Metro Dubai

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Construction WEEK An ITP Business Publication

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09/09/09

SOUVENIR GUIDE TO THE MAKING OF DUBAI METRO

A SUPPLEMENT OF

CONTENTS 4

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25 40 MEP We take a look at how keeping the Metro cool was one of the biggest challenges.

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45 PMV Some of the biggest machines in the world were used to build the Metro. We took a tour.

UP FRONT 3 INTRODUCTION 4 LAUNCH DAY Exclusive news and pictures from the launch of the Dubai Metro on 09/09/09. 9 INTERVIEW Construction Week interviews construction adhesive specialist Mapei, on its work for the Metro. 12 OVERVIEW All you need to know about Dubai Metro - the longest fully automated rail in the Middle East.

EXTERIOR

14 ARCHITECTURE A look into the creative ideas and reasons why the Metro looks the way it does.

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20 PLANNING What the Metro could mean for Dubai and its future, and what the experts have planned.

INTERIOR

50 FIT OUT Designer John Carolan talks about the trials and tribulations of working on the Metro.

25 CONSTRUCTION A look at the clever engineering techniques that went into building the Middle East’s first Metro.

56 FM Now built, maintaining this monster of a Metro system will be the next challenge. We ask how?

30 MATERIALS The use of smart materials is how the Metro was finished on time. Mapei reveals the truth.

61 WHO DID WHAT Many companies were involved in building the Metro. We round up a few to get their thoughts.

35 BUILDING Construction Week gets on site at Dubai Metro a year from its first revenue service.

64 COMPANY INDEX A detailed view of which companies did what on the Dubai Metro project.

DUBAI METRO SOUVENIR GUIDE CONSTRUCTION WEEK

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FOREWORD

A SUPPLEMENT OF

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TRACK TIME Dubai has finally built its own metro – yet another first for this extraordinary city. Dubai is not a stranger to leading the way, and some say it’s been done so often that the novelty of it has been lost. But the great can always be distinguished from the not-so-great and Dubai Metro is up there, at par, with the Burj Dubai and other iconic structures that we’ve seen this city build over the years. As you watch the ultra modern train glide past the iconic Dubai World Trade Centre - one of the first tall towers to be built in the region, you can’t help but smile in wonder at how far this little seaside port-town has come. It usally takes a lifetime to see such a stark contrast between the old and the new; this city has done it in just over a decade. I was lucky enough to be among the first few to ride the new Red Line at the Metro launch a fortnight ago. The trains are good and the stations are what you’d imagine a Dubai Government project to be - spacious, shiny and glamorous (yes, they even have chandeliers). The launch of the Metro brought with it the start of a new era - one that will see Dubai transform into a global city, becoming more cosmopolitan than it has ever been. In this little souvenir book, Construction Week captures the entire development of the metro from the time it was announced, to the recent launch on 09/09/09, while highlighting those ‘Kodak moments’ that this country and the world will always cherish. It is a memory that will remain with each of us, most of whom have watched the Metro being built, and now are standing tall in appreciation of what has become the region’s biggest infrastructural achievement to date. Congratulations Dubai.

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LAUNCH

ALL SYSTEMS GO THE LAUNCH OF THE DUBAI METRO COULD HERALD A NEW ERA FOR THE CITY AS PEOPLE FIND A NEW WAY TO MOVE AROUND

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LAUNCH1

1. On board the first trip with Dubai Metro

he Dubai Metro was officially opened by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, on 09/09/09. “There were great hands that worked and built; minds that created and planned and a will of determination and support that made this possible...the Metro shows Dubai’s ability of progress and renewal itself and we are pleased to be pioneers in our region,” said RTA chairman Mattar Al Tayer. Sheikh Mohammed pushed the button at nine minutes past 9pm to officially open the metro system at a ceremony at the Mall of the Emirates Station before joining other VIPs on the first journey to Rashidiya Station. “We love challenges, and we like to rise to challenges, and we like to beat challenges,” said Sheikh Mohammed. His Highness also made use of new media in order to spread praise about the success of the Metro, send-

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ing a message via microblogging service Twitter: “Well done to the RTA team for a smooth and successful launch”. He also added “It was great to see all the excitement and jubilation at the launch of the Dubai Metro yesterday (launch day) evening.” Mattar Al Tayer also confirmed at the opening of the launch that the UAE was investigating the possibility of an inter-emirate metro When asked if the Dubai Metro would link up the cities of Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, Al Tayer said that it was a federal issue that was being planned. “Transport between the emirates is a federal issue. A separate authority has been set up to look into ways of connecting all the

80% OF THE METRO LINE IS ELEVATED, MOSTLY RUNNING ALONG SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD

emirates. We already have an inter-city bus network along with a taxi service. The metro between the emirates could be of another type in terms of technology, and could be of a higher speed,” he revealed. He also stressed that the Dubai Metro has been built to serve Dubai as a community and has focused on the city of Dubai. One of the main reasons the RTA decided to build the Dubai Metro, was to tackle traffic problems within the city, which was mainly between the emirates of Sharjah and Dubai. “We have enough parking spaces on both borders of Dubai,” Al Tayer said. “We have a 3000-space parking lot at the Nakheel Harbour station so that people coming in from Abu Dhabi can park their cars and use Dubai Metro to visit the city. Similarly, we have 8700 parking spaces on the Sharjah side so this should reduce traffic within the city tremendously.” According to him the metro is expected to take 17% of traffic off the roads in Dubai, while the bus system will take 13%.

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LAUNCH 2

2. HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at the Metro opening. 3. VIPs arriving at Mall of the Emirates station. 4.RTA holds a press conference at the Al Rashidiya station.

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5. Dubai Metro opened on 09/09/09. 6. Some of the first riders enjoy their trip. 7. Preparing to depart. 8. VIPs explore the stations. 9. Taking a closer look at the hi-tech ticket machines.

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LAUNCH

10. Celebrations at Mall of the Emirates station at the launch. 11

11. Even when busy, there is ample room to stand in a Metro carriage. 12. HH Sheikh Mohammed was the first to ride on the Metro.

10 13. The launch was a hugely popular media event.

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14. Dramatic views of the Kempinski Hotel by Mall of the Emirates station.

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15. The Metro provides a whole new way of getting across Dubai. 16. Ten stations opened at the official launch, with a further 19 to come in 2010.

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DUBAI METRO SOUVENIR GUIDE CONSTRUCTION WEEK

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MIDDLE EAST

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INTERVIEW

METRO MAESTROS CONSTRUCTION ADHESIVES AND CHEMICALS SPECIALIST IBS MAPEI PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN ENSURING THE DUBAI METRO WAS DELIVERED ON TIME. IBS MAPEI BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER LAITH HABOUBI AND COMMERCIAL MANAGER NAHEED YOUNIS TALK ABOUT THE COMPANY AND WHAT THE METRO MEANS TO THEM

What is the background of the company? LH: The company is now over 72 years old. It was formed in 1937 by Rodolfo Squinzi, the father of our current chairman, Dr. Georgio Squinzi. They started as a small specialist manufacturer of paints and finishes on the outskirts of Milan, and now Mapei is the largest construction adhesive manufacturer in the world. How has the company been affected by the economic changes we’ve seen over the last year? LH: Obviously the market’s changed tremendously. However, we plan for the long term. There’s a lot of sustainability in our business plans and in the structure we operate. We’re growing at a sustainable rate and because of that we’ve been able to weather the situation, maybe better than others. NY: We are keeping a close eye on how the market is

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“THE AMOUNT OF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE THAT WENT INTO [THE METRO] WAS QUITE TREMENDOUS” DUBAI METRO SOUVENIR GUIDE CONSTRUCTION WEEK

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INTERVIEW was a relatively new type of product. The amount of site assistance and technical support required from us was significant. The team was often required to work pretty much around the clock; inspecting the substrate and its preparation, the correct installation of the screed itself, troubleshooting where there were any issues, testing and advising on the installation of the tiles themselves by providing technical advice on selecting and using the most appropriate adhesives (we actually had the selected tiles tested and classified by our R&D laboratories in Italy to ensure the correct adhesive was used). We even assisted with the apparatus to make sure that moisture contents were checked on site technically. It wasn’t just about using quoted data sheets performance, we also did physical checks as well to make sure that it was a perfect

growing and we are ready to react appropriately once we see improvement. How significant is the UAE office to the company as a whole? LH: We get an enormous amount of support. Mapei sees this region as a place for long term growth; it doesn’t have over ambitious targets or expectations unlike a lot of other companies, who’ve coat-tailed on what’s been happening. We’ve always been relatively slow and steady, and very long term because Mapei will ultimately be one of the market leaders here and to do that you need all your solid building blocks in place. How did IBS Mapei’s products help with the construction of the Dubai Metro? NY: The amount of technical expertise that went into that was quite tremendous. This was one of the first projects of its type that used rapidsetting screed. They’re quite usual in Europe but here it

1. Naheed Younis said the team worked round the clock to ensure on-time delivery of the project.

“WE GET AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF SUPPORT. THIS REGION IS A PLACE FOR LONG TERM GROWTH”

2. Laith Haboubi said the metro is among the first projects in the region to use its rapid setting screed. 2 10

CONSTRUCTION WEEK DUBAI METRO SOUVENIR GUIDE

installation. This was a job where there could be no failures. What does it mean for you to have worked on Dubai Metro? LH: It was unique, in that, it heavily utilised materials and techniques that haven’t been used here before, and therefore Mapei was one of the few companies with the experience and product range that could provide solutions that would fit in exactly with those types of construction, without compromising on quality or time. It’s a perfect project for us. We’re very proud to have been associated with it.

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FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

OUR CITY, OUR METRO THE DUBAI METRO IS THE FIRST PROJECT OF ITS KIND IN THE REGION. SO WHAT EXACTLY IS IT THAT MAKES UP THE METRO?

27,000 PASSENGERS PER HOUR, ESTIMATED TO USE THE DUBAI METRO ONCE FULLY OPERATIONAL

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OVERVIEW t seems a very long time ago that the first tenders for the Dubai Metro were issued . However, even as far back as July 2004, when six contenders were shortlisted for the contract, the RTA insisted that the project would be ready in 2009. And of course, on September 9, the Dubai Rail Link (Durl) consortium of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation, Obayashi Corporation, Kajima Corporation and Yapi Merkezi delivered on that promise. Dubai Metro is the Gulf’s first metro project. The Red Line, stretching 52.1km from Jebel Ali Free Zone in the south of the emirate, to Rashidiya in the north, will be joined next year by the Green Line. This will bring the total amount of track up to 74.6km, making the Dubai Metro the longest automated metro network service in the world. Ten stations on the Red Line opened on the Metro’s first day of operation, and by February 2010 the remaining 19 stations are expected to be open as well. Supporting the Metro is a network of feeder buses and the next few years may also see an additional two lines added to the present two. The first stations to open to the public were Rashidiya, Airport Terminal 3, Deira City Center, Al Rigga, Un-

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ion, Khalid bin Al Waleed, Al Jafiliya, DIFC, Mall of the Emirates and Nakheel Harbour and Tower. Dubai Metro has a variety of station types: at-grade, elevated Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3, underground stations and underground transfer stations. Type 1 are regular at-grade concourse stations, Type 2 are regular elevated concourse stations, and Type 3 are elevated special track stations with an

74.6KM TOTAL AMOUNT OF TRACK, MAKING THE DUBAI METRO THE LONGEST AUTOMATED METRO NETWORK IN THE WORLD

extra track to hold a non operational train. The cost of the first urban rail system on the Arabian Peninsula has soared 80% to US $7.6 billion (AED28 billion) from its original budget of $4.2 billion. Among the reasons for the jump in costs were two extensions of the Green Line, which included five stations and a depot, two stations on the Red Line and a reworked design of all stations and their footbridges.

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ARCHITECTURE 1

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ARCHITECTURE

DUBAI STATION ARCHITECTURE CREATING A DISTINCT LOOK FOR THE STATIONS MEANS THAT DUBAI METRO CERTAINLY STANDS OUT AGAINST THE REST, IN A UNIQUE BLEND OF STYLE AND SUBSTANCE

rior to the economic downturn, Dubai was one of the fastest growing cities in the world and even post-credit crunch, the level of intrigue and mystery surrounding the success and future direction of this hub of Middle Eastern architecture remains prevalent. One of the projects leading that intrigue is the recently launched

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Dubai Metro. The project represents the world’s longest fully-automated driverless train and displays the engineering prowess and architectural brilliance of a consortium of companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation, Obayashi Corporation and Kajima Corporation, Yapi Merkezi, Atkins and sub-consultant Aedas. The combination of a rapidly-

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ARCHITECTURE

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1.The visually distinctive exterior station design. 2. Dubai’s history with pearl diving inspired the design of the stations. 3 and 4. The interior space mimics the smooth lustre of the station exterior.

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growing population—expected to reach three million by 2017—and severe traffic congestion necessitated the building of an urban rail system to provide additional public transportation capacity, relieve motor traffic, and provide infrastructure for additional development. Architectural design of the stations The architectural designs of the stations represent a response to a very simple

set of requirements from the JT Metro joint venture (JTMJV). The JTMJV required the station architecture to incorporate “an aesthetic, form and external appearance which is unique, innovative, iconic and reflective of Dubai’s identity and character.” The strength of the design hinges on the culturally-inspired forms of the stations and their collective response to the extreme climatic conditions of the city. The unique

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shell-shaped roof—while both modern and iconic— invokes Dubai’s early history with pearl diving. Requiring skill and bravery, pearl diving brought early prosperity to the emirate and is thus an integral part of the history of the city and an appropriate form to mimic in the architecture of the stations. Much like the pearls that inspired their forms, the metro stations aim to be a collection of modern day gems, enhancing the cul-

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ARCHITECTURE

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“WE ALSO LOOKED AT A SUN PATH ANALYSIS FOR EACH OF THE BRIDGES TO ASSESS THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE PROPOSED ALUMINIUM SUN SHADE LOUVERS.” Adrian Lindon, Atkins

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ture and business of Dubai by providing an efficient transport system. While this cultural reference is aesthetically appealing and appropriate for its context, the shell-like roofs are purposefully conceived for

US $ 7.6 BILLION OVERALL COST OF THE DUBAI METRO

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both aesthetic and functional superiority. The roofs, which rest lightly on support structures, boast elegance and technical prowess and offer attractive covering to the public areas of the station. Perhaps most importantly, the external beauty of the shell is similarly activated inside the public space, where the inner surface creates a wonderfully smooth and lustrous enclosure that is reminiscent of the original pearl inspiration.

The smooth inner shell avoids the visual complexity and industrial appearance commonly used in elevated metro stations. Nevertheless, the shell structure remains an efficient means of creating one long span large volume space void of internal columns or supporting structure. Moreover, the curved double skin cladding provides and environmentally friendly means of cooling the roof, using solar assisted natural ventilation techniques.

5 to 7. From its conception, Dubai Metro was designed to acheive both aesthetic and functional superiority.

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ARCHITECTURE

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8. The Carbon Critical team worked to make the walkways energy efficient.

9. Double-skin cladding means ecofriendly stations, inside and out.

FACTS ABOUT THE FOOTBRIDGES • The Dubai Metro has over 4km of footbridges linking the above-ground stations with entrance pods up to 400m away. • Footbridges over 40m in length contain two travelators and are 7.8m wide, whilst the narrow bridges are 4.2m wide. The maximum bridge span is 45m in length. • The footbridges have been designed to minimise solar gain within the bridge, and therefore reduce the running costs and the impact on the environment. • The double glazing within the façade is argon filled to provide optimum performance in the extreme heat of Dubai’s summer. The first bridge was successfully launched in August 2008. • Atkins was responsible for the entire design of the footbridges including site support to the JV contractor during final installation.

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Footbridges Designed by global architecture and engineering consultancy Atkins, the 4km of footbridges that allow users to reach the stations and platforms are equipped with ‘travelators’ or automatically moving walkways. Working closely with Atkins Dubai’s Carbon Critical Design team, lead architect Adrian Lindon oversaw the design of the footbridges, which stand 5.5m high, 7.8m wide and 4km long. In an effort to make the footbridges as eco-friendly as possible, Lindon sought to reduce the amount of glass and increase the amount of insulation. By implementing these changes, the Atkins team saved just over 500m³ of aluminium and it’s estimated that peak cooling load was reduced by around 35% when compared to the original design. The reduction in the amount of aluminium

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saved—approximately 12,900t(CO 2 -e)—allowed the team to save as much CO2 as that produced by 29,000MW/h of electricity in Dubai, which is the equivalent of running seven hundred 50m long travelators at 10 hours a day for a year or 500 microwaves on full for five and a half years. “This is a great achievement and stands as another excellent example of how Atkins is working hard to address Carbon Critical Design Issues,” concludes Lindon.

47 NUMBER OF STATIONS GLOBAL ARCHITECTS ATKINS AND AEDAS DESIGNED FOR THE RED & GREEN LINES

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Inspired design > With our experts in rail transport solutions, there’s a lot more to Atkins than just our iconic buildings.

Atkins is the lead consultant providing detailed design services to Japan-Turkey Metro Joint Venture (JTMJV) for the Red and Green Lines of the Dubai Metro. Our work for the stations, tunnels, viaducts, depots, footbridges, entrance pods, car parks includes: Architecture Civil Engineering Structural Engineering Mechanical Engineering Electrical Engineering

For more information please visit us at:

Plan Design Enable

www.atkins-me.com

PLANNING

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CONSTRUCTION WEEK DUBAI METRO SOUVENIR GUIDE

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PLANNING1

TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT THE LAUNCH OF DUBAI METRO COULD HERALD A NEW ERA FOR THE CITY AS IT DEVELOPS AROUND A NEW MODE OF TRANSPORT ubai is at a critical moment in its history as far as urban planning is concerned. Over the long term the city’s population is expected to grow larger, as well as be boosted by a seasonal tourist influx. As Dubai strives to become a city greater than the sum of its parts one of the key issues for urban planners, is the movement of people in the city. Overlooking for a moment the many exciting developments in the works, one simple question remains: how will all these people get around in the greater Dubai?

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PLANNING

“EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT US THAT BUILDING ROADS ALONE DOESN’T SOLVE CONGESTION PROBLEMS”

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The road map At a traffic conference a few years ago, Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), outlined the measures that are being taken to create a ‘21st century state of the art transportation system’ for Dubai to cope with the increased demand. “We are presently working on road projects with a total budget of US $2.5 bil-

1. Dubai Metro is the longest fully automated metro system in the world. 2. Dubai Metro’s Red Line runs along Sheikh Zayed Road.

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40% METRO TRIPS WILL BE NEW

lion,” he said. “To give you an example of the volume of work, we have increased the number of lanes across Dubai Creek from 19 in 2006 to 40 in 2007, and this will reach 100 in 2020.” But, of course, as he went on to admit, creating extra roads will only go so far to solving Dubai’s traffic woes. “Experience has taught us that building roads alone doesn’t solve congestion problems. Transport must be planned and operated as a complete system with integrated modes of transportation such as bus, rail and water transport,” he said. In a further bid to encourage people to swap their cars for alternative methods of transport, the existing bus network is set to be

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extended to a total length of 3000km, and tram lines are also under study. Dubai’s marine network of water buses is also growing in strength. These measures will be necessary. As soon as a city grows over a certain size and activity, it cannot be sustained by purely car based private transport. Experts put the crossover point at over a million. A natural progress in the cycle of a city’s growth is evolution. Introducing extra transportation methods is clearly a good start, but the real challenge may prove to be convincing people to use them, especially during the hotter months in the year when people may be more reluctant to leave the air-

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PLANNING

3. Dubai Metro stations are being built all over the city.

TOD

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conditioned comfort of their own cars. This is in fact one of the major challenges in creating an effective transport system, points out Professor Erik Ferguson, of the Institute of Urban Planning and Design at the American University of Sharjah. Short-term measures such as additional parking, for example, will help to alleviate the problem of heavy traffic, but over the longer term, these don’t really help in promoting other methods of transportation, he says. “If you increase the parking supply in order to deal with this traffic problem, then you also make it more convenient for people to use their automobiles and less likely to switch to these

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new transit systems. So you are sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Do you maintain a tight supply of parking in order to make these new rail systems more attractive?” he asks. Steps being taken by the authorities to encourage people to switch from private to public transport include installing air-conditioned bus shelters. Shared responsibility With the large-scale communities being created in Dubai, the responsibility to move people is no longer just that of the transport authorities, but also of the developers, and consequently, of the masterplanners. Planning of urban spaces is now a shared responsibility.

One development approach that is starting to take off in the region is Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). TOD is ‘the creation of compact, walkable communities centred around high quality transit systems, enabling a high quality lifestyle without complete dependence on a car for mobility. TOD is fairly well established in cities in Europe and North America, but it is a relatively new concept in the Gulf. Dubai has the opportunity to take it to a larger scale because of the ability to execute projects more quickly, with capital investment. A lot of new areas are being developed so the opportunities here for TOD are fairly large, but the authorities and developers need to understand and make conscious decisions to plan communities in that way. Benefits of TOD are not merely limited to making a city less car-reliant and more walkable, but also help reduce pollution and energy usage, according to experts. Whether TOD is adopted or not, as the pace of development in Dubai accelerates, the next few years look set to be critical in terms of the placement of different activities and connections between them. The great planning challenge over the next decade or so will be uniting the individual elements of Dubai. This is what will help it become a city greater than the sum of its parts.

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CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE CLEVER ENGINEERING TECHNIQUES THROUGH USING PRECAST CONCRETE AND POST-TENSIONING HELPED ENSURE THAT DUBAI METRO WAS DELIVERED ON TIME. CONTRACTORS ON THE PROJECT EXPLAIN HOW

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ith Dubai’s traffic reaching nightmarish proportions coupled with a growing population, the city’s metro or Light Rail Transit (LRT) project could not be built fast enough. As such, the pace of construction was rapid.

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A joint venture between VSL Middle East and Rizzani de Eccher was awarded the construction contract for superstructure for the Red and Green lines – the largest LRT project undertaken in a single contract. The total project constituted almost 70km of viaduct with 47km on the Red line and 17.6km on the Green line.

Erection works for the Red line commenced in March 2007 and were completed in August 2008 – a total of 18 months. “It’s gone remarkably well to be honest,” says VSL’s deputy general manager Stephen Burke. “It was delivered ahead of time and it was a sweet job from A-Z. It was well

1. The project is the longest rail link in the world to built from scratch.

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12,306 2. The track has been built through already exisiting infrastructure, which has been one of the biggest challenges.

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PRECAST SEGMENTS NEEDED FOR THE RED LINE

thought out and went like a Swiss clock.” Using precast The design of the metro line is a U-shaped girder with the trains running on the slab and the webs acting as the parapet. Since more than 80% of the line is elevated, Burke

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says precast segmental viaduct construction was selected as the fastest and most cost efficient way of constructing the viaduct. This method was also considered the most aesthetically pleasing because of the smooth quality finish that can be achieved using precast, he says. “The segments were precast using match cast technology in a temporary precast facility constructed in Jebel Ali,” he says. “It was one of the largest precast yards in the world covering about 3km2. “60 moulds were used, producing 45 segments per day – that’s 900m3 of concrete poured over a period of 10 hours.” A total of 12,306 precast segments were erected for the Red line and a further 4163 for the Green line. Burke says the segments were erected using 10 specially designed launching gantries and it took two days to erect one 32m span – including lifting, gluing, stressing and lowering onto temporary bearings. “The project went like a factory production because all of the segments were precast in a purpose built yard – everything was made for the job and it was well executed,” he says. Burke says they hope to use the project as a benchmark to gain similar work in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Abu

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“THE BASIC IDEA BEHIND POST-TENSIONING IS TO BALANCE THE GRAVITY LOADS BY CREATING UPWARD FORCES USING STEEL WIRES”

Dhabi and Bahrain. All have plans for various types of light rail networks at the preliminary stages. Speedy and effective completion in Dubai will be noted elsewhere. Post-tensioning Post-tensioning has revolutionised the construction of

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infrastructure, and is quickly providing subcontractors and their clients with new ways of working together. Imagine a series of small blocks of wood, like those a child plays with. Now drill a hole through them. Slip a string through the centre, and hold the blocks of wood using the string. Relax your grip, and the string holding the blocks droops. Tighten the string, and the blocks rise, moving closer together. Next, put a small clip on either end of the string, fixing the blocks in their place. Now, substitute the string for steel strands, the blocks for segments of a concrete bridge or building, and the clips for anchorage devices and the idea behind post-

tensioning should become clear. More cost-effective than traditional reinforced concrete, post-tensioning has transformed the construction of long span bridges and high rises. “The idea behind posttensioning is to balance gravity loads by creating upward forces using steel wires,” says Khalid Rabadi, buildings division manager at Freyssinet, the subcontractor responsible for posttensioning on Dubai Metro. Its implementation, he adds, results in saving building materials, enhancing the performance of concrete structures and simplifying construction. As the technology strengthens concrete with steel, less concrete is used for the slabs.

3. Freyssinet did the post-tensioning on Dubai Metro. 4. Post-tensioning balances gravity loads by creating upward forces using steel wires.

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MATERIALS

MASTERING THE MATERIALS CONSTRUCTING SOMETHING AS AMBITIOUS AS THE DUBAI METRO REQUIRES SMART USE OF MATERIALS – AND THE RIGHT MATERIALS CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN ENSURING A PROJECT IS DELIVERED ON TIME

veryone can now have small sigh of relief now that the Dubai Metro has been delivered on time. With 10 station opening on 09/09/09 and the remainder to open over the coming months, the achievement of meeting the deadline was, in part, helped by choosing the right materials. As one of the final stages of construction, finishes can sometimes become an afterthought in the construction schedule. However, it was the selection of the right material for the finishes that made a crucial difference in ensuring the Metro arrived on time. Construction adhesive and chemicals supplier IBS Mapei supplied a variety of materials to the Metro’s construction, and it was these high-tech materials that helped speed up delivery. “Finishes are

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always squeezed on schedules,” says Mapei business development manager Laith Haboubi. “The finishes are under pressure and there’s a great danger of compromising the quality if you rush it. But if you have the right products then you can accelerate programme times.” Self-hydrating screeds played a crucial role. Usually a screed takes three to four weeks for the moisture content to get down to a workable 2%. However, Mapei were able to supply screeds that could achieve this in two to three days, representing a massive acceleration of the construction process. “The screed comes towards the end of the project. If they had used the traditional method of fixing or screeding, they would have needed 4 to 6 weeks before they could have installed the stone, so the whole project could have been delayed,”

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MATERIALS 1

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“WE REALLY ADDED VALUE TO THE METRO PROJECT BY SPEEDING UP THE WORK BY A MINIMUM OF FOUR WEEKS” 2

1. Choosing the right materials helped speed up construction and give the Metro a unique aesthetic appeal. 2. Parking areas particularly benefited from selfhydrating screeds.

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explains Mapei commercial manager Naheed Younis. “We really added value to that project by speeding up the work by a minimum of four weeks.” Because nothing like the Metro has even been built before in the Middle East, the project required materials that hadn’t been used in the region before. Of course, the use of new materials meant that everything had to be double-checked to ensure the most effective methods were used. “We have a huge database of most materials in use worldwide, so any time someone comes to us, we can go to our bank of information to look at that particular stone, that particular

material, where there will be a wealth of test data,” says Younis. “One of our strengths in our research and development is that in less than a week, we can fly any piece of material that is new to the market , do the proper testing and provide the right solution for the new material.” Although safety is always paramount on any project, the high profile nature of the Dubai Metro meant that there was absolutely no margin for ever, so using hi-tech materials that were thoroughly evaluated not only added value by speeding up the construction, but also by providing a far higher confidence level. “We go through a whole list of questions before we

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give any recommendation,” says Haboubi. “We also save the potential liability caused by doing something the wrong way. There are several places in the UAE where there are large legal claims because due to the fast tracking of the project, those points were not taken into consideration.” Keeping up appearances The right materials can also help a project succeed aesthetically, as well as structurally. Architecturally, the Dubai Metro is a very distinctive looking development, and the use of the right materials enabled construction contractors to remain faithful to the architects’ original vision for the project. The job is very

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MATERIALS

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highly architectural with lots of colourful schemes,” says Younis. “We are one of the very few companies worldwide who can offer 26 colours of sealant. That proves to be an asset in helping the architect into getting the scheme right.” Although sealants are often regards as generic ancillary materials, in this

4-6 WEEKS OF CONSTRUCTION TIME WAS SAVED THANKS TO HI-TECH MATERIALS

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case they helped make a vital difference. “The ancillary materials complimented their architectural schemes which can be very difficult to do,” says Haboubi. “You sometimes have to compromise looks with performance. In this case, they didn’t have to.” Setting the standard Use of high-tech materials was also crucial in ensuring car parks feeding to the Metro were also delivered on time. Mapei supplied the stone installation, screeds, grouting and sealants for the crucial infrastructure and the materials helped speed up construction. “We really contributed on delivery because one of

the car parks was behind schedule. We took off three weeks time over there,” explains Younis. The Metro may now be fulfilling its purpose of moving people across Dubai, but it has also acted as a showcase for what can be achevied by the use of new construction materials. Haboubi also said that even though finishing is not an area that is particularly counted on to save the contractor time, when it is done with the use of new materials, the benefits become extremely obvious. “In future projects they can see how one can minimise the delays. “It could be part of their methodology in the future,” reckons Haboubi.

3. Coloured sealants allowed contractors to remain faithful to the visions of the architects and designers. 4 and 5. Mapei manufacturers a variety of specialised adhesives and sealants.

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BUILDING

PAVING A WAY THE MEAN STREETS OF DUBAI ARE NO PLACE FOR THE FAINT HEARTED, ESPECIALLY NOT IF YOU’RE IN A HURRY. CONSTRUCTION WEEK VISITED THE DUBAI METRO WHEN IT WAS JUST OVER A YEAR FROM ITS FIRST REVENUE SERVICE

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ere is a straight forward message pinned to the wall at Union Station, the largest of Dubai’s metro stations - “Failure is not an option. 371 days remaining to revenue service.” The same message is pinned to the wall at the Jebel Ali station. It’s a fair bet that wherever you go

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on the under-construction Dubai Metro project, you’re never far from the message. The previous day, it was approaching 2pm in the centre of Dubai. At mid-afternoon, traffic was relatively light. But this would quickly change. The masses were about to finish work. “It is good now,” said one of Dubai’s taxi drivers. “But wait five or 10 minutes, and

you will have serious traffic jams everywhere.” The taxi drivers of Dubai are a long-suffering breed. On the same day, a different driver told of a 2½ hour trip to Sharjah at rush hour. A journey that, in light traffic, should have taken around 30 minutes. It was against this backdrop that the project every taxi driver has been wait-

1. Part of the Dubai Metro tunnel under construction, slightly over a year before it was opened to the public.

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2. An early image of the metro trains on arrival in Dubai. 3. A worker at a station being built for the Red Line. 4. Ongoing construction work at Jebel Ali station.

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ing for arose. And the client? None other than the taxi driver’s employer - the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). When the Dubai Metro project was announced by the Government of Du-

bai in 2004, it was becoming abundantly clear to the highest office in the land that in order for the city to compete on the global stage in tourism and commerce, it was high time to bring some much needed relief to the

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choked roads. Construction of the metro began in January 2005. In typical Dubai style, things were not done in half measures. The RTA laid out its plans for the biggest driverless metro system in the world, and the longest

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17% THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC THAT THE METRO IS EXPECTED TO REDUCE ON DUBAI’S OVERCROWDED ROADS

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metro track ever to be constructed from scratch. The main contractor wasDubai Rapid Link (Durl), a consortium of mainly Japanese firms. By its very nature, construction of the project presented a daunting task from inception. “The biggest challenge was the diversion of traffic without causing a hindrance to the traffic flow,” says Adnan Al Hammadi, director of rail projects construction.

It became possible to walk the length of the Red Line from beginning to end, three days ahead of schedule. This was quite a feat in a city where materials shortages were never far from the headlines. Then again, if you need to ensure the job gets done, it no doubt helps to name drop the Government of Dubai: a sign that if something needs to get done, it will happen. The track itself will be familiar to anyone who

5. The track winds through already existing infrastructure. 6. The station interiors are very modern and contemporary. 7. Mechanics test out the new trains.

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BUILDING has driven along Sheikh Zayed Road. It climbs above and dives below existing bridges, snaking along much of Dubai’s main thoroughfare, and threading through the city’s existing infrastructure. The designers went over bridges where possible to avoid the hazard of debris falling from above. In a driverless system, track obstructions can cause problems. At the Burjuman shopping centre, the track dives below ground, tunneling under Dubai Creek. The system will also include a “leaky feed”, allowing passengers to make and receive mobile phone calls from

underground. Footbridges have been installed overnight with the help of a self propelled mobile transporter, an immense Japanesebuilt machine. The bridges are air-conditioned, and fitted with conveyors. This is Dubai. Why walk when you can travelate? Al Hammadi believes the Metro will be enough to prise residents of Dubai from the seats of their cars when combined with broad improvements in the public transport network. “The RTA’s main objective is to upgrade the transport infrastructure as a whole,” he said. “The Metro will serve as a key connector linking to

Dubai International Airport. Provision for park and ride facilities near the terminals and at strategic locations along the railway route, will also promote the use of the Dubai Metro.” The five-carriage metro trains can carry a maximum of 643 passengers per train, and can run with 90 second intervals at peak travel times. All stops have been pulled out to ensure the Metro is running on time. Despite the urgency, the project maintained a good safety record. A safety consultant engaged on the project said: “We have a record of 1.14 lost time accidents per million man hours.”

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8. Ongoing construction at Rashidiya station. 9. Adnan Al Hammadi, director of rail projects construction, RTA. 10. All stations have air-conditioned foot bridges.

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MEP

COOL CHALLENGES APART FROM ALL THE GLAM ASSOCIATED WITH DUBAI METRO, IT ALSO POSED A CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY ON THE COOLING AND MEP SIDES 1

1 and 2. Coordination of services and access for the district cooling piping network posed a major challenge.

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he Dubai Metro, being the first of its kind in the region, posed a significant challenge in that “there was no model to follow, as with a shopping mall. Additional complicating factors such as underground stations and live tracks posed specific MEP and cooling-system challenges,” says Al Futtaim Engineering managing director Dawood bin Ozair. The team behind the Dubai Metro reflects the emirate’s truly international character and ability to benchmark itself against the best global standards. Al Futtaim Engineering MEP division general manager M Murali

looks at some of the challenges on the MEP front. Murali is a mechanical engineer, having graduated from the National Institute of Technology in India in 1991. He also holds an MBA in finance and marketing. “I started my career with Batliboli as a graduate trainee engineer. After a few years I moved on to Carrier. I joined Al Futtaim Engineering in 1998, and have worked for the group ever since.” He joined as a project manager in the then M&E (mechanical and electrical) division. “In 2001 I assumed overall responsibility for the projects business, which has grown significantly on the back of the construc-

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tion boom, and now I am the general manager of the MEP division.” Murali explains that the MEP division itself is divided into three distinct units, namely projects, maintenance and security. It has 150 professional employees, and about 1500 to 1800 site operators. “In the context of the Al Futtaim group, we work closely with the real estate division, so we know exactly what a developer or client actually wants. In meeting these requirements we always strive for optimal value-engineered solutions with a built-in low cost of ownership. Thus we are a turnkey building services contractor,” says Murali.

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MEP1 Solid reputation “Over the last few years we have established a solid reputation as a good quality, medium-sized MEP contractor that is highly competitive in its particular sphere. In terms of the impact of the current downturn, we have not had to retrench any staff, and have a healthy order book going forward. “This is because we have not been involved very heavily with any mega projects, focusing mainly on major infrastructure jobs such as the Dubai Metro for RTA. At present we are also involved with Alstom in a 2000MW power plant in Fujeirah.” Murali says that infrastructure has emerged as a key focus area. “We have earned a name for ourselves here, and are striving to strengthen our position and focus.” A large part of this reputation has been gained through its involvement with the

“UNDERGROUND STATIONS AND LIVE TRACKS POSED SPECIFIC MEP AND COOLING SYSTEM CHALLENGES ” so that it even highlighted various engineering and technical inconsistencies we were able to pick up from the various drawings and specifications. 3

Dubai Metro, which inaugurated ten stations of the Red Line on September, 9. When the Green Line opens in June 2010, the Dubai Metro will become the longest automated metro network in the world, taking this title away from the Vancouver Skytrain in Canada. Al Futtaim Engineering won the tender for the MEP works on a competitive basis. “What made the difference was that our proposal was very detailed, so much

Attention to detail “These were highlighted at the proposal stage itself, so they could be discussed and resolved, rather than leaving this to the post-contract period. So this attention to detail really helped our bid, combined with the high reputation of Al Futtaim Engineering. This is a flagship project that adds significantly to the company’s CV. “We have been involved with complicated projects before, but nothing as complex as this. The knowledge

2. Diagram of the Al Barsha part of the Metro network.

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3. Al Futtaim Engineering managing director Dawood bin Ozair.

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4. Murali is the general manager of the MEP division at Al Futtaim Engineering.

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and experience garnered from this project will serve us well in handling other complicated projects in the future. The general approach we take with any project is not to assume a fully contractual role. We are practicing engineers, and hence have the scope to be able to work with the main contractor and client

to arrive at an optimal solution. “Such a culture of innovation and flexibility in my team in particular, has really helped us in terms of this project. For example, where some of the designs did not meet the local authority regulations, we could offer our own expertise in making this work.” At the end of the day, Al Futtaim Engineering produced a total of 2500 design and engineering drawings. Murali explains that Al Futtaim Engineering was the MEP contractor for the main depot at Rashidiya, just before the Rashidiya Station, with an auxiliary depot located at Jebel Ali Port. “The Red Line depots are basically places where you have sidings and buildings. These

comprise light trade areas as a diesel engine workshop, vehicle maintenance and cleaning and other storage buildings. Operating Control Centre Importantly, the depots also contain the Operating Control Centre (OCC), with the main one at Rashidiya and an auxiliary one at Jebel Ali. “The rail network is driverless, and is controlled automatically from the OCC. Thales Rail Signalling Solutions supplied its SelTrac IS train control and NetTrac central control technology in this regard. “Al Futtaim Engineering’s scope of work covered a full range of MEP services. This included a cooling load of about 7000TR, incorporating HVAC, smoke ventila-

WORLD’S FIRST DISTRICT-COOLED MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM The Dubai Metro is the world’s first district-cooled mass transit system, says Stanley Consultants project manager Hisham Hajaj. A distribution network provides centralised cooling via pre-insulated buried steel distribution piping to all Dubai Metro stations to international standards. Seven district cooling plants have been built specifically for the Dubai Metro, with the following installed capacities: • Al Rigga

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• Al Barsha 7500TR • Al Kifaf 10,000TR • Jumeirah Island 7000TR • Jebel Ali Industrial 4400TR • Al Rashidiya 7500TR • SZR2 7500TR Hajaj cites the design challenges as having to reroute existing utilities, the lack of ‘as built’ documentation, unmarked utilities, and the lack of space in some areas for chilled-water piping. This posed specific challenges for the construction as well.

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For example, the main contractor would produce drawings rendering the trial pits in ‘soft’ landscaping. These drawings were then submitted to all the relevant authorities for approval. Once approval was obtained, the trial pits were excavated – only to reveal other services crossing the district cooling corridor. The construction NOC drawings, based on information obtained from the trial pits, were then submitted to all the relevant authorities. Work

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MEP tion, general air extraction, fire protection and alarm systems, standalone emergency exit systems and a well-engineered electrical distribution system with complete back-up. “In the event of any power interruption, there are standby transformers and generators. A BMS system is linked to the Scada system at the main OCC, so there is quite a high level of interface in terms of reporting systems,” says Murali. “This required a high level of engineering. We had highly competent engineers working together with the various stakeholders. It has been good to see all this come together and work well.” Murali says that electrical and plumbing and drainage services fell under the

50% REDUCTION IN TOTAL POWER CONSUMED AT STATIONS ambit of Al Futtaim Engineering directly, while specialist contractors were enlisted for the fire-fighting and alarm systems. “Our own engineers and operators worked with these contractors in order to execute these systems. In terms of the overall BMS, we used products from Trend in the UK, for which we are the local principals. Project consortium “The design was done by

could only commence once the construction NOC was in hand. If the work was located on any major road, or would affect traffic flow in any way, then approval for road diversion had to be obtained from the RTA. The NOC applications themselves were complicated by the length of time these took to process, which had had a great impact on the construction programme itself. “The other main construction issue was co-ordination with the Dubai Metro main contractor, the Durl consortium,” said Hajaj. A substantial portion of the district

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Atkins in terms of the overall project consortium. We had to interface with all the various companies in terms of specifications, drawings, documentation and obtaining approvals. The MEP industry in the UAE in general, and in Dubai in particular, works largely on British, European and US standards, so we have no problem in co-operating in an international venture of this nature. “This was truly an international team as it comprised experts from Japan, Turkey and the UK, among others. Some of the designs were done by an American team sitting in Thailand, for example. So it was a fully internationally fledged design and engineering team in that sense,” he Murali.

cooling works fell within Durl’s own site boundaries, and it had its own deadlines to meet. In terms of procurement, a total of 52km of piping was needed for the cooling network. This required close co-ordination with the piping manufacturers during the design stage, as well as submitting bills of quantities before issuing the tender so that the planning could be finalised. Hajaj explains that district cooling was particularly suited to the Dubai Metro. Not only did it reduce the electromechanical areas inside the stations, but

it also reduced the total power connected and consumed by between 30% to 50%. This, in turn, reduced the total carbon footprint of the project. It also reduced the noise and vibration from a solution comprising aircooled chillers and pumps on a station roof. “The initial cost of the district cooling plants with associated piping network is higher than an individual standalone solution, but the payback period is much less,” says Hajaj. Also, the lifespan of district cooling plants is 25 years compared to 15, for air-cooled solutions.

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TICKETS PLEASE DUBAI METRO IS THE WORLD’S LONGEST AUTOMATED RAIL TRANSPORT SYSTEM. AS SUCH IT WILL POSE BOTH UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PROVIDER SERCO. PAUL

METRO MACHINES MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT, MACHINES OPERATED ON THE GIGANTIC DUBAI METRO BUILD. DURING THE WORK, CONSTRUCTION WEEK TOOK A TOUR OF THE RTA’S PLANT DEPARTMENT WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

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1. Agiant custom gantry crane places the precast sections. 2. A line of all-terrain telescopic cranes. 3,4 & 5. Self propelled modular transporter (SPMT) moving pedestrian bridge sections. 6. Graham Larkin.

etting the first two lines of Dubai’s new metro system raised from sand to full operation in just five years is the sort of task that Brunel himself might have baulked at. If you add to it, the fact that the project had to run through built up areas and through existing road networks, you might be able to understand the difficulty of the operation. At first, Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) searched for an engineering firm with the experience and size to deliver something of the type. Eventually they awarded a US $3.38 billion (AED12.45 billion) contract to a consortium of Japanese companies including, Mitsubishi Corporation, Obayashi Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,

Kajima Corporation and Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi. Work began in 2005, with scores of subcontractors brought in. Amazingly there was no in-house plant department at first, but very soon it was obvious that one was needed so the ‘department that never was’ got established and underway. Headed by Graham Larkin, the new division comprised of lots of machines, and even more hardware to keep them running as well as scores of people to make it all work. Any place with a lot of kit and people, needs to be well organised, so the plant manager employed a modern approach to efficiency. “We use the Tag Plant Management System. It was originally developed for the oil industry,” explained Larkin. “I should have been a salesman for it, I’ve used it in my

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US $ 3.38 BILLION VALUE OF THE CONTRACT AWARDED TO THE DUBAI METRO CONSORTIUM last three or four projects,” he smiled. The computer helped log all the pieces of kit that were being bought in, along with their serial number, current location and service record. In theory, the operation was paperless, but in practice there were reams flying everywhere, as safety certificates, manuals, transfer documents and the like came in. With the system up and running, a keen team of staff started logging all the machines, from their demountable office at the Deira City Centre site. “We have a responsibility to make sure all the paperwork from our equipment and the subcontractors equipment is all in order.” Larkin said. Keeping track of all the machines on a jobsite that snakes around 166km is no walk in the park though. “It’s a difficult job, because it all comes in one day and then is out somewhere else again on another.

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“We make an arrangement to go to the site to inspect whatever the machine is. All the mandatory documents are in place and if they aren’t, no one is to use it. So we have quite a mountain of files,” he laughed. The number of machines that were being entered into the system became mind boggling. “I wouldn’t even hesitate to guess the amount of subcontractors machines there are on the job at the moment - literally thousands,” explained Larkin. “Our own equipment list

“WE MAKE AN ARRANGEMENT TO GO TO THE SITE TO INSPECT THE MACHINES. IF ALL MANDATORY DOCUMENTS ARE NOT IN PLACE, NO ONE IS TO USE IT” WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

Interestingly, the giant two-metre diameter doublestart drilling buckets used in the pilers had to be custom made by a local firm in Dubai, as such a thing is not an off-the-shelf item, even in Mitsubishi Heavy Industry’s long inventory. Speaking of the inventory, one of the largest areas in the plant depart-

comprises of 423 items from lighting towers upwards.” A particularly arduous job is keeping on top of the paper work for the piling rigs, of which various contractors have a couple of dozen around the site. By their nature, they are constantly being moved, but every time one leaves and gets moved out onto the road so that it can be used elsewhere on site, the law states it has to be inspected again, meaning the paperwork starts ‘piling’ up for the plant department.

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7. Telescopic boom crane. 8. A very large piling rig.

ment is a fleet of 61 trucks. Several of these are Mitsubishi Canters, which have had various custom backs installed, notably that of a crane inspection platform and mobile tire rig. All have had flashing strobe lights fitted to the rear as well as high-visibility chevrons, as the narrow job sites that work through the night mean all precautions need to be taken in order to prevent site vehicles bashing bumpers. Other trucks owned by the depot include one 50-tonne tractor unit, which has the sole purpose of shifting re-

bar, while another moved aggregates. These, alongside an assortment of cement mixers and dumpers are only seen during the hours of darkness due to the rules affecting the movement of heavy vehicles on the Emirate’s busy roads throughout the day. “This is another, operational reason why the site has to run 24 hours,” explained Larkin. Also running right through the night is a forest of mobile cranes. Complementing the countless scores of contractor’s units throughout the jobsite,

are 24 rough terrain cranes belonging to the plant department. Smaller site managers might take comfort in the fact that the region’s chronic equipment shortages in recent years even affected well-resourced projects like the metro. There were simply no new cranes to be had, so the plant manager had to look further a field. “We got them from all over Europe,” said Larkin. “We basically concentrated on three types and that was really dictated by what was on the market at the time.”

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INSIDE STORY AS DESIGN JOBS GO, A METRO SYSTEM HAS TO BE AMONG THE MOST UNIQUE. JOHN CAROLAN OF KCA INTERNATIONAL TALKS ABOUT THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF WORKING ON THIS UNUSUAL AND HIGH-PROFILE PROJECT s a young designer, John Carolan, now design director of KCA International in Dubai, worked on one of the palaces of the Sultan of Brunei. He was put on ‘bathroom duty’, responsible for designing what can only be

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imagined were some of the most opulent bathrooms in the world. Then came the Burj Al Arab, a striking landmark that has emerged as a symbol of Dubai – and catapulted KCA International to design stardom. And now, the Dubai Metro. Construction Week asked

Carolan to talk us through the trials and tribulations inherent in such a largescale, high-profile project: As projects go, a metro system is quite unique. I’m assuming that you haven’t worked on anything like this before. Was the prospect quite daunting?

1. Inside Jebel Ali Industrial station. 2. Route finding was a key part of the design. 3. John Carolan of KCA International 4. Smooth layouts facilitate movement.

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5. A standard check-in booth design at Dubai Metro stations.

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When it happened, we never thought, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know what to do’. I suppose that just comes with experience. When I first qualified as a designer, I remember thinking that I never wanted to be pigeonholed because that would mean that I wasn’t able to

experience the whole spectrum of design. I’ve been very fortunate, moving through that and then finally getting into this business, which opened up a whole new sphere. When I got to the Metro five years ago, it was just another job. People were saying: ‘Oh you

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can’t do that because you’ve never done it before’. But why not? It’s just design. How did KCA International get the job? We had worked with Al Habtoor-Murray & Roberts on the Burj Al Arab. They were one of three or four

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consortia bidding on the Metro. All of the bids were based on the principle that you produce architecture and then, obviously, there was the financial bid and the design bid. Aedas had done a bid for the stations, both over ground and underground. It was a beautiful piece of architecture. And then Al Habtoor-Murray & Roberts had this idea that to give

4 ELEMENTS THAT MAKE UP THE THEME OF THE METRO: EARTH, AIR, FIRE & WATER

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them an edge, they would bring in designers – and who better to bring in than KCA International, because we’d done the Burj. I put some ideas together, based on the London Underground. I had been in London, maybe three or four years before and they had just started refurbishing some of the stations. One of the things that always stuck in my mind was Baker Street and how they had very simply provided a way-finding tool by just having Sherlock Holmes’ stalker hat and pipe. I thought that was a great idea and that we would do the same, but in a different way. We had to do it with local representation. We decided to use colour, texture and tone, so that

even if there are only four colour schemes, you remember the riven. If you are on the train and have fallen asleep, you can immediately ascertain, am I on a water scheme? Which station? So the design was also a way of way-finding for people. That was the general crux. The joint venture that eventually won was a combination of Turkish and Japanese companies. They won the job but because the client liked Aedas’ architecture, they asked them to come over. The client also asked them to go out and find another designer, so a gentleman from Aedas walked into our office one day and asked us whether we’d wanted to work on the Metro. We did.

6. Wide spaces allow free movement of people.

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7. KCA wanted to avoid ‘Eurostyle design’. 8. The design is very minimalist. 9. Working on the Metro opened up a whole new sphere for KCA.

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Tell us about the design. We presented in June 2006 and it was really out there. I knew the design was quite radical – but I thought that we should just push it out there and see how it was received. We looked at some of the metros in other parts of the world – Moscow, London, Singapore and Paris, for example. In many cases, they

were very hard-edged and unfriendly. They were very Euro-style – a lot of concrete, glass and steel. They are designed to be vandal-proof, you see, which is half the problem. Once you start down that route, it’s very difficult to know where to stop. I like it because it is minimalist and very engineered. It appeals to me but I could see

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why it wouldn’t appeal to the client. Did the client, the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), have a clear idea of what it wanted? What we came up with was not what they expected, I don’t think. I think they came at it from a more practical point of view, although they didn’t want that to

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close down the creativity of the design. However, when we presented it to the committee, the general view was, this is what we want. We want uniqueness, and this represents Dubai. We got a very positive response to the presentation. What was your design philosophy? Our philosophy worked around the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. The great thing about this was that you had design

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and you had colour, so you could mix and match and get quite a lot of variables. When we were doing historical sites, such as Union Square, Burjuman or Al Ghubaiba, we also looked back at historical references to the place. For example, Burjuman means desert pearl, so we used that as the basis. What is your favourite station? I like Burjuman, just because of the glamour of it all. I also like the over-

ground stations because of their simplicity. Those spaces are special. Is there anything in the Dubai stations that you might not find in stations in other parts of the world? We had a long discussion with the RTA about whether they wanted decorative light fittings in there. We showed them examples initially, just to put it out there. We expected them not to like it, but they did, so in the main underground, we’ve got chandeliers.

10.Design is themed around the four elements.

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FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

TICKETS PLEASE DUBAI METRO IS THE WORLD’S LONGEST AUTOMATED RAIL TRANSPORT SYSTEM. AS SUCH IT WILL POSE BOTH UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PROVIDER SERCO. PAUL ANDERSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SERCO DUBAI METRO, AND ALI ABDUL KADER, DIRECTOR, MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT, RAIL AGENCY, RTA, EXPLAINED WHAT LIES AHEAD

ubai is witnessing history in the making, just as Britain did 200 years ago when Richard Trevithick invented the steam railway locomotive which, by the mid 1 56

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FACILITIES MANAGEMENT 1800s, mobilised some 30 million Britons. Fast forward to the 21st century, to a Gulf city where a public rail transport network has come to fruition. Born of vision and necessity, the impact of the metro on Dubai’s populace and visitors in terms of travelling habits and mobility will help shape the emirate’s socioeconomic future. Network service “This is the world’s longest driverless automated railway system, and a first for the Middle East,” said Ali Abdul Kader, director, maintenance department, Rail Agency, Rail and Transport Authority. “It is a huge project and one that has never been attempted in the Middle East before, so of course we have faced challenges. However, we met those challenges through fact finding trips to all the major cities including

1500 FM STAFF REQUIRED FOR THE RED LINE - FROM TECHNICAL ENGINEERS TO CLEANERS

Paris, London and Singapore, to speak to the experts and see how they constructed, operated and maintained their metro systems.” Bids were then put out to tender. “Bids included French transport company RATP, SPS and SMRT from Singapore and Serco Middle East,” explains Al Kader. “All the bids were good, but Serco’s regional experience in the aviation industry gave it the edge.” The RTA awarded Serco the operations and maintenance concession to manage both pre- and post-launch phases of both lines, thought to be worth around US $4.1 billion (AED15 billion). The global service company can count Docklands Light Railway in London, the Great Southern Railway in Australia and the Copenhagen Metro in Denmark among its transport client list.

Primary FM objective The rail service, mixed-use stations and connecting areas and bridges will have to reflect the network’s five star rating. “Our primary task is to provide and maintain a seamless multi-modal transport service,” said Paul Anderson, managing director, Serco Dubai Metro. “That means that passengers - whether using a bus, taxi or park and ride service - will experience a five star service. If we don’t provide and maintain these standards in the first instance passengers will lose confidence and not use the service – it’s as simple as that. “And you have to factorin the extreme climate here in the Middle East, so comfort is paramount. All buses, taxis, connecting areas and footbridges will be air conditioned, and we’re building new access and egress points interconnecting malls to stations to enhance the temperature controlled nature of the network.” Value adds Stations will be fully equipped with amenities such as food outlets, ATMs, dry cleaning services and retail space. “We need footfall, so to attract passengers we are providing value added services at stations,” said Anderson. “Commuters will be able to incorporate their daily rou-

1. Dubai Metro has been designed keeping in mind the variety of cultures. 2. Serco Dubai Metro managing director Paul Anderson said comfort was paramount while designing the Metro.

2 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

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tines such as laundry, cash withdrawals and bill payments, shopping and the like, into their daily travel schedule. “This not only makes the network commercially viable, which of course it has to be, but we’re also making travel on the metro an attractive proposition for people who are used to doing the above from the comfort of their cars.” 3. Attracting passengers means providing added value amenities at stations.

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Mobility patterns Anderson highlighted the affect the metro will have on mobility patterns in Dubai.

“Undoubtedly the network will change the way people live their lives. Trips that were previously repressed due to time and cost restraints will now open up – we believe 40% of all trips will be ‘new trips’. In doing so the network will deliver liveability and productivity will also rise. People will no longer miss meetings due to traffic and they’ll arrive at work in a positive state of

mind, as journey times fall. “The purpose of the metro is to give people options, to complement the services already available, to create a travel network. As public confidence grows in the abilities of the integrated system we’ll see a more European model emerge, whereby people either drive to the station and commute or use taxis and buses to do the same. The environmen-

“AS PUBLIC CONFIDENCE GROWS IN THE ABILITIES OF THE INTEGRATED SYSTEM WE’LL SEE A MORE EUROPEAN MODEL EMERGE”

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FACILITIES MANAGEMENT tal implications will also become more tangible as pollution levels drop and quality of air improves.” Employment On the Red Line alone 1500 staff are needed – from technical engineers to cleaners. A 30% Emiratisation staffing policy is in place to aid development of capabilities for future needs in the country. “We are looking to place Emiratis in key areas – we want a strong local presence in our organisation and we are recruiting from school leaver level to graduates. Serco has partnered with the best universities, colleges and schools in Dubai to build a sustainable pipeline for locals,” said Anderson. “The metro has five different training and devel-

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opment schemes charting a career path for engineers. Furthermore, through attachments around the world we have been able to introduce disciplines new to the UAE, which is exciting and shows are commitment to the future. And the policy is working.

4. As more stations are completed, more passengers will use the Metro.

UNIFIED TICKETING SYSTEM Being hailed as five star service, it gives rise to the question of affordability. “We are rolling out a unified multi-modal ticketing system that passengers can use on buses and at metro stations. Pricing will operate on a distance-based zonal model,” Anderson explained. “To my mind the infrastructure modernity is unparalleled. The stations have been designed to give quality space with a lot of void areas and high quality fixtures, fittings and finishes. The challenge will be to keep them clean at

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certain times of the year when it’s very dusty and humid.” In a climate when at certain times of the year it’s near impossible to go outside for any length of time, temperature control at stations and connecting areas is crucial. “Yes, the climate is a challenge,” said Al Kader, especially keeping the underground sections of the network cool. Heavy investment in the latest HVAC technology will ensure a consistent and comfortable environment.”

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WHO DID WHAT?

MAPEI THE ITALIAN CONSTRUCTION ADHESIVE MANUFACTURER HELPED IN DELIVERING THE METRO ON TIME n 1937, Mapei was founded by Rudolfo Squinzi, as a small company on the outskirts of Milan, dealing mainly in paints, plasters, and interior and exterior covering materials for large buildings, hospitals, and airports. The big change came when the company began concentrating its efforts on a specific market niche, floor installation products. Since then, the company has continued to grow with its range of adhesives, sealants, screeds and floor coverings. Mapei is now the largest construction adhesive manufacturer in the world, with an annual turnover of over US $2.5 billion (AED9.2 billion) across 55 plants. The company’s self-hydrating screeds played a

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NUMBER OF MAPEI EMPLOYEES IN THE UAE AT PRESENT

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key role in the delivery of the metro, significantly reducing construction time and helping contractors to deliver the project on 09/09/09. The company has been supplying products to the GCC for more than 10

“MAPEI HAS BEEN MANAGED BY THE SAME FAMILY WITH SAME MIDESET. THEY’VE WEATHERED WORLD WARS AND GLOBAL RECESSIONS BEFORE” growth. As a result, Mapei opened its first factory in the area in February 2009, a 40,000m2 facility at Dubai Investments Park. The company is currently working on projects at Yas Island and on Burj Dubai.

1. Mapei is now the largest construction adhesive manufacturer in the world.

FAST FACTS Role in making the metro: Supply of screeds and sealants, plus technical advice and support. 1

years, with projects such as the Burj Al Arab and Emirates Palace benefiting from the company’s products. Just under two years ago, the firm established a local subsidiary, IBS Mapei, to capitalise on opportunities in the region. Although the Middle East is not a ‘core’ market for the company at present, according to business development manager Laith Haboubi, the region is seen as a prospect for long-term

What does working on the Metro mean to the company?: “For us it fits in with our company exactly, because it’s a high-tech, new technology type of project. It’s things that haven’t been done here before, techniques that haven’t been used here before, and therefore Mapei was one of the few companies that could provide solutions, which would fit in exactly with that type of construction without compromising on quality or time. It’s a perfect project for us. We’re very proud to have been associated with it.”

Contact Tel: +971 4 323 3167 Web: www.ibs-mapei.ae

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WHO DID WHAT?

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METRO HELPERS THE FEW WHO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING PART OF HISTORY TELL US HOW THEY FULFILLED THEIR ROLES

DEMAG CRANES AND COMPONENTS (ME) FZE

VSL

Metro working dates: May to September 2009 Metro contract value: US $30,000 (approx) Role in making the metro: Provided foot mounted rope hoists to run two freight elevators. What does working on the Metro mean to the company?: “Our mission statement is ‘we are committed to technological leadership through innovation’ and being part of this prestigious project demonstrates a step taken to achieve it.” Phone: +971 4 8120 800 Web: www.demagcranes.ae

Metro working dates: November 2006 to April 2009 Role in making the metro: A key member of the JV for pre-casting and erection of the bridge superstructure works. What does working on the Metro mean to the company?: “Working on the Dubai Metro project was a great honour and privilege for VSL, and to be part of the team that helped to deliver this major Dubai infrastructure project is a source of great pride to VSL as a company.” Phone: +971 4 885 7225 Web: www.vsl.com

1. Erecting precast concrete segments. 2. Inside the metro station.

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WHO DID WHAT? ATKINS

FINO INTERNATIONAL

Metro working dates: January 2006 to on-going Role in making the metro: Atkins’ role as lead designers for the JTMJV included the design of above ground stations, underground stations, viaducts, tunnels, annexes, C&C, depots, car parks, highways and utilities. What does working on the Metro mean to the company?: “It is very satisfying to see the opening on the due date particularly given that we were appointed nine months into the project; to have caught up on time and to have taken on board the multitude of changes that have been required, is a fantastic achievement by the whole design team,” says John Newby, project director. Phone: +971 4 4059300 Web: www.atkins-me.com

Metro working dates: Oct 2008 - stage 1 handover on 30th August 2009, stage 2 handover on 2nd December 2009. Metro contract value: US $50 Million Role in making the metro: All metal works, cladding, screed, waterproofing, doors, access panels , glassworks, handrail, sensor poles, doors, fire rated metal doors, light holders, ceilings, custom made ceilings, all entrance pods and 11 foot bridges, including insulation, fire barriers and smoke curtains. What does working on the Metro mean to the company?: “It was a new experience and a challenging one, with new types of products and material used in such a public transport facility.” Phone: +971 4 8802663 Web: www.finoinfo.ae

3. A footbridge at Burj Dubai station.

DUBAI CABLE COMPANY (DUCAB)

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Metro contract value: US $27.2 million Role in making the metro: Supply of power cables What does working on the Metro mean to the company?: “Ducab played its role in helping make the Dubai Metro a dream come true. With the combined effort, 09/09/09 marked a day to remember in the history of the UAE” Phone: +971 4 8082500 Web: www.ducab.com

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SPONSORED BY

COMPANY INDEX DUBAI RAPID LINK CONSORTIUM (DURL) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kajima Corporation Mitsubishi Corporation Yapi Merkezi Obayashi Corporation DUBAI METRO: SUPPLIER LIST COMPANY

ROLE

COMPANY

ROLE

Aconex

Project management info systems

Kontron

Embedded systems for real-time tail applications

AECOM (formerly Cansault Maunsell)

Engineering and project management

Liebherr

PMV supplier

Aedas

Design consultancy

Al Bahar

PMV supplier

Al Faris

PMV supplier

Al Futtaim Engineering

MEP services

Al Hamad

Contractor

Al Laith

Terex supplier

Alcatel Lucent

Driverless train & communications/surveillance system

Arabian Forasol Foundations

Cement

Arabian Mix Company

Cement

Atkins

Project consultancy

Beresford Blake Thomas Besix

Recruitment Construction

Bovis Lend lease

Project management

Capita Symonds

Lead Engineer & project manager

Domoferm

Door hardware

Dosteen Doors and Engineering Services

Roller shutters

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)

Power supply

Ducab

Cabling

Emirates Preinsulated Pipes Industries

Piping

Emirates Road Contracting Co

Access roads for Al Rashidiya metro station

ETA Construction Company

Material and equipment supply

Faiveley Transport

Passenger access products, air conditioning, high-voltage solutions and on-board electronics

Llewelyn Davies

Architect Consultant

Macalloy

Bar and cable systems

Majid Al-Futtaim Group, Etisalat, Gulf General Investment, Sharaf DG, First Gulf Bank, Nakheel and Dubai Airport Free Zone

Station naming rights

Mammut

Auxilliary depot construction

MEN Mikro Elektronik

Embedded computer systems for rugged environments

Middle East Foundations Group

Foundations and piling

Mott Macdonald

Engineering consultancy

New Vision Metal

Brackets, cement silos

Nexus Lighting

Lighting

Pandrol UK Limited

Baseplate assemblies

Planet Lighting

Lighting

Prometal

Doors

RMD Kwikform!

Formwork

Saatchi & Saatchi

Launch advertising campaign

Samsung

Engineering & construction

Serco

FM services

SMRT Media (Singapore),

Advertising contract for the Metro

Stanley Consultants

Consultancy

Swaiden

Feeder buses

Systra

Project consultant

Tabreed

Station and depot cooling

TAG

PMV software

Thales

Ticket machines and automatic train control system

Fino

Interior fitout contractor

Timberline

Purchasing software

Gulf Dynamic Switchgear

Switchgear

Trantek

On-board PA, emergency call box and LED systems

Haulotte

Access platforms

TUV Rheinland

Codes of conduct, best practice documentation

Promotional activity

UK Office of Rail Regulation

Health and safety advice

Infrasor-VSL Dubai

Foundations and piling

United equipment rentals

equipment rental

Jebel Ali Precast Yard

Viaduct precast work

VDL Buses

Feeder buses

Kalindee Rail Nirman Engineers

Track laying

Wellmark Communications

Ad contract for the metro

Kassab Media

Ad contract for the metro

Westinghouse Knorr Bremse

Platform Screen Doors

KCA International

Interior architects

Wilbur Smith Associates Dubai

Consultancy

Kellog Brown Root

Consultancy

Yongam

Supply, fabrication and erection of structural steelworks

Trains

Zoeftig

Seats

HQ Creative

Kinky Sharyo

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VSL are proud to have participated in the construction of the Dubai Metro We would like to thank the RTA, The Engineer - Systra Parsons and the JTM - JV for having invited us to this challenge. www.vsl.com Tel: +971 (4) 8857225 Fax: +971 (4) 8857226