Dammam and Riyadh.Closes: December 7Contact: www.saudirailways.org

UAE

Issuer: Ministry of Public WorksTender No: 2009/167/10-341104-7091-7048Description: Construction of a maternity and children’s hospital in Sharjah, UAE.Closes: December 22Fees: AED8000Contact: www.mopw.gov.ae

Issuer: Dubai Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: CE/0423/2009Description: Supply, installation, testing and commissioning of 132/11KV substations.Closes: December 6Fees: AED5000Contact: www.dewa.gov.ae

The Ministry of Public Works in the UAE is responsible for the federal road construction, urban planning, housing and the construction of public buildings such as community centres, markets, mosques, clinics and schools. The ministry has recently opened a tender for the construction of a maternity and children’s hospital in Sharjah. The bidding deadline is December 22. The hospital is reported to have an obstetrics and paediatric department, gynaecology units and an open heart surgery unit once complete. The government body has also released a tender for the construction of the Al Hamadiah Intersection in Ajman, UAE. The bidding deadline for this contract is December 8. �

Tender focus

UAE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS

A TENDER IS OUT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW HOSPITAL IN SHARJAH.

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

� PR

OJECTS To

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is section

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

Duqm Beach Hotel is set to be built around 450km south of Muscat, Oman and will spread across 180,000m² of land adjacent to the Indian Ocean. The hotel will comprise 200 rooms, 28 chalets, numerous restaurants, a health spa and meeting and banquet facilities. Potentially, a second phase will include service apartments. Two bidders have so far applied for the main construction contract including Larsen and Toubro, which submitted a US $210 million (OR80 million) offer, while Galfar Engineering and Contracting submitted a $161 million offer. An award for the contract is imminent. The project is expected to be completed by the fi rst quarter of 2011. �

Project focus

DUQM BEACH HOTEL

DUQM BEACH HOTEL WILL SPREAD ACROSS 180,000M².

PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAINCONTRACTOR

VALUE(US$MN)

STATUS

OMANBURAIMI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BUILDING Buraimi University College Gulf Engineering Consultancy Not Appointed 31 - 100 project under design

RENOVATION OF INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL IN MUSCAT

Omran Offi ce Pentago Spowers International Not Appointed 16 - 30 project under design

DHOFAR UNIVERSITY IN SALALAH - PACK 1 Dhofar University National Engineering Offi ce Al Hashemi & Al Rawas Company 21 project under construction

NEW TELEVISION STUDIO COMPLEX Ministry of Information Austro Consult Bahwan Contracting Company 33 project under construction

HEADQUARTERS BUILDING FOR BANK OF MUSCAT Bank of Muscat Atkins Galfar Engineering & Contracting 71 project under construction

DEVELOPMENT OF JABAL AL AKHDAR RESORT HOTEL Omran Offi ce AW2 Not Appointed 31 - 100 project under design

FAIRMONT HOTEL Fairmont Hotel & Resorts/The Wave Muscat

Echo Designer Consultants Not Appointed 101 - 250 project under design

CROWNE PLAZA DUQUM RESORT Omran Offi ce/Inter Continental Hotel Group

KEO International Not Appointed 251 - 500 project under design

HOSPITAL IN SOUTH SALALAH Ministry of Defence Ibn Khaldun International Contractors Company

16 - 30 project under construction

PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL AT AL AMERAT Ministry of Health Khatib and Alami Bahwan Contracting Company 107 project under construction

RENOVATION OF SHERATON OMAN HOTEL Al Hasher Group Atkins Zubair Furnishing 25 project under construction

THE MALKAI AT BARKA Al Maeen Real Estate Services Company

Triad Oman/AW2 Not Appointed 250 project under design

OFFICE BUILDING AT AL KHUWAIR Ministry of Housing Electricity & Water

Al Hatmy Engineering Consultant

Burj Oman 2.5 - 15 project under construction

BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT UNIT BLOCK Sultan Qaboos University Hospital Gulf Engineering Consultancy Not Appointed 16 - 30 project under design

DAR AL MAHA RESIDENTIAL BUILDING - PHASE 1 Sohar International Development & Investment

Engineering Innovation Design Al Hajiri Trading 16 - 30 project under construction

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME COLLEGE OMAN Ministry of Manpower Gulf Engineering Consultancy Al Khalili United Enterprises 35 project under construction

HOUSING COMPLEX AT SOHAR Abdulla Moosa Al Hatmy Engineering Consultancy

Iskan Contracting Company 17 project under construction

REDEVELOPMENT OF THE CROWNE PLAZA RESORT SALALAH

Ministry of Tourism Consulting Engineering Services Not Appointed 31 - 100 project under design

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


�SPECIALIST SERVICESCONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MADE EASY IN CONSTRUCTION WEEK’S DIRECTORYTO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL +971 4 435 6375, OR EMAIL [email protected]

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BUILDING MATERIALS

Supplier focus

JOTUNMANUFACTURER OF PAINTS AND COATINGS

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ESFounded in 1926 in Norway, Jotun - one of the world’s leading paint manufacturers - established its presence in the Middle East in 1974, with Jotun UAE. Ever since, Jotun has expanded throughout the region and according to the company, is the fi rst paint manufacturer to be awarded the ISO 9001 certifi cation. The group has factories including the recently opened plant in Al Quoz, Dubai, UAE - the biggest factory worldwide for Jotun and the Middle East.

Jotun has been at the forefront in terms of developing prod-ucts specifi cally suited to local conditions. Three decades of experience in the Middle East has helped the company pro-duce a variety of conventional and specialised coatings - each incorporating technological developments while offering per-formance with economy - catering to the various product seg-ments and demands of the different markets.

Today, Jotun’s product range includes decorative, marine, fl oor/concrete protection and powder coatings. The company also offers coatings that protect steel and concrete against corrosion. Jotun has 71 companies and 40 production facili-ties on all continents. Including the total network of legal companies, agents, branch offi ces and distributors, Jotun is represented in 80 countries. Jotun’s operations cover develop-ment, production, marketing and sales of various paint systems and products. � JOTUN REGIONAL MARKETING MANAGER ERIK KRISTENSEN.


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BUILDING MATERIALS HARD LANDSCAPING SUPPLIER

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

DEWATERING

Engineering Works Foundation Infrastructure (L.L.C.)

SPECIALIZED DEWATERING SERVICES:• Specialized in Deepwell, Wellpoint,

Open pumping techniques

• Professional Service

• Round the clock backup

• Effective Groundwater control

P.O. Box: 111245, Dubai - U.A.E. P.O. Box: 2752, Abu Dhabi - U.A.E.Tel: +971 4 340 9022 Fax: +971 4 340 8952 E-mail: [email protected]

CEILINGS/PARTITIONS

CONSTRUCTION/MANUFACTURERS

CONSTRUCTION CHEMICALS

CONSTRUCTION/MANUFACTURERS

Calcium silicate and cement � bre boards of thickness 6mm, 9mm and 12mm.Tiles vinyl fabricated and painted.

Concrete injection packers and pumps

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


�SPECIALIST SERVICESCONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MADE EASY IN CONSTRUCTION WEEK’S DIRECTORYTO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL +971 4 435 6375, OR EMAIL [email protected]

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LANDSCAPING

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CONTRACTORS/MANUFACTURERS

FLOORING

HVAC & PLUMBING RELATED EQUIPMENT

Albert +971 50 854 5629

Office +971 4 885 8825Simon +971 50 854 5327

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

RECRUITMENT

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STEEL

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WOOD AND TIMBER

POST TENSIONING


CITY UPDATEBAGHDAD, IRAQ

It’s hardly a secret that Baghdad hasn’t been a hotbed of con-struction in recent years, and with good reason. However, while the situation in the Iraqi capital remains ever tenuous, recent months have seen the

government take serious steps to bring one of the oldest and largest cities in the region back onto the map.

Currently, Baghdad’s main project is one that will probably seem familiar to anyone in Dubai or Riyadh. October saw eight fi rms shortlisted for the Baghdad Metro, a city transportation projects estimated to be worth US $3 billion to $4 billion.

Twenty fi rms originally bid for the project, which include two lines with a total length of 39km and 41 stations. The companies now on the shortlist include

Rebuilding BaghdadBAGHDAD IS A CITY WITH A LOT OF BAGGAGE – BUT THROUGH CONSTRUCTION, IT MAY HAVE A MUCH BRIGHTER FUTURE

By James Boley

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS CONTINUE WORK ON THE NEW UNITED STATES EMBASSY COMPOUND.

France’s Systra, Britain’s Pell Frischmann and Cyril Sweett Group, US fi rms Par-sons Brinckerhoff and Aecom, Germany’s RMS, Turkey’s Makyol and Mebex, a Leba-nese fi rm.

Tourism also seems to be part of the grand plan for the future as well. Currently under construction is the Rotana Baghdad, designed by Dubai-based Dewan Architects and Engineers.

The 10-storey hotel is being touted as the country’s fi rst truly fi ve-star hotel. “While other ‘fi ve-star’ hotels exist [in Iraq], nothing has really been built in the country since

1971,” explains Ammar Al Assam, Dewan executive director.

Currently under construction, Rotana Bagh-dad is located in the centre of the city—for-merly known as Baghdad’s ‘green zone’—and once complete, is poised to be the unoffi cial destination-of-choice for affl uent visitors, dignitaries and heads of state.

“Iraq has a huge potential for religious tourism,” says Al Assam. “The country is 80% Shi’ah and there are around 250 mil-lion Shi’ahs outside Iraq.”

Unsurprisingly, there are also a large number of reconstruction contracts on the table for the Iraqi capital, as the city begins to look at increasing housing and hospi-tals, and improving transport. Baghdad’s Bab Al Shaikh district is to be fi tted out with housing and buildings to host public service provders, along with multi-storey car parks and links to the neighbouring express highway.

Meanwhile, in the Kudher Elias district of the Al Karkh area of Baghdad, a major development project is in the pipeline. Planned for the area are a 15-storey, fi ve-

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“WHILE OTHER ‘FIVE-STAR’ HOTELS EXIST [IN IRAQ], NOTHING HAS REALLY BEEN BUILT IN THE COUNTRY SINCE 1971”

star hotel, a cinema, canals, a fountain and park areas.

Clinic projects in Baghdad are also proving fertile ground. In June, the UK’s MJ Medi-cal (MJM) was named as the lead design consultant on a $400 million deal to build three new teaching hospitals in Iraq.

Alongside unidentifi ed Lebanese partners, MJM will design, build and equip three

400-bed clinics in Baghdad, Diyala and Diwaniya. The three facilities are sched-uled to open in June 2011.

“Contributing to a project that will offer the Iraqi people hope for their future as well as a tangible improvement in their day-to-day lives is a responsibility that we take extremely seriously,” says MJM strategic director Nathaniel Hobbs.

IRAQI CONSTRUCTION WORKERS LAY CONCRETE DURING WORK ON THE SHARKH DIJLAH.

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WORKERS CONSTRUCT A MONUMENT ALONG THE ROAD LEADING TO THE AL SHAAB STADIUM.

“IT TAKES A COMBINATION OF LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE TO SUCCEED IN THE REGION”

“The project underlines both the strength of the relationships we have with our clients in the Middle East, and the capabilities of our company.

“It takes a combination of local knowledge and operational excellence to succeed in the region, which is something we have been doing successfully for more than 20 years,” Hobbs adds. �

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Construct SAFETrench collapse


experience. Poor health, safety & welfare knowledge

Farik: Apprentice labourer new to the industry with no experience. Poor health, safety & welfare knowledge

Illustrations by Jincom Publishing

Introducing the Construct Safe lead characters (from Left to Right)

Raoul: Senior Supervisor with 30 years experience and good health, safety & welfare knowledge

Achmat: Construction labourer with little

> For the ConstructSafe comic strip log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

If you have a health & safety or environment issue that you would like to see addressed through this comic strip email your ideas or comments to [email protected]. Alternatively, log onto www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com to see the comic strip.

SPONSORED BY: Six Construct

CONSTRUCTION WEEK NOVEMER 21–27, 200964

DIALOGUERODERICK WILES

How has American hardwood fared during the downturn?In the US, hardwood has not escaped the crisis and, over the past few years, demand has also fallen due to domestic manufacturing turning to China. The recession in the US, of course, started with fi nance and then quickly spread to housing, so domestic demand is down and the US accounts for 80% of US hardwood demand.

The GCC has taken a big hit over the past 18 months but there is still growth in American hardwood, even if that’s less growth than before.

How sustainable is American hardwood as a material?This is a hugely complex subject, but as a resource, hardwood is 100% sustainable, as for every tree that’s felled, 1.9 grow back naturally. It’s a doubling resource and the US can offer this forever. That said, wood is still not taken anywhere near seriously enough. I think, according to Leed platinum, if you use timber, which must be FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) then you get just one point, which is a joke. You get two points for a cycle rack out front.

In the US, 95% of houses are still made with a wooden frame and, so, there’s a lot of absolving responsibility going on. Leed, Estidama are similar, so you can see that we’re up against it as far as educating goes.

The head of Green Peace recently said that the use of sustainable timber had the lightest environmental footprint of any building material.

What are the other major issues currently facing the wood industry?There’s a huge call for FSC certifi ed wood at the moment, but this is actually slightly problematic in the US. There are more than 9 million privately-owned forests – from very small ones to very large ones. These have been well managed for generations, as the forest owners understand only too well the value of their trees. So, traditionally, if the grandchildren needed college fees, they’d fell some of the oldest trees. It has been a sustainable industry in that way for years.

Talking timberRoderick Wiles, consultant for the American Hardwood Export Council (Ahec), discusses the benefits of wood as a sustainable material and the merits of FSC certification

By Matt Warnock

How can this entire chain of custody be checked and verifi ed, which is what FSC certifi cation demands? Take the new Michael Hopkins-designed forestry school at Yale. It was built with timber from Yale’s own on-site forest, but the local sawmill is not FSC certifi ed. Therefore, to get a Leed rating, the timber was shipped 600 miles to the nearest FSC mill and back.

What’s the solution to this problem?Ahec commissioned an independent fi rm to fi nd out just how much risk there was from illegal wood in the US – the result was just 1% and, in most cases, this was just from someone making a mistake and felling an extra tree in the wrong zone here and there – not enough to endanger the industry.

But I suppose we need to educate forest owners and mills. They often ask why – what difference does it make to them if they’re FSC certifi ed? – so maybe the government needs to take a lead. Wisconsin has changed its state laws to ensure FSC certifi cation throughout.

Do designers enjoy working with wood?Designers and architects talk about organic models and sustainability and then you see they’ve created some eco-bubble from injection-moulded plastic. It’s laughable, really. Obviously, the Middle East doesn’t have a great wood tradition

but they have always used teak for door frames. In terms of furnishings, you’ll not fi nd many fi ve-star hotels in Dubai without American maple or cherry; certainly, interiors companies such as Depa and Greenline do a great job. Although, often the fi nal fi nishing or knowledge of how to maintain hardwood is not there.

Construction workers coming over usually know about wood, but quality control needs to come from the specifi er or contractor. It all-too-often depends on cash fl ow, as there are so many examples of US cherry being specifi ed in a hotel and, in the end, there’s no money left so, instead, they use stained beech. The client probably knows no different and the contractor rubs their hands.

Wiles started work as an independent

forest industry consultant, he has provided

various services to clients including the

American Hardwood Export Council,

American Forest and Paper Association,

American Softwoods, APA—The

Engineered Wood Association, Canada

Wood, Ghana Forestry Commission,

International Tropical Timber Organisation,

the UK’s Timber Trade Federation and

Institute of Wood Science and many other

private clients. He is an advisor to the

UNECE/FAO Timber Committee and now

spearheads Ahec’s promotional campaigns

across the Middle East, North Africa

and India.

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construction week issue 297

Documents

construction agreement

construction industry

dubais construction

best interior designers

interior design firm

safety best practices

salary survey reveals

changing trends