SPECIAL ISSUE HOW WILL RAIL DEVELOP IN THE GCC?

N E WS
WS • AN
NALY
ALYSI
S IS
S • IN TE L L IGE NC
N C E • P ROJ ECT S • CON
CO N T RACTS
RACT S • T EN D ERS JAN 15-21, 2011
MAY 26-J
26-JUNE • •ISSUE
1, 2012 ISSUE352
420

AN ITP BUSINESS PUBLICATION CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

CONSTRUCT

$106bn bonanza JEBEL ALI

Major rail investment TERMINAL
Etihad Rail signs MoU
plan is on the cards for for new intermodal
the GCC p40 rail terminal at Dubai
Port p12
p4 Extension for Oman tender
New bid deadline for design-and-supervision p5 Tender for Riyadh metro
contract for Oman’s National Rail Project Global consortia invited to bid
for new system in Saudi capital

“The regional rail Ticket to the future

>6

sector is good for The latest trends,

developments in rail
technology

the GCC economy,

providing a lot of >58
work, whereas parts Contract for Dubai Metro
$400m operations-and-
maintenance deal for Serco

of the world are still

in recession.” Digging deep
Top tunnel boring machine
suppliers converge on the GCC
>70

Drake & Scull Rail operations

director Darko Macura

Also Inside
Al Sufouh Tram HARAMAIN
Dubai’s next big FORMWORK
GHI delivers unique
transportation project vertical column
members
aims for a 2014 finish p62
p54
 28 CONTENTS
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 • ISSUE 420

INTELLIGENCE 04
Bid-bond extension for Oman rail tender
FINANCE 08
UAE a key market
SNAPSHOT 10
Major GCC railway projects
ROUND-UP 12
Etihad Rail to build Jebel Ali terminal
ENGINEERING GENIUS 80
Crossrail rail project in London

COVER STORY
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plan is on the cards for for new intermodal
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Port p12
p4 &YUFOTJPO
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New bid deadline for design-and-supervision p5 5FOEFS
GPS
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contract for Oman’s National Rail Project Global consortia invited to bid

EDITOR’S
for new system in Saudi capital

“The regional rail 5JDLFU
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>6

sector is good for The latest trends,

COMMENT
developments in rail
technology

the GCC economy,

providing a lot of
The GCC Rail work, whereas parts $POUSBDU
GPS
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.FUSP
$400m operations-and-
maintenance deal for Serco
>58

of the world are still

Network is the in recession.” %JHHJOH
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Top tunnel boring machine
suppliers converge on the GCC
>70

Drake & Scull Rail operations

end result of director Darko Macura

a remarkable "MTP
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p54

OVERVIEW
42
GCC INVESTS $106BN IN RAIL PROJECTS
Rail is emerging as an increasingly viable option.
GUEST COMMENT
SOFTWARE INTEROPERABILITY
Convergence will unlock BIM.
For weekly updates
and subscriptions
Log onto
constructionweekonline.com
38 CONVENTION TENDERS 28 13
Tenders floated by Omran for Phase 2
of the Oman Convention and Exhibition
Centre project expire on 18 June.

22 // ONLINE
“I applaud the
government regulatory
TECHNOLOGY bodies for acting
TICKET TO THE FUTURE
Cathal McElroy looks at the rail technology and
quickly.”
trends of tomorrow. THOM BOHLEN
CEMENT REPUTATION 24
The UAE has the potential to become
the region’s major provider of cement,
according to the Dubai Chamber.
PILGRIMS’ PROGRESS 46
Saudi authorities are looking to rail projects
to accommodate the increasing number of
religious pilgrims to the Kingdom.

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 1

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Themost
mostimportant
importantproject,
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contract and tender information,
contract and tender information,
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N E W S • AN ALYSIS • IN T E LLIG E N C E • PR OJE CT S • C O N T R ACT S • T E N DE R S JAN 15-21, 2011
MAY 5-11, • ISSUE
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EDITORIAL
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TENDER FOR HQ Formwork focus tel +971 4 444 3476, email stuart.matthews@itp.com
Etihad Airways’ for HQ
extension project in Khalifa Major suppliers rise EDITOR Gerhard Hope
to challenge posed by
City ‘A’ p4
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p5 $169m Saudi infrastructure win
HLG-Dragados JV wins contract for
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p40 REPORTER Cathal McElroy
Wins for Arabtec
>6 tel +971 4 444 3000, email cathal.mcelroy@itp.com
Two Qatar contracts worth
$126m for leading contractor REPORTER John Bambridge
tel +971 4 444 3890, email john.bambridge@itp.com
>12
Setting standards
Abu Dhabi to launch new
CW QATAR EDITOR William Skidmore
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tel +971 4 444 3318, email william.skidmore@itp.com
Powering up
Mott MacDonald oversees Oman’s
>13
FM EDITOR Hannah-Farah Abdulla
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Systems’
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uptake of IT in Waha Land’s Hazem S. Al Nowais
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SPONSORSHIP SALES MANAGER Carlo Menezes
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Steel framework 2022 TENDER

STUDIO
Ideal building material
for sustainability
Qatar Supreme Committee
issues two tenders for World GROUP ART EDITOR Daniel Prescott
Cup stadium p4
trend p46 DESIGNER Wasim Akande
p12 $2bn expansion for NDIA
Extra investment for new airport
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Jovana Obradovic
>5
to cope with anticipated growth
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Efraim Evidor, Isidora Bojovic
Midfield Terminal
Arabtec, TAV and CCC
land $3.2bn construction
contract
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Juliet Dunne, George Dipin, Murrindie Frew, Verko Ignjatovic,
Also Inside Shruti Jagdeesh, Mosh Lafuente, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav, Lester Ali
>6
Lusail Marina Train to
Plans unveiled for
somewhere
crescent-shaped
building
Snathe Group PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
>10
Underwater
aims to boost
skills’ training
GROUP PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR Kyle Smith
mosque
First for Saudi
Arabia and the
world
in the UAE
p40
DEPUTY PRODUCTION MANAGER Matthew Grant
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Radomir Medojevic
MANAGING PICTURE EDITOR Patrick Littlejohn
Al Jawharah IMAGE EDITOR Emmalyn Robles
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Latest high-rise on Jeddah CIRCULATION
Corniche to be completed in 2013
HEAD OF CIRCULATION & DATABASE Gaurav Gulati
MARKETING
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19-25, • ISSUE
2012 • ISSUE352
419
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Iraq tender
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Latest technologies,
trends & products from FINANCE DIRECTOR Toby Jay Spencer-Davies
top suppliers p48 BOARD OF DIRECTORS KM Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi,
p10 ‘Dragon’ towers design
Burj Khalifa design firm unveils twin-
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2 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

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 INTELLIGENCE

Oman's National Railway System is part of the proposed inter-GCC railway network.

Tender of note: Bid bond extension for tender

for Oman’s National Rail Project

I
nternational competitors for the hotly- Bid bonds, which are guarantees that the
anticipated, but much-delayed, design winning bidder will undertake the contract
and supervision contract for Oman's under the terms at which they bid, are
National Rail Project have been requested to typically valid for not more than 90 days, and
extend their bid bonds to 5 July, indicating are routinely renewed at the client's behest.
that an award could be imminent. According to officials, the delay in the
Five consortia are bidding for a four-year announcement of an award is an inevitable
contract to undertake the detailed engineering outcome of the project’s transfer last year
design of the proposed 1,000km-long rail from the Supreme Committee for Town
network. Planning to the Ministry of Transport &
Last month the Tender Board faxed letters Communications.
to the bidders’ representatives in the Sultanate The successful bidder will be required to
directing them to extend their bid bonds by 90 prepare the preliminary design for all the
days to 5 July. elements of the railway project.
This is the latest in a series of extensions that Given the size of the project, there is
have characterised the long-overdue contract speculation that the Tender Board may select
award. All five bidders are understood to have more than one bidder to undertake the design
since complied with the request. and supervision package.
4 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
 INTELLIGENCE

For up-to-the-minute
tenders log on to
constructionweekonline.com

TOP TENDERS
Tender for new Schneider wins
Riyadh metro system lighting contract Installing a new cathodic
protection system
Country: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian authorities have launched Schneider Electric has been awarded the
Closes: 23 June
a tender process to develop a new metro KNX lighting control contract for the Client: SWCC
transit system in the capital Riyadh. Presidency of Meteorology and Environment Category: Power & Water
In a notice on the Arriyadh (PME) building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Design & construction of multi-
Development Authority’s website, “global The contract was awarded by Setra e.Vision, level parking facility
consortia” were invited to bid to provide the project’s system integrator. Schneider Country: Saudi Arabia
infrastructure including rolling stock and Electric will provide automated lighting Closes: 25 June
Client: SWCC
telecommunications, as well as tunnelling, controls system for building. The project is Category: Infrastructure
civil, mechanical and electrical works. scheduled to be completed in August 2012,
Replacement of a hydraulic
The notice said suppliers had until and spans over 50,000m2, with 19 floors of power system for SW pumps
20 June to submit applications for offices and service and control areas. Country: Saudi Arabia
prequalification to the development The KNX products will control and Closes: 26 June
authority in Riyadh. monitor lighting systems, including presence Client: SWCC
Category: Power & Water
Meanwhile the Higher Commission sensors, switching and dimming.
for the Development of Riyadh (HCDR) Hesham AboRejal, VP: LifeSpace and Supply & replacement of
elevators at Yanbu
has approved construction of a second Residential Business at Schneider Electric, Country: Saudi Arabia
107km-long ring road that will minimise said: “We are delighted to be awarded the Closes: 1 July
the movement of heavy trucks. contract.” Client: SWCC
Category: Infrastructure
Construction of fire-training
centre in Jubail
Broadway Malyan to design global R&D centre Country: Saudi Arabia
Closes: 7 July
Client: SWCC
Baoting County, north of Category: Buildings
Sanya on Hainan Island, Delivery & installation of 7km
the Shennong Valley pipeline
Resort will sit in a 35 acre Country: Saudi Arabia
Closes: 26 May
site located between the
Client: SWCC
famous Qixianling Seven Category: Infrastructure
Angels mountain ridge
Delivery & installation of 1km
and the valley’s extensive pipeline
terraced rice fields.   Country: Saudi Arabia
The design will Closes: 27 May
Client: SWCC
This flagship project will set a global benchmark. maximise views of the Category: Infrastructure
ridge and the valleys
Firefighting system at Shuqaiq
Global architecture, landscape design services below for visitors staying plant
urbanism and design for the project, from in luxury private villas, Country: Saudi Arabia
practice Broadway Malyan concept to detailed design large-format club house Closes: 29 May
has secured a brief to and onsite delivery, with villas and a five-star Client: SWCC
Category: Power & Water
provide a full range the centre set to become resort, operated by the
of design services for a global centre for hybrid Intercontinental Hotel Construction & maintenance of
buildings in Al Magawer Camp
the delivery of a global rice research. Group, and including Country: Kuwait
headquarter, research and It will also become a amenities for conference Closes: 29 May
development, hospitality showcase for sustainable and spa facilities.  Client: Central Tenders Committee
and visitor centre in development and an Broadway Malyan Category: Infrastructure
China. The client is Grand international leisure director Jeremy Salmon Request for proposal for
Agriseeds Technology.  destination in the said: “This is a very special development of water project
Country: Oman
The practice will Qixianling area of Hainan, project because it is driving
Closes: 4 June
provide masterplanning, China's southernmost such an important global Client: OPWPC
architectural and province. Located in agenda.” Category: Power & Water

MAY 26-JUNE1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 5

INTELLIGENCE

For up-to-the-minute
tenders log on to
constructionweekonline.com

TOP TENDERS

Upgrading of Eastern Province

water transmission system, P1
Country: Saudi Arabia
Closes: 6 June
Category: Power & Water
Client: SWCC
Architectural design competition
and consultancy services
Country: Oman
Closes: 14 June
Category: Buildings
Client: Retirement Fund
Precontract consultancy for sewage
pump station refurbishment
Country: Qatar
Closes: 15 June
Dignitaries and guests at the official unveiling of the expanded Al Ain district cooling plant. Category: Infrastructure
Client: Public Works Authority

Al Ain DC plant NUEC wins $54.6m Rehabilitation of seven villas for

research institute
expansion finished interchange contract Country: Saudi Arabia
Closes: 22 May
Category: Buildings
National Central Cooling Company PJSC Omani contractor National United Client: SWCC
(Tabreed), the Abu Dhabi-based district Engineering & Contracting (NUEC) Inspection, overhauling of 30
cooling, has announced the completion of has won a contract from the Ministry transformers
the expansion of its district cooling plant of Transport and Communications to Country: Saudi Arabia
in Al Ain. The plant, which serves UAE implement the $54.6m Sohar Globe Closes: 11 July
Category: Power & Water
University, has been expanded to meet Roundabout interchange project, reports Client: SWCC
the university’s total demand for a cooling the Oman Daily Observer.
Delivery, replacement of existing
capacity of 20,000TR. NUEC led a field of six construction defective PCCP pipes
Tabreed CEO Sujit S. Parhar said: firms that bid for the contract, namely Country: Saudi Arabia
“We are delighted to support the UAE Strabag Oman, CCC, Larsen & Toubro Closes: 10 November
University in expanding the world-class (Oman), Khalid bin Ahmed & Sons and Category: Infrastructure
Client: SWCC
education infrastructure it offers its Federici Stirling Batco.
students. This expansion will increase the The existing Globe Roundabout at Upgrading of existing cathodic
protection system in Jubail
year-round energy-efficient, cost-effective Sohar sits astride one of the busiest traffic Country: Saudi Arabia
and reliable cooling solutions that Tabreed junctions on the Batinah Expressway, Closes: 14 July
supplies to the university.” which links Muscat with Khatmat Malaha Category: Power & Water
Client: SWCC
The expansion of the Al Ain plant and Dubai beyond. Besides feeding traffic
increases Tabreed’s installed capacity in into Sohar city, it also serves as a gateway Comprehensive inspection and
overhauling of 30 transformers
the UAE to 603,441TR and its connected into Dhahirah Governorate from the
Country: Saudi Arabia
capacity to 561,297TR. Batinah coast. Closes: 11 July
Category: Power & Water
Client: SWCC
Good Week/Bad Week Waterproofing of four plant
buildings at Shuqaiq
Princess Tower MMG Country:Saudi Arabia
Closes: 10 July
Achieves Guinness world record CEO resigns after losses Category: Buildings
Client: SWCC
Kuwait Cement crisis Rehabilitation of swimming pool
$6bn for airport expansion Makkah projects affected Country: Saudi Arabia
Closes: 9 July
Algeria Al Habtoor JV Category: Buildings
Client: SWCC
Work begins on mega mosque Leighton boss calls it a 'mistake'

6 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

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 FINANCE
DEVELOPERS
UAE a key
market
The UAE will remain a key target
market over the next five years, ac-
cording to Arabtec Construction, a
growth potential underlined by the
increased interest in the contractor
shown by Aabar Investments.
Arabtec Holding , of which the
construction firm is itself a subsid-
iary, said last week Aabar and its
units held a nearly 21% stake in the
Dubai-based firm, after naming the
investment company’s Kadem Al
Qubaisi as its new chairman earlier
this month.
The stake hike “is a vote of confi-
dence not just for Arabtec, but for
the construction market,” Arabtec
Construction CEO Greg Christofides
said Monday at a conference.
Although 2012 will continue to
be a difficult year for the economy,
Arabtec Construction expects to
improve in growth and profitabil-
ity, and anticipates more contract
awards later this year.
Expert Views
Dubai
Investments
On road to
increased
profitability
8 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
The stake hike is “a vote of confidence”, says Arabtec CEO Greg Christofides.
Five-year growth forecast
While 2012 poses difficulties, prospects will improve
ARABTEC
3.75
3.16
2.55
1.95
1.35
May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
Dubai Investments (DI) PJSC,
the largest investment company
listed on the Dubai Financial
Market, has announced its
financial results for the first
quarter ended 31 March.
DI reported strong quarterly
results with profits of AED107m
for the period, which is
6% more than the profit of
AED101m reported for the
comparable period last year.
Consolidated total income
for the period was AED623m
as against AED643m for the
comparable period last year.
Total assets as at 31 March
stand at AED13.5bn, while net
worth increased to AED8.5bn.
DUBAI FIN MKT GEN INDEX
1800
1706
1612
1518
1424
1330
Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
The annualised return on share
capital achieved for the period
is 12%, it was reported.
Khalid Kalban, MD and CEO,
said: “DI delivered another
quarter of strong performance
and financial results.
“The beginning of 2012
showed various positive
developments in the form of
settlement of the Euro zone
debt crisis, increase in the UAE
tourism and hospitality sector
and relative improvement in the
regional political conditions
“These multiple factors
contributed to the Group’s VERDICT
increased profitability,” BUY: positive developments in
confirmed Kalban. 2012 bode well.
 FINANCE

LOAN: LIST: TOP 10 RISERS:

$336m 220
Loan to MASEN Kuwaiti, Gulf companies listed
Qatari Investors
Kuwait Co
National Ranges
+58.84%
+32.36%
+29.34%
Specialities Gro +26.26%

160MW $105bn
Raysut Cement +22.92%
Acico Industries +22.19%
United Projects +15.13%
Generated in Phase One Capitalisation of KSE
Mushrif Trading +13.77%
Oman Cement +13.58%
Gulf Cement +11.51%
ADB funds $1.44bn Kuwait gets tough
solar project on non-reporters TOP 10 FALLERS
National Cement -26.47%
Abdullah AM -20.27%
The African Development Bank (ADB) The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) has Salbookh Trading -18.77%
has approved a loan of $336m to the suspended trading in the shares of 31 RAK Cement -18.75%
Saudi Arabia AM -17.98%
Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy listed firms, a majority of them investment
Construction Mat -17.90%
(MASEN) to help finance the Ouarzazate companies, for failing to report financial Drake & Scull -16.82%
solar power station projects, which results on time. Arkan Bdg Mat -16.67%
will have a solar generation capacity of A statement on the KSE website said the Hail Cement -15.73%
500MW when all phases are complete. companies violated a rule that requires National Gypsum -15.22%
The power station will utilise them to announce financial results for the
concentrated solar power (CSP) first quarter within 45 days. Many of the SECTOR INDICES:
technology, arraying parabolic trough firms had already been suspended for not Tadawul : 7,098.38 +0.98%
mirrors around a central tower filled declaring results for previous periods. Petchem: 6,352.88 +1.06%
with fluid material, to generate 160MW Twenty of the firms suspended are Cement: 6,190.57 +1.70%
in the first phase. The project will investment companies that were badly hit Retail: 7,133.91 +0.89%
become one of the largest solar power by the global financial crisis and have so far Energy & Utilities: 4,799.66 +0.05%
Telecoms: 2,147.46 +0.46%
projects in the world at full expansion. failed to recover from its impact. KSE, the
Insurance: 1,133.17 +0.32%
“The Ouarzazate first phase is a third largest Arab bourse in market value Industrial: 6,075.61 +1.29%
key milestone for the success of the after Saudi Arabia and Qatar, lists around Construction: 3,130.57 +1.01%
Moroccan solar programme,” said 220 Kuwaiti and Gulf companies, and has a Real estate: 3,778.08 +1.66%
MASEN president Mustapha Bakkoury. capitalisation of $105bn. Transport: 4,069.15 +0.25%
(Data correct as at 23 April; Tadawul, year-to-date)

Update

Top 10 healthcare projects in the GCC

Source: Ventures Middle East

PROJECT NAME STATUS PROJECT VALUE($M)

SIDRA MEDICAL & RESEARCH CENTRE Construction 2,400

AL JAHRA HOSPITAL Design 1,628

CLEVELAND CLINIC IN ABU DHABI Construction 1,300

JABER AL AHMED AL SABAH HOSPITAL Construction 1,057

AL AMIRI HOSPITAL Design 1,013

HEALTH CARE CITY ON SHAMS ABU DHABI Concept Stage 954

MAFRAQ HOSPITAL IN ABU DHABI Tender for Construction Contract 871

THE DUBAI UNIQUE MEDICAL PROJECT Concept Stage 817

AL SABAH MATERNITY HOSPITAL Design 672

AJYAD GENERAL HOSPITAL DEVELOPMENT IN MAKKAH Design 600

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 9

 SNAPSHOT

RAIL

Major ongoing or planned GCC railway projects

Kuwait City Rapid Transit Bahrain Rail Qatar National Railway System
GCC Railway Network $7.0bn Masterplan $25.0 bn
$30.0bn
2,177km
171km
End of 2016
Entire Kuwait City
Passenger
$7.9bn
103km
End of 2025
Entire Bahrain
About 850km
Mid 2015
North-South within Qatar
Passenger and cargo
End of 2017 Passenger
All six GCC nations
Passenger and cargo

Saudi
Saudi Land Bridge
$7.0bn UAE
950km UAE National Railway Project
End of 2014 $10.9bn
From Jeddah to 1,500km
Riyadh End of 2015
Passenger and cargo Connects all Emirates
Passenger and cargo
Haramain High-Speed Rail
$7.0bn Dubai Metro
444km $10.6bn
End of 2014 180km
From Makkah to End of 2015
Madinah Entire Dubai
Passenger Passenger
Abu Dhabi Metro
$7.0bn
131km
End of 2020
Key areas in Abu Dhabi
Passenger

Source: Frost & Sullivan

The Middle East needs more
development of rail and affordable
housing. That is according to comments
at a panel discussion examining the
infrastructure industry in the Middle
East. Panel member Dr. Ghassan Ziadat,
Director of Infrastructure (UAE) and
Regional Head of Bridges, Atkins,
said the rail industry is a key area of
opportunity for the Middle East.
He believes the region is poorer off
for the lack of an inter-nation railway
infrastructure, and that the Middle
East was ‘left behind’ in the railway
transportation age. “Can you imagine
Europe without a proper rail network?”
asked Dr. Ziadat. The panel also agreed
that social infrastructure is being
prioritised as a result of the Arab Spring.
Investing in smaller projects is also due
to current market constraints.

SPOT PRICES
SPOT POLL
Latest metal prices from the markets
Have you noticed a greater presence of Chinese companies and products? NICKEL

55.9% 20.3% 13.6% 10.2% $17,025

Yes, they are definitely Yes, but I do not use them. They now have less fo a We have not noticed much of
moving up! presence. a change. * Source: London Metal Exchange, price per ton

10 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

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finished, will be one of the largest mixed-used developments in Dubai. FOAMGLAS® is used
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 ROUND UP
INFRASTRUCTURE
Etihad Rail to build rail
terminal at Jebel Ali Port
Etihad Rail, the master developer
and operator of the UAE’s national
railway network, has signed a MoU
with DP World for development
of an intermodal rail terminal in
Jebel Ali Port. This important
agreement, signed by H.E. Nasser
Al Sowaidi, chairman of Etihad
Rail, and H.E. Sultan Ahmed Bin
Sulayem, chairman of DP World,
represents a further significant step
forward in the development of the
rail network.
The intermodal rail terminal
at Jebel Ali will enable the more
efficient transfer of containerised
freight arriving at the port, bringing
substantial benefits to logistics
companies and the UAE economy
as a whole. DP World has already
earmarked a strategic potential plot
for the intermodal rail terminal,
adjacent to Jebel Ali Maritime
Terminal 1 and close to Terminal 2.
The team at DP World will oversee
In Quotes
“Oman is seeing strong
investor demand in the
tourism sector, especially
in niche properties.”
H.E. MAITHA AL MAHROUQI,
Undersecretary of the Ministry
of Tourism
12 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
the building and operation of the
loading and unloading facilities at
the rail terminal while Etihad Rail
will construct and own the railway
infrastructure and
The MoU highlights how the
rail network can offer logistics
companies a safer, more efficient
and more environmentally-friendly
solution to their transportation
requirements. The shift from truck
to rail transportation will reduce
truck traffic at the port terminal
and on the roads surrounding
Jebel Ali while also being more
cost effective for businesses over
long haul moves. One Etihad Rail
train will carry up to 260 TEUs
(twenty-foot equivalent container
units) which, if transported by road,
would require at least 130 trucks. By
2030 it is expected that the Jebel Ali
intermodal rail terminal will have
a capacity to handle the transfer of
five million TEUs a year. H.E. Nasser Al Sowaidi and H.E. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem.
“Sustainability saves hotels “With the world’s attention
money by dramatically on Qatar, the region has
cutting utility bills while taken strides to help
promoting improve and build its
environmental infrastructure.”
awareness.”
SAMI AL-NAJI,country
manager, Dorma Qatar
SANDRINE LE BIAVANT,
consultancy division
manager, Farnek
Avireal
 ROUND UP

Around the GCC

3
4 5
1
2

1. KSA 4. QATAR

$106.6bn investment in power sector LEED Gold for

Saudi Arabia has revised its estimate for its total Qatar project
investment in power projects over the next decade to
$106.6bn from $79.9bn. “We increased it due to the latest The Qatar National
developments, especially in the housing sector, and also Convention Centre (QNCC)
the new infrastructure funded by the government,” Saudi Extension/Exhibition Hall
Electricity Company (SEC) chief executive Saleh al-Awaji has earned LEED Gold
said at a water and power conference in Dammam. certification for new build.
Al-Awaji said last year that the Gulf’s largest utility may The project is the first
change its $80bn, ten-year investment plan as it speeds up of its kind to earn LEED
delivery of its power projects to meet state infrastructure certification, and is the first
demands. The funds would be used to boost capacity to LEED-certified project on
at least 80,000MW by 2020 from an installed capacity of the Qatar Foundation (QF)
50,000MW. campus.

2. OMAN 3. BAHRAIN 5. UAE

Convention
tender bids
The tenders floated
by Omran, Oman’s
governmental tourism
development company, for
“Leading institutions play a Phase 2 works on the Oman
critical role in collaborating Convention and Exhibition
with the private sector Centre (OCEC) project will
expire on 18 June. The
to strengthen the overall main contractor will build
technology the 22,000m2 column-free
capabilities exhibition hall, divisible
into five separate exhibition
of the spaces. Halls I and II
Kingdom.” will feature fit-out’ with
theatre seating for 10,000.
HISHAM BAKHALI, CEO, “We have substantially
GE Energy, Saudi completed enabling works,”
Arabia said Abdul Wahid Al Farsi,
Omran corporate affairs VP.
Bahrain to get
‘Dragon City’
Diyar Al Muharraq has
signed an agreement
with the China Middle
East Investment and
Trade Promotion Center
(Chinamex) to develop a
multi-million dollar complex
named ‘Dragon City’ at its a
massive $3.2bn reclaimed
land development located
off the coast of Bahrain at Al
Muharraq. Abdul Hakim Al
Khayyat, chairman of Diyar Al
Muharraq, and Aaref Hejres,
CEO, met with a delegation
of senior Chinese investors
to sign an agreement to
establish the first 46,000m2
phase of the project.
$60m deals for
Dubai Exports
Local companies that
participated in the UAE
pavilion at this year’s
Project Qatar 2012
exhibition were able to
clinch 17 deals, together
worth $60.16m, with
Qatari and international
companies. The 3,000m2
UAE pavilion, led by Dubai
Exports, brought together
more than 140 local
companies specialised
in the construction,
contracting and building
materials sectors. The UAE
companies were able to
demonstrate their strength
at Project Qatar 2012.

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 13

ROUND UP

COMPANY UPDATE a pioneer,” said Fakhro. The

FIRE SAFETY
Latest fire-safety
systems for Bahrain
The recent outbreak of fires
region-wide should be seen
as a signal for governments,
organisations and
communities to ensure that
world standard safeguards
are in place, according to
Yusuf Abdulrahman Fakhro,
Director of Bahrain-based
Yusif bin Yusif Fakhro (YBYF).
“Human lives, homes and
resources are of paramount
importance to organisations
and society at large and we
must take the spate of fire-
related incidences as serious
warning signs. We must take
measures to ensure that the
Eurotech Fire Systems export sales manager Tim Williams and director Yusuf Abdulrahman
Fakhro with GM Ajai Datta.
right fire safety systems are
in place, across the board,”
stressed Fakhro.
Safe & Sound, a division
of YBYF, has joined forces
with a leading provider of
international standard fire
safety systems, Eurotech
Fire Systems. “It is a timely
decision for us to enter this
critical sector with a world
leader. Eurotech is considered
JV brings the nationally and
internationally certified fire
detection system Eurotech,
which has a strong presence in
Oman and UAE, to Bahrain.
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
Duserve FM wins
Dubai contract
Duserve FM has secured a
year-long contract for the
393m-high, 90-storey 23
Marina Building in Dubai
Marina. It is the world’s
second-tallest residential
tower, after Princess Tower at
414m, also in the same block.
Duserve FM, awarded
the contract by Hircon
International, will provide all
FM and value-added services,
including MEP and cleaning.

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Thales in the Middle East

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Thales has more than 30 years of
presence and partnership in the Middle
East and the Gulf countries. Thales has
developed outstanding relations with all
countries of the region, and is a reliable
partner for locally-based and country
national companies.
In ground transportation, Thales is
leading the rail control business with
an unmatched portfolio of advanced based train control (CBTC) for urban rail In Saudi Arabia, Thales is implementing
signalling, supervision and telecoms and operators to meet growing passenger the leading European Train Control
fare-collection systems. demands. So far Thales has deployed System (ETCS) Level 2 with a contract
Focusing on systems that enable more than 53 SelTrac® CBTC systems in for the 2,400hm Saudi North South Rail
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assets, Thales has established strong • Thales is the Number 1 provider Line. The NSR line, part of the global
positions on its key markets: of integrated communication and GCC Railway Network, is the world
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14 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

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ROUND UP

For up-to-the-minute
conference and award
information, log onto
constructionweekonline.com

CONFERENCES AWARDS
Leaders in Construction Summit
Date: 18 June
Venue: Radisson Blu, Riyadh
Key event for construction industry
in Saudi Arabia. High-profile
speakers will update contract and
project progress and provide an
industry overview of opportunities for
contractors and consultants.

Leaders in Construction Summit

Date: 18 September
Venue: Armani Hotel, Dubai
Key event in the GCC region that will
take the pulse of the construction
industry. Leading figures will provide
insight and share their expertise.

Building Sustainability into the

Middle East Abu Dhabi
Date: 5 November
Venue: Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort
& Spa
Key event for sustainability and green
building in the Middle East that
will focus on energy efficiency and
lifecycle costing.

Social Infrastructure KSA 2012 CW Awards Qatar

Date: 13 November
Venue: Radisson Blu, Riyadh
This conference will focus on the
increasing demand for social
inbfrastructure in Saudu Arabia,
ranging from affordable housing to
education and healthcare.
AWARDS
fmME Awards
Date: Wed 6 June
Venue: Westin, Dubai
The annual fmME Middle East
Awards help to raise the profile of the
industry and recognise and reward
those companies, individuals and
projects that have made significant
Date: Mon 10 September
Venue: TBA
ME Architect Awards
Panellists at CW’s Building Towards 2022 conference in Doha. Date: Tues 23 October
Venue: TBA
contributions to the overall achieved. Since the launch of fmME
development of the industry. in September 2006, the FM industry CW KSA Awards
The awards highlight those has witnessed several international Date: Mon 12 November
Venue: TBA
organisations that have excelled, plus and home-grown companies enter
individuals who have delivered above the market; the appointment of more
MEP Middle East Awards
and beyond the call of duty, to put internal FMs than ever before; and
Date: Wed 28 November
themselves forward and fly the flag the implementation of a new Strata
of industry success. Also celebrated Law set to change the market again. Venue: TBA
will be those who have endeavoured The role of an FM professional
to implement best practice to is to ensure that developments, CW Awards
ensure the highest standards of whether ‘signature’ or not, deliver to Date: Wed 12 December
safety are met and customer service international standards. Venue: TBA

Conferences and Events News

MEP Conference 2012
Early involvement of the relevant
authorities is essential to delivering
innovative MEP design solutions
in Qatar. This was the message
at the start of the MEP Middle
East Conference 2012 in Doha on
Wednesday.
“Building to their standard helps
to move the project on,” said Hamad
Ali Al-Abdulmalik, building projects
director and acting city operation
director, Lusail, in his opening address
to the conference.
He went on to explain how the role
The MEP Conference 2012 was held at the
Grand Hyatt in Doha on 23 May.
of MEP consultants has evolved to
provide more integrated services, and
now requires the heavy integration of
different systems.
“As we get more advanced in
technology and become more
demanding of new technology, we
face more challenges to use this
technology,” he said.
Delegates at the conference,
sponsored by Kimmco, Viessmenn
and HSBC, went on to learn more
about the infrastructure developments
at Lusail, including One of the longest
utility tunnels in the world.
Simple solutions to global climate
change can start at building level,
according to another expert at the
MEP conference 2012.
Dr Kailash Chandra, senior
technical manager at KIMMCO, said:
“Insulation will save energy and
reduce the CO2 pollution, which is a
by-product of the energy’s creation,”
said Chandra. In the GCC, buildings
account for up to 60% of energy
consumption. Of that, 75% is used in
heating or cooling. For Chandra, the
solution to reducing the consumption
was straightforward: insulation.”

16 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

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COMMENT
GERHARD HOPE
A long journey
The GCC Rail Network is the end result of a long journey
I
ncredibly, the Dubai Metro was the GCC’s
first new rail project in over 20 years.
To put the current rapid expansion of
rail projects into perspective, one only
has to contemplate the ambitious GCC Railway
Network, set to transform transportation and
logistics in the region upon its completion in 2017.
This is not the first time that a project of such
a scale has been conceived for the region. One
only has to look at the famous Hejaz Rail Link
in the early twentieth century in the Ottoman
Empire. This line conveyed pilgrims from
Damascus in Syria to the holy city of Madinah in
Saudi Arabia, through the Hejaz region, covering
1,300km of desert. Unfortunately, the line was
damaged in World War One and subsequently
closed, marking a decisive end in the region’s rail
infrastructure … until now.
In this issue we report on some of the major
rail and metro projects underway. It is clear that
the successful Dubai Metro has set a benchmark
for integrated public transport, and many
countries – from Qatar to Saudi Arabia and
Kuwait – are developing their own systems.
The development of the region’s rail
infrastructure extends far beyond public
transport though. To date, the GCC has had to
rely mainly on its road network to move goods.
Indeed, cross-border trade is solely reliant on
road transport at the moment. This is also due
to the fact that air transport is expensive, while
coastal shipping is not that feasible.
However, as Frost & Sullivan points out in a
research report, moving goods by road entails
18 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
huge costs and long transit periods, which has
the effect of placing an artificial glass ceiling
on the growth of the region’s logistics industry.
Such hindrances and artificial constraints also
impact on the investment plans of international
companies looking to do business in the region.
Frost & Sullivan argue that rail is the most
efficient transport mode for essential building
supplies such as stone, concrete and cement,
largely due to the fact that transport costs decline
as distance increases.
Of course, there are problems and barriers. The station mock-up for the Al
Sufouh Tram in Dubai.
Except for Saudi Arabia, the GCC countries
average 250km to 300km end-to-end, while rail
networks are at their most efficient at distances
of over 500km.
Then there is the desert terrain itself with
its shifting sands and unstable ground surface.
And finally there is the considerable investment
required for rail projects, from materials,
Some of the
equipment and labour through to initial world’s best
development and management. rail experts are
While the GCC Railway Network is probably
one of the most significant infrastructure projects
flocking to the
ever undertaken in the region, Frost & Sullivan region, excited
point out that the six member states must first get by the scope and
their national networks in order before they can challenge of the
reap maximum benefit from such a system.
A range of rail experts and consultants all task at hand.
point out that the GCC needs some kind of It is every rail
coordinating or overseeing body to ensure that engineer’s dream
best practice is adhered to. It is one thing to think
big, but accurate and thoughtful planning is to be in the GCC
critical to successful implementation. at the moment.
COMMENT
GEOFF ZEISS
Software interoperability
Increasing necessity for convergence to unlock full potential of BIM
A
ccording to the Kuwait
Financial Centre (Markaz),
GCC countries are on track to
spend $137.4bn between 2011
and 2020 just on new road and railway
projects. Productivity in the construction
industry in many of the world’s advanced
economies has stagnated.
AEC firms are turning to technology
to improve productivity. In the
construction and engineering sector,
reality capture has progressed by leaps
and bounds – with these firms using
technologies such as high-resolution
aerial photogrammetry, oblique imagery,
radar-derived digital terrain models and
laser scanning.
Motivated by business objectives, CAD
is evolving into model-based design.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is
driving different professional disciplines
to communicate and collaborate far
more closely. For example, construction
companies are linking BIMs to project
management software to enable 4D and
5D views of projects that help eliminate
risk of budget overruns by making the
scheduling of material deliveries and
work crews more transparent.
This highlights the increasing
necessity for interoperability of software
as different project teams – for example,
HVAC, structural, plumbing and
electrical – bring together their designs
20 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
in a single shared model. Consequently,
designers are beginning to look beyond a
single product approach and instead are
investing in groups or suites of different
products to facilitate easier sharing and
an accelerated workflow and by working
in parallel on different design aspects of
a project to compress time schedules.
3D visualisation is an integral part
of BIM, not only because it facilitates
collaboration between design teams,
but also because 3D modelling is a
more natural, intuitive medium for
communicating with non-technical
stakeholders.
With infrastructure growing at such
a rapid rate, planners and contractors
need to communicate more closely and
more effectively with governments,
regulators and other stakeholders to
demonstrate that they have satisfied
regulatory, environmental and financial
requirements in their designs and
construction sequencing.
How we will address building
this urban capacity at a much faster
rate is through the convergence of
BIM, geospatial and 3D technology.
The potential business benefit of
the convergence of BIM, geospatial
technology and 3D technology is
improved productivity, which will
help attract private-sector funding to
enable the rehabilitation of the world’s
aging infrastructure. But the key to
unlocking the potential of convergence
is interoperability, and interoperability
requires standards.
Existing standards such as the
Open Geospatial Consortium’s
(OGC) Web Map Service (WMS) and
Geography Markup Language (GML),
buildingSMART’s Industry Foundation
Class (IFC), the Open Green Building
XML’s gbXML, the Distributed
Management Task Force’s Common
Information Model (CIM), the National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s
Multispeak and LandXML.org's
LandXML are being adopted not only
by governments, but also by the private
sector, and I expect we will see more
initiatives like the smart grid activity
(likely to be focused in a new Energy &
Utilities Domain Working Group) just
initiated by the OGC.
Convergence, enabled by standards-
based interoperability, will open the
doors to further take-up of model-based
design for infrastructure, which will
lead to better collaboration, streamlined
workflows and greater productivity. This
will result in lower project overheads,
improved profitability and better returns
on investments.
Geoff Zeiss is Director of Utility Industry
Program, Autodesk, Inc.
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FEEDBACK MOST POPULAR

1 Burj Khalifa architect unveils

‘dragon’ towers

2 12 tenders set to close by

Tuesday 15 May

3 Business Bay Canal project

revived by municipality

4 Largest lagoon in the world

located in Egypt

5 Dubai super-tall tower contract

won by Duserve FM

IN PICTURES

Photo by EVARISTO SA/

AFP/Getty Images
Existing buildings can be upgraded to the latest health and safety standards, says a reader.

Re: Cladding systems National Stadium

Brazilian Minister of
Sports Aldo Rebelo
I applaud the government regulatory bodies for acting quickly (right) and Federal
to require the use and installation of fire-resistant cladding on District Governor
new buildings. However, I do not believe that nothing can be Agnelo Queiroz visit
done about the estimated 500+ existing high-rise buildings that Brasilia’s National
Stadium, currently under
currently have combustible cladding. All existing buildings can construction.
be upgraded with audit, analysis and retrofit solutions unique to
each building. Alternate solutions to complete replacement can LATEST FEATURES
be found. This process can be enforced at the time of renewing
occupancy permits. Life-safety issues should always take
precedence over commercial issues.
THOM BOHLEN

Re: Falls are leading cause of
site fatalities: HAAD‘
It is often said that more people
die falling from heights of 2m and
below than from any height above.
This may be a consequence of
many more people working at the
lower heights and those working
above generally taking more care,
but do the Abu Dhabi figures bear
it out?
TONY MARSHALLSAY
Re: China wins $1.3bn Alge-
rian mega-mosque contract
Just extravagance and show
off. Building more and smaller
mosques across Algeria is
a better idea. Focusing on
Algiers only leaves the rest
of the country in the Dark
Ages. We need to spend more
on education, research and
increasing the standard of
living of Algerians, lowering
unemployment and building
apartments for the youth.
AMINE ABU YOUSSEF
Re: Abu Dhabi and Singapore
to share planning secrets
Well, there is a lot to learn, and
all the knowledge will go one
way. My company was recently
appointed on similar office fit-out
contracts in each city. We applied
for building owner approval on the
same day in each city.
Five weeks later we handed
over the project to the client in
Singapore just as we were receiv-
ing approval from the Abu Dhabi
building owner. It is still Third
World mentality in a lot of areas
over there.
BUSINESSMAN
To submit a letter, write to editor@
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Rising Emirate
The RAk government
has an ambitious hotel-
development project
pipeline, spurred by major
investment in the tourism
sector.
The Reservist
CW speaks to Al Barari CEO
Mohammed Bin Zaal about
his company’s latest project,
The Reserve.
Eastern Mangroves
John Bambridge updates
construction progress at this
TDIC project in Abu Dhabi.

22 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

 ANALYSIS
UAE cements its
reputation
The UAE has the potential to become the major
provider of cement to the region, according to the
Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry
L
ong-term prospects for the
UAE cement industry are bright
due to growth in investment
in infrastructure in the UAE,
GCC and key foreign markets, the latest
study by Dubai Chamber of Commerce
and Industry finds. The UAE has the
potential to become the major provider
of cement to the MENA region and beyond
when taking into account the lucrative
opportunities that exist.
The study, which is based on the
Business Monitor International (BMI)
UAE Infrastructure report for Q1 2012,
finds that, given the historic importance
of construction projects in the UAE and
the GCC, the cement industry has acquired
increased prominence as an important
industry with growing demand.
Furthermore, this is also an industry
that can be expected to become more
important in the future as demand for
building materials increases in line with
plans for infrastructure spending in the
UAE and the rest of the GCC region.
The study provides data on the number
of companies engaged in different activities
related to cement production and trading
in Dubai. A healthy trend is shown because,
while the number of companies engaged in
cement manufacturing remains stable from
2008 to 2012, a significant increase is seen
in the number of companies engaged in
cement products trading and manufacturing
of products using cement.
This information conforms with other
data which shows UAE cement-related
24 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
Cement is a widely-used and important
material for construction of real estate and
infrastructure projects.
exports growing from 2008 to 2010. Dubai’s
position as a trading hub has helped the
local cement industry grow to meet the
construction needs of the GCC region
and beyond.
The study also highlights different
trends in historical prices of various
cement-related construction materials
in Dubai in 2011. For example, the price
of white cement remained generally
stable and then increased later in the
year, while the prices of Portland cement
fluctuated more during the same time.
The recovery in prices in Q4 2011 could
indicate market strength, and could also
help the profitability of the UAE cement
industry, according to the study.
Since cement is such a widely-used and
important material for construction of
real estate and infrastructure projects,
this industry has potentially lucrative Chamber, given projections of long-
prospects both within the UAE, and also term economic growth in regions such
in export markets. as the GCC, South Asia, Central Asia, East
The study reveals the potential growth Asia, Africa and Turkey. These growing
of the domestic UAE market. The value economies need construction materials
of the UAE construction industry is to build vital infrastructure projects, like
forecast to see substantial growth from roads, railways and bridges, in order to
2012 onwards, partly due to investment in enable more economic growth.
infrastructure projects. Some important While lower global demand may have
projects include the key growth areas impacted the global cement trade in 2009,
of logistics and tourism. Investment in causing a temporary decrease for some
these and other infrastructure projects sub-product categories, UAE exports have
in the UAE could generate demand for shown strong growth between 2008 and
more cement, aiding the growth of the 2010. It may also be noted that strong and
country’s cement industry. consistent growth has been witnessed
Meanwhile, other growth drivers especially in Portland cement, which has
should be exploited, notes the Dubai grown every year from 2008 to 2010. The
 ANALYSIS

For up-to-the-minute
analysis log on to
constructionweekonline.com

value of UAE exports in this sub-product UAE construction industry forecasted output ($bn)
category was more than $133m in 2010, 65
which highlights its importance in UAE
exports, the study finds. Noticeable growth
is also seen in white Portland cement, 55
hydraulic cement and cement clinkers
from 2008 to 2010.
The major markets for the UAE’s cement 45
exports in 2010 were Oman, Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain, Nigeria and Ghana. For the future,
UAE cement exporters could note that, 35
according to figures from trademap.
org, Iraq was the country that imported
the most in terms of value of cements, 25
Portland, and aluminous slag in 2010, 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
representing a potentially large growth Source: BMI, UAE Infrastructure Report Q1 2012, UAE National Bureau of Statistics.
opportunity. According to the same source, Data from 2012 onwards is based on BMI forecasts.

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 25

ANALYSIS
other potentially large importers of global
cement in 2010 included African countries
like Nigeria and Angola and MENA-region
countries like Algeria and Egypt.
Demand for cement depends on the
growth of the global construction industry
and growth in this industry is underpinned
to some extent by growth of the global
economy. Therefore any weakness in
global economic growth could translate
into weakness in global cement demand.
Other challenges are caused by competition
by established players in foreign export
markets. In the short to medium term,
UAE companies could increase exports by
finding gaps in demand and supply. While
these gaps could emerge in any market,
there could be more possibilities of such
gaps developing in emerging markets in
the MENA region, Africa and Central
Asia. Over the longer term, UAE cement
companies could develop contacts and
establish a stronger brand presence in
major export markets in developing
countries to further increase their sales.
44 CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 12-18, 2011
26 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
“Growing economies need construction
materials to build vital infrastructure like
roads, railways and bridges in order to
achieve more economic growth.”
Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Meanwhile, increased prices of raw
materials and other inputs needed for cement
production could create challenges for UAE
cement companies. These challenges could
be met by incorporating more efficient
methods of production, more efficient
financial and capital management, and
a better and timelier service. This could
not only help UAE cement and cement
product manufacturers to absorb raw
material price increases, but also in
the longer run it will enable them to be
more competitive and lower-cost cement
producers.
In conclusion, the study finds that
the need to build more real-estate and
ADVERT
infrastructure in the UAE is expected to
drive future demand for cement, while
the growth in demand for construction
materials from developing countries that
presents lucrative export opportunities.
This could especially be the case for
emerging markets, in which supply and
demand gaps may be created as long-
term economic growth causes increased
cement demand.
The study recommends that UAE cement
businesses develop contacts in these markets
in order to fully realise this potential
and grow their exports. Meanwhile, they
ought to actively continue to enhance
their competitive advantage.
 Five new business destinations at your fingertips.
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*Lagos flights start 1 July 2012.

FACE TO FACE
FULL
STEAM
AHEAD
Drake & Scull International PJSC has re-established its rail division
in the GCC to complement its civil, water and power and MEP
capabilities. CW speaks to rail operations director Darko Macura.
By Gerhard Hope
D
rake & Scull Rail was first established in the UK
in 1993. “It was set up as an EPC division to cater
for all the metro and rail projects in the UK. Sub-
sequently we decided to re-establish the rail capa-
bilities in the GCC region as part of Drake & Scull
International PJSC,” explains Macura.
“Apart from rail, we have got an MEP, civil, and construction
business, as well as water and power. We have got a very strong
geographical platform, and we have got a very strong financial
balance sheet for the GCC region. With our rail experience from
the Far East as well as the UK, we aim to service the rail and metro
projects in GCC countries.”
Macura says the division’s EPC experience was derived mainly
from the UK, “which is the way that most of the metro rail projects
are tendered. We have got also EPC experience from the water and
power division here in the Middle East, as well as from Europe.
Thus between the resources we have got in the GCC region,
as well as the fact that quite a few of our rail staff from the UK
are now permanently based here at Drake & Scull International,
we have got the skills base to deliver the projects,” says Macura.
“Our network of previous and existing employees allows us to
28 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
attract the right people here into the GCC region, and of course
we will be recruiting new people to the business, but I think
the mixture will be a rich combination that will be available to
deliver projects.” Macura says Drake & Scull Rail has the capabil-
ity to follow a range of contractual arrangements, from turnkey
to EPC, joint ventures with other companies, packaged works
and subcontract works.
“We are also able to participate in PPP initiatives. We have a
division within the group called Drake & Scull Development. Its
sole purpose is to develop projects that are PPP-structured, so the
funding would be from the company as well as external sources,”
says Macura. “We believe in being part of a turnkey project from
the design stage, delivery, testing, commissioning, operation,
maintenance, so the client gets a better value for money and we
get long-term work out of it,” he adds.
In terms of the specific services offered by the division: “First of
all, we offer the full MEP fit-out of stations, both over ground as
well as below ground. We are very familiar with and knowledge-
able of the standards for underground stations because they are
quite critical, and we have got a lot of experience with low-smoke
fume-emitting materials, which are crucial to being installed
 FACE TO FACE

MAY 26-JUN 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 29

FACE TO FACE
Futuristic Kowloon in Hong Kong.
in underground stations. “We are also very
familiar with customer information systems
and customer security systems, which are
specific to rail and to underground stations.
We are also very familiar with, and have expe-
rience with, depots for the maintenance of
rolling stock. In partnership with specialist
manufacturers of equipment for the mainte-
nance of trains, we are able to perform and
deliver full turnkey projects for depots, MEP
fit-out, construction, as well as supply and
installation of specialist heavy equipment,”
explains Macura.
“We have also got a lot of experience
with tunnel ventilation and smoke control
for tunnels. We do this in partnership with
specialist designers; there are only two or
three in the world that are quite specialised
in this. We have gained a lot of experience
from the Jubilee Line Extension in the UK,
and so we are able to offer that here in the
GCC region as well.”
Macura adds that, in collaboration and
partnership with signalling and telecoms
technology suppliers, Drake & Scull Rail can
40 YEARS' EXPERIENCE BROUGHT TO THE GCC REGION BY DRAKE & SCULL RAIL
30 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
An MTR train heads into the station on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong in 2005.
Work continues on the new Eurostar railway terminal at St Pancras in 2006.
supply system-wide technologies for railways.
“We partner with European companies, as
well as Asian and Far East and US companies.
We really source the technology worldwide,
where it is most pertinent to the project at
hand. Different technology suppliers have
different products.”
Commenting on what gives Drake & Scull
Rail the edge, Macura acknowledges that
this is a highly competitive sector. “I think
it is very competitive from a consultant’s
view, it is very competitive from a civil and
building point of view, and yes there is a lot
of competition for MEP.
“However, we believe that, with our skills
from the Far East and the UK, in combina-
tion with our resources in the GCC region,
which have been established here for the last
40 years, we are able to offer clients a good
product in a cost-effective way and to the
best standards of safety and quality. Safety
and quality come first. There must be reli-
ability of the installation and the services,
because customer safety comes first, both
onboard the trains as well as while they are
in the stations.” The division’s international
reference projects include Hung Hom (Kow-
loon and Canton) railway terminus, MRTC
HQ and the Tsuen Muen light rail system
in Hong Kong, as well as the North Pole
Depot, the Jubilee Line extension project,
MEP works for the London Underground,
the St Pancras Station redevelopment, the
Siemens Traincare facility, Channel Tunnel
Rail Link line infrastructure, the Stratford and
Ebbsfleet international stations, and MEP
works for the high-speed Hitachi trains at
the Ashford and Ramsgate depots in the UK.
As for the division’s plans for the GCC,
Macura says: “We are targeting rail and metro
projects in Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and
the UAE initially, and then our aim is to tar-
get projects in North Africa and South East
Asia. I think the clients themselves have
been sort of structuring the way they want
to tender the works, and they are looking at
prequalifying experienced consultants and
experienced contractors.
“They are looking at the previous record,
both from a technology and skills point of
 FACE TO FACE

“[The rail sector] is quite

demanding, but it is also very
good for the regional economy,
providing work for quite a lot
of people at the perfect time,
where some parts of the world
are still in recession.”
Darko Macura

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 31

FACE TO FACE

For up-to-the-minute -
analysis log on to
constructionweekonline.com

Darko Macura
Darko Macura leads Drake & Scull
Rail from the front, with more than a
decade of experience in important large
fast-track railway/metro, as well as
residential and commercial projects, in
Europe and the Middle East. A train on the London Underground in the UK.
Macura is a seasoned veteran of the
railway industry, having started as a
commissioning engineer for the Jubilee
Line Extension in London before
working on the Fulham Broadway
Underground Station in the capacity of
project engineer. He then successfully
led the completion of the Bedford
Depot, part of the Thameslink 2000
project, as a project manager.
Macura then naturally progressed
into a senior project manager’s role,
undertaking aspects of the London
Underground Ltd (LUL), where he was
responsible for overseeing a large
number of PPP projects for LUL’s
clients like Tubelines and Metronet.
Macura has worked with respected
Cranes dominate the skyline as part of the St Pancras Station redevelopment.
Rail EPC contractors such EMCOR Rail
Ltd (formerly known as Drake & Scull
Rail Ltd) as senior project manager,
overseeing network rail projects such
as Ashford and Ramsgate Depots for
the Hitachi High Speed Trains.
He was also involved in the Northern
Line Control Centre during his stint as
operations director for NG Bailey Rail.
Macura has also worked with Dean
& Dyball Rail (part of Balfour Beatty
Rail Group) as network rail framework
manager. Macura’s expertise lies in
complete railway and metro MEP
commercial/financial, planning, design,
procurement, risk management,
delivery, testing and commissioning
and handover of complex projects.
He has a proven track record of A rendering of the hi-tech interior of Hong Kong's Kowloon.
meeting deadlines. His European
training and Middle East experience
view, as well as a safety and record point of in which to travel. They can read, listen to
make him a perfect fit to bring Drake
& Scull International’s renowned view. I believe, in my opinion, that they are music; people can be more productive and
engineering expertise into the rail doing this in the right way. They are massive relaxed,” says Macura.
sector in the wider GCC region. projects, and they have a big backlog. Metro Commenting on the 2022 World Cup in
Macura holds a Master's of Science projects, from conception to handover, take Qatar and the demands this will place on
in Project Management from The five to ten years; it is quite a long period,” the professional teams required to deliver
University of Loughborough, as well says Macura. its transport infrastructure in time, Macura
as a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in
Building Services Engineering, Design The success of the Dubai Metro has served says: “It is a big challenge. It will require
and Management from The University as benchmark for public transport in the experienced contractors and consultants to
of Reading. Middle East, with similar systems on the cards deliver, and it will not be that easy.” How-
Drake & Scull holds the relevant from Doha to Kuwait City. “Public transport ever, he is confident that Drake & Scull Rail
UK accreditation for health and safety, is a lot more environmentally-friendly solu- is well-positioned to take advantage of such
quality and the environment. Its quality tion. It can be a very comfortable method opportunities.
management systems comply with ISO
of travelling, with climate control, and it “We have a lot of experience from the
9001:2008, ISO 14001: 2004 and OHSAS
18001:2007. also gives people a stress-free environment MEP, and also the water and power and civil

32 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

 FACE TO FACE

“We are looking at

very tight deadlines
for delivery,
because everything
is happening at the
same time.”
Darko Macura

and construction sector. The aim is that all

the divisions within the business will work
together under the guidance of senior rail
experienced staff, so we believe we are in
The St Pancras Station redevelopment site in London, England. a good position to service the projects, and
with a current staff of more than 20,000
across the GCC, we believe we have a good
mix of skills and capabilities.”
Looking at some of the latest international
trends that the division will be bringing to the
region, Macura says: “The most important
are Systems Assurance and RAMS (reliability,
availability, maintainability and safety). These
are processes of ensuring that the design of all
systems and technologies is robust, adequate,
with the best possible service, and safe for
the people and also for the infrastructure.
We intend to use our experience of Systems
Assurance and RAMS analysis to ensure that
whatever rail or metro projects we deliver
Workers labour at the construction site of a Crossrail station in London on 25 January. are of a very high standard.”

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 33

OVERVIEW

GCC invests $106bn

in rail projects
With rapid urbanisation, the GCC has identified rail as a viable
solution for the passenger and freight challenges confronting the
region

34 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012


T
he ambitious Dubai Metro proj-
ect, conceived and executed in
remarkably quick time, triggered
a series of similar projects in the
Gulf, with all the GCC govern-
ments increasingly focusing on developing rail
projects, either for passenger or freight trans-
portation. The Dubai Metro was the first new
rail line built in the GCC in more than 20 years.
With the changing economic and demographic
scenario, railway networks are considered the
backbone of the public transport system, and
it is important for governments to achieve
their socio-economic development targets.
“The rail and transit market has never been
stronger in the Middle East,” said Tom Topolski,
VP of transportation: Middle East at Aecom.
“The rapid industrialisation of the region has
created significant freight rail opportunities.”
Fatima Al Jaber, COO of the Al Jaber Group,
said: “Railway transportation is a large initia-
tive, and an additional sector that presents a
huge area of opportunity in the Middle East.”
Geoff Leffek, regional rail director at Hyder
Consulting, said the sector is particularly con-
petitive for both consultants and contractors.
“There is a concern that clients will often go
for the lowest price, especially now we are
moving to projects of higher risk in terms of
the demands of the schedules being met.”
Darko Macura, Drake & Scull rail operations
director, notes that rail “are massive projects,
and they have a big backlog. Metro projects,
from conception to handover, take five to ten
OVERVIEW
years; it is quite a long period.” This means that
the overall competencies and experience of
contractors and consultants will ultimately be
final determining factor in awarding contracts.
The most ambitious project spanning all
the six GCC nations is the development of a
regional railway network linking each of the
member states, to be known as the GCC Rail-
way Network. Upon completion in 2017, the
network is likely to change the face of trans-
port and logistics in the region. It would offer
immense efficiencies in transportation, apart
from furthering the vision of a closely-integrated
regional community.
However, to enable the integration across
nations, the six member states would need
to have national rail networks. Driven by this
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 35
OVERVIEW
agenda, each of the GCC governments have
launched various long-range, as well as urban,
rail projects in their respective nations. Fore-
most among the lot to launch massive projects
are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Qatar.
SAUDI ARABIA
Within Saudi Arabia, the North-South Rail
Project, Saudi Land Bridge and the Hara-
main High-Speed Rail are the most important
projects. The North-South Rail, connecting
Al Hadeetha at the northwest corner of the
country with Riyadh, and the eastern port
cities Ras-Al-Zour and Jubail, is considered
the first major new long-distance rail line in
decades within the GCC. With an overall final
length of 1,486km, it will form part of the GCC
Railway Network. This railway line is mainly
intended to transport phosphate and bauxite
mineral ores from Jelamaid in the northern
region to processing centers in Ras al-Zour.
The 950km Saudi Land Bridge project,
linking Dammam with Jeddah via Riyadh,
is another key railway project. This link will
present immense opportunities to transport
about eight million tonnes of cargo and also
containers from the port city of Jeddah in the
west to the capital city of Riyadh and industrial
cities located in the east.
The Haramain High-Speed Rail, linking
the holy sites of Makkah and Madinah, is the
most important passenger transport project
being developed in the Kingdom. The 444km
line is expected to cater to ten million annual
visitors to the holy sites, adding a new trans-
port option for pilgrims and other travellers
from the country’s main airport in Jeddah.
THE UAE
The UAE is the second-largest economy in the
GCC, and has been a pioneer in the region’s
rail revolution with its Dubai Metro project.
At the same time it is building another ambi-
tious rail project to link the seven Emirates by
rail for the first time. Known as Etihad Rail,
this network will later be integrated into the
GCC Railway Network.
Initially intended for cargo movement opera-
tions between the Abu Dhabi desert to the
western port city of Ruwais, this rail network
will be expanded until Khor Fakkan on the east
coast and also to Al Ain on Oman’s border, so
as to facilitate integration into the GCC Rail-
way Network. Etihad Rail offers a significantly
cost-effective way to move large quantities of
36 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
aggregates, steel, iron ore, sulphur and other
cargo, as well as large numbers of passengers
“Lack of rail
across the Emirates. In addition, it opens up networks is
a completely new industry for the country
and the wider region, apart from reducing compelling
congestion, pollution and improving safety. commodities to be
Two other planned major railway projects
in the UAE are a proposed high-speed rail transported by road,
link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which
could be extended up to Sharjah, and the Abu
causing significant
Dhabi Metro. constraints on
OTHER GCC MEMBER STATES
transport volumes
Oman’s National Rail Network is being built and distances.”
in three phases. The first phase comprises a
230km link from Sohar to Muscat. The second Srinath Manda,
phase is a 560km line from Muscat to Duqm.
The third phase involves extending the line
Frost & Sullivan
from Duqm to Salalah. Oman also has plans
to develop an integrated metro system in the
capital city Muscat.
“Qatar’s railway network development is
lagging significantly behind its neighbours,
reportedly due to lack of coordination and
indecisive progress by the Qatar Government
and Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, which won
a contract to build the network along with
government-owned domestic real estate com-
pany, Qatari Diar,” said Srinath Manda from
Frost & Sullivan.
The remaining two GCC member states,
Bahrain and Kuwait, are also busy planning
their own railway networks, which will even-
tually link to the GCC Railway Network as
well. However, these two states are lagging
significantly behind the UAE and Saudi Arabia
in terms of progress.
FINANCING
Public Private Partnership (PPP) funding
mechanisms are gaining prominence in the
GCC region in order to help cover the massive
costs of rail projects. The $7bn Kuwait Metro,
spanning 171km across Kuwait City, is being
funded by a PPP model. Riyadh’s $3bn proposed
light-rail project is also expected to be a PPP
project. However, not all projects are able to
garner the expected level of private funding.
The credit crunch resulting from the recent
global economic crisis and its consequences
have severely reduced the appetite among
banks for financing long-term projects. The
longest permitted tenure to avail bank credit for
such projects is estimated to be no more than
ten years, which means that any rail project

The Chinese-built monorail links Makkah with the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah.
Saudi Arabian men ride on Holy Sites metro light rail in Makkah.
hoping to use bank credit will have to procure
refinance in due course, and then tackle the
risks involved.
In addition, since this is an entirely new
industry for the region, financing companies
do not have any record of accomplishment to
estimate the risk-reward calculations to arrive
at concrete decisions on funding.
Hence, to procure finances and evaluate
risk factors in these projects, the private sector
companies are seeking at least some form of
sovereign guarantee from GCC governments.
While the oil-rich state governments in the
Gulf are able to provide such guarantees or
support funding of some key rail projects with
state resources, it is not always possible to
support a majority share of projects.
ONGOING CHALLENGES
The key challenge in building a seamless GCC-
wide regional rail transport network is to develop
the six individual country networks according
to uniform standards and specifications. Each
member state is already progressing with the
development of a national rail network based
on their individual requirements.
The integration of these different networks,
each using a different set of engineering and
construction providers, could later pose a chal-
OVERVIEW
lenge. This could be mitigated if exactly the
same or compatible standards are adhered to
by each state – for example, having in place
a 1.435m standard gauge track with the same
capacity, power source, signalling systems and
operating mechanism across all six member
states. In addition, uninterrupted movement
across borders is required, which needs signifi-
cant standardisation in regulations and fares.
Unfortunately, no concrete agreements in
this regard have been formed, and a formal
GCC railway authority is still at the planning
stage. The reported delay in building the Qatar-
Bahrain Causeway due to political differences
is also a cause for concern and has become a
potential roadblock in realising the ambitious
GCC Rail Network.
The ambitious Saudi Land Bridge Project
is reportedly on hold until the North-South
Rail and Haramain Rail are completed. The
delay has been caused due to lack of acceptable
bids from prospective financers, builders and
operators, and the government is still undecided
if the project would be entirely state-funded.
Kuwait is also not actively progressing on its
National Railway Network project, ultimately
part of the GCC Rail Network, due to reported
concerns on the utility of the network, since
its non-oil economy is very small.
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 37
TECHNOLOGY

TICKET TO
THE FUTURE
As the GCC is set to spend
$106bn on rail projects
the co m ing ye ars, we take a look at what can be
in to the tracks. So
w he n thes e projec ts take
expected
ck m ake yo ur w ay to th e station for a CW
pa
morrow.
tour of the rail systems of to
By Cathal McElroy

R
ail has come a long way since
Richard Trevithick and the
early steam-engine pioneers
rolled along the first train tracks.
Advancements in train and track
technology through electric and diesel power
to today’s 581km/h Maglev marvel have been
accompanied by improvements in station design,
along with passenger comfort and experience.
Upon entering the station of the future, it
may well appear on first impression that not
much has really changed. Aesthetic differ-
ences in the interior design may be striking,
but this is to be expected with the passing of
tastes and trends. However, in terms of layout
and structure, it is unlikely the differences will
be apparent to the layman’s eye. Dr. Michael
Harris, MD of The Railway Consultancy,
explains why. “The main consideration in
station design is passenger flow – minimis-
ing the distances people have to walk, and
maximising the capacity of corridors. Station
planning should be part of a journey where you
look at where the passenger is going to come
from and where they want to go to. There
are well-known principles of passenger-flow
planning in stations. It is about keeping away
from creating bottlenecks.”
While these principles are long-established,
technology is increasingly playing a key role
in ensuring how they are realised. Computer-
modeling programs such as Legion are enabling
station architects to adapt their designs based
on the projected flow visualised by the soft-
ware. Neil Sharpe is an architectural designer
specialising in station design at London-based
architectural firm Weston Williamson.
“Up until now, passenger flow has tended
to be a check process – something is designed,
and the passenger-flow analysis will confirm
that the design is acceptable. At the moment
we are looking at making the passenger flow
analysis more part of the design process. This
is where technology can help us.”
Another computer-based application that
is revolutionising station design is Building
Information Modelling (BIM). A major con-
sideration for future underground rail projects,
especially in the GCC, will be keeping sta-
tions cool as temperatures soar in the enclosed
subterranean environments. For Sharpe, BIM

38 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012


proves particularly useful when faced with
such a design challenge. “Cooling is becoming
quite a major design requirement now. That
is something on new-build stations for which
we will be able to develop better solutions.
Using BIM, not only can we design it better,
but we can coordinate better with other design
disciplines to make sure we get the cooling
requirements sorted out earlier in the design,
which is very useful.”
While the vast majority of tomorrow’s pas-
sengers will be oblivious to the expertise and
technology employed in the station’s design,
what most are bound to notice is how they pay
their way. Every modern railway system in the
world has largely done away with paper tickets,
opting instead for ticketless systems which use
fast and efficient smart cards. The ticketless
concept now looks set to go a step further, with
dedicated smart cards replaced by near-field
communication (NFC) chips that can be placed
inside credit cards and smartphones for fare
payments. Highly-developed Asian countries
like Japan and South Korea have been leading
the world for years in this technology, and it
is only a matter of time before rail networks
round the world catch up.
The trains of tomorrow will undoubtedly
look very much like they do today, but the
technology they use to get you to your des-
tination may well have changed. The most
significant development in rail travel in recent
times has been Maglev, or magnetic levitation.
This system uses electro-magnetic forces to
TECHNOLOGY
propel trains along the track, and holds the
high-speed rail record at 581km/h on a test
track. It is seen as the most likely contender
to the dominance of short-haul air travel and,
while there are only a few Maglev systems
operating in the world, most major economies
have plans to build one.
However, Maglev does have its limitations,
and these may be decisive in determining the
scale of its adoption around the world. Dr. Har-
ris explains: “We have already got established
systems of motorways and railways, and Maglevs
are non-interchangeable systems with either
of those. That is, I think, its biggest weakness.
It requires the construction of a new network,
so that is a massive investment or gamble for
anybody to take.”
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 39
TECHNOLOGY
Technology leader
The boundary between
communications and train control
and signalling disciplines “is very
much blurred these days,” says Hyder
Consulting regional rail director
Geoff Leffek. In terms of the level
of technology to be deployed on the
GCC’s rail projects, Leffek says: “It
seems the system of choice will be
ETCS Level 2/GSM-R, an international
wireless communications standard for
railway communication, because that
is the latest. I think that is very forward
thinking, and will certainly help with
the interoperability issue.”
Other possible focus areas for
innovation could be the platform screen
doors and driverless rolling stock,
which “are not really new technology.
There was some talk about having
driverless trams on a project recently.
It was seriously discussed, then it
was dropped. Some of the developing
technologies involve wireless trams.
“These run on an induction loop
comprising an energised portion of the
track directly under the vehicle.
“There is no physical connection
between the two, and using a loop
of copper wire, a current is induced.
This technology is clearly better than
having overhead cables, certainly from
an overall aesthetic and maintenance
point of view.”
It is also “better than the previous
cable-free system which had a foot that
reached into a continuous slot in the
ground. It also had a moving energised
system, but I always felt it was not
particularly sensible for this region
because of the ingress of sand. You are
going to have issues with being able to
pick up current.”
Leffek says such issues as the rapid
pace of technological development in
the rail sector poses challenges for
both contractors and consultants. “It
is competitive, not just for consultants,
but also for contractors.
There is a concern that clients will
often opt for the lowest price on a
project, “especially now we are moving
to projects of higher and higher risk in
terms of the demands of the schedules
being met, combined with their
external demands,” says Leffek.
“The quality of the design and the
quality of the construction are obviously
very important for the long-term
viability of the project. Again, it is about
the robustness and maintainability and
availability,” he concludes.
40 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
Nevertheless, he thinks they may still be
able to play a role in the new GCC rail net-
work. “They are very good for point-to-point,
airport-to-city-centre type journeys, but not
really mixed-traffic, not really networks with
lots of points.”
If Maglev does not take its place as tomorrow’s
preferred mode of train transport, the most
likely alternative is (at least for long-distance
journeys), high-speed electric rail. The Hara-
main High-Speed Railway linking Makkah to
Madinah via Jeddah is already nearing comple-
tion. If the proposed trans-Arabian network
comes to fruition, the long distances involved
will surely require a high-speed solution. Indus-
try figures regularly point to developments in
energy efficiency as the cutting-edge of this Technology is transforming train-station design.
technology. “Energy costs rise at the square of
the speed, and the passenger benefits do not
increase like that, so what you can do theo-
retically [in terms of reaching higher speeds]
is not necessarily the same as what might be
commercial,” explains Dr. Harris.
In response to this conundrum, French
train manufacturers Alstom created their AGV
model, following ten years of research and an
investment of $128m. The company developed
a mind-boggling power system incorporat-
ing quad voltage, permanent magnet motors,
water-cooled IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar
Transistor) traction converters and regenera-
tive braking, which enabled speeds of up to
360km/h, while consuming 15% less energy.
According to industry analysts, the combination
adds up to 20% greater passenger capacity and
slashes maintenance costs by nearly a third.
While passengers can certainly look forward
to quicker journeys on greener trains, they can Maglev trains use electro-magnetic forces.
also anticipate technological developments
that will maximise passenger experience, built-in screen device, or simply the provision
providing options and assistance like never of power to personal digital devices. “There
before. Interior design company Tangerine will undoubtedly be carriers looking for much
has been working on passenger comfort and more portable forms of content provision, be
experience for the Heathrow Express service that just providing the power for passengers to
to Paddington Station in the UK. be able to bring their iPad, iPod or other tablet
Tangerine CEO Professor Martin Darbyshire with them,” says Darbyshire. “Albeit, renting
says there is real potential for revolutionising tablets or doing something with tablets that
what a train journey actually entails. “Given the people can use in a more ad hoc way is also
fact that most seats will have power available an option,” he adds.
to people, and they will also have WiFi, the Incremental improvements in near-field
option is there to really transform the onboard technology and the unstoppable progress of
experience within a train, particularly what can mobile phone applications are also central to
people do and what services can they get while the Tangerine chief’s belief that a new age of
they use that time onboard.” This in-transit train travel for passengers is just round the
content provision could take the form of a bend. “This technology could tell you where

your seat is; it could tell you information about
the journey in total; it could tell you how far
away you are from your destination; it could
tell the conductor that you have paid for your
seat, so they do not have to interrupt you; it
could tell the conductor who you are so they
can talk to you by your name. It can really trans-
form the personal level interactivity you get
onboard the train itself and improve all sorts
of dimensions. So you have a better under-
standing, you are better entertained, you have
better dialogue and human interaction with
the operator themselves.”
While such advances could be dismissed
as mere pleasant distractions from the chore
of travelling, Darbyshire is keen to emphasise
High-speed rail is ideal for the vast areas of the GCC.
that the most essential benefit of such tech-
nology addresses the primary concerns of any
passenger. Whether a five-minute inner-city
hop or a week-long Trans-Siberian adventure,
every passenger wants to get to their destina-
tion, and get there on time.
“In terms of overall way-finding, one of the
really big opportunities, which is yet to be deliv-
ered, covers the whole customer journey in
terms of, firstly, navigating to the train,” says
Darbyshire. “Then, where on the train do I
go to? Then helping people when they dis-
embark – where do they go? Helping people
anticipate what they will be doing, making
sure that that journey is very seamless and
straightforward. People may well be connecting
TECHNOLOGY
“At the moment
we are looking at
making passenger-
flow analysis more
part of the design
process. This is
where technology
can play a role.”
Neil Sharpe
onto other modes of transport, not just getting
off at a station and walking. I think there are
lots of opportunities that can be tackled and
improved upon in that respect.”
With such technology, the train journeys
of tomorrow may well be free of many of the
stressful problems we associate with the train
journeys of today. Rail has been a popular mode
of transport for almost two centuries now, and
technology can only make it more so.
However, its continuing popularity also
points to the fact that the fundamentals of
rail are sound. Nothing, of course, is perfect,
and things can be improved. But, in terms of
rail technology, it is certainly a case of some
change rather than all change.
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 41
DOHA METRO

A modern functioning rail network is an absolute

necessity for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Cathal
McElroy updates progress to date

42 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012


D
Doha is a city on the move – but
it needs to move fast. Qatari
ambition has reached for and
seized the hosting rights for
the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and
Doha is set to be the hub of the global football
festival. Millions of fans over the course of
one hectic month will descend on the city,
and a modern functioning rail network is an
absolute necessity if they are to be transported
with ease. The mega-project has yet to break
ground and the clock is ticking. Will Doha
make it on time?
Doha set off on its Metro journey long before
the words ‘World’ and ‘Cup’ lit the flames under
the planning authorities’ feet. While the suc-
cessful bid for soccer’s showpiece event has
been a catalyst for action, the Metro project
actually has its roots in Doha’s unsuccessful
bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.
In this bid, Phase 1 of the Metro was to have
five sections, and was originally scheduled
for a 2015 completion date. The Olympic bid
outlined a Metro network in five sections,
costing $4.65bn in total. The first section of
30km, costing $1.65bn, would run from the
still-under-construction Lusail mega-project
to New Doha International Airport, while the
other four sections, originally set to break ground
between 2010 and 2012, would run a total of
55km and were collectively valued at $3bn.
Together, the five sections were to constitute
the first phase of a long-term, three-phase plan
totaling 140km of track, with a preliminary 2026
completion date. While this scheduling seemed
achievable, concerns were present given the
“The Metro is part
of a comprehensive,
consolidated
national rail
system.”
Bernd Weiler
DOHA METRO
nature of the task. Steve Cole, the PTV Doha
manager involved in the wider masterplan for
the network, explained: “The kind of Metro
they [the Qatari authorities] are looking for
is mostly underground, which takes time.”
However, with Qatar’s elimination from the
Olympic bidding process in June 2008, time
did not seem to be such an issue anymore.
Pause for thought followed, and the decision
on the construction timetable, including the
contract type, was put on ice until late 2009.
In the meantime, DB International, the inter-
national arm of the German railway company
Deutsche Bahn, and local state-owned firm,
Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company,
signed a MoU with Qatar’s Ministry of Com-
munications and Transport to develop the
conceptual design of the Metro, along with a
wider national rail network.
In March 2009, these plans were then pre-
sented to the Ministry, proposing a Metro
network which would serve the suburbs of
Doha, as well as link New Doha International
Airport with major business centres, Lusail,
Education City and West Bay developments.
The wider national network would be built in
four phases and comprise four lines totaling
300km serviced by 108 stations. The total cost
would be $42.9bn.
The plan also envisaged the Metro as forming
one ‘cluster’ of the wider consolidated national
railway network. Plans for this network included
an east coast rail link; a high-speed service
between the New Doha Airport, Doha Port and
Bahrain, over the planned Friendship Bridge
between the two countries; and a high-speed
(200km) link between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The Metro plan would be designed to inte-
grate these planned railway systems across the
country into a “comprehensive and consoli-
dated national railway system”, according to
DB International spokesperson Bernd Weiler.
Following the presentation, Weiler described
the reception as “friendly to neutral”.
The pace of events then seemed to grind to
a halt somewhat until November 2010 when
FIFA shocked the world. The announcement
that Qatar had won its bid to host the 2022
World Cup suddenly brought the country’s
development plans sharply into focus – none
more so than the Doha Metro system. Time,
like never before, was of the essence.
In May 2011, Qatar Railways Company (QRail),
which was set up in November 2009 to sup-
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 43
DOHA METRO
Qatar’s transport plans entail a fundamental transformation of Doha’s infrastructure.
port and coordinate the growth of Qatar’s rail
industry, made its first move by holding an
industry awareness event that attracted more
than 700 representatives from leading consul-
tancy, advisory, construction and operations
companies around the world. Following a similar
event in July that year, QRail announced that
it was inviting bids from companies wanting
to participate in the design and construction
of the Metro project.
By October 2011, it had received bids from
around 60 consortia interested in the project.
With major interest established, it had been
expected that QRail would begin issuing tenders
by the end of 2011. However, it announced that
month that it would delay the issue until Q1
2012, as it needed “more time to review and
evaluate it”, according to Ghanim Al-Ibrahim,
QRail Group director.
With the first quarter of 2012 came some
progress. February saw Saad Al Mohannadi,
QRail deputy CEO, announce that tunnel-bor-
ing work on the Metro would begin in early
2013. According to Qrail, the first contracts
44 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
“We have to plan for winning the
Olympics, because if we wait until the
announcement, we will be too late in order
to build it in time.”
Geoff Mee
to be awarded under the new plans will be for
four tunnelling packages, each of which will
be worth in the order of $2bn to $3bn, along
with two packages for major station works
for Msheireb Properties’ Downtown Doha
project and Education City.
This seeming progress was, however, accom-
panied by the news that QRail was further
delaying the issue of tenders, this time until
Q2 2012. The reason? Doha had decided to
bid for the 2020 Olympic Games … This move
has required Qrail to rethink the phasing of
the entire project, pulling deadlines for the
delivery of key parts of the project ahead by 18
months. Phase 1A will now see enough of the
Metro built to cater for the Olympics; Phase
1B will cover the additional work needed for
the World Cup; and Phase 2 will cover the
completion of the entire service.
Speaking at the CW Qatar Projects 2012
Conference in February, Geoff Mee, deputy
CEO of QRail, said: “We have to plan for win-
ning the Olympics because if we wait until the
announcement, we will be too late in order to
build it in time.” But, as things stand, the Doha
Metro project has yet to leave the platform.
Let us hope it moves fast, because it simply
cannot be late.
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MAKKAH RAIL PROJECTS

The pilgrims’
progress
Cathal McElroy looks at attempts by the Saudi authorities to facilitate religious
tourism in its holy cities by the implementation of rail projects

46 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012


A
s spectacular as images of the
Hajj in Makkah and Madinah
are to the outside world, it is
not hard to imagine that the
reality of hosting millions of
pilgrims each year in the holy cities is a recur-
ring logistical nightmare.
With the world’s Muslim population steadily
increasing, and affordable air travel now widely
available, numbers attending the religious festi-
val in these cities have swelled. In recent years,
it has been estimated that around 2.5 million
pilgrims have performed ‘Umrat al-tammatu’
(a pilgrimage in conjunction with Hajj) each
year and, as a result, congestion in the holy
cities has become endemic. In response, the
authorities in Saudi Arabia have committed
to developing a rail system in and between
the cities which will make the Hajj that bit
more manageable for both themselves and
the larger world of the worshippers.
The authorities’ first stop en route to decon-
gestion was the development of a municipal
rail system between the holy sites of Arafat,
Muzdalifah and Mina on the eastern outskirts
of Makkah. As travel to each of the sites is
required during the Hajj pilgrimage, demand
for convenient transport is at a premium.
In order to meet this demand, the Saudi
authorities commissioned the Al Mashaaer-
MAKKAH RAIL PROJECTS
“Although the actual
cost of the project
rose to $2.4bn, work
was completed at
such a rate that
33% of the railway
was open by the
following year’s Hajj
in November 2011.”
Al Mugaddassah Metro Project (also known
as the Mashair Train Project, Makkah Metro
and Makkah Monorail) and awarded China
Railway Construction Corporation the $1.8bn
contract in February 2009.
Although the actual cost of the project rose to
$2.4bn, work was completed at such a rate that
35% of the railway was open by the following
year’s Hajj in November 2011. The remainder
was completed within one year in time for the
Hajj in November 2012.
With 20 trains, each with 12 carriages holding
250 passengers, the project was designed to
have the capacity to transport 72,000 passen-
gers an hour, more than any other rail system
in the world. This was further enabled by the
decision to build three stations at each of the
three stops on the pilgrimage route.
While the project has made a substantial
contribution to alleviating Makkah’s Hajj
congestion, it is only a stop-off point in the
municipality’s journey to a free-flowing city.
The following stage, set to begin next year, will
see construction of an urban mass rail transit
system for Makkah city itself.
Al Balad Al Ameen Company (BAC) is behind
the project, and hopes it will be completed by
2017, with procurement packages for the first
stage of the system only now in development
and expressions of interest expected at the
end of 2012.
According to the company, the project will
involve the construction of four new rail lines.
Stage one of the project will see the construc-
tion of Lines B and C, with the 10km Line B
connecting to the Al Mashaaer-Al Mugaddas-
sah line that serves the holy sites of Arafat,
Muzdalifah and Mina. While Line B will have
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 47
MAKKAH RAIL PROJECTS
six new stations and run mostly underground,
the 29km Line C will have 14 stations and be
constructed through a combination of tunnels
and viaducts. The company says that Lines
A and D will be constructed at a later stage.
Beyond alleviating the notorious congestion
of Makkah during the Hajj, the Saudi authori-
ties have also taken steps to improve pilgrim
mobility in Islam’s second holiest city, Madi-
nah, and in Jeddah, where many international
worshippers fly to and from. While Makkah
(the birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed
and site of the composition of the Quran), is
the centrepiece of the Hajj pilgrimage, a visit
to Madinah (the resting place of the Prophet
Mohammed), is also made by most of the pilgrims
who travel to Saudi Arabia during the period.
Traditionally, this journey of 339km has been
made by bus, car or, more recently, by air, but
with ever-increasing numbers placing the cur-
rent infrastructure under ever-greater strain,
the authorities announced in March 2009 that
a long-planned high-speed rail link between
the cities would commence construction.
The 450km railway link between the two
holy cities via King Abdullah Economic City in
Rabigh, King Abdulaziz International Airport,
Jeddah and Abyar Ali is expected to be com-
Religious pilgrims flocking to Saudi’s
holy cities place a major strain on the
public transport infrastructure.
48 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
pleted in 2014. The electric train will travel at a
top speed of 320km/h. It is hoped the project
will boost the number of worshippers visit-
ing the holy sites to 14 million a year by 2030.
Work on Phase 1 of the project was awarded
in two packages, the first for civil works involv-
ing preparation of the ground, construction of
bridges, culverts and tunnels for laying of the
track. This $1.8bn contract was won in March
2009 by Al Rajhi Alliance, a consortium compris-
ing China Railway Construction Corporation
(CRCC), Al Arrab Contracting Company Ltd.,
Al Suwailem Company and the French power
and rolling stock company Alstom Transport.
Consultancy for Phase 1 was awarded to Saudi
Consolidated Engineering Company (Khatib
& Alami, K&A) with the Scott Wilson Group
awarded project management support.
The second package for Phase 1 of the project
covered construction of four of the five stations
along the route. In April 2009, $38m worth of
design contracts for the stations in Makkah,
Madinah, Jeddah and King Abdulaziz Airport
were awarded to a joint venture between Fos-
ter & Partners and Buro Happold. In February
2011, the station construction contracts were
awarded to Saudi Bin Laden Group (Makkah
and Madinah) and Saudi Oger (Jeddah and
King Abdullah Economic City). Phase 2 of the
Makkah-Madinah project will see completion
of the remaining infrastructure work on the
line, which includes construction of the track,
signalling, power, electrification and telecoms.
It also requires procurement of rolling stock
and operations and maintenance for a period
of 12 years after completion.
In October 2011, the Saudi Railways Organisa-
tion announced that the Saudi-Spanish consor-
tium Al-Shoula Group, which includes Talgo,
Renfe, Adif, Copasa, Imathia, Consultrans,
Ineco, Cobra, Indra, Dimetronic, Inabensa,
OHL, AL-Shoula and Al-Rosan, had been cho-
sen for the $8.7bn Phase 2 contract.
Talgo will supply 35 Talgo 350 trains, simi-
lar to those used on Spanish high-speed lines,
with an option for 23 more, while Renfe and
Adif will operate the trains and manage the
line for 12 years.
With the level of investment that has been
committed and the international expertise
that has become involved, the rail system in
and between Islam’s holiest sites will surely
soon be at a world-class level. When the future
millions of train-bound pilgrims recall the tor-
tuous journeys of past pilgrims, they can but
think they are truly blessed.
Wherever the job, whatever the task

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KUWAIT METRO

Kuwait Metro
to be operational
by 2020
Plans are moving ahead for Kuwait’s country-wide metro system,
which is hoped to address the growing issue of congestion and create
a better environment for growth in commercial, business, industrial
and residential markets

50 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012


I
n late March, the Partnerships Tech-
nical Bureau (PTB) invited contrac-
tors to express interest in a variety of
contracts to develop rolling stock and
systems for the Metropolitan Rapid
Transit System Project (KMRT).
A month earlier, the PTB signed off on a
feasibility study for the $7bn metro. The proj-
ect is expected to be completed in five phases,
with construction beginning in 2013. Upon
completion, it will span more than 160km and
be serviced by 69 stations.
PTB plans to give winning bidders 40% to
50% of the shares in ‘design-build-finance-
maintain’ infrastructure packages. PTB has
stated it expects the Metro to begin operating
by 2020, and that the first phase of the devel-
opment will extend more than 54km and be
serviced by 28 stations, nine of which will be
underground.
“As the first public transport public-private
partnerships (PPPs) in the country, the vari-
ous procurements for the KMRT System are
expected to contribute extensively to the reali-
sation of the philosophy of a multimodal and
integrated public transport network,” PTB
said in a statement. The Metro is the first of a
number of PPPs planned by the government
“As the first public transport PPP, the
KMRT will contribute extensively to a
multimodal and integrated network.”
Partnerships Technical Bureau
as part of a $132.65bn infrastructure overhaul
plan. Other transport initiatives include the
22.5-km Al Ahmed Bridge, which will $2.63bn
and connect the mixed-use Silk City project
with Kuwait City. Also in the works is the
construction of 550km of railway as part of a
planned $25bn Gulf network, which aims to
link GCC member states.
Pundits say the Metro will be crucial to the
nation’s development, particularly in light of
its expected population increase – from 3.6m
in 2010 to 5.3m by 2030, according to market
research firm Euromonitor International –
and high levels of traffic congestion within
the metropolitan area.
Speaking at the Kuwait Infrastructure Invest-
ment summit in late March, Abraham Akkawi,
the head of infrastructure and PPP advisory
services at UK-based accounting firm Ernst &
Young, said the building of a Metro was a long-
term commitment, and that this was the right
time to launch such a plan. “Kuwait is going
through a major transformation in its infra-
structure. Therefore it makes sense to anchor
it with one of the most elaborate projects.”
Adding further to the growing support of
transport infrastructure development, the Min-
istry of Works (MoW) revealed that Kuwait
KUWAIT METRO
will soon launch a $2.51bn-$2.87bn initial ten-
der for construction of a second terminal at
its international airport. Hossam Al Tahous,
the undersecretary for the MoW, told Reuters
that the project should be finished by late 2016,
with solar panels expected to provide about
10% of the terminal’s energy supply.
In a related development, local media reported
that a parliamentary committee had recom-
mended Kuwait amend its laws regarding
public tenders to allow foreign companies to
participate in biddings directly without the
need for a local agent. Previously, troubled
negotiations between the cabinet and parlia-
ment over policy have been blamed for delays
in large-scale infrastructure projects. Under the
proposed changes, Kuwait’s Central Bank would
be given the authority to deal with investment
decisions and to supervise tenders, reported
The Arab Times.
In another nod to the government’s com-
mitment to ensuring the smooth progress of
its $12.55bn 2012-13 Development Plan, which
includes 324 infrastructure projects such as
roads, bridges and government buildings, Public
Works Minister Fadhel Safar said on 26 March
he would like to expand the private-sector
contribution to the development plan.
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 51
ABU DHABI METRO
Capital idea
Abu Dhabi’s planned metro and light-rail system are on
their way, reports John Bambridge
D
esign work on Abu Dhabi’s
planned metro and light-rail
system has been underway
since March, when the Emi-
rate’s executive council finally
approved the funding for the project. In the
plans, the $7bn public transport network will
comprise 131km of metro and some 340km of
tramline, with phase one expected to be up
and running by 2017.
The combined system is part of the Abu
Dhabi government’s broader long-term trans-
port strategy within the context of the Abu
Dhabi 2030 Development Plan, and the metro
component will be one of the largest metro
projects in the world. “The 340km tram sys-
tem is part of an ambitious and far-reaching
Surface Transport Masterplan that will meet
the people’s and economy’s mobility needs
52 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
as part of Plan Abu Dhabi 2030,” according
to the Department of Transport, which has
said that the projects will ease congestion in
the city, which will cost commuters $680m in
lost time and productivity by 2015, and more
than double that by 2030.
It is anticipated that the new network will be
able to handle 823,000 commuters and elimi-
nate 400,000 daily road trips, in turn removing
more than 105,000 cars from the road.
Each metro station is expected to handle
1,000 commuters, and may be serviced by 15
additional two-coach trains spaced at five-
minute intervals between the main service trains.
The monorail metro line will consist of a
single route running between Port Zayed and
Zayed Sports City, interlinking the various
key areas of the city’s central business district
including Saraya, Zayed the First, Al Falah,
Mohammad Bin Khalifa, Al Jazeera, Mushrif,
Rehhan and the Abu Dhabi National Exhibi-
tions Company (ADNEC) area.
The metro will also eventually extend out
over Saadiyat, as well as to Masdar and Abu
Dhabi International Airport, looping round
the back over Yas island.
The tram network will consist of three lines:
a Blue Line running between Marina Mall
and Reem Island via Zayed Street; a Green
Line, which will run between the Eid Prayer
ground depot and Saadiyat Island; and a third
Yellow Line which will sweep through Sow-
wah Island, the Central Market and the Abu
Dhabi municipality area.
US consultancy Fluor won the contract
to manage Abu Dhabi’s transport network
in January 2010, and is now supervising the
development and construction of the metro

and light rail system, which come under the
scope of the Emirate’s Surface Transport
Masterplan. Abu Dhabi’s executive council
has a virtually unlimited pot of up to $82bn
available for transport upgrades as part of the
Emirate’s modernisation programme, which
will also include buses and water taxis, and
it was expected that the green light would
given to the department of transport project.
Mott McDonald and Steer Davies Cleave are
the study consultants for the Surface Transport
Master Plan of Abu Dhabi.
The first phase of the project will involve
installation 18km of metro line and 40km for
the light-rail transit system.
The US’s Aecom is the consultant working
on the metro project, while Spain’s Sener is
the consultant managing the tramline, both
contracts for which were signed by the firms
in October 2010. Sener has been conducting
final studies on how to adjust the tram lines to
the high summer temperatures, and on how
sand and dust on the lines could potentially
interfere with the system’s operation. Work
will be initiated on the tram component of
Phase One in the imminent future, with activ-
ity starting in the north of the city and then
moving south.
“The light rail transit/tram system is con-
sidered to be one of the most important means
of public transport for the capital thanks to
large capacity, cost and energy efficiency, and
ability to operate in densely populated areas,”
according to the Department of Transport.
In line with the overall master transport
plan, the metro will also eventually link up with
a 580km high-speed railway network, with
routes to the end of the Dubai Metro, Al Ain
ABU DHABI METRO
“The 340km tram
system is part
of an ambitious
and far-reaching
Surface Transport
Masterplan.”
Department of Transport
and Saudi Arabia, as well as further transport
projects envisaged on Saadiyat island by the
TDIC. A previously mentioned project named
the Cultural Land Bridge was proposed on the
island, and it remains to be seen whether it
re-emerges as a concrete proposal.
The plan was to proliferate a wide range
of public transport modes around the mega-
project’s cultural district, in a similar manner
to the transport systems on islands such as
Hong Kong and Manhattan, with a separate
tramline running downthe length of Saadiyat’s
central reservation.
For the moment this is an aspiration, but
the plans are link to the island with Abu Dhabi
with a tunnel on the metro via Maryan are
already well underway. If all this comes to frui-
tion, then Abu Dhabi will have an integrated,
multimodal transport system.
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 53
AL SUFOUH TRAM

Dubai and
the tram
The much-anticipated Al Sufouh tramline in
Dubai is now hurtling forward, with a precast
viaduct noticeably materialising between
Sheikh Zayed Road and Dubai Marina.
By John Bambridge

54 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

 AL SUFOUH TRAM

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 55

AL SUFOUH TRAM
The viaduct along Sheikh Zayed Road is one of the most visible signs of progress on the Al Sufouh tramline.
T
he $1.08bn light rail system was
devised by the Roads & Trans-
port Authority (RTA) of Dubai
to serve the hundreds of thou-
sands of potential passengers
in the New Dubai area, enhancing the cross-
functionality of the public transport network
for both residents and tourists alike. Back on
track, the project is now firmly bound for its
November 2014 scheduled completion date.
The tram is named after the Al Sufouh Road,
which it will run alongside for most of its 14km
length, stretching from the Mall of the Emirates
in the Al Sufouh area, past Knowledge Village,
and Media City, meeting with Sheikh Zayed
road alongside Dubai Marina and looping back
around down the Jumeirah Walk.
The tramway, which was originally intended
to be completed in April 2011, will be inter-
spersed with a total of 19 passenger stations,
with three linking up to the Dubai Metro
alongside Sheikh Zayed Road, at the Jumei-
rah Lakes Towers, Dubai Marina and Mall of
the Emirates stops. The Al Sufouh light rail
will be the first tram in the world with ground
power feeding the entire line, eliminating any
need for overhead wires.
The project got off to a shaky start as the
global financial crisis in 2008 disrupted the
original schedule for a 2011 completion, and
main contractors France’s Alstom and Belgium’s
Besix scaled back the pace of construction on
the state-backed tram.
Construction under the Alstom-Besix con-
sortium, which also includes the UK’s Serco and
the US’s Parsons, recommenced in earnest at
the end of 2010, and by April 2011 the project
was reported to be 30% towards completion
by the companies involved.
“Last year there was a further delay to the
project due to financial issues, but the project
started again a few months ago, and is expected
to be completed in 2014,” explained Abdul
56 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
“The project started
again a few months
ago, and is expected
to be completed in
2014.”
Abdul Younes, Roads &
Transport Authority
Younes, CEO for strategy and corporate gov-
ernance at the RTA.
“We began construction again in December
2011, but there were still some discussions about
refinancing the contract that were underway,”
said Philippe Dessoy, GM at Six Construct, of
Besix, commenting on the disruption. “We
were waiting for these to be finalised before
we could start building at full speed again. So
we started the viaduct along Sheikh Zayed
Road, a JBR station mock-up and some of the
utilities in the Marina.” The remaining finan-
cial issues concerning the project were ironed
out in February after the government secured
a $675m deal guaranteeing the first phase,
and all outstanding payments from 2009 were
reported to have been collected. “We have seen
a very encouraging response to this financing,
which is a testament to the strong confidence
that the international banks have in Dubai’s
economy,” said Abdulrahman Al Saleh, director
general of the Dubai Department of Finance.
The initial phase of the Al Sufouh tram project
will extend for 12km from just before Knowledge
village up to the loop around Dubai Marina. Up
to 12 of the eventual 19 stations will become
operable under the phase, serviced by eight
trains, each with a 400-passenger capacity.
The 14km line will ultimately run a fleet of 25
trains, amounting to an overall line capacity
of 10,000 passengers, with 5,000 expected to
flow in each direction every hour.
“It is important to inform people about the
benefits of using public transport, especially
with regard to protecting the environment
from pollution, ensuring the comfort and safe
means of transport for passengers and to reduce
traffic congestion in the city,” said Dubai Ruler
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
after viewing the ongoing construction and
mock station at the Jumeirah Walk.
The Al Sufouh tramline will also tie into the
existing Palm Jumeirah monorail line, which was
developed by a consortium led by the Japanese
Marubeni Corporation, also linking it with the
Dubai metro in the second phase. The monorail
can facilitate nine trains, allowing passenger
capacity to increase to 6,000 passengers with
the potential advent in increased tourist flow
from the tramline connection.
The monorail currently travels directly from
the Gateway Station at the foot of the palm
to the Atlantis Aquaventure Station on the
crescent, but there are also two intermediate
stations at the Trump Tower station and the
Palm Mall which could open up upon demand.
“Works are currently focused on building
the tram’s infrastructure along a corridor
stretching from Dubai Marina to Jumeirah,
where water and electricity lines in the area
have been identified,” said Dubai’s transport
chief Mattar Al Tayer. “Work is underway to
bypass the utility lines and lay the foundations
underpinning the tram rails through which
the tram receives power feed.”
Now that the RTA has put its foot down over
delays and with the government’s assistance in
securing funding, there is little doubt remain-
ing that the tramline is on its way.
Al Tayer is confident that the “Al Sufouh
Transit System will be the latest addition to
the outstanding array of projects witnessed
by the emirate of Dubai.”
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OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
The
transporter
A $400m Dubai Metro contract has positioned Serco as leader in operations
and maintenance for infrastructure projects. By Hannah-Farah Abdulla
A
n 2007, Serco was awarded
a 12.5 year contract for the
operations and mainte-
nance of the first two lines
oftheDubaiMetro.Starting
at 76km of track and eventually hoped to
extend across 300km, the system would
be the world’s largest driverless metro
operation. In 2010, the company went
on to win the contract for the operation
of the 5.5km Palm Jumeirah Monorail.
Serco was selected for both projects fol-
lowing its success on a number of similar
projects within its portfolio, including the
operation and maintainance of the Lon-
don Docklands Light Railway (DLR). A
significant part of Dubai’s future growth
strategy has been to engage players that
can demonstrate strong global expertise.
“Serco is a global company with local
presence,” says Middle East CEO Zafar
58 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
http://dubaimetro.eu/wp-content/
gallery/general/m1.jpg
Raja. “That means we will take best prac-
tice and learning experience from any-
where in the world where we operate:
Australia, the UK, the US, Hong Kong,
India, and bring that capability to bear
to the local solution. In the case of this
particular network, we took some of the
best practice from running the driverless
metro in London (DLR), using experi-
ences and management skills from there
and bringing them here.”
However, Raja says local flavour must be
accounted for. The opening of the Dubai
Metro Green Line saw the introduction
of themed stations, from earth to air and
water. Also present are heritage stations,
a cross between modern stations with a
flavour of what Dubai was before. “The
Metro is an important part of the future
vision of Dubai but, quite rightly, its people
are keen to retain the cultural elements;
the heritage which shows where it has
come from,” says Raja.
While the concept of the Metro was
the brainchild of the RTA, Serco feels
privileged to have been consulted at the
design stages, and to have been given the
opportunity to provide input on what could
later aid its operations. “The industry calls
it early operator involvement (EOI),” says
Raja. “Within any major infrastructure
project, from an operations and mainte-
nance perspective, an important part is
being involved at the early stages, because
in many ways you are preventing issues
from arising later by influencing the design,
layout and helping shape what ultimately
in terms of movement of people will be
a quick in-and-out.
“People want to use transport because
it helps quicken traffic flow. EOI was very
important for us, as being involved at the
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 59

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
consultancy stages allowed us to influence
the structure that the RTA had envisaged and
was working towards,” says Raja. However,
while ease of access, cleaning, operations and
maintenance were important, the RTA’s vision
still involved creating something unique for
the city to be proud of. Naturally, maintaining
such a concept would always pose challenges.
“Every project will come with a different
challenge, and is ultimately different to the
next,” explains Raja. “Starting with the [Dubai]
Metro itself, the shape of the station is unique,
and as you would expect in the UAE and in the
wider region. Keeping them in the right shape,
looking after the asset, is always a challenge, as
is training our people to be able to cope with
the uniqueness of the structure.
“Serco’s strengths lie in assessing ways of
doing things differently, which is where we
add value. I do not believe the challenges lie
in whether you are working [in the building
or transport industry]; it is the actual project
that presents the challenge,” says Raja.
“With any major infrastructure project,
an important part is being involved at the
early stages because you are preventing
issues from arising later.”
Zafar Raja
Serco’s best-practice
approach on the Metro has
been refined on similar
projects.
60 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
Serco trained and engaged about 2,500 staff to
operate and maintain the Dubai Metro, at every
level from its people at the stations to those in
the maintenance depots. Training consisted of
50,000 man-days. “Whether underground or
heritage, from an FM perspective, a big chal-
lenge is that it is always presented to the public
of Dubai in its finest glory,” says Raja.
“Any structure that has such a high foot-
fall as the ridership on the Metro, which has
increased month-on-month from September
2009, needs to be kept looking and performing
at its optimum. We design our maintenance
regimes around increasing passengers, peak
times and higher passenger volumes, and with
minimum disruption.
“Secondly, keeping the external structure
looking as attractive as it does can prove chal-
lenging, particularly in this part of the world,
where sandstorms are a regular occurrence.
Our teams need to be prepared to clean as
and when necessary. Parts of it we do our-
selves and, for other aspects, specialists are
engaged,” says Raja. Everything from customer
service to health and safety is paramount, he
adds. “The Palm Jumeirah Monorail is a fan-
tastic facility, with some incredible stations to
caretake. Safety of people, however, remains
at the forefront of our operations. We had to
consider [and plan for] emergencies which
might potentially be over water, looking at
evacuation [measures]. As the operator and
maintainer of a service like this you have to
take that into consideration,” says Raja.
Having operated in the Middle East for
over 60 years, Raja says the future for Serco
in the region will see it enter smaller coun-
tries where it does not currently have offices
set up. Transport will remain a major focus
for the company whose strengths lie in the
aviation sector, for which it currently offers
air-traffic control services in some of the Emir-
ates and in Bahrain. Up to 90% of its contracts
are with government sectors, with particular
strengths in defence, health and transport. “A
significant portion of our operations are within
The design of the Dubai Metro stations
require non-conventional access for
cleaning by Megarme technicians.

the transport industry,” says Raja. “If you look
at infrastructure projects, transport is one of
those areas that help to build communities and
nations. With the Middle East in particular
and infrastructure in general, buildings and
transport is a big area of growth.
“Within the last three years, we have experi-
enced double-digit growth in the Middle East,
taking over a number of contracts. Initially, we
started operations providing air-traffic control
services out of Baghdad International Airport.
This was, and is, fantastic, as it fits in with the
philosophy of Serco, which is providing services
that touch people’s lives. If you look at Iraq, it is
coming out of a challenging decade or so that
it has had. Our services, in terms of helping
new airlines and planes come into Baghdad,
are just one way of doing that.”
The company also has a defence contract,
supporting the Australian Defence Forces in Al
Minhad Airbase, the Makkah Metro in Saudi
Arabia and a bus contract at Al Ain University.
Serco is also focusing on expanding its reach to
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
the healthcare and education sectors. “There
are major opportunities to help improve health-
care provisions in the region, not just here in
the UAE, but Saudi and Qatar as well, where
we are actively involved in a number of proj-
ects in those countries, and we are looking at
healthcare in Kuwait. Education will also be
an important area of focus for us. An important
part of doing business in this part of the world,
as an international company, is to be part of
a programme of transferring knowledge and
skills to local people … As a backdrop to that is
the demand by governments here to improve
the skills of the people in the region.”
The company has its headquarters in the
UAE, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Baghdad, Serco was involved from an early stage on the Dubai Metro.
Bahrain and Qatar, a country that will become
a key focus for Serco in the near future. “Qatar
is fascinating for a number of reasons,” says
Raja. “Like many organisations, we had seen
that Qatar had opportunity, in terms of tak-
ing new practices and new techniques to
that country. I think it is fair to say that many
Early involvement enhances the maintenance offering.
people, whether they choose to admit it or
not, were waiting on Qatar – the barrier has
been dropped – since it won the bid to host
the 2022 World Cup,” says Raja.
“We had the foresight to move there. We knew
there was a decision coming, but established
our presence early on, with a team operating
in technology-based sectors. FM is the next
sector, as is our defence capability.”
Serco is bidding on a number of projects in
Qatar, and is looking at new buildings for its
FM and asset management portfolio. “Qatar
is very keen [...] to promote itself with unique
designs and unique experiences for its visitors.
“The country itself is a unique place to visit
in the Middle East with, from a delivery per-
spective, an absolute deadline of 2022 for the
World Cup. It is looking to operate some of the
sectors with which we are already familiar
with, namely bus projects and rail projects.
“It is an area where a lot of work can be
done, and will be done over the next decade,”
affirms Raja..
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 61
FORMWORK

GHI is on form
in Saudi Arabia
Every system GHI Formwork has to offer is currently being employed by
various projects in the UAE, KSA, Oman, and Qatar. The supplier is also
involved with the Haramain High-Speed Rail project in Saudi Arabia

B
esides this, GHI is currently disassembling hundreds of components and own reinforcement and erection accessories
delivering a tailor-made scaffolding reassembling them again before and after from us, or even our competitors, can use
solution for an oil plant platform each concrete pour, as would have been the them for these custom-made columns on
being constructed by German case had the client opted for standardised the site, increasing efficiency, ease-of-use,
construction group Bauer in Oman. We are materials to create these columns. and familiarity with the material.”
also proud to announce our involvement “Our custom-made items are always These custom-made columns will come in
in the Haramain High-Speed Rail (HHSR) made with the client in mind, which is various shapes that range between circular,
in KSA, where we will be producing the why for erection and reinforcement, we oval, to rectangular. The diameter of most
unique vertical column members, an essential take into account existing accessories in of these columns will range from 60cm to
component of this project, says GHI Formwork the building process. Clients that already 300cm. The height will range from 3.9m to
managing partner Mohamed Soliman.
“Although it has not yet been finalised
which companies will be handling which
parts of the HHSR railway project, we can
confirm that GHI Formwork will be creating
the vertical columns that will hold the various
parts of the railway and, in particular, the
platforms for the actual metro stations.
“GHI Formwork’s expertise can be
demonstrated here, as such columns could not
be created through standardised materials -
only through custom-made formwork,” says
Soliman. Having custom-made columns on
the construction site is a huge advantage
for the client at the end of the day, as the
ease-of-use cannot be compared.
The columns have to be only repositioned
by crane before the next pour, as opposed to GHI Formwork’s expertise has been demonstrated at the Haramain High-Speed Rail project.

62 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

 FORMWORK

“Our custom-made items

are always made with the
client in mind.”
Mohamed Soliman

9.25m. All columns will be accompanied by

the appropriate parts such as a safe pouring
platform with guardrails, push-pull props
with kicker base plates for alignment of the
columns, alignment walers for increased
support and fasteners, all certified to German
standards for absolute safety.
The columns are pre-fitted with the same
profile found on our TriTec panels, meaning
that the same APC clamps can be used for
easy assembly and early striking. The columns
will feature high-grade steel (S-275 JR) that
will be galvanised and powder-coated as
per GHI’s demanding standards. They will
also be encased with vertical and horizontal
ribs to exceed the requirement of the design
and withstand the fresh concrete pressure
of 57kn/m2.
“We will also be applying special coating
technology to the inside of the column
formwork to ensure the best-quality fair-
face concrete finish. Most columns feature a
special design where the column formwork
is composed of two components for easy
striking. They are incredibly lightweight
when considering the concrete pressure
they can handle and their overall size,” says
Soliman. The custom-made columns are being supplied in various sizes.

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 63

BIM

BIM on track
Atkins MEP head of department: Middle East and India David Crowder and design
systems manager: Middle East and India Steven Anderson have had experience
on major metro projects in Hong Kong, and have transferred this experience and
expertise to the GCC region

C
rowder says he persuaded most
of his senior engineers “to come
over and join me here,” add-
ing that the BIM staff at Atkins
ramped up from zero to over
100 in the space of three to four months as
the consultancy geared up to tackle the iconic
Dubai Metro project for the RTA.
Commenting on his Hong Kong experience,
Crowder says: “What you find with these jobs
is that they are very complicated, certainly
on the MEP side, because we ended up with
enormous smoke exhaust ducts, as it is an
enclosed space, with thousands of people in
it potentially, so we had to do our CFD studies
and design the smoke exhaust systems usu-
ally with massive air volumes, which means
enormous ducts.
“The stations need to be as small as they
possibly can, particularly the underground
stations, because the bigger you make the sta-
tion box, there is a problem getting the land
for one thing, as they tend to be in the middle
of roads, and the bigger you make the station
the more it costs to build it, so there is a lot of
pressure in the early days to make that sta-
tion box as small as possible.” Crowder says
complicated infrastructure projects like metro
rail systems are akin to airports, “where you
get special services as well, and both of those
have dozens of cable trays running all over the
place. In addition, you have to provide enough
access for the cable trays so people can get to
them later on and lay the cables.
“I knew when we started the Metro job
here we would have to co-ordinate and do
it properly, because I have worked for other
consultants in Hong Kong where that was not
done. They just paid lip service to it, and that

64 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012


meant delays while the contractor had to get
hold of the consultant’s design and sort out all
the problems; meanwhile the construction was
ongoing, which lead to all sorts of problems
and construction delays.
“You cannot really co-ordinate these proj-
ects on the job, as there just is not the space
to do it. In terms of high-rise buildings, you
can get away with it. With metro rail systems
you cannot, as for one thing you have massive
air volumes of 60 to 80m3/second.
“This is the extract volume from the sta-
tions, which is a volume unheard of in high-
rise towers. Often this means big horizontal
distribution ductwork, so it is not even like a
shopping centre where it is all upstairs and
out of the way, where you can also have big
fans on the roof.”
Commenting on the initial approach to the
Dubai Metro project adopted by Atkins, Crowder
says: “I took on about 10% of my staff as build-
ing services co-ordinators. I thought that was
probably enough as we moved through the
design work, but it turned out not to be the case.
“I was aiming for clash-free designs. In fact,
we did not achieve that. We got up to about
70% to 80%. It went at a very fast pace, and
we find that with Metros in this part of the
world, they happen twice as fast as anywhere
else as a minimum. We did not have the time
to contemplate solutions; we had to do it on
the hoof. We were under intense pressure to
get these designs done.”
A critical factor with BIM is having staff skilled
and experienced enough “to actually visualise
what is going on.” Anderson, for example, is
a highly-experienced building services co-
ordinator who can look at a set of 2D drawings
and pick up any clashes or potential problems
almost intuitively. “It becomes second nature
after 20 years’ experience, but that is not the
case with everyone,” says Crowder. “Unless
you have gone through it, you cannot really
understand what is required to do it, and we
did not have time to teach people on the job.”
“I think the traditional methods were unsuited
to discovering all the design and co-ordination
issues related to this particular project,” says
Anderson. “It takes absolutely ages to do it
properly; to do it thoroughly would probably
take you about six months on something like
this, and we simply did not have six months
to do it. Initially all we could spare was two to
three weeks,” says Crowder of the fast-track
BIM
“One major benefit
of BIM is you can
actually imagine
what is happening.
It is a bit of a mental
skill.”
David Crowder
nature of the design process.” “BIM gives us
a lot of advantages. One major benefit is you
can actually imagine what is happening. You
try and do that from 2D drawings, especially
when you have got to look at a dozen of them
for all the different services and try to work
out how it all fits.
“It is a bit of a mental skill that not all people
have, you have got to try and build that picture
up as you look at the individual elements and
try and work out where everything in terms
of spatial relationships – it is a bit of a mental
feat, like playing 3D chess.”
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 65
SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW: ADHESIVES

Design manual
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aticrete has a history of providing
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The manual is the result of many
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systems. The oldest Laticrete project is in
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the latest completed project is Dubai Metro
Red and Green line (2010).
Other reference projects include the
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66 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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BRIDGES & TUNNELS

Cro
ssin
Joh
Gul n Bam
b
infr f’s bridg ridge g ov
astr

er
uctu es and ighlig
re
h
tun hts t
nels h
, wh e engi
ich n
play eering
a vi e
tal ndeav
role our
in th s beh
e re ind
gion the

C
oncrete construction also car- and geology present problems that need to be
ries a lower cost both initially, understood and resolved,” says Napari.
and, with no need for routine
painting processes, lower long-
term maintenance requirements.
However, these are not the only considerations.
“As with every region, the Middle East has
its own specific challenges to understand and
overcome.
“Specifically within the Middle East, the
approvals process, bonds, specific standards
and, most importantly, the environment we
have to work within present challenges,” says
Mauno Napari, regional director of Ramboll,
a leading engineering and consultancy firm.
“The Middle East is a very harsh environment,
and the high salinity of the water, temperatures
“Most of the
standards used
within the region
are international
standards.”
Mauno Napari
’s ra
il
The permeability of the region’s soils means
the warm saline water has ready access to many
concrete structural elements below sea level.
This has little direct impact on the concrete
but, as the material is porous, reinforcing con-
crete steel cannot be embedded to close to the
surface, or else it will be corroded.
The result is that, although “most of the
standards used within the region are inter-
national standards, some of the innovations
introduced are more advanced than in the UK,
America and Scandinavia,” says Napari, who
is also Ramboll’s manager for Qatar.
“We are part of an alliance which has sub-
mitted a pre-qualification application for the
Doha Metro tunnel projects. The next phase
will be pre-qualification for elevated sections,
and we are looking at that opportunity also.
Additionally, we will be looking at Doha Bay
crossing.”
The Red and Green lines of the Dubai Metro,
designed by Atkins, involved a complex com-
bination of sub-projects, including bored tun-
nels, cut-and-cover, viaducts, post-tensioned
segmental bridges and underground concrete
diaphragm walls for the stations.
A key demand of the design of such multi-
faceted projects is an absolute understanding of
the required concrete’s properties. Computer-
aided engineering software plays an equally
important role in measuring the forces that will
ultimately assert themselves on the concrete
during and after construction. Midas, a South
Korean-based software developer, provides
a particularly comprehensive approach to
structural project analysis, capable of focus-

68 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012


ing not only on individual components or parts
of structures, but also of performing non-linear
analysis on entire structures as a whole.
Similarly, “Ramboll has lately started to use
BIM (building information modelling) for some
of our design assignments. We follow our core
engineering values throughout the group and
use our in-house global experts in developing
our Middle East BIM team,” says Napari.
As early as 2008, with the construction of the
200m central span Saadiyat Island bridge project,
engineered by Parsons, the UAE has similarly
been positioned at the cutting-edge of concrete
construction techniques, using complicated
methods never previously attempted.
In this instance, the set-up demanded the
use of a reverse-inclined raised Peri formwork
unit. The Peri system was also used for the other
phases, from the construction of the abutments
and the numerous bridge piers in the foreland
area through to the superstructure formwork.
The three pre-stressed concrete hollow boxes
were supported on a total of 19 piers. The GCC
currently has numerous bridge projects under-
BRIDGES & TUNNELS
way, or in the planning stages, many as part of
$142bn worth of road and rail developments,
according to figures released by market analyst
Ventures Middle East. Saudi Arabia accounts
for a third of this amount, including bridges on
its North-South and Landbridge rail projects.
Construction is also currently underway on the
$2.65bn Jaber Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Bridge.
In March, Dubai’s Road Transport Authority
also announced that 70% of construction works
on the $190.6m Rashid Hospital tunnels project
had been completed, and that that this will open
in mid-2013. The alleviation of surrounding traf-
fic, expected to rise to 6,000 vehicles an hour,
was a key driver of this project. The same was
the case for the DIFC tunnel in Dubai and the
Salam Street tunnel in Abu Dhabi.
On all of these projects, highly-specific regional
knowledge is being employed to ensure that the
concrete is up to the challenges of the environment
and the rigours of the GCC countries’ construc-
tion codes. The use of ground-breaking concrete
construction techniques in the Gulf is now no
longer a new phenomenon, but the norm.
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 69
 TUNNEL BORING MACHINES

Digging
deep
Picking the right tunnel boring
machine for the right job is
essential. By Stian Overdahl

I
ndispensible to any major underground rail project,
tunnel boring machines (TBM) are some of the larg-
est, most expensive, and most effective, machines on
the planet. At their largest, the machines can weigh
thousands of tonnes and be over 100m in length.
A TBM with a tunnelling face diameter of 19.25m that is set
to be delivered by German TBM manufacturer Herrenknecht
in 2013 will be the world’s largest, designed to link both halves
of the centre of St Petersburg under the River Neva.
Micro-tunneling machines are also used in infrastructure
projects, including a tunnel for carrying cooling water in
Bahrain, and a sewerage project in Abu Dhabi. While these
machines are much smaller, with the operator above ground,
the principle remains the same.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of boring operations,
those into hard rock, such as in the mountains in Europe,
and into soft rock. While hard-rock boring may not require
a shield, a TBM boring into soft rock will require a shield.
The machine is a fully-contained factory, with the rotating
cutting wheel at the face, a conveyor system for evacuating
the spoil that is cut, and in the case of soft-ground tunnelling,
the process for building the concrete lining rings, within the
protecting confines of the shield.
When building a rail tunnel, the machine will alternate
between cutting and lining, using hydraulic jacks to push the
cutting face forward. The concrete segments that make up
the tunnel lining are placed in rings, and the machine pushes
forward by pressing against these rings.
In the construction of the Dubai Metro, in which 13km of
tunnell beneath central Dubai and the Dubai Creek was built,
three machines were used, each with a 9.56m diameter and
constructed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
According to Paul Groves, director and tunnelling net-
work chair of Atkins, the number of machines was decided
on by the contractor in order to complete the project in the
required time, in tandem with the other facets of the project.
The machines themselves were largely identical. “The inter-
esting thing about the machines in Dubai is that they had to

70 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

TUNNEL BORING MACHINES

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 71

TUNNEL BORING MACHINES
Top builders
Buyers of TBMs may have fewer
companies to choose from than is
the case in some other equipment
industries, but there is no shortage of
expertise.
HERRENKNECHT
The German company is well-known
for its huge machines, particularly
those used for mountain-tunnelling
projects in Switzerland and elsewhere.
The company has a presence in the
Middle East, with a 9.4m diameter
machine used in the construction of the
Cairo metro. Due to conditions, a slurry
machine was used. The construction
of Cairo’s Line 3 was beset with drama
when a concrete segment fell out of the
lining, and water and soil poured into
the tunnel, creating a huge sinkhole.
Luckily, since the route of line tracked
the road above, the sinkhole was in the
middle of the road and there were no
accidents.
KAWASAKI
The Japanese manufacturer
announced in April that it had
completed its first order for boring
machines to be used in the Middle
East, with three shield machines
delivered to be used in a sewerage
tunnel project in Abu Dhabi. The order
was placed by C&T Corporation of
South Korea in March 2011, with the
first machine delivered in December
2011. The last of the three was
completed at Kawasaki’s Harima
Works and shipped to Abu Dhabi,
where it will be assembled. It will start
excavating this summer. The company
produces TBMs used in subway
tunnelling, and says it has an order
record of about 1,400 shield machines
and TBMs.
HITACHI ZOSEN
Since it began manufacturing shield
tunnelling machines in 1967, Hitachi
Zosen has delivered more than 1,300
units worldwide. It delivers the full
complement of machines, from
open hard rock TBMs to slurry-type
shield tunnelling machines, as well
as a number of special options. HZ
co-developed, with Kajima, the world’s
first three-face TBM, used in Osaka.
Measuring 7.8m by 17.3m, the three-
face TBM allowed the subway station’s
twin rail tubes and adjoining platform
space to be excavated at the same
time.
72 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
be able to handle soil and rock. Underneath
Dubai is extremely weak sandstone, which is
quite good tunnelling material,” said Groves.
However, the tunnelling also went into sand,
cohensionless ground, which meant that either
an Earth Pressure Balance Machine (EPBM)
or a Slurry Tunnelling Machine (STM) would
have to be used.
The EPBM maintains pressure at the face
by holding the spoil behind the shield, so that
the boring proceeds in a controlled fashion,
and prevents uncontrolled penetration. The
removal of the spoil is controlled by a screw
conveyor.
The STM has a slurry shield, which injects a
Bentonite slurry into the drilling area to main-
tain pressure and stability. Grove said that the
contractor chose the EPBM option, something
which he was happy with. “The key thing
about slurry machines is that they use a lot
of Bentonite slurry, and it is quite expensive.”
Advancements in technology mean that the
machines are more capable of operating through
a range of conditions, said Grove. “Ten to 15
years ago TBMs were far more specialised;
they were only capable of tunnelling in dif-
ferent materials.
“That range of materials has somewhat over-
lapped between machine types because they
have had many modifications over the years. It
is becoming a more difficult choice to make.”
The Doha metro project is currently a major
focus for the parties bidding for the contracts.
According to Qatar Railways, the size of the
individual tunnel contracts will be worth $1bn
to $1.5bn. The overall budget for Doha Metro,
including the supply of rolling stock, is reported
to be around $35bn.
Discussing the project, Hyder Consulting
regional rail director Geoff Leffek said that
one problem to overcome for any tunnelling
contractors using a TBM will be launching
the machines in the dense city.
“I think the tunnelling itself, once the TBMs
are in the ground and drilling, will be fairly
straightforward. The big expense and the major
complexity is getting the station boxes in, and to
launch and receive those TBMs. This involves
some very deep structures and multiple lines
coming into some of the stations.”
Support for the machines will also be a chal-
lenge. In Dubai, two production lines of the
concrete segments were established, able to
cast around 12 of the 1.5m rings a day, a total
of 96 segments. An early start to the Green
A close-up of a tunnel boring machine cutter head
constructing a metro.
“There is always
a challenge
to overcome,
which is what
makes tunnelling
interesting.”
Paul Groves
Line required a third production line, increas-
ing output to 128 segments a day. The aver-
age progress was 10 rings (15m/day), with the
maximum production in any 24-hour period
being 21 rings (31.5m).
“The issue they found here [in Dubai] was
that the TBM tunnelling was very fast. It was
almost too fast, as they were struggling to deliver
the precast segments that make up the rings
fast enough to feed the TBM,” said Leffek.
The ground conditions in Doha will be a
significant determiner of the machine that
is used, which include karstic limestone, and
possible voids in the limestone. Grove believes
that it will be a significant challenge, but one
that is in no way insurmountable.
“People have built tunnels in karstic lime-
stone before; I have certainly done that. I am
not saying these are not going to be challenging
problems to resolve – they are – but none of
them are particularly novel. That is probably
true of all of these things that we are doing. It
is not novel; it is reapplying established tech-
niques from all over the world back into the
Middle East.”
Grove said that the two most challenging
aspects of the Dubai Metro project were the
 TUNNEL BORING MACHINES

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tunnel construction for the Dubai Metro.

aggressive ground conditions, and the ventila-

tion required due to the high average ambient
temperature.
“What was slightly unusual about Dubai,
and would be the same in Doha or Kuwait,
or in most of the other regional cities that are
planning metros, is the fact that the ground
conditions tend to be chemically very aggressive,
which is a bit of a problem for tunnel linings,
because they are necessarily fairly slender, so
In the case of soft-ground tunnelling, the concrete lining ring is produced at the same time. from a design point of view you have to find a
way to overcome that.”
The ground water in Dubai is very chloride
and sulphate-rich, which is destructive to con-
crete and the reinforcement. Concrete has to
last 100 years, and Grove said they were able to
tailor the concrete and the use of the grout to
deal with the conditions. “You have to decide
on the concrete mixes, and the arrangements
of the reinforcements, and whether you use
any special additives.”
In Doha, the ground conditions will need
to be carefully studied. “From a ground con-
ditions point of view, the big question mark
is about ground aggressivity, and it is about
whether there are significant voids within
the ground, and what to do about it. Those
are the big questions.”
Yet exploring the unknown is part and par-
cel of the tunnelling industry. “Every place is
different, and there is always a challenge to
overcome, which is what makes tunnelling
interesting.”
A TBM by German Herrenknecht AG used to build the second line of the Warsaw Metro from east to west.

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 73

CASE STUDY
Vienna
Main Station
The biggest rail project in Austrian history
turned to an economically-optimised formwork
concept from Doka
C
onstruction work on the Vienna
Main Station is moving ahead
swiftly. The first section of the
biggest rail-station project in
Austrian history is scheduled to go into
operation as early as next year. To carry
out the extensive on-site concreting works,
the HBF-Wien 01 consortium turned to an
economically optimised formwork concept
from Doka.
The new main station being built in Vienna
at the site of the former Südbahnhof station
is a development of epic proportions. A
million cubic metres of excavated material,
300,000m3 of concrete, 38,000 tonnes of
reinforcing steel, 38,000 linear metres of
bored piles – figures like these say it all.
The huge volume of construction to be
undertaken here, the tight timetable and, in
some cases, the difficulties of accessing the site
call for 100% commitment from all involved,
and especially from the contracting JV of
Strabag, Alpine, Porr, Pittel & Brausewetter.
All the extensive on-site concreting is being
carried out solely with high-performing
formwork equipment from Doka.
The main reasons behind this decision
were the Vienna branch’s technical and
logistical expertise in carrying out large-scale
projects, the comprehensive planning services
offered by Doka, and the rapid availability
of the necessary formwork resources from
Doka’s high-capacity rental park.
74 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
FIRST SECTION
The first section of the project is
scheduled to go into operation in
early 2013.
“To make a success of handling a construction
project as big as this one, you need not just
perfectly organised site coordination, but
also, and above all, professional partners
with sufficient experience and capacity.
Doka brings both of these to this project, and
has more than met our high expectations,”
said the JV’s project manager, Georg Pleva.
Working closely with the site management,
Doka devised a detailed and far-sighted
formwork concept that is rigorously
geared to achieving materials-optimised
forming operations with the aid of just-
in-time deliveries. Apart from taking a lot
of pressure off the site logistics, with its
limited storage facilities, the main benefit
“To make a success
of a construction
project as big as
this one, you need
not just perfect
site coordination,
but also, and above
all, professional
partners.”
Georg Pleva
 CASE STUDY

MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 75

CASE STUDY

of this concept is to avoid the costly ‘just-

throw-more-equipment-at-it’ approach.
A key ingredient of this integrated
formwork planning is the way in which
the formwork equipment available on-site
at any time is scheduled so that it fits in
exactly with the progress of work in the
various casting sections. This ensures an
optimum degree of equipment utilisation
throughout the entire shell construction
phase, leading to high productivity in the
formwork operations as a whole.
Doka liaises regularly with the site
management team, permitting ongoing
optimisation of the processes on the basis The many flyover and track-bearing structures are being safely shored by the extra-high capacity load-bearing tower Staxo 100 system.
of day-to-day experience. Doka’s efficient
rental park in Vienna makes it possible Ost construction section. For example, the

to meet any unforeseen needs for extra
equipment that was not envisaged in the
original plan, at short notice – which is
essential if a construction project of this
size is to have any chance of being carried
out efficiently and, above all, without delays.
The main systems being used to construct
the voluminous transportation station,
2m
Thickness of the massively-dimensioned ground-
source heat collectors on the shallow foundation
structure, formed using Framax Xlife panels.
superstructures of the three railway bridges
across the Argentinier-Strasse, Mommsen-
Gasse and Ghega-Strasse thoroughfares
are also being formed with a combination
of reinforced Dokamatic tables and Staxo
100 load-bearing towers.
Large-area elements of Doka formwork
Top 50 have been fielded for work on the

38,000t
which extends across three storey levels, eastern burrowing junction, running beneath
are Framax Xlife framed formwork panels the railway tracks for a distance of 1,200
and Dokamatic tableforms. Framax Xlife m. The large gang-forms made possible by
comes into its own here with its versatile Of reinforcing steel was used on the Vienna Main the Top 50 system deliver great speed and
system-grid for easily and economically Station project. efficiency here.
adapting to the varying layouts, and by
being so easy to clean on-site.
For forming the slabs, maximum
speed is being ensured by the
large-area Dokamatic tables.
Also, the massively-dimensioned
(up to 2m-thick) ground-source
heat collectors on the shallow
foundation structure were formed
using Framax Xlife panels.
The track-bearing structures next
to the above-ground distributing-
concourse level of the transportation
station, and the five about 12m-wide
island platforms, are being cast using
reinforced Dokamatic tables on extra-
high-capacity Staxo 100 load-bearing
towers, and with stop-end formwork
made of Framax Xlife panels.
In addition to the deliveries for
the station, Doka is also supplying
all the formwork equipment for the
many flyover structures in the Anlage The formwork for the architecturally-challenging piers
of the Südbahnhof Bridge was designed using a three-
dimensional model and constructed with complete
accuracy by the Doka Ready-to-Use Service.

76 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012

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MAY 26 - JUN 1 , 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 77

CASE STUDY

Haramain
High-Speed Rail,
Saudi Arabia
The new rail network is part of the dual-track 450km Haramain High-Speed
Rail project, which will connect the four cities of Makkah, Jeddah, Rabigh
and Madinah. Harsco Baroom Limited is engaged in work on six bridges.

C
China Railway (CR 18g) is the “The particular challenge of this project
major contractor on the high- is to deliver a bridge with a sharp curve,
speed rail project. Harsco Baroom which is a complex structure, as well as to
is working in conjunction with design the work and supply the material,
China Railway at present on Bridge HJ5, all within a limited timescale,” comments
which is the construction site shown in Harsco Baroom sales manager Arif Khan.
the images. The products from Harsco Baroom used in
The scope of works for Harsco Baroom is Bridge HJ5 are Cuplok and DU-AL aluminium
to design and supply materials. The duration beams for sub-structure support and Mark
of the work is three months, from April to II and DU-AL aluminum beams for slab-
June 2012. deck framing. Prework steel reinforcement for slab track, slab forms.

Concrete curing for slab-deck frame for ballast before the railings are laid.

78 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012


Dubai Metro
RMD Kwikform Middle East supplied all the temporary support work for
construction of the Metro’s elevated tracks
O
falltheinfrastructuredevelopments
undertaken in the Emirates, the
Dubai Metro is undoubtedly the
most important public transport
project in terms of its strategic implications.
RMD Kwikform Middle East secured the
contract for the temporary support work for
construction of the Metro’s elevated tracks.
The VFR JV comprises two post-tensioned
pre-stressing specialists, VSL and Freyssinet,
together with Italian contractor Rizzani.
Their expertise was critical to the successful
creation of the 52km Red Line with its 29
stations, which were completed first, as well
as another 22km of track and 18 stations
for the Green Line.
RMD Kwikform project manager David
Barrington explains: “While there was serious
competition for this contract, a number of
members of the project team had come to
Dubai from building a similar transport
scheme in Hong Kong, where they had
come to realise the benefits of Megashor.
“So although we were up against heavy
competition from a variety of businesses, we
had the equipment that the client trusted
already on the ground, and the designers
to provide the drawings for each location.
“Essentially we had to complete a drawing
and component list for every different height
of the track units above the existing ground
level, to ensure the installation went ahead
smoothly and safely; and these had to be
turned around within a couple of days to
keep the work on schedule,” said Barrington.
So colossal was the scale of the scheme
undertaken by VFR that the consortium
had up to a dozen sections of the route
under construction at any one time, with
RMD Kwikform being called upon to supply
Megashor towers to site for erection within
a very short timeframe.
Barrington continues: “We supplied
the first pieces of equipment from stock
in November 2006, with the larger orders
delivered early in 2007, and continuing on
a regular basis thereafter.” The Megashor
support system offers a load-carrying capacity
of 100 tonnes a leg, and it was used to carry
CASE STUDY
the very heavy, U-shaped precast concrete
sections to the Metro’s tracks wherever
the main contractor was unable to use its
standard launching system.
This may be due to there being restricted
headroom, perhaps due to a road coming over
the top, or the presence of electricity cables.
Then they were making use of Megashor as
support from below. One of the key attributes
of Megashor is the fact that the integral
jacks provide up to 400mm adjustment
top and bottom. With the towers set to
millimeter accuracy, the main contractor’s
operatives took over installing a series of
bolted and welded steel beams across the
top bearing plates, which then carried the
track sections.
Depending on the distance from one
abutment to the next, the Megashor system
was being employed to erect double rows
of towers to carry as many as eight or nine
precast units: each one 4m in length and
10m wide, to make up the span. These were
then jointed together and the prestressing
tendons passed through the cast-in ducts
that determine their correct profile or path.
Hydraulic jacks then tensioned the cables
in sequence and the Megashor supports
could be lowered ready for reuse.
COLOSSUS
So colossal was the scale of the
project that VFR had up to a dozen
sections under construction at any
one time.
MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 79
-
ENGINEERING GENIUS
Crossrail, London
Europe’s largest civil engineering project
Crossrail is a capacity enhancement rail
project centred on London. It involves
the laying of new 118km rail track from
Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west to
Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.
The project will allow an additional
1.5million people to travel between
London's key business districts in just 45
minutes.
Photo by OLI SCARFFGettyImages
80 CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2012
The £16bn project was originally
scheduled for a 2017 opening, but has
been delayed until 2018 following a
spending review.
Typical current journey times from
North Kent to Central London are around
an hour. Crossrail will cut these by
around a third. The journey to Heathrow,
currently over 90 minutes, will be cut
by up to a quarter. Crossrail has been
promoted by Cross London Rail Links,
a joint venture company formed by
Transport for London (TfL) and the
Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).
Crossrail will make new developments
in the City, Isle of Dogs/Canary Wharf
and the Thames Gateway accessible
from other areas.
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