Built to last

Sustainability is the new buzzword among the Middle East’s construction sector. Maccaferi’s Romani Ibrahim and Gannett Fleming’ Sheldon Kauffman discuss whether the can the region respond to the typical challenges posed by such a shift in attitudes and practices.

Does the Middle East offer any particular or unique challenges in terms of its construction equipment performance requirements? How is your firm addressing these needs?

Romani Ibrahim. With sustainability and using existing resources more efficiently, we see growth in the need for trying to reduce truck movements. Increasingly, there are solutions that enable the end user to consider re-using site-worn materials, or reducing the amount of imported construction materials. For example, we do this through the use of geogrids that reinforce existing soils, making them perform better than an un-reinforced soil. Also, a gabion retaining structure filled with appropriately sized crushed concrete demolition waste can dramatically reduce truck movements and imported tonnages of materials. Delivery of flat-packed gabion products can then be carried out by smaller, lighter vehicles.

How do you see technology driving the construction sector in the Middle East? Have there been any particular developments or improvements recently that you see having an impact on the sector?

Sheldon S. Kauffman. With the growth rate projected across the Middle East in the next 20 years, integrated planning models with real-time information are absolutely critical. In addition, traditional execution planning, which lays out a master plan then addresses each project separately, is no longer sufficient.

Gannett Fleming is very active in geospatial information services (GIS). The future of GIS goes far beyond mapping. It will include full infrastructure development planning and execution management.

An owner should be able to follow a project from the strategic plan, through cross-ministry coordination, to conceptual design, contracting, permitting, construction, and operation. As the technologies develop, I think you'll see the integration of separate aspects of project development into a single interface that pulls in detailed information from previously disparate software packages in real-time. Eventually this will include everything from geotechnical and planning studies to Building Information Modelling, remote construction monitoring, and facilities management. We see all of these capabilities developing now; full integration is just around the corner.

RI. It is perceived that environmental consciousness costs a lot, but technology can drive the construction sector in the Middle East by means of improvements in material quality, information technology and project management; reducing the environmental impact but with lesser financial burden.

There can be a balance between functionality, commerce and the environment, but we believe in the long run that the environment is the most critical. Currently, technological advances in the Middle East have been focusing on structural engineering projects in commercial and residential properties (buildings). Thus far, there has not been much development in the way we construct or use products differently in infrastructure/civil engineering applications to reduce environmental impact. The reliance on traditional solutions and use of natural resources especially within concrete is still very high and can be reduced with a little thought from the designer community. For example, why build a concrete retaining wall when we could do it with other techniques and products that are more environmentally friendly, utilising recycled materials or site-won fills where possible?

This is technology that is available today that is not yet being embraced by the engineering community fully. An impetus from clients is required in order to refocus project teams away from the 'easy' traditional options.

Sustainability is an increasingly important consideration in construction around the MENA region, seen through the increase of LEED practices and the introduction of other assessments, such as BREAM. What impact have you seen this trend have on the construction business?

RI. The LEED/BREAM practises and the Estidama Pearls Rating System in UAE are necessary and increasingly common tools to help improve the way we procure our built environment. Maccaferri's focus is on the reuse and recycling of materials within infrastructure construction. The impact of excavation and transportation of materials has an environmental cost and people are starting to listen and understand that it is everyone's responsibility. Our starting point is: How can we do this better by reusing what we already have in the vicinity? For example, with pavement construction or soil reinforcement, it is just not credible to expect one type of product - Geogrid, reinforced fibre, or even any traditional method utilising natural resources - to perform equally well with each soil type.

Therefore, by offering a large range of products, we open opportunity for solutions rather than just the commercially-driven turnover. Hence, we are trying to customise a solution specific to the clients' prevailing conditions, and this is where we are finding a local engineering knowledge of site conditions is important. In response to the market, we are exploring the use of more recycled materials within our products before and after use, to reduce the environmental impact. A result of this is that we can now offer gabions and rockfall netting made from recycled steel.

SK. Not long ago it seemed that everyone was excited about sustainable development. While progress continues on showcase projects, such as Masdar Village, the emphasis on green practises has declined since the economic downturn. I believe this is temporary and can be attributed to two key factors. First, green development takes more time than the current pace of development allows. Each step toward green building design has more consequences that need to be analysed and resolved.

Secondly, going green often requires a greater initial investment than conventional construction. Currently, some of the construction supply lines are not yet in place to support green building to the level necessary. The demand for water, transportation, and better housing are great and immediate across the region. Even in places like Abu Dhabi, with well-planned growth, pressure for better, faster results is mounting. When timelines and budgets are tight, the tendency is to meet the need first and 'green it up' later. I believe once the market improves and the most pressing concerns are met, we will see a renewed and long-lasting emphasis on sustainable practises.

What are the key opportunities on the horizon over the next 12 months for the construction sector? How are you planning on taking advantage of these opportunities?

RI. Amid all the current expansion in private developments, the region needs improvements in public infrastructure and we will continue our focus on this sector. Rail in particular can be a sustainable method of transportation. The geotechnical challenges are likely to be interesting. We believe best value comes from early involvement of the supply chain to build early trust and share solution innovation, ultimately reducing whole life project environmental and commercial costs. For example, the use of highway reinforcement products can reduce construction depth and increase fatigue life.

Another is the use of lower embodied energy products in construction over void/abandoned mine shafts as well as very weak formations. Bringing responsible manufacturers and suppliers to the table late in the project procurement cycle leaves little room for value engineering or product innovation. We see company growth in the Emirates in 2010 to increase our local presence in order to enhance our offering of robust, good value solutions to the market.

SK. The demand for more interconnected cities, more clean water, and more energy to power an ever-increasing number of homes and businesses will drive the market during the next year. The economic downturn served to temper much of the thirst for extravagance and one-upmanship that previously defined the market. What we are seeing now is a more thoughtful focus on practical solutions. Water conservation, relieving traffic congestion to improve safety, and a very serious look at quality assurance and consistent building codes are the new priority.

Gannett Fleming offers a variety of technology solutions to help national and municipal ministries effectively manage this type of smart growth to ensure the vision of the region's leaders is carried through to completion. Our commitment to the MENA region and extensive experience around the world in niche services such as intelligent transportation systems, traffic management, transit facilities, water and wastewater treatment, and leadership in sustainable design for everything from LEED-certified buildings to green highways, will help us to meet our client's needs now and far into the future.

Sheldon S. Kauffman serves as International Development Director with Gannett Fleming, Inc. He develops and implements the corporate business plan for all international activity. A retired US military engineer officer, Kauffman holds a bachelor of science in nuclear engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master of science from Drexel University.

Romani Ibrahim is the Regional Managing Director for Maccaferri Middle East, based in Abu Dhabi. Upon completion of academic qualifications in UK, he worked in the fields of geotechnical/environmental solutions to the construction markets in UK, Middle East, S.E. Asia and Africa. He has been a specialist in Geosynthetics and their use in engineering applications for over 10 years.

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Building standards

From 1st January, Abu Dhabi made sustainability in construction compulsory with new building codes and regulations, which set a minimum standard for all the elements involved in project delivery, from the design of new building to the way redundant structures are demolished. The code is a turning point for the Gulf green building movement. An entire economy will have to adhere to internationally-defined standards of sustainability by law. Abu Dhabi's projects are only part of what is being built in the region. But they constitute one of its largest components.

The rest of the Gulf lags behind Abu Dhabi, but is trying to catch up: Dubai is working on a building code that will incorporate demanding green building standards, while the Qatar Sustainable Assessment System was launched in April 2009 and the Saudi Green Building Council has been formed to promote sustainability in construction.

[Source: cmguide.org]