Mep june 2006 first edition volume01 issue 01

MIDDLE EASTAn ITP Business Publication

Essential information for mechanical, electrical and plumbing professionalsJune 2006 Vol 1. Issue 1

Thermo drafts inArup on airportThermo has drafted in consul-tant Ove Arup as a troubleshoot-er on the $463 million (AED1.7 billion) Dubai airport contract – thought to be the largest sing-MEP contract ever let.

General manager Alan Sporle told MEP Middle East that the consultant had produced a re-port on the contract, which has been submitted to client Dubai Civil Aviation.

The report was commissioned to ensure the contract stays on track for its key handover date next year.

“When it’s [the airport] fi n-ished you as a passenger just want to check-in, do your duty free shopping and get on your plane. That has to be trouble free. An airport this size might have three A380’s and 20 other planes hitting the ground at any one time,” he said.

Soaring prices are forcing many MEP contractors in the region to replace copper piping with cheaper plastic alternatives.

As metal prices touched fresh highs this month, many contrac-tors are pushing to use plastic pipe instead of copper in plumb-ing installations.

One Dubai-based builders’ merchant said: “It was actu-ally a trend that started before these latest increases, but this is having a big impact and many people have now stopped buying copper altogether.

Prices force move to plastic

Consultant fi les report on Dubai airport planCosts have risen substantially

on both the civils and MEP el-ements of the airport project, mainly as a result of a huge in-crease in the cost of materials.

The main contractor is Al Na-boodah Laing O’Rourke.

The second phase of the Dubai International Airport ex-pansion programme involves the construction of Terminal Three, Concourse Two and a car park – all dedicated for the Emirates airline, in addition to a large cargo terminal.

Construction work is to be completed in mid-2007. The airport will have the capacity to handle close to 70 million pas-sengers a year, a signifi cant in-crease from its current capacity of 22 million. This expansion will position Dubai as the leading air-port in the region.

Full story on page 10

� Full story on page 36

The high spec of residential developments underway throughout the region means that mechanical, electrical and plumbing work is accounting for a greater share of costs than ever before. MEP Middle East reports from Burj Dubai Old Town.

“More people are using PPR as an alternative for water sup-ply applications, because it is much cheaper.”

Copper hit record prices last month – one of the most tur-bulent this year for the metals markets. The volatile sector also saw major spikes in aluminium and nickel prices this year.

Paul Hockings, Middle East director at WSP, said: “Many contractors are coming back to us and are looking to specify plastic as they are looking at cost and delivery times.”

10 THE BIG INTERVIEW

Looking after the biggest MEP contract in the world is all in a day’s work for Thermo general manager, Alan Sporle.

13 TECHNOLOGY

SPECIAL

FEATURE

36 SITE REPORT

“In the rush to procure projects in record time, fears

are growing that fi re safety is being compromised”

Stephen Voller, chief executive of Voller Energy, believes fuel cell technology can be used as a source of power on site.

One of the biggest challenges on Old Town Burj Dubai is the number of wet rooms, says MEP manager, Gary Collings.

Document1 5/22/2006 2:50 PM Page 1

June 2006 - MEP Middle East 3www.itpbusiness.net

UPDATE

A leading US district cooling professional body aims to open a regional branch in response to the booming market.

And it predicts that the Middle East will quickly surpass North America in the adoption of district cooling technology.

The forecast came from Rob Thornton, the president of the US-based International District Energy Association (IDEA), which works to advance global environmental quality through effi cient district energy.

Thornton said the Middle East had limitless opportunities to adopt district cooling because

of the succession of greenfi eld master-planned developments emanating from the region.

“District cooling companies here have the advantage of integrating the technology in the design stages of newly planned cities,” said Thornton. “North American companies have had to adapt to existing cities and devel-opments,” he added.

And Thornton commended the efforts of Tabreed, the Middle East’s pioneering district cooling company, in educating developers on the energy savings and environmental benefi ts of the technology.

“Tabreed has achieved in eight years what it has taken others decades. The company’s visionary leadership in promoting district cooling has helped local and regional real estate developers and construction companies to better understand and accept the technology,” Thornton said.

The IDEA president also disclosed that moves are afoot to establish a regional chapter of his organisation to further promote the district cooling concept.

He said: “The chapter would be based in the UAE and we are also planning to organise a

district cooling conference here in December this year.

“The conference will be agenda-setting and allow the industry to share experiences and industry best practice with regional colleagues.

“The programme will also include a technical workshop on improving the knowledge of engineers and technicians.”

Tabreed CEO, Dany Safi, added: “There is a need to further promote this energy-ef ficient and environmentally friendly technology in a region where the real estate industry is booming.”

Middle East district cooling set to overtake US in overall market size

MAF Dalkia Middle East, a joint venture company between Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) and Dalkia, a provider of compre-hensive technical management services, facilities and energy management worldwide, has won a contract to manage the Le Rêve residential development on the Dubai Marina.

The 52-fl oor building, which is due to open in August 2006, will cover a built up area of 268,000m2 and feature 80 penthouses and a number of other apartments.

MAF Dalkia’s contract is made up of two phases: the pre-handover implementation andmobilization phase that leads up to the handover of the property to its owners, and the sustain operation phase which involves the delivery of a compre-hensive package of property management, facility and energy management.

Christophe Ploux, CEO, MAF Dalkia Middle East, said: “There is a prevailing paradox in the property development situation in Dubai. While the real estate developers focus on the construction and delivery aspect of a project, their involvement decreases once the new owners start to move in to their new properties.”

IN BRIEFHITACHI MOVES TO GULFHitachi has struck an OEM manufacturing deal with Gulf Air Conditioning Manufacturing Industries.

The new plant will manu-facture large commercial air conditioning equipment for use in hotels and other buildings and production is set to start next year.

It will make products under both the GAMI and Hitachi brands for sale in Saudi Arabia and other countries across the region, to tap growing demand from a construction boom in these oil-rich nations.

And it represents the fi rst time a Japanese company has set up a manufacturing base in the region.

DRAKE & SCULL IN EGYPTDrake & Scull International (DSI), has won a 15 month contract worth US $7.2 million (AED26.63 million) to install electromechanical works for the Amarante El Nile Hotel in Egypt.

DSl’s contract with Amarante El Nile Company on the project located on the banks of the Nile in central Cairo, consolidates its presence in Egypt.

DSI has already built the Smart Village, the country’s prestigious 450-acre high-tech, information technology and telecommunica-tions hub, located in proximity to the Pyramids in Cairo.

WORLD’S LARGEST PRE-CAST FACTORY OPENS ITS DOORSAmana Contracting & Steel Buildings has completed con-struction of the world’s largest pre-cast factory for Mammut Industries.

This new automated pre-cast factory covers a total built up area exceeding 35,000m2 on a plot in excess of 100,000m2.

The facility provides specialist MEP services, for the manufac-turing process.

It will also produce all types of precast panels including new fl oor and wall panel technolo-gies from Germany and Canada, which will greatly improve the speed, cost and quality of the construction sector.

An Emaar property that will be monitored remotely by the Command Control Centre.

Emaar Properties is building a state-of-the-art Command Control Centre (CCC) that will offer remote monitoring of all Emaar properties.

Information will be channelled from each building into the

Emaar offers remote monitoringCCC - a central point where any alarms or faults will be detected and addressed immediately.

The technologically advanced CCC is designed to offer faster response times and enhances the use of resources more

effi ciently and effectively, according to Emaar

“The Command Control Centre is designed to proac-tively deal with facilities management needs as soon as they are detected and will provide a complete service to our customers and help ensure that customers receive the maximum from their facility manager,” said Ahmad Al Matrooshi, UAE managing director, Emaar Properties.

He added: “Moreover, the system will not only benefi t residents, but it offers Emaar real time energy reporting that we can in turn review and implement the necessary changes to ensure we are providing our customers with maximum savings.”

Located within Emaar’s Business Park, the CCC will monitor fi re and lift alarms, water tank levels and air condi-tioner status as well as pump and power supply status.

All critical alarms will be attended to immediately and appropriate service providers will be dispatched.

In case of lift and fi re alarms, the CCC will be directly connected to the Civil Defence Command Control Centre for immediate response.

MAF Dalkia inMarina award

4 MEP Middle East - June 2006 www.itpbusiness.net

UPDATE

Septech installs energyeffi cient sewage plants

IN BRIEF

P&T Architects and Engineers has added structural and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering to its portfolio, in addition to the architectural services it already offers.

The structural and MEP engineering side of the business will cover the full range of both high-rise and low-rise building engineering consultancy, including concept design, through to construction super-vision and completion.

“The structural and MEP engineering of P&T is an integral part of the larger P&T Group,” said William Yuen, director of P&T in Dubai.

“And we consider it a mark of our success in the region that we are now able to offer the full

range of services from our Dubai offi ce,” he added.

The structural and MEP engineering disciplines will share the same board of directors as the architectural practice worldwide. Headed by directors each with about 30 years of professional experience, the combined force of the engineering practices has a staff of over 250, mainly located in the Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok offi ces.

Yuen added: “Servicing our clients so that we deliver on brief and on time is a priority for P&T.

“We want to ensure that our reputation in the Far East is matched by our reputation in Dubai, and the addition of the MEP services raises the bar on our offering in the region.”

P&T launches new MEP offering

Septech is to install two sewage treatment plants worth a combined US $500,000 (AED2 million) for a regional construction company in Sharjah and at a leading university in Saudi Arabia.

The two plants rely on signifi -cantly reduced levels of energy compared to conventional sewage treatment plants but still have the capacity to treat populations of up to 5,000 people per day.

The sewage installations utilise a modern biological treatment process that keeps costs and energy levels down in the treatment plants while reducing the need for excessive equipment, maintenance, labour and operating costs.

According to Septech, this appealed to both clients.

“The aeration tanks we’ve recommended for the contracts are 70% smaller than conven-tional tanks supplied by our competitors and use a process developed in Norway, suitable for sewage as well as indus-trial effl uents,” said Septech managing director, David Heffernan. “Septech secured the contracts because both clients wanted sewage treatment plant installations that took up minimal space, had the capacity to meet labour camp and university population demands but at the same time, were energy effi cient,” he added.

Aggreko deal in Yemen

Drake & Scull takes a hat-trick

Aggreko has signed a two-year contract with Yemen’s state-owned Public Electricity Corpo-ration for the supply of 50 mW of generating capacity. This will be used to power the development of infrastructure and services to support the country’s rapidly-developing economy.

In Yemen, where power demand is estimated to grow between 7 to 10% annually, the country has, in the past, been faced with shortages.

It is the fi rst time the state

authority has undertaken to hire a private company to support the grid and meet the nation’s growing power requirements.

The equipment will be trans-ported from Aggreko’s regional HQ in Jebel Ali, Dubai.

Dr. Ali Mohamed Mujawar, minister of electricity, said: “As Yemen pursues its plan of economic reform, it requires the support of a strong infra-structure. The contract with Aggreko will enable us to move ahead with our plans.”

Drake & Scull International has bagged its third project at the Jumeirah Lake Towers devel-opment, to provide MEP works to the new Good Impex Tower.

The tower has been constructed by TEST General Contracting, a strategic partner of DSI.

“The electro-mechanical works in Jumeirah Lake Towers such as the Indigo Tower and the Concorde Tower were our signifi cant achievements.

“Additionally, we will now supply complete MEP Installa-tions at Good Impex Tower.

“We take pride in the fact that we have successfully delivered the best on all our

MEP contracts,” said Khaldoun Al Tabari, executive director, Drake & Scull International.

Meanwhile the contractor has also bagged a $31 million deal in Kuwait for a special training centre to be built by the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training.

Work will start on June 1 and is expected to take just three months to complete.

“This is one of the biggest projects we’ve won in Kuwait so far,” said Nasser Yaseen, opera-tions manager at DSI.

The main construction package has been awarded to RECAFCO and project manager in Turner Construction.

BAHRAIN SPENDINGThe Ministry of Works and Housing in Bahrain has allocated US$1.1 million (BD425 million) for the construction of new roads, highways and fl yovers in the kingdom.

The assistant undersecretary of roads, Essam Abdullah Khalaf, revealed that the development of Bahrain Bay Road leading to Al Jazaer beach is due to get underway soon.

The project will involve the expansion of the road from one to two lanes on each side, and a city centre interchange, Isa Town roundabout, Mina Salman junc-tion and Shaikh Isa bin Salman Highway.

BEIRUT BROADBANDSoldiere has signed a deal with France Telecom subsidiary Equant to develop a broadband network for Beirut city centre.

Equant’s model for emerg-ing and incumbent carriers will provide the company with a private MPLS-based IP network, in partnership Cisco.

Equant will be responsible for the deployment of the network in coordination with Solidere for the integration of the services and their fi nal delivery to the end user via the developer’s opera-tion centre.

Solidere, is a joint stock corporation established in 1994 through an association of former property rights holders in the Beirut City Centre and cash investors.

KOREANS ARE COMINGLeading South Korean developer Axon is to invest US $700 million (AED2.56 billion) in seven new developments in Dubai.

Axon Gulf, the company’s regional subsidiary, last week sealed a $100 million invest-ment deal with Dubai Sports City to develop a 30-storey commercial tower.

The tower, which is being built on a plot totaling 131,141m2

is to be constructed by Korean contractor Shin Sung, with work due to start in July. The whole project is scheduled to be completed by the fi rst quarter of 2008.

ETA ASCON Group has moved into a new facility at Dubai Industrial City where it will manufacture elevator systems, a HVAC ducting plant and a cladding factory, in addition to other products.

Total initial investment by group is estimated in the region of US $15 million (AED 55 million).

The Alucobond factory will be built at Dubai Industrial City’s Base Metal Zone, which is being

ETA Ascon moves into new homedeveloped as a cluster for related industries so they can leverage their proximity to each other.

Meanwhile, Star Elevator Systems & Metal Technology, will shift its existing manufac-turing facilities in Al Quoz, Dubai, to the much larger area in Dubai Industrial City to allow for production capacity increase.

The new factory shall have manufacturing capacity of approx-imately 8,000 tonnes of ducts.

Yuen wants to transfer the reputation that the company has in Hong Kong, to Dubai.


UPDATE

A MINUTE OF YOUR TIME

LG Electronics has signed a contract with its Saudi Arabian partner HG Ibrahim Shaker to establish the LG-Shaker Air-Conditioning Company.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the biggest market in the Middle East region. We plan to further strengthen our global network of air condi-tioning business by utilising all regional production facilities, including the plant we will build in the country,” explained HY

LG Electronics plans expansion in Riyadh

Trinity Engineering Services has taken the MEP package on the Icon Tower at Jumeirah Lake Towers, from developer Emirates Properties Investment.

Located between the fi fth

Trinity scores on Icon Tower at JLTand sixth interchanges on Sheikh Zayed Road, the 34-storey Atkins-designed tower will be within easy reach of the commercial centre of Dubai, Emirates Golf Club and the

Montgomerie Course. Jagdish Shah, managing director of Trinity Engineering Services, said: “The project has been carefully devised to encompass a range of modern, high quality elements for business, and the tower’s striking design will make it a distinctive addition to Dubai’s skyline.”

Trinity Engineering’s scope of work at Indigo Icon includes the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the plumbing and drainage system, air-conditioning and venti-lation, fi re alarm, fi re-fi ghting, analogue emergency system and electrical works, IT systems and related works.

Jumeirah Lake Towers is a high-rise waterfront commercial and residential development by Nakheel, comprising 26 clusters each with three towers.

Different developers are constructing a tower on each of the plots in the clusters, of a residential, commercial or retail nature, under the guidelines of Nakheel, the master developer on the JLT project. Trinity will handle the entire MEP works on the Icon Tower, Jumeirah Lake Towers.

MEP: Who are you?I am the project manager for the FM EXPO.

MEP: What are you up to this coming week?I am spending the week at FM EXPO which is being held in Hall 1, Dubai World Trade Centre. We are open to visitors at 11am on Sunday the 4th. It is the launch edition of the event and it comes at a perfect time when all this construction we have recently witnessed now needs to be maintained. It was a very obvi-ous concept to me once I looked at it and FM will be a huge industry here.

MEP: What’s all that about?The exhibition is basically all about looking after your valued assets! Without the proper care and management of any building or facility you will not get a healthy return on your investment. The companies at the event will show you how they have done this to date with many projects and how they intend to manage and maintain the upcoming projects being built.

MEP: Is it of interest to MEP folk in the region?Yes most defi nitely! In fact MEP is a major part of FM. FM can generally be seen as having two divisions, namely, soft and hard, to narrow it down the hard would be MEP, soft being the cleaning and security.

MEP: Who will be there?

The major companies providing total FM solutions from building maintenance & operations, IT solu-tions in FM and property strategy to Security & cleaning, construction consultancy, asset management and energy management. A com-plete portfolio of FM.

MEP: How big is the FM industry?This is the question I love! I think the Gulf region is just waking up to FM and its understanding. The amount of maintenance and after care of these amazing projects tak-ing shape can only mean one thing; it will outshine the construction sec-tor. If you are asking how big it is at the moment I would say big, in six to twelve months, huge!

MEP: Who do you think will win the World Cup?Brazil of course!

Sinead Bridgett, project manager FM EXPO

Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) and Bodycote warringtonfi re have entered into a deal to develop a centre of excellence for fi re safety testing and the approvals of products in Dubai.

The pair have signed an MOU for the new laboratory, which will be operated by Bodycote War-rington Fire.

Bodycote warringtonfire in Civil Defence fire winIt should be fully commis-

sioned within the new purpose built building by early 2007.

The signing of the memoran-dum ends much speculation that has surrounded the formation of a testing capability in the UAE.

Colonel Rashid Al Matrooshi, director of DCD, said: “The pro-posal from Bodycote warrington

Nho, head of LG Electronics’ air conditioning division.

Once completed, LG will have nine air conditioner production facilities located in all major home appliance markets around the world.

HG Ibrahim Shaker is LG’s biggest partner in its air condi-tioner business in Saudi Arabia. The initial investment volume for the joint venture is US$5.5 million (SAR20.6 million). The joint venture will invest

US$30 million by 2010 in plant construction in the kingdom.

The new air conditioner production facility is being constructed in Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh’s second indus-trial city. It is set to open in the fi rst half of 2007. The plant is expected to have an annual production capacity of 250,000 units by 2008.

LG Electronics plans to utilise the new facility as a foothold to move forward into the Gulf

Cooperation Council, which consists of UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, by developing and producing localised products at compet-itive price while saving on expenses such as distribution costs and customs duties.

The Saudi Arabian air condi-tioner market is growing at an average rate of 7% annually. The market size was $400 million last year, and is expected to be $450 million this year. The market

size is further expected to grow to approximately $700 million by the year 2011.

Last year LG’s market share in the country was 19%. The company aims to hold 22% of the market in 2006 and 30% in 2011, solidifying its number one position in the booming Saudi Arabian market.

LG currently operates air conditioner plants in Turkey, India, Thailand, Brazil, China and Korea.

fi re was considered to provide the best opportunity to create a local testing capability as well as supplying much needed fi re technical expertise.

All of the organisation’s ser-vices available elsewhere, will now also be provided in Dubai, according to Geoff Deakin, direc-tor of Bodycote warringtonfi re.


UPDATEBRIEFING

Construction fi rms with an MEP background are being invited to pitch for a US$1.9 billion (AED7 billion) contract to transform Ras Al Khaimah into a world-class destination for residents and tourists.

Developer RAK Properties has confi rmed that dredging and earthworks works and the construction of beaches in the lagoon area of the Mini Al Arab project in Dubai has already started.

And tenders for phase one of the three-phase construction project will go out in October with a contractor chosen by the end of the year.

Alastair Burns, CEO, RAK Properties confi rmed that MEP work will be included in all of the three construction stages.

“Interested parties would have to have a good MEP background or know how to outsource the MEP side,” he added.

The fi rst stage which repre-

sents 25% of the total building content of the project, is due to be fi nished by the fi rst quarter of 2008. A separate contract for the other two stages will then be offered with an overall completion date of 2010-2011.

Once completed the project, worth a total of $2.7 billion, will have 11 fi ve-star hotels including two eco-tourism resorts, 3,500 residential units, 386 villas, six gated communities and a landscaped corridor.

RAK starts Mina al Arab

Al-Futtaim winsKrantz contract

Cat eyes Burj Dubaistandby power deal

Al-Futtaim Engineering, a multi-disciplinary engineering organi-sation and part of the Al-Futtaim Group, has won a contract for the exclusive distribution for Krantz Komponenten’s Air Distribution Systems in the UAE.

Krantz products will be used for HVAC in Dubai Investment Park and the Dubai Festival City for cooling of large areas such as cinemas and showrooms.

The provider of air distri-bution solutions for industrial and commercial sectors will also be responsible for the supply of systems in large sized properties Qatar and Bahrain.

“Krantz Komponenten has been providing customized air distribution systems for over three decades now and is well-versed with the require-ments of commercial and indus-trial properties, said Bernerd Nickle, president, Krantz Komponenten.

“In light of the boom in this region’s property development, we see the increased demand for our specialised products.”

Dawood Ozair, general manager, Al-Futtaim Engineering, added: “Krantz Komponenten has built a reputation for offering customised solutions for the ideal thermal environment, and keeping in mind our area of business, partnering with them will surely be of importance to our business associates,” Krantz Komponenten’s product range, specially designed to provide ideal indoor air conditions and thermal comfort.

Tim Young is regional sales man-ager for SPP Pumps.

enough to burst. Therefore, the area around the fi re is saturated in a fi ne spray and so the fi re is contained in a small area until it has nothing left to feed on and dies out with the minimum of loss to life, property or stock.

But, and this is another regular misconception, the sprinkler is not the key to a successful water-based fi re protection system. What every system needs is a durable, reliable fi re pump. For a burst sprinkler to distribute the water correctly the water in the fi re main must be kept under pressure. If it is not then the fl ow of water to the sprinkler head will stop and the fi re will grow un-checked. What’s more, this pressure will fall as sprinklers are activated, so effective fi re pumps need to be sized correctly and supported by reliable pressure switches in fi re pump control panels that signal the pump driver – either electric motor or diesel engine powered - to activate and keep the water at the appropriate pressure.

Unless a fi re pump is correctly selected, installed and maintained, the pressure in the fi re main could be lost and the sprinklers will not be able to carry out their function at all.

This will mean that any fi re will be able to continue to rage and the system put in place to combat it will be redundant, which is not something any MEP contractor in the Middle East wants to happen.

Fire fi ghting systems are continually evolving as new technology becomes available at obtainable costs, and new ideas and theories are put into practice. Yet most of these new technolo-gies and systems are to be found in the specialised areas of fi re detection, fi re alarm and non-wa-ter based fi re protection products. These products inherently rely on heat sensing equipment, commu-nication equipment and advanced gas technology fi elds, which have all witnessed a raft of innovations in recent times.

While specialised fi re fi ghting systems undergo their evolution, the products, operating practices and equipment used in the most common type of fi re system – the water-based fi re protec-tion system - have remained by and large unchanged for the last twenty years, except for some relatively minor amendments to international standards and ad-vances in the control equipment.

But just because the technol-ogy used in water-based systems has changed little for so long, does not mean that the use, implementation and understand-ing of these systems is spot on. In fact, many still operate under the misconception that a fi re pump is installed to immediately put out a fi re should one start. This is not strictly true.

In a sprinkler system, it is only the heat from the fi re that will activate the sprinkler head above it. Different types of sprinkler bulbs are set to break at different temperatures and so choosing the correct type of head is essen-tial. This means that in a situation where a fi re has started the heat from the fi re will cause the liquid in the sprinkler bulb to expand and break the glass bulb around it, thus allowing water which is under pressure in the fi re main to fl ow unhindered by the bulb directly onto the sprinkler ‘rose’, which is shaped specifi cally to distribute the water in an effec-tive way to contain the fi re below.

This simple idea means that only enough sprinkler bulbs will be activated as are necessary to contain the fi re because bulbs away from the fi re will not get hot

Equipment giant Caterpillar is hoping to clinch a deal to pro-vide a standby power resource to the Burj Dubai.

The company would provide fi ve Caterpillar 3516C genera-tors, with a capacity of 2750 kVA each, or 13,750 kVA in total.

“The power needs covered by such a standby generator in case of a blackout are typi-cally emergency power for fi re fi ghting and security systems, elevators, ventilation (not air conditioning) and emergency lighting,” said Benedikt Bux-torf, electric power projects sales manager at Caterpillar.

“Offi ce UPS loads (uninter-ruptible power supply) and the genset would need to give pow-er until the grid power is back. If I recall the Dubai blackout in 2005, it took almost a day to get the power back. Switchgear systems would sense when the

power from the grid is back and transfer the load from genset to the grid.”

Caterpillar is also looking to its new Cat C175 centreline engine – the fi rst to offer up to 4mW of power in a single high-speed package – to power the standby needs of similar sized towers across the Gulf.

“For a building like the Burj Dubai, we would typically offer 4 to 5 C175 units,” added Buxtorf.

“C175 should become avail-able for order via our CAT deal-er at beginning of next year and I project that the fi rst unit will be shipped from our factory in May 2007.”

The CI75 generator includes an air system, fuel system, elec-tronics and controls, cooling system and a lube system. It also provides emissions compli-ance without sacrifi cing power density or fuel economy.

Caterpillar hopes to provide generators for the projects in the event of a blackout.


INTERNATIONAL UPDATE BOARDROOM TO SHOPFLOOR

MEP: How long have you worked for Septech?I have been with the company for three weeks.

MEP: Where did you work before Septech?I worked for a local engineering company in Dubai for one and a half years.

MEP: Describe your typical working day…At 8am we’ll meet with Marius, our manager, for directions for that day and we then prioritise our tasks. Our work involves modifying drawings according to our client’s requests and offer-ing alternative options for their feedback and approval. We nearly always work until 5pm but I have stayed in the offi ce until 10 on one occasion!

MEP: How and why did you get into this job?My dad guided me into ar-chitectural drawing because I free-hand draw quite well and I’m passionate about art. I then got my qualifi cation in architecture. My job is mainly on the drafting side. My basic qualifi cation is drawing and architecture. Mainly my job is on the drafting side, and this is what I’ve been involved in for the last ten years. It’s a very good fi eld to be in. MEP: What is your biggest achievement so far?Just being involved in the Atlantis project at the Palm Jumeirah.

MEP: Who is your role model in your industry?I would say my manager, Marius.

MEP: How long have you worked in Dubai? Six weeks. I came over a couple times to sort out a house before starting work. My family joined me two weeks ago.

MEP: Where did you work before Septech?I was working for Ashbrook Si-mon-Hartley, Septech’s JV partner. Before that, JEB Engineering.

MEP: What are main differ-ences between here and there?The main difference is the vast range of nationalities we’re work-ing with here. And overcoming some of the communication barri-ers on can be quite a challenge.

MEP: Describe your typical working day…First thing this morning, we had a meeting with our client to discuss a variation to our contract, which meant taking on a substantial amount of additional work. We had to go through some updated draw-ings, and feed them back to our CAD guys. So over the next couple of days, we’ll be dealing with sup-pliers to get new quotations.

MEP: What is your biggest achievement so far?Well, I’m still in one piece after driving on Dubai roads! But seri-ously, probably getting placed on the Atlantis contract.

MEP: How did you get into engineering?I studied engineering at University and then worked for a water pro-cessing company – this was really a stepping-stone to Ashbrook Simon-Hartley.

The government of Hong Kong is planning to build a salt water supply network in Penny’s Bay so that Hong Kong Disneyland can fl ush toilets without using fresh water.

The plan has already been delayed once and is part of the original deal to build the theme park, due to complete by 2009.

A meeting of the public works sub-committee is scheduled for

Disneyland salt water mains plan resurfaces

June 21 to decide on the project.Under the original plan, a

saltwater supply station was to have been built on a site to be reclaimed by this year.

But as no construction has yet started, Disneyland is using fresh water to fl ush its toilets.

The proposed saltwater ser-vice reservoir and the proposed saltwater pumping station will join an existing saltwater main

that runs along the North Lantau Highway in Ta Pang Po.

The reservoir will be con-structed about 450m south of the highway, next to the current Sunny Bay freshwater reservoir in Yam O Tuk.

The reservoir’s capacity will be 2,500m3 of water.

Hong Kong imports much of its fresh water in a bulk contract with the mainland.

A lack of resources has been blamed for the cost of construc-tion projects in London spiralling out of control.

According to a UK parliamen-tary committee, projects such as facilities needed for the 2012 Olympic Games may exceed original budgets because the in-dustry has too few resources.

Olympic stadiums and ath-letes’ accommodation, the widen-ing of the M25 highway around London and a new container port are among the projects compet-ing for the construction indus-try’s labour and fi nancing, the Public Accounts Committee said in a report.

The prediction is included in

the fi nal report of a second inves-tigation by the committee, made up of lawmakers from Britain’s three largest parties, into the amount of public money spent on construction of the Channel tun-nel rail link. The probe follows a 2001 investigation into the rail tunnel, which has never met pas-senger or freight traffi c targets.

London project costs spiralling

German industrial conglomerate, ThyssenKrupp, has given the go ahead for the construction of a new steel plant in Brazil.

The company is investing an estimated US $2.4 billion (BRL5.1 billion) in the plant, which will be built in Sepetiba in Rio de Janeiro.

It will be operated by CSA Companhia Siderur-gica do Atlantico and is scheduled to start produc-tion in early 2009.

The opportunity to acquire low-cost, high-quality slabs from Brazil is expected to enhance ThyssenKrupp’s business in its core European markets and the US.

Laing and Serco lose outJohn Laing and its partner, Serco, are believed to have lost at least US $189 million (£100 million) on the National Physical Laboratory PFT (NPL) project in Teddington, Middlesex.

The fi gure was revealed in a report into the project by the National Audit Offi ce.

Laing ran into severe M&E problems deliver-ing the high-spec environmental conditions of the laboratory. It planned to complete the NPL’s 16 modules by March 2001, but suffered delays of nearly four years on parts of the project.

The Laing/Serco contract was terminated in 2004. The lab is due for completion next year.

New steel plant in Brazil

Hong Kong Disneyland is currently using freshwater to flush toilets in the theme park, which is due for completion in 2009.

Midhun Rajan,auto CAD operator, Septech

Steve Smith,engineering manager, Septech


INTERNATIONAL UPDATE

Multiplex is aiming to ‘substan-tially’ complete its troubled Wembley Stadium contract by the end of this month, even though it claims it has until Sep-tember to fully complete on the project, due to legitimate exten-sions of time.

In a statement, the company said: “Multiplex has formally ad-vised its client, WNSL, that Mul-tiplex is entitled to substantial and legitimate extensions of time under the terms of its construc-tion contract which will extend the contract completion date un-til at least September 2006.”

It continues: “Notwithstand-ing that it is Multiplex’s belief that it has until at least Septem-ber to complete, Multiplex is tar-geting substantial completion by the end of June as noted above, although it is not anticipated to fi nish commissioning, cleaning and other works until Septem-ber 2006.”

The announcement came as the UK’s Guardian newspaper reported that the cost of install-ing the MEP works have rocket-ed by a whopping US $38 million (£20 million) since the project was originally launched.

Wembley Stadium MEP costs rise by whopping $38 million

The 90,000-seater stadium will have cost around $1.4 bil-lion by the time it completes in September – some nine months after it was due to complete. The

IN BRIEF

English Football Association has already been forced to move the FA Cup fi nal to Cardiff’s Millen-nium Stadium. Meanwhile the London High Court heard how

the fi nal cost of steelwork on Wembley Stadium will be more than three times the original es-timate of $111 million.

The case continues.

CHINA: Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) is still in negotiations for the construction of a US $5.3 billion (CNY42.5 billion) petrochemical facility and oil refi nery in China.

SABIC announced during Chi-nese President Hu Jintao’s visit to Saudi Arabia last month that it planned to build an oil refi nery and ethylene plant in Dalian, in northeast China.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s big-gest oil exporter, provides China with about 17% of its imported crude oil, and volumes are ex-pected to rise in coming years.

SABIC, the tenth biggest petrochemical company in the world, announced last week that it was fi nalising plans to establish a fully registered com-pany in China and open other offi ces in Indonesia, Australia and Vietnam.

FRANCE: Support services fi rm, Amec, has announced that it is on course to sell its French engineering business, Spie, for an ‘attractive profi t’.

First round bids have been received and the transaction is expected to be signed over the next couple of months.

Further restructuring at Amec will see the construction division separated from the oil and gas and environmental services businesses.

Continued poor trading in the UK’s construction services divi-sion prompted a management overhaul last December.

ALGERIA: Russian pipeline company, Stroitransgaz, will plough more than US $300 million (DZD21.5 billion) into the construction of a gas processing facility in Algeria, if it wins the contract.

The tender to build a gas processing facility to produce ammonia acid has been an-nounced by Algerian state-run company, Sinotracy.

Stroitransgaz is planning to form a consortium with Russia’s independent natural gas pro-ducer, Itera.

The company plans to submit its bid for the project in Septem-ber 2006.

Egypt’s Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) has taken a US $40 million (LYD54 million) contract for mechanical and electrical installation works on a greenfi eld cement production line in Libya.

F. L. Smidth of Denmark

awarded the package as a sub-contract.

Orascom chief executive, Nassef Sawiris said: “During 2004, OCI announced its return to the Libyan construction mar-ket to capitalize on various con-struction opportunities in this

relatively underserved market. “We continue to believe that

the Libyan market may become an important engine of growth for our north African operations in the next few years. Demand for construction services will continue to grow driven by ris-

ing investments in the petro-chemical, infrastructure and tourism sectors.”

Earlier this year OCI complet-ed work on a similar production line at the same plant.

Orascom is Egypt’s largest construction and cement group.

Mitsubishi sees growth in ChinaShanghai Mitsubishi Elevator is set for major expansion in the high-end elevator market.

The unit will boost its target investments in the near and medium-term to US $90 million from $20 million.

Shanghai Electric, which owns Shanghai Mitsubishi El-evator through its 47.28 percent

subsidiary, Shanghai Mechani-cal, said the investment and in-crease in registered capital will be used to support the unit’s plan to expand into the manufac-turing of high-end elevators.

“The directors believe that the high-end elevator market in China has vast growth potential,” said a company spokesperson.

Orascom cements $40 million Libya M&E deal

Indonesia power bidding opensBidding for a nuclear power plant project in Indonesia will open next year.

The Indonesian Government plans for work on the plant in Central Java, to begin in 2009.

The reactor is expected to supply about 5% of the country’s total power needs by the time it is operational in 2015.

The move is part of the gov-ernment’s plan to fi nd an alter-native source of energy and ease its country’s dependence on fos-sil fuels.

It is considering proposals from several state electricity fi rms and companies, including outfi ts from Japan, France and South Korea.

Construction costs have escalated on Wembley Stadium. Multiplex hopes to ‘substantially’ complete by the end of the month.


Your reliable partner!

SUPPORT RAIL

Flamco

PIPE MOUNTING MATERIALS

PIPE BRANCH AIR SEPARATORS

AUTOMATIC AIR VENTS

SAFETY VALVESEXPANSION VESSELS - POTABLE

SMALL EXPANSION VESSELS

LARGE EXPANSIONVESSELS - POTABLE

AUTOMATIC EXPANSIONAND PRESSURE CONTROL

LARGE EXPANSION VESSELS

WATER HEATERS

18502446 Adv MEP mag Dubai • Eindformaat 235 x 335 mm • cmyk

Flamco Middle EastP O box 71436Dubai, UAETel. +971 4 3440942Fax +971 4 3440948Email:[email protected]

18502446 adv MEP mag Dubai.indd 118502446 adv MEP mag Dubai.indd 1 23-05-2006 13:29:4423-05-2006 13:29:44


COMMENT

EDITORIAL

Senior Group Editor David InghamTel: +971 4210 8955 email: [email protected] Editor, Construction Sean CroninTel: +971 4 210 8922 email: [email protected] Zoe Naylor, Conrad Egbert, Tim Wood, Angela Giuffrida

ADVERTISING

Publisher Jason BowmanTel: +971 4 210 8920 email: [email protected] Manager Helena GammonTel: +971 4 210 8918 email: [email protected]

STUDIO

Art Editor Neil BakerDeputy Art Editor Katarina Bengtsson

PHOTOGRAPHY

Head of Photography Sevag DavidianSenior Photographers Nemanja Seslija, Valeriano HandumonStaff Photographers Francisco Fernandez, Ayaad Damouni

PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION

Group Production & Distribution Director Marc Wildman Production Manager James Rawlins Deputy Production Manager Eleanor Zwanepoel Managing Picture Editor Liam NichollsDistribution Manager Karima GhamlouchDistribution Executive Nada Al Alami

CIRCULATION

Circulation Director Nick PomeroyCirculation Development Manager Karl DizayeeCirculation Manager Gaurav Gulati

MARKETING

Group Business Development Director Alex ReeveMarketing Manager Daniel FewtrellMarketing Executive Noura El-Imam

ITP ONLINE

Director Peter Conmy Sales Director Richard Pakenham

ITP GROUP

Chairman Andrew NeilManaging Director Robert Serafi nFinance Director Toby Jay Spencer-DaviesBoard of Directors K.M. Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Neil Petch, Mary Serafi n

Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 210 8559

Printed by Atlas Printing Press L.L.C. Dubai, Scanning by Color Lines

Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions or use the form included in this issue or contact your local distributor. Saudi Arabia: Saudi Distribution Co., 800 244 0076; UAE: Dar Al Hikma 04 266 5394; Bahrain: Al Hilal Corp., 294000l; Kuwait: Durrat Al Kuwait, 271 7810; Egypt: Al Ahram Distribution, 02 579 6997; Oman: UMS, 700895; Qatar: Dar Al Thaqafah, 622182; Jordan: Citi Express, 06 704850

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publish-ers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

Published by and Copyright (c) 2006 ITP Business Publishing Ltd. Registered in the BVI under Company Registration number 601607. ITP Holdings Inc is registered under number 672356.

Registered at Dubai Media CityPO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE

Tel: 00 971 4 210 8000Fax: 00 971 4 210 8080

Web: www.itp.comOffices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai & London

ITP Business Publishing LtdCEO Walid Akawi

Managing Director Neil DavisDeputy Managing Director Matthew Southwell

MIDDLE EAST

Essential information for mechanical, electrical and plumbing professionals

Welcome to MEP Middle EastA lot of people talk about the building boom in the Gulf, but mention of MEP often draws a blank look.

This magazine came about in response to the huge growth currently being experienced by the Middle East’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing sector – growth that shows no signs of slowing down.

Within a fi ve-minute drive of our offi ces in central Dubai, it is possible to visit two of the largest MEP contracts ever let anywhere in the world – in the form of Dubai Airport and the Burj Dubai.

In the wider region, many more mega projects are reaching mechanical and electrical fi t-out phase and there is scarcely enough capacity in the sector to keep up with demand.

The race to build ever taller structures is also putting increasing demands on the industry to keep pace – be it in the form of more sophisticated and faster elevators, more effi cient cooling technology or smarter building management systems.

All of this means that the industry is accounting for an increasing proportion of overall construction spend.

At the same time, the booming power, district cooling and oil industry fabrication sectors, are all placing increased demands on MEP contractors, consultants and suppliers.

We hope this magazine delivers the news and analysis that you need as a professional working in one of the most dynamic industries in the world. From soaring metal prices and restrictive contract forms to recruitment issues and tech-nological breakthroughs, this magazine will cover the stories that count and the issues that matter to you.

MEP Middle East is part of the Construction Week stable of construction industry titles and aims to become the defi nitive forum for the regional industry. To achieve that, we need to hear from you. This is your magazine for your industry and we want to hear your stories. There has never been a busier time for the industry than now and there has never been a more exciting place for contractors working in it.

Enjoy the issue.

Sean CroninSenior Editor, Construction

My fi rst properly paid job was labouring for a contractor in an area of London called Maida Vale, in the late 1980s.

The work involved demol-ishing the interiors of beautiful four-storey Georgian terraced houses so that they could be turned into apartments for people that the British media of the time had christened Yuppies – or, Young Upwardly Mobile People.

I was seventeen years old, and the novelty of receiving a small brown envelope every Friday evening, stuffed with crisp, new ten pound notes, was more than enough to motivate me in what seemed like a multi-faceted and challenging role.

If I was to put it all down on a CV, I suppose it would read something like; “Responsibilities included pull-ing down plaster ceilings with crow bar and shovel, demolishing chim-ney breasts with sledge-hammer, fi ll-ing old fertilizer bags with rubble, and walking down four fl ights of stairs to deposit bags in skip.”

I was so good at it, that it wasn’t long before the gaffer had offered me a far more lucrative job, demolish-ing the roof. And I was to be paid on price rather than time. OK, so there was no scaffolding around the build-ing, but I shouldn’t worry about silly details like that. The more of the roof I wrecked and removed, the more I

Contractors standing on a hot tin roof

would be paid. And scaffolding, like hard hats, dust masks, and employ-ers liability insurance, was very over-rated anyway.

I was moving up in the world, just like the Yuppies, in a very literal way.

It got even better when one of the carpenters pointed out that instead of dumping the lead and zinc from the roof in the skip, I should take it to the local scrap dealer, where they would actually pay me for it. Now this was just too good to be true.

On the number 18 bus home every evening, there would be the old dears with their bags of shopping, and me, with my bags of folded lead.

Like all good things, it had to come to an end. One day the foreman approached me with a stern expres-sion.

I couldn’t understand why he looked so glum. I’d stripped the lead

and zinc from the roofs of three huge Georgian houses in the space of just one bank holiday weekend – what more could he want?

He agreed it was an impres-sive achievement before adding that the company was only contracted to renovate the end terrace, and not the other two roofs I had part-demolished and which were now leaking like sieves onto the heads of the less-than-pleased Yuppies below.

That was my fi rst brush with the highs and lows of the metals markets – and it’s why I can empathize with the pain that many MEP contractors are currently absorbing, as the cost of copper and aluminium, rockets.

When it comes to dealing with their clients, they are in the same sort of position as me with that fore-man back in 1988.

Cap in hand and not a leg to stand on – just some desperate appeal to the client’s sense of fair play and a hope that he is a reasonable enough fellow to pay for the damage and maybe even see the funny side.

It worked for me back then and it is working for a lot of contractors now.

But it’s a risky strategy and per-haps an unnecessary one. This is a contractors’ market after all, so why are the contractors shouldering all the contractual risks?

TOOLBOX TALK


THE BIG INTERVIEW

Burning midnight oil on the airportHe is responsible for the world’s largest single MEP contract. And with the price of metals going through the roof, he probably has more to worry about than even his most stressed-out peers in the UAE construction industry caul-dron. But despite it all, Thermo general manager Alan Sporle is still smiling. Just don’t mention the price of copper! Sean Cronin reports

‘ Beware the ides of March’ is an expression that has particular reso-nance for Thermo general manager

Alan Sporle – and some of the Shake-spearean drama as well.

March 2007 is the deadline set by Dubai Civil Aviation for the new terminal at Dubai International Airport to become operational.

And Sporle makes no attempt to dis-guise his apprehension.

“It’s a date that’s going to come very rapidly and we are all dreading it.”

With refreshing candor for a contrac-tor, he doesn’t try to hide the immense challenge faced by everyone involved in this high-profi le project – which is perhaps the source of more rumour and speculation than any other in Dubai.

MEP contracts don’t come much big-ger than this. The value of the mechani-cal, electrical and plumbing works on the new terminal at Dubai International Airport is a colossal US $463 million (AED1.7 billion) – part of a $4 billion job that has been hit hard by the rising costs of construction materials – fi rst steel, then cement and now copper and aluminium.

Although Thermo, with 10,000 em-ployees on its books, can hardly be de-scribed as a minnow – the airport job is nonetheless a large one for it to handle comfortably.

“We never dreamed of taking on the IT systems for the project and now we have the might of Alcatel and Arinc – two of the biggest high-tech companies in the world – as our sub-contractors.”

Alcatel’s package on the project is

worth around $52 million and it is work-ing alongside Arinc to supply, integrate and deploy security and access control systems.

The contract includes installation of closed-circuit TV, radiating cable for the extension of the existing TETRA system, a master antenna system for an entertain-ment distribution network, and an overall structured cabling network connecting all systems that is over 7,000 km long.

The award of the giant MEP package on the airport has been responsible for the unprecedented growth of Thermo over the last 12 months.

Last year its turnover stood at around $220 million while this year it is projected to more than double to $460 million.

Controlling this incredible rate of growth has become a major issue for the company according to Sporle.

“We have had to put a cap on it and slow down, because there is always the fear of outgrowing yourself.

“Projects are being announced on a daily basis, it’s non stop and in some cas-es we are having to say ‘I’m sorry but we just don’t have the people to give you’.”

That is largely because much of the group’s resources are tied up at the air-port where it is currently facing major cost pressures. In this it is not alone.

Al Naboodah Laing O’Rourke was awarded the main contract on the airport back in the summer of 2003 – just before the costs of steel and cement really be-gan to spiral out of control.

Now as the MEP works reach their peak, the cost of copper and aluminium is also rocketing.

It is almost as if the world’s commod-ity markets have conspired against the project.

Sporle says that the rising metal prices have had a signifi cant impact on its con-tract although the contractor was for-tunate enough to forward buy much of what it needed for the airport.

“Copper is going through the roof, in the order of 60% in the last three months – we have guys dedicated to looking at what’s happening in the London Metals Market,” he explains.

“Last year when tin was at its highest, suppliers would just cancel your orders to your face and sell it to the next guy who was willing to pay 50% more. That was what happening. Whether that will happen again with copper I don’t know - but that is how bad it got.

“We were lucky enough to forward buy – but you have to ask clients to be reasonable,” he adds.

This request for ‘reasonableness’ is something many contractors in the re-gion will identify with as they seek to pro-tect themselves from material price rises without the benefi t of price escalation clauses within their contracts.

Sporle says “At the end of the day, there is no such thing as a bad client. He has his interest to get the project com-pleted. All we ask is with costs going up, be fair and reasonable. It’s a case of say-ing: ‘You know what is happening in the market – cut us some slack’.”

It means that for contractors like Ther-mo, the risks involved in taking on major contracts such the airport cannot be un-derestimated.

“If you take FIDIC, there is a clause within the contract that says should prices rise out of your control then you have recourse to the client, but sadly a lot of clients won’t accept this and these clauses are often crossed out.

“Your contractor might say: ‘This is our price at the time of tender but should the market fl uctuate, we reserve the right to increase our prices. Those tenders are usually sent straight back.”

He adds: “The big clients like DCA will listen to you, all you are asking is for them to be fair and reasonable.”

Sporle and his team are now work-ing to ensure that the MEP package on the project is delivered on time and on a contract of this size, this is no straightfor-ward task.

“You do burn a lot of midnight oil, but the thing I say to my guys is identify the problem now and show me where we are at risk.

“Lets manage that risk now and not two months before we close the job.

“When it’s fi nished you as a passenger just want to check-in, do your duty free shopping and get on your plane.

“That has to be trouble free. An airport this size might have three A380’s coming in and 20 other planes hitting ground at any one time.

“If the IT and MEP are not working 100 per cent then that airport is not working, that is what it comes down to,” he says.

While the airport contract accounts for the lion’s share of the contractor’s current workload, the group is also involved in several other major contracts in the UAE.

It is currently in the process of complet-


THE BIG INTERVIEW

The second phase of the Dubai international Airport expansion programme involves the construction of Terminal Three, Concourse Two and a car park – all dedicated for the Emirates airline and a large cargo terminal.Construction work is to be completed in

mid-2007. The airport will have the capacity to handle close to 70 million passengers a year, a signifi cant increase from its current capacity of 22 million. This expansion will position the Dubai International Airport as the leading airport in the region.

ing seven towers on the Jumeirah Beach Residence project and is tendering for MEP works on Green Community West.

Finding staff to resource all of these projects is becoming increasingly diffi -cult because of the specifi c electrical, me-chanical and plumbing skills required.

While all contractors in Dubai are fac-ing recruitment issues – the problem is more acute for the MEP sector.

He says: “If anyone believes you can go over to India and pick up 50 electricians

and 50 plumbers just like that, they don’t know what they are talking about because they are no longer in existence. Work in India is in abundance at the moment.”

Finding senior site professionals doesn’t seem to be any easier:

“Accommodation is the biggest killer. Everyone is paying a premium because you know they can walk across the road and get a job,” says Sporle.

The ides of March are now just eight months away– after which Sporle and his

Thermo airport team will be able to take what will be a well-earned break.

Or at least they will if they haven’t

SECOND PHASE OF DUBAI AIRPORT PROJECT WILL INCREASE CAPACITY

picked up the contract for Concourse Three which has yet to go out to tender – but that’s another story.

Alan Sporle, general manager, Thermo

year warranty

SWISS QUALITY

Document1 5/23/2006 9:37 AM Page 1


TECHNOLOGY

T he emergence of hydrogen re-forming technology is one of the most exciting developments

that will enable the commercial fuel cell industry. Fuel cells offer great promise in providing quiet, clean and environ-mentally-friendly generators and battery chargers, on site.

Although fuel cell technology has been around since 1839, the hydrogen that they require is still not readily available.

Whilst there has been much specula-tion about the emergence of a Hydrogen Economy, there is still little evidence of the supply of hydrogen being introduced commercially, therefore limiting the widespread take-up of fuel cells.

Hydrogen does not exist naturally and must therefore be manufactured as re-quired or stored.

However, hydrogen is widely available in hydrocarbons such as propane or bu-tane (also called Liquefi ed Petroleum Gas or ‘LPG’), which are commonly known as camping gas or Calor Gas.

The ‘Holy Grail’ for the early com-mercialisation of fuel cell technology has been the extraction of hydrogen as required from existing fuels such as pro-pane.

LPG is tried and tested, safe and read-ily available. In addition, it is easy to liq-uefy and transport.

Voller Energy believes that a signifi cant step in the transition from today’s Carbon Economy to the Hydrogen Economy of the future is for fuel cells to be able to take the hydrogen that they require from existing fuels.

Up to now this process of extraction or hydrogen reforming has been costly and requires proprietary fuels, for exam-ple high purity LPG or de-ionised water which are not widely available.

Voller Energy has made signifi cant progress towards solving these problems by reducing the cost of hydrogen reform-ing and designing a simple system that will run on these commonly available ex-isting fuels.

Most reformers use a process of steam

A revolutionary new fuel cell technology currently be-ing patented by UK fi rm Voller Energy Group, could offer a clever new way of providing power on site. Chief executive, Stephen Voller, explains why he thinks it will transform the construction industry.

reforming, combining water in the form of steam with the fuel to produce hydro-gen. Typically these systems require both fuel and de-ionised water otherwise the impurities in the water contaminate the system. Also the catalysts required in these reformers tend to be proprietary and expensive, relying on precious met-als such as platinum and palladium.

Voller Energy acquired KAT-chem shortly after the fl oat in February 2005. KAT-chem have demonstrated a pyroly-ser process to extract hydrogen from propane gas.

A pyrolyser is a much simpler reform-ing technology that operates without the need for water or steam, and in Voller’s case, without using expensive catalysts. In fact a key part of Voller’s IP that is cur-rently the subject of new patent applica-tions, has been the development of the low-cost catalyst which does not require precious metals.

In October 2005, the company suc-cessfully demonstrated in its laboratory a pyrolyser producing 90w of hydrogen equivalent. The signifi cance of this was that standard Calor Gas propane was used as the input for the experiment. The purity of the hydrogen produced was ex-traordinarily high. This system used this low-cost catalyst technology.

Extracting hydrogen from LPG or propane is complex because of the chemical structure and composition.

Production of a tar like residue needs to be avoided and impurities in the product gas such as sulphur and carbon monoxide would harm the sensitive membranes used in fuel cells. These com-ponents have to be cleaned before they can enter the fuel cell.

We are very excited about the developments that we have made with our hydrogen reform-ing technology. Few people have under-stood the depth of

our own technology to date. We believe that this is an important development for the industry and is likely to accelerate the adoption of fuel cells in construction.

The man with the plan


JOB DONE

L ast November, Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates was voted the World’s Leading New Shopping

Mall at the World Travel Awards – not a bad start for a development that had opened barely two months before.

With everything a shopper could dream of under the one roof on the Sheikh Zayed Road, it’s easy to see why it received the top prize.

The Harvey Nichols department store, measuring 11,344m2 is the largest outside the UK, the 18,500m2 Carrefour hyper-market is the biggest in Dubai, while the 10,000m2 Debenhams department store is the most extensive in the Middle East.

Featuring 426 retail outlets, Ski Dubai, a new two-level Magic Planet, a theatre and arts centre, and a fi ve-star Kempin-

The Mall of the Emirates is the third largest shopping centre in the world and the only one with its own ski slope. Tim Wood meets some of the team re-sponsible for ensuring that everything from the alarm systems to the air con-ditioning on the US $817 million (AED3 billion) project works properly.

ski Hotel, the area amounts to more than 600,000m2, in fl oor space.

However, despite the sheer size – the total built up area is equivalent to 73 foot-ball pitches – arguably, the most important room measures just 5m x 7m. It is tucked away down a rabbit warren of corridors, next to what will eventually be fi rst aid and police rooms.

This tiny room containing 16 CCTV cameras, control panels for smoke ex-tractors, fi re alarms, and elevators, along-side a host of telephones and keyboards, is the heartbeat of the whole mall.

And, quite simply, the mall would not be able to open its doors seven-days a week, 365-days a year if it wasn’t for the expertise and support of the team that runs this massive 24 hour operation.

The room itself, situated right in the middle of Mall of the Emirates, is where MAF Dalkia Middle East, a joint venture between Majid Al Futtaim and Dalkia, one of Europe’s leading energy and facilities management (FM) com-panies, is based.

Its roots lie in three core skills-sets: mechanical, electrical and plumbing fa-cilities and services, and energy and en-vironment management. Together they provide the Mall of the Emirates with a truly complete business solution.

Christophe Ploux, MAF Dalkia Mid-dle East chief executive officer, says: “In the Dubai market everybody is focused on making sure the project is built in the time and budget allocated. People are so focused on the develop-

ment phase that they don’t think of the aftercare,” he says.

“But who is going to run the show af-ter it is completed, who will provide the services, how will they do it, and for what cost?” adds Ploux.

The answer to that is quite simple. MAF Dalkia deals with the whole lot, although the current set-up at the Mall of the Emirates clearly hasn’t happened over night.

Maher Al Aghbar, MAF Dalkia’s chief operations manager, admits that the tran-sition phase from when construction of the whole building was fi nished to where the control system is today has taken some time.

“Most of the control rooms are still under construction despite the fact that

An eye on Ski Dubai

PHOT

OGRA

PHY:

NEM

ANJA

SES

LIJA


JOB DONE

we are running a fully operational shop-ping mall. At present the systems haven’t been handed over, but that is normal un-der a new operation or new commission,” he says.

The Mall itself is controlled by four computerised systems, which are known as building management systems (BMS).

One is in Ski Dubai, the only indoor themed ski resort to be found in the des-ert that has real snow, one in the mall it-self, one in the energy centre, and one in the fi ve-star Kempinski Hotel, an alpine style resort with nearly 400 suites.

All the systems have a station within the site and all of them are brought through into the main control room so they can be controlled centrally.

The mall is decked out with the latest state-of-the-art equipment: 200 CCTV cameras in the mall and 100 in the car park, a footfall system which counts peo-ple in and out of the mall, and a fi re alarm and fi re fi ghting system.

The mall is managed by a 24-7 BMS operator, and manned 24-hours a day by security staff.

“The difference between this and other shopping centre control rooms is that this is a collective control room and collects information from all the different areas,” adds Al Aghbar.

Although the control centre provides

heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fi re fi ghting systems, power to the mall, hotel and Ski Dubai, each section has its own control room.

But it is not a one-man show. Each sec-tion is run by a certifi ed engineer, with four engineers at any one time, in charge of 69 mechanical and engineering technicians, broken down into 14 for Ski Dubai and 17 for the hotel and the rest for the Mall.

MAF Dalkia is also the fi rst company to negotiate a private link into the Dubai net-work police via Tetra [a system for mobile wireless communications].

The fi re, safety and police all keep in touch using walkie-talkies and MAF Dalkia also has its own channel in case of emergencies.

“We applied and negotiated with the police, explained our needs and it as-signed a separate radio channel for us” reveals Al Aghbar. “The police can access our channel and if, there are any major problems in the mall, they can come and help straight away.”

MAF Dalkia currently has 40,000 cus-tomers across the world and Ploux is con-fi dent that with the experienced gained on these projects costs will be comfort-ably reduced over time.

”As energy costs are high in Dubai it is important that we operate effi ciently,” he says. “It’s all about good housekeeping,

good usage of BMS, and the right train-ing for all the technicians.

“We don’t have any fi gures as to how much we can expect to save as there is no history to go on.

“And we have only just started, but we are aiming at decreasing 20% of the energy consumption. If we fail to provide this 20% reduction we agreed to be pe-

nalised, but if we achieve it we expect to be rewarded.”

With only strong references from its 35 clients in the UAE, including the Sofi tel Ho-tel at Deira where energy costs have been reduced by a signifi cant 15% in just three years, the future of MEP and BMS in the Mall of the Emirates looks to be in very ca-pable hands.

Al Aghbar: Collective control is unique in region. Ploux: Costs expected to reduce over time.

The roof on top of the Mall houses cooling towers which control the temperature in every part of the centre.

The mall is controlled by four computerised systems which coordinate every single MEP function.

Multi-functional: Temperature, humidity and air quality, are all controlled in the energy centre, above.



FOCUS: FIRE

T he breakneck speed of construc-tion across the Gulf is leading to fears that the fi re safety of build-

ings currently under construction could be compromised.

The infi ltration of sub-standard and counterfeit products into the market is leaving reputable contractors and consul-tants exposed.

And now certifi cation bodies are warn-ing that quality control in the market needs to improve to avoid inferior prod-ucts slipping through the net.

UK-based Warrington Fire Research recently launched a Middle East listings system to make it easier for planners, contractors and end-users to choose the right equipment and offer third party certifi cation of fi re safety products.

“There’s very little control over prod-uct quality in the Middle East market, and it’s not just about counterfeit prod-ucts — there is no regulatory system here at all to ensure that buyers are get-ting a good product,” said Niall Rowan,

EU product standard co-ordinator for Warrington Fire Research.

He added: “Fire protection products are rarely called into action, but when they are it’s important that they work. At the moment, some manufacturers and installers in the region are just not doing the job that they should be doing.”

The spread of counterfeit goods throughout the sector is also creating fears that copycat products are being used in fi re safety-critical applications, such as fi re dampers.

More than half of the building products circulating among the Gulf’s construc-tion sites could be counterfeit according to Arif Al Rahma, general manager of Bentley Security and Safety Consultancy – a company that investigates counterfeit products and brands.

And many of these are being passed off as the genuine article by suppliers to the MEP sector.

Lights, cables, bathroom accessories, fi re alarms, air conditioning ducts and

piping are just some of the fake products, emblazoned with the original manufac-turer’s packaging and logo, infi ltrating the market.

Al Rahma estimates that, because of the sheer number of fake products be-ing used in construction, some buildings might not survive more than 20 years be-fore extensive refurbishment or renova-tion is required.

“Developers don’t have the time or staff to check whether their contractors are using genuine materials. Some con-tractors believe they’re paying for the real article, but in other cases, because of the escalating cost of materials, they intentionally buy the fake products.

Bentley has worked on cases for com-panies including Siemens, Panasonic and lighting supplier, Osram. The company carries out laboratory tests on replica goods using the original manufacturer’s product specifi cations. If the product is proved to be counterfeit, the company then works with the police and customs

to seize the merchandise and close down the operations.

“The only way we can shut down a counterfeiter is by getting written author-ity from the original manufacturer,” said Nadia Alkhan Abdul, Bentley’s market-ing and sales manager.

“Goods are then confi scated. The coun-terfeiter can end up spending time in pris-on and is forced to pay compensation.”

Al Rahma called on the Dubai Govern-ment to form a support association and tighten its import regulations to help combat the problem.

“It is a very serious issue. Dubai is a developed country and is striving to be a major player on the world map; more should be done to protect the end-user.

“The government needs to put an as-sociation in place to support the people and companies that suffer from this. We track down fraudsters because we know from experience what to look for. But at other times, we are helpless to do any-thing about it.”

In the rush to procure projects in record time, fears are growing that thefi re safety of buildings is being compromised through the use of sub-standard and counterfeit products. Angela Giuffrida and Zoe Naylor report

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire


FOCUS: FIRE

T he minimum requirement is that fi re dampers should close in good time to prevent a fi re

spreading. Automatic thermal trips, an essential item with any fi re damper, take care of this aspect.

However, many regulating bodies al-ready include a requirement for the pre-vention of smoke spread. A thermal trip fi re damper will actually close suffi ciently tightly to prevent hot combustion gases from a fi re spreading. However, additional measures will usually be required in order to prevent the spread of smoke when the temperature is less than 72°C.

In the case of supply air ventilation systems the offi cial guidelines by many Regulating Authorities is for ventilation systems to specify that the external air intakes should be placed in a position where it is impossible for smoke to be drawn in.

If this is not possible the spread of smoke mixed with external air must be prevented by means of shut off devices incorporating smoke trips (fi re or smoke dampers).

This means that there have to be smoke trip devices in the fl ow of the sup-ply air. The danger of smoke spread is especially great in the case of the recir-culating type of ventilation systems. Con-sequently, here too the fl ow of supply air must be protected with shut-off devices with smoke trips. In this case the smoke

How should ventilation systems respond to fi re?Zoning off areas within a building by means of fi re proof walls and ceilings, can be an effective means of fi re protection. But because ducts pass through them, oth-er factors need to be taken into account. Belimo’s Colin Shepherd explains.

trips can be fi tted in the exhaust air, re-circulating air or supply air ducting.

However, the switching off of the sup-ply air fans can actually be counter pro-ductive if, for example, some areas of the building receive their supply of air solely from the ventilation system or the supply air fans are needed to maintain specifi c pressure conditions (e.g. a positive air pressure for escape routes, clean rooms, etc). In the event of smoke being drawn in through the external air intakes, the ventilation system could continue run-ning in re-circulation air mode.

In this case, however, the smoke trip would have to be fi tted in the fl ow of ex-ternal air.

In the event of a fi re in the building the ventilation system can continue operat-ing provided there are fi re dampers with smoke trips in the zone of the building affected by the fi re.

Guidelines do not always specify wheth-er the exhaust air fans should also be shut down. Should the exhaust air system re-main operating after the supply air system has been shut down there are two particu-lar factors to be taken into account:

There will be a negative pressure in all areas connected to the system. This means that the spread of smoke can receive con-siderable assistance especially if, in the zone affected by the fi re, the fi re dampers have been operated by thermal trips and

a positive pressure has built up. Although the smoke no longer spreads through the ventilation ducting, it could possibly travel along the escape and rescue routes.

Due to the uncontrolled negative pres-sure that arises with the exhaust air sys-tem still running the resulting pressure differentials could cause the maximum permitted door closing force of 100 N to be exceeded and it would be impossible to open doors to escape routes and res-cue routes.

Consequently, the normal course of ac-tion in the event of a fi re is to shut down the ventilation system completely.

When smoke is detected in a building the whole ventilation system throughout the building is shut down; because of the ducting of the ventilation system, the fi re zones will still be open to each other.

As the intensity of the fi re increases so too does the positive pressure in the area of the fi re. Since the release of pressure takes place towards the adjacent fi re zones the smokes spreads in that direction too.

In the process, the combustion gases in the ducting cool down so much that the temperature at which the thermal trips operate (normally assumed to be 100°C in practice) is reached either very late, or sometimes not at all.

Past fi res have provided impressive ev-idence as to how open ventilation ducting systems can make a major contribution

to more serious fi re damage. Therefore, the best advice, when a ventilation sys-tem is shut down, is to close all the fi re dampers too.

Some Regulating Authorities make reference to it being useful and not dan-gerous to leave the ventilation system running in the event of a fi re, although naturally, the spread of smoke via the re-circulating air must be prevented.

The comments also mention that while the system is still running, although smoke can be drawn in through the exhaust air outlets, it cannot then spread into the ad-jacent zones because there is a negative pressure in the exhaust air ducting.

Due to the positive pressure, no smoke can spread into the supply air ducting. If the tripping temperature were to be reached however, the closing of the fi re dampers would also eliminate any fear of smoke spread. This assumption, which is a logical approach, however does not take into account that the supply air and exhaust air fi re dampers are tripped at different times. Since the fusible link of the supply air fi re damper is “cooled” by the fresh air, past experience has shown that the exhaust air fi re damper closes long before the supply air fi re damper.

If now there are no limit switches available to pass on the signal, or the ventilation system does not shut down due to some other reason; in addition

There is an increasing trend for ventilation systems to assume the task of smoke extraction systems. One of the main reasons for this, of course, is the economic gain to be had. Legitimising this course of action, however, is a controversial matter and can be in confl ict with national regulations.

But sometimes there is an assumption that smoke extraction systems can be dispensed with entirely in commercial premises

with sprinkler systems - with the ventilation system undertaking extraction of the “cold smoke”.

In actual fact “cold smoke” means smoke at a temperature below the operating temperature of thermal trips (i.e. fusible links). The defi nition of cold smoke is combus-tion gases that are only slightly different in temperature from the ambient air and cannot be removed without an additional fl ow of air.

The removal of smoke by

means of the ventilation system must not be continued after the fi re dampers needed for producing the fi re zones have been triggered. A sprinkler system too will not be able to safely prevent the trigger-ing temperature being exceeded. In order to allow the ventilation system to continue operating an attempt is often made to re-open motorised fi re dampers that have been triggered thermally by short circuiting the thermal contacts.

This variant is also called the “fi re-man’s service switch” but it con-ceals some major risks: Firstly the thermal triggering of a fi re damper must be permanent and irrevers-ible. This means that a fi re damper with a “fi re service switch” would no longer receive general building regulations approval. The only pos-sible verifi cation for use therefore, would be approval granted by the overriding building authority (not the fi re service!) for individual

cases. Secondly, the triggering temperature of a fi re damper would have to be chosen so that the spread of fi re through the ventilation system could be safely prevented. The re-opening of a triggered fi re damper represents a safety risk that it is impossible to calculate as far as the spread of fi re is concerned. Therefore, the use of the ventilation system for smoke removal is only possible within very close limits.

USING VENTILATION SYSTEMS FOR SMOKE EXTRACTION


FOCUS: FIREto the combustion gases building up a positive pressure, the fi re zone will also be “pumped up” by the supply air. The smoke and combustion gases will then be forced through the door apertures or any other unsealed points into the adjacent fi re zones, corridors and escape routes, so endangering the rescue of occupants.

Shutting down the ventilation system when the exhaust air fi re dampers have been tripped does not always prevent the

The classic mechanical means of smoke extraction is by drawing in the combustion gases released by the fi re and exhausting them to the outside.

Pressurising systems for smoke protection is based on the prin-ciple of preventing the penetration of smoke, especially into escape and rescue routes.

For this purpose suitable fans are installed in the rescue routes (e.g. staircases, corridors, lift shafts) aimed at producing positive pressures.

In principle the ventilation

system is also suitable with the aid of an actively controlled build up of pressure differences, to oppose the spread of smoke and provide support for the action of smoke extraction or pressurised smoke protection systems.

In large buildings of open construction in particular the ven-tilation systems keep thousands of cubic metres of air fl owing continuously in specifi c directions.

In the event of a fi re it is frequently necessary for those fl ow conditions to be completely reversed and it is here that the

ventilation system can make a valuable contribution.

For example, in the areas not affected by the fi re, closing the exhaust air fi re dampers, will act against the spread of smoke, producing a positive pressure.

In the ideal case supply air fi re dampers in the zones affected by the fi re would be closed in good time by automatic smoke tripping devices.

And other apertures would be opened up (e.g. windows, open exhaust air fi re dampers) to allow air to fl ow right through the build-

ing in the direction of the seat of the fi re. The effectiveness of this measure must be verifi ed by suit-able trials whereby it is particularly important to remember not to exceed the maximum permitted door closing forces as a result of the pressure conditions that have been created.

Therefore, it will usually only be possible to prevent the spread of smoke if smoke tripping devices can detect the fi re quickly, pinpoint it and operate the fi re dampers automatically by means of remote control devices.

It has also become clear that by motorising fi re dampers, it creates the opportunity to respond fl exibly to different situations and hazards, as they arise.

In order to be able to implement intelligent scenarios in the event of fi re, fi re and smoke dampers are increasingly being controlled through bus systems by higher level instrumentation and control systems, in the building.

In future these automation sys-tems will need to be the subject of specifi c requirements regarding functionality and security of data.

spread of smoke. The positive pressure in the area of the fi re causes smoke spread until the supply air fi re damper closes.

The sensible course of action is for the supply air fi re damper to be closed imme-diately after the exhaust air fi re damper, which makes an automatic closing de-vice essential. Therefore, motorised fi re dampers are normally essential if the ventilation system is to continue running when there is a fi re. Smoke spread with recirculating air ventilation systems Zoning by means of fire dampers with smoke dampers

SMOKE REMOVAL BY SCAVENGING


FOCUS: FIRE

W hile fi re testing is a pre-requisite to determine the quality of fi re-protected con-

struction products, there has been some confusion over the way in which the test results are interpreted.

“Civil Defence has been overloaded with masses of data from manufacturers and engineers, claiming ‘we can do this and we can do that’ — none of it is nec-essarily wrong but it’s been arrived at in a different way,” explains Dr Bill Allen, director of innovation and fi re at manu-facturer Leigh’s Paints.

The problem, according to Dr Allen, lies with the range of different method-ologies that are being used to assess the fi re test results, which in turn determine the thickness of fi re protection required for any given section.

“You can’t possibly test every section size: Instead you test a range and then you get an approved body and laboratory to assess the data. But there are lots of ways of doing assessments and interpret-ing results, in particular we need to apply a consistent set of criteria of acceptability to our fi re test data — and this is partly where the confusion lies.”

To help remedy this, leading intumes-cent coating manufacturers have decided to join forces and implement a common-ality in the way in which the results are assessed by companies.

“In the UK we’ve formed the Intu-mescent Coatings Forum, sponsored by the BCF (British Coatings Federation) and the ASFP (Association of Structural Fire Protection). The Intumescent Coat-ings Forum has grown from an initiative started by Warrington Fire and BRE in the UK.”

“It’s in an embryonic stage at the mo-ment, but the fi rst thing to do is to make

Testing times for Gulf fi re coatings suppliersIntumescent coating suppliers have signed a charter that comes into effect this month. It means that their test data will now be assessed using the same rules.

sure that we’re all testing and assessing to the same standard,” says Dr Allen.

Twenty-two manufacturers that sup-ply intumescent coatings to the UK are involved in the initiative and have signed up to agreeing that from 30 June 2006, their data will be assessed to the same rules.

There will always be differences in the amount of protection required from each product because they are all unique. But the impact the initiative will have is when manufacturers show their data to Civil Defence or other authorities, the data will have been arrived at by the same route.

“The only difference then will be how good the product is. It means we’re all on a level playing fi eld,” says Dr Allen. This will apply worldwide, wherever the prod-ucts are sold.

There are two distinct markets for in-tumescent fi re protection: cellulosic and hydrocarbon. The difference between the two is the fuel source for the fi re.

Burning typical ‘offi ce’ environment materials and fuels, such as wood, pa-per, timber and textiles will produce a cellulosic fi re. This is typical for the civil construction market and covers high-rise buildings, hospitals and hotels.

A hydrocarbon fi re is produced by burning fuels that are rich in hydrogen and carbon i.e. oil or chemical fi res. These high-energy fuel sources produce a much hotter and more severe fi re typi-cal in oil and process applications.

Two different types of fi re test are used for the different potential end-use of the product. Before a fi re, intumescent coat-ings resemble ordinary paint. But when

the paint heats it up, it starts to react: The resin melts, the pigments react together to produce a gas, and this makes the res-in expand. This then solidifi es to form an insulating char around the steel.

The differentiating factor is how long the char stays in place on the steel sec-tion during a fi re — hence the different thickness/time requirements for differ-ent products in different environments.

A four-storey building, for example, may only require one hour of fi re protec-tion, whereas a high-rise may need two or three hours’ — after which time the deluge systems and fi re-fi ghting team would normally be tackling the blaze.

Leigh’s Paints has been in the intumes-cent fi re protection market for 20 years and its products range from offering 30 minutes up to 3 hours of protection.

The charred remains of the Oasis Shopping Centre in Dubai, gutted by fire last year. Intumescent coatings help retard the spread of fire through buildings.


FOCUS: FIRE

One of the ways in which Leigh’s Paints is setting itself apart from the competition is its product testing which is carried out for both cellulosic and hy-drocarbon fi res.

“The collapse of the Twin Towers in 2001 really prompted us to open our eyes,” says Dr Allen. “Now we’re doing fi re testing that goes far beyond the re-quirements of building regulations.”

Leigh’s subjected its cellulosic product range to explosion testing and then car-ried out the hydrocarbon fi re test (which is essentially what happened with 9/11 when the planes hit the towers) to show how their products would perform in high-rise construction.

While the Twin Towers were protected against the normal type of fi re that one might fi nd in a building, the fi re source was actually hydrocarbon but in a cellu-losic scenario.

“By crossing the boundary from the

hydrocarbon marketplace to the cellu-losic, we’ve taken the extremes of the hydrocarbon fi re protection and related it to the cellulosic product range — and we believe that to be unique within the market place,” says Andy Holt, market manager, Leigh’s Paints.

The results are included in a report from Warrington Fire Research: “Natural-ly, we didn’t get the full performance, but the level of performance that we were able to get from that particular product range was more than adequate,” adds Holt.

Carrying out these tests was a way to pre-empt what Dr Allen sees as an inevita-ble progression within the industry: “We’re tried to anticipate what’s coming,” he explains. “Because of the twin towers col-lapse, already in the States they’re looking at developing an explosion test standard for all fi re protection products. And what hap-pens in the States will eventually spill over into the UK, Europe and Dubai.”

In terms of construction, taking fi re testing to another level gives the build-ing’s owner, the client, the main contrac-tor and the specifi er an extra level of as-surance. And according to Holt, this is critical in a place like Dubai.

“It’s very important, especially given the dynamic nature of the construction market in Dubai. When you see the type of high-rise buildings that you have in this town, you really need suffi cient levels of assurance that in a fi re situation, you’re going to be able to escape the building. You can only escape a building that is go-ing to keep its structural integrity.”

But is it viable to have super-tall build-ings such as the Burj Dubai and the planned mile-high tower, and yet still have an adequate level of fi re protection?

“If it takes two to three minutes to evac-uate a fl oor and you’re on the 200th fl oor, how long will it be before you can escape if the fi re doesn’t go out?” says Dr Allen.

He believes the answer lies in a com-bination of factors: the insulating mate-rial, the intumescent to keep the steel cool and stop it from bending and col-lapsing, and the detection equipment and deluge systems.

But however good a passive fi re pro-tection product is, it won’t function prop-erly if it isn’t installed correctly.

“There is a high onus — particularly within the Dubai market which is so busy — to make sure that systems are installed correctly,’ says Holt of Leigh’s Paints.

“We need experiences such as the Twin Towers, and to be innovative in the way we approach things for the future, so we can provide a good level of pro-tection for people and buildings without having a disaster happen to make us sit up and take note.”

And that is what is needed to ensure progress is made in the sector and cli-ents get the best possible product.

“The first thing is to make sure that we’re all assessing to the same standard,” says Leigh’s Dr Allen. Fire testing of products in progress. The differentiating factor is how long the char stays in place.


FOCUS: ELEVATORSUnlike traditional lifts, passengers enter the floor they want to reach, before getting in. The system is equipped with two separate traction drives that allow two cars to travel, one above the other, to different floors using the same guide rails.


FOCUS: ELEVATORS

T he trend towards high-rise con-struction in the UAE is placing the elevator industry under pres-

sure to design reliable transportation systems that can cope with high traffi c volumes in a building.

As towers in Dubai near the 800 m-mark, one of the bigest construction challenges is how to install suffi cient numbers of elevators to move people up and down effi ciently, without losing valu-able square metres of space.

Germany’s ThyssenKrupp looks set to revolutionise hi-rise construction with its TWIN elevator design: Instead of the conventional one lift per shaft design, the TWIN system features two cabs in one shaft, that uses the same guide rails and passengers select the fl oor they are trav-elling to before they get in.

The era of super-tall construction has arrived in the Middle East, with the number of 80 storey-plus towers set to go into double fi gures, in Dubai alone.The trend is putting the elevator sector under increasing pressure to come up with innovative solutions to cope with the increased traffi c volumes

An idea that was decades in the making, the TWIN elevator system is equipped with two separate traction drives that allow two cars to travel – one above the other – to different fl oors using the same set of guide rails.

This means that calls from the lowest to the highest stop can be served directly and without transfers.

“Our company is the fi rst one to do this – there’s nothing similar,” says Emilio Gomariz, special projects commercial manager, ThyssenKrupp.

“The idea was there since 50 or 60 years ago, but there wasn’t the technol-ogy available for it in terms of security and software – and there’s a lot of soft-ware needed for it,” he adds.

Passenger destination and the direc-tion of travel for both elevators are re-

corded at the start of all calls, and the destination control assigns the most suit-able elevator to the call location. All calls are distributed to maintain minimum dis-tances so there is no chance of a collision between the cars.

According to Gomariz, TWIN em-ploys a four-stage safety system – also developed by ThyssenKrupp Elevator – to ensure that a minimum distance is always maintained between the two cabs to avoid the possibility of collision.

Each of the four stages is based on different principles that are self-activat-ing and automatically go into operation as soon as the activation of the previous stage has failed to bring both cars to an immediate standstill.

Each stage is designed to be able to halt both cars, even under unfavourable

load and operating conditions, before the next stage is reached.

A TWIN prototype was fi rst installed in an 11-storey building at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, in 2002. When the building was planned in the 1960s, it was designed for about 800 people. Today, it is used daily by around 2,000 students and employees of the university.

The building originally had a group of six elevators. With the TWIN system in-stalled in one shaft, it essentially added a seventh elevator to the six shafts.

The TWIN system was inspected in late 2002 and fully approved by the rel-evant testing bodies, and has been in nor-mal operation since January 2003.

“Since then, TWIN has been installed in projects in Seoul, Moscow and Spain,” says Gomariz.

elevator that could revolutionise

tower design

The


FOCUS: ELEVATORS

In addition to freeing up valuable space in the building, which in turn allows for more freedom in design, the TWIN sys-tem offers increased performance when moving people fl oor to fl oor.

In particular, TWIN pays off if a build-ing has two main access levels e.g. a ground fl oor and an underground park-ing fl oor where the morning and evening rush hour fl ows of people split up.

In such buildings, passengers can fi ll both cars of the TWIN system at the same time, thus saving time.

And unlike most traditional systems, TWIN users select their fl oor stop before they enter the elevator car. The result is passengers are directed to the car that best suits their needs.

TWIN’s destination selection terminal is located in the door area or in front of the elevator group on each fl oor.

This method of elevator control is be-

ing increasingly used in traditional sys-tems located in buildings where several elevators are combined into a group.

The main benefi t of this is that the el-evator system knows each user’s destina-tion before they even step into the car, allowing the cars to be assigned more effectively.

TWIN also eliminates the possibility of one car’s movement restricting that of an-other car i.e. the bottom car being asked to go to a location above the position of the top car.

One of the biggest pressures on eleva-tors operating in hi-rise buildings is deal-ing with a building’s fl uctuating fl ows of people at peak times i.e. 9am and 6pm.

TWIN is designed to react more fl exi-bly to these requirements compared with conventional elevator systems.

When a new building is planned, the necessary capacity can be determined

based upon the building’s planned oc-cupancy and expected user traffi c. The goal is to achieve this capacity in the least amount of space in the building i.e. with the fewest number of elevator shafts.

According to ThyssenKrupp, TWIN has an advantage over conventional el-evator systems for travel heights of 50 m and upwards. The capacity remains the same, which means the number of shafts can be reduced or rented/sold as addi-tional space.

The trend toward ever more populous cities means that the occupancy of build-ings is likely to increase over the years. But as it is rarely possible to build new shafts, efforts to optimise the use of conventional elevator systems quickly reach their limits.

With TWIN, however, there is the pos-sibility of installing more evevators in the same number of shafts to boost the system’s capacity.

And what of TWIN’s future in the UAE, which is home to many of the world’s tall-est buildings?

“As yet, it’s not been used on any projects in Dubai – it’s still a brand new product and we’ve only done a few instal-lations so far,” explains Gomariz.

But Gomariz believes the fi rst TWIN system installed in this part of the world is likely to spark off a lot of enthusiasm: “As soon as the fi rst installation is done here, a lot of interest will grow.

“Everybody is eager to save their square metres and to increase the let-table or sellable area, so it’s going to be very interesting for Dubai and Abu Dha-bi, for sure, because with all of these tow-ers there’s always a lack of space.

“And if you can save shaft space, it means you’re saving a lot of square me-tres, which are very costly here,” he adds.

OUR CLIENTS

MACAir is a multi discipline MEP Company that has been in operation since 1998. We are an ISO 9001:2000 registered company. It encompasses all of the aspects involved in the provision of services, from initial enquiry through to implementation, operation and reporting.

We have a broad client base, servicing in all aspects of the Industry. We are a totally independent company, which enables us to joint venture with various prestigious companies that are also specialists in their particular fields of the industry. Through the creation of MACAir, we have worked on a strategic and tactical plan to provide each and every customer with a new and innovative alternative in the industry. Our level of expertise spans the areas of design, installation and commissioning to maintenance and servicing in the range of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) Services.

MACAir has made a name for itself on Land as well as Sea. We have introduced technology into the Industry by offering the latest techniques and operating systems for a host of companies in the UAE. MACAir operates throughout the Middle East and Europe through local companies and strategic joint ventures with local organisations. The Industrial Works Division, operating from it’s central base in Dubai, services the Middle East market with specialist mechanical, electrical and instrumentation engineering services.

The Company recognises that high standards of Health, Safety and Welfare are an integral element of the efficient business management objectives and contribute to the operational efficiency and profitability of the Company. For such standards to be achieved, adequate financial and physical resources are made available, thereby ensuring continuing development of employees and the provision of necessary expert advice.



AIR CONDITIONING

F or residents across the Middle East, ‘cool air’ has gradually become as important a national

resource as water. And with this has come a proliferation

of constantly upgraded products – mainly coming from overseas.

Riding on the back of the construction boom, manufacturers are devising in-creasingly sophisticated units – from en-ergy saving to allergy fi ghting – to meet even more challenging demand.

The market value of the comfort and process-cooling sector across the Gulf States is estimated at more than US $1.2 billion in products and parts, and pos-sibly double that in terms of associated products and services.

Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Trane and Hitachi are among the big brands fi ght-ing for space in the market.

And as the pressure to conserve power mounts, more manufacturers are fi nding niche solutions to maximise the effi cient use of energy in buildings.

According to Talal Hasan, regional leader for Trane in the Gulf, ventilation

It’s not just about keeping cool anymore. Air conditioner designers are coming under pressure to provide energy-saving and wellness-enhancing features in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Angela Giuffrida reports

and air conditioning uses up to 65% of the power in any building, while older units consume up to 40% more power than the more recent models.

The company, which last year won a contract to supply air conditioning equip-ment to villas on the Palm Jumeirah, re-cently launched an HVAC maintenance service programme in the UAE in a bid to cut down on energy loss in buildings.

“Trane Select has been designed to minimise this. As the construction boom moves into full swing, developers should realise the benefi ts of maintaining effi -cient HVAC systems,” says Hasan.

“This is based not only on choosing the right equipment, but it also involves deciding on a proper service programme

to maintain long-term effi ciency,” he ex-plains. “Planned maintenance ensures that systems run at top effi ciency and provide up to 12% energy savings, not to mention the impact on reducing CO2 emission.”

LG Electronics is also steering ahead with its energy-saving products. The Multiple Power System (MPS) com-bines multiple compressors in a single air conditioning unit and reduces energy consumption by up to 70%, as opposed to conventional air conditioners with one compressor.

The small-capacity compressors, along with the optimised piping design and low noise fans, also reduces the noise and vi-brations of air conditioners.

The system gauges a room’s cooling or heating load and decides whether to use one or two compressors to achieve the desired temperature. When the cool-ing load is low or the room is close to the desired temperature, the system uses only one of the two compressors. When the cooling load is high, both compres-sors work quickly to reach the desired temperature.

Using operating compressors in this way allows the air conditioning system to run with a minimum amount of power.

“Energy is the biggest component of operational costs in most businesses, underlining the need for solutions that reduce energy costs. Energy savings can pay for a substantial part of a building’s annual maintenance cost,” said C H Lee, president of LG Electronics Gulf

“The demand for energy management has been increasing in recent years and peaks with the onset of summer in the Middle East, as commercial users of en-ergy plan their energy budgets.”

Meanwhile, Panasonic is making head-way in other areas of the UAE market. Panasonic has introduced its Supersonic Air Purifying System, which contains anti-allergen material.

Allergy fighting,energy saving, air-conditioning arrives


AIR CONDITIONING

Hanging out at a bus stop in Dubai during the sweltering summer months might not be the kind of pastime that many people would want to indulge in – until now, that is.

With the announcement of the launch of the world’s fi rst air-conditioned bus stop, us-ing a bus as a means of getting around town might just be rendered cool.

Over the next 18 months, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will spend AED 17.5 million (US $4.7 million) on building more than 500 of the ultra-modern shelters in an attempt to get people to ditch their 4x4s and use public transport.

While a further $57 million will be invested over the next decade on modernis-ing the entire network to ensure that more people take the bus. Maintaining the shelters will eventually cost $10 million a year.

While passengers may be lured to the

crescent-shaped shelters by the newspaper, snacks and soft drinks machine, the biggest draw will be the refuge from the stifl ing heat. A team from the RTA paid a visit to Hong Kong to study the air-conditioning systems used in its bus stops and plans to adopt similar measures in Dubai.

“We want to make sure that an increasing number of Dubai’s residents use the public transport system, which will in turn ease the fl ow of traffi c on our roads,” said Maltar Al Tayer, executive director of the RTA.

“The provisions of high quality air-con-ditioned bus shelters will not only go a long way in achieving this objective, it will also complement Dubai’s rapid pace of develop-ment and progress.”

The company recently launched an air-conditioning system that fi ghts against pollen and other allergens.

The Supersonic Air Purifying System, which contains an anti-allergen material called Super Alleru-Buster, has been in-troduced as part of a range of the compa-ny’s latest air-conditioning products be-ing distributed by Al Futtaim Panatech.

Allergen’s are caught through the sys-tem’s fi lter and then coated and deactivated.

“With consumer needs fast evolving, they now look for more products that pro-vide more than just the basic functions, and air-conditioners are no exception,” said K Venkataraman, general manager of Al Futtaim Panatech.

“Keeping pace with the market needs intense competition, the latest range of air-conditioners from Panasonic provide air purifi cation and refreshing, along with the basic cooling and conditioning.”

THE COOLEST BUS STOP IN THE WHOLE MIDDLE EAST SET TO ARRIVE IN DUBAI WITHIN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS


AIR CONDITIONING

Hanging out at a bus stop in Dubai during the sweltering summer months might not be the kind of pastime that many people would want to indulge in – until now, that is.

With the announcement of the launch of the world’s fi rst air-conditioned bus stop, us-ing a bus as a means of getting around town might just be rendered cool.

Over the next 18 months, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will spend AED 17.5 million (US $4.7 million) on building more than 500 of the ultra-modern shelters in an attempt to get people to ditch their 4x4s and use public transport.

While a further $57 million will be invested over the next decade on modernis-ing the entire network to ensure that more people take the bus. Maintaining the shelters will eventually cost $10 million a year.

While passengers may be lured to the

crescent-shaped shelters by the newspaper, snacks and soft drinks machine, the biggest draw will be the refuge from the stifl ing heat. A team from the RTA paid a visit to Hong Kong to study the air-conditioning systems used in its bus stops and plans to adopt similar measures in Dubai.

“We want to make sure that an increasing number of Dubai’s residents use the public transport system, which will in turn ease the fl ow of traffi c on our roads,” said Maltar Al Tayer, executive director of the RTA.

“The provisions of high quality air-con-ditioned bus shelters will not only go a long way in achieving this objective, it will also complement Dubai’s rapid pace of develop-ment and progress.”

The company recently launched an air-conditioning system that fi ghts against pollen and other allergens.

The Supersonic Air Purifying System, which contains an anti-allergen material called Super Alleru-Buster, has been in-troduced as part of a range of the compa-ny’s latest air-conditioning products be-ing distributed by Al Futtaim Panatech.

Allergen’s are caught through the sys-tem’s fi lter and then coated and deactivated.

“With consumer needs fast evolving, they now look for more products that pro-vide more than just the basic functions, and air-conditioners are no exception,” said K Venkataraman, general manager of Al Futtaim Panatech.

“Keeping pace with the market needs intense competition, the latest range of air-conditioners from Panasonic provide air purifi cation and refreshing, along with the basic cooling and conditioning.”

THE COOLEST BUS STOP IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARRIVES


PRODUCTS

NEW GENERATION BERLINERLUFT AC KITS

BURNHAM’S CONDENSING, CAST IRON BOILER MEETS EFFICIENCY NEEDSBurnham Hydronics has announced the new Revolution II gas-fi red, cast iron, con-densing boiler. Designed for performance and easy installation in condensing and non-condensing applications, the company built this boiler to meet high effi ciency needs.

Using a stainless steel heat recovery unit, system water is re-circulated through a coiled heat exchanger and reheated, extracting heat from the gases before they leave the home – increasing the effi ciency. The secondary heat exchanger, combined with a unique diamond pin confi guration on the left end cast iron section, makes the system even more effi cient. Pre-piped with a primary/secondary loop saves time and simpli-fi es installation.

As Burnham’s most effi cient gas-fi red boiler (up to 90% AFUE), the Revolution II is unmatched in versatility. Available in three sizes, the Revolution is easily combined with an indirect water heater and zoning controls for total home comfort. And because of the variety of venting options, the Revolution is adaptable to the fl oorplan of virtually any home.

Burnham Hydronics is a manufacturer of residential hydronic heating equipment and according to the company, it is also a leader in the hydronics industry.

Germany-based BerlinerLuft’s new gen-eration of air conditioning equipment, VarioCond, is reliable and durable ac-cording to the company.

The self-supporting frame system comes in aluminium and galvanised steel as well as in stainless steel.

The compact design will remain di-mensionally stable even under high pressures, the company claims.

Owing to the device’s modular design, its functional parts may be assembled according to the customer’s individual requirements.

The device meets German guidelines for hygienic requirements for air-condi-tioning equipment, and corresponding European standards.

For ventilation, VarioCond is equipped with an integrated direct evaporator cool-ing system, no-frost system and process measuring and control switch cabinet.

BerlinerLuft offers regionally, nation-ally and internationally active system constructors, industrial customers and installer’s products that convey, conduct, distribute and regulate air.

Fedders offers a complete line of 13 SEER unitary split air conditioning sys-tems from 1.5 to 4 tonnes, that are ide-ally sized for slab or rooftop mounting in single or multifamily homes and light commercial applications.

According to the company, the new cen-tral air conditioners are among the most compact in the industry – making them easier to transport, warehouse and install. For the consumer, the new series is more aesthetically pleasing since the units take up less space than older models.

In addition, the high quality appliance

FEDDERS’ NEW COMPACT 13 SEER ULTRA QUIET CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONERS fi nish is easy to clean and maintain.

The unitary split air conditioning sys-tems are part of the company’s total com-fort solution that offers Fedders’ high stan-dards for quality, durability and value for the residential and replacement markets.

Cooling systems boast quiet top air discharge, large wrap-around coil sur-face and state-of-the-art compressors for greater effi ciency, plus an easy ac-cess control box. The exterior cabinet is coated with 1000-hour salt spray polyes-ter fi nish for enhanced durability and an exceptional high gloss décor fi nish.


PRODUCTS

SAINT GOBAIN CAST IRON PIPES HELP PREVENT FIREPipe manufacturer Saint-Gobain Pipelines says that its range of cast iron pipes help to prevent the spread of fi re in buildings.

The argument over the comparative abilities of cast iron and plastic-based above ground drainage systems to help prevent the spread of fi re has raged as fi ercely as any confl agration.

Now the cast iron industry has produced what it claims is evidence that plastic pipes can double the rate at which fi re spreads.

A Saint-Gobain Pipelines spokesperson explains: “The test’s simple purpose was to demonstrate the comparative effect of fi re on cast iron and plastic based pipe systems. The researchers were looking to monitor their ability to contain fi re within the compartment and to establish whether or not they stopped the fi re spreading to other fl oors. “

KAESER’S NEW CLASSIC SX6 ROTARY SCREW COMPRESSORKaeser has launched the new compact Classic SX 6 rotary screw compressor that the com-pany says is quiet, clean and reliable.

It comes with a free-air delivery of 500 l/min at 7.5 bar, or 440 l/min at 10 bar, and has an energy effi cient 4 kW CEMEP EFF1 electric motor fi tted as standard and the very latest Sigma Profi le air end.

The robust compressor cabinet design features cooling air fi lter mats to prevent pre-mature clogging of the fl uid/air cooler and the two-stage air intake fi lter.

Combined with durable, high quality components that are logically laid out for op-timised servicing ac-cessibility, and remov-able panels for ease of maintenance, the unit is ideal for any application.

Fur ther mor e , highly effective sound insulation, low noise levels of only 66 dB (A) and a compact footprint allow the SX 6 to be installed in close proximity to the work area.

The compressors automatically stop and start when air demand is low, and provide a superior and versatile alterna-tive to vane or piston compressors.

Zamil’s Cooline systems purify the air you breathe and reduce the levels of airborne dust and bacteria by dehumidifying and fi ltering the air.

The indoor fan coil units are fi tted with an active carbon and electrostatic fi bre fi l-ter, which purifi es the air you breathe by eliminating all kinds of odours and catch-ing small dust particles.

The active carbon eliminates such odours as ammonia and inactivates harm-

SUPERSONIC SUPER ALLRERU-BUSTER DECOMPOSES ODOURS IN FILTERAircon specialist, Panasonic, has launched a new range of air-conditioners incorporated with Supersonic Super alleru-buster with Auto Refresh DEO that decomposes odours caught by the fi lter, while effectively cooling and purifying the air.

The CS-C18EKF with 18,000, CS-C24EKF with 24,000 and CS-C28EKF with 28,000 BTU/h are fi tted with a Super Tropical rotary compressor that guarantees high ef-fi ciency under high load conditions. The tropical compressors also ensure better per-formance in hot climatic conditions by using the specially developed hermetic motor, which results in reduced heating.

The Supersonic Air Purifying System incorporated in the indoor unit of the air-condi-tioners generates supersonic waves, which work in combination with the fi lter to trap dust and dirt in the air for faster, more effi cient purifi cation. The Auto Refresh DEO fi lter decomposes odour particles within 30 minutes after the blue LED illumination that lights up each time the unit starts operating.

ful chemical gas such as formaldehyde usually found in cigarette smoke and cos-metics.

On the fi lter surface, the Electrostatic fi bre fi lter traps small dust particles and smokes to prevent allergic reactions.

COOLINE ATTACKS AIRBORNE BACTERIA WITH ACTIVE CARBON FEATURE



FOCUS: FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

T he sudden growth in the Mid-dle East’s FM market has out-stripped available capacity to

meet the sector’s demand.And now a number of the region’s

MEP contractors are discovering an ap-petite among clients for their services post as well pre-completion.

But in order to make a real impact on projects, fi rms from the sector say they need to get involved early – so they are able to infl uence design and help save de-velopers money.

“Proper FM is about taking operations and maintenance of facilities in the base-ment to the boardroom,” says Scott Wil-son, MD, Drake & Scull’s FM division.

“One of the biggest challenges in the emerging and immature market of the UAE and Middle East generally – and it’s a cultural thing as well as a development thing – is the way the system has been run traditionally.”

This typically involves hiring separate cleaners, security contractors and main-tenance contractors etc. for the FM part of a project.

But all too often, employing numerous service providers ends up in poor quality specifi cations and no real understanding of service levels or service level agree-ments on developments.

“The end result is you get serious and premature deterioration in the assets, and what the client ends up having to do is huge replacement costs on buildings, plant and equipment because they haven’t been looked after properly,” says Wilson.

The burgeoning Middle East FM market holds immense opportunity for MEP contractors. Increasing numbers of them are expanding in the sector. After all, who better to look after building services than the people who installed them.

Where assets in a building might and should generally last around 25 years, in this environment they often last less than 10 years.

“Eighty per cent of the lifecycle cost of a building is in operations and mainte-nance,” says Wilson.

“When it comes to the design and construction of buildings, we have all these professionals involved, but when it comes to the maintenance, there’s no-body there,” he adds.

Wilson believes much of this can be at-tributed to the fact that people in this re-gion rarely seem to understand the value of proper FM in terms of the long-term future value of their assets:

“I think it’s a cultural problem here

and is a trading mentality – people rarely used to think in time scales of more than fi ve years.”

He cites the example of Abu Dhabi, where the construction sector is really beginning to take off:

“All this big boom in Abu Dhabi that’s about to happen is going to involve the demolition of hundreds of buildings that were only built 10 years ago.

“The difference with 10 years ago, not only in terms of the market but in terms of the type of buildings that we’re now building, is that today’s buildings are very sophisticated,” Wilson says.

While the technology may be different and systems may have changed, keeping up with and maintaining this rapid pace

of development is another matter. “There are, for example, brand new buildings on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road installed with systems that are supposed to be automatically controlling the plant and equipment,” explains Wilson.

“But because nobody knows how to maintain it, the systems are working by themselves and are causing major prob-lems within the building to the point where they’re actually having to switch these systems off.”

Wilson cites another project in Qatar that incorporates seven primary building management systems and fi ve supple-mentary building management systems:

“These are designed to run the fa-cilities and reduce labour, but because they’re designed as stand alone systems we need 47 staff to manage them.

“We’ve recommended they integrate these systems into one, and then we’ll only need fi ve people to manage them. The saving on labour alone on that is Dhs2.5 million per year,” he adds.

Herein lies the argument for FMs be-ing brought into a project at an earlier stage than is currently the norm – not only could it help save developers money, it could also help prevent much of the fi n-ger-pointing that takes place after a build-ing has been handed over.

When a building is fi nished there is usually a 12-month period (known as the defects liability period) whereby the con-tractor guarantees to come back and fi x any problems that may occur during the said period.

MEP giants spy FM opportunity

Scott Wilson, MD of Drake & Scull’s FM division, says FM firms must get involved early on projects.


FOCUS: FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

All too often, the upkeep of the build-ing is simply neglected during the de-fects liability period:

“During that 12-month period people think they don’t have to do any mainte-nance. But that’s not what the warranty relates to,” says Wilson.

“So a lot of companies here wait until the end of the 12-month period by which time the contractor has fi nished the job, has disappeared and a year has passed – and only then do they start thinking about employing an operations and main-tenance person.”

This is often the time when FM spe-cialists such as Drake & Scull enter the scene. But as Wilson says, being called in to a project at this late stage is rarely straightforward:

“We go in and ask for all the drawings, operations and maintenance manuals and the extended guarantees and warranties, but all too often the documentation is lost,” he explains.

“In one Dubai project with 25 build-ings, it took us six months just to gather all the data to get up to speed.

“We identifi ed the problems, produced

a report and showed it to the client. Their response was ‘we’ll sue the contrac-tors’ but that is impossible since they’ve already gone,” Wilson adds.

Even basic logistical issues such as making sure there are provisions for stores, providing access onto the prem-ises etc. can all too often be overlooked.

“Look at Dubai Marina for example – you can’t get goods vehicles in there,” says Wilson.

The key problem is that the energy and effort that goes into designing and producing a building often vanishes into the ether as soon as the contractor and consultant walk off site.

“But if you bring the FM at the begin-ning or as part of the handover process, you can iron out those problems and you get proper transfer of the intellectual cap-ital over to the facilities manager.”

Another cause for grievance is the fact that the objectives of a facilities manager, and those of a construction manager and a design consultant, are usually com-pletely different.

When consultants and contractors come to the end of a project they have

gone through the fi ghts, delays and prob-lems with payments and often just want to move onto the next project.

“The last thing they want to do is to hand over documentation – they just want off the job. Whereas the FM that has come in is fresh and only just start-ing his job.

“Trying to bring these two sources together at the end of construction and at the beginning of what we do creates problems,” says Wilson.

The obvious answer is to bring them together earlier – in other words, get the facilities management fi rms involved at least prior to commissioning, and even at the design stage – an idea that is fast gaining popularity here:

“What we’re actually fi nding is that we’re now getting tenders and enquiries for us to be a part of the design team,” says Wilson.

The vast scale of development wit-nessed across the GCC region has prompted the rapid growth of the local FM market.

This, coupled with an increase in the technology incorporated within today’s

structures, means they must be man-aged properly to maintain effi ciency.

By introducing FM expertise earlier within a project, the smooth transition from construction to maintenance could be achieved more readily:

“It’s not only about making sure that things are handed over and done proper-ly,” summarises Wilson. “We can also add a lot of value in the design via the process of value engineering, whereby we look at the design in terms of what the building is going to be like when it’s fi nished and how it will operate.”

The case for introducing FM earlier is a strong one: a failure to involve FM resources in the commissioning and handover process can result in the loss of contracts and vital operational knowl-edge on the project.

Moreover, a lack of properly integrat-ed services and systems can mean hefty replacement costs down the line.

With an estimated 80% of the lifecycle cost of a building being taken up with operations and maintenance, surely it is better to get it right the first time round.

The completion of massive residential projects such as Dubai Marina has seen demand for FM services spike. But established FM companies say they need to get involved earlier in the cycle to have an impact.


SITE REPORT

A s work on Emaar’s Burj Old Town progresses, many of the individual projects within the de-

velopment are entering their MEP stage.Phase A-2 is one such project, where

Al Futtaim Carillion is building 13 me-dium-rise residential towers off a single podium slab.

One of the biggest challenges the con-tractor is currently facing is dealing with the vast number of wet rooms i.e. kitchen and bathrooms that need to be accommo-dated – around 1,500 in total.

“Many of today’s apartment projects involve a lot of wet rooms,” says Gary Collings, MEP manager for contractor, Al Futtaim Carillion.

“Even the one-bedroom apartments here will have an en-suite bathroom along with a guest bathroom and a kitchen, so that’s three wet rooms just for a one-bed apartment.

“In addition, we have the services run-ning through different areas to get to the wet rooms – quite often it will mean having wet rooms above another apartment’s living room, for example, so trying to get access to them can be a tricky,” adds Collings.

The high spec of residential developments under construction throughout Dubai means MEP work is ac-counting for a greater share of overall construction costs. Zoe Naylor reports from Emaar’s Old Town Burj Dubai, where Al Futtaim Carillion is handling the MEP installations on 13 residential buildings.

Ten of Al Futtaim Carillion’s 13 towers will stand four storeys-high; two are nine storeys; and one is seven storeys. This represents 622 apartments and around 70 fl oors in total.

“The MEP stage also calls for some very detailed coordination since we have so many apartments in such a small area,” says Collings.

With the structures of seven of the 13 towers now fi nished, the remaining six towers are due for completion in the next three months.

First fi x MEP works began on the seven completed towers around three months ago with block work, plastering and rendering currently underway.

Verger et Delporte is the MEP subcon-tractor for the project and Allied is the MEP consultant.

The joint venture of EC Harris/Mace is the project manager, DSA is the lead consultant and LC Consulting is the structural engineer.

Another big challenge the team is fac-ing is the vast number of workers cur-rently on site: “There are a lot of different trades involved,” explains Bev Stubbs, se-

nior project manager, Al-Futtaim Carillion. “There is render, tiling, then we’re into MEP and then there is the kitchen and bathroom fi t-out and fi nal fi x. It requires a lot of coordination to get all these differ-ent trades to work one after the other in those rooms,” he adds.

There are currently around 3,000 la-bourers on site, however this will peak at approximately 4,000 in the next two to three months.

“The structural work is gradually com-ing to an end but then we have plaster-work and tiling to do, so our labour force is changing over the next few months,” says Stubbs.

The MEP works for phase A-2 was let as a single package with subcontractor Verger et Delporte undertaking all of the works except for the lifts, which are provided by ETA-Melco, and the district cooling.

“The district cooling is a separate con-tract – we’re not involved in that at all,” confi rms Collings.

Built by Transgulf, the district cooling system incorporates a 24-inch diameter distribution pipe network around the en-tire Burj site and fed by three plants.

“There will be a stub off from which we will connect into and then we just tap into the chilled water supply,” adds Collings.

According to Stubbs, this is a relatively new way of working in the region but is fast becoming standard practice.

“District cooling is still quite new in Dubai – it’s only really been around for the past fi ve years,” he says.

“Prior to that we would have had chill-er plants on site. But doing it this way makes it easier for us as well as the MEP contractor, since we don’t have to worry about providing a chiller plant – we just

Plumbing the depths of Old Town

Workers sealing a duct to be installed on the Old Town project. First fix MEP works began on the seven completed towers about three months ago.


SITE REPORT

tap into the chilled water supply,” ex-plains Stubbs.

Once complete, the Burj Old Town de-velopment will feature a range of hotels, souks, apartments and shopping malls.

Many of these individual elements that go to make up this mega project are being worked on simultaneously and to tight deadlines, which requires careful coordination between the main contrac-tors on the project.

Certain sections of Al Futtaim Caril-lion’s project back directly onto other sections of the Old Town, for example Al

Jaber Grinaker-Alec’s Armani hotel. This means that rigid handover dates must be closely adhered to if the overall project is to run to schedule.

“We started our contract in May 2005 and our fi rst handover is 13 months after work began,” explains Stubbs.

“The tight construction programme is one of the main challenges – our entire project from start to fi nish is around 18 months,” he adds.

To achieve this deadline the handover is completed in stages: “We have three milestone dates – we have a souk area

around one of Al Jaber Grinaker’s hotels, and we have to give the shell and core to the souk area by 12 June 2006,” accord-ing to Stubbs.

Then four of Al Futtaim Carillion’s tow-ers – numbers 17, 11, 18 and 19 - need to be completed by 12 October, and the fi nal milestone date for completion of the remainder of the project is 12 December this year.

With so many projects in Dubai enter-ing MEP phase, Collings says the value of this stage of a project is likely to be skewed in the future:

“The MEP element of a project is usually around 35 to 40% of the contract value,” he explains. “But this is increas-ing, and with future contracts we may see an MEP manager in charge of the site in-stead of the construction manager.”

Much of this is down to the fact that today’s projects incorporate many ad-vanced building systems:

“People want more services rather than just a standard wall unit in an apart-ment – they want sophisticated things, which in turn requires complex building management systems.”

Gary Collings: “Many of today’s apartments involve a lot of wet rooms.”

Bev Stubbs: “There are a lot of different trades involved.”


PROFILE

W ith 92,000 employees and operations in 130 countries, Schneider Electric gener-

ated revenue of €11.7 billion (AED55 bil-lion) in 2005 thanks to its 13,000 distribu-tor outlets.

Through three worldwide brands – Merlin Gerin, Square D and Telemeca-nique – it serves four main markets: en-ergy and infrastructure, industry, build-ings, and residential.

With the rapid growth and boom-ing construction industry in the Gulf, it seemed like a natural step to set up a presence in the region.

But while many companies have only jumped on the bandwagon in the past de-cade or so, Schneider Electric’s forward thinking saw it arrive in the UAE 25 years ago – and it hasn’t looked back since.

Today it has a 200-strong sales, mar-keting and administration team in eight regional facilities, and a regional distri-bution centre in the Jebel Ali Free Zone [measuring some 5,000m2].

Its commitment to its customers is further supported by more than 90 spe-cialised partners in the region, with a network of offi cial distributors, licensed and franchised panel manufacturers,

Schneider Electric has further strengthened its presence in the Gulf countries with the launch of its sixth regional sales offi ce in Dubai just last month. Tim Wood attended the opening ceremony and spoke to leading fi gures about the success of the power and control specialist since it arrived in the Gulf a quar-ter of a century ago.

and authorised system integrators. Al-ways focused on customer satisfaction, Schneider Electric recently opened a customer support centre, a fi rst for the industry in the region, offering technical and commercial support from Dubai to the Middle East.

The acquisition of ABS EMEA, Inven-sys’ advanced buildings systems busi-ness, by Schneider Electric has further

reinforced its position in building au-tomation, notably in the Gulf countries where the integration of the commercial and operational teams has been rapidly implemented.

And its not just local buys. The interna-tional acquisitions of Tour Andover Con-trols, another major player in the build-ing automation market, Clipsal, Citect, Power Management International and

MGE UPS, further increases the offers of the group in the Gulf region and, by in-corporating global leading brands, gives a clear message of strength.

Now, under the sponsorship of its part-ner in Dubai, the Al Naboodah Group, the new sales offi ce has been offi cially inaugurated.

Judging by its performance in the Middle East, more sales offi ces could be necessary in the near future too.

The fact that the facility energy market is now growing at 9-10% in the Middle East, compared with just 4% three or four years ago is also a strong sign that there will be plenty of opportunity in the UAE.

According to Jacques Billiard, Sch-neider Electric director Middle East, the growth is refl ected in Schneider Elec-tric’s recent set of results too.

“Last year was a very good year world-wide for market growth for Schneider Electric, and we expect the market in 2006 to be at least as good – we are speaking at between 5-6%, he tells MEP Middle East.

Billiard puts its success down to the reputation of its brand name and the fact that it has over 80-years of experience in the fi eld.

“We started in the US and France and

Schneider Electric is wired for growth across the Gulf

Henri Lachman, chairman of Schneider Electric cuts the ribbon on the company’s new office in Dubai.


PROFILE

now we are now known all round the world. It is the innovation of our prod-uct, quality of our product, quality of our service and quality of our team in each country that has made us what we are,” he says.

”Each year we are looking to expand. Only two days ago our team was in Ye-men and we were studying how to de-velop over there. In 130 countries in the world we have a large team and we are looking to size our team in relation to the size of the market.”

So what work has Schneider Electric been carrying out in the UAE and where abouts? Yan Golaz, managing director, Gulf Countries, explains more. “Airports are one of the key focus areas for us. We look forward quite keenly to continuing our participation in the airport in the city. And we will be quite keen to be involved in the new expansion as well, as we are

world leaders in industrial automation, power distribution and the building of facilities management systems.

“We have supplied several packages for the airport over the past couple of years and our systems are serving many customers in the Marina area, the Sheikh Zayed Road and in some of the key indus-trial facilities as well.

“We have also been busy deploying systems in Dubai International City, Dubai Festival City and the Jumeirah is-lands,” he explains.

Billiard adds: “We are experiencing signifi cant growth in all sectors of the market. As well as infrastructure con-tracts, such as airports and ports, there is also the residential building market, and the oil and gas sectors.

“We are looking to strengthen our ex-isting teams to get more competencies on board to serve up even more sophisti-

cated solutions to provide other custom-ers a full solution.

“Not just products and equipment but a fully integrated solution to mostly save energy. There is a lot of energy in this part of the world and we have customers requesting us to provide a very effi cient solution for cost savings.”

Billiard fi rst experienced Dubai in 1997 before he was given responsibility

to run Schneider Electric’s operations in China. “You can really see the differ-ence in Dubai between now and then,” he says. “I don’t know any other city that is developing quite as fast. It is fantastic and we are happy to be here.”

With the success Schneider Electric has enjoyed since arriving in the Gulf at the beginning of the 1980s, that is really no surprise.

Golaz: Airports have played a major role in

Schneider’s expansion in UAE.

Billiard: Brand name and 80 years’ experience

help Schneider succeed.


TENDERS

BUSINESS LEADSMEP Middle East wants to keep you in business. These pages are intended to provide you with good business leads. If you spot a contract you are interested in, contact the issuer. MEP Middle East: Helping you build.

You can have your contracts and tenders published in these columns free of charge. Please send us the name of the issuer, the tender number, a brief description, value of the project, bid bond if any, fees, if any, and the dates for closing of subscription, the opening of the tender and a contact phone/fax number or email address. You can also an-nounce the prequalifi ers/winners of the tender free of charge in these pages. All information should be sent to [email protected] or faxed to the Editor, MEP Middle East, +971 4 210 8080. MEP Middle East: Helping you build your business.

BAHRAINIssuer: Ministry of Electricity and Water

Tender No: 118/2006/5300

Description: Rehabilitation of existing air-

conditioning system at EDD building two.

Bond: BD500

Closes: 6 June

Fees: BD15

Contact:

Issuer: The General Organisation of Youth

and Sports

Tender No: 17/2005

Description: Construction of new sports

complex in Hamad Town.

Bond: BD1,000

Closes: 6 June

Fees: BD25

Contact:

Issuer: Ministry of Works and Housing

Tender No: HPD/22/06

Description: Construction of 83 houses in

Madinat Hamad. Contract F.

Bond: BD5,000

Closes: 6 June

Fees: BD50

Contact:




Madinat Hamad. Contract B2H.

Bond: BD4,000

Closes: 6 June

Fees: BD50

Contact:




Madinat Hamad. Contract B2G.

Bond: BD5,000

Closes: 6 June

Fees: BD50

Contact:




Madinat Hamad. Contract B1H.

Bond: BD5,000

Closes: 6 June

Fees: BD50

Contact:




Madinat Hamad. Contract B1G.

Bond: BD5,000

Closes: 6 June

Fees: BD50

Contact:




Madinat Hamad. Contract B1F.

Bond: BD5,000

Closes: 6 June

Fees: BD50

Contact:




Madinat Hamad. Contract B1E.

Bond: BD5,000

Closes: 6 June

Fees: BD50

Contact:

Issuer: Civil Aviation Affairs

Tender No: MD/9/P/260

Description: Construction of a coaching

station at gate 33, at Bahrain International

Airport.

Bond: BD500

Closes: 13 June

Fees: BD15

Contact:

Issuer: Civil Aviation Affairs

Tender No: MD/9/P/245

Description: Refurbishment of AIS/MET

offi ces in the terminal building.

Bond: BD500

Closes: 13 June

Fees: BD15

Contact:

Issuer: Ministry of Electricity and Water

Tender No: 164/2006/5340

Description: Installation of street light-

ing at roads 210 and 214, Block 202,

Muharraq.

Bond: BD500

Closes: 13 June

Fees: BD15

Contact:


Tender No: 163/2006/5340

Description: Installation of street lighting

at road 1906, Block 319, Hoora.

Bond: BD500

Closes: 13 June

Fees: BD15

Contact:


Tender No: 162/2006/5340


at Saraya 1, Block 507, Maqaba.

Bond: BD500

Closes: 13 June

Fees: BD15

Contact:


Tender No: 161/2006/5340


at Dair roads 3140, Block 231, Dair.

Bond: BD500

Closes: 13 June

Fees: BD15

Contact:

Issuer: The General Organisation for Youth

and Sport

Tender No: 2006/4

Description: Extension to Youth Innovation

Centre in Umm Al Hassam.

Bond: BD1,000

Closes: 20 June

Fees: BD25

Contact:



Description: Maintenance of landscaping

and irrigation in Zayed Town.

Bond: BD500

Closes: 23 June

Fees: BD15

Contact:



Description: Maintenance of landscaping

and irrigation in Zayed Town (two).

Bond: BD1,000

Closes: 23 June

Fees: BD25

Contact:

KUWAITIssuer: Kuwait Oil Company

Tender No: RFP-1272

Description: Supply, installation, commis-

sioning and maintenance of fi re incident

management system.

Bond:

Closes: 3 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: Kuwait Oil Company

Tender No: RFP-1282

Description: Company-wide automatic fi re

alarm system - Phase Two.

Bond:

Closes: 6 June

Fees:

Contact:


Tender No: RFP-1250

Description: Provision of reservoir rock

properties and fl uid analysis services.

Bond:

Closes: 6 June

Fees:

Contact:


Tender No: RFP-1278

Description: Provision of offshore support

services.

Bond:

Closes: 13 June

Fees:

Contact:


Tender No: PQ-06/01

Description: Jet pump services.

Bond:

Closes: 1 July

Fees:

Contact:

OMANIssuer: Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

Tender No: 64/2006

Description: Construction of fi shery

harbour, Seeb, Muscat.

Bond:

Closes: 29 May

Fees: OR1,500

Contact:

Issuer: Oman Refi nery Company

Tender No: 65/2006

Description: Inspection and maintenance

of storage tank.

Bond:

Closes: 29 May

Fees: OR152

Contact:

Issuer: Oman Gas Company

Tender No: 66/2006

Description: Supply of carbon steel pipes

to Oman Gas Company.

Bond:

Closes: 29 May

Fees: OR150

Contact:

Issuer: Ministry of Education

Tender No: 69/2006

Description: Construction, completion and

maintenance of nine classrooms at Said Bin

Jubair Boys Basic Education School.

Bond:

Closes: 19 June

Fees: OR152

Contact:


Tender No: 71/2006

Description: Construction, completion and

maintenance of 18 classrooms at Asma

Bint Omais Girls Basic Education School.

Bond:

Closes: 19 June

Fees: OR180

Contact:


Tender No: 70/2006

Description: Construction and mainte-

nance of 28 classrooms at Bilad A Shuhum

Girls Basic Education School.

Bond:

Closes: 19 June

Fees: OR204

Contact:


Tender No: 68/2006

Description: Construction and mainte-

nance of 26 classrooms at Baat Girls Basic

Education School.

Bond:

Closes: 19 June

Fees: OR200

Contact:

Issuer: Oman Gas Company

Tender No: 73/2006

Description: Supply of turbine driven

compressor for Oman Gas Company.

Bond:

Closes: 26 June

Fees: OR1,500

Contact:


TENDERSQATAR Issuer: Qatar Petroleum

Tender No: GTC/06/206/FSG

Description: Fireproofi ng remedial works

in NGL plant area, Mesaieed.

Bond: QR70,000

Closes: 28 May

Fees: QR500

Contact:

Issuer: Qatar Petroleum

Tender No: LTC/06/150

Description: Daily maintenance and refur-

bishment of QP’s gardens in Doha.

Bond: QR50,000

Closes: 28 May

Fees: QR200

Contact:

Issuer: Municipality of Municipal Affairs

and Agriculture

Tender No: 2/2006-2007

Description: Maintenance works at Diwan

Amiri Park for three years.

Bond: QR64,800

Closes: 28 May

Fees:

Contact:


Tender No: GTC/06/196/CSD

Description: Maintenance of HVAC and

refrigeration equipment within QP Dukhan,

Mesieed and Ras Laffan facilities.

Bond: QR500,000

Closes: 4 June

Fees: QR500

Contact:


Tender No: GTC/06/155/DN

Description: Call-off contract for three

years for provision of scaffolding services

at QP refi nery.

Bond: QR80,000

Closes: 4 June

Fees: QR500

Contact:


Tender No: GTC/06/190/ED

Description: EPIC of 20-inch main oil line

from Umm Bab to mile 32; and from mile

42 to Mesaieed.

Bond: QR5,000,000

Closes: 11 June

Fees: QR500

Contact:


Tender No: GTC/06/225/FSD

Description: Construction of canopy

shelters and associated works; new toilet

building; and refurbishment of old buildings

in the Dukhan Fields.

Bond: QR200,000

Closes: 11 June

Fees: QR500

Contact:



Description: Re-supporting and replace-

ment of pipe supports, sand clearance and

wellhead sand clearance on a call-off basis

within Dukhan Fields.

Bond: QR200,000

Closes: 11 June

Fees: QR500

Contact:


Tender No: GTC/06/219/CSD

Description: Upgrading and modifi ca-

tion works to various accommodation in

Dukhan Township.

Bond: QR300,000

Closes: 18 June

Fees: QR500

Contact:



Description: Supply, fabrication and instal-

lation of guide maps and signage within

Dukhan Fields and Dukhan Township.

Bond: QR200,000

Closes: 18 June

Fees: QR500

Contact:



Description: Construction of new training

centre in Dukhan.

Bond: QR750,000

Closes: 18 June

Fees: QR500

Contact:



Description: Construction of new Western

District Hospital in Dukhan – Package One.

Bond: QR2,000,000

Closes: 25 June

Fees: QR500

Contact:


Tender No: GTC/06/197/RLC

Description: Miscellaneous civil mainte-

nance services at RLC.

Bond: QR50,000

Closes: 2 July

Fees: QR500

Contact:

SAUDI ARABIAIssuer: King Saud University

Tender No:

Description: Construction of amphitheater,

exhibition building and affi liated parking

areas.

Bond: SR50,000

Closes: 27 May

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: Al Ahsa Municipality

Tender No:

Description: Asphalting, footpaths and

lighting on Prince Mohammed bin Fahad

Abdulaziz Road.

Bond: SR10,000

Closes: 27 May

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: Real Estate Dev. Fund

Tender No:

Description: Completion of general hous-

ing project in Makkah Al Mukaramah.

Bond: SR25,000

Closes: 6 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: Ministry of Finance

Tender No:

Description: Construction of residential

city in Batha.

Bond: SR15,000

Closes: 25 June

Fees:

Contact:

UAEIssuer: DEWA

Tender No: CE/060/2006

Description: Supply, installation, testing

and commissioning of CCTV and access

security system at different transmission

substations.

Bond:

Closes: 28 May

Fees: AED750

Contact:

Issuer: Etisalat

Tender No: 31H/2006

Description: Supply, installation, testing

and commissioning of automatic mains

failure and base load generating sets.

Bond:

Closes: 29 May

Fees: AED600

Contact:

Issuer: DEWA


Description: Maintenance of DEWA build-

ings at various locations.

Bond:

Closes: 30 May

Fees: AED500

Contact:

Issuer: DEWA

Tender No: CNE/041/2006

Description: Supply, testing and com-

missioning of 400kV M substation and

associated works.

Bond:

Closes: 31 May

Fees: AED5,000

Contact:

Issuer: DEWA


Description: Supply, retrofi tting, modi-

fi cations, testing and commissioning of

protection systems at various 400/132kV

substations and generating stations.

Bond:

Closes: 7 June

Fees: AED1,500

Contact:

Issuer: DEWA


Description: Supply of cold shrink/pre-

moulded cable joints and terminations for

33kV and 11kV cables.

Bond:

Closes: 11 June

Fees: AED1,000

Contact:

Issuer: DEWA

Tender No: CNE/001/2006

Description: Construction of Jebel Ali

power/desalination M station.

Bond:

Closes: 24 June

Fees: AED5,000

Contact:

INTERNATIONALIssuer: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd,

Gujurat, India

Tender No:

Description: Routing of underground

cables and replacement of LPG power

cable.

Bond:

Closes: 1 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: CIDCO, India

Tender No:

Description: Construction of water retain-

ing check dam for the creation of a water

body in a community park.

Bond:

Closes: 1 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: Northwestern Railway, India

Tender No:

Description: Rebuilding, construction,

strengthening and extension of existing

minor bridges. And placement of PSC slabs

with RCC ballast retainers up to 6.1m span.

Bond:

Closes: 2 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: Rail India Technical and Economic

Services, Chattisgarh, India

Tender No:

Description: Earthwork in the formation

and construction of minor bridges in

connection with the construction of two

250mW thermal power plants.

Bond:

Closes: 8 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: New Mangalore Port Trust, Karna-

taka, India

Tender No:

Description: Maintenance dredging at New

Port for 2006-07.

Bond:

Closes: 12 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: South Western Railway, Bangalore,

India

Tender No:

Description: Earthwork in cutting and

forming of banks. And construction of

bridges.

Bond:

Closes: 13 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: North Western Railway, India

Tender No:

Description: Strengthening extension of

existing major bridge. And precasting PSC

slabs of 12.20m span with RCC ballast re-

tainers, including earthwork on approaches.

Bond:

Closes: 14 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: North Western Railway, India

Tender No:

Description: Construction of a major

bridge. Work includes earthwork, ap-

proaches and substructure.

Bond:

Closes: 15 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: North Central Railway, Uttar

Pradesh, India

Tender No:

Description: Supply, trenching, laying,

backfi lling, termination and testing of six

quad/PIJF cables.

Bond:

Closes: 15 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd,

Gujurat, India

Tender No:

Description: Procurement of cement

additives.

Bond:

Closes: 29 June

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: Public Works Department, Pusad,

Maharashtra, India

Tender No:

Description: Improvement of road

and construction of a major bridge in

Fulsawangi.

Bond:

Closes: 3 July

Fees:

Contact:

Issuer: Birmingham International Airport

(Public Works contract),

United Kingdom

Tender No: 1315588

Description: Birmingham International

Airport is seeking to

set up a qualifi ed list scheme to cover

mechanical and electrical contractors,

building contractors and civil engineering

contractors. The scheme will be used so

that the airport can select contractors from

the lists and invite them to tender for proj-

ects in connection with the development



BUSINESS LEADS

BAHRAIN PROJECTS DATABASE - BUILDING PROJECTS FOCUS

Project Title Client Consultant Main Contractor MEP Contractor

Value/Value Range (US$. Mn) Project Status Type of Project

Riffa Views Arcapita/ BIGCC Mohammed Salahuddin Consult-ing Engg. Bureau

Not Appointed Not Appointed 300 project under design

Residential Development

Redevelopment of Adhari Park Tameer/KCCC/GIH Gulf House Engineering Tabet Enterprises Alkomed 24 project under construction

Park

Bahrain Business Bay in North East Manama

Arcapita Skidmore Owings & Merill/W.S Atkins

Not Appointed Not Appointed 1,500 project under design

Mixed Use

25 Storey Residential Tower in Juffair

Kuwait First Real Estate Modern Architects Not Appointed Not Appointed 13 project under design

Residential Building

Al Mannai Tower Al Mannai Group Syrconsult Not Appointed Not Appointed 9 project under design

Commercial Building

Sports Complex in Sitra General Organisation for Youth & Sport

Ismail Khonji Associates / L & O Architects

Not Appointed Not Appointed 2.5 to 13.5 project under design

Sports Complex

Euro University at A’ ali Euro University Obermeyer Planen & Beraten Not Appointed Not Appointed 120 project under design

University

Shopping Mall at Mulkiya Ministry of Works & Housing

Arif Sadiq Design Consultants Technical Construction Awal Refrigeration/Delta 2.5 to 13.5 project under construction

Shopping Centre

18 Storey Residential Building in Juffair

Architectural World Bahrain Modern Construc-tion

In House 13.6 to 26.9 project under construction


Residential Building in Juffair Saudi Investor Epco Kamashki Rumaitha/Yateem/AJM Khoji 2.5 to 13.5 project under construction


Luxury Apartments in Seef Dadhabhai Construction Habib Madora Dadhabhai Contracting Awal Refrigeration 18.5 project under construction


Bahrain International Insurance Centre

BMA/BFH Holding Co. Ahmed Abubaker Janahi Architects

Al Hamad Contracting Gemac 200 project under construction

Commercial Building

Mubarak Abdul Aziz Al Hasawi Tower

Mr. Mubarak Abdul Aziz Bahrain Engineering Bureau Al Taitoon Construction Selcon/Rumaitha 13.6 to 26.9 project under construction


Al Najma Sports Complex in Juffair

General Organisation for Youth & Sport



Sports Complex

12 Storey Residential Building at Hoora

Mr. Mohammed Taher Al Raed Architects Nissan Construction In House 2.5 to 13.5 project under construction


Security Complex at Muharraq Ministry of Works & Housing

Al Zayani Profabril Almoayyed Contracting In House 2.5 to 13.5 project under construction

Commercial Building

Tameer Residences 1 & 2 Al Khaleej Development Company

Ansari Engineering Services Al Hedayah In House/Bahrain Trading Agen.

13.6 to 26.9 project under construction


Bandar Al Seef Resort Ministry of Urban Devel-opment & Housing

Ansari Engineering Services Not Appointed Not Appointed 80 project under design

Hotel

Al Tadamon Sports Club in Hamad Town

General Organisation for Youth & Sport



Sports Complex

15 Storey Building at Hoora Aref Sadeq Design Consultants Key Construction Temco 13.6 to 26.9 project under construction


Gajria Tower Gajria Electronics Mohammed Salahuddin Consult-ing Engg. Bureau

AAA Homes Yateem 2.5 to 13.5 project under construction

Headquarters

Amwaj Tower Michael Makhloof/United Engg. AAA Homes Yateem 2.5 to 13.5 project under construction


BCCI Headquarters in Sanabis Bahrain Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Arif Sadiq Design Consultants Cebarco Al Moayyed Air Conditioning 22 project under construction

Headquarters

20 Storey Building in the Diplo-matic Area

Trust Insurance Company

Artec/Arif Sadiq GP Zachraides Y. K Al Moayyed 13.6 to 26.9 project under construction

Commercial Building

Bahrain City Centre Complex Majid al-Futtaim Mott MacDonald Cebarco/WCT Voltas 450 project under construction

Mixed Use

12 Storey Building at Adliya Architectural World Al Ghana Contracting In House/ Disman 2.5 to 13.5 project under construction


Gulf International Bank Head-quarters Upgrade

Gulf International Bank Cowi Almoayyed Gulf Projects Construction Co. Star Technical 2.5 to 13.5 project under construction

Headquarters

MEP PROJECT TRACKERMEP Middle East and Ventures Middle East have got together to provide you with essential project information. Each week we will list a few current projects in the region so that you can see what is going on and where. We will also, from time to time, give full details of upcoming GCC projects in all industry sectors (oil & gas, pipeline, industrial, buildings, power & water, marine and infrastructure & sewerage), to enable you to spot opportunities to do business.


BUSINESS LEADSUAE PROJECTS DATABASE - BUILDING PROJECTS FOCUS

Project Title Client Consultant Main Contractor MEP Contractor

Value/Value Range (US$. Mn) Project Status Type of Project

Emirates Airlines Headquarters, Dubai

Emirates Group Archon Engineering Arabian Construction Company

International Electro Mechanical

551 project under construction

Headquarters

MAG 214 in Jumeirah Lake Towers

Mag Real Estate Khatib & Alami Trans Emirates Contracting Al Hani 200 project under construction


Rose Rotana, Dubai Abbco Group Khatib & Alami Arabian Construction Company

Thermo 250 project under construction

Hotel

Time Place in Dubai Marina Abraj Real Estate M3 Architects Dubai Civil Engineering In House 180 project under construction


Green Lakes, Dubai Asam Investment & Real Estate

Archon Engineering Al Basti & Muktha Bilt ME 551 project under construction


Residential/Commercial Build-ing in Abu Dhabi

Shk Mansoor Eronat Engineering Consultants Pivot Engineering & Gen. Contracting

In House 70 project under construction

Mixed Use

New Dubai Gate -1 Bonyan International Investments

Dimensions Engineering Arabian Construction Company

Air Technic 100 + project under construction


Rufi Twin Towers, Dubai Rufi Real Estate & Construction Co. LLC

Arenco Not Appointed Not Appointed 404 construction tender issued in Jan’ 2006


Al Yasat Tower, Dubai Al Gaith Holdings National Engineering Bureau Lootah Constructions Verger et Delporte 243 project under construction


Guard Administration Building in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Muncipality Dar al Handasah Al Faraa General Contracting ETA Ascon 60 project under construction

Commercial Building

IT College at Maqam Campus, Al Ain

UAE University/Mubadala

KEO International Daewoo Engineering & Construction

Emirates EMI 250 project under construction

University

Immigration Building at RAK-Oman Border

Ministry of Public Works Al Bayaty Aswar Engineering In House 12 project under construction

Government Offi ces

Sharaf Shopping Mall, Dubai Sharaf Group National Engineering Bureau Tepe Akfen Ventures (TAV) Remco 100 + project under construction

Shopping Centre

Gold Crest Views I, Dubai Mayzood Giga Interna-tional FZE

W.S.Atkins Al Habtoor-Murray & Roberts B.K Gulf 100 + project under construction


Madina Tower in Jumeirah Lake Towers

Reef Real Estate KEO International Emirates Belbadi Geco 180 project under construction

Mixed Use

Burj Dubai-The Residences: Phase 3

Emaar Properties Arif & Bintoak Nasa Multiplex ETA Ascon 575 project under construction


Abbco Tower in Sharjah Bonyan International Investments

Dimensions Engineering Ali Moosa & Sons Contract-ing

Not Appointed 100 + project under construction


Swiss Tower at JLT Al Tamimi & Co. Gunter Buerk JSK Not Appointed Not Appointed 250 project under design

Commercial Building

Al Manara Offi ce Tower at Business Bay

ETA Star Properties Architects 61 Not Appointed Not Appointed 100 + project under design

Commercial Building

6 Towers in District 7WX, Dubai Marina

Emaar Properties Arif & Bintoak Nasa Multiplex ETA Ascon 575 project under construction


Shopping Mall in Khalidiya Emke Group National Engineering Bureau Emirates Belbadi ETA Ascon 200 project under construction

Shopping Centre

Raffl es International Hotel at Wafi City

MKM Group Arif & Bintoak Khansaheb Civil Engineering Voltas 513 project under construction

Hotel

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Headquarters

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank

A-4/Architectural Planning Group Dubai Contracting Company ETA Ascon 120 project under construction

Headquarters

Al Jazeera Towers, Abu Dhabi Al Hamed Limited Khatib & Alami Al Hamed Development & Construction

Emirates EMI 100 + project under construction

Mixed Use

69-Storey Tower in Dubai Dubai International Real Estate

Al Hashemi Architects Not Appointed Not Appointed 250 project under design


Le Solarium at Dubai Silicon Oasis

Credo National Engineering Bureau Sun Engineering Not Appointed 170 project under construction

Commercial Building

Tiffany Tower in Jumeirah Lake Towers

Tiffany Realty W.S.Atkins Not Appointed Not Appointed 100 + project under design

Commercial Building

Commercial/Residential Build-ing on Electra Street, Abu Dhabi

Mr. Khalifa Al Suweidi Al Suweidi Engineering Commodore Contracting Telco/Al Jadeed/Al Hamsi 40 project under construction

Mixed Use



METAL MONITOR

Neither the LME nor any of its directors, offi cers or employees shall, except in the case of fraud or wilful neglect, be under any liability whatsoever either in contract or in tort in respect of any act or omission (including negligence) in relation to the preparation or publication of the data contained in the report. Lee Gibbins Market Operations

METALS PRICE TRACKER

PrimaryAluminium(dollars)

AluminiumAlloy(dollars)

Copper

(dollars)

Lead

(dollars)

Nickel

(dollars)

Tin

(dollars)

Special HgZinc(dollars)

NASAAC

(dollars)

Cash Buyer 2,428.41 2,343.74 5,101.80 1,191.39 14,888.70 7,925.22 2,415.96 2,139.78

Cash Seller & Settlement

2,429.13 2,350.04 5,102.85 1,192.09 14,897.39 7,939.57 2,416.91 2,146.04

Cash Mean 2,428.77 2,346.89 5,102.33 1,191.74 14,893.04 7,932.39 2,416.43 2,142.91

3-months Buyer 2,457.35 2,361.91 5,030.57 1,191.24 14,955.65 7,965.22 2,422.48 2,180.65

3-months Seller 2,458.15 2,370.26 5,031.67 1,193.02 14,964.35 7,977.17 2,423.83 2,188.26

3-months Mean 2,457.75 2,366.09 5,031.12 1,192.13 14,960.00 7,971.20 2,423.15 2,184.46

15-months Buyer 2,363.13 2,389.13 4,575.22 1,132.61 14,035.43 7,978.48 2,212.04 2,215.43

15-months Seller 2,368.13 2,399.13 4,585.22 1,137.61 14,135.43 8,028.48 2,217.04 2,225.43

15-months Mean 2,365.63 2,394.13 4,580.22 1,135.11 14,085.43 8,003.48 2,214.54 2,220.43

27-months Buyer 2,247.83 2,403.04 4,099.57 13,045.87 1,947.17 2,219.57

27-months Seller 2,252.83 2,413.04 4,109.57 13,145.87 1,952.17 2,229.57

27-months Mean 2,250.33 2,408.04 4,104.57 13,095.87 1,949.67 2,224.57

MARCHTHE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE

Metal Euro Settlement Conversion Rate

Primary Aluminium

2,020.07

Aluminium Alloy

1,954.40

Copper 4,243.40

Lead 991.49

Nickel 12,390.13

Tin 6,603.31

SHG Zinc 2,009.62

Settlement Conversion

Copper Cash Seller & Settlement: £2,926.03 Exchange Rates

Copper 3-months Seller: £2,882.26 Stg/$ 1.7440

Lead Cash Seller & Settlement: £683.55 $/JY 117.2696

Lead 3-months Seller: £683.39 Euro 1.2024

THE FOLLOWING STERLING EQUIVALENTS HAVE BEEN CALCULATED, ON THE BASIS OF DAILY CONVERSIONS:

LME AVERAGE SETTLEMENT PRICES IN EURO



Copper

(dollars)

Lead

(dollars)

Nickel

(dollars)

Tin

(dollars)


NASAAC

(dollars)

Cash Buyer 2,620.64 2,419.17 6,384.64 1,169.33 17,921.39 8,838.33 3,082.72 2,306.89


2,621.58 2,427.83 6,387.78 1,170.42 17,942.22 8,853.06 3,084.78 2,314.56

Cash Mean 2,621.11 2,423.50 6,386.21 1,169.88 17,931.81 8,845.69 3,083.75 2,310.72

3-months Buyer 2,642.50 2,451.94 6,305.00 1,187.83 17,913.61 8,881.67 3,044.14 2,347.67

3-months Seller 2,643.50 2,460.83 6,307.22 1,189.78 17,942.22 8,896.39 3,045.97 2,357.50

3-months Mean 2,643.00 2,456.39 6,306.11 1,188.81 17,927.92 8,889.03 3,045.05 2,352.58

15-months Buyer 2,518.22 2,504.17 5,777.78 1,155.56 16,299.17 8,906.67 2,610.39 2,390.28

15-months Seller 2,523.22 2,514.17 5,787.78 1,160.56 16,399.17 8,956.67 2,615.39 2,400.28

15-months Mean 2,520.72 2,509.17 5,782.78 1,158.06 16,349.17 8,931.67 2,612.89 2,395.28

27-months Buyer 2,381.78 2,516.67 5,276.67 14,928.33 2,183.28 2,394.17

27-months Seller 2,386.78 2,526.67 5,286.67 15,028.33 2,188.28 2,404.17

27-months Mean 2,384.28 2,521.67 5,281.67 14,978.33 2,185.78 2,399.17

APRILTHE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE


Primary Aluminium

2,136.25

Aluminium Alloy

1,978.41

Copper 5,202.65

Lead 954.00

Nickel 14,617.31

Tin 7,213.90

SHG Zinc 2,513.29








$6,294 Copper 3 month seller



METAL MONITOR

Neither the LME nor any of its directors, offi cers or employees shall, except in the case of fraud or wilful neglect, be under any liability whatsoever either in contract or in tort in respect of any act or omission (including negligence) in relation to the preparation or publication of the data contained in the report. Lee Gibbins Market Operations



Copper

(dollars)

Lead

(dollars)

Nickel

(dollars)

Tin

(dollars)


NASAAC

(dollars)

Cash Buyer 2,377.05 2,027.29 4,733.00 1,255.07 14,544.05 7,040.95 2,089.52 2,045.29


2,377.86 2,034.43 4,734.33 1,256.33 14,555.24 7,051.43 2,090.31 2,049.05

Cash Mean 2,377.45 2,030.86 4,733.67 1,255.70 14,549.64 7,046.19 2,089.92 2,047.17

3-months Buyer 2,390.57 2,060.88 4,615.14 1,218.79 14,659.29 7,055.00 2,101.29 2,086.19

3-months Seller 2,391.36 2,067.88 4,616.26 1,219.90 14,675.00 7,070.48 2,102.26 2,093.33

3-months Mean 2,390.96 2,064.38 4,615.70 1,219.35 14,667.14 7,062.74 2,101.77 2,089.76

15-months Buyer 2,258.81 2,109.76 4,005.48 1,115.29 14,219.52 6,937.38 1,960.10 2,125.0

15-months Seller 2,263.81 2,119.76 4,015.48 1,120.29 14,319.52 6,987.38 1,965.10 2,135.00

15-months Mean 2,261.31 2,114.76 4,010.48 1,117.79 14,269.52 6,962.38 1,962.60 2,130.00

27-months Buyer 2,151.67 2,123.10 3,579.29 13,678.33 1,774.81 2,123.33

27-months Seller 2,156.67 2,133.10 3,589.29 13,778.33 1,779.81 2,133.33

27-months Mean 2,154.17 2,128.10 3,584.29 13,728.33 1,777.31 2,128.33

JANUARYTHE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE


Primary Aluminium

1,961.32

Aluminium Alloy

1,678.05

Copper 3,905.17

Lead 1035.95

Nickel 12,005.72

Tin 5,815.67

SHG Zinc 2,258.81










Copper

(dollars)

Lead

(dollars)

Nickel

(dollars)

Tin

(dollars)


NASAAC

(dollars)

Cash Buyer 2,454.50 2,326.95 4,980.93 1,275.35 14,971.25 7,812.00 2,218.43 2,171.53


2,455.33 2,334.05 4,982.40 1,277.05 14,978.75 7,826.25 2,219.38 2,176.90

Cash Mean 2,454.91 2,330.50 4,981.66 1,276.20 14,975.00 7,819.13 2,218.90 2,174.21

3-months Buyer 2,480.63 2,330.00 4,903.18 1,256.73 15,101.50 7,781.25 2,237.63 2,203.75

3-months Seller 2,481.53 2,339.25 4,904.68 1,258.38 15,113.00 7,797.25 2,238.70 2,214.25

3-months Mean 2,481.08 2,334.63 4,903.93 1,257.55 15,107.25 7,789.25 2,238.16 2,209.00

15-months Buyer 2,377.40 2,354.75 4,424.25 1,169.00 14,391.50 7,658.50 2,112.75 2,232.75

15-months Seller 2,382.40 2,364.75 4,434.25 1,174.00 14,491.50 7,708.50 2,117.75 2,242.75

15-months Mean 2,379.90 2,359.75 4,429.25 1,171.50 14,441.50 7,683.50 2,115.25 2,237.75

27-months Buyer 2,280.70 2,367.00 3,970.50 13,565.75 1,911.40 2,238.00

27-months Seller 2,285.70 2,377.00 3,980.50 13,665.75 1,916.40 2,248.00

27-months Mean 2,283.20 2,372.00 3,975.50 13,615.75 1,913.90 2,243.00

FEBRUARYTHE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE


Primary Aluminium

2,055.71

Aluminium Alloy

1,954.57

Copper 4,172.09

Lead 1069.06

Nickel 12,542.91

Tin 6,553.76

SHG Zinc 1,858.17











HAVE YOUR SAY IN...

Freddy Lama , managing director, Nova

BOILER THE

ROOM

It is not a secret within the MEP fi eld in the UAE that MEP consultants are increasingly facing performance issues due to the strain of competi-tion and a markedly increased work load. Specifi cally, the level of quality of design, effi ciency of operations, and the enforcement of standards have all fallen victim to the cut-throat rivalry that consulting fi rms are experiencing.

This has serious implications for the timeliness and quality of the projects they oversee. Unbeknownst to the client, there are also a myriad of unseen costs such as the imple-

mentation of inappropriate solutions, the endorsement of outdated designs, and even the approval and specifi cation of dangerous or fake building materials.

Often, it is left to the main contractor or the MEP subcontractor to redesign a project’s most critical components – its electromechani-cal guts. Additionally, responsibility of this redesign is shared and even sometimes transferred to the party executing the works. Obviously, this is straying far from the mandate of the MEP consultant’s fi duciary and contractual duty.

When confronted, the usual response from consultants, off the record, of course, is to blame low margins, tight schedules, interfer-ing clients and occasionally the admission of lack of competence on their part. Are these valid reasons? Maybe, but they are certainly not acceptable excuses. The science of engineering does not factor for a willing erosion of standards by those responsible for them, regard-less of the causes. And when this happens, the end product is directly and adversely affected.

Although there are quality con-tractors and responsible consulting fi rms out there, it is becoming diffi cult for professional attitudes to prevail in the current market environment. Even the highest caliber names in the industry take short cuts whenever they feel the impact will be manageable. And as quality is frequently not rewarded, much less sought after by clients, the focus of the market is on lowest prices and fastest execution.

Certainly, clients and contrac-tors may be partially responsible

for the relatively poor state of quality in the MEP industry, but the ultimate accountability remains in the domain of the responsible MEP consulting engineer. After all, his job is to ensure the sanctity of all decisions pertaining to his sphere of responsibility. If that is not possible, he should make it known. If his margins are too low, then he should ask for more. If he can’t ask for more, then he should leave the mar-ket rather than compromise on his engineering integrity. But under no circumstance should a consultant be allowed to get away with shoddy designs, specifi cation of ineffective solutions, or even turning a blind eye to dangerous building materials.

The consulting engineer should present a dedicated set of speci-fi cations, tailored for the project in hand, rather than accumulat-ing volumes of pages from other projects and bundling them in a thick book of specifi cations full of contradictions and with missing vital technical elements.

More important, the consult-ing engineer’s offi ce should have

honest, hardworking supervisors that will carry out systematic and impartial supervision of the project in question to ensure that even on a daily basis, the works of the MEP contractor are proceeding as per the specifi cations or approved deviations.

In reality, for most projects, there is little supervision by the MEP con-sulting offi ce of the work under way, due to the lack of staff or related costs. Subsequently, the quality of the end product is at the mercy of the ethical and professional stan-dards of the MEP contractor, which is basically analogous to allowing the wolf to guard the chickens.

Have MEP consultants completely lost control?

Documents

Mep june 2006 first edition volume01 issue 01