Construction Machinery Middle East

INFRASTRUCTURERoads to the future?

I LIKE TO MOVE IT!The bulldozer story

MOROCCO LINKS UPMajor road projects

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

GOING UNDERGROUND

Piling it on

ISSUE 2

DECEMBER 2011

Plus: ACROss THE INDusTRY * NEWs & VIEWs * AuCTION TRENDs * IN THE lABs * AND MORE

Contents

06 Editorial We’re busy this month getting ready for our major Construction

Machinery Show coming up soon in KSA.

08 NEws What’s happening across the region in the world of

construction machinery.

18 iNto thE futurE We look at Volvo Construiction Equipment’s emerging

technology department and what the future may hold for the industry - 30 years out..

20 MarkEt aNalysis What’s the action at auctions across the region? We get a round-

up from key players.

23 iN thE labs Is a ‘green’ product really green? Siemens has developed a

testing procedure that answeres the question.

26 PiliNG With a drop in tall tower construction, are the piling and

foundation players suffering? Apparently not.

30 biG5 rEViEw All the action from the region’s biggest genneral construction

exhibition.

32 PErsoNal ViEw Matt Dunne of auction house IronPlanet explains how the

market is changing and what are the hot ticket items at present.

34 ProfilE The Kanoo Group.

36 CasE study Major road building in Morocco relies on Hitachi equipment

taking the heavy workload.

40 sECtor foCus Roads and infrastructure under the spotlight.

50 ProduCt foCus New equipment from New Holland, LiuGong and Linden

Comansa.

53 PoiNt of ViEw I like to move it, move it - the bulldozer story!

58 last word At the end of 2011, we take a look ahead at what the new year

holds in store for the industry.

36

62

18

ISSUE 2

DECEMBER 2011

18

Contents

06 Editorial We’re busy this month getting ready for our major Construction

Machinery Show coming up soon in KSA.

08 NEws What’s happening across the region in the world of

construction machinery.

18 iNto thE futurE We look at Volvo Construiction Equipment’s emerging

technology department and what the future may hold for the industry - 30 years out..

20 MarkEt aNalysis What’s the action at auctions across the region? We get a round-

up from key players.

23 iN thE labs Is a ‘green’ product really green? Siemens has developed a

testing procedure that answeres the question.

26 PiliNG With a drop in tall tower construction, are the piling and

foundation players suffering? Apparently not.

30 biG5 rEViEw All the action from the region’s biggest genneral construction

exhibition.

32 PErsoNal ViEw Matt Dunne of auction house IronPlanet explains how the

market is changing and what are the hot ticket items at present.

34 ProfilE The Kanoo Group.

36 CasE study Major road building in Morocco relies on Hitachi equipment

taking the heavy workload.

40 sECtor foCus Roads and infrastructure under the spotlight.

50 ProduCt foCus New equipment from New Holland, LiuGong and Linden

Comansa.

53 PoiNt of ViEw I like to move it, move it - the bulldozer story!

58 last word At the end of 2011, we take a look ahead at what the new year

holds in store for the industry.

36

62

18

ISSUE 2

DECEMBER 2011

18

GOT A JOB TO DO?WE’RE HERE TO HELPTerex Construction in the Middle East

Terex offers the complete solutions:

Tough, Quality Range of Construction Equipment for all Applications

Network of Dealers Throughout the Middle East

World Wide Parts Distribution

Aftermarket Support Minimising Downtime

At Terex, ‘Works For You’ is more than a slogan – it’s a promise. It’s what you can count on from our equipment and the Terex team in the Middle East, who is here to support you.

From site dumpers to off-highway rigid trucks, compact excavators to backhoe loaders – we’ve got the right machine to do the work for you.

From choosing the right equipment, to providing the parts and service to keep it producing for years to come, the responsive Terex team is dedicated to your success.

Terex Middle East LLCPinnacle Building, Sheikh Zayed Road P.O. Box No 282325 Al Barsha, Dubai, UAE Tel: + 971 4 3990381

Visit our new website:www.terexconstruction.com

I’m a QR code. Scan me!

© Terex Corporation 2011 – Terex is a registered trademark of Terex Corporation in the United States of America and many other countries.

Bahrain Kanoo Autos International W.L.L. +973 7 709 8966Iraq ALCA +962 6 5655070 Kuwait TIECO +965 2 4819188 Lebanon Michel Sehnaoui & FILS S.A.L. +961 1 580491 Oman Al Fairuz Trading & Cont.Co.LLC +968 2 456 2645

Qatar Al Obeidly & Gulf Eternit Trading WLL +974 44 662 372 Qatar Rumaillah Motors W.L.L +974 44 606 091UAE Abdulla Al Masaood and Sons Industrial Equipment +971 2 5507233 Yemen Ashibami Corp.for Trading and Gen. Agencies +967 1 420117Saudi Arabia MEDCO +96622907230

02438 Terex Saudi Arabia 300x240 Ad.indd 1 28/11/2011 12:03

Editor’s Letter

Publisher Dominic De SouSa

COO naDeem HooD

Managing DireCtOr RicHaRD JuDD

eDiToRiaL

eDitOr aLan SmiTHee+971 4 440 9100

CreatiVe DireCtOr RuTH [email protected]

graPhiC Designer GLenn [email protected]

COntributOrs conRaD eGbeRT, DaVe ReeDeR, KaRen YounG

aDVeRTiSinG

COMMerCial DireCtOr RaZ [email protected] +971 4 440 9129

business DeVelOPMent DireCtOr micHaeL [email protected] +971 4 440 9128

ciRcuLaTion

Database anD CirCulatiOn ManagerRaJeeSH [email protected] +971 4 440 9147

PRoDucTion

PrODuCtiOn Manager JameS P [email protected] +971 4 440 9146

DiGiTaL

www.constructionmachineryme.com

Digital serViCes Manager TRiSTan TRoY maaGma

Web DeVelOPersJeRuS KinG baTioneRiK bRioneSJeFFeRSon De JoYaLouie aLma

[email protected] +971 4 440 9100

PubLiSHeD bY

1013 centre Road, new castle county,Wilmington, Delaware, uSa

branch officePo box 13700Dubai, uae

Tel: +971 4 440 9100Fax: +971 4 447 2409

PRinTeD bY

Printwell Printing Press LLc

© copyright 2011 cPiall rights reservedWhile the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

The arrival of our launch issue of Construction Machinery Middle East seems to have struck a chord across the industry. Amongst

the many positive comments have been “really impressive first issue”, “dazzling”, “game changing” and “a magazine I’ll look for every month”!

We’re not trying to blow our own trumpet - well, not too loudly anyway - but after years of seeing the construction machinery sector looked at as the dowdier relation of the wider construction industry, with its stunning architecture and vaunting scope, we’re pleased to be putting a spotlight on the kit that actually gets the job done.

And on the people who organise it.

From manufacturers to dealers, contractors to specifiers, we’re dealing with a knowledgeable industry and one that we want to hear a lot more from. As Construction Machinery Middle East develops as a magazine - and related Web site - expect to see a lot more industry round-ups as we gauge the temperature on the ground. We’ve already spent some time looking at both the buy versus rent debate, as well as the key trends across the auction space - expect a lot more.

Meanwhile, things are gearing up all too quickly for the Construction Machinery Show, to be held in Jeddah next April. The number of exhibitors already committing to space and the local market is already encouraging and we’re busy dashing back and forth between the UAE and KSA co-ordinating, planning and ensuring that we deliver an exceptional experience for both exhibitors and visitors alike.

The end of 2011 gives us a chance to reflect on the wider construction industry and, like most people we talk to, anticipate a strengthening market next year. We can debate whether that’s due to increasingly resilient regional economies or the continued high oil revenues driving infrastructure development or even the knock-on effect of the Arab spring and the determination by new or refocused regimes on building towards the future, but the overall message is clear: we’re climbing out of the economic pits of the last couple of years.

Finally, the whole Construction Machinery Middle East team wishes you the best for 2012! See you in Jeddah in April?

the CMMe team

SeaSonS change

December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST6

Construction Machinery Middle east is brought to you by the team behind the Kingdom of saudi arabia’s largest construction machinery event, the Construction Machinery show. the next show takes place in Jeddah, 22-25 april 2012.

www.constructionmachineryshow.com

QUALITY &STRENGTHDigging your way to successgg g y yDigging your way to successDigging your way to success

OTHER AREAS ( DEALERS)Tabuk Tel: +966 4 422 4490 / Fax: + 966 4 422 7225Unaizah Tel: + 966 6 364 4555 / Fax: + 966 6 364 5969Abha Tel: +966 7 227 0000 / Fax: +966 7 227 1944

Al KhobarP.O.Box: 2841, Al Khobar-31952, Saudi Arabia.Tel: + 966 3 8576769, Fax: +966 3 857 4681Email: [email protected]: www.saudidiesel.com.sa

BRANCHESRiyadh Tel: + 966 1 231 1931 / Fax: + 966 1 231 1031Jeddah Tel: + 966 2 659 8500 / Fax: +966 2 659 8600Jubail Tel / Fax: +966 3 363 4050

News Round-Up

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST8 December 2011

NEWSNew machines, new offices, new projects, new initiatives - we look around the region at what’s new this month.

Commercial vehicle and construction equipment FAMCO has acquired Al-Rehab Equipment and Machinery Company in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Rehab is the exclusive distributor of Volvo construction equipment in KSA with five branches, including a head office in Jeddah, in the Kingdom.

FAMCO, Al-Futtaim Groupís distributor of commercial vehicles and industrial equipment, revealed buying the company outright is a key milestone in the company’s regional expansion strategy.

“FAMCO already has an enviable reputation in the region, but this has come solely from its development in the UAE. Now it has the

FAMCO enters sAudi ArAbiAn MArket

MEDCO tiEs uptErEx KsA DistributiOn DEAl

opportunity to take its excellent standards to a new audience,” explained Len Hunt, president, Al-Futtaim Automotive.

UAE-based FAMCO, which recently opened operations in Qatar and Oman, received funding for the move from Emirates Investment Bank in Dubai. Volvo said that it hoped continuing its long-standing relationship with FAMCO into KSA can help both to become players in KSA’s boom in infrastructure development.

“We are looking forward to working with FAMCO in Saudi Arabia, as we look to grow and increase our market share in what is a rapidly expanding market,” commented Jonas Gardetun, VP, Volvo CE.

Volvo CE awarded FAMCO with its Silver Partnership award in May 2011, an award shared with only a hand-full of dealers globally. Paul Floyd, Managing Director, FAMCO, said that customers could expect the same service found in Dubai in KSA.

“We are known in the UAE as a company that takes pride in working closely with f leet operators, providing high levels of customer service and expert advice,” said Floyd. “Now we can bring these qualities to the Saudi market where we believe we have much to offer. Saudi Arabia is leading the construction boom in the region and our aim is to set a new benchmark there. We very much look forward to the challenge of developing our operations in Saudi Arabia.”

Sany wins big $2 million Big5 deal

Jeddah-based company MEDCO has secured the rights to distribute Terex Constructionís range of heavy machinery in Saudi Arabia.

MEDCO was founded in 1967 by Sheikh Saleh and Ibrahim Alfadl and is a 100% Saudi Arabian-owned business. The deal with Terex means it will now handle distribution, servicing and parts for machines such as Terexí backhoe loaders, wheel loaders and site dumpers across the country.

The Terex Construction segment offers a wide range of products from 100 tonne rigid dump trucks to 1.5 tonne mini excavators.

“We are delighted to appoint MEDCO as our distributor for construction products in Saudi Arabia as they are fully committed to providing a quality service for our quality construction equipment,” said Terex Construction Sales and Marketing Director for Developing Markets, John Rotherford.

While its cranes have been a fixture on the Middle East scene for many years, Terex has recently ramped up its construction equipment presence in the region, including the much-heralded launch of the TLB 840 backhoe, its biggest upgrade in a decade, earlier this year.

Chinese manufacturing giant Sany completed three major deals at Big5 in Dubai, including a $2 million sale of mobile cranes.

The company said the mobile cranes were sold on the first day to a Saudi Arabian customer. Sany returned to Big5 after a two-year absence and made up for lost time also selling a range of equipment at the event, including three excavators.

A planned $3.3 billion IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange to raise money to make overseas acquisitions is

currently on standby but should it go through next year will use the money to fund its global expansion plans. A company representative at the event, said it is currently considering a range of partnerships and potential acquisitions in the mining sector.

Sany has set itself the goal of raising 50% of its revenue from exports within the decade and has consequently strengthened its global footprint in the past 18 months. It opened an industrial park in Germany

earlier this year and has busy refining its dealer network in the US ahead of opening its first plant in the country by the end of the year.

Tang Xiuguo, president of Sany Group, recently revealed that the Middle East is among a group of countries including India, Brazil and across Africa where it is looking to grow customers and production.

“We have some opportunities and we are in talks on some businesses, including mergers and acquisitions,” he said.

September 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST10 CONSTRUCTION


News Round-Up

Caterpillar is extending its market leading range of mini excavators, with the addition of three models with operating weights of 2,061 lb (935kg), 3,340 lb (1,515kg) and 5886 lb (2,670kg). These additional models broaden the appeal of the Cat compact crawler excavator line-up, extending machine choices for customers in a variety of industry sectors.

The 300.9D weighs in at just 2,061 lb (935kg), making it the smallest machine in the Cat range. With an overall width of just 28.7 in (730mm), this machine is capable of driving through a standard doorway, providing easy access to the most confined job sites. This will prove popular with homebuilders, rental companies and demolition contractors.

A powerful water-cooled three-cylinder diesel engine produces 18.4 hp (13.7kW); along with a twin gear pump hydraulic system creates a maximum stick breakout force of 1,011 lbf (4.5kN) and a maximum bucket breakout force of 2,000 lbf (8.9kN). The machine comes equipped with an extending undercarriage and fold-out dozer blade, ensuring maximum stability and allowing a digging depth of up to 69.4 in (1,731mm) and a maximum excavation radius of 121.7 in (3,074mm).

A foldable overhead protective structure is mounted on the front of the machine, allowing the fitting of an additional guard to protect the operator when the machine is used with a hydraulic breaker. Caterpillar’s work tool division will be introducing a new H25 compact breaker specifically to work with this smaller machine. Auxiliary hydraulic lines with quick disconnect fittings are supplied as standard.

A spacious operator area with easy to use controls ensures the 300.9D will be a popular choice with operators of all abilities. The folding structure and operating weight well below one tonne, makes the 300.9D easy to transport on a trailer behind a van or truck, while a simple single steel engine cover provides easy access to all service and maintenance points.

With an operating weight of 2,921-3,340 lbs (1,325-1,515kg), depending on specification, the

CAterpillAr expAnds Mini exCAvAtOr rAnge

Cat 301.4C fits into the line-up below the current 301.8C, extending choice in the popular 1.5 ton market. The machine is available with a choice of cab or FOPS/TOPS canopy, and with standard or extending width undercarriage.

Power comes from a 24 hp (17.9kW) engine and the machine boasts a maximum bucket breakout force of 3,597 lbf (16.0 kN) and a stick force of 1596 lbf (7kN). The machine has good working range with a maximum digging depth of 143.5 in (2,240mm) and reach at ground level extends to 145.7 in (3,640mm). The maximum lift capacity to the front of the machine is 1,576 lb (715kg). Lift capacity over the side of the machine is 739 lb (335kg) with the retracted 39 in (990mm) width tracks, rising to 1091 lb (495kg) with the standard 51.2 in (1,300mm) extendable tracks.

Standard equipment includes extendable undercarriage, single and two-way auxiliary hydraulic lines, a sturdy dozer blade, a suspension seat and a hydraulic oil cooler. The machine will have a bucket linkage that allows the use of a wide range of existing Cat buckets, quick couplers and powered work tools.

Tipping the scales at 5,681 lb (2,577kg) with a canopy and 5,886 lb (2,670kg) with full cab, the 302.7D CR is the lightest Cat compact radius model, making it easy to transport for a rental company or contractor. Powered by the same proven 24 hp (17.9kW) engine as the 301.4C, the machine boasts a load sensing hydraulic system, providing a maximum bucket force of 5,058 lbf (22.5kN) and a maximum stick force of 3,462 lbf (21.76kN).

The Cat 302.7D CR combines a compact radius design (zero tailswing without counterweight) with a spacious operator environment and easy access to regular service points. Two-way auxiliary lines are standard, equipped with quick disconnects for rapid work tool changeover. A joystick-mounted proportional auxiliary control allows for fine control of a range of powered attachments. The sturdy dozer blade offers added stability when digging, and a float function on the dozer control allows operators to grade and push with confidence.

Maximum lift capacity is an impressive 2,105 lb (955 kg) with the standard long arm and counterweight combination. When lifting over the side the extra counterweight allows a maximum lift capacity of 1,373 lb (623 kg) at a reach of 98 in (2.5 m) and ground level.

MAnnAi On trACK in QAtAr

FAMCO enters sAudi ArAbiAn MArket

Mannai Heavy Equipment Division (HED), JCB’s distributor of heavy equipment in Qatar, competed the first delivery of JCB machines to local construction contractor Urbacon International (UCC).

Mannai HED revealed it is providing UCC with a reange of tracked hydraulic excavators, wheeled loaders, skid steer loaders, backhoe loaders, telescopic handlers and forklifts.

“We are delighted with this deal with UCC and pledge to endeavor our best to deliver effective, efficient and sustainable results based on the ever growing construction market in Qatar,” said Luigi Rubinacci, general manager, aftersales - Autogroup, Mannai.

Rubinacci explained that the deal took several weeks to complete, however deliveried started almost immediately after the final agreement was signed.

He added: “ UCC prides itself in the timely completion of its

projects and Mannai-HED is committed to support in making this happen.”

Fawaz Tinawi, business development manager, UCC, added: “Sourcing our supplies from a company as widely respected as Mannai-HED is something we are extremely proud of and following this we look forward to building a longterm business relationship with Mannai-HED.”

Alaa Kiki, plant and equipment manager, explained that the UCC was looking for a supplier to support its growing range of projects across the Middle East.

“Having successfully completed many construction projects in Syria, we need a supplier whom we can rely on and this is why Mannai HED was our ideal choice,” said Kiki. “They provide high standards in after sales support (servicing, repairs and parts availability) and this factor has positively influenced our decision in Mannai’s favour.”

[email protected]

News Round-Up

September 2011

CONSTRUCTION



New Doosan dump truckBuilding on the success of the popular MT31 model which it replaces, the new Doosan DA30 articulated dump truck (ADT), which has a payload of 28 metric tonne, offers many new features to meet customer demands for increased power and performance, easier operation, increased fuel efficiency, enhanced driver comfort and faster travel speeds.

Driven by the 5-cylinder Scania DC9 Tier 2 diesel engine with a gross power output of 276 kW (375 HP), the DA30 offers an 8% increase in engine power compared to the MT31. In combination with the greater engine power, the DA30 also has 30% more gross torque (1873 Nm at 1300 rpm), to produce the powerful rim pull required to work in extreme hauling conditions.

The increased engine power is combined with ‘best-in-class’ fuel consumption with a higher top speed of 58 km/h (34 mph). Contributing to the overall 8% reduction in fuel consumption is the new ZF transmission offering eight forward and four reverse speeds. The fully automatic transmission with smooth Tiptronic gear-shifting (both automatic and manual gear functions are available) allows the operator to concentrate on working conditions and improves the transfer of power from the engine to the wheels.

As well as permanent six-wheel drive, the DA30 also has a free-swinging rear tandem bogie designed to ensure that all six wheels are in continuous contact with the ground, enabling the truck to operate on very rough and soft terrain.

The articulation hinge is positioned behind the turning ring to provide equal weight distribution even during maximum turning and ensure full contact between the tyres and the road surface.

The sloping rear frame enhances the stability of the truck thanks to its low centre of gravity and allows fast and easy tipping, even in the most demanding conditions.

Like its predecessor, the DA30 features an independent front suspension (there is no rigid axle), a unique feature of the Doosan range, which allows for free movement on one side, without movement on the opposite side, giving maximum ground contact and shock absorption.

Like all Doosan ADTs, the DA30 features a powerful engine brake and hydraulic transmission retarder as standard. The air-cooled multiple disc brakes on all wheels of fer long service life and sealed protection from the environment.

Hitachi open day planned A two-day exposition featuring live machine demonstrations and an opportunity to meet crane experts and construction industry leaders from the Middle East and Africa is planned for next February in Dubai. Event highlights include machinery demonstrations with audience Q&A and the main attraction is expectewd to be the demonstration and self-assembly of a Hitachi Sumitomo crawler crane.

The scheduled featured machinery lineup includes:

• HSC crawler crane model: SCX2000A-2 crawler crane with 45.75m boom, auxiliary jib, 80t and 35t hook, self assembly system, free-fall winch.

• HSC mobile crane model: UCX350 mobile crane with 24m boom, 35t hook.

• Hitachi excavator model: ZX210LC-3 SLF H15 Super Long Front, 800 mm shoes, 0.45m³ bucket

• Hitachi excavator model: ZX60USB-3 mini excavator with 1.50m standard arm, 400 mm steel/rubber shoe, 0.11m³ bucket.

• Hitachi excavator model: ZX240-3G 2.96m standard arm, 600 mm Shoes, 1.0m³ bucket.

• Hitachi wheel loader model: ZW220 3.3m³ BOT bucket

The Machinery Expo is an exclusive gathering of dealers, trading houses and customers from across the Middle East and North Africa region.

A Product of Hard Work

BAHRAIN: +973 1770 0008

KUWAIT: +965 2483 0384

OMAN: +968 2470 3844

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UAE: +971 4 338 5461

For other countries, please find your local JCB dealer at www.jcb.com

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versatility and real savings that will make your business more profitable and competitive.

Go to our dealer locator to experience our innovation and first class dealer support. www.jcb.com

September 2011

CONSTRUCTION



News Round-Up

Al and industrial site preparation, to highways and other civil engineering projects, the SD110 single drum soil compactor from Volvo Construction Equipment offers powerful drum performance in a range of compaction duties.

The 11 125 kg SD110 compactor is being introduced to the Indian and other selected international markets.

It is powered by a turbocharged Volvo D5 Tier 3/Stage III engine that delivers 133 hp of powerful performance, as well as low emissions and economical fuel usage. This power is transferred via a hydrostatic axle drive that is fitted with a two speed, variable piston transmission. Low speed operation is intended for compaction applications, while high speed drive is useful for quick worksite changes. The heavy duty, no-spin differential axles provide increased traction and gradeability by restricting the two wheels to the same rotational speed.

A significant feature of the SD110 is its stability. Weight is balanced over the drum and tyres for enhanced traction and gradeability. This enables the drum mass to act together with the dynamic forces of the drum amplitude and frequency, leading to fewer passes, reduced voids and efficient compaction. Stability is further enhanced, as is maneuverability, by an articulation joint that provides +/- 17o of oscillation angle – helping to maintain the drum with the ground, while +/-38o of frame articulation offers good maneuverability.

The ability to compensate for changing soil

and ground conditions comes in the form of variable vibration frequencies, which are easily adjustable from the operator’s console, from 0-30 Hz (0-1,800 vpm). The operator can also select either High or Low amplitude settings, depending on application and conditions. In addition, the smooth drum of the SD110 can be fitted with an optional clamp-on pad foot shell and scraper bar, for added versatility.

Special emphasis has been placed on the convenience and safety of the operator. The vibration-isolated operator platform and the ergonomic layout of controls contribute to a low fatigue workplace environment.

The operator sits in an ROPS/FOPS protected structure that gives excellent all-round visibility, while a back up alarm is f itted that automatically sounds when the machine is put into reverse, providing greater operator and site safety. Service braking is provided through the hydrostatic propulsion system, while parking/secondary braking is spring applied, and released on axle and drum drive motors.

The engine and hydraulic components are easily accessible, thanks to a swing up engine hood. Daily checks on engine, battery, radiator, f ilters etc can be reached from ground level, helping ensure that maintenance is properly conducted.

strong international presence at pMV liveAn unprecedented number of international companies set up stall at MEC and PMV Live at the Big5 this year with China and Austria, in particular, boasting a significant presence.

In a display of confidence for the Middle East’s booming construction industry, more than 100 international exhibitors representing 19 countries took space at the two exhibitions, co-located with the Big5

construction event at Dubai’s Word Trade Centre in November.

This year also saw the first National Pavilion at the show, with 16 companies from Austria taking advantage of a dedicated space to showcase Austrian expertise in construction.

Dr. Wolfgang Penzias, Commercial Counselor, Austrian Trade Commission, said: “Austrian companies are world renowned in key sectors of

the construction industry such as formworks, civil engineering, building materials and construction machinery. In fact, a number of successful Austrian companies can trace their history of successful projects in the GCC back to the 1970s. It is thus a particular honour for me to see so many participants at the Austrian Pavilion of this year’s exhibitions which will present their high quality and

innovative products and services to key players and decision makers from all over the Middle East.”

Chinese, companies, too, made their presence felt. This year, three of the top ten global PMV manufacturers are Chinese. Last, year, only one made it into the top ten. All participated at PMV Live and MEC this year – Sany Group, Zoomlion, which now owns CIFA, and XCMG.

Al Bahar opens Cat in BahrainCaterpillar’s “go-to” dealer in the GCC Mohamed Abdulrahman Al Bahar has started an operation in Bahrain.

Al Bahar recently held its first ever open house in the country for local customers to launch Cat’s current range and celebrate the opening its newest facility.

The company also provided live demonstrations of Cat machines and power systems at the event.

“Customer satisfaction is our ultimate goal and that is why Al Bahar has introduced many programmes that help in reducing end-user equipment lifetime owning and operating costs by preventing unexpected downtime and keeping equipment work on schedule,” said Khaled Al Shawwa, general manager, Al Bahar.

Al Bahar is one of the biggest machinery providers in the GCC region, representing Cat in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE and in Oman through its associate - Oasis Trading and Equipment Co. It also provides materials handling equipment from Cat Lift Trucks, Atlet, Landoll, KoneCranes and Terex.

September 2011

CONSTRUCTION



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News Round-Up

A fleet of 16 Grove rough-terrain cranes is right on schedule to complete the construction of over 2,000 villas in a one-year period as part of a new residential development in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The cranes are working 24 hours a day at the $750 million Al Falah development, a new standalone community that will eventually house 60,000 UAE nationals.

One of the key challenges at the development is the tight schedule. Gulf Precast Concrete Company, which owns the cranes, has to manufacture and construct five villas each day to complete the 2,069 villas on-time.

Dr. Daniele Pfeffer, COO at Gulf Precast, says meeting the daily target and working in the harsh desert environment have inreased the pressure of this project. “The cranes must deliver regular, reliable service to meet the demands of this immense project. The uneven ground and arid land makes things more difficult. But our Grove cranes have proven their abilities working 12 to 24 hours a day for almost a year. We are on track and I am confident

that we will reach our goal.”The cranes - 14 Grove

RT880Es and two RT760Es - arrived in December 2010. There are 12 based at the 12,500 km2 job site performing general lifting duties, including handling structural elements to build the villas and also installing a 220 km wall surrounding the entire community. The other four cranes are working at Gulf Precast’s production facilities where they load precast concrete elements onto trucks for transporting to the project site. The loads, both in the yards and on site, weigh up to 11 t.

All of the cranes were purchased new by Gulf Precast through the machinery division of The Kanoo Group, Manitowoc’s dealer for Grove cranes in UAE. Kanoo is also providing all Manitowoc Crane Care parts and maintenance support to the cranes, which has ensured they continue to work as efficiently as possible. Established in 1984, Gulf Precast is the leading precast concrete company in the UAE with seven production plants - five in Abu Dhabi and two in Dubai.

One design feature on the RT880E and RT760E cranes that is proving particularly useful on this project is the inverted outrigger jacks ‚Äî situated at the top of the outriggers as opposed to at the bottom. The inverted outrigger jacks improve stability and also protect the cylinder rods from the ingress of dirt and sand.

The Grove RT880E is one of the latest additions to Manitowoc’s rough-terrain crane range. The crane features a tilting operator’s cab (up to 20 degrees), 75 t lift capacity and 39 m boom with Grove’s patented Megaform shaping for better strength and rigidity.

The Al Falah development is part of the Abu Dhabi government’s Emirati Family Housing Program. The whole site will be home to 5,000 villas divided into five landscaped villages. Each village will include retail, leisure, business and service facilities. There will be a number of mosques across the site, together with 15 schools and a hospital. The whole project is being managed by the Al Jaber Group.

CrAnes On the jOb

Anupam-MHI JV to target Middle East Cranes manufactured by the new Anupam-MHI Industries joint venture company in India could soon be available in the Middle East.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan and Anupam Industries of India have entered into a partnership which will see their JV manufacture container cranes, electric overhead travelling cranes and other heavy duty materials handling equipment in the Indianm northwestern state of Gujarat.

The two companies said that while they are targeting India’s fast-growing economy, they are also planning on reaching Asian, Middle East and Africa markets.

The JV are planning two plants for production and assembly of structural components. Operation will start in the first half of 2012 with an annual production capacity for ship to shore container cranes of 60 units.

A JV between Numoor Al-Bararry and truck giant MAN is aiming to manufacture 3,000 trucks from its new $14 million truck plant based near Baghdad.

Iraq is forecast to become a regional powerhouse for the logistics and energy sectors, attracting companies such as Scania to explore the possibility of locating regional manufacturing hubs in the country.

The JV has confirmed that the plant will include an assembly line and maintenance workshop. MAN believes the partnership secured via Terramar, its representative in Iraq, is a vital strategic move in ensuring market share.

“Once completed the facility will employ 700 Iraqis and produce 3,000 vehicles per year,” said Ali Al-Obaidi, Numoor’s managing director.

nuMOOr Al-bArArry AnD MAn tArgEt 3,000 truCKs pEr yEAr

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The shape of things to come

Into The Future

Volvo Construction Equipment’s emerging technologies department is happy to forget shortterm financial stress and take the long view. Its job is to look as many as 30 years into the future and produce a roadmap of game-changing technologies.

Volvo says that in the future machines will talk to the operator and each other. It’s been two years since Volvo launched its Gryphin wheel loader and Centaur articulated hauler concept ranges, and it has remained

reassuringly dedicated to evolving heavy equipment technology even as the world struggles to shake off the economic downturn.

The company’s recent Tech Show showed that Volvo Construction Equipment’s emerging technologies department is happy to forget short-term financial stress and take the long view. The very long view.

“It is our job to look as many as 30 years into the future and produce a roadmap of the technologies that are embryonic today – but which could make a difference in the future,” says Jenny Elfsberg, the department’s director. “Take solar energy or hydrogen fuel cells, for example. Today they are not very efficient, and something radical has to happen for them to replace the traditional combustion engine as the primary power source of a machine.

“But just because they can’t replace them today – or even a decade from now – doesn’t mean they aren’t interesting technologies. There

is every reason to suggest that solar and fuel cells will make that developmental leap – and so we should be prepared.”

Volvo is working with several universities, like Örebro University in Sweden and the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany, to develop construction equipment that does not require an operator to be onboard. At the moment, the project has devised a wheel loader and excavator that can handle simple digging and loading tasks.

The software architecture cannot yet cope with a dynamically changing situation – but the progress made has been exciting. This technology may be decades away from production but has the potential to drastically reduce the cost of machine usage. It may also have advantages in hazardous environments.

The next stage of the project will be to improve the behaviour-based control network to allow complex tasks to be carried out in a permanently changing environment. The hope is that this will eventually lead to an autonomous machine that can reach the equivalent of 70% of a skilled operator’s productivity levels.

“We will still have operators in the cabs in 30 years’ time,” believes Elfsberg. “The entire

“OUr rESEArCh ShOWS ThAT mAny IDEAS ThAT ArE nOW ThOUGhT COmmOnplACE WOUlD nEVEr hAVE BEEn DEVElOpED IF lEFT TO CUSTOmErS AlOnE TO ImAGInE.”

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process is so complicated that you have to feel it – but the future will include a lot more machine autonomy. It will also provide more interesting work for operators, with perhaps the machines being controlled remotely. In the meantime, thinking of operators as part of the system will make us focus on operability, operator support and autonomous functions.”

hybrid and advanced driveline systemsThere are two forms of hybrid (ie more than

one power source) technologies that will be interesting in the future – hydraulic hybrids and electric hybrids. Traditionally, hydraulics are a bit like the blood supply in our bodies – it f lows even when we are at rest. A more intelligent way is to have hydraulic f low only when needed and capture unspent energy via accumulators. This energy is then fed back into the system using smart electronic control, drastically reducing energy loss. longer term, hydraulics themselves will be faced with more competition from electrical motors and actuators, eliminating leakages and a considerable amount of noise and weight from the system.

Electric hybrids are better known, and with battery technology developing rapidly, it’s not unthinkable that smaller construction machines could be entirely electrically powered. Systems that allow the very largest machines to be powered from the electricity grid will also continue to develop, while in between there is a lot of scope to refine the diesel-electric solution.

Another trend goes towards continuously variable transmissions, or CVT. Volvo unveiled its work in this technology at the Tech Show and announced the building of its first CVT prototype. Getting rid of the torque converter is one of the main challenges with today’s driveline systems, and CVT offers an effective way of doing it.

The Tech Show had a machine simulator on display. This wasn’t to demonstrate the clever virtual reality experience of the system; it was there to highlight the stress levels that operators find themselves under when using machines. By monitoring operators’ vital functions, designers can make smart machines that are aware of the operator’s workload. These machines can adapt themselves to be simpler to operate, produce less stress and require less effort – thereby reducing fatigue and allowing operators to concentrate their energies on the job at hand.

“measuring productivity or fuel consumption without regard to the operator’s workload is largely meaningless,” says Elfsberg. “We will see systems develop that are less dependent on operator skills, ones that support operators with guidance or even take over control of primary functions.”

The cab of the future will also be more advanced – a welcome development for the next generation of operators, who have grown up with computer games.

“We will not be so conservative in our cab design in the future, and information will be presented in heads-up displays and other innovative approaches. The operator will act more as a supervisor.”

An undoubted advantage of increased machine intelligence is the ability to introduce active safety. Volvo has set itself the target of reducing accidents relating to its equipment to zero – and future technology will play a major part in achieving this ambition. Systems that detect obstacles and humans in the vicinity of the machine will be introduced, as will others that warn if a machine f inds itself in a hazardous situation (eg about to tip over). longer term, machine-to-machine (m2m)

communication will develop, where machines ‘talk’ to one another and to a central control point. This technology will not only help avoid collisions but also facilitate an efficient f low of equipment. (For example, a paver could inform an asphalt truck not to come too close if it is about to change direction.)

But shouldn’t all good ideas be driven by customer demand – why introduce new technology if operators aren’t asking for it?

“While feedback from the market is important,” says Anders larsson, head of Technology at Volvo Construction Equipment, “our research shows that many ideas that are now thought commonplace would never have been developed if left to customers alone to imagine. It’s partly our job to show them a vision of the future that they can’t envisage for themselves. Customers want that too: we are already well known for our creativity, but we must continually reinforce that reputation by innovating every day.”

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Get your bargain!

Everybody loves a good bargain and in pressing times like these where oversupply is an epidemic and getting your money’s worth is of prime importance, there’s no better way

of buying or selling equipment than via an auction.There are only a handful of auction houses operating

in the Middle East, so that makes your job much easier. Some of the top names include Richie Brothers, Euro Auctions, IronPlanet and World Wide Auctions.

Why rent when one can buy outright? It’s straightforward economics that most plant owners and buyers have begun subscribing to. Even global markets have begun reflecting this trend according to consultant at Euro Auctions, Barry Walker.

“The global interest in 12- to 24-month old plant is at an all time high,” he tells Construction Machinery Middle East. “Dealers unable to purchase new machines from manufacturers are scouring auctions either for stock, or machines to meet the requirements of current clients. What sells at auction is good low-hour stock with anything good attracting buyers; however the shift is now changing to older machines. With 12- to 24-month old stocks depleting, buyers are now interested in stock from 24- to 48-months old,” he says.

Walker also says that from a global point of view there is still a burning need for plant and machinery in the Middle East. And if one was to take into account the many infrastructure projects planned

across the region, this would definitely ring true, with the UAE topping the list, followed by Saudi Arabia and then Qatar.

Walker continues, “Because of the current lack of new machinery, and the rising price of second hand equipment, there seems to be a trend for owners in the Middle East to hold on to redundant plant. With no need to sell, the stock is increasing in value and owners do not wish to drop prices.”

But regional manager for the Middle East at Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Steve Barritt paints a slightly different picture. In his books, Saudi Arabia is the strongest market with there is stock being auctioned off by Middle Eastern owners.

“So far this year, we’ve conducted four auctions at our Dubai site and in terms of equipment demand, we’re currently seeing a split situation in the Middle East with some countries having strong demand, while in others, the activity is slowing down a little bit,” he reveals. “In the Middle East region, Saudi Arabia is strong at the moment. Because our Dubai auctions attract online and on-site bidders from all over the world, we’ve seen a slight increase in trucks leaving the UAE at recent auctions.”

On the other hand, industry intelligence from plant auctions in the UK and Europe show that plant is still being shipped to the Middle East, despite the slow down in the construction market. Walker specifically

“REPRESEnTATIvES fROM ThE REGIOn ThAT ARE REGUlARly SEEn AT A EURO AUCTIOnS SAlE InClUDE BUyERS AnD SEllERS fROM ThE UAE, SAUDI ARABIA, IRAQ, PAKISTAn, lEBAnOn, EGyPT, SyRIA, MOROCCO, AnD JORDAn.”Barry Walker, consultant, Euro Auctions.

Top five tips when buying at an auction

1. Location and price: Consider where you are buying the machine? Is it at auction, through a reputable dealer, over the internet, or from a private seller? If at all possible, see the machine and see lots of the same model to draw comparisons. This is why buying at an auction is preferable, as there is often ‘choice’ available. Price is also important. Ask: does it feel right? Is it too cheap? If it is, there could be a problem, as currently, due to lack of available stock, second hand prices are booming.

2. Check VIN plate: When buying from an auction, the auction house will hopefully have carried out all the necessary checks. If buying privately ensure you check the VIN plate, including its condition and its current position. Check how it is attached to the vehicle. Is it fixed with new rivets that don’t match or does it look out of place? Is it stuck on by some other means? Has a serial number been ground off and that area repainted? Is the positioning of the VIN plate consistent with other vehicles in the same class? Check the lettering on the plate and ask if this is consistent with other similar vehicles make and model?

3. Check the history: Try to check the history of the machine. Is the service history available? If not, who has owned the machine previously? The world plant industry is a tight-knit network and a couple of phone calls will turn up some intelligence on any particular machine. If the machine is an ‘ex-hire’ item, call the hire company to see if they run this particular brand and type of machine.

4. Visual checks: The simplest check of all is visual. Ask, is it clean, is it leaking fluid, does it start, is it smoking, do all controls work, are rams tight, are slew rings (for diggers) tight or slack, are tyres and wheels good, etc. Checks how much you’ll have to spend on this machine if you bought it.

5. Bid well: Auctioneers want to get the best price for all machines sold at auction. However auctioneers also want returning buyers to bid at the next sale that are entirely happy with previous purchases. The best advice is to have a limit and stick to it. Once you have reached your highest bid, stop.

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mentions access equipment and cranes (both mobile and static) which according to him, are still being imported into the Middle East, where owners are then shipping them on to end users in the Pacific Rim region. In support of these claims, he discloses that at any given Euro Auction, 10% to 15% of buyers and sellers come from the Middle East and around.

“Euro Auctions has a good and loyal following at auction from the Middle East and UAE and at any one Euro Auctions sale buyers and sellers from the region will be well represented,” he says. “Representatives from the region that are regularly seen at a Euro Auctions sale include buyers and sellers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, and Jordon.”

However, Barritt says road building plant and civil engineering plant is the big thing these days.

“As each auction offers such a large variety of items it’s hard to point out specific items that are in high demand, but there’s been particularly strong bidder activity on items utilised in road building and civil engineering,” he says. “Big infrastructure projects in Saudi-Arabia and North Africa are contributors to this trend. Other equipment categories have shown steady results, with stronger selling prices on late model items.”

But if Middle Eastern owners are holding onto plant and creating an oversupply like Walker pointed out earlier, is it discouraging UK and European

buyers from looking to the East? Walker says that if only the Middle East buyers were willing to sell, the global markets would definitely be buying.

“Used construction plant and industrial equipment is now seen as a global commodity, with markets blurring into one another,” he says. “Demands change from one market to the next. The buyers and sellers in various countries see the global stock for equipment as just logistical - where to buy, who to sell to and how to transport. It is true that the Middle East has good stocks of many ranges of equipment, and buyers in the UK and Europe would consider purchasing, however prospective sellers in the Middle East are in no hurry to sell and it is proving that while their need may have declined, stocks of equipment may be increasing in value.”

But again, Barritt says his auctions see people from all continents buying and selling.

“How far people will go abroad to find equipment really depends on the specific needs they have and also on the type of equipment they’re looking for,” he explains. Generally, our auctions are an increasingly popular market place to sell and buy equipment and we see people from all continents participating.”

Barritt also says that in the UAE the demand for equipment is slowing down, but in terms of local equipment supply, the company’s unreserved auctions are still a preferred method to turn their surplus assets into cash.

Market Analysis

Guide to the main auction houses:

Euro AuctionsThe UK’s largest auction house of heavy plant and construction equipment, Euro Auctions has offices in Dromore in Northern Ireland, Leeds in the UK, Dormagen in Germany and Valencia in Spain, which it uses as a distribution platform for markets in the Middle East and North Africa. Euro Auctions conducts over 15 major auctions every year.

IronPlanetIronPlanet, the online auction house, was launched in the Middle East in the beginning of this year. It now also has an office in Dubai.

KitmondoKitmondo is an international marketplace for buyers and sellers of used equipment. Even though it is not as established as the former two in the region, it is still quite well known.

Ritchie BrosRitchie Bros Auctioneers is the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and on-line bidders than any other company in the world. The company also has a strong online presence through its website rbauction.com. Headquartered in Vancouver, Ritchie has more than 110 locations worldwide, including 40 auction sites in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Australia.

WWAWorld Wide Auctions (WWA) sells everything from bulldozers and cranes to hydraulic excavators and concrete associated machinery to buyers all over the world. The Company plans to expand its auction and private equipment sales business into other GCC countries. Auctions have been held in Dubai, Amsterdam, Qatar, Guangzhou, Jakarta, Perth, Philippines, Lebanon, India and the USA. WWA has sold over 64,700 construction equipment at its 79 auctions in Dubai from March 2001 through December 2010, for a total amount of over $947 million in auction value.

Hot five macHines in demand1. Backhoe loaders, predominantly the

cat 432e

2. telehandlers from JcB, cat and manitou

3. volvo dump trucks and cat 740 dump trucks

4. 20 ton + excavators

5. Rollers

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In The Labs

In the face of climate change and resource scarcity, green

solutions are increasingly in demand. But what does ‘green’ actually mean and

when do green strategies make sense? Siemens has

developed a testing procedure to answer these questions:

the Eco-Care Analysis.

Practically every company offers ‘green solutions’. But when does this label actually mean something? Most companies answer this question by employing analytical methods such

as the carbon footprint and environmental performance assessments that take a product’s impact into account in the context of its entire lifecycle - from acquiring raw materials to design, usage, and disposal.

Environmental performance assessments are also a key part of product lifecycle management (PLM) at Siemens Industry Solutions. PLM systems centrally store and manage all the data about a product from its conception to its disposal. But that wasn’t enough for Professor Dieter Wegener, Chief Technology Officer at Siemens Industry Solutions. “A truly green solution must be both environmentally and economically beneficial,” he says. “These two characteristics are by no means mutually exclusive.”

To support this view, Wegener needed to come up with a standardised and scientific procedure that would combine ecological performance assessments with capital and operating cost

analyses. He found a competent partner for such a project at Denmark Technical University (DTU) in Copenhagen. “Their environmental assessment expertise is impressive,” says Wegener. “I even managed to get the project started the day I visited the university.”

The partnership has resulted in a sophisticated method called Eco-Care Analysis. “Our job was to incorporate environmental compatibility into the analysis,” says Dr Stig Irving Olsen from DTU. “For example, we had to determine how the emissions from an industrial facility would be affected by the use of different materials or the installation of an electronic control system.” Siemens addressed productivity issues - factors such as how process changes might affect material costs, energy use, or expenditures on personnel and disposal.

These complex calculations led to the creation of an Eco-Care Matrix, a decision-support tool that graphically depicts results and brings environmental impact considerations together with economic factors. An analysis based on this tool can be clearly understood at a glance.

The centre of the tool’s matrix always contains a comparative reference point that is derived

When is green really green?

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In The Labs

from traditional technologies. The y-axis shows the new solution’s environmental compatibility relative to the reference point. This combined value includes, but is not limited to, CO², sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and dust emissions, as well as water, energy, and natural resource use. The x-axis shows customer benefit expressed as a change in system costs. If a new product or solution is to the right of and above the reference point, customer benefit is higher and environmental impact is lower. The subject is therefore objectively ‘green’ as defined by Wegener. “We’ve been using the Eco-Care Analysis at Industry Solutions since 2009, and it’s now mandatory for all green solutions the Division offers,” he reports.

The Eco-Care Matrix has proved successful in the mining sector, where trucks used in open-pit mining consume huge amounts of diesel fuel and large excavators are operated with electricity from nearby power plants. The exhaust gases from the engines and the emissions from the power plants impact the environment, while fuel and electricity are also major cost factors at a mine. In other words, such locations would be ideal for an Eco-Care Analysis, especially since Siemens’ Simine concept covers solutions for trucks and excavators.

Simine TR, for example, is a drive system concept for heavy-duty dump trucks - gigantic vehicles that weigh over 300 tons. A power electronics system (IGBT technology) ensures

that a truck’s diesel-electric alternating current (AC) motor operates optimally, which sharply reduces transmission and shif ting losses. Analysis has shown that the system’s environmental compatibility is 11.6% higher than that of a reference system with a diesel engine. Operating costs were 7% lower. In fact the new drive system’s hourly fuel use was cut from 400 to 350 litres.

The Eco-Care Matrix assessment for Simine

DRAG was even better. Simine DRAG is a concept for gearless AC motors in dragline excavators - vehicles that pull a bucket freely suspended on a boom across earth or rocks in order to extract material. The high efficiency rating of this Siemens solution makes it 22% more environmentally compatible than the DC motor that serves as the reference, while reducing electricity costs by 22%.

Many other products have been identified as green by the Eco-Care Matrix. Examples include efficient diesel-electric drive systems for passenger and cargo ships and energy-optimised controls for electric f ilters that are used to treat exhaust gases at industrial facilities and power plants. The matrix has proved to be an important tool for Industry Solutions - one that allows customers to see not only how environmentally friendly a solution is but also the economic utility it offers. Wegener now wants to introduce the Eco-Care Matrix throughout Siemens. “Eco-Care’s main strength is clearly its versatility,” he says. “Whether it’s light bulbs, cars, or steel plants - the matrix can be used for anything. It can even analyse a logistics path from A to B; there are simply no limits.“ Wegener himself ensured this would be the case. “We could have put a trademark on Eco-Care, but ultimately I decided against that,” he says. “Whoever wants it can have it. In fact, many interested parties from outside the company ask me about Eco-Care and I explain the underlying concept and help them to implement the systems.”

Electric excavator

Orange dot indicates AC motor-equipped excavator, which is characterized by higher utility and more environmentally compatible results than diesel models.

Where Corex stands

The Corex process reduces costs by 5% while increasing environmental compatibility by 28%.

“WE COULD HAvE PUT A TRADEMARk On ECO-CARE, BUT ULTIMATELy I DECIDED AGAInST THAT. WHOEvER WAnTS IT CAn HAvE IT.”

Environmental benefit

Customer benefit

Gearless, AC motor

Reference

22% better environmentralcompatibility, 22.2% lower costs

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0

0

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-1

-1

Reference

Environmentally friendly Coresx sollution (EU)28% better environmentralcompatibility, 5% lower costs

Environmental benefit

Customer benefit

1

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0.5

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Reaching new heights in the region

Jeddah Tel 02 6877058, Fax 02 6812311 Riyadh Tel 01 4950898, Fax 01 2131779 Ext 212Dammam Tel 03 8176593, Fax 03 8177169 Asir Tel 07 2234392, Fax 07 2215651Email [email protected]

Reaching new heights in the region

Jeddah Tel 02 6877058, Fax 02 6812311 Riyadh Tel 01 4950898, Fax 01 2131779 Ext 212Dammam Tel 03 8176593, Fax 03 8177169 Asir Tel 07 2234392, Fax 07 2215651Email [email protected]

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Digging Deep

Piling

Even though Middle Eastern governments are doing well by shifting their focus from money-making real estate and tower projects to building necessary facilities including infrastructure and roads, it has had a negative effect on the piling sector.

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Digging Deep

gone are the days when expensive piling techniques were quickly signed-off by contractors who were too busy and cash-rich, to pay attention to budgets and costs. Today, every cent is counted and all processes are

budgeted, analysed and monitored to weed out any unnecessary expenditure.

This has taken its toll on piling and foundation specialists, who earned their bread and butter from projects that involved the construction of tall towers and buildings – a category of projects that the Middle East had become famous for. Of course, piling and ground works are still required in a plethora of other construction projects, but with the sudden halt on tower construction, supply has suddenly outstripped demand.

Speaking to Construction Machinery Middle East (CMME), international geotechnical contractor Keller Grundbau’s spokesperson in Oman Raja Mohammed feels a little suffocated.

“The market is very slow at the moment and it is obviously a result of the downturn,” he says. “Oman is a pretty tough market and since the last year we have not been able to pick up any projects here.”

However, all is not doom and gloom for this specialist contractor as Mohammed says there are a lot of projects that the company has tendered for and should hear back from some of them soon.

“We have tendered for about 20 to 22 projects this year and we’re hoping to hear back from some of them by next year,” he says.

And with 18 of the 22 projects tendered for, being infrastructure or road construction jobs, it is clear that the market has truly shifted its focus.

“Most of the tenders we have bid for are for infrastructure and road projects,” admits Mohammed. “So yes there is definitely a shift from tower construction to infrastructure, but piling and foundations are still required in bridge and flyover construction. Yes, it has made the pool a whole lot smaller, but there is still work out there; it’s just that the competition is tougher,” he adds.

Mohammed also said that in terms of machinery, most companies own their own stock and only rent out items such as crawler cranes for specific projects. According to him, work is beginning to pick up in countries such a Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Zayd Azeez, who is training to be an engineer and is working for Steel Buildings, a company that has a contract job on the new airport project in Oman says due to the solid land in Oman, there isn’t much piling work in the country and even the little that exists is burdened with heavy competition. However, he says that the new airport job had a few piling contracts, but those have been completed.

But recently appointed CEO for Steiner India, Ani Ray doesn’t seem to agree and feels piling is a process that is absolutely necessary in the Middle East, but only the big piling companies will be able to survive. Ray is a veteran in construction and has spent around ten years in the Middle East working for various international construction firms.

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“Due to the low bearing-capacity of the land in the Middle East (except Riyadh and some other areas) heavy-loaded structures require a fair amount of ground improvement and piling is the most popular solution,” says Ray.

“Also all infrastructure projects require piling, but with most of them being big and government-owned, they take longer to complete than real estate projects and are far lesser in number. Generally each infrastructure project requires more piles than a super high-rise building and piling conditions are technically and logistically more challenging,” he adds.

He cites this as the reason why only the big and technically competent piling companies will survive, leaving the smaller ones to find work elsewhere or diversify into other related areas.

However, lending a different outlook to future prospects in the piling and foundation sector is Global Industrial Engineering director in the UAE Farrokh Khadim, who seems very positive about its role in years to come.

“Firstly, the existence of piling in future construction of dams, towers, bridges and superstructures is

inevitable,” he says. “And this is due to the cost effectiveness, speed of execution of foundations and more importantly the seismic and earthquake codes, which are only going to get more stringent.”

Khadim also draws attention to the increase in demand for piling and foundation equipment, pointing out that only a handful of manufacturers including German firm Bauer, Soilmec, IMT, Mait and Italy’s Casagarande were producing hydraulic drilling rigs some 50 years ago.

“But today, in China alone, there are over 70 factories producing these machines,” he says. “The problem that the industry is facing on a global scale is the lack of trained professionals in this field as compared to other civil engineering specialists. And this lack of professionals makes qualified ground engineering specialists in demand,” he adds.

Khadim also agrees with Mohammed that construction in the region has begun to pick up in the infrastructure sector in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman.

We all know that innovation is the child of desperation and foundation specialists have begun

to think out of the box and have introduced cheaper and more efficient methods of operating. Some have even shifted from focusing on new construction projects to the maintenance of existing ones. Foundation contractors, specialising in ground improvement and repair, are now looking to the Middle East for maintenance contracts with some companies already having established offices here.

One such company is Uretek UK. The company is a specialist contractor for slab lifting, deep injection and PowerPile technologies, which according to its Web site, was invented in Finland in 1980 and is now deployed in 36 countries.

The actual company though was in 1988 and has since treated over 5,000 sites varying from small domestic applications of only 5-10m² to large industrial projects of 30,000m².

Uretek focuses on ground improvement and remedial repairs and does not get involved in new construction. This outlook might just be the correct recipe for success in a post-crisis world. The technique that is applied by Uretek too, is one that requires minimal cost and effort.

According to Uretek managing director, Chris Davies in an interview on the company Web site, there are no excavations and the company can put forward very cost-effective proposals because of the saving in time and labour costs.

“Our highly trained specialists operate from self-contained mobile units with highly specialised equipment,” Davies was quoted as saying. “We inject Uretek resin in its liquid state through a hose from a self-contained truck up to about 75 metres away, into small diameter holes drilled through the slab. The material immediately expands to fill any voids, and subsequently expands up to 30 times its original volume in an upward direction to gradually lift the flooring where required, consolidating the ground and hardening to a solid within a few seconds.

“The polymer material expands and densifies the soil to the point required. As it expands, it transfers the thrust to the underside of the soil, with sufficient dynamic resistance to withstand the downward pressure. The Uretek floor and slab lifting process supports, raises and re-levels commercial and industrial concrete floors quickly, economically and with minimal disruption. Commercial and industrial operations can continue while we’re working – we treat one area at a time and work at night, if required,” he adds.

Davies says that resin used is powerful and can develop up to 1,000 tonnes of thrust, lifting the floor and adjusting the racking, even fully loaded. Then, if injected four or five metres into the ground, it can lift 10-15,000 tonnes of soil. He adds that where specific bearing pressures are required, the Uretek team carries out pre and post dynamic probing tests to check if the soils meet the required density.

The downturn has affected new construction more than the remedial sector and this is where Uretek stands to gain. It is also in line with the environment where conservation trumps building something new. And with the amount and size of the roads and airports across the Middle East, this new sector seems promising.

But as logical as this progression from building to maintenance may sound, Ray refutes the possibility of maintenance work becoming a trend in the Middle East, as usually no maintenance is carried out on foundations in the region, according to him.

Piling

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Senza titolo-1 1 07/12/11 15.08

The Big Event The Big5 is the most influential general construction show in the Middle East and a key marketing opportunity for most of the main players as its visitors come from all over the region. But what could we expect from this year’s show, given the continuing dampened market?

December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST30

It had a new format and new exhibitors, but was this year’s Big5 a success?

When His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum opened last year’s The

Big 5 exhibition in Dubai’s World Trade Centre, he declared: “We are back.”

Dubai may not be the crazy boom town it once was, but the re-ignition of projects like the Dubai Pearl have helped to prove that the ensuing 12 months have been the best since the heady days of 2007/8. While Saudi Arabia has the big projects and Qatar the World Cup, this year’s event was an opportunity to demonstrate that Dubai retains the ability to attract the great and good of the construction industry.

However Dubai gained a new sense of realism during its downturn and while the opening of Big5 and its co-located events seemed muted - not that many exhibitors seemed too concerned.

“We’ve had a quiet day, but we expect tomorrow to be better,” said one exhibitor at the end of day one, watching show visitors slowly filter pass their stand.

Then he chose to qualify it with by adding, “we regard this as a marketing exercise”.

You could find plenty of sales executives talking up profile raising not making sales on that first day and it was not a good sign for an event that has clearly been ramped up and pushed by the organisers, dmg events.

Arguably the organiser did the best ever job in preparation for this year’s event. New areas and zones were added, including the new Middle East Concrete show and the re-defining of the PMV section as PMV Live. Taking it back from the previous organisers of the co-located event enabled dmg to put the section back where it belonged: front and centre of the Big5 experience.

With companies such as Sany, XCMG, Zoomlion, Potain and Manitowoc (via NFT), and MAN trucks squeezing in kit into the open demonstration area, it was difficult to imagine how a better job could have been done in getting a blend of big brands and badges into the tight surroundings of the World Trade Centre.

The OEMs tend to rotate their presence at events such as these because of costs and product launch schedules. So while JCBs dancing diggers were missed as was Doosan’s range, visitors could still see concrete pumps, ready mix trucks, cranes, wheel loaders, compacts and towers.

The format also worked for smaller exhibitors such as total access solution provider Orientals Specialist Lifting (OSL).

OSL was demonstrating its range of compact equipment and cranes. Last year, OSL general manager Gary Jones said, the company faced the rear wall of the farthest reaches of the event, “and we saw hardly anyone”.

This year OSL was outside and amongst the companies forward facing the oncoming crowds. Jones rented a Mini car for the event and drew people to his stand by lofting the 1.7t vehicle skywards with the UNIC Spider Crane.

“I’m really pleased with the position we have this time,” he said. “I’m always thinking about ways to standout at a show. I’m trying to time the demonstration so that we get the most people coming through the stand.”

An estimated $915 billion worth of construction projects are expected to go live in the GCC in the next two years. According to Ventures Middle East, Saudi Arabia and the UAE was expected to account

for more than 75% of that.Earlier this year Ventures

revealed that, in Abu Dhabi alone, there was an estimated $563bn worth of construction projects and the expected value of construction contracts to be awarded in 2011 will reach $39.8bn, up 12% from 2010.

A further study by Business Monitor International, the construction sector in Saudi Arabia will grow 4% annually up until 2015 as the country continues to spend big on housing, infrastructure, education and health projects.

GCC spends its way to recovery

Big5 Review

The Big Event The Big5 is the most influential general construction show in the Middle East and a key marketing opportunity for most of the main players as its visitors come from all over the region. But what could we expect from this year’s show, given the continuing dampened market?

December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST30

It had a new format and new exhibitors, but was this year’s Big5 a success?

When His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum opened last year’s The

Big 5 exhibition in Dubai’s World Trade Centre, he declared: “We are back.”

Dubai may not be the crazy boom town it once was, but the re-ignition of projects like the Dubai Pearl have helped to prove that the ensuing 12 months have been the best since the heady days of 2007/8. While Saudi Arabia has the big projects and Qatar the World Cup, this year’s event was an opportunity to demonstrate that Dubai retains the ability to attract the great and good of the construction industry.

However Dubai gained a new sense of realism during its downturn and while the opening of Big5 and its co-located events seemed muted - not that many exhibitors seemed too concerned.

“We’ve had a quiet day, but we expect tomorrow to be better,” said one exhibitor at the end of day one, watching show visitors slowly filter pass their stand.

Then he chose to qualify it with by adding, “we regard this as a marketing exercise”.

You could find plenty of sales executives talking up profile raising not making sales on that first day and it was not a good sign for an event that has clearly been ramped up and pushed by the organisers, dmg events.

Arguably the organiser did the best ever job in preparation for this year’s event. New areas and zones were added, including the new Middle East Concrete show and the re-defining of the PMV section as PMV Live. Taking it back from the previous organisers of the co-located event enabled dmg to put the section back where it belonged: front and centre of the Big5 experience.

With companies such as Sany, XCMG, Zoomlion, Potain and Manitowoc (via NFT), and MAN trucks squeezing in kit into the open demonstration area, it was difficult to imagine how a better job could have been done in getting a blend of big brands and badges into the tight surroundings of the World Trade Centre.

The OEMs tend to rotate their presence at events such as these because of costs and product launch schedules. So while JCBs dancing diggers were missed as was Doosan’s range, visitors could still see concrete pumps, ready mix trucks, cranes, wheel loaders, compacts and towers.

The format also worked for smaller exhibitors such as total access solution provider Orientals Specialist Lifting (OSL).

OSL was demonstrating its range of compact equipment and cranes. Last year, OSL general manager Gary Jones said, the company faced the rear wall of the farthest reaches of the event, “and we saw hardly anyone”.

This year OSL was outside and amongst the companies forward facing the oncoming crowds. Jones rented a Mini car for the event and drew people to his stand by lofting the 1.7t vehicle skywards with the UNIC Spider Crane.

“I’m really pleased with the position we have this time,” he said. “I’m always thinking about ways to standout at a show. I’m trying to time the demonstration so that we get the most people coming through the stand.”

An estimated $915 billion worth of construction projects are expected to go live in the GCC in the next two years. According to Ventures Middle East, Saudi Arabia and the UAE was expected to account

for more than 75% of that.Earlier this year Ventures

revealed that, in Abu Dhabi alone, there was an estimated $563bn worth of construction projects and the expected value of construction contracts to be awarded in 2011 will reach $39.8bn, up 12% from 2010.

A further study by Business Monitor International, the construction sector in Saudi Arabia will grow 4% annually up until 2015 as the country continues to spend big on housing, infrastructure, education and health projects.

GCC spends its way to recovery

Big5 Review

December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST 31

On thE OUtSIDEOne of the most successful features of this year’s event were the live demonstrations held in the outdoor area.

On the lifting and access side, OSL Mini on a Spider Crane demonstrated the mini crane’s ability to operate in restricted working spaces and lift a family car. Compact enough to fit through a standard doorway, so maybe every home should have one?

NFT Cranes also took advantage of the space offered showcasing two of its specialty products - Potain’s self erecting tower crane Igo 50 and the Orbit Hoist lift.

Meanwhile formwork specialist PERI demonstrating two new technologies: the PERI UP Rosett Flex modular scaffolding system,

which offers maximum flexibility in scaffolding construction and built-in safety features; and the PERI SKYDECK, an aluminum panel slab formwork suitable for any construction project and slab thicknesses of up to 95 cm.

Austrian manufacturer Doka used the outdoor live demonstration space to showcase safety and speed training on the Staxo 40 lightweight shoring towers, which the company claims can offer 80% time saving.

Perhaps the most popular demonstration was held at the end of every day on the Sany stand; with the Chinese manufacturer putting on song, dance and shisha for weary show visitors.

If the first day was disappointingly slow to get going, the second day began at a rapid pace with Chinese giant Sany revealing that it had sold $2 million worth of mobile cranes to a Saudi client. It was soon adding the sale of three more excavators and more in a fruitful week on its giant stand.

“We find that The Big5 is the most influential show in the Middle East, and it is a key market for our strategy. We have seen people from all over the region come that Sany knows from its subsidiaries, and often bring their clients to be able to see the machines,” said spokesman Kevin Tang.

Sany took a two-year break from the event and but has continued to expand and stretch its capabilities producing the 3,600-tonne Sany SCC86000TM, the world’s largest crawler crane.

“After the financial crisis there was of course a fall in construction activity in the region, but from this year we predict that the market will go up,” Tang said. “That’s why we’re putting so much effort and energy here. We will also be looking to grow the employee numbers as the business grows.”

OSL’s Jones also had good news on day two and was close to completing a sale of the Spider Crane to Saudi Arabia, demonstrating the event’s enduring ability to attract regional interest.

He added: “It is part of what’s good about show like this. We made a lot of effort for the event and thankfully that effort has been matched by the organisers.”

The event was pleasingly full of new machinery and vehicles. Chinese crane and construction equipment manufacturer XCMG launched its range of new machines for the Middle East market, including a grader, the 50-2K truck crane, which has a new Euro III engine and a XCMG-designed chassis, plus the ZL 505 wheel loader.

MAN Trucks chose to showcase its latest series of heavy duty construction trucks, including the TGS WW. The company has been rolling out the latest version of the TGS across the region and David van Graan, head of MAN Center Middle East and VP sales and marketing said the event was a crucial fixture to gain exposure in 2011.

According to van Graan, the demand for trucks in the Middle East grew by over 12% in 2010 and is expected to rise by almost 9% by 2015. With an annual turnover of approximately $350 million in the 14 countries that make up this geographical cluster, the construction sector accounts for 50% of MAN’s business

“MAN Truck & Bus Middle East currently has one

of the widest footprints amongst all manufacturers of heavy duty construction vehicles in the region,” said David van Graan, head of MAN Center Middle East and VP sales and marketing. “The Big5 Expo is one of the most widely attended industry expos in the construction business and offers an unparalleled opportunity for customers to compare and contrast what the market has to offer.”

Jubaili Bros, a member of the Lebanon based Jubaili Group Holdings, also has a growing regional presence and the company chose to use the event to announced that it has completed a move into Afghanistan.

The power generators and power service provider said it was meeting people to discuss its move across the Middle East,” said spokesman Sheeraz Hussain. “Expansion is going on in all the regions we’re present in, and we’re planning to open up more branches. We recently opened up in Qatar in 2011, so definitely, we’re looking to expand more into Qatar because that’s going to be the next big market.”

While the companies in the outside arena were grabbing attention, there were plenty of companies with stories to tell.

One of them, South Korean asphalt plant specialist Daewoo IND, revealed that its Mustang and Lancelot asphalt mixing plants are helping to finish the laying out of the 800km Saudi Arabia-Oman highway.

The highway is one of the most important road projects currently underway in the GCC and will link the two GCC countries providing a new artery to channel goods into the heart of KSA.

CEO Gwon Sang Tae said that the company currently has four plants deployed on the route. He explained that the event was his chance to prove that after 18 years in the region the company is still pursuing new business sprouting from regional infrastructure spending.

“The South Korean market is too small and the Chinese market too over-crowded,” he said. “So we have to be here.”

Among the manufacturers were a collection of European manufacturers keen to target the Middle East as the home market continues to struggle.

Italian concrete ready mix and pump manufacturer CIFA was recently swallowed by the rapidly expanding Zoomlion, but retains its Italian identity said Area Manager Denis Giacoma.

While the Middle East market has traditionally been less obsessed by the return of investment on capital expenditure, Giacoma said that CIFA was at PMV Live because it is beginning to see change in priorities when it comes to machine buying.

“It used to just be the cost of the machine – the cheapest,” he said. “It didn’t really care whether it was expensive to use. Now you are starting to see people look at the cost of the spare parts and the servicing.”

Zoomlion bought CIFA to cover a weakness in the concrete machinery market and Giacoma affirmed that it wants its Italian company to continue to produce and market cutting-edge technology such as the carbon fibre pumps it launched at the event.

“Being an Italian company we are strong in Europe, but we also have a strong presence in the Middle East,” he said. “We started in 1928 and have had a presence in the Middle East for 25 years. You need to be well connected here and they understand that. Here we will do some reconnecting, some refreshing of contacts. Shows like this are perfect to prove your skill in the market and prove you are still innovating.”

The CIFA stand faced OSL and Gary Jones, and he was mid-way giving advice to a fellow exhibitor about how they could best grab some visitor attention. Foremost on his mind, however, was his own stand.

“I’ve already got four ideas for next year,” he said. “I’m always thinking about ways to standout at a show. I’m trying to time the demonstration so that we get the most people coming through the stand.”

Like other exhibitors Jones was refreshingly happy to bring new thinking and a new realistic but imaginative approach to this event, and in many ways, Big5 felt like a fresh start for the show and Dubai.

Interview

The improving marketFollowing its expansion into the Middle East, IronPlanet has offered regional customers easier access for buying and selling used equipment to via the company’s global used equipment on-line marketplace. Unlike traditional auctions, sellers at IronPlanet achiever faster and more profitable sales through weekly auctions, fair market value for equipment, low selling costs and a global audience of buyers. IronPlanet sells the equipment from the consignor’s location, eliminating transportation costs for the seller. CMME talks to Matt Dunne about the regional market.

What is the state of the regional market in terms of the used machinery market? The construction sector in the Middle

East is multilayered, encompassing contractors from owner/operator to multi-national scale organisations

who are all playing their part in terms of servicing the continuing significant projects in the region.

So, is it getting better? There is demand for used equipment

driven from the small up to medium contractors that remains strong. How do you foresee the market in the next 12 months?The over demand for construction

equipment, both new and used, is showing continued growth that is expected to be in

the range of 10-15% year on year in 2012.

How does it vary from region to region? Which are some of the better markets and where does this region fit in within the larger picture?Saudi Arabia has remained strong through the economic crisis in 2008 and it now represents 50% of the equipment market, but is not expected to grow significantly in 2012. The UAE remains depressed when compared to 2007 and 2008 - there is no expectation for significant growth in the UAE equipment market in 2012. Qatar is expected to show growth of 15-20% in 2012. Oman is expected to show single digit growth around 5% in 2012. However, Bahrain and Kuwait are expected to

remain fairly static

What are the key trends for plant and equipment purchase? What are the “hot” items today, if you like? Are people looking

for older, serviceable but

more affordable bargains or newer stock with a resale value?There is demand for all examples of used equipment from young five to six-year old low hours through ten to 12-year old machines right up to older examples, particularly of the heavy earth moving models - grader, dozer and wheel loader. CAT equipment remains in demand with the strongest requirements in respect of dozer D8 size and above, grader, wheeled loader Cat 950 and above. What demands are there from customers that the market isn’t meeting? There is always strong demand for dozers, graders and wheel loaders in particular and a shortage in the used market. Is the region over- or under-stocked in terms of desirable plant and equipment? Are regional buyers having to look further afield? Stock levels are relatively under control compared with 2009 levels. Many buyers recognise good used equipment from Europe and the US as advantageous compared to local examples because of the easier working condition and a greater likelihood that they have been maintained better. Machine values are adjusted accordingly. How has your business strategy changed over the last couple of years? Is it harder or easier to replenish stock these days?Machine availability appears to be improving as the high volumes of new machines entering the market between 2005-2008 are reaching disposal age. What are the particular challenges the auction sector is facing at present? Unrealistic marketing value expectations Are you optimistic about the local market?Yes. Particularly in the UAE as economic conditions are improving. Operators are looking to renew their fleets and dispose of older units.

KEY

TREND“Many buyers recognise good

used equipment from Europe and the US as advantageous compared to local examples because of the easier

working condition and a greater likelihood that they have been

maintained better.”

December 2011

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December 2011

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Profile

Kanoo Machinery, a part of the Kanoo Group, has been in the market for over 120 years in various businesses. Kanoo Machinery, a part of the Kanoo Group, has been one of the foremost Heavy Equipment suppliers in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE for more than 60 years. More recently Kanoo Machinery has made inroads in Qatar, Yemen and Oman markets through joint venture companies.

Kanoo Machinery has been catering to diverse industrial sectors with a wide range of equipment and consumables with the world’s leading manufacturers of material handling, Industrial and maintenance products. The world class products offered by Kanoo Machinery are backed by a strong and efficient after sales network of workshops, replacement parts and mobile service facilities throughout the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula.

Kanoo Machinery has also diversified into long and short term rentals of equipment under the names of Gulf Lifting Rental Company and Kanrent. Presently rentals are available for a range of machines in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE.

Why are you superior in the market? Kanoo Machinery is one of the unique companies in the business of distribution of heavy machinery in the entire Arabian Gulf region.

Our reputation has been built over the years through our association with our principals for more than fifty years. We represent world renowned brands mostly from Western manufacturers who are market leaders in their respective fields. We are recognised as solution providers rather than just selling machines.

Which equipment sectors do you operate in? We are primarily in the materials handling sector with products such as forklift trucks and cranes of all types. We also service the construction equipment and industrial market segments.

The Kanoo Group

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Which are your keys models for regional markets and why?Each of the product lines that we represent have key models for the market that we cover; such as the strong and tough Hyster forklift trucks for the ports and heavy industrial applications.

Another is the US built Grove rough terrain cranes that are suited to work in the harsh Middle East environments. Also the German built Grove all terrain cranes ideally suit the needs of contractors constructing the oil refineries and petrochemical plants in the region with their long crane booms capable to lift materials safely and efficiently to the desired location. These cranes can be quickly moved between job sites under their own power.

Which territories do you operate? We presently operate in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and, more recently, in Oman and Yemen.

Which territories do you operate in? The current machines that we sell in the Middle East are very sophisticated, incorporating the latest technologies in the engines, hydraulic and electronic systems which require highly skilled and trained technicians to maintain and service them. To meet these challenges we continuously train and upgrade the skills levels of our technicians who are mostly expatriates at this time.

In each country that we operate we have embarked on a programme to train the nationals of that particular country to be capable to service these sophisticated machines.

What are your plans for the year 2012? We are enhancing our capabilities in our product support area across the Arabian Gulf by building new workshops in many of our branch offices stretching from Jeddah to Jebel Ali.

Mr. Shakil MarchantDivisional Manager – Sales & Marketing UAEPO Box: 290, Dubai, U.A.E.Phone: +971 4 337 8400 Fax: +971 4 337 3660E-mail: [email protected]

Mr. Mohammed Al Tarrah Commercial ManagerPO Box: 45ManamaPhone: +973 17738200Fax: +973 17732828E-mail: [email protected]

Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Co. Ltd Machinery Division - Saudi Arabia

Mr. Abdul Rahman Bosanam Regional ManagerPO Box: 37 Dammam 31411Tel: +966 3 857 1265Fax: +966 3 857 7139E-mail: [email protected]

Mr. Deepak Jain Divisional manager SalesPO Box: 753 Riyadh 11421Tel: +966 1 491 4624Fax: +966 1 491 4404E-mail: [email protected]

Mr. Waqar Waheed Regional managerPO Box: 812 Jeddah 21421Tel: +966 2 263 6171Fax: +966 2 2632979E-mail: [email protected]

December 2011

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MIDDLE EAST 35

Which are your keys models for regional markets and why?Each of the product lines that we represent have key models for the market that we cover; such as the strong and tough Hyster forklift trucks for the ports and heavy industrial applications.

Another is the US built Grove rough terrain cranes that are suited to work in the harsh Middle East environments. Also the German built Grove all terrain cranes ideally suit the needs of contractors constructing the oil refineries and petrochemical plants in the region with their long crane booms capable to lift materials safely and efficiently to the desired location. These cranes can be quickly moved between job sites under their own power.

Which territories do you operate? We presently operate in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and, more recently, in Oman and Yemen.

Which territories do you operate in? The current machines that we sell in the Middle East are very sophisticated, incorporating the latest technologies in the engines, hydraulic and electronic systems which require highly skilled and trained technicians to maintain and service them. To meet these challenges we continuously train and upgrade the skills levels of our technicians who are mostly expatriates at this time.

In each country that we operate we have embarked on a programme to train the nationals of that particular country to be capable to service these sophisticated machines.

What are your plans for the year 2012? We are enhancing our capabilities in our product support area across the Arabian Gulf by building new workshops in many of our branch offices stretching from Jeddah to Jebel Ali.

Mr. Shakil MarchantDivisional Manager – Sales & Marketing UAEPO Box: 290, Dubai, U.A.E.Phone: +971 4 337 8400 Fax: +971 4 337 3660E-mail: [email protected]

Mr. Mohammed Al Tarrah Commercial ManagerPO Box: 45ManamaPhone: +973 17738200Fax: +973 17732828E-mail: [email protected]

Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Co. Ltd Machinery Division - Saudi Arabia

Mr. Abdul Rahman Bosanam Regional ManagerPO Box: 37 Dammam 31411Tel: +966 3 857 1265Fax: +966 3 857 7139E-mail: [email protected]

Mr. Deepak Jain Divisional manager SalesPO Box: 753 Riyadh 11421Tel: +966 1 491 4624Fax: +966 1 491 4404E-mail: [email protected]

Mr. Waqar Waheed Regional managerPO Box: 812 Jeddah 21421Tel: +966 2 263 6171Fax: +966 2 2632979E-mail: [email protected]

December 2011

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MIDDLE EAST36

KING OF THE ROADSIt’s impossible to visit Morocco without coming into contact with King Mohammed VI. His framed picture hangs in the premises of every business, but his influence reaches much deeper than keeping a watching brief on the nation’s workforce. The King has made it his express wish to stimulate Morocco’s economy and he believes that this can be done by improving and modernising the country’s infrastructure.

Tourism is one of Morocco’s main sources of income and the importance of the transportation network is vital to its development. The African nation hopes to increase the number of tourists visiting its shores from eight to ten million.

There were less than 300km of motorways existing when King Mohammed VI inherited the throne from his father in July 1999. Since then, the figure has increased to over 1,000km and this is set to almost double in the next five years.

A hugely significant highway programme was signed off by the Government and Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM), the national motorway company, in June 2008. As a result, the country will have an improved highway network of 1,800km by 2015 to link all the major cities with a population of more than 400,000.

In April 2010, the Moroccan Minister of Equipment and Transport, Karim Ghellab, announced that the national motorway network would cover 1,417km within a further 14 months. The investment in new highways amounted to €3.5billion with the completion of the Marrakech-Agadir route in June 2010 and Fez-Oujda in June 2011.

Work on the Fez-Oujda expressway started in 2007 at a projected cost of €835million, excluding land. The motorway runs from the northern city of Fez, the third largest city in Morocco with just over one million inhabitants, to Oujda in the east, close to the Algerian border with an estimated population of 500,000. It will be a key part of the l’Autoroute Maghr’bine, which will run from Nouakchott (the capital of Mauritania) to Tobruk in Libya. The new road will also be an important link in the Moroccan east-west corridor and improve access to many cities along the

In Action

December 2011

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MIDDLE EAST 37

Mediterranean coast. It will help to reduce the number of road accidents and meet the demands of increasing traffic levels.

The project encompasses the construction of a four-lane, 325km highway. Supplementary activities include the construction of bridges and toll gates, the installation of drainage works, roadway markings and traffic signs, plus the establishment of a project implementation unit.

EnginEEring ExpErtisE from thE EastThe Fez-Oujda road is divided into ten sections for the purposes of construction, including a 67km stretch between Taza and Guercif. This was contracted to China Overseas Engineering Group (COVEC), a wholly owned subsidiary of China Railway Group (CREC) since 2003. Established in 1991, COVEC is now one of the largest construction engineering companies in Asia. Its businesses cover international contracting and supervision projects, as well as engineering exploration, design and consulting services. It currently operates out of 23 countries on over 1,550 projects, including the construction of highways, airports, ports and railways.

COVEC has 60,000 employees in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. COVEC’s African base is situated in

Mali to manage its operations on the continent. There are up to 40 civil engineering and other projects being developed in Africa at any one time.

One hundred Chinese nationals are working alongside 600 Moroccans on the new motorway and living in a temporary base near Taza. This contains everything from their living quarters to a restaurant - with Chinese chef - and concrete plant. This base is responsible for the first half of the project - the 31km stretch from Taza to the Oued (river) M’soun. 15 kilometres away, a second smaller base manages the remaining 36km of the new road from the river to Guercif. It is strategically positioned beside an external supplier’s concrete plant, which saves both time and money for transportation. COVEC has also invested in its own crushing facility.

The decision on which construction machinery to use was also a strategic move. 14 Hitachi medium excavators were imported from Japan (via a Chinese trading company) and divided equally between the two bases. Seven ZX250H-3s and seven ZX350H-3s are used for earthmoving, landfill, sourcing materials for the concrete-making and crushing facilities, groundworks and other general construction work. By May 2010, they had collectively excavated seven million cubic metres and will have completed a

similar volume of landfill by the time the project has been completed.

COVEC’s Project Director Lin Sen Zhang tested some of the new excavators himself when they arrived on the site. He was immediately impressed: 90% of the excavators working on this project are Hitachi. It is an excellent, high-quality brand and the products are reliable, with no downtime. They are also highly efficient in that they can complete their loading cycles faster and offer better fuel consumption than other brands. Most of our operators are local and vary in terms of their experience. However, they find both models easy to use and enjoy working in such comfortable cabs.

The biggest challenge facing COVEC has been the harsh winter weather conditions. Work was impossible at times between September 2009 and March 2010 due to heavy downpours. Nothing much happened during that period because it was too dangerous to move around the site, explains Mr Zhang. This has led to an inevitable delay of two months in terms of the projected completion date, but we still hope to meet our original deadline. Everything has progressed better on the Guercif side of the river, so some of the Hitachi excavators will be transferred to help with the backlog of work on this side. The technical challenges faced

COVEC produces its own concrete and aggregates

on the 67km-long site

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“90% OF THE EXCAVATORS WORKING ON THIS PROJECT ARE HITACHI. IT IS AN EXCELLENT, HIGH-quALITy BRAND AND THE PRODuCTS ARE RELIABLE, WITH NO DOWNTIME. THEy ARE ALSO HIGHLy EFFICIENT IN THAT THEy CAN COMPLETE THEIR LOADING CyCLES FASTER AND OFFER BETTER FuEL CONSuMPTION THAN OTHER BRANDS”Lin sen Zhang, project Director, CoVEC

by COVEC centre around the terrain and geology of the region between Taza and Guercif. The new motorway has been carved through hills and valleys, so it has had to be levelled quite significantly in sections.

In addition, ADM demands a certain quality standard for the materials used on the site. In some cases, the aggregates produced by COVEC did not meet these requirements and so the company has had to source them externally. ying Zhang is COVEC’s main point of contact for communication with ADM regarding the technical specifications governed by the contract. She explains: Much of the soil in this region absorbs water and so COVEC needs to supply porous materials to comply with ADM’s requirements. These are also important for the purposes of drainage as otherwise the rain may wash soil on to the new road and even cause flooding. Communication is another issue and COVEC has a highly skilled team of translators, such as Miss Zhang and Xiao Ran Pang. French may be my

second language, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I know all of the technical terms required, says Mr Pang, who has worked for COVEC in Morocco for two years. Fortunately, the Hitachi team in Morocco is on top of its communication role as the link between the manufacturer and COVEC. Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV (HCME) advised Demimpex (the Hitachi master distributor in Morocco) of the supply of the Zaxis medium excavators to the COVECroad construction site. Demimpex’s Bernard Wackers passed on the contact information to its sub-dealer Berenger. As a result, Berenger’s Construction Equipment Sales Manager Chaouki Mouhib and Technical Manager Oussama Lahlali are now responsible for responding to COVEC’s needs. The level of support already extends to a healthy stock of spare parts held on the site and the routine maintenance carried out during the warranty period for the 14 Zaxis excavators. Chaouki says: The Berenger team has worked hard to develop good

relations with COVEC by offering parts back-up and technical support. We would like to forge these links so that we can continue to be their partner as they expand their operations in Morocco. Mr Zhang confirms COVEC’s growing confidence in the local operation: Berenger has a professional team of technicians who are helping to maintain and repair our Hitachi excavators as and when required. Our aim is to make an agreement with them for a fixed level of technical support at this and other job sites in the future.

furthEr inVEstmEnt to mEEt DEmanDThe demand for road construction in Morocco is also beneficial to sub-contractors and other suppliers. One such operation exists near the town of Ben Slimane, situated north of Casablanca. Agregat Oued Cherrat (AOC) owns the largest (65 hectares) of the 14 quarries in this region. The site was originally purchased by AOC in 1993 and Mohammed Haj Manna successfully ran the quarry until his death in 2003. The family connection was rekindled when his son Jamal Ait Manna joined the management team in October 2008.

“That year, it was decided that AOC should upgrade its machinery and so we looked for a suitable partner,” says Jamal. I was familiar with the John Deere distributor, Groupe Premium, which is also the parent company for Berenger and so that was how I was introduced to the Hitachi brand.

The decision-making process began with a product test for the Zaxis excavators in February 2009. AOC was satisfied with the results and an order was placed for one ZX330-3, with another delivered three months later. The company now has three ZX330-3s and a successful partnership has been developed with

In Action

A ZX250H-3 looks down on the new motorway and bridge construction site below.

December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST38

“90% OF THE EXCAVATORS WORKING ON THIS PROJECT ARE HITACHI. IT IS AN EXCELLENT, HIGH-quALITy BRAND AND THE PRODuCTS ARE RELIABLE, WITH NO DOWNTIME. THEy ARE ALSO HIGHLy EFFICIENT IN THAT THEy CAN COMPLETE THEIR LOADING CyCLES FASTER AND OFFER BETTER FuEL CONSuMPTION THAN OTHER BRANDS”Lin sen Zhang, project Director, CoVEC

by COVEC centre around the terrain and geology of the region between Taza and Guercif. The new motorway has been carved through hills and valleys, so it has had to be levelled quite significantly in sections.

In addition, ADM demands a certain quality standard for the materials used on the site. In some cases, the aggregates produced by COVEC did not meet these requirements and so the company has had to source them externally. ying Zhang is COVEC’s main point of contact for communication with ADM regarding the technical specifications governed by the contract. She explains: Much of the soil in this region absorbs water and so COVEC needs to supply porous materials to comply with ADM’s requirements. These are also important for the purposes of drainage as otherwise the rain may wash soil on to the new road and even cause flooding. Communication is another issue and COVEC has a highly skilled team of translators, such as Miss Zhang and Xiao Ran Pang. French may be my

second language, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I know all of the technical terms required, says Mr Pang, who has worked for COVEC in Morocco for two years. Fortunately, the Hitachi team in Morocco is on top of its communication role as the link between the manufacturer and COVEC. Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV (HCME) advised Demimpex (the Hitachi master distributor in Morocco) of the supply of the Zaxis medium excavators to the COVECroad construction site. Demimpex’s Bernard Wackers passed on the contact information to its sub-dealer Berenger. As a result, Berenger’s Construction Equipment Sales Manager Chaouki Mouhib and Technical Manager Oussama Lahlali are now responsible for responding to COVEC’s needs. The level of support already extends to a healthy stock of spare parts held on the site and the routine maintenance carried out during the warranty period for the 14 Zaxis excavators. Chaouki says: The Berenger team has worked hard to develop good

relations with COVEC by offering parts back-up and technical support. We would like to forge these links so that we can continue to be their partner as they expand their operations in Morocco. Mr Zhang confirms COVEC’s growing confidence in the local operation: Berenger has a professional team of technicians who are helping to maintain and repair our Hitachi excavators as and when required. Our aim is to make an agreement with them for a fixed level of technical support at this and other job sites in the future.

furthEr inVEstmEnt to mEEt DEmanDThe demand for road construction in Morocco is also beneficial to sub-contractors and other suppliers. One such operation exists near the town of Ben Slimane, situated north of Casablanca. Agregat Oued Cherrat (AOC) owns the largest (65 hectares) of the 14 quarries in this region. The site was originally purchased by AOC in 1993 and Mohammed Haj Manna successfully ran the quarry until his death in 2003. The family connection was rekindled when his son Jamal Ait Manna joined the management team in October 2008.

“That year, it was decided that AOC should upgrade its machinery and so we looked for a suitable partner,” says Jamal. I was familiar with the John Deere distributor, Groupe Premium, which is also the parent company for Berenger and so that was how I was introduced to the Hitachi brand.

The decision-making process began with a product test for the Zaxis excavators in February 2009. AOC was satisfied with the results and an order was placed for one ZX330-3, with another delivered three months later. The company now has three ZX330-3s and a successful partnership has been developed with

In Action

A ZX250H-3 looks down on the new motorway and bridge construction site below.

December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST 39

Berenger. AOC has already had a good experience with Hitachi excavators, explains Jamal. Berenger has showed its confidence in the machines by providing an extended warranty package and a stock of spare parts for the site.

“The ZX330-3 has a solid engine and excellent hydraulics. So, there is not so much wear and tear despite the challenging working conditions. Hitachi is the answer to our needs with economic fuel consumption and a high return on investment compared to other brands. We calculate the cost per tonne and the Zaxis excavators have helped to reduce this figure in recent times. In fact, we are so satisfied with this level of performance that we have ordered a fourth ZX330-3!”

AOC employs 151 staff, including the truck drivers and excavator operators, who work in two ten-hour shifts. In practice this means that the site is fully operational from 7am until 2am. The best and most loyal operators are prioritised for the Hitachi machinery, explains Jamal, and they also tend to look after the excavators better. The first ZX330-3 has already completed 4,800 hours in 14 months without any problems. This is impressive, especially considering this level of usage would normally be achieved within two years! Comfort is an important factor for the operators when they are working up to nine hours each day. Fortunately, Hitachi has created an excellent working environment in the cab and the hydraulics ensure that they are easy to use and fast to manoeuvre.

The limestone in the quarry is blasted by a daily explosion held during the first shift’s lunch break. The raw material is then loaded on to AOC’s fleet of 17

trucks. 7,000 tonnes of limestone are excavated per day - the equivalent of one million tonnes every year. The trucks unload the material into the separator, which removes the limestone from the soil. The limestone then moves on to the three primary crushers while the soil is used to refill the site. The heaps from the primary crushers are then processed through the three secondary crushers, after which the materials are further separated by two units into four different sizes of aggregates: from 0-3mm to 15-25mm.

30% of the materials are delivered to companies over an average distance of 80km, but the majority is collected by customers. 80% of AOC’s business is in the concrete sector and the remainder is dedicated to supplying aggregates to the expanding road construction market. AOC is proud of the standard of service it passes on to its customers, continues Jamal, and we feel that this gives us a competitive advantage. For example, we can vary the quantities of the different grades of aggregates produced to match demand and work into the night if necessary.

The Moroccan construction industry is embracing the desire of King Mohammed VI. From contractors and sub-contractors, to quarries and concrete plants, everyone is united in the desire to improve the national motorway network. ultimately, this will be good news for tourism and commerce, which in turn will lead to a successful future for the construction industry as the demand for new facilities continues to rise.

Reprinted with permission from Ground Control, the magazine of Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV

The Hitachi fleet has excavated more than seven

million cubic metres

Hitachi excavators have helped to reduce the cost

per tonne

December 2011

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All RoAds leAd to sAudi

the building of roads and infrastructure, and then the maintenance of it thereafter, will always be an ongoing process. Roads are life to urbanisation and a city without good roads, allowing its inhabitants to commute on a daily basis with ease, will always find it hard to be on top.

The Gulf countries saw an influx of people from all over the world in the past few years and this created a desperate need to construct more roads and better infrastructure. The unfortunate economic melt-down that followed, hampered the roads sector, but the very nature of roads and what they do for urban life has safeguarded it against the crisis.

With a rapidly growing GCC population, there will be the need to build accommodation and then the need to commute, so constructing roads and infrastructure around these settlements is inevitable.

At the moment, the UAE and Saudi Arabia seem to be the most lucrative markets for roads with Oman coming up in a big way. Qatar is among the top contenders for work due it its 2022 FIFA World Cup preparations.

But a source from specialist road contractor Wade Adams in the UAE says the roads sector is stagnant.

“The market is staying where it was. It is a stagnant market, at least in the UAE,” says the company executive. “Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar are markets that have more work at the moment. Saudi Arabia is obviously the biggest market because they’re expanding in a big way; the kingdom has also been pretty resilient to the slow-down. We aren’t yet in Saudi, but we are in the process of entering there.

So what does this mean for the machinery sector? It appears that the rental sector which is facing a slow down won’t see it pick up anytime soon.

“As far as renting out machinery is concerned, we don’t need to at the moment because we have fully-owned machinery that we use. We only rent out equipment when all our machines are engaged in work and at the moment that is not the case.

“As for Oman, even though it has a lot of opportunity, it is a tough market to crack. We have a few Oman tenders coming up, but it’s a diff icult market due to cut-throat competition,” said the source.

However, in stark contrast to those comments, a recent study by UAE-based research house Ventures Middle East, estimated that $195 billion worth of construction projects will be undertaken in the GCC over the next two years, of which, $142 billion are tied up in road projects underway or being planned.

The UAE was pegged with more than $58 billion worth of road and bridge projects, including Abu Dhabi’s $25 billion Surface Transport Master Plan (STMP). (See Box 1 for details)

Saudi Arabia comes in as the second most lucrative market with $48 billion set for road project either currently happening or in the pipeline, while Qatar road’s projects is valued at $17 billion.

Kuwait has $9 billion worth of projects in the pipeline, including the Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah Causeway, while Oman has road projects worth $8 billion with another $2 billion in Bahrain.

STMP – Abu DhAbi RoADSThe Surface Transport Master Plan is part of Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan and includes a metro system, regional rail, a tram network, a ferry link to Dubai and three zones of personal rapid transit. The project will also see the international highway upgraded and the Mafraq interchange reconstructed. The project is expected to see more than 330kms of road upgraded and the construction of several dual-highways.

Country: UAEClient: Abu Dhabi Department

of Transport Project Value: US $25 billion Contractor: Not appointedStatus: Design

Constructing roads and infrastructure is a never ending challenge as the region’s economies continue to grow and populations expand into new settlements. At present, the UAE and Saudi Arabia seem to be the most lucrative markets for roads with Oman and Qatar rapidly catching up.

Sector Focus

December 2011

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All RoAds leAd to sAudi

GCC RoAD SPenD (uS $142 billion)UAE - $58 billionSaudi Arabia - $48 billionQatar - $17 billionKuwait - $9 billionOman - $8 billionBahrain - $2 billion

UAEIn the UAE, the $89 million Phase 3 of the Emirates Road Upgrade project in Dubai has begun and is expected to be completed in early 2013 according to UAE-based news agency WAM.

The overall project will see Emirates Road expanded into five lanes in each direction for a distance of 10kms. The project will also see five current intersections converted into free intersections that will accommodate additional traffic.

In Abu Dhabi, Al Salam Street upgrade is steadily underway. The tunnelling phase of the project, which has been contracted out to a joint venture between Samsung and Saif Bin Darwish, is expected to be completed in January 2012. Stretching 3km in length, the tunnel is believed to be the longest in the Middle East.

Other big projects underway in the UAE are the $326.7 million Dubai-Fujairah highway stretching over 80km and the $22 million third phase of the Dibba-Masafi truck road project that has been given the go-ahead is one to watch out for. Work on phase three includes a ring road parallel to the existing ring road.

Another important road project is the $2.7 billion Mafraq-Ghweifat Highway in the UAE’s Western Region. A project of the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, the road is 327km long and provides the only access route to the Western Region. Work is expected to be completed by 2014.

SAUdi ArAbiANew plans for road expansions were revealed by Dr Habib Zain Al-Abideen, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and

December 2011

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Sector Focus

Supervisor General of the Central Administration for Development Projects in the Holy Sites, as reported by the Saudi Gazette.

Plans for a project next year will see Al-Shabain Area linked with the Jamarat Bridge at a cost of $107 million. Al-Abideen said they are waiting for the approval from the Makkah Development Authority to start the project at the beginning of next year.

In addition, the Saudi Press Agency reported that the Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry signed 16 contracts worth more than a total of $600 million for the construction of 969km roads across the kingdom.

Al-Seraisry has also met with some 350 investors and economists in Makkah where he disclosed that the Ministry was currently implementing projects worth $1.4 billion in the province.

The Ministry has also approved eight new road projects in the Eastern Region at a combined cost of $217.3 million. Mohamed Al Suwaiket, assistant for technical affairs and general supervisor of the roads and transport general directorate in the Eastern Region, told the Saudi-based Al Riyadh daily newspaper that there were currently 40 projects underway in the region, worth a combined total of more than $1.59 billion.

QATAr With Qatar having won the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, one can expect a barrage of work coming out of the country.

Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) announced that it has contracted several consultants to evaluate maintenance requirements for several bridges and tunnels inside and outside Doha.

In addition, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning has begun a $3.54 million maintenance job for interior roads in and around Doha. Work commenced in June this year and is scheduled to be completed in 24 months.

Ashghal has also called for prequalification from contractors for its expressway programme, which includes 30 construction packages for urban and rural expressways and primary routes in and around Doha. It will be implemented over the next five to seven years.

KUwAiTIn Kuwait, the construction of one of the longest elevated roads in the world is underway - the $972 million Jahra Road project in Western Kuwait.

The project is part of the Ministry of Public Works’ bigger plans to develop the country’s road network

according to the Kuwait Times. The work includes the transformation of the Jahra Road into a single highway with additional utilities and drainage work.

Another big project that has been a bone of contention since 2009 is the 36km-long Subiyah Causeway that will incorporate a bridge spanning 150m – 200m connecting Shuwaikh Port/Ghazali expressway in Kuwait City with the Subiya New Town development on the northern side of Kuwait Bay. The project is valued at around $2.6 billion.

Including these big jobs, the ministry has also signed several smaller jobs totalling more than 500km worth of road construction. The Assistant Minister of Public Works for Road Engineering, Hussain Al-Mansour, said this to the Kuwait News Agency earlier this year.

Last year, Kuwait set aside $10.6 billion for road projects. These projects aim to ease traffic flow with new highways linking the interiors such as Al-Khiran City, Sabah Al-Ahmad City and the new cities in Mitlaa to more populated areas.

OmAnComing up quickly is the road sector in Oman and topping the list is the Batinah Coastal Road Project. Overseen by the Supreme Committee for Town

Oman is the most competitive market for roads and

infrastructure in the GCC

The region’s largest heavy equipment exhibition

The Construction Machinery Show will be the largest heavy construction machinery event in the region. There will be a wide variety of products on show ranging from heavy equipment to machinery and generators including service providers. There are plans of a live auction and demonstration area for visitors to get a real idea of the capabilities of

the equipment. This event is dedicated to the construction machinery sector and will provide an invaluable platform for customers in the Arab world bringing manufacturers,

distributors and buyers together.

In 2012 the Construction Machinery Show will be co-located with the Saudi Building & Interiors Exhibition. SBIE is an ideal business platform to find out about the latest building and interiors industry developments, assess the competition and network with specialist

contractors, equipment and material suppliers, as well as solution providers.

We will be in Jeddah next April. Will you?

22-25 APRIL 2012Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events

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Find out more. Visit www.constructionmachineryshow.com

The Construction Machinery Show and Construction Machinery Middle East and their entities are registered trademarks. The Construction Machinery Show is held alongside the Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. © 2011 Corporate Publishing International. All rights reserved.

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December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST44

Sector Focus

Planning this project is valued at $712 million.Stretching over a distance of 246km, the first

phase of this project involves the construction of a dual carriageway from Naseem Garden to Khatmat Malaha in the wilayat of Shinas. The second phase is yet to be started.

Phase 1 has been further split into two packages. Package 1, worth $325 million, involves the construction of a 60km road from Naseem roundabout to Sayyid Said bin Sultan Naval Base at Wudam Al Sahel in the wilayat of Musannah. Meanwhile Package 2, worth $387 million requires construction of a 66km road from Majees roundabout in Sohar to Khatmat Malaha on the border of Fujeirah. Construction of the remaining stretch of the road, around 116km, will be covered in phase 2 of the project. Work on Phase 1 is underway and scheduled to finish in 2012 while a timeframe for Phase 2 has not been announced yet.

In addition to this, there is the 265km dual three-lane Batinah Expressway project, which will be an extension of the newly commissioned Muscat Expressway and will run from Qurum to Naseem Garden on the outskirts of Muscat city. The competitive tender is expected to fetch around $390m. Work is set for completion in 2015.

Another big job in Oman currently, is the combined $177.6 million Wadi Kabir-Darsait and the Mahlah-Ghubbrat Al Tam-Ismaiyah roads owned by the Muscat Municipality and the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

According to the Oman Daily Observer, a joint venture between India’s Larsen and Toubro and Zubair Corporation has picked up the multi-million dollar contract.

Another contract awarded was to Omani contractor Galfar Engineering & Contracting, which has bagged a $6.1 million road contract from Ruwi-based Daleel Petroleum. The project has a time-scale of three years project with the possibility of a two-year extension.

Then there is Package I-B of the Bid-Bid-Sur project in Oman valued at $305m. Work involves the conversion of a 75km-long existing two-lane carriageway into four lanes. Package I-A for the dualisation of the initial 45km section costs $325 million. The Ministry of Transport is the client for this 200km Bid Bid-Sur project and the first packages (A and B) between Bid Bid and Ibra covers 120km, while the design has been completed for the remaining 80km between Ibra and Sur. The Oman Tender Board is expected to issue another contract inviting bids from contracting firms for the remaining 80km.

bAHrAin Even though Bahrain’s budget for roads is the smallest out of all the GCC states, once its Bahrain/Qatar causeway - a project that has suffered many delays – actually does begin construction, the kingdom will get back some of its momentum. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2015 at a cost of $5.5 billion.

Tender: 327/2011

Description: Construction of a bridge across the wadi Bani Souq in the wilayat of Rustaq

Client: Ministry of Regional Municipalities & water Resources

Document price: OMR2729

Submission date: January 2, 2012

Documents submitted by: Galfar Engineering & Contracting; Strabag Oman

Contact: Muscat - Oman, PO Box 787/133 Al Khuwair; +968 24602652; [email protected]

Tender: 323/2011

Description: Construction of a paved road in the wilayat of Madha (Governorate of Musandam)

Client: Ministry of Transport and Communication


Submission date: December 26, 2011

Documents submitted by: Al Naeem International; Sarooj Construction Company; Galdiano Oman; National United Engineering Construction; Oman Shapoorji Construction


Tender: 322/2011

Description: Upgrading of Sohar Roundabout

Client: Ministry of Transport and Communication


Submission date: December 26, 2011

Documents submitted by: Federici – Stirling Batco; Strabag Oman; Consolidating Contracting Company; National United Engineering Construction


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December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST 47

Linden Comansa’s newest crane is flat out the biggest

Product Focus

L inden Comansa’s LC3000 is probably one of the newest cranes in the market. Standing at 90m high and capable of carrying up to

64 tons, it is also, as Linden Comansa claims, the biggest Flat-Top tower crane ever conceived. The Spanish company is pitching the beast at the heavy and mining industry but it would also fit into the large scale public works projects seen in this region.

The LC3000 is the sort of crane engineers with big ideas used to dream about before they got too expensive to build. Comansa itself says it drew

inspiration from the 1970s behemoths Linden used to build as well as the one-offs it made to spec in the 1990s. The series is formed by two models, 30 LC 1100 and 30 LC 1450, and each one comes with three different versions depending on their maximum load capacity: 32, 48 and 64 tons.

Comansa claims that due to the design of the new LC3000 series, the manufacturing and delivery periods are now significantly shorter than its earlier large cranes, and “a highly competitive price has been achieved”. Engineers with big ideas and high ambitions should start saving up now.

LC3000

LC3000 speCs: Lift capacity: 64t

Height: 88.8m (max)

Height with two ties: 198m

Jib length: 80m

Jib end load: 13.5t

Hoist mechanism: 200 kW

Hoist drum cap: 1,450m

December 2011

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Product Focus

LiuGong digs up Middle East interest

Chinese machinery giant LiuGong is pushing its new range of D Series excavators into the Middle East and North Africa region via its

Dubai subsidiary LiuGong Machinery (Middle East).The D Series stretches across the 15 to 36 ton

range and comes f itted with the company’s new generation of intelligent crawler excavators

featuring computer-aided systems including its push-button computer aided power control system (CAPC).

The world’s 20th biggest machine exporter claims the new machine’s design is 15% more fuel eff icient and is the most reliable excavator it has launched.

York Liang, president of LiuGong Machinery (Middle East), told dealers at the launch event for the excavator at the company’s new Jebel Ali-based PDC that: “With this new line, we can show our customers 15% increases in fuel economy, and increases in job site productivity. That means a lot in today’s business climate.”

LiuGonG ExCavator

Liugong exCavator speCs: Model: 936D

operational weight: 36t

engine: C8.3

Maximum power at the flywheel Hp / rpm (standard): 249@2000

Maximum torque n.m / rpm (standard): 1219@2000

emission levels (classification epa tier / euro stage): Tier ll/Stagell

Maximum height of cut: 6.9m

Maximum loading height: 9.8m

Maximum reach horizontal: 10.5m

Bucket digging force: 224 KN

arm digging force: 192 KN

Maximum digging depth: 6.7M

Bucket: capacity: 1.8m³

New Holland has launched two new crawler excavators in its popular C Series line, the 21 tonne E215C and the 25 tonne E245C.

This expands the line up to four machines covering the 21-31 tonne class range. Both new machines are Tier IV/Stage 3B compliant which, it claims, offer 10% greater productivity from

a more powerful engine and a 10% reduction in fuel consumption when operated in the new Eco working mode, delivered by an optimised hydraulic system and the use of selective catalytic reduction. Power comes from a six cylinder common rail engine that delivers 11 kW (15 hp) more than corresponding units in B Series machines. The hydraulic system has been redesigned to significantly increase hydraulic efficiency and together with new joysticks, offers operators precision control.

The machines are f itted with New Holland’s EVO cab that provides a high level of all-round visibility, allowing a clear view over the rear of the machine. New dampers, added to the use of SCR, have resulted in vibration levels that are 30% lower when travelling and up to 50% lower when working.

New Holland goes lean on excavators

E215C & E245C

C series CrawLer exCavators speCs: e215CEmissions technology: SCR

Net flywheel power: 129kW/173 hp

Operating weight (max): 23160 kg

Bucket capacity: 0.52 – 1.31 m³

e245CEmissions technology: SCR

Net flywheel power: 129 kW/173 hp

Operating weight (max): 25418 kg

Bucket capacity: 0.52 – 1.31 m³

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December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST50

The big doze

Point Of View

The bulldozer is integral part of any construction site. It is an absolute work-horse when it has good traction and is used for land clearing, rough grading, excavations, roads, forestry and even to build ponds and lakes, which most Middle Eastern countries are obsessed with building.

December 2011

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MiddLe eAST 51

Hakan Donmezer, marketing manager - Middle East and Turkey, CNH Services

“The main size class in This secTOr is The 40-TOnne DOzer, which incluDes The 43-TOnne case 3550 anD new hOllanD D350, The 42-TOnne caTerPillar D8TanD The 40-TOnne KOmaTsu D155.”

Like most other specialist sectors within the middle east construction industry, the recovery period for the bulldozer market has also been fairly slow.

Dozer manufacturers in the middle east, as well as globally, are quite limited. not all established brands make dozers. But some people are of the belief that this is a blessing in disguise for the sector, as it has softened the impact of the economic downturn on the dozer industry.

Of course, the industry has seen a drop in demand for the machines in the past few years, but it has begun to pick up and the Kingdom of saudi arabia has made it to the top of the list. and close on its heals is the uae, followed by Qatar.

according to statistics provided by cnh services, the official distributors of case and new holland dozers, the year 2009 saw a massive drop in demand, but 2010 saw a quick recovery with 2011 hoping to exceed the previous year’s figures by 10%.

speaking to construction machinery middle east, cnh services marketing manager for the middle east and Turkey hakan Donmezer says most demand is

coming from saudi arabia, with Turkey and the uae being the next important markets.

“and the main size class in this sector is the 40-tonne dozer, which includes the 43-tonne case 3550 and new holland D350, the 42-tonne caterpillar D8Tand the 40-tonne Komatsu D155,” he says.

Komatsu’s middle east marketing general manager ashraf hashish agrees with Donmezer that “the market is in saudi arabia” though, he also feels that the uae is next in line.

even though many believe that the dozer sector has hit a dead-end, hashish is quick to rubbish those claims.

“This business is still alive and we’re expecting demand to go up by next year, especially with the recently awarded railway and society development projects in the middle east,” he says.

The bulldozer, as it is officially known, is an integral part of any construction site. it is an absolute work-horse when it has good traction and is used for land clearing, rough grading, excavations, roads, forestry, and even to build ponds and lakes, which most middle eastern countries are obsessed with building.

In lay terms, the dozer is basically a heavy duty tractor with a blade mounted on the front. There are different sizes and styles of blades including ones for general purpose, production, and special applications. Typically the blade has four movements, up, down, left and right. Some

have an additional two more movements - a tilt where just the left or right corner can be adjusted to dig into the ground. At the back end it can have optional equipment, a winch for forestry or towing and rippers that penetrate the ground to loosen up hard packed dirt or rocks.

The ripper can also tear up asphalt, and concrete. Although a dozer has good traction, sometimes it falters depending on the size, shape and moisture content of the material being moved. When the soil is saturated it will lose traction, just like any other vehicle would.

CONTACT:BAUER Equipment Gulf FZE

Dubai Airport Free ZoneBldg. 4E, Office A 321

P.O. Box: 54253Dubai, U.A.E

Phone +971 4 299-7807Fax +971 4 299-7806

[email protected]

THE LEADING SUPPLIER OF MACHINERY FOR:

▪ Bored piles▪ Pile walls▪ Diaphragm walls▪ Anchors

▪ Deep drilling (oil, gas, geothermal)▪ Exploration and wells▪ Sheet pile walls▪ Slurry handling

EQUIPMENT GULF

PASSION FOR PROGRESS

BMA_Gulf_DinA4 26.08.2011 12:31 Seite 1




Phone +971 4 299-7807Fax +971 4 299-7806

[email protected]




EQUIPMENT GULF






Phone +971 4 299-7807Fax +971 4 299-7806

[email protected]




EQUIPMENT GULF






Phone +971 4 299-7807Fax +971 4 299-7806

[email protected]




EQUIPMENT GULF






Phone +971 4 299-7807Fax +971 4 299-7806

[email protected]




EQUIPMENT GULF



THE LEADING SUPPLIER OF MACHINERY FOR:Deep drilling (oil, gas, geothermal)Exploration and wellsSheet pile wallsSlurry handling

Bored pilesPile wallsDiaphragm wallsAnchors




Phone +971 4 299-7807Fax +971 4 299-7806

[email protected]




EQUIPMENT GULF



Guidelines for mobile crane useContinued crane accidents and fatalities have brought a heightened awareness to crane safety. At the current time, there are recommended practices and industry consensus documents that deal with the topic of crane safety, but they are spread across a broad spectrum of industries and crane types. This document is a listing of suggested best practices for the use of mobile cranes within the construction industry.

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Future Technology

December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

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Future Technology

December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST54

DimensionsSelecting the right crane for the job is one of the most critical decisions that can affect the overall safety performance of the project. In order to ensure the proper crane is selected, thoughts

must go beyond the standard concerns of the particular load(s) that must be hoisted. A comprehensive selection process will also consider things such as site access, available space, ground conditions, critical picks and other concerns.

Lifting Logisticsa Loads to be lifted• Weight of heaviest pick including rigging• Load size/dimensions• Multiple picks versus single pick• Multiple lift rigging• Will pick have to be traveled• Multiple cranesb Maximum height and radius considerations• Height/radius of the lift• Height/radius of the crane• Height/radius of obstacles• Leading edge of building as constructed (if applicable)• Weight of load at maximum / minimum radius

DeLivery Logisticsa Clearances for both height and widthb Turn radii for delivery truck and/or mobile cranec Weight Restrictionsd Lane closures or street construction• City permits• Light boards, cones, barrels, etc.• Certified flaggerse Grade and slope of access road/ramps

Lift consiDerationsa Critical lift• As defined by owner• As defined by regulatory agency• As defined by other source1. Monetary, historical or irreplaceable value of item to

be lifted2. Lifts over highways, occupied buildings, etc.b Man basket use• 50% of max capacity• Trial lifts with test weights• Basket construction requirementsc Special crane requirements• Power down capabilities, etc.d Number of picks/duty cycle• Frequency of picks• Prolonged suspension times• Time required to make the lift and secure the load

site Logisticsa Crane operational footprint• Existence of power lines• Bridges• Other obstructionsb Crane pad considerations It is recommended to consult with an engineer to

determine how the following issues may affect your proposed crane setup:

• Ground bearing pressure (compaction and soils test needs)

• Proximity to prior or open excavations • Underground utilities• Engineered fill• Shoring requirements• Slab on grade or other improved surface (ie asphalt

pavement)c Airports and height restrictions, flagging of boomd Limited crane pad dimensions may affect

crane sizee Vertical and horizontal space restrictionsf Potential relocation or movement of crane during

construction phasingg Free and clear assembly and disassembly area for

type, size and dimensions of selected craneh Dark environments require lighting

timea Schedule of the job could affect the time, size or the

amount of cranes

moneya Budgets may affect time, size or the amount

of cranes• Operator supplied by vendor versus bare rentalb Wet rental = rental company’s liability for operator

errorc Dry rental = contractor liability for operator errord Dry rental may require authorisation by

rental company

Pre-construction consiDerationsa Scheduling: availability/lead timeb Permitting issues (include local permits/city

ordinances/ask about special restrictions)c Site specific requirements

assembLy/DisassembLyThough the assembly and disassembly process of a crane is often given little thought, these tasks are integral to the safety, efficiency and productivity of mobile cranes.

December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST54

Future Technology

December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST54

DimensionsSelecting the right crane for the job is one of the most critical decisions that can affect the overall safety performance of the project. In order to ensure the proper crane is selected, thoughts

must go beyond the standard concerns of the particular load(s) that must be hoisted. A comprehensive selection process will also consider things such as site access, available space, ground conditions, critical picks and other concerns.

Lifting Logisticsa Loads to be lifted• Weight of heaviest pick including rigging• Load size/dimensions• Multiple picks versus single pick• Multiple lift rigging• Will pick have to be traveled• Multiple cranesb Maximum height and radius considerations• Height/radius of the lift• Height/radius of the crane• Height/radius of obstacles• Leading edge of building as constructed (if applicable)• Weight of load at maximum / minimum radius

DeLivery Logisticsa Clearances for both height and widthb Turn radii for delivery truck and/or mobile cranec Weight Restrictionsd Lane closures or street construction• City permits• Light boards, cones, barrels, etc.• Certified flaggerse Grade and slope of access road/ramps

Lift consiDerationsa Critical lift• As defined by owner• As defined by regulatory agency• As defined by other source1. Monetary, historical or irreplaceable value of item to

be lifted2. Lifts over highways, occupied buildings, etc.b Man basket use• 50% of max capacity• Trial lifts with test weights• Basket construction requirementsc Special crane requirements• Power down capabilities, etc.d Number of picks/duty cycle• Frequency of picks• Prolonged suspension times• Time required to make the lift and secure the load

site Logisticsa Crane operational footprint• Existence of power lines• Bridges• Other obstructionsb Crane pad considerations It is recommended to consult with an engineer to

determine how the following issues may affect your proposed crane setup:

• Ground bearing pressure (compaction and soils test needs)

• Proximity to prior or open excavations • Underground utilities• Engineered fill• Shoring requirements• Slab on grade or other improved surface (ie asphalt

pavement)c Airports and height restrictions, flagging of boomd Limited crane pad dimensions may affect

crane sizee Vertical and horizontal space restrictionsf Potential relocation or movement of crane during

construction phasingg Free and clear assembly and disassembly area for

type, size and dimensions of selected craneh Dark environments require lighting

timea Schedule of the job could affect the time, size or the

amount of cranes

moneya Budgets may affect time, size or the amount

of cranes• Operator supplied by vendor versus bare rentalb Wet rental = rental company’s liability for operator

errorc Dry rental = contractor liability for operator errord Dry rental may require authorisation by

rental company

Pre-construction consiDerationsa Scheduling: availability/lead timeb Permitting issues (include local permits/city

ordinances/ask about special restrictions)c Site specific requirements

assembLy/DisassembLyThough the assembly and disassembly process of a crane is often given little thought, these tasks are integral to the safety, efficiency and productivity of mobile cranes.

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Proper site access, as well as an adequate amount of level and stable ground is needed to build up and tear down a crane safely. The assembly and disassembly process is also host to some high risk hazards such as fall exposures and pinch points that require careful pre-planning. Assembly/disassembly must be done according to manufacturer or employer procedures for assembly/disassembly.

1. Free and clear assembly and disassembly area for type, size, and dimensions of selected crane

• Controlled access to the assembly area.• Site restrictions for disassembly affected by

constructed structure/building• Clearances for both height and width• Proper clearance from power lines• Turn radii for delivery truck and/or mobile crane• Weight restrictions• Lane closures or street construction• Suitable ground conditions - Level setup within 1%,

checked with accurate tools. Grade and slope of access road/ramps.

2. Additional equipment considerations• Assist cranes, aerial lifts, lighting, ladders, earth

moving equipment, blocking, cribbing, etc.3. Assembly crew pre-task JHA• Fall protection, struck by hazards, caught between,

electrical, etc.4. Post-assembly/pre-operational inspection by qualified

personnel (this could be part of a daily inspection). Your company policies may require documentation.

oPerationsThis section addresses the safety concerns for a crane that is setup and operating on the project. Considerations range from the roles of the operator, crew and lift director to the many possible hazards and concerns that must be considered and addressed.

1. Prelift/pretask meeting(s) between all related parties to the craning activities

a Assess daily physical and psychological health of operator and crew - eg signs of exhaustion, mental stress, etc

b Site specific requirementsc Ensure crane operations personnel are aware of site

specific emergency action proceduresd Maximum weight, size and radius of load verified

against load chart• Heaviest load to be lifted• Maximum height and radius considered• Critical lift exceed 75% of rated capacity at given radius

and configuration• Involves more than one crane during a pick2. Consider who is the person directing the lift for each

lift to be completeda Rigger, Superintendent, Operator, etc.b Each contractor who uses a crane has a qualified

lift directorc Lift director has the duty to stop lift for safety reasons3. Use qualified operatora Physical qualifications• Good vision• Good hearing• Sufficient physical qualifications• No evidence of having physical or mental defectsb Basic safety knowledge

• Familiar with crane limitations, controls, load charts, etc.

4. Use qualified signal persona Qualifications• Appointed by lift supervisor and approved by the

crane operator• Know, understand and apply the type of signals used• Basic understanding of crane operation and

limitations• Know and understand the relevant requirements of

crane laws• Demonstrate he is competent to perform signal duties.b A signal person must be provided in each of the

following situations:• The point of operation is not in full view of the

operator.• The operator’s view is obstructed during setup or travel.• Operator or person handling the load determines that

it is necessary.c Standard hand signals must be used where

applicable to operationsd When non-standard hand signals must be used

(operations or attachments not covered by standard signals), the signal person, operator, and lift supervisor (where there is one) shall agree on the non-standard hand signals prior to use.

e If signaling communication becomes interrupted, operations shall be stopped until signaling can continue.

f The operator shall obey a stop signal from anyone at any time.

g All directions given to the operator by the signal person shall be given from the operator’s direction perspective.

h Radio, telephone or other electronic signals• Verify function of communication devices before

lifting.• Signal transmission must be through dedicated

channels as needed (multiple cranes, etc).• The operator’s reception of signals must be by a hands-

free system.i Voice signals shall be agreed upon by both operator

and signalman prior to operation. These signals should be from the operator’s perspective.

• The operator, signal person and lift director, shall be able to effectively communicate in the language used.

• Voice signals should identify the parties involved.• PPE considerations (Fall Protection, visibility, etc.)• Hand signal charts must be either posted on the

equipment or readily available at the site.• When non-standard hand signals must be used

(operations or attachments not covered by standard signals), the signal person, operator and lift supervisor shall agree on the non-standard hand signals prior to use. These special signals should not be in conflict with the standard signals.

5. Use qualified riggers• Know the weight of the load• Know how to select the appropriate rigging for the load• Know the differences between hitching configurations• Know how to inspect rigging• Understand the concept of centre of gravity and

balancing of the load6. Documented inspectionsa Verify annual inspectionb Review crane and inspection history

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“ONCE THE LAST LOAD HAS BEEN LIFTED IT IS NOW TIME TO DISASSEMBLE THE CrANE AND rEMOVE IT FrOM THE PrOJECT. COMPETENT AND qUALIFIED PErSONNEL ArE STILL NEEDED ON SITE TO ENSUrE SAFETY CONCErNS ArE MET. DISASSEMBLY MAY NOT BE AS SIMPLE AS DOING THE ASSEMBLY PrOCESS IN rEVErSE. IT’S LIKELY THE SITE HAS CHANGED, ACCESS rOUTES MAY BE DIFFErENT AND THE CONSTrUCTION JOB ITSELF MAY PrESENT NEW OBSTrUCTIONS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. ALL OF THE ITEMS ADDrESSED FOr CrANE DELIVErY AND ASSEMBLY MUST NOW BE CONSIDErED rELATIVE TO THE CHANGED CONDITIONS.”

Future Technology

c Pre-shift inspections recorded in daily crane logd Rigging inspectionse Monthlyf Post incident• Contact electrical lines• Suspected damage to crane7. Work area controla Swing radius protection ‚Äì rotating superstructure

of the crane including counterweight• Erect and maintain control lines, warning lines, railings

or similar barriers to mark the swing radius including counter weight due to hazards of struck by or caught inbetween.

• Where swing radius protection is not feasible, use a dedicated spotter

• Employees who may enter the swing radius shall be trained how to recognise struckby and caught between hazards.

• Communication and co-ordination between operator and personnel who must enter the swing radius shall be maintained.

b Job site security• Post signs to keep unauthorised persons out of the area• Insure equipment is secured at all times from

unauthorised access.c Multiple equipment co-ordination• Where any part of a crane/derrick is within the working

radius of another crane/derrick, the lift director(s) shall institute a system to co-ordinate operations.

d Keeping clear of the load• Avoid swinging loads over personnel (workers,

public, etc), use caution when engaged in hooking, unhooking or guiding a load; engaged in the initial attachment of the load to a component or structure; working with suspended equipment; during specialised operations such as tilt-up, personnel shall not be within the fall zone of the load until it is vertical; and during specialized operations around overhead power lines.

e Considerations for travelling with a suspended load

a Do so only if determined to be safe and legal (manufacturer restrictions, etc.)

b Different load charts may need to be usedc Load may need to be secured during traveld Swing lock and/or other interlocks may need to

be engagede Consider routes of travel and ground conditionsf Additional signalperson assistance may be need8. Power linesa Assume that all power lines are energised unless

the utility owner/operator confirms that the power line has been and continues to be de-energised and visibly grounded at the worksite.

b Whenever there is potential for a crane to contact a power line, contact the utility company and work with them to discuss the following considerations and limitations:

c Eliminate exposure• Have utility de-energise or take down power line• Choose different setup location away from lines• Use different means and methods to avoid exposured Reduce exposure1. Utility company prepares line with safety devices• Insulation wraps• One shot• Install lighter fusee Safe work distances1. Meet with utility company to determine the safe

approach distance to the energised power lines2. Use a dedicated spotter3. Use a visual warning device4. Meet or exceed relevant guidelinesf Communications towers and transmitters• When working near transmitter/communication

towers where the equipment is close enough for an electrical charge to be induced in the equipment or materials being handled, the transmitter shall be de-energised or the following precautions shall be taken when necessary to dissipate induced voltages: the equipment shall be provided with an electrical ground; and an on-conductive rigging or an insulating link/device shall be used

g All personnel on site where a crane has the potential to contact power lines shall know the following:

• Contacting energised power lines is the number one killer during crane operations.

• The importance to the operator‚Äôs safety of remaining

inside the cab except where there is an imminent danger of fire, explosion, or other emergency that necessitates leaving the cab.

• The safest means of evacuating from equipment that may be energised.

• The danger of the potentially energized zone around the equipment, evacuation methods. Do not enter into this zone.

• Safe clearance distance from power lines.• Limitations of insulating link/device, proximity alarms

and range controls if used.• Procedures to follow for properly grounding of

equipment and grounding limitations.• Dedicated spotters must be trained to effectively

perform their task. This includes training.• Travelling the crane within the site.9. Operational aidsa Operational aids may include, but are not limited to

the following:• Load moment indicator/load cell• Anti-two block• Load radius• Proximity alarmsb When crane is equipped with an operational aid, it must

be functional and the operator should be trained on its use

c When the crane is not equipped with an operational aid by the manufacturer, it is recommended aftermarket aid be installed.

• At a minimum load cells are recommended.• Other aids based on conditions of used In the event an operational aid fails during crane use,

crane operations may continue if the manufacturer provides alternative safe methods for operation.

10. Air rightsa When working in an area when it is possible to affect

navigable airspace, contact all nearby airports, hospitals, etc to determine what air traffic safety requirements are needed.

b File a permit as requiredc Special requirements may apply such as:• Flagging the boom• Installing light beacons at the crane‚Äôs high points• Height restrictions during operation and crane

downtime11. Leaving the equipment unattendeda The operator shall not leave the controls while the

load is suspended

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MIDDLE EAST56

“ONCE THE LAST LOAD HAS BEEN LIFTED IT IS NOW TIME TO DISASSEMBLE THE CrANE AND rEMOVE IT FrOM THE PrOJECT. COMPETENT AND qUALIFIED PErSONNEL ArE STILL NEEDED ON SITE TO ENSUrE SAFETY CONCErNS ArE MET. DISASSEMBLY MAY NOT BE AS SIMPLE AS DOING THE ASSEMBLY PrOCESS IN rEVErSE. IT’S LIKELY THE SITE HAS CHANGED, ACCESS rOUTES MAY BE DIFFErENT AND THE CONSTrUCTION JOB ITSELF MAY PrESENT NEW OBSTrUCTIONS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. ALL OF THE ITEMS ADDrESSED FOr CrANE DELIVErY AND ASSEMBLY MUST NOW BE CONSIDErED rELATIVE TO THE CHANGED CONDITIONS.”

Future Technology

c Pre-shift inspections recorded in daily crane logd Rigging inspectionse Monthlyf Post incident• Contact electrical lines• Suspected damage to crane7. Work area controla Swing radius protection ‚Äì rotating superstructure

of the crane including counterweight• Erect and maintain control lines, warning lines, railings

or similar barriers to mark the swing radius including counter weight due to hazards of struck by or caught inbetween.

• Where swing radius protection is not feasible, use a dedicated spotter

• Employees who may enter the swing radius shall be trained how to recognise struckby and caught between hazards.

• Communication and co-ordination between operator and personnel who must enter the swing radius shall be maintained.

b Job site security• Post signs to keep unauthorised persons out of the area• Insure equipment is secured at all times from

unauthorised access.c Multiple equipment co-ordination• Where any part of a crane/derrick is within the working

radius of another crane/derrick, the lift director(s) shall institute a system to co-ordinate operations.

d Keeping clear of the load• Avoid swinging loads over personnel (workers,

public, etc), use caution when engaged in hooking, unhooking or guiding a load; engaged in the initial attachment of the load to a component or structure; working with suspended equipment; during specialised operations such as tilt-up, personnel shall not be within the fall zone of the load until it is vertical; and during specialized operations around overhead power lines.

e Considerations for travelling with a suspended load

a Do so only if determined to be safe and legal (manufacturer restrictions, etc.)

b Different load charts may need to be usedc Load may need to be secured during traveld Swing lock and/or other interlocks may need to

be engagede Consider routes of travel and ground conditionsf Additional signalperson assistance may be need8. Power linesa Assume that all power lines are energised unless

the utility owner/operator confirms that the power line has been and continues to be de-energised and visibly grounded at the worksite.

b Whenever there is potential for a crane to contact a power line, contact the utility company and work with them to discuss the following considerations and limitations:

c Eliminate exposure• Have utility de-energise or take down power line• Choose different setup location away from lines• Use different means and methods to avoid exposured Reduce exposure1. Utility company prepares line with safety devices• Insulation wraps• One shot• Install lighter fusee Safe work distances1. Meet with utility company to determine the safe

approach distance to the energised power lines2. Use a dedicated spotter3. Use a visual warning device4. Meet or exceed relevant guidelinesf Communications towers and transmitters• When working near transmitter/communication

towers where the equipment is close enough for an electrical charge to be induced in the equipment or materials being handled, the transmitter shall be de-energised or the following precautions shall be taken when necessary to dissipate induced voltages: the equipment shall be provided with an electrical ground; and an on-conductive rigging or an insulating link/device shall be used

g All personnel on site where a crane has the potential to contact power lines shall know the following:

• Contacting energised power lines is the number one killer during crane operations.

• The importance to the operator‚Äôs safety of remaining

inside the cab except where there is an imminent danger of fire, explosion, or other emergency that necessitates leaving the cab.

• The safest means of evacuating from equipment that may be energised.

• The danger of the potentially energized zone around the equipment, evacuation methods. Do not enter into this zone.

• Safe clearance distance from power lines.• Limitations of insulating link/device, proximity alarms

and range controls if used.• Procedures to follow for properly grounding of

equipment and grounding limitations.• Dedicated spotters must be trained to effectively

perform their task. This includes training.• Travelling the crane within the site.9. Operational aidsa Operational aids may include, but are not limited to

the following:• Load moment indicator/load cell• Anti-two block• Load radius• Proximity alarmsb When crane is equipped with an operational aid, it must

be functional and the operator should be trained on its use

c When the crane is not equipped with an operational aid by the manufacturer, it is recommended aftermarket aid be installed.

• At a minimum load cells are recommended.• Other aids based on conditions of used In the event an operational aid fails during crane use,

crane operations may continue if the manufacturer provides alternative safe methods for operation.

10. Air rightsa When working in an area when it is possible to affect

navigable airspace, contact all nearby airports, hospitals, etc to determine what air traffic safety requirements are needed.

b File a permit as requiredc Special requirements may apply such as:• Flagging the boom• Installing light beacons at the crane‚Äôs high points• Height restrictions during operation and crane

downtime11. Leaving the equipment unattendeda The operator shall not leave the controls while the

load is suspended

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• This does not apply to below the hook rigging devices.• There are provisions in ANSI B30.5 that allow operators

to leave the controls of a crane with a load suspended provided that special circumstances are involved and special safety precautions are met.

• Secure the equipment when unattended against unauthorized use/entry

• Weather considerations (high winds, lightning, etc)12. Weather and environmental conditionsa Crane operations shall be stopped due to adverse

conditions, such as:• Excessive wind velocity or gusting• Fog and visibility issues• Lightning and storms• Changing soil conditions• Heavy rains13. Written critical lift plan - exceeds 75% of maximum

capacity or two or more cranes (or powered units) for a pick or per other agreed upon conditions

• Documented pre-lift meeting with all involved parties• Calculations of load, rigging and line weights• Description of crane activity• Diagram of load path• Diagram of rigging configuration.• Copy of crane chart• Prior to lift, field verifications of documented plan

(measurements, clearances, rigging, etc)• Signatures of persons involved14. Engineered lift plana Requirements for certain liftsb Owner required on certain projectsc Signed, stamped lift plan

Hoisting anD riggingIf a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, then a hoisted load is only as good as how it is rigged. This depends on the rigger being qualified, and the load being rigged correctly with the proper rigging components. Hoisting and rigging concerns are just as important as the crane itself; consider:

1. rigging equipmenta Selecting appropriate rigging• A qualified person designated by the lift director

selects rigging equipment. It is recommended that qualifications are verified through testing.

b Load considerations• Weight• Dimensions• Centre of gravity/load transfer• Table forms• Large equipment landed into receiving floors• Sharp corners• Manufacturer structural considerations and designed

pick points• Suspended personnel platform use• rigging must have no other duties than manbasket

suspension.c Environmental considerations• Thermal exposures• Moisture/corrosion• Chemicald Inspection of equipment• qualified rigger(s) performing inspections• Visual means of manufacturer and capacity

identification

• Consider quality and reliability of manufacturer• Initial, frequent and periodic inspections• Periodic inspections require documentation; other

inspections should be documented as needed.• qualified rigger shall remove any defective equipment

from service. It is recommended that the defective equipment be rendered unusable.

e Storage and care• Weather and environmental exposures• Damage from loads and equipment• Chemicals, welding UV and slag, open flamef Suitability and compatibility of rigging pieces• Engineered below the hook lifting devices

(documentation available)1. Spreader bars, plate clamps, barrier tongs, etc.2. rigging practices• A qualified person designated by lift director

oversees rigging activities. It is recommended that qualifications are verified through testing.

• All riggers selected by qualified rigger outlined above• Inspect rigging equipment before and after the lift• Determine appropriate rigging configurations1. Hitches to be used2. Hardware (shackles, hooks, etc)3. rigger reference materials on site (cards, charts,

graphs, etc.)4. Use of softeners to protect against damage and secure

them properly.5. Proper PPE and access to rigging points (ie fall

protection)6. Ensure that the load is properly rigged and balanced

before it is lifted and afterv lifting the load a few inches

7. Special rigging considerations have been met (braces for tilt-up panels, guy wires, etc)

• removal of rigging considerations• Proper PPE and access to rigging points• Ensure load is secure before removing rigging

(dunnage, etc)• Ensure rigging is free from being snagged (by persons

or equipment) while unhooking the load and while the crane flies it clear of load and equipment.

• Secure softeners and other loose equipment that could fall while flying rigging.

De-mobiLisationOnce the last load has been lifted it is now time to disassemble the crane and remove it from the project. Competent and qualified personnel are still needed on site to ensure safety concerns are met. Disassembly may not be as simple as doing the assembly process in reverse. It is likely the site has changed, access routes may be different and the construction job itself may present new obstructions to take into account. All of the items addressed for crane delivery and assembly must now be considered relative to the changed conditions.

1. Free and clear disassembly area for type, size and dimensions of crane

• Controlled access to the disassembly area.• Site restrictions for disassembly affected by

constructed structure/building (utilities, tunnels, chases, etc)

• Clearances for both height and width• Proper clearance from power lines• Turn radii for freight truck and/or mobile crane

• Lane closures or street construction• Grade and slope of access road/ramps2. Designated competent and qualified person(s)

supervising disassembly3. Additional equipment considerationsa Assist cranes, aerial lifts, lighting, ladders, etc.• Disassembly crew pre-task JHA4. Dismantle per manufacturer’s recommendations and/

or disassembly superviso’s procedures• Consider things such as sequence of disassembly,

laying down boom, boom pin removal, removal of jib, counterweight removal, etc.

• Consider hazards during removal such as fall protection, struck by hazards, caught between, electrical, etc.

5. Pre-trip inspection to ensure loads are secured and equipment is safe for travel

• Consider oversized loads, secured hooks, blocks, tools, etc.

• Consider travel route and public exposures

insurance coverage, HoLD HarmLess anD inDemnitySound advice must be sought to address the various legal and liability concerns related to cranes. rely on the expertise of your insurance company and broker (as well as consultants, industry experts, among others), to guide you through the many concerns and issues that must be addressed.

1. Establish proper coverage and policy types based on counsel with insurance company/broker and legal, minimum limits and transfer of risk that is consensual to all affected parties

• Consider if cranes are self-owned, bare-rental, or owned and operated by another party

• Consider what parties are rigging loads and directing lifts

• Consider value of loads that will be lifted• Controlled insurance program requirements• Contract requirements2. Use of written contracts and/or lease agreements with

terms and conditions• One contractor’s crane lifting another contractor’s

load, etc.• Allowance for change of condition work stoppage.

The AGC Colorado Crane Task Force, who prepared this document, was founded not only to separate out the best safety information from current documents that specifically affects the construction industry, but to fill in the voids of lacking crane safety information to provide AGC members with the most comprehensive, industry specific crane safety information possible. This document is a listing of suggested best practices for the use of mobile cranes within the construction industry. Although some of the language mirrors US regulatory requirements such as OSHA standards, this is not intended to be a compliance document. This document may reference best practices above and beyond regulatory compliance.

December 2011

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST58

What’s in store for 2012?

IHS singles out the Saudi market for growth next

year. Tsunamis, floods, economic traumas - it’s

been a tumultuous 12 months for construction

machinery manufacturers in 2011. The good

news is that the industry can look forward to a year

of growth. The bad news is that it is not going to be

as good as everyone had hope for.

The US and Eurozone will continue to stutter

but construction machinery manufacturers

should have a good year in Saudi Arabia,

according to the latest IHS Global Construction

Outlook report

The report is one of the first to take into

account the sovereign debt crisis in Europe

and analyst concerns over the US’ economic

performance in the second half of 2011. Looking

ahead over the coming 12 months, IHS Global

Insight revised its own forecast of 6.2% growth,

lowering it to 4.9%.

IHS warned: “Concern over sovereign debt

is expected to lead to a mild recession in the

Eurozone, and the US economy continues to fail

to gain significant traction.”

Unsurprisingly Spain, Portugal, Greece,

Ireland and Italy are expected to see reduced

construction spending as they put a squeeze

on spending. More surprisingly, China will not

be above the disruption in the global economy

and its own growth will slow. Looking at their

prominence at Big5 in November, it is clear

that Chinese manufacturers are serious about

exploring opportunities in foreign markets to

compensate for losses at home.

According to the annual global enterprise

survey by Institute of Chartered Accountants in

England and Wales (ICAEW) three-quarters of

businesses in the GCC expect turnover growth

over the next 12 months, making the region

second only to Africa in terms of optimism over its

short-term prospects.

The economies in the Gulf countries have

been able to ride out much of the trauma of the

downturn because of aggressive government

spending. 2011 was the year of infrastructure

and residential spending in the region and IHS

makes a special point to single out Saudi Arabia’s

programme of investment which will continue

beyond 2012.

IHS predicted increased “investments in

infrastructure and housing, coupled with higher

oil prices, would drive spending next year”.

With Qatar expected to also roll-out tenders for

the World Cup 2022 towards the end of next year,

the construction machinery sector in the region

can afford to look ahead with optimism.

The Last Word

As we look forward to the

new year, let’s take stock

and catch our breath!

Construction Machinery Middle East

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