FROM THE DESK OF - Consolidated Contractors … · Many of these articles are a concise primer about “Employ-ee Processing Workflows” for our recent hires and junior staff

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

CCC embarked on a tremendous task during the recent past. Our staffat the Managing Office, in the Areas and the projects has been workingand is still working diligently to enable our company to meet its goals andto appropriately respond to its expansion. The Human ResourcesDepartment is meticulously following its objective in aligning to CCCstrategies and in providing CCC with a competitive edge. It is profitingfrom our niche which consists primarily of our employees and our culture,to accomplish the long-term success of our company.

I would like to thank every employee of CCC for their commitment, loy-alty and distinguished effort which made our success possible. Withoutthis dedication and effort, we would not have been able to expand to newmarkets and to new projects. I urge you all to transmit this faith to ournewcomers and instill in them our values and standards.

Our belief in the need to continuously invest in fresh graduates and torecruit the most qualified employees is the cornerstone of our policy at HR.Our focus is to help our new recruits to integrate to the CCC culture andto believe in our core values. We are dedicated to providing our fresh grad-uates with a closer and more systematic follow up of their developmentand professional growth.

Our goal for 2007 is to focus on the development of our humanresources and to facilitate the career path of our ambitious employees totake on managerial positions whenever they possess the appropriate qual-ifications, skills, characteristics and experience. We are determined tomethodically provide them with the required training courses, sponsor-ship, mentoring, and seminars.

Finally, I would like to reiterate my appreciation of our staff ’s faith inour values and standards and urge you to transmit them wherever you arelocated to continue the legacy of our company and its devotion to the wel-fare of our employees which we have portrayed throughout our long his-tory.

Suhail SabbaghGroup Director Human Resources

FROM THE DESK OF

Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2006 �1

EDITOR’S VIEW

EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear Bulletin Readers:

There is always a sense of mystery and frustration when itcomes to dealing with people issues. So our feature this timeis all about Human Resources (HR).

We have various articles by HR about HR, with topics suchas:

• recruitment processes and challenges• career development• administration cycles• Area HR profiling.

Many of these articles are a concise primer about “Employ-ee Processing Workflows” for our recent hires and junior staffand a refresher to our veterans.

Worth mentioning is that the President’s year-end speechhighly commended the efforts of HR in the recruitment gear-up of 2006.

Appropriately with the theme of this Bulletin, we also enclosean Employee Satisfaction Questionnaire that we ask allemployees to fill in and return to MOA using company mail.It is a direct appeal by the executive management to employ-ees so that accurate feedback can be sent in a discreet andanonymous manner. Please follow the completion instruc-tions carefully so that the scanning operation which will col-lect your feedback is smooth and accurate. Please send it backbefore the end of March.

Nafez Husseini

According to the CCC Core Values Guiding Principles andCode of Practice booklet published in May 2000 “Employeesare CCC’s most valuable asset. The dedication and profes-sionalism of managers and employees represent the founda-tions to CCC’s continued success. CCC ensures that each cur-rent and new employee receives fair treatment based onmerit, without discrimination because of sex, religion, ethnicbackground or of any other kind.”

With the current construction industry boom and CCCmanagement’s commitment to enforce its core values, amechanism was needed to insure the implementation of ourcode. Employee Satisfaction Questionnaires are part of anintegrated system called the ‘Balanced Scorecard’ (BSC).

BSC is a new approach to strategic management, whichwas developed in the early 1990’s by Drs. Robert Kaplan (Har-vard Business School) and David Norton. Recognizing someof the weaknesses and vagueness of previous managementapproaches, the balanced scorecard approach provides a clearprescription as to what companies should measure in order to‘balance’ the operational perspective.

Customer, Internal Business, Financial, Learning andGrowth are all parts of the CCC Balance Scorecard. These areall weighted to insure CCC’s performance complies withstrict established industrial benchmarks.

CCC management sees BSC as a tool to allow employees atall levels to participate in shaping the strategies and visions ofCCC. This is done using a set of 48 questions as seen in theEmployee Satisfaction Questionnaire. The feedback of CCCemployees is collected periodically and analyzed to explorewhere CCC is underperforming. This then leads to high levelcommittees assigned to tackle weaknesses reflected throughthe Employee Satisfaction Questionnaires.

All data collected are kept confidential, and are not trace-able back to the originator of the completed Employee Satis-faction Questionnaire. This insures frank and honest feed-back from CCC employees.

Samer Khoury/Amjad Bosheh and the Balanced Scorecard Team

�2 Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2006

RECENT AWARDS

OAG Onshore Pipeline and Habshan Facilities – UAEThe scope of the project consists of EPC works for the follow-

ing facilities:• 95km 30” onshore pipeline from Ras-al-Qila to Habshan facil-

ities with six valve stations and a scraper receiver station• 4.5km 12” NGL pipeline from Habshan to Bab with associat-

ed launcher and receiver facilities• new facilities consisting of two process units for:

- feed separation- stabilization- vapour recompression

• modification works on existing Unit 45 (addition of NGLpump and metering skid)

• addition of two separators to existing units 32 and 33• interfaces and tie-ins with adjacent plants• services and utilities to be obtained from existing plants• three new buildings to be constructed: substation, IES and

operator shelter.The plant is located adjacent to existing OGDIII and HGCE

Plants. Project duration for all EPC work is 30 months startingSeptember 2006.

Bu Hasa to Habshan Pipeline – UAEThe scope of work under this contract includes engineering,

procurement, construction, installation, pre-commissioning andcommissioning of 50km of a 36” gas pipeline and its facilities fromBu Hasa to Habshan facilities. The pipeline will be designed andconstructed to transport 200 MMSCFD of gas. The total contractduration is 20 months starting August 2006. The following is asummary of the scope:• 36” x 50 km pipeline from Bu Hasa to Habshan• chemical injection package at Bu Hasa• scraper launching and receiving facilities at Bu Hasa and

Habshan• 300 tons slug catcher at Habshan • three block valve stations.

Construction of College of Business & Computer Science -Qatar

Qatar Petroleum, on behalf of the Qatar Foundation, issued aletter of award on September 28, 2006 for the construction of theCollege of Business & Computer Science (Carnegie Mellon) inQatar for the CCC & Teyseer Contracting Company joint venture.

The completion is planned for February 2008 and the con-struction site is located within the university campus, south zone,at Education City to the northwest of Doha City. The scope ofwork will comprise the construction of a three-storey, high qual-ity concrete building covering structural, architectural, E&M,FF&E and all the external works. The total built- up area is41,300m2.

Pearl GTL – QatarThe Pearl GTL project comprises the development of

upstream gas production facilities as well as an onshore GTLplant that will produce 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) of GTLproducts and significant quantities of associated condensate andliquefied petroleum gas. The project will be developed in two

phases and will include the development of block within Qatar’svast North Field gas reserves, producing substantial quantities ofnatural gas.

The project includes the following areas:• GTL Plant (process area): this includes the Heavy Paraffin

Synthesis (HPS) area and Shell Gasification Process (SGP)area.

• Utilities Area: this includes power generation and flare (byothers) areas.

CCC’s scope of work consists of the following• civil, mechanical and E&I works up to and including pre-

commissioning works for the GTL plant• civil and mechanical works (including pre-commissioning)

for the power generation unit.Super heavy lifts will be carried out by others.

Olefins II (OLK2) Utilities Mech 2 – KuwaitThe project involves the construction of the utilities for the

Olefins II in the Shuaiba Industrial Area. The scope includes sitepreparation, steel structure erection, piping, E/I and equipmenterection as well as site works.The client is Equate PetrochemicalCompany and the main contractor is Fluor.

Pearl GTL Buildings – QatarThe scope of this project is the buildings works package at the

utilities and flare areas of the Pearl GTL Project at Ras Laffan.CCC’s scope of work consists of the engineering, procurement

and commissioning of 20 buildings (with an approximate built-up area of 10,000M2) divided into four blast resistant field auxil-iary buildings,11 substations, two stores and three comfort shel-ters.

The major work activities include site preparation, excava-tion, concrete works, structural steel (including hand railing andgratings) electro-mechanical works and miscellaneous buildingfinishes.

The start date is April 2007 with a duration of 24 months.

Gore Gambella Road – EthiopiaThe road project is located in the southwest part of Ethiopia in

Gambela State. The road will be upgraded from the existing grav-el surfaced road to an asphalt concrete surface up to km 95 anddouble surfaced bituminous road up to km 144. The work alsoconsists of earthworks, drainage of precast concrete pipes andinsitu concrete box culverts, and the construction of eight newsmall bridges.

The client is the Government of Ethiopia; the start date wasNovember 21, 2006, with a duration of 36 months.

Sekoma – Kokotsh Road – BotswanaThe project involves the reconstruction of a 90km road from

the junction with the Trans Kgalagadi Road in Sekoma Village toKokotsha Village and about 2km of access roads to the Kgotlas inSekoma, Konkwa, Keng, Khakhea, and Kokotsha respectively.The work consists of earthworks, drainage, structures andasphalt pavement.

The client is the Government of Botswana; the start date wasSeptember 5, 2006 with the project duration being 24 months.

�3

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2006

Document and data control is one of the most importantaspects of the quality system. In terms of control there are twocategories of documents, those that are controlled and thosethat are not controlled. A controlled document is one whererequirements have been specified for its development,approval, distribution, revision, archiving, security and dis-posal. In principle, we do not have to control each of theseelements for a document to be designated a controlled docu-ment. Controlling documents may be limited to controllingtheir revisions.

There are three types of controlled documents:• Policies and practices (these include management proce-

dures, operating procedures, control procedures andinternal standards).

• Documents derived from policies and practices, such asdrawings, specifications, plans, work instructions, techni-cal procedures and records.

• Reference documents, such as a contract, contract specifi-cations, industry standards, national and internationalstandards.Documents are used as an input in a process, and records

are generated as an output of a process. This is illustrated inchart 1.

Implementing poli-cies and practices andusing reference docu-ments as a guidelinegenerate derived doc-uments. Derived doc-uments can be classi-fied as prescriptive ordescriptive. Prescrip-tive documents arethose that prescriberequirements and maybe subject to change,they have issue statusand approval signa-tures, and are imple-mented in doing thework. Descriptive doc-uments result fromdoing work, such asquality records. This isillustrated in chart 2.

Document Control ProcessThe principal elements of the document control process

are illustrated in chart 3. This process controls existing docu-ments, new documents and changing to documents.

The following aspects should be covered in the documentcontrol procedure:• Planning, authorization, and preparation• Standard format of documentation• Identification and numbering system• Review and approval• Control of revisions • Printing and publication• Distribution requirements • Area of application and limitations• Document maintenance and accessibility • Indexing, listing, archiving and security.

Document and data review and approvalUsers of documents should participate in the process of

document preparation so that the resultant document reflectstheir needs and is fit for the intended purpose. The presenceof a signature on the front cover is not sufficient evidence thatthe document has been reviewed. A standard comment sheet

on which reviewerscan indicate theircomments can beused for this pur-pose.

External docu-ments should bereviewed to deter-mine their impacton the organiza-tion, the product, orthe process. Thereis also a require-ment to definewhich documentneeds review andapproval prior toissue.

Identifying thecurrent status ofdocuments

E m p l o y e e sshould have the means to determine the status and the revi-sion of a document. This can be achieved by maintaining aregister of documents showing the final status and revision ofeach document. The document front sheet would cover thehistory of changes related to the document.

The register is referred to as master record index (MRI).This index should be updated and distributed to concernedpersonnel on a periodic basis. Access to the index may be alsogranted to concerned personnel in case of a computer net-work.

Chart 1

Document and Data Control


QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Availability of controlled documents Organizations shall ensure that appropriate documents are

available at all locations where operations essential to theeffective functioning of the quality management system areperformed. The following should be determined:• What are the appropriate documents?• What operations are essential to the effective functioning

of the quality management system?• How can one ensure that documents are available?

Operations essential to the effective functioning of the sys-tem are operations that contribute to meeting specifiedrequirements.

Obsolete and invalid documentsObsolete and invalid documents should be removed from

all points of issue or use, or otherwise assured against unin-tended use. In some cases, there is often a valid reason to

retain obsolete documents, such as documents related todesign work where the designer needs to justify adoptedsolutions in design work, the designer at a certain stage mayhave to check obsolete or invalid documents; or in the case ofcontractual issues with a second party. In this case, the docu-ments should be filed in a separate cabinet and the organiza-tion is required to provide means to determine the validity ofdocuments, such as stamping them “superseded” or “obso-lete”.

Changes to documentsChanges to document and data require review and

approval by the same functions / organizations that per-formed the original review and approval unless specificallydesignated otherwise.

Documents may take a long time to process revision,review and approval, if such documents already issued forimplementation, construction group may not be able to wait

Chart 2

�5

QUALITY MANAGEMENT


for the whole cycle. This problem may be solved by issuing anofficial change note. The change note should detail thechanges required and should be authorized by the appropri-ate authorities.

It is recommended to employ a document change requestssystem and a tracking system. This will allow change requeststo be forwarded to the appropriate authorities and at thesame time control the status of each change request.

At a certain stage the design authority shall incorporate allchange requests in a new revision that will be subject to finalreview and approval.

Common rules to be considered

Identification • Identify the type of documents that you need to control.• Classify these documents so you can apply controls

appropriate to their classification.• Ensure your quality system procedures identify all types

of documents requiring control.• Specify appropriate requirements for each of the con-

trolled documents.• Establish numbering system, dating, and revision status.

Processing • Produce procedures for preparing, reviewing, approving,

issuing, and changing of controlled documents.• Determine where each type of document is to be stored.

• Decide how you will indicate the approval status on doc-uments.

• Determine who will review and approve the controlleddocuments.

Distribution • Decide who is to receive, distribute and review customer

documents.• Provide document custodians with stamps to mark obso-

lete documents upon receipt of instructions.• Create controlled lists of documents which denote revi-

sion status.• Create distribution lists for controlled documents.• Create a tracking system where appropriate.

Changes• Create a formal change request mechanism for initiating

changes to controlled documents.• Provide an economic means of changing a range of docu-

ments affected by a single change.• Provide a means of evaluating the effects that a change in

one document has on other documents.

Disposition Provide a means for withdrawing and disposing of docu-

ments when the product, organization, service or processbecomes obsolete.

Mounir Soufyan

Chart 3

FEATURE


Our main work ethic at the HumanResources Department originates fromthe Core Values that our Presidentemphasized in the following quote:

“Employees are CCC’s most valu-able asset. The dedication and profes-sionalism of managers and employeesrepresent the foundations to CCC’scontinued success”

Since we strongly believe in theimportance of people to the success ofCCC and view them as a valuable asset,we would like to extend our warmestthanks and appreciation to CCC’slong-serving staff who continue to dis-play their highest level of commitmentand dedication towards the companydespite the many lures and attractionscurrently on offer in the industry. Thisis part of CCC’s culture as the ownershave planted the seeds of loyaltythrough their continuous care andacknowledgment that employees areCCC’s most valuable asset.

This belief leads us at the HRDepartment to spend tireless efforts tolocate and employ the most qualifiedcandidates. Once they are hired, weaim to strengthen these employees’capabilities and to invigorate theirpotential by providing them with thebest working conditions. We ensure theimplementation of organizationalstrategies by aligning them with thebest policies and incentives that bringthe best of our human resources.

During the past two years, our workmultiplied and the market becamemore demanding and competitive. As aresult, we needed to reexamine and toimprove our structures, systems andincentives to accommodate thesechanges. Eventually, the HR Depart-ment, despite its small size, managedtogether with the Area and project

administrators, Construction Support,ISD, Engineering and all other depart-ments and the support of all GVPs, VPsand GMs to handle the mobilization ofmore than 50,000 employees. With thiscollective effort we succeeded in reallo-cating and mobilizing the requiredmanpower to ensure the take off of allnew projects. Thus I would like tothank and congratulate all of thosewho contributed to this success andassure you that we will not cease toseek improvement of our work systemsand procedures.

Our outlook for the future is toguarantee the sustainable growth ofour company and thus we are deter-mined to provide more training andcareer opportunities for our employ-ees. We are tailoring customized pro-grammes which build on our long-term experience and incorporate thelatest developments and techniques.Our efforts to develop our employeesgo hand-in-hand with our company’s

endeavours to develop local communi-ties. Developing local communities cre-ates a healthy environment for youngpeople to grow and to seek highergoals in the future which reflects posi-tively on us and on societies where weoperate.

Accelerated RecruitmentFrom 2005 till the present, CCC

manpower has more than doubled andthe HR Department has had torespond to this very rapid expansionby operating at high capacity with allemployees dedicated to the success ofthis endeavour. As a result, recruitmentof qualified employees suited to therequirements of CCC work has been agreat challenge. Reallocation of ouremployees which was our preferredpolicy did not cover the required man-power needs. We needed to sourceexternally more than 80% of our groupdemand.

We had to expand to new markets

HHUUMMAANN

left to right: Patricia Sto. Thomas, Labour Minister, H.E.Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,President of the Philippines, Suheil Sabbagh

Our Human Resources Function


FEATURE

such as Turkey, Romania, Venezuela,Portugal and South Africa among oth-ers to find suitable candidates added toour traditional recruiting areas. TheCCC offices in all the Areas continuedto give support to HR recruitment. Thissupport included scheduling recruit-ment campaigns and coordinatingwith local government to ensure thesafe and timely arrival of CCC employ-ees.

The success of our recruitment cam-paign led the President of the Republicof the Philippines to present to SuhailSabbagh and myself on November 11,2005 the award of the OutstandingEmployer of Filipino workers. ThePhilippines President and the Ministryof Labour and Employment identifyeach year the employer of the year andpresent it to international companieswhich hire the most Filipinos and whotreat them the best.

The expansion in CCC’s scope ofwork raised the need for higherstreamlining of communicationbetween the HR Department and man-agement. It highlighted the necessity tocreate new information systems thatprovide up-to-date instantaneousinformation to management which isthe current focus of HR. This includesthorough study of the labour market toensure the presence of a pool of skilledlabour and professionals needed tomaintain the long-term success of thecompany. Moreover, it encompassesfacilitating the flow of informationbetween the areas and the ManagingOffice.

Career Development“[CCC’s] commitment to growth is

firmly linked to its employees’ continu-ous development and rewarding

career…its strength emanates from itsdistinct culture …[and] its employees’competence and loyalty” (CCC CoreValues, 3).

The commitment of CCC to careerdevelopment stems from its belief thatthe continuous development of theCompany’s human resources is a keyelement to its continuous growth andsuccess. The HR Department’s role is toensure that careful career planning foremployees progresses by the continu-ous assessment of their skills throughthe performance management system.

Following the introduction of theperformance management system, theprocess of identifying developmentopportunities for each employeebecame more systematic. For instance,the management of CCC in coordina-tion with the HR Department has iden-tified 150 potential future project man-agers to provide them with the neces-sary skills to carry on leading roles inthe near future. An analysis of theirskills and needs was conducted and

accordingly a comprehensive educa-tional and competency-based packagewas assembled and sent to several top-notch universities.

The first group of these candidateswill commence training in 2007. Thepackage will provide candidates withthe most advanced methods, tech-niques, knowledge areas and proce-dures reached through meticulousresearch at these top universities.Knowledge areas to be offered include:project management, project controls,risk management, finance, changemanagement and negotiation skills.

Moreover, there are constant mea-sures taken for the promotion ofyounger staff to higher positions pur-sued by management and the HRDepartment. This includes acceleratingthe promotion of potential candidatesto key management positions such asthe ‘higher flyers’ programmes. Thesecourses incorporate as well the provi-sion of in-house leadership courses tostrengthen employees’ competencies

RREESSOOUURRCCEESS

from second left: Ghassan Ouaijan, Patricia Sto. Thomas, Suheil Sabbagh

FEATURE


in management; leadership process;communication; motivation; problem-solving; negotiation; authority, powerand influence; teamwork; delegation,and empowerment. In-house coursescomprise as well the delivery of fast-track training courses as a way torefresh the knowledge of employeesand to provide them with a holisticunderstanding of project work. Thecourses offered consist of: analysis ofthe contracting and legal issues, riskmanagement, cost control, HSE con-trol, quality control, isometric prepara-tion, and accounting among otheroffice functions.

Community DevelopmentCCC’s social responsibility and con-

tribution to local societies has accompa-nied the company from its inception.The HR Department is dedicated tocontinuing this tradition because com-munity development not only providesthe right environment for nurturingpotential candidates but helps as wellin raising productivity and instillingvalues in young people. As a result,

CCC established training centres inGaza, Saudi Arabia, Oman and is onthe way to creating such centres inChina and other countries.

Reaching the headlines of one of themajor international magazines, theEconomist (September 2006), wereCCC’s efforts to improve the prospectsof young Palestinians coupled with itsneed to secure future accountants.CCC coordinated with the Educationfor Employment Foundation, SmithSchool of Business and the Islamic Uni-versity of Gaza to establish a mini-MBAin Gaza with the emphasis on account-ing. The first group graduated inAugust 2006 with guarantees for theemployment of 100 such graduates inthe future.

Moreover, Consolidated ContractorsCo. Oman has established a VocationalTraining Centre for Training andEmployment For Successful Omaniza-tion and in Saudi Arabia, the TrainingCenter of Faisaliya, was established.The aim of these centres is to trainOmanis and Saudis in various technicalskills such as welding, heavy duty

equipment and heavy duty mechanicsand to contribute to the developmentof their societies.

The efforts of CCC managementextended to one of the most promisingvenues for labour, China. It is in theprocess of establishing a joint venturewith the Chinese local government toensure the training of qualified produc-tion labour such as welders and fabri-cators starting from 2007. CCC wouldprovide the trainers and the raw mate-rials for this training center.

Despite the tremendous pressurefacing the HR Department and thegreat challenges it confronts, it looksahead and attempts to respond to thefuture needs of CCC’s most preciousresources, its people. It understandsthat it has an intricate job to performwhich accompanies the expansion ofthe company, the induction of theseemployees to the CCC culture andinstilling in them CCC core valueswhich ascertain its flourishing successin the future.

Ghassan OuaijanAVP-Employment and

Staff Development

The Recruitment ProcessThe recruitment function in any

organization reflects its image since itportrays its growth and development.It is the key process which injects newblood and expertise into the organiza-tion: we could say it is the spinal cordof the organization. The CCC HumanResources Department at ManagingOffice Athens, in coordination with allArea personnel, handled over a shortspace of time the placement of a largenumber of employees as mentionedearlier (50,000 new recruits bothmonthly and daily staff (see chart“Manpower Trend”). How did the HRDepartment at MOA, the Areas alongwith project administrators manage tocarry out the recruitment of all thesenew personnel? Below are someinsights into this process, how itevolved and reached the targetedgoals.

The recruitment process is a longand intricate one which needs to betreated with care since many obstaclescan occur prior to the mobilization ofthe employee to the site. It is a processthat involves giving consideration notonly to people’s technical ability butalso to personal issues, their concernsand interests and their need to feel atease with their new environment. Therecruitment process carried out by theHR Department facilitates the mobi-lization of these employees and theirquick adaptation to their new environ-ment which involves financial andnon-financial benefits. The finalizationof this process could sometimes takemore than one month of negotiation.In some instances, candidates reject anoffer despite accepting the employ-ment conditions and the issuance oftheir visas.

The recruitment process starts whenthe HR Department is informed of theaward of a project by management.This is followed by a kick-off meetingheld at the MOA to hand over the pro-ject details from the Estimation Depart-ment to the project team in the field ofoperation. Consequently, the recruit-ment section starts translating the pro-ject details such as the organizationalchart which reflects the project’s staffand manpower requirements, intomanning schedules and roles. It checksthe availability of personnel from with-in the group and in the case of a lack ofresources, resorts to external agentssuch as recruitment agencies and theSupport Offices of Cairo, Beirut andAmman. Recruitment agencies fromthe Far East, South America, the Mid-dle East, Turkey, Portugal, England,and South Africa are contacted. The HR


FEATURE

Department subscribes electronicallyas well to many E-recruitment headhunter firms and web sites to locatequalified candidates.

After the identification of candi-dates, the HR Department sends inter-view teams to the above-mentionedcountries to examine and to trade testthe candidates. Upon selection of thepotential nominees, the MOA process-es the application and the proceduresfor deployment i.e. prepares offersdetailing employment conditions whiletaking into consideration the pay equi-ty of the company. After the candi-date’s acceptance of the employmentoffer, copies of this offer and passportsare sent to the areas to secure his visa.

Prior to the arrival of the newrecruits to the sites, camps are builtwith messing halls, laundry facilities,multiethnic cuisines and all otheraccommodation facilities to accept thehuge number of employees. Depend-able and organized records of CCC andits good labour relations facilitate theissuing of block visas by the differentauthorities and make the procedureeffective and timely. Moreover, securitypasses which are required in most sitesbecause of national security concernsare attained immediately for CCC per-sonnel. Because of the large number ofnew recruits in the recent past, CCCreserved entire flights with major air-line companies to ensure the timelyarrival of these employees.

As can be seen, the recruitmentprocess involves matching the compa-ny’s needs with the best availablehuman resources internally and exter-nally. It requires joint efforts betweendifferent departments, agencies andArea offices to succeed in securing themost qualified candidates. Our longhistory of credibility and care of ouremployees makes CCC an attractiveemployer for qualified personnel.However, we need to exert additionalefforts in order to meet current andfuture challenges.

Nabil SinnoSenior HR Manager Recruitment

FEATURE


Human Resources is not only aprocess of hiring, maintaining recordsand preparation of final settlements,but has a wider scope including chal-lenges to meet and overcome, fields ofinterests, decision making, developingand upgrading employees’ skills andsharing in achieving the company’sgoals in matters related to HumanResources.

After a semi-recession period whichlasted for almost two years, changesstarted to appear gradually in Omanespecially after the years 2000 – 2001with the award of many road projects,one dam project, one marine project,the 32” pipeline. Business then accel-erated with the fertilizer project in late2002, the Sohar Refinery Project in2003, the Sohar Port and IndustrialArea Infrastructure Project and cur-rently the dualization of Sohar BuraimiRoad, the development of Salalah Portproject and the big Wadi Dayqah DamProject, in addition to many other dif-ferent projects which are being completed.

(See the graph showing theturnover in expatriate and Omanimanpower since 1999 and how dramat-ically it picked up). Such changes haveimposed great challenges, which canbe described briefly as follows:1. Sourcing and screening expatriate

manpower of different tradeswhich include a great effort to getthem on schedule, taking the short-age in the market into considera-tion. In other words, hiring andretaining the best employees insuch circumstance is a real chal-lenge.

2. Change in salaries in the last fouryears has also had its effect and anew challenge to face and to copewith.

3. Omanization which has become anofficial policy inter-related withevery aspect of our work especiallyin the recruitment process wherewe have to plan in advance for ourmanpower requirements versusthe requirements of Omani nation-

al workers and without a properdocumented Omanization planthere is no way to obtain a NoObjection Certificate (NOC) torecruit from outside.

4. Screening and sourcing of Omaninational workers is another chal-lenge, which has to be overcome tomeet the requirement of Omaniza-tion as briefed in # 3.

5. Training of Omani nationals isanother activity that has beenadded to our scope of work since2002. Building a training center,developing the training pro-grammess, setting the trainingplans, categories to be trained andfinancing are also additional chal-lenges to meet. Training hasbecome the main source of findingskilled Omani national workers tomeet the requirements of Oman-ization. Training has improved inthe employment of skilled andsemi-skilled Omani workers and inthe scope of Omanization as wellas increasing the employed tradesfrom six up to 30 different trades,most of them were not available inthe market.

6. One more challenge is the properimplementation of the PerformanceManagement Programme. It wasreally a welcome challenge tointroduce a new culture, focusingon the career development of thestaff. There is still a need for fur-ther improvements and simplifica-tion in its form and ways of imple-mentation for both supervisors andsubordinates, to enhance under-standing and to contribute to itsproper implementation and suc-cess. These changes and challenges have

led us to focus on other fields of inter-est and to work on the developing ofin-house software according to ourrequirements to enable us to efficientlymonitor and control our employeerecords, both for expatriates and Oma-

HR in Areas: Challenges in Oman

nis, trainee records, the Omani socialinsurance payments and others. In thisregard, we have developed so far fiveprogrammes, namely:• Recruitment and Visa Management

System (separate software)• Document Management System

(related to HRMS)• Passports and Road Permits Man-

agement System (related to HRMS)• Resumes Management System (sep-

arate software)• Trainee Records Management Sys-

tem (separate software).

Documentation is another area ofinterest, which plays an essential rolein the organization of the HR Depart-ment’s work. This was an incentive forus to establish the above-mentionedsoftware to enhance and improve ourdocumentation process.

The initiation of internal HR policieswithin the area is one more thing todeal with matters pertaining to dailyand monthly employees not coveredby the company’s employment condi-tions. This has created more interestand willingness to focus more on docu-

mentation.Planning, organizing, decision-mak-

ing, proper communication and coop-eration among all employees in theHRD, initiative, motivation and gettingothers to learn; all are key elements forsuccess in the HR field.

HR Department TeamSultanate of Oman


FEATURE

Work Experience in Human ResourcesI have been working as a Junior

Administrator-GUD (Graduate underDevelopment) in the HumanResources Department, CCC Oman,for over a year now. It’s been a pleas-ant and challenging experience duringthis period, as it has been a pleasure towork for a leading international com-pany in the construction and engineer-ing arena in the Middle East.

My field of employment is specifi-cally related to the maintenance of per-sonnel records and salary administra-tion. As I am also a GUD, it has givenme an opportunity to learn more bybeing actively engaged in a variety ofadministrative tasks within a shorttime.

As much as the work may seemmonotonous over time and daunting attimes, however, it has comprehensivelyenhanced my familiarity with variousand significant administrative and per-sonnel policies and procedures beingimplemented by the company. More-over, it has made me realize the impor-tance of efficient time-management,

social orientation (the preference towork with other colleagues in the orga-nization rather than individually andto develop good relations with them),as well as effective communicationwith supervisors and co-workers inthis department.

At the same time, since the HRD iscomposed of different functional divi-sions (for example, personnel recordsand the compensation section, therecruitment section, services and visas,and so on) that are inter-related, thiscoordination between the various divi-sions is another material factor withinthe department.

We spend a considerable amount oftime monitoring employee records aswell as retrieving reports pertinent toour scope of work via a key piece ofsoftware, the Human Resource Man-agement System (HRMS) which is fun-damental in its purpose to updateMOA constantly of changes that occurin hub data locations. In addition, weare also monitoring data via an ‘in-house’ software, the Document Man-

agement System (DMS) directly toHRMS; developed to meet the needs ofthe area personnel team in Oman.

During the course of my time here,my scope of work has involved the fol-lowing activities: preparation andmaintenance of personnel records,salary administration, leave adminis-tration, preparation of contracts of ser-vice, summary reports and a thoroughintroduction to the performance man-agement system adopted by CCCwhich has met with some pitfalls downthe road.

Overall, it has been a good learningexperience here and the HR staff teamhas been friendly and helpful. TheHRD is a crucial asset to the success ofCCC and the successful managementof human resources is one of the mostcrucial tasks in the organization. Toquote from Tim Joiner: “It is an organwithin the body vital to the livelihoodand success of the organization.”

Mirna Alaaiddin

Trainees in Oman

FEATURE

Two diverse phenomena haveinfluenced the concept of career plan-ning and development during the pasttwo decades. The first is the boom thattook place in certain industries such asthe food or technology related indus-tries. This boom led highly skilledemployees to replace loyalty and com-mitment to their original companieswith pursuit of more competitive jobsand remuneration.

The second is the restructuring ordownsizing trendwhich led organiza-tions to reduce theirlabour costs byreleasing their per-manent staff. Thesetwo phenomena,despite their oppos-ing nature, had orga-nizational conse-quences such as the‘flattening of organi-zations’ which meantthe abolition of mul-tiple managerial lev-els to speed up thedecision makingprocesses. It also sig-nified a change inthe employer-employee relation-ship which impliedmore active policieson behalf of employ-ers to retain qualifiedstaff and to inspireemployee confidenceand more effort onbehalf of the employee to understandthe direction and strategic outlook ofthe firm to ensure security in the job.Career development emerged as aneed for both employers and employ-ees to portray these new develop-ments.

Career planning thus was integrat-ed into the employer-employee rela-tionship as a way to achieve both par-

ties’ goals. Both employers andemployees had a stake and benefitfrom it since it is a mutual process. Onthe one hand, organizations have sev-eral objectives for focusing on careerplanning. The first is to retain theiremployees who they have invested insince their employment. The second isto facilitate succession and to avoiddysfunctional turnover which disruptswork. Third, it instills loyalty and com-mitment from their good workers.

Thus firms benefit from career plan-ning by ensuring the availability of aninternal pool of skilled, experiencedand ambitious employees which guar-antees their continuation and growth.

Fourth, career planning helps inknowledge transfer among employeesand cross-training them so that knowl-edge is not restricted to specificemployees. On the other hand, career

planning raises the job satisfaction ofemployees, increases their involve-ment and interest in their work andmotivates them to achieve more chal-lenging tasks. Moreover, it raisesprospects for higher remuneration.

There are several types of careerpaths that organizations and theiremployees have to be aware of in orderto implement the career planningprocess. Identifying these paths anddeciding which is appropriate for each

job family or each jobhelps to reduce gaps inexpectations on bothsides and raises the possi-bilities of success in thisprocess. Briefly, the pathsare:

1. Linear path: employeeenters at low level and ispromoted to reach high-er level throughout theyears.2. Expert path: growingexpertise in a specifictechnical area withoutthe need to move intomanagement.3. Spiral path: movementbetween functionalareas to broaden experi-ence and continuouschallenge.4. Transitory path: careermovement irrespectiveof organization in searchof better jobs and satis-fying challenges.

As explained above, career pathscould include both vertical and hori-zontal movement; it could involvehigher specialization or broader knowl-edge.

The task of the organization is tohelp employees to get to the next levelby working with them on identifyingtheir short, medium and long term


Career Planning


FEATURE

Rapidly growing technology hasradically transformed the way mostbusinesses manage and deliver theirproducts and services. Computers andsoftware are increasingly becomingmore powerful and mature; applica-tions and data can now be accessedand updated from almost anywhere.In parallel, HR professionals are in con-stant quest to adjust to this ever-evolv-ing world by developing more efficienttechnology-facilitated processes.

We, at CCC, have developed andadopted, with the aid of ISD, in-housetailor-made personnel administrationand reward management applicationsthat are intended to better manage thegrowing complexity of our human cap-ital needs.

However, as we are observing thebenefits of our automated HR systemswhich prevail everywhere within theCCC Group and which cover a sub-

stantial range of critical humanresources and administration activities,we are well aware that we still havemuch to benefit from what the presenttechnology offers. Now more thanever, we are absolutely committed tofurther improving our businessprocesses through a persistent desire tomaximize the use of modern informa-tion technology in Human Resources,in order to:• better streamline the administrative

duties to focus more on strategictasks• promote better communicationsbetween employees and manage-ment

• further integrate HR systems withother CCC applications

• deploy workflows that promotepaperless environments andsmooth data accessibility.

At CCC, the Human Resources Man-agement Information System (HRMS)and the Human Resources RewardSystem (HRRS) are typical illustrationsof our integrated databases and theyrepresent the automated tools whichcombine sound HR practices with arobust set of HR computerized mod-ules.

The following two articles provide ageneral overview of these two HR sys-tems.

Ousama SalehAVP – Human Resources,

Administration

Modern Technology in Support of Improved HumanResources Management

career goals which can take placethrough career counseling. Careercounseling would help employees toimprove their skills and knowledgeneeded to achieve their goals whichcoincides with the overall organiza-tional objectives. It facilitates distin-guishing between ‘bridge’ positionsfrom ‘target’ positions.

A bridge position is a transitionalposition that provides qualifying expe-rience which may enable an employeeto move from a dead-end position into

a different position with greatergrowth potential. A target position is aposition to which an employee wouldmove after the satisfactory completionof a prescribed period.

The tasks of the employees are tounderstand their own needs, whatmotivates them; their needs to keep lifein balance, their growth opportunities;their strengths, how their employerbenefits from their accomplishmentsand experience, their competitiveadvantage, their attributes differentiat-

ed from others; and unique jobs theycan perform.

From the above we can deduct thatcareer planning requires effort fromboth the employer and the employeewithout which it cannot be successful.This is followed by the matching ofexpectations until a compromiseoccurs.

Salma A. Shawa, PhDTraining and Career Development


FEATURE

HRMS is a junction between humanresource management and informationtechnology, intended to facilitate andprocess core HR and administrativefunctions, by exploiting informationtechnology.

The administrative part of the HRfunction consists of tracking innumer-able data on each employee, such aspersonal history, skills, qualifications,experience, performance ratings, aswell as contractual and compensationrecords, the collection of all, yields toan affluent Human Resources data-bank.

The administration of HR activitiesis largely automated in HRMS and vig-orously enhanced to cater for the exi-gencies of the Group’s modus operan-di, such as company procedures andpractices, laws of the employmentcountries and manpower requirement.

Consequently, the collection andcompilation of all HR data into a cen-tralized database result in providingmanagement with a flowing networkof HR information and tools, facilitat-ing the process of conducting salarysurveys, pay analysis, developmentprogrammes as well as other strategicHR planning tasks.

HRMS is the vehicle by which all ofthe above is automated, featuring vari-ous modules, each serving numerousactivities and, in concert, delivering awholesome view of the essential CCCcapital; its manpower.

The CCC HRMS Modules are:• References & System Utilities Mod-

ule• Personnel Administration• Performance Management Module• Recruitment Planning Module• Camp Administration Module• Training & Development• Query System, Audit & Reporting

Module• Remote Operation Module.

HRMS is flexible and dynamic, capa-ble of moulding and bending to suitthe various setups in place, be it cen-tralized, semi-centralized or decentral-ized. In each Area, HRMS is set up toserve as a Central HUB (CHO), and forevery remote project within thedomain of the Area, HRMS exists toserve as a Remote HUB (RHO). Theconnection and relation betweenRemote HUBs and their surrogate Cen-tral HUBs are controlled and regulatedvia a set of parameters and logicalrules, ensuring the proper two-way

flow of information without jeopardiz-ing the integrity of the data. The resultis a buildup of an employee’s data atthe Central HUB, which in turn com-municates to the main CorporateHRMS at MOA and feeds it with up-to-date information. Certainly, the collec-tion of data at MOA is subjected to agreat deal of audit and data scrutiny toensure compliance and in-line applica-tion of practices prior to final residenceon the Corporate HUB. (see Figure)

Currently, the HRMS is activelyoperational in over 17 countries, withmore than 40 HRMS HUB operations,managing over 100,000 active employ-ee records.

In some organizations, HR execu-tives tend to outsource and rely onexternal IT professionals to developand maintain their human resources-management systems. This approachnaturally places the HR functions andthe Management of the organization atthe mercy of third party vendors whoseunderstanding and compliance to the con-tinuous internal needs and requirements ofthe organization are seldom to the satisfac-tion of the client. Needless to say, there is ahigh monetary cost and the risk of datadivulgence of such a venture.

The Human Resource Management Information System (HRMS)

HR Information Network Architecture

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FEATURE


On the other hand, the develop-ment of such systems by internal pro-fessionals who are in direct touch withthe realities, requirements and modusoperandi of the HR function in numer-ous areas with distinct and varyingmodes of operation, provides an envi-ronment of trust, receptiveness andcontinuous development.

Accordingly, the development andconstant upgrading of HRMS is theresult of the optimum collaborationand coordination of corporate HR andIT capabilities, as well as the untiringefforts and valuable recommendationsof our HR staff on sites and in Areaswhose direct exposure to the demand-ing details of operation and the fore-seen requirements by Area/project

management allow them to identifyunforeseen needs and matters of con-cern.

HR is endlessly looking out for fur-ther developments and integrationwith other CCC systems, an integrationleading to an eventual Universal Enter-prise Database. We have recentlyembarked, with the innovative help ofISD, on a pursuit to digitize the classicforms and printouts generated byHRMS to streamline them electronical-ly and to introduce more digital inter-face with the HRMS information andconsequently reduce much of the cum-bersome physical documents allowingfor smoother document accessibilityand control. Another project is the bio-metric I.D., currently being tested by

ISD, which should open up a new hori-zon to record management and man-power planning.

Here, we would like to warmlysalute and greet all the “unknown sol-diers”, the HRMS users and adminis-trators to whom we owe the continu-ous vibrancy of the HR network ofinformation.

Hani MajajHead of Personnel

HR Systems & Records

In any organization, compensation,benefits and rewards are intrinsic fac-tors for ensuring proper recruitment,continuous motivation and long-termretention of valuable employees.

In line with the above, CCC hasalways been committed to providingits employees with appropriate market-driven compensation and benefits aswell as fair and equitable rewards.

Largely dependent on HRMS andexternal databanks, as well as steeredby company procedures and corporateguidelines, the Human ResourcesRewards System (HRRS) is a computer-ized tool designed to transform rawdata, through a battery of computer-ized systems, into valuable informationand proposals, used by executive man-agement for decision making.

The HR functions that are directlyimpacted by HRRS are the following:• External Comparisons - Market

Surveys and Pay Analyses. HRRSprocesses HRMS compensationdata, analyzes current practicesand evaluates them against compa-rable market data to provide a payanalysis used by executive manage-ment for positioning CCC’s payagainst that of the market.

• Policy Development & Budgeting.Using HRMS data, HRRS promotespolicy development through payreview modeling; it enables testingnew pay, benefits and grading ini-tiatives against the employee pop-ulation, to determine cost out-comes and other implications.

• Salary Reviews – Increments.Once pay policies and budgets areset, HRRS promotes the allocationof pay increases; it merges HRMSdata such as pay, performance rat-ings, staff turnovers, market move-ments and factors that influence

particular jobs with the outcome ofthe pay surveys in order to providepay proposals for salary revisionsbased on corporate guidelines, andfeed HRMS, following line man-agement’s review and refinement,with the final salary revision out-comes, for Group-wide implemen-tation.

• Staff Promotions Extracting rele-vant data from HRMS, namelyemployees’ historical employmentdata, HRRS provides the mecha-nism to compare requests againstprocedural requirements and pro-vide comprehensive reports for thefinal decision of line and executivemanagement.

• Business Performance and BonusesThe bonus system is based on thedual concept of “Personal Contri-bution” and “Business Perfor-mance” results. While “Personal

The Human Resource Rewards System (HRRS)

FEATURE


Contribution” data is provided byHRMS, HRRS provides the frame-work to determine the businessperformance scores of CCC’s busi-ness units. It then collects andprocesses all relevant data intobonus payments’ proposals for the

review and final approval of man-agement.Finally, while the above mentioned

HR functions have always been carriedout unconnectedly, HRRS has succeed-ed in synchronizing the processing ofthese functions and integrating all HR

data resources, laying the grounds forbetter analytical interpretations andsound decision-making.

Randa Salloum-HouraniSr. HR Specialist - Compensation &

Development


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It is important to avoid over speci-fying material and fabrication require-ments for short-term, high tempera-ture exposures of vessels and piping. Inmost cases conventional metallurgy isusually sufficient for vessels and pip-ings where prolonged exposure to hightemperature is not anticipated.

Scenarios leading to high tempera-ture exposures are not unusual in oiland gas plants, whether a long termnormal process or a short-term regen-eration process. The immediate con-cern with any high temperature expo-sure is selecting compatible metallurgy.High temperature exposure adverselyaffects the properties and microstruc-ture of the metal to such an extent thatmaterial strength becomes question-able. A perfect material selectionrequires process knowledge and mate-rial science. At times, over-conservativematerial selection results, due to lack ofcoordination between the process engi-neer and material specialist.

This article explores useful informa-tion from API, ASME, NACE and otherrelevant codes, and links the under-standing of microstructure and hightemperature material degradationfound in ferritic steels. Joint knowledgeof process and material engineeringcan help an equipment engineer tomaintain an integral and economicaldesign.

One question that requires suchjoint knowledge was posted to thisauthor and goes as below:

‘In one of the projects, the processlicenser has specified CS + 316 L cladmetallurgy for one of the vacuumcolumns in the flashing feed section(column design thickness approximate-ly 18 mm). The rest of the column isplain CS. The diameter is approxi-mately 8 m in the middle part.

The equipment design temperaturespecified is 430 oC (806 oF), which is inthe transfer line feed zone. NormallyCS is not recommended for tempera-ture above 400 oC as when using anyCS of Gr70 material above 800 oF thereis a chance of graphitisation as per noteG10 (ASME Sec II Part D): this temper-ature is close to that.

Going for SA 204 Gr A will call forstress relieving which would needconsiderable stiffening/spiders etc..and increased cost of manufacturing’.

With the assistance of metalsmicrostructure, this article exploreshow such questions can be dealt within a manner that allows the equipmentengineer to select materials in the mostjudicious and economical way withoutcompromising the integrity of theequipment when exposed to actual ser-vice environments.

With respect to the above question,the first thing that should be lookedinto by an equipment engineer is that ifthe design temperature is 806 oF, theoperating temperature will be lowerand there will be heat loss from theequipment surface. Below 800 oF (427oC), the rate of graphitisation isextremely slow as the carbide phase inferritic steel is unstable only in the tem-perature range 800-1100 oF. Knowl-edge of what happens to metalsmicrostructure during graphitisationhelps an equipment engineer to arriveat a better conclusion on material selec-tion. In the case presented above,equipment operating temperature willnot cross the limit of 800 oF consideringthat design temperature is 806 oF (430oC). API 571 has clearly recorded thatone can expect only very slight heataffected zone graphitisation after 30-40years at 850 oF (454 oC). Perhaps theprocess licensor has considered all ofthese aspects before specifying themetallurgy as CS. In such cases, longterm or short term exposure to hightemperature should be explored fur-ther with the process engineer and thelicensor. If the exposure is short term

perhaps SA 515/516 Gr 70 material isgood enough for the desired service.This may avoid going for expensive SA204 Gr A (C-1/2 Mo) material. Further-more, SA-204 Gr. A (ASME P-No. 3, Gr.1 material, Table UCS-56 of ASME SecVIII Div 1) requires stress relieving ofwelded joints over 5/8 in (16 mm) thick.Stress relieving for an 8 m diametervessel of 18 mm thickness will haveother manufacturing costs associatedwith it, for example considerable stiff-ening/spiders during stress relievingwhich will escalate the cost of manu-facturing further. Appropriate coordi-nation between the process engineerand licensor, coupled with knowledgeon metals microstructure, will allowthe equipment engineer to optimisethe overall cost of equipment.

What does Steel comprise? Steels are alloys of iron and carbon,

usually with one or more alloying ele-ments added to improve some proper-ties of the material (for example, notchtoughness, high-temperature strength,oxidation or corrosion resistance). Bydefinition, steels contain at least 50%iron. For welded construction, theASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Codelimits the carbon content to less than0.35%. Thus, virtually all of the materi-als used in the construction and repairof pressure parts fall into this classifica-tion. Some high-temperature, corro-sion resistant alloys of nickel andchromium with less than 50% iron arenot, strictly speaking, steels, but are stilloccasionally called steels. Furthermore,steels are divided into two subcate-gories: ferritic steels and austeniticsteels, depending on the arrangementof atoms within the solid.

The maximum useful service tem-perature for most commonly used steelin pressure vessel construction is 850oFfor carbon-steel (SA 515, SA 516, SA 106,etc.) and 1500oF for stainless steel (SA240 GR 304/316, etc.). These servicetemperatures are approximately thetemperatures at which changes within

UNDERSTANDING HIGH TEMPERATURE MATERIAL DEGRADATION

This article appeared in Hydrocarbon Engi-neering, Volume III, Number 8 - August2006 and is reprinted with the kind per-mission of Palladian Publications Ltd.


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the microstructure occur, which weak-en the steel too much for elevated tem-perature service (exact temperaturewill depend upon chemical composi-tion).

In order to understand the behav-iour of steels in high temperature ser-vice, a working knowledge of the fun-damentals of the metallurgy of thesematerials is needed. As most steels con-tain carbon, the basic principles ofmicrostructural development can beexplained by the iron–carbon equilibri-um diagram (Figure 1).

This is essentially a map of the phas-es that exist in iron at various carboncontents and temperatures under equi-librium conditions. Iron undergoesthree phase changes when heated fromroom temperature to liquid. For exam-ple, from room temperature to 912 oC(1674 oF), pure iron exists as ferrite(also called alpha iron); from 912-1394oC (1674- 2541 oF), it exists as austenite(gamma iron); from 1394-1538oC (2541-2800 oF) it exists as ferrite again (deltairon); and above 1538 oC (2800 oF) it isliquid. In other words, upon heating,iron undergoes phase transformationsfrom ferrite to austenite at 912 oC (1674

oF); austenite to ferrite at1394oC (2541oF); and fer-rite to liquid at 1538oC(2800oF). Each transfor-mation undergoes achange in crystal structureor arrangement of the ironatoms in the crystal lattice.The way these atomsarrange themselves toform a solid is referred toas a “lattice”. These atomicarrangements form a lat-ticework containing bil-lions of atoms all alignedin a systematic way. Someof these lattices have acubic arrangement, withan atom at each corner ofthe cube and anotheratom at the cube center.This arrangement is calledbody centered cubic (bcc)

s t r u c t u r e(Figure 2a).

O t h e r shave anatom ateach cor-ner of thecube andatoms atthe centerof each faceof the cube.This is called face centered cubic (fcc)structure (Figure 2b).

Other arrangements are hexagonal,some are tetragonal, etc. The body cen-tered cubic arrangement is referred toas “ferrite,” and the face centered cubicarrangement is called “austenite.”

Upon heating, bcc ferrite will trans-form to fcc austenite at 912oC (1674oF).These arrangements or crystal struc-tures impart different properties tosteel. For example, a bcc ferritic stain-less steel will have very different prop-erties from an fcc austenitic stainlesssteel.

Pure iron, being very soft and of lowstrength, is of little commercial interest.Therefore, carbon and other alloying

elements are added to enhance proper-ties. Adding carbon to pure iron has aprofound effect on ferrite and austenitediscussed above. As can be seen in Fig-ure 1, as carbon is added to iron, theferrite and austenite phase fieldsexpand and contract depending uponthe carbon level and temperature. Inaddition, there are fields consisting oftwo phases, for example, ferrite plusaustenite.

Interstitial and Substitutional Ele-ment

Since carbon has a small atomicdiameter when compared with iron, itis called an interstitial element becauseit can fill the interstices between theiron atoms in the cubic lattice. Nitrogenis another interstitial element. On theother hand, elements such as man-ganese, silicon, nickel, chromium, andmolybdenum have atomic diameterssimilar to iron and are called substitu-

Figure 1. Iron-carbon binary phase diagram

Figure 2a Body-centered cubic structure

Figure 2b Face-centered cubic structure


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tional alloying elements.These substitutional elementscan thus replace iron atoms atthe cube corners, faces, or cen-ter positions. Being an intersti-tial or a substitutional elementis important in the develop-ment of steel properties. Inter-stitial elements such as carboncan move easily about thecrystal lattice whereas a substi-tutional element such as man-ganese is much more difficultto move. The movement ofelements in a crystal lattice iscalled diffusion. Diffusion is acontrolling factor in the devel-opment of microstructure.

SolubilityAnother controlling factor in the

development of microstructure is solu-bility, which is a measure of how muchof a particular element can be accom-modated by the crystal lattice before itis rejected. For example, the solubilityof carbon in ferrite (bcc structure) is vir-tually nil (approximately 0.02%), inaustenite (fcc structure) it is quite highand approximately 2% carbon will dis-solve in lattice holes. Any amount ofcarbon in excess of the solubility limit isrejected from solid solution and is usu-ally combined with iron to form an ironcarbide. The transformation fromaustenite to ferrite and iron carbiderequires unmixing of the carbon. Whenthe cooling is slow enough, this separa-tion of dissolved carbon in austenite toa separate constituent, iron carbide,occurs in an orderly way, and pearlite isformed (Figure 3a). Pearlite has a lamel-lar (parallel plates) microstructure asshown at higher magnification in Fig-ure 3b, and consists of alternating lay-ers of ferrite and iron carbide. Whencooling is too rapid, there is no time forthe carbon to combine with iron toform iron-carbide and pearlite. The car-bon is trapped in austenite, which isunstable at room temperature andchanges its atomic structure to marten-site, which is hard and brittle and maylead to underbead cracking duringwelding.

Ferritic steels are “ferrite” and ironcarbide (pearlite) at room temperature.When sufficient chromium and nickelis added (for example 18-8 stainlesssteel with 18 % Cr and 8% nickel), the“austenite” lattice remains stable atroom temperature. Such steels arecalled austenitic steels (for example SA240 Gr 304, 316.).

Grains and Grain Boundary All of the atoms arranged within a

given lattice in the same orientationand same pattern are defined as a“grain”. Each grain may have approxi-mately 1015 atoms of iron. Neighbour-ing grains do not have the same orien-tation as their adjoining neighbour.The lattice arrangement in these twograins or crystal is the same but the ori-entation is different. Such juncturebetween two grains is called “grainboundary”. Grain boundary is a transi-tion region in which some atoms arenot exactly aligned with either grain.The mismatch of orientation of neigh-bouring grains leads to less efficientatomic packing at the grain boundary.Hence the atoms at the boundary havea less ordered structure and a slightlyhigher internal energy. Due to thisshort range disorder exists at the grainboundary. This region of short rangedisorder is more prone to corrosionand attacks due to the imperfect bond-ing of neighbouring atoms. This char-acteristic at the grain boundary

explains much of the materialdegradation found in hightemperature service.

Damages at high tempera-ture

Below approximately 800oF, no changes to microstruc-ture would be expected forferritic steels. However whenexposed to temperaturesabove 800 oF, ferritic steelsmay suffer changes topearlitic structure (see expla-nation on steel microstructureabove). The common types of

degradation that affect the materialsmicrostructure are as below.Graphitisation

Graphitisation is a well-known phe-nomenon. Various pressure vesselcodes contain cautions against thisphenomenon in different ways. Forexample, ASME Boiler and PressureVessel Code (such as Sec II Part D)includes note G10 (for SA-515/516, SA106, SA 179, etc.) to Table 1A whichstates that “Upon prolonged exposureto temperatures above 800 oF, the car-bide phase of carbon steel may be con-verted to graphite” and note G11 cau-tions the use of C-Mo steels above 875oF. Graphite formation generallyoccurs in the HAZ of the weld. This isthe most severe form of the variousforms of graphitisation.

The carbide phase in ferritic steel isunstable in the temperature range 800-1400 oF . Prolonged exposure of ferriticsteel to temperatures in the range 800-1100 oF causes the carbide phase todecompose into graphite nodules (Fig4). This decomposition is known asgraphitisation.

Many metallurgists are of the viewthat the graphitisation tendency of car-bon and C-Mo steels increases whenthe aluminum content exceeds approx-imately 0.025%. Others believe thatsteels deoxidised with silicon are alsosusceptible to graphitisation. However,API 571 states that silicon and alu-minum do not significantly influence

Figure 3a Photomicrograph of carbon steel showing ferrite grains andpearlite (dark)

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the graphitisation tendency of carbonand C-Mo steel, but there is no clearconsensus on this as yet. The additionof chromium of approximately 0.7%will prevent change from iron carbideto graphite and thus eliminate graphiti-sation. However, at higher tempera-tures, the microstructure will stillchange from ferrite and pearlite tospherodised carbides and ferrite (seebelow). Deoxidation with titanium willusually produce better resistance tographitisation. Equipment engineerscan include such supplementaryrequirements in their equipmentspecification to guard againstgraphitisation at high tempera-ture. That would require specialmelting practice with Ti, withinthe limitations of SA-20, Table 1of ASME Sec II A for unspecifiedelements but it would ensuremuch safer equipment. Carbon-molybdenum steels exhibitgreater resistance to graphitisa-tion than carbon steels. Graphiti-sation also is time dependent,hence the “prolonged exposure”referred to in Note G10 to Table1A of ASME Sec II Part D.

Below 800 oF, the rate of graphitisa-tion is extremely slow and increaseswith increasing temperature. Graphiti-sation results in loss of strength, ductil-ity, and/or creep resistance.Spheroidisation

As explained above, carbide phasein carbon steel is unstable at tempera-ture range 850-1400 oF. Long-termexposure of steel in this temperaturerange may result in breaking down ofiron carbide (pearlite) from their nor-mal plate like lamellar structure tosmall spheroids of iron-carbide in fer-rite matrix. Grains are not perfectspheres but rather an irregular polyhe-dron that when packed together withothers, completely fills up the space. Atequilibrium, the shape tends to mini-mize the grain-boundary surface areafor a given volume of metal within thegrain. This attempt to minimize thesurface to volume ratio is the drivingforce to spheroidisation of iron carbidein ferritic steels. Rate of spheroidisation

depends upon temperature and initialmicrostructure; it can occur in a fewhours at 1300 oF but could take severalyears at 850 oF. Annealed steels aremore resistant to spheroidisation thannormalised steels. Coarse grainedsteels are more resistant than finegrained steel. Fine grained siliconkilled steel are more resistant than alu-minum killed. Such understandingwould enable an equipment engineerto correctly specify the material fortheir equipment. Spheroidisation

results in loss in strength and/or creepresistance. Loss in strength due tospheroidisation is usually accompaniedby increase in ductility which allowsfor deformation at stress concentra-tions. Hence the presence of disconti-nuity and notches, which act as stressraisers, should be avoided and due careshould be taken during design and fab-rication of equipment to ensure thatareas of high stress concentrations areavoided.

Spheroidisation and graphitisationis often a competing phenomenon thatoccurs at overlapping temperatureranges. It tends to occur preferentiallyabove 1025 oF, while graphitisationdominates below this temperature; forexample, pearlite colonies are stillsharply defined, but graphite particlesare clearly visible.Creep

Creep occurs under load at hightemperature. At temperatures muchlower than high temperature yieldstress and under load, metals undergo

permanent plastic deformation called“creep”. Creep deformation is charac-terised by grain boundary sliding andthe resultant creep cracks or voids. Athigh temperature under stress, theadjacent grains moves as a unit relativeto each other. The damage appears asindividual voids or pores. These voidsare often noted at the junction of threeor more grains, occasionally at non-metallic inclusions. They grow and linkto form cracks several grains long, andfinally failure occurs. The ultimate fail-

ure is tensile overload, wheneffective wall thickness is toothin to contain internal pres-sure.

As creep deformationoccurs by grain boundary slid-ing, the more the grain bound-ary area available in amicrostructure, the easier it isfor creep to occur. This impliesthat creep deformation andcreep strength are grain sizesensitive property. Fine grainsteels (for example, SA 516steels) provides more grainboundary area than coarse

grain steels (for example, SA 515). Thuscoarse grain steel has better creep resis-tance than fine grain steel as the grainboundary area available in amicrostructure is much lower than thecorresponding fine grain steel. It is tobe noted that at higher temperaturewhere creep occurs, other forms ofhigh temperature microstructural dam-age are happening simultaneously. Asexplained earlier, in ferritic steel at hightemperature, the decomposition of ironcarbide into graphite (graphitisation)or spheroidised carbide (spheroidisa-tion) will also occur, along with grainboundary sliding and void formation,leading to the formation of cracks andultimately high temperature failure.The mode of failure due to creep inaustenitic stainless steels is also similarto that of ferritic carbon steel (i.e. bygrain boundary sliding and crack for-mation. High temperature hydrogen

damageIt is not unusual for the equipment

Figure 3b Platelike structure of Pearlite under a microscope

�21Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2006

EPC CORNER

engineer to face the challenges posedby hydrogen. In a process environ-ment, equipment can be either directlyexposed to hydrogen or hydrogen canbe generated in a system due to corro-sion reaction in an H2S containingaqueous solution:

H2S + Fe2+ FeS + 2Ho

H2O

The hydrogen atoms (nascenthydrogen) produced at the steel sur-face may combine to form innocu-ous hydrogen gas molecules (H2);however, in the presence of sul-fide or cyanide, the hydrogenrecombination reaction is poi-soned, so that the nascent hydro-gen atoms (H0) diffuse into thesteel rather than recombining onthe metal surface to form hydro-gen gas. Hydrogen atoms thatenter the metallic lattice and per-meate through the metal cancause embrittlement and failure ofstructures in service environ-ments.

Elevated temperature is anoth-er source of hydrogen formation.At elevated temperatures, molecu-lar hydrogen dissociates into the atom-ic form, which can readily enter anddiffuse through steel. Hydrogen reactswith the carbon in the steel to causeeither surface decarburisation or inter-nal decarburisation and fissuring, andeventually cracking. Thus high temper-ature hydrogen damage can be classi-fied into two main types:• surface decarburisation• internal decarburisation and fissur-

ing.Surface decarburisation generally

takes place at high temperature andlow hydrogen partial pressure. It doesnot produce fissures. Internal decar-burisation takes place at low tempera-ture (but above 430 oF) and highhydrogen partial pressure. This leadsto fissure and eventually failure due tocracking.Surface decarburisation

At high temperatures, the carbon insolution migrates to the surface where

gaseous compounds of carbon (such asmethane CH4) are formed, renderingthe steel less rich in carbon. Thus sur-face decarburisation is characterised byincrease in ductility and decrease instrength and hardness. Since carbon insolution diffuses to the surface, the ratecontrolling mechanism appears to becarbon diffusion. Since carbon in solu-tion is continuously supplied from thecarbides, carbide stability is directlyrelated to the rate of surface decarburi-sation.

Internal decarburisation and fis-suringInternal decarburisation and fissur-

ing are caused by hydrogen permeat-ing the steel and reacting with carbonto form methane. The methane formedcannot diffuse out of the steel and typ-ically accumulates at the grain bound-aries. This results in high localizedstresses which leads to formation of fis-sures, cracks, or blisters in the steel. Fis-sures in hydrogen damaged steel leadto a substantial deterioration ofmechanical properties. The addition ofcarbide stabilisers to steel reduce thetendency towards internal fissuring.These carbide stabilisers reduce thenumber of nucleation sites by formingmore stable alloy carbides, which resistbreakdown by hydrogen and thereforedecrease the propensity to formmethane. The presence of non-metallicinclusions tends to increase the extentof blistering damage. When steels con-

tains segregated impurities, stringer-type inclusions or laminations, hydro-gen or methane accumulations in theseareas can cause severe blistering.

ConclusionIt can be inferred that proper under-

standing of material microstructureexplains many of the material degrada-tion phenomena that occur at hightemperatures particularly above 800 oF.It also helps to assist equipment engi-neers to avoid overspecifying material

requirements and to arrive at abalanced selection of materialdepending upon exposure tem-perature and its duration. Up toapproximately 800 oF, it is clearthat a ferrite and pearlitemicrostructure can be expectedto be stable without much deteri-oration. Hence if the exposuretemperature will not exceed thislimit, specifying costly materialssuch as C-1/2Mo is not required.In cases where it exceeds thislimit, but only for a short dura-tion, the equipment engineershould also avoid overspecifyingmaterial requirements. Inputfrom the process engineer to

evaluate whether exposure will beshort term or long term is beneficial.Above this range (800 oF), the pearlitein the microstructure starts to decom-pose, resulting in degradation in mate-rial properties. The rate of degradationis dependent upon the exposure tem-perature. A brief overview of materialdegradation in the case of ferritic steelin high temperature hydrogen serviceis also covered, as damage due tohydrogen at high temperatures is dif-ferent to damage due to hydrogen atlow temperatures. The explanationabove is geared to assist readers inunderstanding this difference. As fer-ritic steels are the most commonly usedmaterials in various industries, thefocus of this article has been restrictedto understanding the degradationphenomenon at high temperature forferritic carbon steel materials only.

Pankaj Rai EPSO

Fig 4: Pictomicrograph of metallographic sample showinggraphite nodules. Compare to normal microstructure shown in

Figure 3a above.

�22

AREA NEWS


United States of America

World Federation of Engineering Organizations Awards

Executive Vice President, Tawfic Khoury, was in Chicagoon October 17, 2006 on the occasion of the Executive CouncilMeeting of the World Federation of Engineering Organiza-tions (WFEO).

His purpose there was twofold: to accept, on behalf of hisfather, Said Khoury, a special medal awarded by the Federa-tion and also to award Mr. Curtis Edwards with the SaidKhoury Award for Engineering and Construction Excellence.Here is the text of his speech:

“It is indeed a great honour for me to be here today onbehalf of my father, Said Khoury, who over the last half a cen-tury built CCC into what it is today, one of the top interna-tional construction companies in the world.

I wish to thank the Federation on behalf of my father forthe special medal you are awarding him today for his servicesto various humanitarian caus-es over the past 50 years. It isa great honour to receive thismedal on his behalf and Ithank you.

I wish to congratulate Mr.Curtis Edwards for receivingthe 2006 Said Khoury Awardfor Engineering and Construc-tion Excellence.

CCC was started in 1952 byHassib Sabbagh, my uncle,and Said Khoury, my father.Over the years both of themhave nurtured a unique cor-porate culture and organiza-tional values that were ofparamount importance in thephenomenal success of CCC.

These values were promoted and spread among CCC’sstaff and the communities where CCC worked. The foundersemphasized and spread CCC’s core values in the organiza-tion. This helped make it one of the most trustworthy orga-nizations in the Middle East. These core values are:

1. safety in the prevention of accidents2. quality of work for our clients3. appreciation of staff4. responsibility and accountability to our staff5. recognition of others in the achievement of our

corporate goals6. respect for cultural identities on company projects7. integrity of the company and our staff.CCC built projects in the most remote areas and managed

to train and assist local residents to become reliable engineer-

ing and construction sub-contractors. CCC’s broad expertisein the engineering and construction of civil, mechanical, elec-trical and offshore work makes it capable of tackling the mostcomplex and remote project almost anywhere.

CCC’s turnover is around US$ 3 billion this year. Geo-graphically, CCC’s operations cover the Middle East, Africaand the CIS, with offices in 45 countries and over 100,000employees all over the world. From its humble beginning in1952 as a small civil works subcontractor, CCC has grown to aUS$ 3 billion company today.

I thank you again, on behalf of my father.”Below is the acceptance speech of Curtis Edwards, Vice

President with the San Diego Office of Psomas (design, engi-neering and construction expertise) and Chairman of theAmerican Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Earthquake

Investigations Committee:“I would like to thank the

World Federation of Engineer-ing Organizations so much forthis prestigious award. As withmost awards of this type, I ambut a small part of a largerwhole, a team of dedicatedorganizations, engineering pro-fessionals and technical person-nel that all contribute to disasterpreparedness and emergencyresponse.

I would first like to expressmy thanks to ASCE for provid-ing me the opportunity to workwith the Technical Council onLifeline Earthquake Engineer-

ing (TCLEE). Also, to ASCE including Pat Natalle, JohnDurant and John Segna for providing the guidance for meand the many volunteers to direct the organization’s focus togo beyond earthquake engineering to considerations forother hazards such as hurricanes and terrorist acts. Mostrecently, they have given me the opportunity to organize thepost-Southeast Asian earthquake and tsunami investigationwhich included TCLEE, the Coastal Oceans Ports and RiversInstitute and the Institution of Civil Engineers from GreatBritain.

I am being honoured tonight for my efforts in organizingdomestic and international post-disaster team investigations.These team members come from many organizations, coun-tries and disciplines with their own expertise and specializedknowledge. After organizing and directing many of thesegroups, I liken it to herding cats. Every step of the way, team

from left to right: Curtis Edwards; Tawfic Khoury; Kamel Ayadi,WFEO President; Dennis R. Martenson, ASCE President


AREA NEWS

members may need to be re-focused, and juggled to assurethe best fit of disciplines and experience. During the tsunamieffort, I found that many individuals had not experienced asimilar investigation and needed a crash course on conduct-ing and documenting an investigation.

Throughout my nearly 20 years withTCLEE and other emergency organizations, Ihave had the opportunity to personallyobserve how natural disasters can impacthuman life and our ability to restore our wayof life after an event. I have also seen manysimilarities in the damage and loss of lifecaused not only by earthquakes and other natural disasterssuch as hurricanes, and the southern California wild fires in2003, but also man-made disasters caused by war or terrorismsuch as 9/11.

TCLEE was founded on the need to provide the engineer-ing community a history of lessons learned from previous dis-asters. The goal was to provide guidance to the engineeringand construction community so that the constructed infra-structure would have minimal damage from earthquakes andthat, even with damage, could be rapidly restored after anevent. This with the ultimate goal of saving lives in futureevents.

However, one observation I have found is that we are notlearning fast enough from the lessons of previous disasters.Time between events leads to apathy which creates vulnera-bilities to lifeline systems. Organizations such as ASCE andother groups must work to keep the lessons learned in themind of legislators, regulators, and the public through educa-tion programmes, symposiums, conferences and emergencyresponse drills.

There are also more hindrances to protecting lives fromdisasters. Poverty is a driving force for putting people in dan-ger. Disasters such as Katrina, flooding in Bangladesh, squat-ters in coastal areas in the Southeast Asian tsunami, andimpoverished people living near undesirable locations, all putpeople in harm’s way.

Poverty breeds another group of opportunistic individualsthat use greed and corruption to take advantage of the poorby constructing low quality housing and work places. Manyof these structures are not engineered, are constructed of sub-standard materials and can barely stand up to gravity muchless forces of wind, earthquake and flood. People that are des-perate for housing and places to work are willing to put them-selves in potential danger just for low cost shelter. Unscrupu-lous developers, builders and governments take advantage ofthis desperation to make a profit.

So what can we, as engineering professionals do? Is con-trolling greed and corruption part of our code of ethics? Itdefinitely is for ASCE. As Dennis Martinson pointed out inSeptember 2006 ASCE News, “ASCE’s code of ethics states thatengineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfareof the public, a reminder people’s lives depend on the respon-sible actions of civil engineers every day. Organizations suchas ASCE, ICE, WFEP and others should keep these issues in

the forefront of the public to keep governments continuouslyaware of the problems so that greed and corruption are min-imized.

Interestingly, in the same ASCE news, an article noted thatASCE strongly encouraged Congress to ratify the United

Nations Convention against Corruption, aninternational agreement that currently has 60signatories. Why is there even debate on this?In the same article, it states that ASCE is work-ing with Transparency International (a non-governmental organization based in Berlinthat seeks to promote ethical business prac-

tices) to fight corruption world wide in the construction andengineering industries. Last year ASCE adopted policy 510which states in part: “ASCE supports a zero tolerance policytoward bribery, fraud, and corruption in design and con-struction…(and) actively supports the global effort to stemcorruption in the procurement and execution of design ser-vices and construction projects…(and ASCE) openly seekscooperation with others in a domestic and international effortto empower individual engineers in the fight against corrup-tion through education, awareness, and the adoption andenforcement of Principles and Guidelines for ProfessionalConduct.”

Unfortunately, the only way that policies or guidelines likethese will be effective is if local governments provide ade-quate regulations, policing and enforcement.

Through active investigation and publicizing the root caus-es behind the devastation that follows a natural disaster, peo-ple can become aware that their safety is in the hands of thoseboth elected and appointed to monitor public safety. Publish-ing articles on investigations along with sharing experiencesand ideas during seminars, conferences, workshops and evendinners like this will go a long way to saving lives.

In addition, we can assure that communities are ready fordisasters through education and emergency response plan-ning. I cannot emphasis enough that even here in our owncountry, this is readily evident in the aftermath of HurricaneKatrina. An excellent example is one parish in the Gulf Coastthat conducted regular emergency response drills. Theyknew what to do, where to get supplies and how to repairtheir infrastructure. As a result, they were fully functionaland people returned to their homes within weeks after Katri-na. I wish that other regions of the Gulf Coast could say thesame.

If the work that I do can save even one life, is it worth it?Of course. If there are 1,000 people like me, and they can save1,000 lives doesn’t this become even more worthwhile? Thereality is that what we do can bring enlightenment andawareness to people all over the world which will ultimatelysave lives and build a better future. These rewards far out-weigh the time, effort, commitment and expense of support-ing our volunteer organizations.”

“Poverty is a drivingforce for putting people

in danger”.

�24

AREA NEWS


PalestineAL-HILAL SPORTING CLUB

The Al-Hilal Sporting Club was established in 1993 in GazaCity as a non-profit and a non-governmental institution.

The club is the only institution that provides social ser-vices, sports and cultural activities locally as well as teachingsoccer to children of between four to fourteen years old.

The club area is 2,500m2 and volleyball, basketball andhandball courts will be built there. The soccer field is the onlyone ready so far and is currently being used continuously.Ping pong tables, a gym, a meeting and sports hall and theadministration offices are currently in use.

The future ambitions for the club are:• to build a covered hall • to build a swimming pool• to promote the professionalism of the teenagers’ tennis

and football schools

• to build a gym furnished with the latest equipment• to set up a sports library• to promote professionalism among amateur athletes.

CCC values the club’s role in supporting Palestinian chil-dren by offering them its activities. CCC just recently fund-ed the club with the following projects:• grassing for the soccer playground• fence fixing and lighting project

CCC will continue to support the Al-Hilal Sporting Club inorder to maintain the services it provides for Palestinian chil-dren.

Samir Sabbagh


AREA NEWS

Saudi Arabia

THREE MILESTONES ACHIEVEMENT

BACKGAMMON TOURNAMENT AT HNRP

VISIT TO KHURSANIYAH

On September 16, 2006, the Khursaniyah Producing Facili-ties Project Manager, Hassan Moghrabi, invited Snamprogettiand Saudi Aramco to a celebration. The occasion was to markthe “Three Milestones Achievement” and 10m hours withoutlost time accidents.

All of the three milestones (numbers five, six and seven)were targeted for completion on August 31, 2006 but were in

fact achieved before the planned date, as follows:Milestone No. 5 - Completion of 20% of Pipe Welding

(>16” diameter) – achieved on August 21, 2 006.Milestone No. 6 – U/G Ducts released to Communication

LSTK Contractor – achieved on August 27, 2006.Milestone No. 7 – 115kv Cable Laydown and Junction

Completion – achieved on August 13, 2006.The dinner was hosted in the Aramco Aldiwaniya Hall and

was attended by the Saudi Aramco Khurasaniyah and KPFManagement and by the Snamprogetti project team.

These achievements are in line with the commitment totiming, HSE and quality made by Samer Khoury, ExecutiveVice President, Operations to the clients during his visit toKhursaniyah in April 2006.

Isaac Abu DaggaEngineering and Contracts Manager

from left to right: Mazen Qaddoura (Area General Manager), GhalibAlwan (Aramco), Murad Al Sayed (Aramco), Hassan Moghrabi (Pro-

ject Manager), Kamal Abbasi (Aramco), F. Crippa (Project Director,Snamprogetti), Khalid Salouli (Aramco)

A highly successful and enjoyable backgammon tourna-ment was arranged at the Hawiyah NGL Recovery Plant Pro-ject during the Holy Month of Ramadan. The competitionended on October 17, 2006 and the winner was HusseinMoghrabi, HSE Manager on site.

Ramez Shuhaiberfrom left to right: Ahmed Kiblawi, Rami Farran,

Ramez Shuhaiber, Hussein Moghrabi, Joseph Kalash

A lunch was held at the Khursaniyah senior mess on Octo-ber 30, 2006 attended by Samer Khoury, Executive Vice Presi-dent - Operations together with CCC and the client’s man-agement personnel.

During the lunch, Samer Khoury expressed his view on theimportance of health, safety and the environment, schedul-ing, quality and the team’s commitment to complete the pro-ject on time.

Isaac Abu DaggaEngineering & Contracts Manager

From left to right: Murad Al-Sayed, Marwan Kamel, HassanMoghrabi, Mazen Qaddoura, F. Crippa, Samer Khoury


AREA NEWS

United Arab Emirates

LEADERSHIP SEMINAR

NEW PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES AWARDS FOR MORGANTI

A two-day seminar/workshop onLeadership and Management was heldin Abu Dhabi on November 1-2, 2006.This event was attended by 34 partici-pants and was conducted in Englishwith Arabic translation. The seminarwas prepared and presented by theundersigned.

Dr. Riad ElhajTraining Development Department,

Mussafah

The 34 participants in the two-day seminar

The Morganti Group Inc. – UAE, has been awarded the fol-lowing projects for Project Management Services:• Al Ain University, client Mubadala, value US$ 381,263,617• ENCED, Abu Dhabi, client Abu Dhabi Education Council,

value US$ 83,605,664

• Etihad Airport Terminal, Abu Dhabi, client Scadia, valueUS$ 242,374,728

• Jumeirah Healthcare City, Dubai, client Dubai Properties,value US$ 217,864,924

• Horizon Towers, Dubai, client Prescot Enterprises, valueUS$ 27,233,115• Two hospitals in Muzaffarabad andRawalakot Azad Kashmir, Pakistan,client Abu Dhabi Municipality, valueUS$ 49,019,608• Jumeirah Village South Tower, Dubai,client Dynasty Enterprises, value US$19,191,389• Lahore Project, Pakistan, client FirstGulf Bank, value US$ 223,311,547• P9 Hotel, client First Gulf Bank, valueUS$ 209,694,989.

On behalf of the management, Iextend my congratulations to all thosewho have contributed towards the suc-cessful award of these projects and wishcontinued success to the project teamsduring the execution and completion ofthe contract.

Carl D. MorinEmirates Area Manager

Morganti Group Inc.


HEALTH, SAFETY & THE ENVIRONMENT

On Sunday, December 17, a grand reception was held inthe CCC Buhasa Camp junior and senior mess halls to cele-brate the achievement of our second HSE milestone target – 3million man-hours without a lost time accident. The eventwas sponsored by the Habshan Gas Complex Expansion Pro-ject Manager and was attended by VIPs from Gasco Projects& Operations led by Khalid Al Ghanem, Senior Project Man-ager; Belal Kayyali, HSE Vice President; Charlie Edmundson,Fluor Mideast Construction Manager; Bassam Addadah,OGD III Project Manager, and others.

At the reception, I congratulated all the employees ofHGCE for their commitment and contribution towardsachieving this milestone. I also spoke at length on CCC’s corevalues and principles charter set out by Said Khoury and reit-erated that nothing is more precious than human life andpeople are our most valuable asset. I also addressed thesalient points of the 22 HSE drive issued by the Executive VicePresident, Samer Khoury, which plays a pivotal role in day-to-

day construction activities and which has no doubt helped toachieve this milestone and will be the right instrument forfuture HSE achievements.

Khaled Al Ghanem, Belal Kayyali and Charlie Edmundsoneach distributed prizes to the best supervisor, the best trades-man and the best driver for outstanding performances incompliance with HSE policies.

The sumptuous dinner was a grand success and all theinvitees were impressed by the company’s generous supportand participation in the celebration.

Fadel YafawiProject Manager

HABSHAN GAS COMPLEX EXPANSION – CELEBRATION DINNER


EUROPEAN CORPORATE GAMES 2006

I would like to thank CCC and allthe staff who made this trip a reality,because it was like a dream, and all ofus enjoyed it a lot.

Athens is very nice, the tournamentwas amazing, so all in all it was a mar-velous trip and I hope we can do itagain soon.

Rami DadaMuscat Office

Europe Corporate Games 2006 –Athens was a wonderful event for theCCC Abu Dhabi sports team. Wenever imagined there was such anamazing activity supported by CCC!We had participants in soccer, basket-ball, and karting, who are eagerlyawaiting the 2007 Corporate Games,since they were very happy andenjoyed the hospitality of CCC MOA.

On behalf of the CCC Abu Dhabiteam, I would like to thank Samir Sab-bagh for inviting us to participate in thisevent, the members of staff who assistedduring the games and a special thanksto Anna Hussein, who thought of thetiniest detail to make things successfuland comfortable for all of us. I wouldalso like to thank all the managers whoapproved and blessed their employeesto participate in the games and last, butnot least, my special thanks to our Gen-eral Manager, Sami Ghandour for hisgreat support of our CCC UnderwaterEngineering Sports Team.

I truly believe that the idea thatCCC likes to encourage sport in busi-ness plays a major role in releasingtension from work and helps every-body deal in business as friends andnot as rigid employees which, in turnhas a positive effect on their attitude atwork.

“CCC FUN has a Better Taste”Wissam A Khatib

CCC Underwater Engineering

When we athletes, coming all theway from Oman and the UAE, experi-enced the WARM atmosphere of theopening ceremony which – in additionto Anna’s organized schedule – gaveus the impression that we were attend-ing a mini Olympics, the swimmingteam among us wasn’t aware that thiswas supposed to make up for theextremely COLD weather waiting forthem the next day at the outdoor pool,where we had to compete in a temper-ature of 8oC!!

Nevertheless, the GULF swimmersof CCC proved that not even the coldweather of Athens could stop themfrom winning not only one, but threemedals in this shivering event!! A bigthanks to Samir Sabbagh and theorganizing team for their efforts: weare looking forward to the 2007 Euro-pean Corporate Games.

Ala Abu GhazalehMuscat Office

We had 70 athletes representingCCC at the 2006 European CorporateGames, held in Athens. Medalsreceived are shown in the tables.

CCC is proud to have been repre-sented by so many staff members. Aspecial thanks goes to the managerswho gave permission to their staff, aswell as to the staff themselves, for tak-ing the time to wear the companycolours during these games.

CCC also received the award forthe company represented by the mostparticipants from different countries.

Congratulations everyone: here’slooking forward to greater success inthe 2007 Games.

Anna HusseinMOA

Corporate Games - November 2006


EUROPEAN CORPORATE GAMES 2006

BOWLINGCCC 1 1st Place Team EventCCC 2 3rd Place Team EventOlga Bisbikis 1st Place Women’s OpenYannis Yannoulis 2nd Place Men’s OpenErnesto Lazo 1st Place Age CategoryEva Maltezou & Angeliki Maltezou 1st Place Women’s DoublesYannis Yannoulis & Antoine Haddad 2nd Place Men’s DoublesYannis Zogas & George Zogas 3rd Place Men’s DoublesRashid Cheema & Kashif Iqbal 3rd Place * Men’s Doubles Johnny Abu Ata & Olga Bisbikis 3rd Place Mixed Doubles

* Age Category

BASKETBALL 5sCCC 3rd Place Men’s Open

KARTINGWissam Assaf 3rd Place Men’s Open

RUNNINGBrian Kirman 1st Place 10Km Run

SQUASHCCC 2nd Place Team EventOmar Afifi 2nd Place Men’s Open

SWIMMINGAla Abu Ghazaleh 1st Place 50m BreaststrokeGeorge Hanna 1st Place 50m FreestyleGeorge Hanna 1st Place * 50m Backstroke

* Age Category


FAMILY DAY

Family Day – Abu Dhabi (December 2006)As always we look forward to a bright and sunny day for

the Annual CCC Family Day in the United Arab Emirates.Especially in the UAE, we never bother with the weather fore-casts as we know that it is always bright and sunny. If any-thing, we are just curious as to how high the temperature willgo. This year, however, and to everyone’s surprise, it drizzledon the allotted day. Excuse me, drizzle is an understatement!!!

It was raining lightly in the morning and then to ourdelight it stopped. So we put everything out: DJ, receptiontable, gifts… everything. People started coming in and ourspirits started going up, and just then, it started pouring, andpouring, and pouring. It kept on pouring. As is the case withthe Fun Team, we rose to the challenge with the help of theGolf and Equestrian Club (they provided us with the club’sindoor facilities). Once everyone was settled in the club area,the team went into cruise control and we managed to salvagethe day and have fun with some indoor games and especiallyfood!!!!!!!!

Ronny LabbanEPSO (Abu Dhabi)

Family Day emphasizes theimportance of staff activitiesand encourages each and everyone to have fun and enjoy atime out with colleagues. Unity(as a team) and sportsmanshipare very important aspects inour lives, and something tooberve in the office as well asat home.

Though it was a very wetFamily Day, the most important thing was to have fun, andthat, we did only indoors! There was lots of dancing, playinggames, prize giveaways and more.

We look forward to being on the team again next year toengage in even more activities and most importantly, to min-gle with the CCC Family.

Roda BautistaEPSO

One would wonder why it rained on Family Day in AbuDhabi this year. Was it a sign that we should be in our officesdoing more work, or maybe it was a test for our commitmentto have fun? I vote for the second.

Despite the rainy weather, the CCC family prevailed toprove to everyone who ever doubted our priorities, that infact, when it comes to having fun, we are your number one.With no further ado, join me in congratulating the great teamof Abu Dhabi for a day full of true fun and high spirits. Andfor next year, maybe we can start preparing for a snow show-down scenario - you never know!

Dima TaraziMussafah (Abu Dhabi)

a special thanks to our sponsors who provided us with some great gifts for our Family Day in Abu Dhabi


MILESTONES

ENGAGEMENTS &MARRIAGES

On November 10, 2006 in Pakistan, Tariq Bashir (IPMF Project, Oman) got engaged to be married to Mehwish.

Emran Sharfuddin Khah (RGX Project, Qatar) got married on November 6, 2006 to Ghazala Nishat. This happy eventtook place in Patna in the presence of his nearest and dearest and - some CCC colleagues!

Sankar Ghosal (Guinea) and wife Kajari wish toannounce the birth of their daughter, Debanjana, onAugust 6, 2006 in Kolkata, India.

Errol A. Pereira (KPF Project, Saudi Arabia) and hiswife Sumitha are happy to announce the birth of theirsecond baby, a girl named Elita Maria on September7, 2006 in Udupi, India. Brother Elton is overjoyed to seehis tiny sister.

Kareem Arafeh (Cairo Office) and his wife Iqbal aredelighted to announce the birth of their baby girl, Luna.She was born in Amman on September 29, 2006 duringRamadan.

A beautiful daughter was born to Tatiana, wife ofKhader Abu Ghannam (MOA Athens) on October 12,2006. The baby’s name is Sabina and she was born inBethlehem.

A second baby girl named Sangeerthana was bornto Sajitha, wife of Sethu V.K. (CCW4 Project, Qatar) onNovember 8, 2006. The happy event took place in Kan-nur, Kerala, India to the delight of sister Sanghamithra,Granny, Grandpa and all the family.

Asif Khurshid (CCC-UE, Abu Dhabi) and his wife NailaJabeen have immense pleasure in announcing the birth oftheir baby girl, Mayra Noor, on November 26, 2006 inJhelum Pakistan.

November 28, 2006 saw the arrival of Angel, the firstbaby daughter born to John and Amali Mudaliyar(Guinea). Angel was born in Mumbai, India.

Sereena Shameer, wife of Shameer V.A. (KGP, SaudiArabia) gave birth to their first baby, a girl, on November28, 2006. Baby is called Sarah and was born in Cochin,Kerala, India.

Jehad Karmi (MOA) and his wife Nissren are proud toannounce the birth of their daughter Nora in Norwayon January 24, 2007. Brother Mohamed Abdhullah ishappy to have a little sister.

BIRTHS

Tyrone Stavros Barraca was born on August 13, 2006 inAbu Dhabi. His mother is Roda Bautista (EPSO, Abu Dhabi)and father Rhodcar Barraca.

Junaid Ahcom (JCP Project, Saudi Arabia) and his wife SyedaNasiha Taqi are gratified to announce the birth of their first babyboy named Furqan Muhammad on September 27, 2006in Saudi Arabia.

Yazan Masarweh (Consolidated Contrators Oil & Gas,Yemen) and his wife Mirna are pleased and proud to announcethe birth of their first baby, Emile. He arrived on November26, 2006 in Amman and all the family is very happy about thenew arrival.

Born to Samer K. Mansour (NPCC, Abu Dhabi) and his wife,Ola Mannaa, a son named Kamel on November 30, 2006 inAbu Dhabi. All the family, including grandmother Om Husseinand his sister Rahaf are very happy about the new arrival.

Wasim Ahmed A. Balekundri (KPF Project, Saudi Arabia) andMubina are pleased to announce the birth of their first baby boynamed Mohammad Farid on October 28 in Belgaum, Kar-nataka, India. All the family members are delighted.

Congratulations!! ALF MABRUK!!

to everyone


CHRISTMAS PARTY

MOA celebrated its Christmas Party on the 8th floor wherethe employees gathered to share their best wishes for the sea-son. The fêted Eid El Adha was just around the corner, thiscontributed to a wholesome and festive atmosphere.

We were all warmly greeted by Muallem Said along withTawfic, Samer, Wael and Samir.

Mr. Said Khoury took the podium and after his wishes heemphasized that CCC projects have doubled and that thehard work of the employees will be fairly compensated.

The mammoth task of doubling CCC employees from 50thousand to 100 thousand has been successfully accom-plished by our Personnel Department with a lot of hard workinvolved. Mr. Khoury thanked them profusely and alsoreferred to the new equipment purchased by PMV Depart-ment stressing the necessity of such equipment being used atall times.

Next on the podium was Mr. Tawfic Khoury who, in turn,wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Eid. Hebriefed us on the Company’s financial status, and the excep-tional effect the boom in the Gulf Region has had on our busi-ness.

Mr. Marwan Salloum conveyed his wishes and said that hewas happy to see old and new friendly faces in the crowd andthat he is always delighted to be present at CCC’s ChristmasParties.

Mr. Tawfic Khoury invited Prince Adegbite Sijuwade ofNigeria to be next on the podium. Prince Adegbite wishedeveryone Season’s Greetings and emphasized that the CCCFamily spirit that he has encountered is overwhelming, creat-ing an easy-going, friendly and professional work environ-ment, making his time spent at CCC a unique experience.

Penny Xenakis


CHRISTMAS PARTY

EditorsSamer KhouryZuhair HaddadNafez Husseini

Damon Morrison

Public RelationsSamir Sabbagh

ProductionJeannette ArduinoPenny Xenakis

Nick GoulasGeorgia GianniasYannis Yannoulis

The BULLETIN is a publication issued at CCC

Managing Office in Athens by volunteer staff.

All opinions stated herein are the contributors’ own. Submissions(announcements, stories, artwork, etc.)

are welcome.

EDITOR’S VIEW . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 1

EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION QUESTIONNAIRE . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . 1

RECENT AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

QUALITY MANAGEMENTDocument & Data Control - Mounir Soufyan. . . . . . . . . . .3

FEATURE - HUMAN RESOURCESOur Human Resources Function - Ghassan Ouaijan . . . . . 6

The Recruitment Process - Nabil Sinno . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

HR in Areas: Challenges in Oman - HRD Oman . . . . . . . . 10

Work Experience in HR - Mirna Alaaiddin . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Career Planning - Salma A. Shawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Modern Technology & HR - Ousama Saleh . . . . . . . . . . . 13

HRMS - Hani Majaj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 14

HRRS - Randa Salloum-Hourani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

EPC CORNERMaterial Degradation - Pankaj Rai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

AREA NEWSUSA - WFEO Awards - Tawfic Khoury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Palestine - Al-Hilal Sporting Club - Samir Sabbagh. . . . 24

Saudi Arabia - KPF 3 Milestones - Isaac Abu Dagga . . . . 25

Saudi Arabia - Visit to Khursaniyah - Isaac Abu Dagga . . 25

Saudi Arabia - Backgammon - Ramez Shuhaiber. . . . . . . . 25

UAE - Leadership Seminar - Dr. Riad Elhaj . . . . . . . . . . 26

UAE - Morganti Project Management - Carl D. Morin. . . 26

HEALTH, SAFETY & THE ENVIRONMENTHGCE 3 m Hours - Fadel Yafawi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

SPORTSEuropean Corporate Games 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

FAMILY DAYFamily Day, Abu Dhabi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

MILESTONESannouncements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

CHRISTMAS PARTYChristmas Party at MOA - Penny Xenakis . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

CCC BULLETINP.O. Box 61092

Maroussi 151 10Fax (30-210) 618-2199 or [email protected]

see The BULLETIN on line atwww.CCC.gr - News - Quarterly

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