MEP Middle East - Nov 2009

MIDDLE EAST

Essential information for mechanical, electrical and plumbing professionals

LOCAL NEWS p5

HVAC MARKET p65

LEGAL ISSUES p69

BUSINESS LEADS p71

METAL MONITOR p73

An ITP Business Publication • November 2008 Vol 3. Issue 11

MAINTENANCE THAT MATTERS FOR MEP SYSTEMS

Trade show takes centre stage as the construction industry gathers in Dubai

BIGBIG

BUILDINGS CAN BREATHE EASY WITH THE RIGHT VENTILATION

The

www.arabianbusiness.com/construction

NOVEMBER 2008 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 11

November 2008 - MEP Middle East 1

CONTENTS

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39

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3 COMMENT

5-15 UPDATE

20 THE BIG INTERVIEWPeter Ward speaks to CML Inter-national’s Kevin Day on the role of commissioning in the MEP sector and future growth in the market.

25 VENTILATIONHow does ventilation affect indoor air quality? What more can be done in this region to achieve better results? Peter Ward reports on industry developments.

28 FM ANSWERSHow does the facilities manage-ment industry provide answers to MEP related problems? Peter Ward investigates.

32 ON SITEGreg Whitaker visits Motor City to report on the district cooling plants currently under construction there.

39 THE BIG 5 PREVIEWMEP Middle East provides a preview of some of the companies exhibiting at the upcoming con-struction bonanza, The Big 5.

57 MEP SOLUTIONSManoher Raghavan reveals the ben-efi ts in cost effi ciency, worker safety and productivity that can be gained through choosing the right products and solutions for the local working environment.

61 PRESSURE STEP DE-GASSERSFlamco’s Jim Martin looks in detail at the role of pressure step de-gassers in removing air from a closed, chilled or heated water system, to help avoid noise or cavitation.

65 HVAC MARKET UPDATE

69 LEGAL

71 BUSINESS LEADS

73 METAL MONITOR

77 TENDERS

79 APPOINTMENTS

80 A MINUTE OF YOUR TIMERamzi Nassif of Leviton discusses the company’s potential.

Everybody is talking "going green". We have the right solar and renewable energy solutions for you.

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System solutionsPerfectly matchingproducts

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The Viessmann Group, whose head office is locatedin Germany, is an internationally leading manufacturer of heating system technology. With its current productrange, Viessmann offers heating equipment in threedistinct categories with output ranging from 1.5 kW to20 MW. On offer are freestanding and wall mountedboilers for oil and gas, DHW calorifiers, as well assystems utilising renewables, such as heat pumps, solar heating systems and boilers for sustainable fuels.The product range is rounded off with control tech-nology and data communication equipment. Viessmannrepresents quality made in Germany.

Check us out at www.viessmann.com.

Domestic boilers,DHW cylinders and calorifiers

Wall mountedboilers

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COMMENT

October 2008 - MEP Middle East 3

COMMENTSDo you have any comments about the MEP industry in the Middle East? Please email any letters to: [email protected] or post to: MEP Middle East, ITP, Garhoud Road, PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE.

Progress reportIt is always interesting to see what’s going on in your indus-try. Colleagues, competitors and other industry peers can be a useful source of information, offering new insights into an in-dustry you all know well. If you are lucky they may also tip you off on some new business.

It is this prospect of fi nding a new contract or a new cus-

tomer that keeps people coming back to events like the Big 5, which takes place at the end of November. An event of this size is a crucial opportunity for the industry as a whole to get together, share ideas and push progress in important areas such as sustainability, green building and regulations. These are areas where change in this region happen quickly. Touching base with industry fi g-ures from around the GCC provides an opportunity to get a progress report on just how things are changing.

While the Big 5 is a headline grabber, smaller events need to be in the diary too. The opportunity to build a network and get time with important players is often greater at more intimate events. October’s IDEA confer-ence is a good example of this. With district cooling still being a relatively new sector for the industry as a whole – one still learning and growing – there’s a signifi cant benefi t to be had when everyone gets together. The ex-

change of information is essential for the development of regional best practice.

“There is nothing like talking to someone who un-derstands the problems you have,” said Rob Thornton, president, IDEA. “Bringing people together at events such as this is the best way to solve problems.”

This is why organisations such as IDEA, CIBSE and ASHRAE are so vital. Their existence and activity help to ensure a community spirit within industries and help people learn.

“Through networking and also participating in activi-ties, you can improve your technical skills and you can get ideas from others as well as give your ideas to oth-ers,” said Yousef Alshaer, president of ASHRAE.

As organisations like this grow in the region and are increasingly recognised by their respective industries, the amount of information sharing can only improve. Not only that, regular interaction will also help indus-try sectors mature, develop a distinct identity and a clear voice.

In the case of the MEP industry, some of that voice will be heard on December 3. That’s the date of the MEP Middle East Conference and also of the second annual MEP Awards. Both events will provide an opportunity to meet and share ideas. We hope to see you there.

Stuart MatthewsSenior Group Editor


MIDDLE EAST

Published by and © 2008 ITP Business Publishing, a member of the ITP Publishing Group Ltd. Registered in the B.V.I. under Company Registration number 1402846

EDITORIAL

Senior Group Editor Stuart MatthewsTel: +971 4 435 6293 email: [email protected] Editor Peter WardTel: +971 4 210 8585 email: [email protected] Editor Alison Luke

ADVERTISING

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MARKETING

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POWER GENERATION CAPACITY REDUCTION


UPDATE


Rubber World bags contract for the Traders Hotel

A new division of Atkins has de-signed the structure and services for a tower for Dubai, which if completed on time, is set to be the world’s fi rst block that can move through 360 degrees.

Engineering group MG Ben-nett’s Associates, which became part of Atkins in October, designed the tower, named 55ºTimeDubai, to move at a stately 1.4cm per hour, taking a week to complete a whole revolution. Despite the apparent complexity, the project will draw on a mix of long-proven

Rotating tower puts services in a spin

Rubber World Industries has won a contract worth US $113,000 (AED418,000) to supply rubber insulation products to the Traders Hotel project in Abu Dhabi.

Al Jabber LEGT Engineering and Contracting, the main MEP contractor on the project, also se-lected the company to provide in-sulation tapes and adhesive to the heating, ventilation and air condi-tioning (HVAC) systems in the site as well as the Gulf-O-Flex rubber installation products.

The hotel will feature 240 rooms and is to be located in the Umm Al Nar area. Design of the hotel has been completed by KEO Interna-tional Consultants.

Rubber World Industries man-aging director Abu Baker Shai-khani has revealed the emphasis the fi rm is putting on ensuring effi cient and sustainable prod-ucts are used: “We recognise the important role our products have in the overall effi ciency and sus-tainability of a structure, and this is our motivation for discover-ing more breakthrough features, which will benefi t the developers, contractors, hotel industry players and end-users.”

technologies. Nick Cooper, MD, Atkins Bennett said: “The secret to designing complex structures is not to come up with a unique one off solution what can be dif-ferent, we look at what is around that works, so using existing technology”

The building will use a modular fl oating bearing system, claimed by the designer to supersede any other rotational technology seen in the past. “We had to design a machine that was energy effi -cient, with precision engineering

in mind, but also make sure that it would be serviceable to move the building for the life of the super-structure,” Cooper said.

Built on a steel frame, the ser-vices will all run through a cen-tral core. Drawing on experience of building oil rigs, the engineer has specifi ed couplings similar to those used for docking tankers on to offshore platforms.

In turn, power will be supplied by electrical pick-ups similar to railway pantographs. The services are all arranged so maintenance

can be carried out without disrup-tion to the residents.

Despite the high construction costs and relative complexity of the project, developer Tav Sing insisted that there is a market for revolving towers. “It’s no longer about just living in the city, it’s now about living with the whole city in a moving masterpiece that enables you to experience a new sunrise, a new day, a new dusk and a new night every 24 hours,” he said while speaking at the Cityscape exhibition.

The date of the gala dinner for the MEP Middle East Awards 2008

3 DECEMBER ‘08For details see www.itp.net/events/mepawards

ABB has released a new product for integrated process and elec-trical automation. The Extended Automation System 800xA is de-signed to provides a platform for operations to increase productivity and power reliability for process manufacturing.

By integrating these systems on the common 800xA platform, ABB claims customers will be able to realise reductions in maintenance, engineering and overall lifecycle costs. In addition to overall opera-tional advantages, AB is confi dent the initial investment costs for an integrated system can be 20% less than the cost of two non-integrated systems.

The system’s information inte-gration and visualisation capabili-ties make it possible to connect the electrical power control system, so operators can view and control both systems in one user interface. Integrated process and electrical systems makes it possible to run power management applications in the process automation system, providing a power control system that reduces the possibility of power interruptions or blackouts, while optimising all operations and assets, including the ones of the electrical part of the plant.

Process automation integration

LG_MultiV MEP-FP_AD.ai 4/2/08 11:25:36 AMLG_MultiV MEP-FP_AD.ai 4/2/08 11:25:36 AM


UPDATE


The Sunland Group has launched a new US$1.6 billion (AED6 bil-lion) mixed use development in Madinat Al Arab. The Atrium will feature two rising towers that will join together at the 47th level.

Details of the MEP contracts are to be released shortly for the project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2013. The Sunland Group are aiming to achieve the gold LEED standard for the de-velopment, which will front onto Marine Beach Park.

Leisure and business facilities will be available in the building, which will include swimming pools and a golf simulator.

Sunland Group founder and managing director Soheil Abe-dian commented on the location of the tower in the Waterfront masterplan: “We wanted to create an iconic residential building that complements the masterplan and that people will notice and will speak about for years to come.”

Sunland launches Atrium

MEP Awards sponsors revealedTrane has been announced as the latest sponsor for the MEP Middle East Awards, where it will endorse the Sustainable Designer of the Year category. Leminar is a gold sponsor of the Awards, which will be held in the Mina A’Salam, Dubai on 3 December.

Trane general manager Michel Farah expressed his pride in the

company sponsoring this category in particular: “Sponsoring the Sus-tainable Designer of the Year award matches the positioning of our com-pany. The products we design and produce are designed to be energy effi cient and to contribute to lower-ing greenhouse gasses and CO2.”

Leminar will sponsor the Major MEP Project Manager of the Year

and MEP Project Manager of the Year awards. Platinum sponsors Drake & Scull will support the Young Engineer of the Year and MEP Consultancy of the Year cat-egories, Ducab will endorse the MEP contractor of the year gong, while Faisal Al Jassim is sponsoring the Major MEP Project and Innova-tion of the Year.

Shanghai & Arabian Electrome-chanical is to install elevators into the Champions Tower 1 and Cambridge Business Centre in a deal worth US $300,000 (AED1.1 million).

The contract, awarded by de-veloper Memon Investments, in-cludes three high-speed elevators for Champions Tower 1 and a ser-

vice elevator and two passenger elevators for the Cambridge Busi-ness Centre. The fi rm will also of-fer 18 months of servicing on the elevators. Champions Tower 1 is located in the Dubai Sports City, while Cambridge Business Centre is in Dubai Silicon Oasis.

Installation is scheduled to be completed within six months of

materials arriving on site, a hoist-way being constructed and the provision of an uninterrupted power supply. The elevators will include technologies such as the Advanced Group Control with Ar-tifi cial Intelligence and Fuzz Logic and will aim to reduce power con-sumption through effi cient han-dling of car allocation.

Elevator contracts awarded for towers

EVENTS

VALVE WORLD 20084-6 November, Maastricht, NetherlandsAimed at fl ow control professionals, Valve World 2008 will be attended by exhibitors from across the globe and will run for three days. Web: www.valve-world.net

CW CONFERENCE5 November, DubaiThe annual conference will feature speakers covering topics such as health and safety, utilities and plant, machinery and vehicles. A roundtable discussion will be held on the challenges facing the MEP industry. Web: www.itp.net/events/cwconference

CONSTRUCTION WEEK AWARDS 20085 November, DubaiCelebrating innovation and excellence in the construction industry, categories of awards include MEP contractor of the year, project of the year and developer of the year. They will be held at the Westin in Dubai. Web: www.itp.net/events/cwawards

WORKING BUILDINGS MIDDLE EAST17-18 November, Abu DhabiHeld at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, exhibitions, conferences and presentations on research into the fi elds of building and facilities management will be offered. Web: www.workingbuildingsme.com

THE BIG 523-27 November, DubaiThis year the Big 5 will focus on sustainability. The Big 5 technical conference, The Big Green Trail and green building awards will run during the show with the aim of improving green building awareness. Big 5 PMV will run alongside the event at the same location, Dubai International Exhibition Centre. Web: www.thebig5exhibition.com


UPDATE


DSI restarts work on the Infinity Tower project

SNC Lavalin is to open a subsid-iary offi ce in Saudi Arabia, as the fi rm looks to capitalise on the widespread use of district cooling in the country.

Speaking at the IDEA confer-ence, SNC Lavalin managing director Paul Beaudry revealed: “On the district cooling side of or company right now we are in the UAE, Bahrain and we are opening a subsidiary in Saudi Arabia, its in the process of being done.”

He added: “We see Saudi Ara-bia as being a major player in this area. It’s going to be a full company there and we are bid-ding on a certain amount of proj-ects. Saudi Arabia is one of those countries where everything there is huge, so you can rapidly get gigantic there.”

Saudi Arabia is one of the coun-tries in the Middle East that cur-rently employs a day night tariff system for electricity. This is

seen as an advantage for district cooling as plants can use sys-tems, such as thermal storage, to further save on power con-sumption. Beaudry commented: “The day night rates there are very good. Day night rates are something that is very good for the district energy industry and it would favour all kinds of op-tions such as the thermal storage tanks and ice storage. These are things that work very well and it

is something we feel will be very benefi cial.”

Although Saudi Arabia is seen as one of the most infl uential countries for district cooling, the UAE accounts for the largest por-tion of plants in the Middle East, with 64% located in the country. Beadury also praised the level of district energy in this region, stat-ing that the concept works best in extreme temperatures, making this area perfect.

SNC Lavalin announce Saudi growth

Drake and Scull International has announced that work on Infi nity Tower has restarted and is sched-uled to be completed in 2011.

The fi rm was awarded the contract, worth US$39 million (AED145 million), in 2006 to supply, install, test and commis-sion the complete MEP works on the project.

The MEP works includes air conditioning, ventilation, a build-ing management system and a lighting control system, among other technology and systems. The main contractor appointed for the construction of the tower, which is to be 330 metres high, is Arabtec. The building is created in the shape of a helix, with each fl oor rotated by 1.2o to achieve a full 90o spiral and was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merill.

Drake and Scull International CEO Khaldoun Tabari announced the fi rm is “delighted” that work has restarted on the project. He added that the company is proud to be involved with the project.

The tower is set to include a health spa, gymnasium, confer-ence centre and outdoor tennis court, the developer of the project is Cayan Investments.

Palm Monorail begins testing

Site testing has begun on the monorail trains on Palm Jumeirah, after the trains arrived from Japan this weekend.

Two of the trains, supplied by Hitachi, were raised onto the track of the Nakheel development and have begun making test journeys

with the RTA and railway op-erators SMRTE monitoring their progress. The Palm Monorail is a fully automatic, driverless system that is scheduled to carry up to 2,400 passengers every hour and will connect up with the Dubai Metro when both projects are

completed. The Palm Monrail will have stops at the Gateway station, Atlantis, The Palm, Trump Inter-national Hotel and Tower and the Palm Mall. The monorail is ex-pected to open in April next year with testing being carried out for the next six months.

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UPDATE


The International Code Council (ICC) has signed an agreement with the Department of Munici-pal Affairs (DMA) in Abu Dhabi to develop new building codes in the Emirate.

The DMA will adopt the In-ternational Building Code as a part of the agreement and the foundations for the Abu Dhabi

International Building Code will be established. The aim of the deal is to improve safety and stan-dards on construction projects in Abu Dhabi.

HE Dr Ju’an Salem Al Dhaheri, chairman of Department of Munic-ipal Affairs commented: “There is a great need to provide clear and effective regulatory codes and

guidelines that address the spe-cifi c requirements of all sectors within the construction industry. We are confi dent that through the new codes we will achieve a state-of-the-art regulatory structure that will boost the public safety and building longevity.”

Once the codes have been fully developed they will be enforced through an inspection programme throughout all construction proj-ects in the Emirate.

The two organisations also agreed to hold a joint regional conference and establish profes-sional certifi cation programmes in construction related fi elds.

Other targets set in the agree-ment included the promotion of technologies, research and services, establishing training programmes in various fi elds for Municipality employees and col-laboration on education.

See health and safety as ‘investment’

ICC to develop new Abu Dhabi building codes to improve safety

An industry expert has stressed that construction related compa-nies in the Middle East should see healthy and safety as an investment rather than a cost.

Dutco Balfour Beatty general manager Grahame McCaig com-mented: “I am a complete advocate that implementing a health and safety management system is an investment. We have to get away from this connotation of safety meaning cost. You can get medium and short term returns as well as long term.”

McCaig also praised the im-provement of health and safety in this region over the last fi ve years and said that self regulation in the best way for companies to improve further.

“My philosophy has always been that the only way to improve the health and safety within a company is for the guy who runs the organi-sation to be totally committed and totally focused. Health and safety has got to be driven from the top. That is why I’m a huge exponent of self regulation.”

He added that there is up to 5,000 projects currently being de-veloped in Dubai alone right now and it is extremely diffi cult for them all to be regulated. “People who run these companies have to look inwardly and assess if they op-erating within Dubai Municipality standards and any standards they think are applicable and if they are not then that individual has to make sure his company comes into line.”

TRAINING CENTRE

Dutco Balfour Beatty has opened a training and health and safety centre in Jebel Ali, with the aim of better educating its staff on safety issues. The facility will offer basic construction skills training to labourers looking to move into skilled profes-sions, as well as the health and safety programme that will be used by all parts of the company, including BK Gulf.

The centre has been certifi ed by the UK’s CITB Construction-Skills Authority and the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). McCaig described the dual certifi cation as an honour and revealed that participants on the courses offer receive certifi cates from the relevant bodies certifying the courses.

The International Code Council and Abu Dhabi’s DMA have agreed to develop building codes.

Cooling contract announced for Jumeirah Village

Palm Utilities is to supply 200,000TR to Jumeirah Village South in a deal that includes the construction of six district cooling facilities for the development.

Work is underway on three of the facilities, including one for the Ju-meirah Village South Circle which will supply 150,000TR. A separate facility is to deliver 50,000TR to Ju-meirah Village South Triangle.

The fi rm has also announced plans to set up fi eld offi ces in Abu Dhabi, where ADWEA recently indicated a 43% increase in the demand for water over the next fi ve years.

Chairman of Palm Utilities Ahmed Butti explained. “The number of projects being commis-sioned has increased considerably as developers and master planners acknowledge the long-term impact in terms of sustainability, effi ciency and pricing.”


UPDATE


Nakheel’s latest development, which features a tower reaching more than 1km high, will use a design team consisting of over 20 specialist consultants including MEP, it has been revealed.

The entire Nakheel Harbour and Tower project will feature more than 40 towers, ranging from 20-90 fl oors.

Details of contracts for the project will be announced shortly and Nakheel are hop-ing to achieve the highest level of LEED certifi cation possible for a building the size of the main tower.

Although fi gures are unavail-able at this time, Nakheel says the tower will have enough cool-ing capacity to service over 14,000 modern homes and 14 luxury resort hotels. Among the 150 lifts in the building will be high speed shuttles.

Nakheel launches super-tall tower Nakheel Tower includes four

separate elements inside one structure, giving the building more rigidity. Due to the height of the building, the atmosphere at the top will be 10oC lower than at the bottom. In total, approximate-ly 30,000 workers will be used on the development.

The total project, currently val-ued at US $38.12 billion will also include the world’s fi rst man made inland city harbour.

Nakheel’s chief executive Chris O’Donnell has said the project is expected to take more than 10 years to complete and that pre-liminary foundation works had already begun.

The development, located at the intersection of Sheikh Zayed Road and the US $11 billion Arabian Ca-nal currently under construction, will cover an area of more than 2.7 million m2.

Dubai Ice Rink detail unveiled

Dubai Ice Rink at the Dubai Mall is to have a 38mm thick ice bed in or-der to cope with the level of multi-activity skating expected there, it has been revealed.

The rink will use refrigeration

plant technology involving a lay-ering process, with thin layers of water frozen directly onto the con-crete platform and then the rink it-self. A network of pipes and coils is embedded in the platform and gly-

col is then pushed through them to provide refrigeration.

Dubai Ice Rink operations man-ager Richard Rowlands comment-ed: “The advanced technology used at the Dubai Ice Rink ensures that the consistency of the ice bed is maintained at all times. By incorpo-rating the refrigerator technology of pushing in glycol through a net-work of pipes, and monitoring the cooling over a period of fi ve to six days, the 38mm ice bed is tailored to withstand multiple activities in a safe environment.”

A built-in thermostat will auto-matically adjust the cooling system to ensure the ice stays frozen on the Olympic-sized rink. The ice will be cleaned and resurfaced regu-larly in order to maintain quality at the facility, which has capacity for up to 1,000 skaters on the rink and 350 spectators.

A concept image of Nakheel’s proposed tower.

Thin layers of water are frozen on to a concrete platform to create the ice rink.

An industry expert has called on the MEP industry to focus on sustainable growth in the sector rather than “ups and downs”.

Trane general manager Michel Farah explained: “For the manu-facturers the MEP industry is a very important market, especially if we see some infrastructure and development which will mean everyone working towards more sustainable growth in the future.”

Farah also commented on the fi rm’s aims to become more en-ergy effi cient in the future: “The products we design and produce are designed to be energy effi -cient and to contribute to lowering greenhouse gasses and CO2 emis-sions. This is something we have had as a policy for our own offi ces. Next year we have a target to re-duce our energy use by 15%.”

Sector needs steady growth


UPDATE


Viessmann has begun installation of steam and condensing boilers at the Ottoman Palace develop-ment on the Palm Jumeirah. The fi rm is to supply three Vitocrossal 300 systems and two steam gen-erators for the project.

Weishaupt modulating burn-ers with low emissions are used with the boilers for the SNG gas, which is supplied to the Palm. The boilers have been delivered and installation is scheduled to be completed before the end of the year. The project is being devel-oped by Zabeel Properties and ZSML has been appointed as the MEP contractor.

“The system is divided into a steam circuit where only the steam consumers like the laun-dry and kitchen is connected and a hot water circuit, which deliv-ers the energy for all hot water

circuits and the pool heating,” Viessmann General Manager Murat Aydemir explained.

“The hot water circuit is fed by the condensing boilers and this has the advantage that the con-densing boilers have an effi cien-cy of up to 109% and are almost maintenance free,” he said.

“Their losses are very low and compared to a conventional steam systems, you can save up to 30% on the fuel.”

The development is a fi ve star hotel with 38 villas and is sched-uled for completion at the end of this year.

The system being installed by Viessmann is compatible with SNG gas as well as solar energy, should the operators of the build-ing choose to make use of solar thermal energy options at any point in the future.

Solar standards wanted

Palm Jumeirah boiler installation under way

An expert on solar energy in build-ing design has called for global standardisation of solar technology

in order to maximize its use in fu-ture projects. Dr Stephen Treado, associate coordinator on the White House task force on energy, be-lieves an international bank of in-formation on solar related products would make it easier for designers and contractors to integrate them into buildings.

Dr Treado said: “What can inter-national standards do? I think they would allow us to characterise per-formance of things like solar de-fl ectors and photovoltaic panels so we can assess their performance. We can also provide some assur-ances through rating and labeling that particular products will be able to meet expectations.”

Speaking at an ISO conference, Dr Treado also spoke on the fac-tors preventing the use of photo-

voltaic technology: “Lifecycle costs are the number one barrier. In the US, the payback period is still many decades. Bringing the cost down is very important and maybe standar-disation can do that because when you make a product easier to install and remove the fear factor you can achieve more.”

Other barriers to the use of PV technology in buildings include a lack of standardised gird protocols, no uniform regulations and not enough qualifi ed system designers and installers, reported Dr Treado. He added: “With PV systems they are sold on the basis of dollars per hour so the initial power rating is very important – it’s critical. If you have uncertainty in the power rat-ing then you can cause a variation of many thousands of dollars.”

Stephen Treado has called for standardisation.

IN BRIEF

RSS AND SHOAIBI AGREE JVRental Solutions and Services has signed a joint venture with the Shoaibi Group to supply temporary cooling and power services within Saudi Arabia. The Shoaibi Group will offer resources and knowledge of the local market while RSS will offer its technical capabilities.

GRAPHISOFT’S MEP MODELERGraphisoft has made its MEP modeler product available on Windows and Macintosh platforms. The software enables users to create and coordinate MEP systems using the ArchiCAD Virtual Building programme. Users can create, import and edit 3D MEP networks, helping to minimise overruns during the design and construction process.

ASHRAE AND IFMA SIGN DEALThe American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has signed an agreement with the International Facilities Management Association to increase cooperation between the two groups. The organisations will collaborate on projects, publications, research and educational offerings. ASHRAE and IFMA will also work on legislative and regulatory issues.

CIBSE ENDORSES NESCIBSE is to promote the National Engineering Specifi cation (NES) alongside the Amtech group. Under the agreement signed by CIBSE and Amtech, CIBSE will exclusively endorse the NES software, training and associated customer services.

DEWALT MOVES HEADQUARTERSDewalt has moved its headquarters to a larger location in Jebel Ali Free Zone in order to cope with growth in the region. The new base includes a health and safety training facility which provides guidance on how tool supplied by Dewalt should be used in 250 different job-site applications. The fi rm has also invested in a team of product and application specialists.

R&M celebrates tenth year working in the Middle East

Swiss cabling company R&M recently celebrated its tenth an-niversary operating in the Middle East and has predicted further growth in the region.

In a celebratory dinner in Dubai, the fi rm announced sales of US$21 million (AED77 million) for 2007 and expects that fi gure to reach US$32 million (AED120 million) for 2008. R&M CEO Martin Reich-le commented: “The past ten years have been an exciting journey for R&M in the Middle East; a unique region known for its rapid growth and huge market potential as well as its prolifi c rise to becoming one of the leading business hubs of the world.”

He added: “Last year we closed on AED77 million, representing an increase of 119% from the previous year and outlook for this year is to reach AED120 million by end of the year.”

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INTERNATIONAL UPDATE


USA: EMCOR’s Tucker Mechanical unit has been awarded contracts to install mechanical and fi re protection systems for projects at Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in the state of Connecticut. The company will be responsible for the installation of a 2000-ton chiller and associated primary and secondary pumps for the expansion of the resort’s central utility plant, as well as the electrical upgrades required to support an additional chiller at the central utility plant. Tucker is also responsible for the installation of the fi re protection, plumbing, and HVAC systems in a new fi ve-story, 165,000 square foot Mohegan Tribal Government and Community Center that includes tribal offi ces, a courtroom, library, gymnasium, arts and crafts center, and cafeteria.

USA: Design Master Software has released two new products for the MEP sector: Design Master Electri-cal Contractor and Design Master Plumbing. Design Master Electrical Contractor is a new version of Design Master Electrical that includes ad-ditional features for the design/build contractor. It includes integrated drafting and calculation features, plus quantity takeoffs that extend the electrical building model into the estimating phase of the project. Design Master Plumbing is a new building information modeling (BIM) program that is built specifi cally for plumbing designers. The focus on plumbing-specifi c BIM allows plumbing designers to collaborate with others using BIM.

UK: An energy research centre has been launched at Baglan Energy Park, in the UK. The new £2.2m Hydrogen Centre, developed by the University of Glamorgan, will demonstrate the viability and safety of producing hydro-gen from renewable resources in Wales. The centre is intending to bring the use of hydrogen as a renewable fuel source one step closer. Professor Dennis Hawkes, who is leading the project, said: “Rather than an isolated one-off demonstration, this centre provides the basis for a range of hydrogen energy and transport activities. The project puts Wales at the forefront of European efforts to develop hydrogen communities.”

SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa’s state power utility Eskom has announced plans to almost double its gen-eration capacity by 2026, as it seeks to ease power shortages that have dented eco-nomic growth. In part this expansion will be achieved through the development of new electricity generating plants and expand the transmission lines. “Eskom will double its capacity to 80,000 megawatts by 2026,” from the current level of 43,037 megawatts, the company said in a statement.

UK:CIBSE has endorsed NES Specifi cation Expert as the recommended software for use in the building services industry. The organisation has backed the AMTECH Group in its promotion of the National Engineering Specifi cation (NES) software packages; Specifi cation Expert and O&M. Under the new agreement, CIBSE will exclusively endorse the National Engineer-ing Specifi cation (NES) software, training and associated customer services, and now recom-mends the products and services for use by building specialists.

GERMANY: With plastic increasingly being used as a construction mate-rial, which poses the problem of joining dissimilar material classes, an effi cient and practical solution. A new laser-as-sisted joining process, LIFTEC, developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT offers an answer. The newly developed process (patent pending) works by heat-ing a component, or a part of it, by laser radiation, which passes through the plastic joining partner. The component is pressed onto the plastic part under mechanical pressure, then heated, and fi nally pushed into the plastic by further mechanical pressure.

AUSTRALIA: In an engineering operation lasting several hours, six massive 22 tonne diesel power generators were lifted fi ve fl oors by crane and installed into the purpose built Polaris Data Centre in Queensland, as part of the state’s new data centre, one of the largest and costliest in Australia.. The data centre, dubbed Polaris 1, is a joint venture between insurer Suncorp and the Springfi eld Land Corporation. Polaris 1 uses environmentally-con-scious resources and tech-nology, including non-potable water for cooling, saving a potential 650,000 litres a day, trigeneration power feeds, and rotary Uninter-ruptible Power Supplies (UPSs) which do away with a fl eet of lead-acid batteries.

20 MEP Middle East - November 2008 www.arabianbusiness.com/construction

THE BIG INTERVIEW

COMMISSIONING CONTROL

Commissioning management is forming an increasing part of building management before and after a buildings handover. Peter Ward talks to Kevin Day and Kevin Savage on the commissioning process and what future they see for their company,

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Kevin Day and Kevin Savage: Up close and personal

KEVIN DAY

Born in the UK, Day moved to Dubai in 1997 and is a partner of the company. • He worked in testing and balancing in the UK before undertak-ing training in commissioning management with CML.• His fi rst job in the Middle East was Wafi Pyramids Health Club.• Day enjoys wakeboarding in his spare time. His favourite things about Dubai are the cosmopolitan lifestyle, cheap petrol, no tax and nice cars.

KEVIN SAVAGE

• Savage joined CML in 1985 and has gradually worked his way up in the company, moving to Dubai in 1995. • He is now general manager in the Middle East and a partner. • His background is in testing and balancing engineering. • He enjoys playing golf and running in his spare time. • Savage’s fi rst job in the Middle East with CML was on Zabeel Palace


THE BIG INTERVIEW


that we are being brought in at the beginning of jobs because we now write commission-ing plans, which is basically a specifi cation of what contractors need to do at the end of the job. On occasions we have been bought in at the end of the job when they are trying to get it over the line and we say know you’re doing that wrong and this wrong and we butt heads. But usually we come out friendly with the contractors.”

One of the most important aspects of the work of a commissioning manager is ensur-ing all safety equipment is working properly before a building is handed over. It is a real danger that systems such as fi re alarms could be installed incorrectly and from the day the end user moves in they can be in danger. Day comments: “We will get the contractors or

The most technical aspects of a building are found in the MEP plant and with all such things, the more technical something is the more prone it is to complications. Facilities mangers will tell of the problems a building can have during its lifetime, this makes it even more crucial for the construction to be in the best shape it can be prior to its handover. Commissioning managers offer an independent adjudication on develop-ments to ensure just this.

CML International is one of the major MEP commissioners in the Middle East and the fi rm describes its trade as “the practice that ensures clients receive fully integrated, safe and economi-cal buildings.” The company was set up in the UK in 1983 and moved out to Dubai in 1994 and has been enjoying success for many years now. Part-ner of the company Kevin Day explains: “In the mid 90s we saw the need for our services in this part of the world and decided to set up in Dubai which was a good choice. We went through a few years of lean times but with the boom in the mar-ket it really picked up.”

Day arrived in Dubai three years after CML had been set up here by his father Terry Day. Originally in testing and balancing, he moved into commissioning management after taking in-house training with CML in the UK. Day de-scribes the job that the fi rm is doing in the re-gion: “Commissioning management was known in the UK but out here no one understood why it was required. Commissioning management ba-sically fi lls the gaps between the contractor, the consultant and the project managers. We make sure the building is closed out and what the cli-ent buys is what they get, we hand over to the client a fully integrated safe building.”

MIDDLE EAST MOVEKevin Savage is also a partner at CML and gen-eral manager or the company in the Middle East. He arrived in Dubai with CML in 1995 after working for the fi rm back in the UK since 1985. He describes how CML works with MEP professionals: “We work very closely with the MEP contractors and consultants, we are a third party independent organisation and as such we are there to make sure the job is done. We don’t own any part of it, we didn’t design any part of it so we just come in and try and make sure that all the contractors and consul-tants gel. We have no hidden agenda. We are there in the middle and on the ground as these projects are built.”

Although the dynamic of the relationship between commissioners and MEP contrac-tors would suggest that there could be fric-tion, Day reveals that there are rarely clashes: “We do have a good relationship with the MEP contractors and consultants, more so now

“We work very close-ly with the MEP con-tractors and consul-tants.”

Kevin Day of CML International.


THE BIG INTERVIEW

specialists to test 100% of these systems and make sure the building interfacing between all the systems is done correctly. The biggest problem people have over here is they have all these expensive systems but they don’t work because they are not ever tested or integrated properly.”

FOLLOWING LEEDOne factor that has helped CML become more successful is the stipulation in LEED ratings that every project must have a client-appointed commissioning manager involved from an early stage. Savage states: “More of our work now is directly with clients rather than the MEP con-tractors, we’ve moved away from them and we’ve become more and more independent as we’ve moved up the ladder. So now we are working for a client or a project manager. With the LEED jobs we have to be client appointed and we are actually getting on board prior to the contractors being appointed.” Day states: “Although LEED is a new system here, commissioning manage-ment is not. The USGBC simply understands that having an independent specialist party on a project leads to a better commissioned there-fore more economical building.”

Since moving out to Dubai, the company has been involved in some of the biggest projects in the Middle East, including Burj Dubai, the Bahrain World Trade Centre and the Burj Al

Arab, although the time here has presented the fi rm with some obstacles. Day explains: “The main challenges are getting the contractors to understand that we are not living ten years ago in Dubai, when you just put everything to-gether and turned it on. You’ll probably fi nd a lot of buildings in this region that haven’t even been commissioned but you’ll fi nd that those buildings are the least economical and prone to failure.” He adds that another challenge is in cable testing in this region, with some contrac-tors failing to understand that the cables need to be tested under cold conditions as well as when they are live.

Day and Savage both agree on the MEP plant which presents the biggest frustration to them in their jobs; electrical systems and chemical treatment fl ushing. Day states: “The biggest problems are the electrical systems, getting people to test their panels and electrical systems properly is diffi cult,” states Day. “Flushing is a huge problem, chemical treatment fl ushing. Not least because getting the water in and out of sites is diffi cult. People need to change to fl ush-ing using fi lter-based because you use a tenth of the amount of water. That also fi ts in with LEED and you are saving energy throughout your con-struction.”

Another part of the work in commissioning is to provide contractors, specialists and sub-contractors with method statements, as Day ex-plains: “We will go in at an early stage and give them a template. We’ll give it to the relevant con-tractors, specialists, sub contractors etc on the project, they will then write a method statement and we will sit with them and make sure it is up to the right standard. Then when it comes to the time to commission that piece of kit, we will have our engineers go out on site and making sure that they are following those methods and they are being commissioned correctly.”

Commissioning managers in the UAE must be adaptable due to the lack of an overruling set of regulations for building work. Projects use regulations from Europe, the US and from the Middle East but there is no one set of rules for the commissioners to work to. Day reports: “JAFZA are now coming out with a book of what is required which is very thick. We’ve always worked with the international standards though so we can only work to what the specifi cations say. We make sure the specifi cations are fol-lowed.”

There is now a healthy market for commis-sioning management in this region and it has created competition for CML, which Savage is happy to welcome: “There are several other companies carrying out commissioning man-

agement and it is such a big market we don’t be-grudge that but we certainly aren’t threatened by it. There is enough work for all of us; there is plenty of work.”

FACILITIES MANAGEMENTAs well as MEP professionals the fi rm also works with the facilities management sector. Af-ter the handover of the building CML also pro-vide training and manuals to ensure the building that has been tested can be properly looked after while it is in use. “We have a sub division where we produce our own manuals. We have a team of technical authors, document managers and we basically produce fully interactive web based manuals. That obviously helps the facilities man-agers because in some cases they get 60 fi les in different formats what we do is every one will be in the same format and it’ll be easy to use,” Day reports. “Then the FM company or who-ever runs the building afterwards will be able to search for what they need. At the end of our commissioning management role we are also in-volved in the training.” The fi rm also schedules training sessions and put together handbooks for each building service. After liaising with the facilities management company over the train-ing schedule, a specialist is then brought in to ensure the training is handled correctly.

With the construction boom continuing in this region and projects being largely left unaf-fected by the global credit crunch, Day and Sav-age can now be optimistic about the future. Day explains: “We are quite a big entity now. Dubai is going to continue to grow and the waterfront is throwing us jobs every other day. With JAFZA requiring LEED on every job we’re got so many enquiries coming through.”

It is these enquiries that are prompting the fi rm to grow beyond Dubai and into other parts of the Middle East. Day reveals that the fi rm is working on securing one big project in Abu Dhabi and a satellite offi ce will be set up there as soon as that deal is done. Other countries that CML is looking to expand into include Egypt, Qatar and Oman or as Day explains: “basically anywhere in the Middle East where anyone re-quires our service.”

Despite carrying out a vital service for the industry, it is possible for commissioners to slip under the radar. However, organisations such as the US Green Building Council and JAFZA rate them highly enough to make their partici-pation in projects mandatory and it is certain that they have an important role to play in the MEP and construction industries for a long time to come.

Day: “We will go in at an early stage.”

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VENTILATION


A building in the Middle East with poor ventilation is destined for prob-lems sooner than anywhere else in the world. The extreme heat and re-

liance on air conditioning in the area means that not only will the operational aspect of the building suffer, but also the health of the people inhabiting it. Ventilation is essential to achieving a good indoor air quality, a seri-ous matter not just for people suffering from asthma or respiratory problems, but also for the public in general.

Trane marketing manager Peter Blanch-fl ower reveals the main issues with ventila-tion in this region: “Generally speaking, not enough attention is being paid to adequate ventilation and the consequences are be-coming evident and, in some cases, serious. Many buildings, even some new and suppos-edly high-quality facilities, have insuffi cient ventilation, which can and often does lead to the spread of mould.”

Swegon regional manager Gunnar Sven-sson lists the major tasks of ventilation in the

HYPER VENTILATIONIndoor air quality is becoming an increasingly important issue in the Middle East. Peter Ward asks how much of an impact ventilation has and what obstacles are to be found in the way of progress?

Middle East as getting fresh air to people in-doors, establishing clean air in a building and taking moisture and material emissions out of buildings.

Circulation is a major part of ventilation, as Johnson Controls regional marketing manager Kilian Kelly explains: “When you are taking air from the outside you have to make sure that you aren’t placing the fresh air plants next to a toilet extract or something like that which in some cases can be the case. Replacing your main intake can be just as important as the equipment you install in the building.”

VENTILATION CHALLENGESThe main challenges with ventilation are achieving a good level of indoor air quality while ensuring low energy consumption, a minimal amount of noise and no draughts in the room being ventilated. A low amount of required maintenance and a fresh air fl ow is also required from the systems. Blanchfl ower

reports: “The objective with ventilation is to dilute the build-up of indoor contaminants us-ing clean outdoor air and to provide make-up air to replace air that is exhausted.” With this in mind it is vital to control the level of ventila-tion in a building through scheduled ventila-tion, CO2 based demand controlled ventilation and a ventilation reset control. Blanchfl ower adds: “The ability to measure and control the supply of outdoor air is the key.”

Svensson believes many of these issues can be addressed through the use of chilled beam systems: “These challenges can be overcome by using the alternative AC solu-tion to fancoils and using chilled beam sys-tems instead. Chilled beams secure the fresh air fl ow, consume less energy and produce no condensation.”

Energy International general manager Wissam Fawaz reveals that some hindrance to progress has come through competition in the market: “The main issue is that we are facing a lot of competition that is bringing a lower quality to the market. Competition with cheap material is bringing down the quality in entire market.” He adds that on the big-ger projects checks are made to ensure the materials used for ventilation systems are of a high quality but in some smaller develop-ments poorer quality materials are used.

Kelly stresses that some frustration can come in persuading consultants to adopt new technologies in ventilation: “A lot of the time we fi nd that some consultants have their fa-vourite way of doing things, it might not nec-essarily be the right way, but they’ll say this what they have done for years and they are adverse to change. That’s the biggest chal-lenge we face at the moment.” He adds that one of the major reasons for this is due to a lot of standards being introduced into the

Clean and dirty: the difference a spotlesss system can make is clear in the comparison of these vents.


VENTILATION

region without there being one set of regu-lations for the Middle East as a whole. “De-pending on where the consultant is from they will usually adopt the standard from their country. That can pose a big challenge in try-ing to convince people because at the end of the day they don’t know which one to trust,” states Kelly.

CLIMATE COMPLICATIONSThe climate in the Middle East is a big issue for air conditioning and any other system that relies on a good level of ventilation. The high temperatures and humidity means there is no chance of opening a window or door in order to achieve a good amount of fresh air. Also a dusty and seldom clear sky in places such as Dubai means the air quality outdoors is lower than normal. Blanchfl ower reports: “People here frequently spend over 90% of their time indoors and humidity control has generally been ignored. Energy effi cient motives are starting to drive tighter buildings and this causes reduced ventilation levels.” He adds that there have been reduced budgets for building maintenance in the region and this has caused a further drop in the quality of indoor air.

“I think in some cases the infi ltration into the buildings can be an issue when they build these beautiful buildings, how tight are they? If you are supplying nice quality air into the room, is that being mixed with the hot humid air that is coming through cracks in the win-dows and doors not closing properly,” Kelly reveals. “Its certainly going to reduce sick-ness in the building certainly times of high humidity and you have a lot of people getting sick during the hot and humid months.”

When trying to achieve a good indoor air quality, Svensson describes ventilation as “the most important part”. He also points out the importance of a relation between supply and exhaustion of clean air in order to achieve an air balance. Kelly explains its role in green building designs: “In this climate you are al-ways going to have to have some form of air conditioning and ventilation and in order to produce green buildings we are going to need to start using new technology. People will need to be prepared to pay the price to install this at a higher capital cost.” Kelly goes on to explain the upside of this initial investment, as savings can be made on elec-tricity bills. In commercial buildings, there is a decreased amount of downtime from staff in well-ventilated buildings due to less illness and cleaner air.

VARYING VENTILATIONSVentilation is not the sole reason why good indoor air quality is or isn’t achieved. A building or room needs contaminant source control, in order to guard against gaseous, microbiological or particulate germs, which can enter a building from the outdoors or can be generated indoors. An American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Condition-ing Engineers (ASHRAE) paper written in May 2005 also pointed out the need to man-age humidity correctly: “Due to the prolifera-tion of mould in buildings, sound moisture management should take precedence over energy cost savings”. Filtration is also an important factor in achieving a good quality of air indoors and it is crucial to ensure it is maintained properly. However despite these factors, Svensson stresses the signifi cance of proper ventilation: “Ventilation is the most important part to achieve clean air.” He also points to building tightness as a feature not to be ignored.

ASHRAE has recently released a guide-line on residential indoor air quality and ventilation, which gives information on the ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2007 and offers ad-vice on system design, material selection,

commissioning and installation and opera-tion and maintenance. It is aimed at design-ers and builders and is indicative of the high level of importance currently being placed on ventilation and indoor air quality.

While these guidelines are a massive help for the understanding construction indus-try, Kelly also believes a closer relationship between manufacturers and consultants is needed: “Over time when you build up a good relationship with a big consultancy fi rm where a decision maker can see you are doing a good job then it the task becomes much easier.”

If a high standard of indoor air quality is to be achieved in the Middle East then more focus is needed on ventilation issues. There is no doubt that the climate in this part of the world is worsening the problem. Now manufacturers, consultants and contractors all need to step up to the challenge to ensure that people in the area can enjoy cleaner air, and ultimately a clean bill of health, while indoors in the future. Guidelines such as ASHRAE’s and the forward thinking of some fi rms in this region suggest that the quality of air is soon to be rising in the Middle East.

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MAINTENANCE

When looking at the different com-ponents of a building, it is fair to say that the mechanical, electri-cal and plumbing (MEP) sys-

tems are among the hardest to maintain. This raises the question of how FM professionals should go about the task of keeping the work-ing parts of the building doing exactly that.

Maintaining an MEP component brings with it a host of diffi culties that the FM indus-try has to overcome. Some of the typical chal-lenges faced on the average building include a lack communication between contractors and manufacturers; lack proper access to MEP systems; and a shortage in hardware, software and personnel.

The rising cost of MEP equipment is also a major hurdle for FM professionals. EC Har-ris director Mike Cairney explains: “Many of the tenders that are coming through for new buildings are astronomically high in the MEP factors. For instance, we are often asked to value manage the design solution to try and get it nearer the budget.”

But together with these rises, the value of contracts for FM fi rms on the bigger develop-ments has also increased. For example, BK Gulf’s contract to maintain Atlantis, The Palm

MAINTAINING MEPMEP Middle East assistant editor Peter Ward reports on FM solutions to the problems of maintaining MEP systems

project on the Palm Jumeirah is worth nearly US $3 million (AED11 million) a year.

Another potential problem is highlighted by Imdaad executive director Ali Alsuwaidi: “The main issue for MEP maintenance is the lack of information about these systems. You don’t have the history of the equipment like the test-ing, commissioning and installation drawings.”

Bahwan Engineering’s senior manager Ra-mesh Babu puts some of this blame at the feet of the contractors: “Contractors are at times ignorant of the manufacturer’s specifi c require-ments and follow general procedures which can cause equipment failures.”

EARLY INVOLVEMENT One simple solution could go a long way to solv-ing all of these problems: ensuring that FM con-sultants are present as early as possible in the design stage. However this answer is proving diffi cult to get across in the Middle East. Cair-ney puts it simply: “If you actually get a good modern thinking engineer on the design you can generally make quite a big difference.”

Through early involvement and better com-munication between the different groups in-volved in the design and construction process, energy and cost savings can be made. In a presentation at the 2008 FM Expo, Dr Sadek Owainati, chairman and co-founder, Emirates Green Building Council, suggested that sav-ings of up to 50% could be made on energy through better collaboration at the early stages of construction. Air conditioning is the main area where it is possible to save power followed by lighting and proper insulation.

MEP maintenance can be made easier through more involvement at the design stage as well, Mick Dalton, Emaar senior director of asset management, explains: “Traditionally MEP consultants are designing off a board and they aren’t really practical when it comes to see-ing what is needed at the handover stage and in properly maintaining the building. If there is more engagement with [MEP consultants] then we would get a better product.”

According to Dalton, lists having proper ac-cess to components, enough space for main-tenance and having building management systems that are totally automated and tested

REACTIVE MAINTENANCEPROS

Immediate savings through short-term fi xes

For some MEP systems it is more cost-effi cient and timely to only fi x items such as CCTV cameras and sensors when they break down.

A smaller workforce is required.

CONS

By waiting for a part to break before fi xing it, the root of the problem may never be determined.

There are liability issues with allowing something to break before maintenance

Customer response is often negative with instances of broken equipment

REACTIVE VS. PROACTIVE

PROACTIVE MAINTENANCEPROS

Long-term savings from fewer breakdowns over the course of a contract.

Fewer unplanned repairs necessary.

Energy costs are lower because of improved effi ciency of equipment.

CONS

Can be expensive initially and is sometimes seen as unnecessary outlay.

There are liability issues with allowing something to break before maintenance

Equipment costs for FM companies can also be high, especially for processes such as thermographic testing of electrical installations.

when handed over are among the biggest problems faced.

In some cases this early involvement is not possible and work must be done after building completion to make it easier to maintain. Babu explains what must be done: “A competent group of facilities engineers needs to audit the systems and recommend necessary changes or modifi cations.”

www.arabianbusiness.com/construction November 2008 - MEP Middle East 29

MAINTENANCE

Even this is not always possible as Alsuwaidi reveals: “It depends on the client commitment. With air conditioning some clients say: ‘let me think about it’, then when winter starts they forget about it.”

Attitudes of developers in the Middle East can also be a bone of contention for FM profes-sionals due to the ‘everything now’ mentality that surrounds construction projects. Babu says: “Clients at times do not realise the impor-tance in having their equipment maintained. This is also a very important aspect in terms of energy usage.”

Cairney reveals the impact of LEED as-sessments on buildings could make the life of an FM professional easier: “It is be-coming compulsory to LEED assess your buildings and this requires a full set of com-missioning records at completion of the building and 12 months later a further set of re-commissioning data.”

The advantage gained by this is it forces some “proper thought” to go into the commis-sioning process, reports Cairney.

ACTIVE THINKINGLike the majority of the facilities in a build-ing, MEP systems can be maintained either reactively or proactively. (See Proactive vs. Reactive)

Reactive maintenance, waiting for some-thing to break before it is fi xed, involves less short-term cost and can be useful for systems that operate without any work needed on them. Proactive maintenance, on the other hand, involves creating and following a plan to regularly maintain systems and machinery in an attempt to prevent breakdowns.

Cairney describes proactive maintenance as: “actually going to oil and grease the wheels on a planned regular basis. And when things do break down you analyse the root cause of the problem and seek a fi x that will have a proper lasting effect.”

Unfortunately, the trend in the Middle East is to use reactive maintenance. However, the tide seems to be changing towards preventa-tive maintenance on MEP systems and it is not just FM companies who are looking to en-

“Contractors are at times ignorant of the manufacturer’s specifi c requirements and follow general proce-dures which can cause equipment failures.” – Ramesh Babu, Bahwan Engineering


MAINTENANCE

courage this shift. Alsuwaidi says: “I think the government is pushing for more preventative maintenance. It’s coming and its improving and this is why there are more facilities manage-ment companies now operating rather than just maintenance companies or service providers.”

Alsuwaidi also highlights a more important reason to shift towards proactive maintenance techniques: “I’m sorry to say that in some cas-es safety equipment that is not service-tied is still not fi xed. If the air conditioning breaks in the summer everybody will complain, so they will do reactive and preventive maintenance to avoid this.”

Alsuwidi continues: “But there are other devices like fi re alarms that if they fail, [some fi rms and/or building owners] don’t even bother to do preventive maintenance until the whole tower fails.”

Cairney sees the move towards proactive maintenance as both inevitable and rapid: “There is a rapid move towards proactive maintenance, particularly in more sophisticat-ed buildings. I think reaction is still inherent in villas and houses, but proactive is much more prevalent now in the big developments.”

There are new technologies in the industry not being widely used in the Middle East as Dalton explains: “If I go back to the UK its quite commonplace that when you are installing a building management system you put in extra

“If there is more engagement with [MEP consultants] then we would get a better product.” – Mick Dalton, Emaar

sensors so you can monitor the chiller and you can monitor the air in a more predictive way. In-stead of changing fi lters every few months you can actually leave it a little bit longer.”

MEP systems present a range of challenges for FM professionals. However these are chal-lenges that can be overcome through design stage involvement and a stronger shift towards proactive maintenance. The FM industry seems to have a grasp on this and it is only a matter of time before the developers and build-ing owners do as well.


SITE VISIT

Motor City…The name has a soul-ful ring to it, suggesting blue-collar production lines, union-ised masses and people talking

about the car wash. However this is Dubai not Detroit, and the

Motor City development by Union Properties is in fact a vast development near Emirates Road comprising houses, shops and offi ces – and this being Dubai, a race track and an F1 ‘theme park’ to boot.

The idea of a city of motors may sound like every environmentalist’s worst nightmare, but the truth is that the whole project has been designed to have as little impact on society as possible.

This is evident in the design of the district cooling plants. DC Pro was awarded the con-

tract by Emicool to design and undertake the construction, management and supervision of two district cooling plants.

In addition DC Pro are also managing the process of laying a total of some 50 kilometers of pipework underground. While the total ca-pacity is some 46,000 tonnes, the technology being used to squeeze every last drop of effi -ciency is impressive, not least from a perspec-tive of scale.

OVERVIEWMotor City will have fi ve key areas, namely the Dubai Autodrome, Formula One Theme Park, the commercial area called Business Park Mo-tor City, as well as the residential area that includes Uptown Motor City and the Green Community. That will mean a lot of cooling will

be required by the time everybody moves in. The fi rst phase of the cooling plant should be ready when the fi rst houses are handed over in the fi rst months of 2009, with the total capacity for this fi rst part being 26,000 tonnes, though the exact consumption will depend on how the tenants use the system.

WATER RATESLarge-scale cooling plants require a lot of wa-ter. Originally the plant was designed to use potable water. Even if it was available, the amount of treated water required would be prohibitively expensive.

Warrick Gibbens, projects manager, DC Pro said: “We can’t use potable water any more. What we use now is treated sewage effl uent (TSE).” In less polite terms, this is semi-treat-

COOL COOL

MOTORVATIONMOTORVATION


SITE VISIT


MOTORVATIONed sewage water. However, from an engineer-ing point of view this is not ideal as the water is not of such good quality. If you can bear to think of it, there is more un-dissolved solids in the liquid. It is a lot cheaper though, which is useful as the consumption of cooling towers this size is likely to be huge.”

At the moment, the plant still has the potable water design, and it will switch over within 18 months. However, the TSE conversion works have been put out to tender.

“It is quite a big job. With TSE water, the grade is not as good, so to say it simplistically, you need more of the water to do the same job.” Gibbens said. “You have to upsize the pumps to do the same job too.”

While switching to TSE doesn’t affect exist-ing installation in terms of distributing the wa-

ter, it does affect bringing it to the plant in the fi rst place. Gibbens said: “We are bringing the water in now from Emirates Road.”

He added: “There is a lot of abortive works, it is now sizing the pumps to accommodate the extra capacity of water. We have to go between the roads and go between the existing services that are already laid. So from a coordination point of view, it is gong to be a little bit tricky. It is a simple thing; it is just a matter of getting it to the plant, and returning it from the plant to discharge.”

DISCHARGEFor the time being, removing large quantities of spent water will represent something of an issue. A certain amount can be pumped into a nearby sewage treatment facility, though this

will have to stop when all the tenants move in. The water is also clean enough to be pumped into a nearby lake. Longer term though, there are better solutions, as Gibbens explained: “In 2011 there will be a storm water line. If you look at DM irrigation specs, they have a whole list of what the grades should be, though there will be a lot of components [in the water] that will be above those parameters.”

He explained that the waste can be cleaned to acceptable levels. “We can dilute slightly with potable water, and we can add chemicals. If you are using TSE as a supply you are not going to get irrigation spec.” He added that the main problems relating to sewerage and pol-lution have been resolved, which bodes well, considering the volume of spent water that will need to pass out of the system.

Works on the district cooling facilities at Uptown Motor City are under way. The plants will use treated sewage effluent instead of potable water.


SITE VISIT


POWERThere are 132kv substations next to each cool-ing plant, plus a third for use for non-cooling requirements in Motor City. Currently both of the plants are allocated fi fteen feeders each. Capacity for each plant is just short of forty megawatts – that’s a lot of power to fi nd.

From the feeders and ring main units, the power will go in through a switch and through 11kv switchgear and into circuit breakers. From the circuit breakers there are direct on-line feeders to the chillers. Also, there are some 11kv feeders, which feed the transformers.

For better control on the distribution side there are VSDs, which control the master fl ow going out to the customers themselves.

PIPINGThere is a lot of pipework involved with a project this size. Gibbens explained: “We have approximately 55 kilometres of piping, rough-ly 27-28 kilometres of carbon steel, and about 27 kilometres of HDPE (high density polyeth-ylene) piping.”

“You have to do hydraulic analysis and you have to do stress analysis, but with bends in the pipes, the further down you go, the pres-sure losses will increase. That exercise has to be done by a third party and there is a software programme to do it,” he went on.

“When you distribute the two from the two plants we actually go into an ETS (energy transfer station) room. There is a further ex-change of water. We’ve got a closed network

where the water is distributed to heat exchang-ers which are inside the ETS rooms and the water will go through the heat exchanger and back into the plant.

“So our design does not touch the building water system. In the buildings themselves, you might fi nd that one ETS room would feed four or fi ve buildings. So through the heat exchang-er, they would have pumps on their side, also VSDs to control their demand.

“They’ve also got control through PLC the parameters for monitoring. We’ve got an elec-trical room in the ETS room, which includes PLC all the viewing parameters you can see on this. This is all looped with a redundant switch, so you can control anything through the control room. At the moment, because of

The Uptown Motor City site will include about 55 kilometres of piping to supply and circulate the cooling water. Extensive hydraulic analysis was required to design the system.


SITE VISIT

contractual obligations, the control will be on the building site for the fi rst year, but after that it will be in the plant room, so [the user] will have full automated control” he said.

The project features 22 ETS rooms, cover-ing the majority of Motor City. As the project is still under way many plots are still empty, so in the meantime capped-off pipes have been run past. There are around 500 dwellings on the piped network, being villas, townhouses, bungalows and the like.

TEMPORARY DISTRICT COOLINGBefore the villas are handed over and the main plant is switched on, there is a temporary dis-trict cooling installation, courtesy of Dubai-based RSS. Gibbens said: “We have a [tem-porary DC] farm, through RSS and we supply

As well as pumps and pipes, the project features 22 ETS rooms spread throughout the development.

THE PROJECT

Brief; Supply district cooling for Motor City via two plants.

Capacity: 46,000 tonnes

Contractor: Drake and Skull

Consultants: DC Pro

Client: Emicool for Union Properties

ETS station construction: Coolrich

Special notes: Plants feature large tanks 23m dia, 18m height. Design altera-tions have been required to allow the use of treated sewage effl uent (TSE) water.

3000 tonnes which supply the wild air needs, as we are required to do.” On the subject of temporary district cooling, he added. “Howev-er well a project is planned and implemented; there will always be delays, be they from sup-pliers or the municipality permissions or what-ever. You have to make provision, and this is the way to do it.”

The plant, although large in capacity and with a lot of pipework, employs a similar de-sign to smaller installations.

On the nature of its specifi cation, Gibbens concludes: “Whether you have a 20,000 tonne plant, or a 40,000 tonne plant, you still need all the same things, primary plant, secondary plant, cooling towers, chillers. It is just on a bigger scale.” Let’s hope he can keep those lines of cooling machines humming for years to come.


THE BIG 5


PREVIEWPREVIEW

The construction industry’s monster trade show, The Big 5, is just around the corner. Running from November 23-27, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition

Centre, the show has a reputation for gathering everyone from the industry together. The epic scale of the event makes planning an essential part of any visit. To help you get the most from your time at the show, MEP Middle East has profi led a few of the companies

who’ll be using it as an opportunity to market themselves.

BIGBIG55The Big 5 Index

40 - Gates Consulting Engineers40 - Fitem41 - Clivet41 - Grand Fibreglass 43 - Gulf Dura Industries43 - Concrete Technology44 - MTS Group – Ariston44 - Knauf Drywall Systems47 - Scheuten Solar47 - Berg Tectool48 - Amancorp51 - Acelia51 - Water & Power Engineering51 - Leminar Air Conditioning52 - American Breeze55 - CME Sanitary Systems55 - Peri



THE BIG 5

40 MEP Middle East - November 2008

GAITES CONSULTING ENGINEERS

Stand number: ZG53Email: [email protected]: www.gaites.ie

The company: Gaites Engineering Consultancy was established in September 2003. Our com-pany offers a client focused engineering consul-tancy service. Our practice is led by experienced, practical professionals, who have a wealth of experience in the industry. The company offers services such as MEP design, facilities manage-ment, utility design and vertical transport.

What new services and products are you of-fering at the Big 5? Gaites Consulting Engineers has recently ac-quired a Leadership in Energy and Environmen-tal Design accreditation (LEED) and also a Sus-tainability Energy Ireland (SEI) accreditation. We are also a member of the USGBC (United States Green Building Council).

What market trends have you seen develop-ing in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?The whole issue of sustainability has been de-veloping rapidly over the last 18 months. Gaites Consulting Engineers takes a practical and prag-matic approach to sustainability. We analyse all our buildings to establish the heat gain/loss, to optimise the structure with regard to energy conservation. Through our design we would en-deavour to recover as much energy as possible. It is our policy to use as much natural ventilation, sun screening as possible in all our designs. We analyse our projects on a thermal basis to reduce energy wastage and expand overall building ef-fi ciency. Sustainable buildings produce better quality environments, last longer and save en-ergy.

What challenges are you currently facing in this region?Our domestic market at present, like all domes-tic markets, is in decline. Having said that Gai-tes Consulting Engineers is operating very well within that market.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? Gaites Consulting Engineers feel that the Big 5 show is a good form of advertising, where you get to meet people on the ground. It also gives

us the opportunity to look at the wider market, we are targeting a developing market in Dubai

FITEM

Stand number: A301Email: estero@fi tem.comWebsite: www.fi tem.com

The company: FITEM is a manufacturer of tubular motors and control devices for the automatic operation of all kinds of rolling shutters and awnings. Since its founda-tion, in 1963, Fitem has chosen to create high quality, safe products focusing on the research and innovation and, above all, developing exceptional levels of know-how.

What new services and products are you offering at the Big 5? Gearmotors with a built-in radio receiver, gearmotors with an electronic limit switch unit and weather devices.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? Increase our business in the Middle East market

and we hope that the Big 5 show will help us achieve that.


THE BIG 5


CLIVET

Stand number: 1H12 Email: [email protected]: www.clivet.com

The company: The fi rm specialises in tech-nologically advanced air conditioning and air treatment systems for large applications. The systems combine extreme effi ciency with re-sponsible use of energy and consideration for the environment. Clivet manufacturing and sales capability covers widest range of com-mercial, industrial, institutional and residential air conditioning products and offers.

What new services and products are you of-fering at the Big 5? Clivet, known in Europe for design of integrated

climate control systems that are effi cient and reli-able, while also easy to install and maintain, will strive to bring this to the Middle East building services base.

What market trends have you seen develop-ing in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?The big push towards district cooling that uti-lises large capacity centrifugal chillers compels companies such as Clivet to re-defi ne their prod-uct offering.

What challenges are you currently facing in this region? Identifying good talent on the recruitment front, erratic currency fl uctuation (especially in light of AED peg to the USD), and dealing with an extremely competitive environment are some of the main challenges. Efforts to implement a prudent and adaptable approach/strategy to deal with this and other impacts owing to current glo-bal economic downturn are a current aim.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? The Big 5 should continue its success as the big-gest regional event of its kind, despite current abrupt gloom on the international economic situ-ation. We will look to attend sessions on LEED Certifi cation for the building services segment, specifi c to HVAC equipment.

GRAND FIBREGLASS

Stand number: F487Email: [email protected]: www.fi breglassmesh.com

The company: Grand Fiberglass is one of the largest manufacturers that specialises in producing fi berglass mesh, drywall joint tape and FRP products in China. We have over 250 staff and export about 50 - 60 containers of fi berglass mesh and tape and FRP products to more than 50 countries all over the world each month. Through over ten years experience of working with foreign buyers, we pay the utmost attention to maintaining quality standards.

What new services and products are you offering at the Big 5? We will develop more new products this year and our service is speedy at any time. We will develop more markets in South America, North America and the Middle East.

What challenges are you currently facing in this region?Exchange rate dropping, labour cost increasing and tax refund decreased. We have to lower costs or increase prices accordingly.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? Get more customers and make our company known all over the world.


THE BIG 5


GULF DURA INDUSTRIES

Stand number: H13, German PavilionEmail: [email protected]: www.gulfdura.com

The company: Our company specialises in manufacturing and supplying materials and en-gineering solutions for plumbing systems, with a factory in Ras Al-Khaimah and an administration and sales offi ce in Dubai.

What new services and products are you of-fering at the Big 5? Thermo Concept PP-R pipes and fi ttings, Ther-mo Concept PEX pipes and fi ttings, Concept si-lent Drainage system and the Concept electrical conduit system.

What market trends have you seen develop-ing in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?Recently demand for plumbing materials is get-ting higher and higher, and at Gulf Dura Indus-tries, using our latest manufacturing technolo-gies, we are meeting and exceeding the market requirements, in terms of demand and high qual-ity materials.

How would you describe demand for your service / product in the current regional climate, and how do you expect this to de-velop through the coming year?We believe that the GCC countries in general and UAE especially are economically growing in the construction and real estate development sectors, which will maintain the high demand for building materials.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? We hope the Big 5 will be the place where we can meet our customers.

CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY

Stand number: E411Email: [email protected]: www.concretec.ae

The company: Concrete Tech is dedicated to the growth of the pre-cast concrete indus-try in the UAE. As an industry representa-tive, it educates specifi ers and end-users about its advantages as well as the proper utilisation of its products and systems.

What new services and products are you offering at the Big 5? We are introducing a new product in the market which is a three meter sectional wa-ter tank panels which will be the fi rst of its kind in the Middle East beside our existing system PLASTBAU with some additional techniques.

What market trends have you seen de-veloping in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?The demand is very high as our product is serving the construction industry which is booming, we are expecting that the demand will be more than double next year.

What challenges are you currently fac-ing in this region? The main challenge is to convince clients of the value of new products, so we are using all our facilities such as method statements, technical sheets, our history, approval and certifi cates that we have. Another problem is the increase in raw material costs, which is affecting our profi t margin, so we are al-ways trying to source new suppliers, but still with good quality raw materials.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? We will use it to show a cross section of our products and showcase new products.

3800The number of active con-struction projects in the re-gion being monitored by The Big 5 research partner, Proleads, and worth around US $3.5 trillion


THE BIG 5


MTS GROUP – ARISTON

Stand number: 6A240Email: [email protected]: www.mtsgroup.com

The company: MTS Group is an international company focused on manufacturing and deliver-ing a complete range of heating and water heat-ing systems and services. MTS Group aims to improve the quality of comfort by offering high technology, high quality and high effi ciency products. Over the last 20 years the group has accelerated its presence in the heating industry and has greatly expanded its activities to become the most global player in the sector.

What new services and products are you of-fering at the Big 5?Big attention is being paid to environmental re-spect, with products that can save energy while giving the same performances. Solar systems will be highly advertised.

What market trends have you seen develop-ing in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?Constant growth of 6-8%, which is also foreseen for the coming year.

What challenges are you currently facing in this region? The Euro versus US$ exchange rate, together with the increase of transport costs is penalis-ing the European manufacturers. An increase of raw material costs has had a big impact on profi tability.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? To meet new potential clients and to reinforce the Ariston image in the region.

KNAUF DRYWALL SYSTEMS

Stand number: Zabeel Hall T21Email: [email protected]: www.knauf.ae

The company: Established in 1932, with its headquarters located in Iphofen, Ger-many; Knauf is a manufacturer of drywall building materials such as gypsum boards, metal profi les, joint compounds and insulation materials. With a workforce of 22,000, Knauf manufactures its products in 50 countries from 150 plants, in Europe, Middle East, Asia, USA and Latin America.

Recently, Knauf established the ground for the new gypsum board plant, in Ras Al Khaimah, and the production plant is expected to be completed in Q3 of 2009 and have a production capacity of 40 million m² of gypsum boards per year. The factory will also produce plasters and additional components of the drywall systems such as metal studs, channels, joint compounds and drywall accessories.

What new services and products are you offering at the Big 5?Knauf Cleaneo Acoustic boards will be introduced during Big 5 exhibition. Knauf Clea-neo Acoustic boards are perforated gypsum boards, which actually reduce the indoor air pollution. This proven air cleaning effect is now possible with the addition of Zeolite to the core of the boards. Zeolite is a natural water-containing rock of volcanic origin.

We will also be introducing Aquapanel Cement Board Systems. Developed by Knauf USG systems, Aquapanel is the “next generation” cement board of choice for construction professionals in Europe and Knauf is now introducing to the GCC market. There are two types of Aquapanel boards available depending on the application type.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? As Knauf LLC, we have been exhibiting for the past fi ve years. It is a unique opportunity to meet all levels of the construction industry under one roof.


THE BIG 5


SCHEUTEN SOLAR

Stand number: Zabeel P13Email: [email protected]: www.scheuten.com

The company: Scheuten Solar has a solar cell manufacturing unit and an ultra-modern fac-tory for the manufacture of Multisol modules and Optisol special modules. In 2006 Scheuten decided, together with a German solar product manufacturer, to build its own silicon factory.

Scheuten aims to operate across the whole quality spectrum, from the silicon to the ener-getics stage. The company is investing heavily in the future. Many millions are being invested in the solar cell business on the basis of revo-lutionary new thin fi lm technology.

Manufacture of this thin fi lm system is due to commence at a new factory in late 2008.

In initial stage Scheuten will focus on the Building Integrated PV [BIPV] activity, espe-cially for larger scale iconic buildings in pres-tigious projects. In second stage we develop the market for PV Modules for a wide range

of applications vary from small-scale off-grid solutions up to multi-MW solar farms.

What new services and products are you of-fering at the Big 5? BIPV already exists but our product is now being launched for the UAE market.

What market trends have you seen develop-ing in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?There has been an explosive growth of solar use

BERG TECTOOL

Stand number: Zabeel Hall, M21Email: [email protected]: www.bergtectool.com

The company: Berg Tectool is a German company, which since 1972 has been manufacturing a wide range of products including electronic power mixers, tile cutters, insulation cutting machines and electronic disc grinders.

What new services and products are you offering at the Big 5? We are happy to be able to announce our new sales agent on site who will distribute ourproducts in the UAE. Due to the distance and continuously increasing costs for freight and transportation, we are glad to be able to offer customer-friendly services located nearby.

What market trends have you seen developing in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?The market trend has shown a change in purchasing habits from high quality products towards products of inferior quality and cheap price. It is our belief that you cannot substitute quality and durability for price. We therefore aim to offer our clients products that will last a long time and match everyone’s specifi c needs.

What challenges are you currently facing in this region? It is our goal not to participate in the ongoing price war, but to face the challenge and continue offering high quality products and considerable after sales services to satisfy our customers. By offering products that meet our customers’ expectations in quality and price we are sure to provide an attractive and adequate solution for their projects. Berg Tectool stands for quality and customised solutions.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? Our hope for The Big 5 is to attract visitors to our stand and give them the opportunity to get their own impressions of our products, our serv-ices and our company. The only way to stand out from the crowd is to make a visible and sustainable difference.

in the global market. The UAE / Middle East market will have to follow shortly.

What challenges are you currently facing in this region? Poor awareness and acceptance of use of BIPV but educating the market on solar energy will create demand.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? Our objective is to generate 5-10 serious leads from project developers who express the need for adopting BIPV in new buildings.

US $330 BILLIONValue the civil construction boom across the Arabian Gulf will

reach by the end of 2008.


THE BIG 5


AMANCORP

Stand number: StandC24 concourse areaEmail: [email protected] Website: www.airfree.com

The company: Amancorp are the exclusive GCC distributors of the Airfree range of air purifi ers, which are patented worldwide. We are based in Dubai and work with the entire GCC, as well as in India.Our purifi ers use heat sterilisation to destroy airborne allergens such as bacteria, viruses, mould, dust mites, fungi spores, smoke and odours from the air, and depending upon which unit is installed, cover an area of between 120-400m3 (typically rooms of 40-133m2).

What new services and products are you offering at the Big 5? We can now offer an entirely built in option of air purifi cation to constructors. The concept of im-proved indoor air quality, constantly being puri-fi ed in-situ is relatively new too. Though there are measures taken within HVAC units themselves – changing fi lters, cleaning and maintenance of ducts etc to reduce contaminants in the air, it is still not possible for AC units to effectively fi lter out or remove micro-biological matter from the air. And even if it were possible, it would still be necessary to maintain air quality at room level as there are all sorts of ways for micro-biological contaminants to be present in the air unrelated to the ventilation supply.

What market trends have you seen devel-

oping in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?In Dubai, our regional base, HH Sheikh Mo-hammed announced last year ‘The Dubai Stra-tegic Plan 2015’ which identifi es health as a key concern for residents and the government. As a result, the Dubai Municipality is actively pursu-ing a policy to monitor and improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in the city’s offi ces, hospitals, ho-tels, schools and shopping malls. Similarly, the GCC business climate is increas-ingly waking up to green issues. For instance, DEWA has implemented a new pricing tariff which effectively encourages businesses to conserve energy by charging higher rates for higher usage.

What challenges are you currently facing in this region? Recruitment of competent staff is an issue, as is the logistics of doing busi-

ness all over the GCC. Other than these, there are no other issues pertaining to our products as they are simple to install, require no mainte-nance and are made entirely in Europe. Indeed, the strength of the UAE Dirham against the Euro makes our products more cost-effective at present.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? To increase awareness of IAQ as an issue of con-cern for developers and building owners given the additional stimulus/pressure from the gov-ernment, to get our products noticed as a cost-effective solution for poor IAQ and to develop contacts with key decision-makers in terms of developers in the region.

Armacell AD.ai 10/20/08 2:03:57 PM


THE BIG 5


ACELIA

Stand number: Email: Website: www.acelia.eu

The company: Acelia, working in building auto-mation with LonWorks Technology, brings cost effective solutions to ensure an optimal energy management and user comfort in buildings

Our products are designed and manufactured in France, by our factory Comtec Technologie, producing 170 000 products per year, marketed in France and in Europe.For HVAC control, our Karno products - room controllers, universal controllers, sensors and ac-tuators - allow a system to be built in a modular way, adapted to up-to-date room air conditioning systems. For lighting and sunblind control, our Dalilon products - controllers, sensors and remote con-trol devices - allow the presence of natural light and its intensity to optimise and automate light levels.

What new services and products are you of-fering at the Big 5? We will present new products in Dalilon and Karno ranges: new controllers (CTR) for light-ing and sunblind management; new terminal and confi gurable HVAC controller (SRC20); and a new integrated room controller (IRC) for a ‘mul-ti-jobs’ solution.

What market trends have you seen develop-ing in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?People are more and more interesting in energy savings, environmental standards and also users comfort in buildings. We think there is a real po-tential in the Middle East and all over the world to develop our business. The trend is to combine energy management and user comfort, thanks to cost saving products.

What are your specifi c hopes for the Big 5? We would really like to develop our business with new distributors and perhaps with one part-ner specifi cally.

WATER & POWER ENGINEERING

Stand number: UK Pavilion 2F60Email: [email protected]: www.gm-global.org

The company: The main services of-fered include dewatering contractors, sale of dewatering and general purpose pumps, sale and hire of generators. The fi rm has branches in the UAE, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.

What new services and products are you offering at the Big 5? The fi rm is offering diesel generators and geotechnical services.

How would you describe demand for your service / product in the cur-rent regional climate, and how do you expect this to develop through the coming year?Our regional market is now US $0.5 bil-lion and growing at 20%, our net target is a 10% market share.

What are your specifi c hopes for The Big 5?We are expecting orders booked with a minimum value of US $10 million.

LEMINAR AIR CONDITIONING

Stand number: 1B21Email: [email protected]: www.leminar.net

The company: Leminar Air Conditioning was created in the 1992 with the idea of providing air conditioning contractors with a level of ser-vices far greater than the industry standards. With offi ces and showrooms across the United Arab Emirates, Leminar has a vast distribution. Leminar’s focus on its customers is evidenced by its ISO 9001:2001 certifi cation. What new services and products are you offering at the Big 5? This year we would like to throw light on two of the key segments in the air conditioning indus-try, one being the ventilation systems in com-mercial and residential areas. The products we would like to focus on are Twin City from USA and Casals from Spain. The other area where we would be focusing is on the cleaning and fl ushing products for the facilities management segment. The product would be advanced en-gineering from the United Kingdom.

What market trends have you seen devel-oping in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?

What challenges are you currently facing in this region? Growing markets yield to growing problems. The need to acquire good workmanship along with project and contract delays doesn’t assist us in the industry to meet and provide to the challenges of the market and the industry.

What are your specifi c hopes for The Big 5?We hope to meet our clients & contractors at this auspicious event and renew our existing relationship. Also we would be looking into new avenues to which our organization can challenge ourselves.


THE BIG 5


AMERICAN BREEZE

Stand number:1A41Email: [email protected]:www.americanbreeze.com

The company: American Breeze is a global supplier of air con-ditioning system solutions with offi ces in USA, Europe and the Middle East. Our reputation is founded upon exceptional performance in extreme temperatures, extensive use of reli-able components and uncompromising quality. We have been awarded the following interna-tional quality marques for our products: TUV, Eurovent, Green Building Council, TUV ISO 9001:2000.

What new services and products are you

offering at the Big 5? Beyond the existing quality certifi cation which we have from TUV, American Breeze is proud to announce that we have also achieved certifi -cation by Eurovent since the last show. Some new products are being promoted and these are advanced software, double-skinned fan coil unit, tangential fan coil unit and the provision of a stainless steel drain pan.

What market trends have you seen devel-oping in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?A market trend that we have noticed is that the size of projects is increasing, but delivery dead-lines are not adjusting accordingly. Precise con-struction schedules demand superior inventory management from suppliers for them to practice

just-in-time delivery and optimise project space.

What challenges are you currently facing in this region? As the company has grown so rapidly the key challenge for American Breeze has always been to fi nd new staff who are of a suitable calibre. We have retained most core members of our team for several years and view them as a valuable asset. Through talent management, succession planning and a strong emphasis on teamwork we have been able to achieve the enviable posi-tion of becoming an employer of choice.

What are your specifi c hopes for The Big 5?Our specifi c hopes for Big5 are an enjoyable and busy exhibition which will do credit to our industry.

Tel: +44 (0) 1255 423601Fax: +44 (0) 1255 [email protected]

Dura Composites Ltd.Unit 14 Telford Road, Clacton-on-Sea,Essex CO15 4LP, United Kingdom

Tel: +971 4 3403905 Fax: +971 4 3403906 [email protected]

Advanced Fibreglass Industries P.O.Box 32278, Dubai - U.A.E

Official UAE Distributor UK Head Office

Applications:Industrial flooringAssembly linesWork stations

WalkwaysPlatformsWash bays

Benefits:Anti-slip surfaceHigh strengthEasy installation

LightweightImpact resistantZero maintenance

Applications:Structural BeamsStair CasesFlooring Supports

Hand Railing Cable TraysLadders

Benefits:High StrengthLow WeightNon-Conductive

Temp ResistantSimple MachiningZero Maintenance

Applications:Roof screeningVent screensCladding panels

Suspended ceilingsCar park screensDesign feature

Benefits:Wind resistant meshZero maintenanceHigh strength

Long lifespanTranslucentFire resistant

Applications:Trench CoversIndustrial FlooringWork Platforms

Tank CoversDuct CoversBridge Decking

Benefits:Light weightHigh strengthEasy installation

Anti-Slip SurfaceImpact resistantZero maintenance

Anti-slip Fibreglass Floor Grating Fibreglass Structural Flooring

Fibreglass Pultruded Sections

Translucent Screening & Cladding

CompositeHigh Performance Products

Applications:Hotel terracesBoardwalksBalconies

PatiosCladdingFurniture

Benefits:Zero maintenanceLong lifespanConcealed fixings

No splinteringUV stabilisedEco friendly

Composite Timber Range

Ultra Deck (295mm wide x 23mm depth)

Please visit us at

the British Pavillion

on Stand 2A51


THE BIG 5


PERI

Stand number: Zabeel Hall, T31Email: [email protected]: www.perime.com

The company: For almost 40 years, PERI has been considered the competent partner of con-struction companies for all applications in the area of formwork and scaffolding technology. With 45 subsidiaries and 100 effi ciently-run lo-gistical centres, we serve in the meantime over 65 national markets around the world. We al-ways focus on providing the best possible solu-tion for every building project.

What new services and products are you offering at the Big 5? One impressive example which accelerates con-struction process, makes the work easier as well as guaranteeing safety on site is Peri Skydeck. We will introduce this lightweight aluminium

slab formwork which is a proven system for slab thicknesses up to 950 mm to the market on this year’s BIG 5 exhibition. No individual compo-nent exceeds 15 kg. The system is easy to clean and needs fewer props: For a 3.45 m² fi eld, only one prop is used with a 400 mm slab thickness.

What market trends have you seen devel-oping in your fi eld over the last 18 months and what direction will these take through 2009?As the personnel costs rise, there is a change in the needs of our customers. A lot of the con-struction workers are able to fi nd good jobs in their home countries by now as the economy in a lot of countries is rising. Therefore it is hard to recruit workers.

On the other hand the infl ation in the UAE increases and the accommodation, transport and catering costs for the workers are getting higher for the construction companies. As a result of this, our customers need formwork

systems that have a good quality, are easy to assemble and to dismantle and can be handled by only few manpower.

What challenges are you currently facing in this region? To fi nd high qualifi ed employees is hard in this country we are trying to solve this problem by having a fi xed recruitment procedure. The payment behaviour is most of the times really slow and it’s taking a lot of effort to chase the money.

What are your specifi c hopes for The Big 5?Our goal is the successful introduction of our product Skydeck into the UAE market.

We want to give our customers the oppor-tunity to visit us at the exhibition and expe-rience the product and it’s advantages. Obvi-ously we would also like to attract prospective new customers.

CME SANITARY SYSTEMS

The company: We are a manufacturer of sanitary products including fl ushing systems, brassware, toilet seats and Ecoplay micro grey-water recycling system. Our business head offi ce is Doncaster, UK. We have three manufacturing sites – two in the UK and one in the Far East. We are active in UK, Europe and targeting UAE and Middle East Mar-kets.

What new services and products are you offering at the Big 5? Ecoplay, which is an innovative, micro grey-wa-

ter management system that re-cycles bath and shower water and re-uses it for toilet fl ushing. In the UK this product recently won the build-ing services green product of the year award.

What market trends have you seen de-veloping in your fi eld over the last 18 months?We are continuing to target new markets and expand our range offering to our customer base.

What are your specifi c hopes for The Big 5?To raise awareness of the new Ecoplay system amongst exhibitors to help penetrate the UAE and Middles East markets with this system.


INDUSTRY VIEW

Despite MEP playing one of the most fundamental roles in construction, the industry faces a number of challenges

in fulfi lling MEP requirements accurately in the Middle East region. While a number of these challenges range from tight project timelines to completing multiple tasks and delivering results without compromising on either safety or productivity, the major prob-lem for professionals in the industry is fi nd-ing the right mix of products and solutions that cater effi ciently to the sector’s needs.

It faces a challenge in fi nding products like abrasives, which should do more than improve the cut and fi nish on metal surfaces, to solutions for electrical splicing and ter-minating, and from passive fi re protection products to personal safety and protection solutions for the workplace. What’s more, the selected solutions need to be both safe and effi cient: especially for meeting the standards expected of construction projects across the Middle East.

SOLUTION SEARCHManoher Raghavan looks at how choosing the right solutions can maximise productivity, cost effi ciency and ensure worker safety in the MEP sector

FIRE SAFETYWith the increase in incidents related to fi res, fi re prevention and protection is the number one concern for the region’s con-struction industry – especially with workers using equipment that runs on high electrical voltage and that includes potentially dan-gerous parts. This has given rise to greater awareness on the need for fi re protection and accordingly, appropriate fi re codes for buildings have been put into place in proj-ects throughout the region.

The industry also needs to select a num-ber of specifi c, passive fi re protection prod-ucts for fi re containment, including those that can fi re-stop through penetrations, pe-rimeter joints, structural steel, emergency circuitry and air ducts.

Recently developed passive fi re protection products for through penetration including sealants, caulks, wraps, pillows, composite sheets, mortars, sprays, coatings and cast in-situ accessories, approved under the UL, FM systems and other international codes,

are among the most effi cient fi re safety solu-tions for major international airport projects and substations, oil and gas facilities and high-rise hospitality and tourism projects around the Middle East, and some of which have been used to save lives and equipment in the region for several years.

WORKPLACE SAFETYThe personal safety of workers is a top prior-ity in any workplace, and those employed in the construction industry require a diverse range of safety equipment for a variety of dif-ferent situations.

Construction sites can be particularly chal-lenging working environments, with a num-ber of potential problems to worker safety, including prolonged exposure to noise-polluted areas, excessive heat and humid working conditions, dangers against fl ying particles from metal cutting, sweeping, sand-ing and welding processes and a host of air-borne particles and mist onsite.

Health and safety industry personnel


INDUSTRY VIEW

should always ensure to keep safety solu-tions across the entire spectrum on site - everything from respirators, eye protection wear, face protection wear, head protection, hearing protection and welding shields and helmets. For added benefi ts, they should choose products that meet applicable inter-national Occupational Safety and Health Ad-ministration (OSHA) regulations, and that are designed to ensure worker comfort.

Workplace safety is of equal importance to ensure safe and incident-free surroundings for multi-tasking employees, who may work under risky conditions and put in long hours to keep pace with time frames of fast-track projects in the region.

The importance of workplace safety sig-nage and warning tapes for fast and effec-tive ways to guide and control passage in restricted and hazardous areas should also never be understated; while anti-slip tapes and threads for better traction and improved slip and fall resistance in greasy, oily and wet areas; room air purifi ers for total clean air solutions and work area matting that helps improve the safety, can all help to ensure the comfort and productivity of employees – especially those who spend an extensive amount of time on their feet.

PERFORMANCE, EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY IN METALWORKINGPerformance, effi ciency and productivity are critical factors in metalworking – one of the central elements in construction. Using abra-sive technology with advanced synthetic for-mulation provides industry players with an even greater scope to improve productivity, operational effi ciency and workforce welfare, enabling end users to benefi t from more ad-vanced end results. Setting new standards for grinding, refi ning and fi nishing metal components; products that are capable of de-livering excellence in abrasive performance will help the industry to deliver the required competitive edge.

Designed for cross-over compatibility with every type of application, the technologies incorporated into modern abrasive discs, brushes, wheels and belts are designed for all types of metals. Because the surfaces on these modern abrasive devices – like those developed by 3M – last several times longer than conventional abrasives, there are a range of cost-saving benefi ts to be enjoyed. These include fewer operations in the fi nishing process, reduced downtime from fewer belt changes, a smaller number

of rejects, less pressure required leading to reduced operator fatigue and time saved on subsequent polishing, cleaning and plating operations.

3M also offers innovative and differenti-ated electrical solutions for saving time and money on splicing and terminating cable and wire in construction projects. This includes solutions to identify, label, connect, seal and splice a wide array of low to high voltage wire and cable, and because 3M products re-

duce variability in installation, it equates to an increase in safety and an overall reduction of installation time.

Manoher Raghavan is business development manager for 3M Construction Markets Middle East & Africa Region. As an extension to total solutions for the MEP industry, 3M also pro-vides a range of services for customers in the Gulf construction sector through the 3M Con-struction market initiative team.

Manoher Raghavan sees finding the right products and solutions as essential to the success of those working in MEP.


TECHNICAL FEATURE


Air that is present in a closed, chilled or heated water systems can cause numerous problems such as noise, cavitation at the pump impellor,

corrosion when ferrous components are present as well as circulation and thermal ineffi ciency. It is for this reason that for a closed system to work effi ciently, air should be removed not only during the initial fi lling stage, but on a continual basis throughout the operating life of such a system. The rea-son for continual deaeration is that air can enter a system either through leaks or by the addition of make up water, which is typically saturated with air.

Air, which is largely made up of oxygen and nitrogen, is present in three forms, free air, micro-bubbles and dissolved air. The

PRESSURE STEP DE-GASSERSJim Martin looks at the role of pressure step de-gassers in the removal of air from a closed chilled or heated water system.

concentration of air in water can be deter-mined using Henry’s Law. To summarise this law the amount of air that can dissolve in water decreases with temperature and increases with pressure. Conversely air will be released from solution in conditions of reduced pressure or increased temperature. Therefore for an air separator to be most ef-fi cient is should be situated accordingly. In a chilled water system a typical tangential air separator is ideally situated on the return line to the chiller/heat exchanger and on the suction side of the pump.

Although the use of tangential air separa-tors is common within the Middle East region there are more effi cient solutions available including micro-bubble pall ring de-aerators such as the in-line Flamco Flamcovent which

uses pall rings to attract and remove micro-bubbles as small as 18µm. This method also applies equally to dirt removal with up to 99% of particles >63µm being removed. However Pressure Step Degassers are now gaining re-gion wide acceptance even though they have been in use in European markets for many years. Cost, space and effi ciency are just some of the reasons that ENA’s are becom-ing more attractive.

By applying Henry’s Law and reducing the water pressure air is allowed to come out of solution and be removed effectively from the system. As an ENA is installed on a branch and not in-line as with a tangential air separator the issue of pressure drop is reduced dramatically. The method of op-eration is relatively simple. A programmable

1-DEAERATION TANK

2-PUMP/PUMPS

3-CONTROL

4-FLOW LIMITER

5-PRESSURE SENSOR

6-FLOAT-OPERATED SWITCH

7-FLOAT-OPERATED VENT

8- DEAERATION PREVENTER

9-PRESSURE GAUGE

10-CHECK VALVE

11-SOLENOID VELVE

12-FILTER

13-BALL VALVE

14-CHECK VALVE

15-SELENOID VELVE

16-VACUUM PRESSURE SWITCH


TECHNICAL FEATURE

micro-processor controlled is set to remove a quantity of water from the system during each cycle. This water is then fed through to a vacuum column and then pumped back into the system. However as the in-fl ow rate via fl ow restrictors is lower than the out-fl ow a vacuum is produced in the vacuum column allowing air to be released under the low-pressure conditions.

This is further assisted by pall rings in the base of the vacuum column. The released air is then forced out of the column through an automatic air vent situated at the top of the column by the next incoming charge of water. The cycle frequency can be adjusted so that continuous deaeration cycles are pro-grammed during the early life of the system and reduced to a maintenance level when the majority of the air has been removed. Fur-thermore, certain models also incorporate a make-up water facility that can be controlled on-board or by a compressor expansion con-trol automat. The pumps are also used to maintain system pressure.

Pressure Step Degassers are compact units with a footprint of only 710 mm x 540 mm. Multi-language real time system sta-tus and diagnostics are displayed on a clear LCD screen. Programming is achieved through four push buttons on the control-ler. A common alarm volt-free is included for remote indication of a fault. Installation is extremely simple requiring only two ¾” connections and a 230V 50Hz 1ph electric-ity supply. By installing a valve in the main line between the two PSD connections de-aeration may also continue even when the circulation is switched off. While there is no theoretical maximum system volume that can be deaerated by a single ENA for practi-cal purposes each unit is recommended for a system volume of 100m³. For larger sys-tems the number of ENA’s can be increased accordingly. Costs are similar to that for a DN 300 tangential air separator. However with the added functionality of an ENA such as pressurization and make-up supply the two pieces of equipment should not be compared directly.

Jim Martin works with Flamco Middle East in Dubai jim.martin@fl amco-gulf.com, www.fl amco-gulf.com

Figure 1 depicts the infl ow of water from the system whilst the pump is returning the previous charge back to the system after de-gassing. A vacuum is created in the vacuum column.

In Figure 2 the pump is switched off and the vacuum column is re-fi lled with the next water charge. The incoming charge forces the released air from the column through the automatic fl oat vent.

Figure 3 shows make-up water being introduced to the system to replenish volume lost through air removal and water lost through leaks. It is signifi cant that the make-up water is also de-gassed be-fore being allowed into the system.

Figure 4 highlights the posi-tion of the pall rings that re-move micro-bubbles through the effect of coalescence.

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silicon-controlled rectifi ers (SCR’s) and generator stations.

See Leviton’s full line of Rhino-Hide® Connectors at ADIPEC 2008 Hall # 2, Booth C2-5, American Pavilion

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Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing Engineers and Contractors Worldwide Locations

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www.hastiegroup.com.auCommercial Licenses: Dubai, UAE: 574853 Abu Dhabi, UAE 1004637


HVAC MARKET UPDATE


IDEA releases Best Practice Guide

Danfoss Refrigeration has tak-en over the Italian fi rm Necos. Necos is an established manu-facturer of a range of electronic controls for the heating, ven-tilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) sector. The news was announced dur-ing a recent press conference

at Chillventa, an air conditioning trade fair held in Germany.

The company had previ-ously bought up 25% of Necos shares last June and has now completed the full purchase of the company.

The deal has been developed by Danfoss with the hope of

expanding its product range of electronic controls in an al-ready crowded HVACR controls market.

Danfoss senior vice president Kjeld Kückelhahn said: “The MCX product platform will en-able Danfoss to enter the com-mercial air conditioning market,

supporting Danfoss’ profi le of being a leading provider of com-pressor solutions and control solutions.”

The current managing direc-tor of Necos, Mauro Sordini, will continue on in a leadership role by heading the new Dan-foss company in Italy.

The IDEA District Cooling Best Practice Guide has been unveiled at the third IDEA In-ternational District Cooling Conference and Trade Show in Dubai. The event attracted more than 400 visitors and featured expert speakers from within the industry.

IDEA president Rob Thorn-ton commented: “We focus on the issues for this industry and events such as this bring togeth-er the best minds. There is a lot to be said for the internet but there is nothing like talking to someone who understands the problems you have. Bringing people together at events such

as this is the best way to solve problems.”

The conference featured pre-sentations on subjects such as sustainability, environmental challenges and essential infra-structure as well as the launch of the best practice guide.

Dany Safi , special adviser to the board of directors at Ta-breed, was the man responsible for the idea behind the guide-book. Safi stated: “I had this idea to create a best practice book providing guidance to the players of this industry to un-derstand what to do and how to do it. There was an agreement on the IDEA board and we went

ahead and produced the book, this was back in 2002 and it took a lot of work and a lot of effort. It is a result of a lot of research, experiences from different par-ties and different angles.”

Thornton added: “It’s not a technical standard it’s not a design specifi cation. It’s not a book that will have you select pipe diameter, or valve confi gu-ration or ratings. All of those services are done very well by other organisations. It’s more of a compilation of what are the best practices in designing plants and what people have learned over the years. We are pleased to offer it.”

Rob Thornton, president of the International District Energy Association, spoke at the recent conference held in Dubai.

HVCA backs a new campaign against carbon monoxide HVCA, the British trade asso-ciation for the heating, ventila-tion, air conditioning and re-frigeration (HVACR) industry, has joined a campaign aimed at raising awareness among consumers of the dangers of carbon monoxide.

The campaign has been launched by the Carbon Mon-oxide Consumer Awareness Alliance (COCAA) will alert householders and landlords to the risk of CO poisoning and will highlight the need to check household appliances regularly.

Head of technical safety at HVCA Bob Towse commented: “There are around 30 confi rmed deaths every year from CO poisoning, but the real fi gure could be much higher as the early symptoms are similar to those of illnesses such as infl u-enza.” He added that many of those fatalities could e avoided if appliances in the household were checked annually by qualifi ed installers.

The COCAA group is admin-istrated by the gas safety watch-dog Corgi and was established in response to a government report entitled Shouting about a silent killer: raising carbon mon-oxide awareness.

Danfoss acquires Italian controls company

66 MEP Middle East - October 2008 www.arabianbusiness.com/construction

HVAC MARKET UPDATE

There are changes ahead for sports venues that rely on refrigerants now considered damaging to the atmosphere. Viable alternative will have to be found.

Winter sports facilities warned on refrigerants

SKI DUBAI- UAE• Stretches over 22,500m and is covered with more than 6,000 tonnes of snow. • Energy-effi cient cooling of the snow is provided by an ammonia refrigerating machine with a capacity of 2,600 kW.• The snow is cooled by a glycol circuit which is connected to the re-frigerant circulation of the machine by two Alfa Laval plate heat exchangers.• A total of 29 air coolers in the ceil-ing of the building keep the tempera-ture in the snow park at a level of -1 to -2°C during opening hours.• Old snow is put into a melting pit at night and the cold water is then used for the air conditioning in the shopping centre adjoined.

CURL ABERDEEN – SCOTLAND• Used for the Scottish sport of curling and is also a public ice rink• The ice rink has a total ice surface of around 1,350 square metres• Uses a critical charged refrigera-tion plant with 80 kg of ammonia and a glycol circuit which is con-nected to the refrigerant circuit by means of an evaporator.• A desuperheater on the high-pressure side makes thermal use of the compression heat of the refrigerant. The energy recovered in this way is used for the underfl oor heating of the remaining facilities apart from the ice rink itself.

TINGVALLA ICE STADIUM – SWEDEN• An open air stadium with an ice rink measuring 65 x 180m.• The stadium’s refrigerating system has been completely renewed to safeguard the refrigeration concept for the years to come.• It features a cascade system using 1.3 tonnes of ammonia as refriger-ant and 16 tonnes of carbon dioxide as secondary refrigerant with partial evaporation.• The carbon dioxide is stored in four accumulators which are connected with the ammonia system by heat exchangers

From 2010, EU regulation will ban the use of sub-stances that cause degra-dation to the ozone layer

and only reconditioned HCFCs can be used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems. An in-dustry expert claims that owners of indoor winter sports facilties should now turn to ammonia and carbon dioxide instead.

Eurammon chairwoman Moni-ka Witt stresses: “This is forcing the branch to act. One possible so-lution for modernising the systems consists of natural refrigerants, such as ammonia, carbon dioxide or hydrocarbons, with convincing properties such as sustainability and economic effi ciency.”

Ski Dubai is one location that uses an ammonia refrigerating system. The facility uses energy effi cient cooling with an ammonia refrigerating machine with a ca-pacity of 2,600 kW. Witt reports: “Ammonia is acknowledged to be the most effi cient refrigerant, as refl ected in the low operating costs for users. In addition, ammo-

nia systems relieve the pressure on the environment, as the refrig-erant does not make any contribu-tion to the greenhouse effect.”

The snow in Ski Dubai is cooled by a glycol circuit, which is con-nected to the refrigeration circu-lation of the machine by two Alfa Laval plate heat exchangers. The refrigeration also benefi ts the Mall of the Emirates which is attached, the old snow in the park is recy-cled overnight in a melting pit. The cold water is then used for air conditioning in the shopping cen-tre and irrigation in the gardens.

“In the context of climate change and increasing energy prices, operators are fi nding it increasingly important to have environment-friendly refrigerat-ing systems that make effi cient use of energy,” Witt concludes. “This is why we encourage sys-tem operators to opt for natural refrigerants, in view of the HCFC phase-out. Natural refrigerants constitute a viable future solution in refrigerating technology which puts operators on the safe side.”Indoor winter sports facilities will have to change refrigerants.

DubaiTel: +971 4 343 2110 Fax: +971 4 343 2113

SharjahTel: +971 6 556 6880 Fax: +971 6 556 6881


LEGAL


1980 on Regulation of Labour Re-lation (the “Labour Law”) is very clear as to an employer’s obliga-tions with regard to the protection it must afford its employees in the work place.

While the lack of a single uni-fi ed code may cause some confu-sion as to which authority’s regula-tions are applicable or otherwise, this in no way detracts from the

clear obligations which the Labour Law places on the employer to pro-vide what amounts to protection of employees and a safe system of work.

Perhaps those of us who pre-pare construction and engineering contracts can assist in raising the profi le of health and safety issues by including specifi c obligations in such contracts with termination as

the ultimate sanc-tion for those con-tractors who do not comply with their obligations.

Dennis Brand is senior legal advisor with HBJ Gateley Wareing.Email: [email protected]: +971 4 321 9999

I t was recently reported that each year some 2.3 Million people worldwide die in oc-cupational accidents or from

work related diseases and approxi-mately 60,000 of these deaths are in the construction industry. In the Emirate of Dubai 249 accidents on construction sites were recorded in 2007, 47.8% of which involved labourers falling from heights. Other types of accidents included collapses at work sites, crane and other machinery accidents, and incidents involving fi res and electric shocks.

The issue of health and safety in the work place was again high-lighted recently when the Dubai Municipality published a new manual for contractors covering health and safety regulations for those working in the construction and engineering industry.

The Building Department In-spection Section of Dubai Munici-pality makes regular visits to con-struction sites enforcing site safety regulations. Minor violations are dealt with by way of a fi ne, but more serious violations can result in a site being closed.

Notwithstanding the health and safety regulations of Dubai Munic-ipality, it is said that the rapid de-velopment of Dubai has prompted a number of government depart-ments to issue legislation, rules and guidelines for projects within their jurisdiction. This is said to have resulted in some confu-sion, which a single unifi ed code would remove.

While there may be some sym-pathy for contractors and sub-contractors in not having a uni-fi ed code to apply or single set of health and safety regulations to work with, Federal Law No. 8 for

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Employer obligationsDennis Brand looks at the legal obligations of an employer with regard to health and safety.

OBLIGATIONS 101Worker’s Safety, Protection, Health and Social Care covers various obligations on the part of the employer and on the employee in articles 91-101.

Article 91 – Every employer shall provide his employees with adequate means of protection against injury, oc-cupational diseases, fi re and hazards, which may result from the use of machinery and other equipment in the work place. The employee however must use the protective equipment and clothing supplied to him for this purpose and must also comply with instructions given by the employer to protect the employee against hazards, and not take any action liable to ham-per compliance with such instructions. Article 92 – Every employer shall display detailed instructions in a conspicuous position in the work place indicating the measures to be taken to prevent fi re and protect the employees against hazards which they may be exposed to in performing their work. These instructions shall be in Arabic and if necessary in other languages understood by the employees. Article 93 - Every employer shall make available fi rst aid boxes or kits (one per 100 employees) containing medicines, bandages and other fi rst aid materials as ordered by the Ministry.

Article 94 – Every employer shall ensure that the work place is kept clean and ventilated and has provided adequate lighting, drinking water and toilets. Article 95 - An employer shall assign one or more medical practitioners to examine, at regular intervals of not more than six months, those of his employees who are exposed to the possibility of contracting one of the occupational diseases specifi ed in the Schedule attached (to the Labour Law). The fi ndings of such examinations shall be recorded on the employee’s personal fi le.Article 96 – The employer shall provide his employees with medical facilities to the standard determined by the Ministry of Labour in consultation with the Ministry of Health. Article 97 - The Ministry of Labour after consulting with the Ministry of Health may issue resolutions prescrib-ing the general precautions and health related safety measures in relation to lighting, ventilation, dining rooms, sup-ply of water for drinking and washing, elimination of dust and smoke pollution, and precautions to be taken against fi re and electricity hazards. Article 98 – The employer or his deputy shall inform the employee of the dangers of his job and the means pro-

tection that he must take. The employer shall also display detailed written safety instructions in this respect at the work places. Article 99 – No employer, deputy or any other person with authority over the employees shall bring or allow oth-ers to bring any kind of alcoholic drinks for consumption on work premises. The employer shall also prohibit any person to enter or remain in the establishment while in the state of drunkenness. Article 100- Each worker shall comply with the orders and instructions related to industrial security and safety precau-tions and shall use the appropriate pro-tective devices and treat such devices in his possession with due care. No worker shall commit any act leading to non-compliance with such instructions, or to misuse, damage or destruction of the equipment provided for protecting the health and safety of the workers. Article 101- Every employer employing workers in areas remote from towns and not connected with them by any normal means of transport shall provide the workers with the following services: adequate means of transport; suitable living accommodation; drinking water; considerable and adequate food sup-plies; fi rst aid facilities and recreation and sports facilities.


TENDERS


CONTRACT ALERTMEP Middle East wants to keep you in business. These pages are intended to provide you with good business leads. If you spot a contract that you are interested in, contact the issuer.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; the dates for closing of subscription; the opening of the tender; and a contact phone/fax number or email address. You can also announce 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.

BAHRAIN

Issuer: Civil Avaition AffairsTender No: 2/EMD/9P309BDescription: Proposed FIC expansion at Bahrain International Airport.Closes: 12 NovemberFees: BHD15 Bond: BHD500Contact: Tender Board’s Offi ce at Al Moayyed Tower, Seef Area, 7th fl oor, Kingdom of Bahrain

EGYPT

Issuer: Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the Mechenical and Electrical Dept., The Stores Dept. Description: Construction, supply and erection of a main irrigation pumping station at Qastal and Adendan Zone for a project involving the reclamation and development of 5,000 feddans land in Qastal Zone at Abu Simbil tourist city executed by the High Dam Lake Development Authority in cooperation with GARPAD. Closes: 22 DecemeberFees: EGP1500 Bond: EGP900,000Contact: Tafteesh El Ray St, Shoubra El Mezallat, CairoTel: 02 22069294/5/6Fax: 02 22069270

OMAN

Issuer: Ministry of Transport and Communication Tender No: 222/2008Description: Consultancy services for the design and supervision of the construction of Batinah Expressway (international).

Closes: 3 NovemberFees: RO1000Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water ResourcesTender No: 229/2008Description: Construction of sewerage network, upgrading of existing treatment plant for Barka south, Al Batinah.Closes: 10 NovemberFees: RO1500Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Ministry of HousingTender No: 231/2008Description: Construction of 12 housing units, majlis and mosque at Al Dhahir in Wilayat Bahila, Al Dakhiliya region.Closes: 17 NovemberFees: RO248Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Majan Electricity Company (SAOC)Tender No: 232/2008Description: Construction, of 33kv overhead lines and underground cables from propsed 132/33kv Saham grid substation to connect with existing 33kv lines in Saham area - North Batinah region.Closes: 17 NovemberFees: RO1000Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Ministry of Transport and CommunicationTender No: 235/2008Description: Consultancy services for design and supervision for asphalt road from Wilayat Al Amrt to Wilayat Dima

Wa at Taiyyin.Closes: 24 NovemberFees: RO300Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

QATAR

Issuer: Qatar PetroleumTender No: GT08112500Description: To maintain uninterrupted fl ow of sweet lean gas to consumers in Dukahn, Ummab. Closes: 2 NovemberFees: QAR500Bond: QAR5,000,000 Contact: Central Tenders Committee, PO Box 3213, Doha, QatarTel: (+974) 4402000Fax: (+971) 4831125

Issuer: Qatar PetroleumTender No: GT08111700Description: This project scope of work is the EPIC of electrical and telecom system facilities for West End Extension, Ras Laffan to achieve the following. Power transmission network consists of 132kv and 33kv System with 132/33kv and 33/11kv substations, 132kv and 33 kv cable feeders and PMS network for the West End Area of Raslaffan. Closes: 2 NovemberFees: QAR500Bond: QAR9,000,000 Contact: Contracts Dept. - Engineering Division, Qatar Petroleum, PO Box 3212, Doha

Issuer: Qatar PetroleumTender No: LT08109000Description: This is a one time construction contract for miscellaneous paving works at various QP Gas Distribution System locations.

Closes: 3 November Fees: QAR200 Bond: QAR30,000 Contact: Contracts Dept. - Operations Division, Qatar Petroleum, PO Box 3212, Royal Plaza, G Wing, 4th Floor Room G13, Dohan

Issuer: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and AgricultureTender No: 132/2008-2009Description: Consultancy works nad quantity survey for Alwakrah public park.Closes: 6 NovemberBond: QAR13500 Contact: Central Tenders Committee, PO Box 3213, Doha, Qatar Tel: (+974) 4402000Fax: (+971) 4831125

Issuer: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and AgricultureTender No: 130/2008-2009Description: Supply of water for Aljamiliah Park at Rayyan Municipality for three years. Closes: 6 NovemberBond: QAR22500 Contact: Central Tenders Committee, PO Box 3213, Doha, Qatar Tel: (+974) 4402000Fax: (+971) 4831125

Issuer: Qatar PetroleumTender No: GTC081112700Description: EPICfore football and cricket stadiums upgrade at Dukhan. Closes: 9 NovemberFees: QAR500Bond: QAR500,000

Contact: Contracts Dept. - Operations Division, Qatar Petroleum, PO Box 3212, Royal Plaza, G Wing, 4th Floor Room G13, Doha

Running alongside:

The exhibition & conference for buildingservices and facilities management

The regional event for architecturallandscaping and outdoor design

For information on exhibiting, telephone Jon Berry, Sales Director on +971 (0) 2 4064471 or email [email protected]

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International trade exhibition forthe final stages of construction

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METAL MONITOR


METALS PRICE TRACKER

PrimaryAluminium(dollars)

AluminiumAlloy(dollars)

Copper

(dollars)

Lead

(dollars)

Nickel

(dollars)

NASAAC

(dollars)

Cash Buyer 2,763.55 2,451.13 7,632.93 1,921.63 18,905.75 2,478.30

Cash Seller & Settlement 2,764.38 2,457.18 7,634.70 1,923.58 18,927.75 2,486.40

Cash Mean 2,763.96 2,454.15 7,633.81 1,922.60 18,916.75 2,482.35

3-months Buyer 2,816.35 2,491.25 7,536.85 1,912.23 18,977.00 2,521.00

3-months Seller 2,817.35 2,500.00 7,540.85 1,915.70 18,997.25 2,531.55

3-months Mean 2,816.85 2,495.63 7,538.85 1,913.96 18,987.13 2,526.28

15-months Buyer 2,962.85 2,628.50 7,306.00 1,879.60 18,911.50 2,651.50

15-months Seller 2,967.85 2,638.50 7,316.00 1,884.60 19,011.50 2,661.50

15-months Mean 2,965.35 2,633.50 7,311.00 1,882.10 18,961.50 2,656.50

27-months Buyer 3,062.75 2,748.50 7,079.50 18,462.75 2,726.50

27-months Seller 3,067.75 2,758.50 7,089.50 18,562.75 2,736.25

27-months Mean 3,065.25 2,753.50 7,084.50 18,512.75 2,731.38

Settlement Conversion

Copper Cash Seller & Settlement: £4,038.55 Exchange Rates

Lead Cash Seller & Settlement: £1,016.72 $/JY 109.2415

THE FOLLOWING STERLING EQUIVALENTS HAVE BEEN CALCULATED, ON THE BASIS OF DAILY CONVERSIONS:

Metal Euro Settlement Conversion Rate

Primary Aluminium 1,844.36

Aluminium Alloy 1639.81

Copper 5,094.07

Lead 1282.66

Nickel 12,644.25

Tin 13,362.20

SHG Zinc 1,149.91

AUGUSTTHE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE

LME AVERAGE SETTLEMENT PRICES IN EURO

Neither the LME nor any of its directors, officers 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. Market Operations

$7595Copper 3-months seller



Copper 3-months Seller: £3,891.91 Stg/$ 1.798

Lead Cash Seller & Settlement: £1,039.18 $/JY 106.600

Lead 3-months Seller: £1,052.00 Euro 1.437


SEPTEMBERTHE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE


$6,847Copper 3-months seller



Copper

(dollars)

Lead

(dollars)

Nickel

(dollars)

NASAAC

(dollars)

Cash Buyer 2,525.14 2,238.68 6,988.43 1,867.00 17,782.50 2,252.50


Cash Mean 2,525.48 2,242.55 6,989.65 1,867.68 17,788.52 2,256.43

3-months Buyer 2,576.20 2,280.34 6,954.52 1,878.61 17,957.95 2,293.59

3-months Seller 2,577.00 2,288.95 6,957.75 1,881.66 17,981.59 2,301.41

3-months Mean 2,576.60 2,284.65 6,956.14 1,880.14 17,969.77 2,297.50

15-months Buyer 2,738.41 2,426.36 6,844.55 1,868.95 18,205.45 2,435.68

15-months Seller 2,743.41 2,436.36 6,854.55 1,873.95 18,305.45 2,445.68

15-months Mean 2,740.91 2,431.36 6,849.55 1,871.45 18,255.45 2,440.68

27-months Buyer 2,855.59 2,550.45 6,711.14 18,259.09 2,550.91

27-months Seller 2,860.59 2,560.45 6,721.14 18,359.09 2,560.91

27-months Mean 2,858.09 2,555.45 6,716.14 18,309.09 2,555.91



Aluminium Alloy 1564.15

Copper 4,866.52

Lead 1300.25

Nickel 12,392.50

Tin 12,791.94

SHG Zinc 1,208.11

Nasaac 1,573.88


METAL MONITOR

Neither the LME nor any of its directors, officers 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. Market Operations



Copper

(dollars)

Lead

(dollars)

Nickel

(dollars)

NASAAC

(dollars)

Cash Buyer 2,957.07 2,623.24 8,259.43 1,861.62 22,529.05 2,662.76


Cash Mean 2,957.46 2,625.62 8,260.01 1,862.33 22,539.05 2,665.64

3-months Buyer 3,004.76 2,658.57 8,106.40 1,880.24 22,653.81 2,699.24

3-months Seller 3,005.52 2,668.57 8,108.38 1,881.86 22,681.90 2,708.86

3-months Mean 3,005.14 2,663.57 8,107.39 1,881.05 22,667.86 2,704.05

15-months Buyer 3,108.38 2,770.00 7,782.86 1,897.38 22,357.86 2,833.33

15-months Seller 3,113.38 2,780.00 7,792.86 1,902.38 22,457.86 2,843.33

15-months Mean 3,110.88 2,775.00 7,787.86 1,899.88 22,407.86 2,838.33

27-months Buyer 3,158.71 2,866.19 7,491.67 21,630.24 2,918.57

27-months Seller 3,163.71 2,876.19 7,501.67 21,730.24 2,928.57

27-months Mean 3,161.21 2,871.19 7,496.67 21,680.24 2,923.57



Lead Cash Seller & Settlement: £948.34 $/JY 106.9152




Aluminium Alloy 1,689.84

Copper 5,310.73

Lead 1197.97

Nickel 14,501.91

Tin 14,291.03

SHG Zinc 1,218.07

JUNETHE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE





Copper

(dollars)

Lead

(dollars)

Nickel

(dollars)

NASAAC

(dollars)

Cash Buyer 3,070.13 2,600.43 8,412.35 1,943.41 20,151.96 2,671.22


Cash Mean 3,070.68 2,604.65 8,413.20 1,944.16 20,156.09 2,674.67

3-months Buyer 3,121.43 2,640.83 8,220.67 1,945.87 20,328.91 2,715.22

3-months Seller 3,122.35 2,647.13 8,222.93 1,947.11 20,347.39 2,725.43

3-months Mean 3,121.89 2,643.98 8,221.80 1,946.49 20,338.15 2,720.33

15-months Buyer 3,234.70 2,770.43 7,807.39 1,934.17 20,248.26 2,856.52

15-months Seller 3,239.70 2,780.43 7,817.39 1,939.17 20,348.26 2,866.52

15-months Mean 3,237.20 2,775.43 7,812.39 1,936.67 20,298.26 2,861.52

27-months Buyer 3,294.09 2,887.39 7,431.09 19,629.57 2,935.22

27-months Seller 3,299.09 2,897.39 7,441.09 19,729.57 2,945.22

27-months Mean 3,296.59 2,892.39 7,436.09 19,679.57 2,940.22



Lead Cash Seller & Settlement: £977.76 $/JY 106.8096




Aluminium Alloy 1,653.92

Copper 5,334.17

Lead 1,233.13

Nickel 12,779.37

Tin 14,668.86

SHG Zinc 1,174.36

JULYTHE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE



Pumps Valves Systems

Right wherever you need us.

Visit us at The Big 5 exhibition in

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KSB is a global player in hydraulic systems with more than 30 manufacturing sites, subsidiaries and offices in over 100 countries around the world. In the Middle East, KSB provides innovative high quality pumps, valves and systems to the Water, Waste Water, Building Services, Industry, Energy and Mining segments. Our experts are available on call at our various Service Centres to ensure that your site runs effectively and efficiently. For more information, please visit: www.ksb.com


BUSINESS LEADS


OMAN PROJECTS DATABASE - BUILDING PROJECTS FOCUS

Project Title Client Consultant Main Contractor

MEP Contractor

Value(US$. Mn)

Project Status

Project type

Buraimi University College Building

Buraimi University College

Gulf Engineering Consultancy Not Appointed Not Ap-

pointed 31 - 100 project under design

Educational Facilities

Renovation of Intercontinental Hotel in Muscat Omran Offi ce Pentago Spowers

International Not Appointed Not Ap-pointed 16 - 30 project under

design Hotel

Dhofar University in Salalah - Pack 1 Dhofar University National Engineer-

ing Offi ceAl-Hashemi & Al-Ra-was Company In House 21 project under

constructionEducational Facilities

National Diabetic Centre Ministry of Health Gulf Engineering Consultancy

Premier International Project

Not Ap-pointed 13 project under

construction Hospital

Oncology Wards and Day Care Centre at Royal Hospital Ministry of Health Gulf Engineering

ConsultancyPremier International Project



Sports Hall at Nizwa Sports Complex

Ministry of Sports Affairs Bisan Engineering Saif Salim Issa Al-

Harrasi & Company In House 3 project under construction Sports Facilities

Court Complex in Sohar Ministry of Justice National Engineer-ing Offi ce Not Appointed Not Ap-

pointed 16 - 30award awaited for the construc-tion contract

Others

City Centre in Qurum District Majid al-Futtaim Investments Cowi & Partners Carillion Alawi

Bahwan Engineering Co.

53 project under construction

Shopping Centre

Showroom Facility at Liwa Saud Bahwan Group Kadri Consultants Galfar Engineering & Contracting In House 13 project under

constructionCommercial Buildings

Psychiatric Hospital at Amerat Ministry of Health Khatib and Alami Bahwan Contracting Company


107 project under construction Hospital

Ibis Hotel at Al Khuwair ction Real Estate Company

Consolidated Consultant

Al Rawahi International Company Genetco 2.5 - 15 project under

construction Hotel

New Television Studio Complex Ministry of Informa-tion Austro Consult Bahwan Contracting

Company


33 project under construction Mixed Use

Offi ce Building at Al Khuwair Ministry of Housing Electricity & Water

Al- Hatmy Engi-neering Consultant Burj Oman In House 2.5 - 15 project under

constructionCommercial Buildings

Extension of Health Centre at Ibra Ministry of Health Gulf Engineering

ConsultancyCivil Contracting Company In House 5 project under


Dar Al Maha Residential Build-ing - Phase 1

Sohar International Development & Investment

Engineering In-novation Design Al Hajiri Trading Durat Al

Shail 16 - 30 project under construction

Residential Buildings

International Maritime College Oman

Ministry of Man-power

Gulf Engineering Consultancy

Al Qasim Trading & Contracting


constructionEducational Facilities

Housing Complex at Sohar Mr. Abdulla MoosaAl Hatmy Engineering Consultancy

Iskan Contracting Company In House 17 project under

constructionResidential Development

MEP PROJECT TRACKERMEP Middle East and Ventures Middle East have got together to provide you with essential project information. Each month we will list current projects in the region that are under design or construction so that you can see what is going on where and enabling you to spot opportunities to do business.

TURN-KEY HOT WATER SYSTEMSwww.ecotherm.com

BOILER STEAM SOLARELECTRIC

Complete turn-key systemsEnergy & space saving

• 350 rooms & 100 serviced apartments 27,000 litres/h hygienic hot water at 60°C• 2 Stainless steel electric water heaters• 4 Pool heaters & coolers• 2 City water coolers

MESSILAH BEACH HOTEL, KUWAIT BURJ DUBAI GRAND HYATT HOTEL, DOHA SHORELINE APARTMENTS, DUBAI

Skid mounted unitsHygienic hot water

Specification supportCompact design

Leading-edge constructionStainless steel quality

• Armani Hotel, Residences, Offi ces 71,000 litres/h hygienic hot water at 60°C• 11 Gas condensing boilers 300 kW • 11 Skid mounted heat exchanger packages each 300 kW

• 6 buildings, each with 156 apartments 10,000 litres/h hygienic hot water at 60°C• Solar gain 80 % • 200 m2 solar panel area • 2 Gas condensing boilers • 3 Stainless steel calorifi ers 3,000 litres

• 249 rooms & 93 villas 39,000 litres/h hygienic hot water at 60°C• 3 Steam boilers 4,000 kg/h – 11 bar • 4 Stainless steel high capacity water heaters 450 kW – 5,000 litres

H E A T T R A N S F E R T E C H N O L O G Y

Visit us in DubaiBIG 5 Show 2008Hall 3 Booth 3B 111

www.arabianbusiness.com November 2008 - MEP Middle East 79

• Senior Mechanical Design Engineers• Senior Electrical Design Engineers• Public Health Engineers• Fire Engineering Consultants• Building Physicists• Vertical Transport Engineers• Acoustic Consultants

Building Services opportunities in the Middle East

Reaching New Heights

www.atkins-me.com/mepPlan Design Enable

Atkins is a multinational engineering and design consultancy and one of the world’s largest design firms with over 17,000 professionals. We deliver multidisciplinary services and innovative solutions to complex challenges across the built and natural environment.

We encompass an international community of engineers who share a passion for delivering excellence in sustainable design on some truly innovative projects such as the Bahrain World Trade Center; DIFC Lighthouse Tower and the Trump International Hotel & Tower, The Palm Jumeirah.

Our engineering teams across eight regional locations are also at the forefront of pioneering projects such as the Dubai Metro detailed design and programme management and the Durrat Al Bahrain islands infrastructure.

To find out more about Atkins and our career opportunities, simply visit us at:

www.atkins-me.com/mep

© Atkins Ltd except where stated otherwise. The Atkins logo, the “open A” device and the strapline “Plan Design Enable” are trademarks of Atkins Ltd.

APPOINTMENTS


THE LAST WORD


MEP: What products and services does Leviton offer to the international market?In the US today, Leviton is the leading brand of structured cabling and home networking solutions for the building market. The company manufactures over 25,000 products and is a leading producer of electrical and electronic products. The state-of-the-art Network-ing Solutions division creates the next-generation products and manufacturing technologies that will bring the benefi ts of high-speed communications connectivity within reach of every potential commercial end-user. Lighting Management Systems develops innovative solutions ap-plied to energy management initia-tives for large scale and small-scale commercial customers. Leviton Integrated Networks and Controls (LINC) offers a technological upgrade path to the future through the industry’s most comprehensive selection of residential structured cabling and home control products.

MEP: In which countries does the fi rm currently have operations? Leviton’s headquarters is in Millville, NY with offi ces in many other US locations. It also operates in Canada, Mexico, China and now the Middle East region, having opened its new offi ce in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. It also has an extensive network of sales representatives and distribu-tors in all the continents with a major presence in South America, Korea and New Zealand.

A minute of your time...

MEP: What projects and plans has the fi rm got on in the Middle East currently? Leviton has just opened an offi ce in Jebel Ali to serve the Middle East region. The offi ce will focus on the commercial networking and structured cabling industry including data centre solutions. It will also be supplying lighting management and residential products.

MEP: What plans for expansion does Leviton have for the region?The plans for expansion have already taken place with the new offi ce in Jebel Ali. Leviton will be employing personnel in UAE, KSA, Kuwait, and Qatar to cover the whole Middle East region in sales and technical support. Through participation in events in the Middle East like BICSI, MECOM, Gitex, ADIPEC, DataCentre

Dynamics, Middle East Electricity and BIG 5, it will create brand recognition as well as educate customers about it’s solutions.

MEP: Of the sectors the company covers what does it see as having the most potential for growth in the region?Networking solutions has the most potential with ready and available products to serve the Middle East market. Networking products are universal and can be used anywhere in the world with no conversion needed.

MEP: What contribution will Leviton be able to make to the region’s growing emphasis on energy management?Leviton is one of the only global companies that offer a complete range of lighting management products for both residential and commercial applications. Leviton’s products are designed to reduce energy consumption and protect natural resources and save substantial energy costs over the use of traditional non-energy savings products. The pro-environment energy management products from Leviton do not cost more than the alternative products. Leviton’s Energy Management division offers products that consist of a wide range of occupancy sensors, lighting control relay systems, state-of-the-art intelligent dimming systems and controls and the Centura daylight harvesting systems for commercial

enterprises. All these products address the need for energy management and many of them are LEED certifi ed.

MEP: How does Leviton go about developing new technology? Many new technologies start in the Leviton R&D and technology management department headed by expert design engineers and scientists. Leviton employs industry leading electrical, mechanical, and automation engineers committed to the development of very high performance, category rated, environmentally

responsible connector systems in close collaboration with customer requirements and industry partners. The technologies are typically an answer to many customer needs and desires. This technology follows a stage/gate process to take it from inception to commercialisation.

MEP: Will it be investing in technology specifi c to the region, or adapting existing products?Leviton will mainly adapt existing products like data centre solutions, fi ber and shielded solutions. However Leviton will be investing in converting existing US standard products to universal standards used in the Mid-dle East region.

MEP: Anything to add?Leviton is excited about this new offi ce opening and looks forward to serving the region. Today, the Middle East market is an important and growing market that has demonstrated high demand for Leviton’s Network Solutions products. From this key market area, Leviton products can be positioned to reach many new customers in the area that have heard of Leviton’s history and technologies but have never installed them due to lack of local availability. Many of Leviton’s US based customers are starting business in the Middle East and asking for Leviton product presence in the area so they may utilize the same high quality products they have worked with before and installed in their North American based facilities.

Networking solutions and energy management are key areas for Leviton. Ramzi Nassif discusses the company’s potential in the region.

“The pro-environment energy products from Leviton do not cost more than the alternatives. ”

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Documents

MEP Middle East - Nov 2009