facilities management middle east - july 2010

Essential information for FM & strata professionals, building owners, developers & contractors

CASE STUDY

A LOOK AT HOW ABU DHABI’S SHEIKH KHALIFA

MEDICAL CITY IS MANAGED AND OPERATED

An ITP Business Publication | July 2010 Vol. 05 Issue 07

Licensed by Dubai Media City

HOW THE NEW ARBITRATION LAW COULD AFFECT THE FM SECTOR

WAYS TO SAVE WATER WHEN MAINTAINING GREEN PROJECTS

LEGAL ANALYSIS

LANDSCAPING

Ali Al Suwaidi on handling the day to day management of the Burj KhalifaAli Al Suwaidi on handling the day to day management of the Burj Khalifa

TALLEST ORDER

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CONTENTS

July 2010 1www.constructionweekonline.com

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VOLUME 5 ISSUE 7 JULY 2010CONTENTS

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CommentJohn Cowling identifi es the value improvement opportunities than need to be considered when operating a building.

OnlineWhat’s on the web? The most popular FM stories of the month.

Case study Facilities Management Middle East discovers how Sheikh Khalifa Medical City is operated and what it takes to manage a hospital in the Middle East.

InterviewAli Al Suwaidi gives an insight into managing the world’s tallest building and how he had time to launch MEFMA.

NewsA round-up of the regional news making an impact in the FM industry including a report on what professionals in the sector think of the new Jointly Owned Property Law regulations.

Sector AnalysisService providers discuss ways to maintain landscapes whilst conserving as much water as possible.

AnalysisContract lawyers give their opinions on how the anticipated draft arbitration law might affect the FM sector.

Janitor’s keysWe ask experts in the FM fi eld what have been their most sus-tainable initiatives this year.

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2 July 2010 www.constructionweekonline.com

CYPRUS LIFE Emma Doo, guest columnistHow she achieves the perfect work/life balance in a little

piece of paradise

Léonie Yates, guest columnistDiscussing the state of the FM job market

WHAT’S ON THE WEB

COLUMNS & FEATURES MOST POPULAR

QATAR’S WORLD CUP 2022

POSITIVE PROSPECTS

GERHARD HOPE PIC

ELEVATOR UPLIFT

the online home of:

IN PICTURES

• 50 most admired: Architects/engineers/consultants

• 50 most admired: Contractors• Kilometre high Kuwaiti tower “will get built”• AED4bn Khalifa Port contracts still up for

grabs

• Mixed reviews over property law regulations• Construction waste destroys Bahrain’s

coral reef• Facilitating MEP• LEED for less

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Qatar’s bid for the 2022 World Cup is an audacious one, given that the country would be hosting the event during one of the hottest months in the year, and has little football infrastructure. But, despite the skeptics, the country is surging ahead with its bid by unveiling fi ve high-tech air conditioned stadiums designed by global architecture fi rm Albert Speer and Partners. ConstructionWeekOnline.com takes a closer look.

Editor, MEPWhy are we wasting so much electricity on water heating?

FmME discovers the cause of potentially-fatal elevator breakdowns

For more galleries, check out: www.constructionweekonline.com/in_pictures/

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EDITOR’S LETTER


L ast month I spoke to a developer in Saudi Arabia to enquire about writing a case study about his up and coming hotel. The article would focus on how his company has planned for the maintenance of the building and which facilities managers and consul-

tants have been involved in the project so far to ensure sustainable systems and solutions are implemented effectively. His response: “This hotel is currently a shell of a building. We are therefore not thinking about facilities management at the moment. How can we if the hotel hasn’t even been built yet?”

Another developer I spoke to a couple of weeks later hadn’t even heard of facilities manage-ment before I mentioned it to him.

Unfortunately, these clients are not alone with their approach to construction. With tight budgets, many developers are thinking about what they are spending their money on right now and not what they could potentially be spending on in the future if they don’t take the advice of facilities managers, consultants and contractors.

Many developers think solely about the beautiful master plan and selling their properties to investors. What they don’t think about is how a square metre of grass needs 54 litres of water per day to keep it hydrated, how motion sensors can control lights and therefore electricity bills, or indeed how walls inside a hospital need to be anti-allergenic to stop the spread of infections.

Simply inserting a window into an offi ce unit will have a knock on effect on overall operational costs. Air conditioning can be turned down or even switched off during the winter months if a window is there to open. This can be planned for at the design stage of a project. As for the sum-mer, service providers know the difference between high-cost, carbon-unfriendly air condition-ing systems and the air conditioning systems, which run on low energy.

Even the poor choice of fl oor material can result in unnecessary expenses. Any FM contractor worth his salt will know that a hard-wearing fl oor would be put to best use in a high-traffi cked area because it requires little maintenance, but a wooden fl oor placed in a hotel lobby couldn’t take the pressure of stiletto heels and suitcases for very long and would require frequent restoration and even replacement. Large areas of a building would then have to be cornered off while refurbishment takes place and revenue would ultimately be lost.

Using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) recommended by service providers will result in less heat generated and less money spent on cooling a building, whilst implementing water pres-sure reducing valves will help conserve the region’s most scarce element and fewer blackouts will occur if energy effi cient lifts are put in place. The list is endless.

The truth is, the decision as to whether or not to bring in a facili-ties manager at the design stage of a project could determine the life-cycle of a building and how long residents will be willing to stay for.

Just because a building is designed to be a high-perfor-mance structure does not make it sustainable. You have to think about long-term maintenance.

And, if developers think facilities management is not their problem at the beginning stage of construction, they will ten years down the line.

Sarah Blackman, deputy [email protected]

RE: Mixed reviews over property law regulationsRera has not yet managed to provide what it is supposed to - market regulation, transparency and consumer protection. Developers’ pressure over Rera is felt in the released law. Benoit

RE: Elevator upliftThe significant misconception is that elevators are designed and manufactured to serve a minimum period of 25 to 30 years. The design life of today’s sophisticated microprocessor control systems are linked to technology that becomes obsolete in a matter of only a few years. Elevator manufacturers are a small consumer of microprocessors compared to other industries and as such, the “platform” that a particular control system is designed to has a limited production run. This includes units installed as well as replacement components. The reality is that the microprocessor “platform” becomes obsolete within 10 to 15 years. Jay Popp

RE: LEED for lessWell said and described. It should start at the beginning stages of the project and with the buy-in from the client and the design team.P Ramesh

RE: Chiller ManI am living in a big complex in Tehran and there are two Youk Chillers that were installed about 30 years ago, but they’re not maintained properly and often break down.Davami

To make a comment on Facilities Managment Middle East news and features visit www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com/news/facilities-management or email [email protected]

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COMMENT


shop, with a series of structured sessions to ensure the business goals and objec-tives are being met by the delivery of their project/services. Asking key questions early on in the project can often save valu-able deliverables (time, quality, function, money) at later stages.

VE is best applied earlier rather then later, as the greatest opportunity for applying value improvements is when the cost of implementation is at its lowest. As the proj-ect continues through the varying stages and VE becomes reactive rather then proac-tive, the costs rise and the level of value improvements reduce, thus the effi ciency of the process often reduces.

As value improvement opportunities often emerge at different lifecycle/project stages, businesses that recognise the benefi t of un-dertaking the VE workshop review process at clearly defi ned stages through the project life-cycle are further increasing the likeli-hood of their project’s success. This applies to projects both small and mega - and the greater the belief and support from senior

management in the process, the more suc-cessful it is likely to be.

As any business matures and evolves, the lessons learnt from a VE process should be fed back into its system. As a result, VE process complements the con-tinuous improvement cycle such as those found in ISO 9000:2005.

Before the economic downturn, many businesses and projects were like buck-ets fi lled with holes. There was such a continuous fl ow of money pouring into them that the holes were never considered a problem. Nowadays, the fl ow of money into businesses is slowing, so plugging the holes is regarded as a priority. Integrating value engineering into a business manage-ment system is one important, systematic way of achieving this.

John has over 20 years experience in solutions orien-tated risk management. He is currently responsible for Faithful+Gould’s risk, business continuity and value management processes at enterprise, programme and project levels within several sectors.

The current funding crisis – a result of the global economic downturn – is driving clients to fi nd new and inno-vative ways to save money and keep

projects within budget. This is especially applicable within the facilities management industry, especially with the introduction of owners associations, who will be seeking to further reduce costs associated with main-taining common areas and facilities.

Businesses wishing to streamline their organisations would be well advised to consider integrating value engineering (VE), which many mistakenly confuse for cost-cutting. In fact, VE means identifying value improvement opportunities before balancing them against a cost benefi t ratio. For example, when investing in a property, clients often consider preventative mainte-nance as an unnecessary cost, rather then identifying ways to protect their investment and reduce long-term operating costs.

Let us describe VE as ‘a systematic ap-proach to delivering the required functions, at lowest cost without detriment to quality, performance and reliability’. This enables us to further defi ne the process, and the pa-rameters of our system, in order to produce tangible results.

Sticking with the preventative mainte-nance example used above, a VE process would analyse the function of the invest-ment building against defi ned param-eters. These would be the goals, needs and objectives of the client on a short, medium and long term basis. We would then identify value improvement opportu-nities that would deliver the overall needs of the client.

This approach, which is favoured by Faithful+Gould, is delivered through a detailed consultation process with the client and their relevant stakeholders. The process often involves an interactive work-

Value Engineering – balancing function with costFaithful+Gould’s John Cowling identifi es the value improvement opportunities that need to be considered when operating a building

Preventative maintenance can protect investments and reduce long-term operating costs, says John Cowling.

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NEWS ROUND UP


Some Dubai-based facilities management consultants appear to be skeptical about the new guidelines

Owners associations will oversee and delegate the management of common areas inside a property. They will also be able to determine service charges.

Mixed reviews over JOP regulationsThe new regulations for the Dubai Jointly Owned Property law (JOP), previously known as Strata, have received mixed reviews from industry profes-sionals in the emirate.

Speaking to Facilities Management Middle East, some FMs and consultants have suggested that the new guidelines, released on June 5, are controversial.

“The JOP law does not allow for a professional FM company to operate in the 3500 jointly owned property sector,” said indepen-dent consultant Mick Dalton.

“Facilities management companies will have to register with RERA for a fee, attend training for a fee, have a license with DED for a fee, reg-ister their contract with RERA for a fee and then have to deal with home owners associations who want low cost. I see most reputable FM companies not chasing the free hold market and going after unregulated markets in the future.”

The purpose of the law is to allow collective ownership of common areas inside a building, which will lead to the creation owners associations (OAs) who will oversee and delegate the management of these areas. These owners as-sociations can then determine budgets and service charges.

But, Imdaad business devel-opment manager Farid Halabi is skeptical about how facilities managers will benefi t from the new guidelines.

“The intention of [releasing the regulations] was to help

the industry and all owners as-sociations (OAs) and investors. Unfortunately, the regulations seem vague at best, and they

are in need of further clarifi ca-tion and review.”

“The OAs are out to prove that their developer was a crook, and service charges should be dropped by 50% in a day. OA’s need to be very

careful and take things very slowly. Mistakes will be made, but how much depends on how fast the change is made.”

Asteco Property Manage-ment has taken a different view on the regulations, however, and has said that they will bring much need transparency to the sector.

“The effect on the property industry will ultimately be a positive one, providing disclo-sure on the operating costs for projects, as well as project specifi cations and contractual arrangements,” said Asteco Property Management head of association management Nicole Betts.

Accompanying regulations were released nearly two years after the JOP law was approved in Dubai.

THE TIME IT TOOK TO RELEASE THE

REGULATIONS AFTER THE LAW WAS APPROVEDa

2 YEARS

“The owners associations are out to prove that their developer was a crook, and service charges should be dropped

by 50% in a day”

NEWS ROUND UP


Developer, Pearl Dubai, will employ six lift, MEP and façade companies to work on the project this year

Johnson Controls Director of WorkPlace Consulting Lewis Beck: “Buildings are no longer sustain-

able by merely incorporating ‘green’ technology; sustain-ability is increasingly being measured by space utilisation effi ciency.”

Dr Peter Rabinowitz, director of Clinical Services at Yale School of Medicine’s Occupational and Environmental Medicine: “There is an urgent need to include human health in the defi nition of what it means to be ‘green’ or environmentally responsible.”

Sultan Faden, an architect, former con-sultant and founder of the Saudi Green Buildings Council on the multitude of

green rating systems in the GCC: “With the amount of current ratings sys-tems for the last 2-3 years it has been confusing, it is not healthy.”

National Renewable Energy Laboratory senior engineer Eric Kozubal spoke about a new air-conditioner cuts power use and greenhouse gas emissions: “The idea is to revolutionise cooling, while removing millions of metric tons of carbon from the

air. We had been working with membranes, evaporative coolers and desiccants, and saw an op-portunity to combine them into a single device for a product with unique capabilities.”

A MONTH IN QUOTES

Dubai Pearl contracts due in Q3

Facilities management was introduced to the Dubai Pearl development at design stage.

The developer of the ambitious “city within a city” Dubai Pearl project will award subcontracts to MEP, façade and lift companies at the end of Q3, 2010.

Pearl Dubai, a consortium of investors led by the UAE’s Al Fahim Group, will be employing more than six subcontractors in each category, with a view to completing most of the project by 2012.

Main contractor Al Habtoor Leighton will be heavily involved in the deciding who wins the subcontracts, choosing fi rms who have already bid and pre-qualifi ed for work on develop-ment, and who will later be approved by the client.

“The three main categories where we still require subcon-tractors are MEP, façade and lifts,” said Dubai programme

manager and senior vice presi-dent Syed Hussainy.

“We will be taking on more than fi ve to six contractors in each category, this being a 1.85 million m2 integrated develop-ment and one of the most sophis-

ticated projects Dubai has ever seen. Construction workers will be able to carry out works across the development as each of the towers have the same design.

“We will let companies know who have won the contracts

around September – October time this year.”

The project itself is set to be a world class, mixed-use, sus-tainable development consist-ing of several smaller podium buildings and four towers, joined together by a single ‘sky palace’ component at the 72nd and 73rd levels.

Overlooking the Palm Jumeirah in the heart of the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone, the site will provide a mixture of residential and offi ce space for thousands of people.

Cantilever has already been chosen to supply its jump form system for the formwork on the project, and post-tensioning spe-cialist VSL has been signed up to lift the pre-constructed ‘sky palace’ from the podium level to the top of the buildings.

Maintenance of power lines in Kuwait is being increased in an attempt to end the country’s blackout crisis.

Power lines will be preserved in hope of reducing the effect of whether changes and humidity on conductivity, a senior offi cial has said.

Kuwait to tackle blackout crisis FM services“The power crisis is a national

crisis,” the Minister of Electricity and Water Bader Al Shreiaan said in comments published by KUNA News Agency.

“Citizens need to understand all aspects of the problem, realise the part they have to play, and take part in the solutions.”

The ministry replaced 750 power converters so far this summer and will install units that could sustain high temperatures and boost output to 300%.

The minister also reviewed measures to launch electronic bill payment through K-NET company services.

“The ministry installed pre-payment power meters for several commercial establishments and smart meters for other sectors,” he said.

“There is also an agreement that a citizen is not to be served and his papers if he is shown to be delin-quent in paying his power bills.”

NEWS ROUND UP


Issuer: Central Tenders CommitteeTender No: R/241Description: General maintenance of highways in KuwaitCloses: July 4Fees: KD600Contact: Central Tenders Commit-tee, Ministry of Public Works

Issuer: Central Tenders CommitteeTender No: RFP-2149Description: Maintenance services for a fi re fi ghting system in Kuwait.Closes: July 11Fees: KD2000Contact: Central Tenders Commit-tee, Kuwait Oil Company

Issuer: Rural Areas Electricity Company Tender No: 149/2010Description: Operation and mainte-nance of Masirah Island Power and Desalination Plant.Closes: July 5Fees: OR800Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Rural Areas Electricity Company Tender No: 153/2010Description: Operation and main-tenance of power and desalination plants in Oman.Closes: July 12Fees: OR1500Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Ministry of Transport and CommunicationTender No: 189/2010Description: Annual maintenance of track roads in Al Wusta Region.Closes: August 2Fees: OR375Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Saline Water Conversion CorporationTender No: SH/R/C/023Description: Cleaning and extensive assessment of tanks conditions.Closes: Jul 20Fees: SR500Contact: www.swcc.gov.sa

Facilities operations at the World Cup are being managed using software from Archibus, a global developer of infrastruc-ture, real estate and facilities management solutions.

In coalition with Southern Af-rican Investments and Stade de France, Archibus was awarded the maintenance contract for the 360,000m2, 56,000-seater Green Point Stadium in Cape Town.

The software, which offers space planning management, move management, asset man-agement, workplace services and environmental and risk management has also been used at the Wimbledon Tennis Cham-pionships and the Melbourne Cricket Club.

“Using Archibus, we have a greater understanding of the complexity and number of assets across the various sites, helping to ensure that all of the plants are maintained to guar-

antee effectiveness. With the system we simplify the process, ensure cost-effectiveness and identify the locations of all key assets easily,” said buildings and services manager John Cox.

TENDERSArchibus has been awarded a maintenance contract for the Green Point stadiumFM goal for SA World Cup

Software will provide planning and asset management to the arena in Cape Town.

Tecom Investments director Sougata Nandi.

Facilities management contrib-utes to 73% of Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) points, an industry expert has said.

Speaking at the Healthcare Facilities Management confer-ence 2010, Tecom Investments director of sustainable energy and environment vision Sougata Nandi stressed that a green build-ing is created by operation and maintenance, not master-plans.

He said 14 points are available under the water effi ciency cat-egory of the LEED rating system

FM accounts for 73% of LEED points

and good facilities management contributes to 100% of these points.

In terms of energy and atmo-sphere, FM can help clients gain

29 out of a possible 35 points and nine out of 10 points for energy-effi cient materials and resources.

Nandi added that facilities man-agement must be implemented at the design stage of a project.

“If you are not implementing FM at design stage then you are committing suicide.”

Tecom has completed three ‘green’ buildings including the Sil-ver rated Omnicom Media Group head-offi ce and Dubai Interna-tional Academic City Phase 3, and the Platinum certifi ed manage-ment offi ces for Tecom.

Khidmah has won the facilities services contract to manage MAG214, part of the Jumeirah Lake Towers project in Dubai. The Abu-Dhabi based com-pany signed the agreement with MAG Group Property

Khidmah slashes facilities management contract by 40%Development after offering services that would reduce the fi xed costs of the contract by 40% from the previous year.

“The addition of MAG214 to the portfolio of developments we manage confi rms our

strong emerging position in the Dubai market,” said Khid-mah CEO Sutton Turner.

Khidmah will provide ser-vices to the common areas of MAG214 including cleaning, MEP, landscaping and security.

MIDDLE EAST FM OF THE YEAR JAWED KHAN, IDAMA FACILITIES SERVICES, WINNER OF THE

WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE

For more information or view picture of the FM Awards 2010, please visit

www.constructionweekonline.com/fmawards/


SUSTAINABILITY

The majority of working profes-sionals in the Middle East are demanding greener offi ces, a spot poll has revealed.

The survey, conducted by Bayt.com, found that 88% of employees would prefer a more sustainable workplace, while 10% said it did not matter to them.

“This poll has given a remark-able insight into professionals’ attitudes in the Middle East with regard to environmental friendliness. The fact that the vast majority consider having a greener offi ce vital illustrates the signifi cance of this study,” said Bayt.com CEO Rabea Ataya.

The Green offi ces in the Mid-dle East report also found that only 4% of employers encourage

recycling paper, while 30% do not adopt to any form of environmen-tally friendly action.

Sixteen percent of profes-sionals stated they were aware of measures needed in order to establish a green workplace, while more than half of them (57%) were not familiar with the sustainable concept, but were interested in learning more.

“These fi ndings show that professionals in the region do take actual interest in adopting environmentally friendly prac-tices. However, many of them have never been introduced or exposed to such concepts, which is an issue that clearly needs to be addressed in the Middle East,” added Ataya. Only 4% of employers in the region encourage recycling paper in the workplace.

A district cooling system distributes chilled water from a central source to multiple buildings.

District cooling company Qatar Cool has won two indus-try awards in the US for its energy saving efforts.

The company received the gold award at the Internation-al District Energy Associa-tion (IDEA) for the number

Qatar will host an exhibition showcasing environment protection and sustainable technologies in September.

EcoQ is planned to attract international companies from sectors such as recycling, waste management, environmental consultancy and green buildings.

“The Climate Change Sum-mit, held in Copenhagen last year, sent a strong and clear message about the environ-mental damages. EcoQ will refl ect on that by present-ing the latest technologies and products, which help in protecting the environment, to business and institutions in Qatar,” said Haitham Shehab, general manager of the organ-ising company, Stallion.

The exhibition will be held at the Doha Exhibitions Centre on September 17 to 19 and will occupy a space of 10,000m2.

Qatar Cool wins international energy awardsQatar to host eco-friendly expo this September

of buildings committed to district energy during 2009 and the silver award for the total building area committed to district energy.

“Qatar Cool is very proud to have received these awards as it is wonderful recogni-

tion of the commitment our board and staff have made to provide a quality, world-class service to our customers and the people of Qatar,” Qatar Cool general manager Fayad Al Khatib, who picked up the awards last month.

He told delegates at the 101st IDEA annual conference that while Qatar had one of the largest carbon footprints per head of population in the world, district cooling schemes will contribute to signifi cant reductions of that footprint, through consider-able electricity savings and reduced impact on the envi-ronment as a whole.

Qatar Cool will have the largest district cooling plant in the world, when its newest facility on The Pearl, Qatar is inaugurated in November this year.

Middle East calls for greener offi cesA survey has found that 88% of employees in the region would prefer a more sustainable workplace


SAFETY&SECURITY

Dubai plans to spend US $136 million (AED500 million) to boost the quality of surveil-lance in the emirate.

The city is to have secu-rity cameras installed “every-where”, a chief police offi cer told The National.

“We need to work according to a well-studied strategic plan and not only react to events as they come along,” said Lieuten-ant General Dahi Khalfan, refer-

ring to a top Hamas commander who was killed in January.

Dubai currently has 25,000 security cameras, but that number will increase as the police begin installing a new type of smart camera that can rotate to cover what were once “dead spots”.

“Surveillance needs to be ramped up to meet the growing requirements of an expanding city,” added Khalfan. Dubai currently has 25,000 security cameras, but that number is set to increase this year.

FSG currently has 2000 security guards and offers services such as security and health training, due diligence, debt recovery and guarding.

Dubai’s First Security Group (FSG) plans to fi nance a US $95 million (AED350 million) train-ing academy.

The project would handle thousands of students and meet the region’s need for training in the private security industry.

Construction is set to start next year and will spread over a land plot of around 74,300m2.

FSG has 2000 security guards and offers services such as

Boubyan Bank has received an ISO security management certifi cate for its efforts in pro-tecting confi dential data.

The award caps the Kuwait-based bank’s ability to fulfi ll international criteria set out by the British Standards Institution, a senior offi cial said.

“This achievement is ascer-tained by the development of our banking techniques in line with our strategy, whereby informa-tion technology is considered as the invisible backbone for the banking services and manage-ment,” explained Boubyan Bank general manager of consumer banking and retail support Nazem Al Qenae.

Any disruption in the qual-ity, quantity, distribution or relevance of information systems can put a business at risk from attack. The security of informa-tion systems and business-criti-cal information must therefore be actively managed.

IT group head, Kurien Varghese, added that the ISO 27001:2005 certifi cation is one of the most important international certifi cations on information technology security.

FSG eyes US $95 million developmentKuwaiti bank achieves security certifi cate

security and health training, due diligence, debt recovery and guarding.

Once the project is built, the Dubai Police and Civil Defence authorities will also lend their expertise to the million dollar training academy.

The development could take three years to complete.

FSG, together with its joint venture partner Specialist Training Australia, is a provider

of entry level security training approved by Dubai Police.

In July 2007, the company announced the launch of its fi rst Training Centre facility at the Gold & Diamond Park.

“The opening of this dedi-cated security training facility will expand our reach in the local security training mar-ket,” said FSG chief executive and board member Abdul Aziz Al Bannai.

Dubai security must be “ramped up” Security cameras are to be installed “everywhere,” according to a top police chief in the emirate


SANITATION&WASTE

Illegal dumping of waste has destroyed much of Bahrain’s marine life, environmentalists have said.

Building materials, truck tyres and fishing nets are among the items that have been thrown into the sea and threatening the survival of the coral reef of f the coast of the Gulf state.

“There are bricks and bro-ken concrete blocks on and around the reef and because of this [many parts of the reef are] no longer blue and orange and dif ferent colours but they are grey and dying,” Bahrain-based environmental-ist Ben van Hoogan told Gulf Daily News.

van Hoogen, who also works for the Seal Rescue Rehabilita-tion in Holland is organising monthly clean-up drives to remove the rubbish from the sea bed.

“The coastguard doesn’t have the time to do this, they need to be able to arrest those ships that are dumping these materials and then give them heavy fi nes.

“You can’t express the amount of damage caused in money. It is robbing the resources of fishermen, the environment, and tourism. And, this pollution will back-fire on the water we eventu-ally take from the sea,” van Hoogen insisted. Truck tyres and fi shing nets are among the items that have been thrown into the sea.

Sea quarrying has helped keep the water clean off the coast of Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah.

Property developer Rakeen has had an ecological challenge on its hands to complete the major-ity of the infrastructure work for the man-made Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah.

The company has overseen 80% of the two-phase infrastruc-ture stage for the US $1.79 bil-lion (AED6.6 billion), fi ve-island project, which has included sand pumping and deep sea quarry-ing to keep the water clear and the marine life untroubled.

“It was hard to imagine that you can create islands out of nothing without destroying the surrounding ecosystem, but we have been able to achieve that and we will remain committed to protect the natural environ-ment,” said Rakeen technical director Yehia Kambris.

Kumho Industrial from South Korea was contracted for phase one for Peninsula Island

RAK’s Rakeen keeps it clean for man-made island1 and 2, and has been working on the project since Septem-ber 2008.

Rakeen appointed Dredg-ing International to undertake all dredging work for RAK’s fi rst man-made island. The

company uses a 3D model of the break-water armour rock design for island No. 3 and 4, which specifi es the size, dimensions and location of the individual rock weight and size in the break-water.

Waste destroys Bahrain’s marine lifeBuilding materials have been dumped into the sea and damaged much of the GCC state’s coral reef

“This computer model inter-faced with the satellite station, which in turn transmitted the data to the rock installation machines screen showing the machine operator the exact type of rock required for the speci-fi ed location,” said Kambris.

He added that this was pref-erable to “hostile dredging”, instead using surface fi ll with coarse earth material.

The fi rst development to be completed on the island is Rakeen’s mixed-use project Bab Al Bahr, which will be completed by December 2010. There will be six residential pyramid-shaped buildings, which are now in the fi nal stages of construction.

“The towers are in an advanced stage of construction and will be delivered in Q3 2010,” said Rakeen managing director Ghassan Youssef.


SANITATION&WASTE

Abu Dhabi’s Regulation and Supervision Bureau (RSB) has launched two new regula-tions, which will af fect the region’s wastewater sector, it has been announced.

The independent regulatory body for water and electricity has initiated the Trade Effl uent Control Regulations 2010, which will govern all non-domestic dis-charges into the emirate’s sewer-age system, and the Recycled Water and Biosolids Regulations 2010, set to create standards for wastewater treatment.

Both sets of guidelines came into effect last month.

“These two regulations are among the most important the Bureau has issued since we were

established over ten years ago. Abu Dhabi now has a mecha-nism in place to ensure the highest international standards of recycled water and biosolids. This is helped, in part, by a check for the fi rst time on what businesses are putting into the sewerage system,” said RSB director general Nick Carter.

Under the trade effl uent regulations, wastewater operat-ing companies, including ADSSC and ZonesCorp, are empowered to require companies to obtain consent for their wastewater before discharging it into the sewerage system.

Meanwhile, the recycled water regulations require sewerage services companies to guarantee The two sets of regulations were released by Abu Dhabi’s Regulation and Supervision Bureau.

Jordan is considered one of the top ten most water-scarce countries in the world.

High rise buildings in Am-man, Jordan will soon bear all the costs of water and sewage networks, the Minister of Water and Irrigation has said.

Speaking on a local radio programme, “Amman this Morning”, Mohammad Al Najjar said that whenever towers are erected within the modernisa-tion plans of the ministry, a percentage of the impact of such buildings on the network expan-sions shall be calculated and charged to the concerned party.

The Ministry has fi nalised future plans and projects for the water sector, and “these undertakings shall be executed at the beginning of the coming year, and will require sizeable fi nancial investments.”

Such investments are to address all the problems that the water sector in Jordan is suffering from.

A top American engineers’ body has lauded low-cost toilet technology developed by India’s NGO Sulabh International. Dr Bindeshwar Pathak and his team from Sulabh International have developed an indigenous two-pit toilet technology that can also be used in producing biogas.

In India, more people have access to mobile phones than to toilets, according to a recent study by the UN.

The World Environment & Water Resources Congress, or-ganised by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) at Providence, Rhodes Island said the low-cost sanitation technol-ogy will make a difference in the lives of millions.

Delivering the keynote ad-dress at the congress, Dr Pathak said the NGO Sulabh Interna-tional would soon launch its sani-tation campaign in 50 countries.

Buildings charged for sewage disruption US engineers laud low-cost Indian toilets

The Minister said that the fi rst step is represented in the rehabilitation of all the water and sewage networks in the capital and the rest of the gover-norates, with proper diameters for the new water recourses, in addition to readiness to

Abu Dhabi launches wastewater regsSewerage services companies in the emirate must guarantee the quality of water delivered to end-users

the quality of the wastewater delivered to users.

“With input from such a broad range of interested parties we have strong support from within

the sector for the new legal framework. We look forward to working closely with all wastewa-ter licencees to ensure effective compliance,” added Carter.

absorb the mounting building and population increase in the Middle Eastern country.

Jordan is considered one of the top ten most water-scarce countries in the world and residents are subject to severe water restrictions.

ANALYSIS

18 July 2010

Everybody is talking about sustainabil-ity. Sustainable power, sustainable water,

sustainable infrastructure. The problem with sustainability in UAE construction is that there is no set way of implementing the right solutions, and under a renewed pressure to go green, developers and property owners across the region are frantically retrofi tting their buildings and structures with sustainable systems, or else not investing in sustainable systems at all. Aside from being a somewhat costly procedure, retrofi tting has the added disadvantage of causing a great deal of discomfort and inconvenience to the end users of a building, from offi ce staff, to people in their own homes, to hotel guests.

One possible solution to the problem, being put forward by sustainability specialists currently, is to involve facilities management consultants at the beginning of a project – a practice relatively unheard of in the UAE until now. Manag-ing the general maintenance and operation of a building, ensuring effi ciency at all times, FM companies argue that they are in a good position to advise designers and developers on keeping energy consumption down, with a review to reducing operational costs and increasing the sustainability of buildings in the long run.

Simple though it seems, the idea of involving FM companies

at the start of a project inevitably brings with it a degree of contro-versy – with concerns over costs and confusion over services at the centre. But like most other developing industry-trends in the UAE, it is seems it is just a general lack of awareness as to the benefi ts and the possibilities of FM consultancy that is keep-ing the country behind the rest of Europe.

A backwards system Famous for launching some of the largest, tallest, fi rst and best projects in world, it may come as a surprise to some that the UAE could neglect to involve facilities management fi rms at the begin-ning of its projects with a view to improving energy effi ciency. Unfortunately, both sustainabil-

Sustainable construction: What’s holding the UAE back? Facilities Management Middle East looks at why involving FM companies at the start of a constructiontproject is the best way to ensure sustainable systems are implemented effectively.

Facilitating sustainability

ity and FM processes appear to have been put on the back-burner in recent years, creating widespread fears among energy experts of potential blackouts and high costs for businesses, not to mention the more obvious anxieties related to global warm-ing and climate change.

As an example, Honeywell’s business development director for the Middle East, Kyle Bashy, explains how currently 70% of properties in Dubai do not have motion sensors in place, even though this one piece of technol-ogy could save as much as 80% on a building’s energy consump-tion. “You walk into any building in Dubai and you’ll fi nd that most of them don’t have motion sensors to control the lights and air conditioning. This is essential

in somewhere like Dubai where 22% of all energy consumed is lighting and another 60% is air conditioning.”

Part of the problem with designing such systems into a project revolves around inaccu-rate assumptions about the price and long-term benefi ts of the sustainable systems themselves, as is the case with solar-powered water heating systems.

But the main issue, and a more worrying one, relates to inaccurate assumptions about the value of facilities manage-ment services generally, and in-evitably, as regards their ability to advise fi rms on sustainability and long-term energy effi ciency.

“In terms of facilities manage-ment, the UAE is a long way behind the likes of Europe and

www.constructionweekonline.com

Led lighting: FM firms recommend LED lighting at the start of a project to save energy costs in the long run.

ANALYSIS


the USA,” says Roger Swainson, the senior facility manager at Dubai-based FM consultants Focus International Life Cycle Management. “There is an ongoing struggle to convince developers of the advantages of facilities management, which we believe is due to a poor perception of FM in relation to money. Unlike a contractor who builds with money provided by the developer and usually has something to show for it, the values of FM are not so obvious, even though they are equally necessary.”

Separately, Swainson explains how there tends to be a short supply of new technologies, which can deter developers from implementing sustainable systems from the outset. “LED lighting for example is new to the Middle East, which means that if one were to visit lighting outlets in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, one would have diffi culty fi nding attractive LED light fi ttings, if any at all, even though LED light fi ttings have a number of advantages over incandestine or fl uorescent light fi ttings.”

Of course, there is also the issue of regulation. Damac’s vice president Niall McLoughlin believes FM involvement is essential in sustainability, but that currently, there may not be enough regulations in place to encourage collaborative work-ing. “As a progressive devel-oper, we believe that FM fi rms play an important role if they are involved from the design stage of a project. A sure way of increasing collaboration will be to upgrade various building codes to force all parties to work together on solutions.”

By contrast, in some Euro-pean countries, it is precisely these kinds of regulations which have been critical for installing technology such as solar-powered water heating systems.

general building maintenance, to the obvious costs of high levels of energy consumption, to that of damage to business reputation and the charges for retrofi tting itself, not working with FM fi rms comes at a price

“Solar systems are relatively easy to install if the project is designed to take solar,” explains John Owen of SOLE UAE Solar Systems. “In Greece every house and building is designed with solar systems in mind, as

one network, we started work one year before the project com-menced and insisted on involving FM fi rms. This solution requires very complex cabling works which would’ve made it impos-sible to install after the building was constructed.”

According to Swainson, neglecting facilities management also leads to a negative business reputation. “Poor or non-existent facilities management [at the start of a project] will inevitably lead to disgruntlement among tenants and owners of properties, which can harm the reputation of

Honeywell worked with facilities management consultants to implement energy efficient technology at Meydan, Dubai.

it is mandatory to utilise solar technology for all projects. So a villa has to have the piping on the roof ready for the solar system installation.”

The price of non-cooperationEvidently, the problems associ-ated with developers and facili-ties management companies not working together to imple-ment sustainable systems are extensive, though the primary concern among industry experts is the cost. From the expense of

to developers and clients alike.“If you don’t work with FM

fi rms to address sustainabil-ity at the design level,” Bashy explains. “It becomes extremely expensive to implement green technology further down the line, not to mention affecting the comfort of the end user during retrofi tting. For the Meydan development, where we implemented an IP converged solution which reduces energy consumption by running a large number of operations through

the client. It all depends on how much value a client places on his assets, and his reputation, as to whether facility management is considered important or not. Badly designed and maintained buildings can be a death sen-tence waiting to happen.”

How FM companies can helpAs a key facilities management consultancy in the Middle East, Focus International has been stressing the advantages of early FM involvement for some

“There is an ongoing struggle to convince developers of the

advantages of facilities management in the region”

- Roger Swainson

ANALYSIS

18 July 2010

Everybody is talking about sustainabil-ity. Sustainable power, sustainable water,

sustainable infrastructure. The problem with sustainability in UAE construction is that there is no set way of implementing the right solutions, and under a renewed pressure to go green, developers and property owners across the region are frantically retrofi tting their buildings and structures with sustainable systems, or else not investing in sustainable systems at all. Aside from being a somewhat costly procedure, retrofi tting has the added disadvantage of causing a great deal of discomfort and inconvenience to the end users of a building, from offi ce staff, to people in their own homes, to hotel guests.

One possible solution to the problem, being put forward by sustainability specialists currently, is to involve facilities management consultants at the beginning of a project – a practice relatively unheard of in the UAE until now. Manag-ing the general maintenance and operation of a building, ensuring effi ciency at all times, FM companies argue that they are in a good position to advise designers and developers on keeping energy consumption down, with a review to reducing operational costs and increasing the sustainability of buildings in the long run.

Simple though it seems, the idea of involving FM companies

at the start of a project inevitably brings with it a degree of contro-versy – with concerns over costs and confusion over services at the centre. But like most other developing industry-trends in the UAE, it is seems it is just a general lack of awareness as to the benefi ts and the possibilities of FM consultancy that is keep-ing the country behind the rest of Europe.

A backwards system Famous for launching some of the largest, tallest, fi rst and best projects in world, it may come as a surprise to some that the UAE could neglect to involve facilities management fi rms at the begin-ning of its projects with a view to improving energy effi ciency. Unfortunately, both sustainabil-

Sustainable construction: What’s holding the UAE back? Facilities Management Middle East looks at why involving FM companies at the start of a constructiontproject is the best way to ensure sustainable systems are implemented effectively.

Facilitating sustainability

ity and FM processes appear to have been put on the back-burner in recent years, creating widespread fears among energy experts of potential blackouts and high costs for businesses, not to mention the more obvious anxieties related to global warm-ing and climate change.

As an example, Honeywell’s business development director for the Middle East, Kyle Bashy, explains how currently 70% of properties in Dubai do not have motion sensors in place, even though this one piece of technol-ogy could save as much as 80% on a building’s energy consump-tion. “You walk into any building in Dubai and you’ll fi nd that most of them don’t have motion sensors to control the lights and air conditioning. This is essential

in somewhere like Dubai where 22% of all energy consumed is lighting and another 60% is air conditioning.”

Part of the problem with designing such systems into a project revolves around inaccu-rate assumptions about the price and long-term benefi ts of the sustainable systems themselves, as is the case with solar-powered water heating systems.

But the main issue, and a more worrying one, relates to inaccurate assumptions about the value of facilities manage-ment services generally, and in-evitably, as regards their ability to advise fi rms on sustainability and long-term energy effi ciency.

“In terms of facilities manage-ment, the UAE is a long way behind the likes of Europe and


Led lighting: facilities management firms recommend LED lighting at the start of a project to save energy costs in the long run.

ANALYSIS


The UAE Minister of Economy Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri announced in May that a draft federal arbitration law is expected

to be passed this year, which could attract future investment in the region.

Industries are expected to benefi t from the new bill, which is set to propose thorough regulation of domestic and in-

Lawyers in the UAE suggest how the anticipated draft federal arbitration law will affect the facilities management industry

Legal resolutionA service provider’s contractual life-cycle is usually lengthy and can last several years. It is therefore inevitable that disputes over payments or quality of work will arise during that time.

ternational arbitrations and the arbitration process as a whole.

So how will it affect the FM sector? A service provider’s contractual

life-cycle is usually lengthy and can last several years. It is therefore inevitable that disputes will arise during that time.

For example, the supplier may not be meeting guaranteed service levels, there

may be no agreed guaranteed service levels in the fi rst place and payments may not have been made for the service provider’s work.

Arbitration will still be used as a technique to resolve these disputes when the latest bill is approved, but contract lawyers in the Middle East are predicting that the new law will fi ll in some of the

ANALYSIS

July2010 23www.constructionweekonline.com

gaps, which have been missing impor-tant guidelines.

“Up until present, different centers of arbitration across the seven emirates have set down their own arbitrary regimes, leading to a great deal of discrepancy and uncertainty for parties in dispute,” says Galadari and Associates senior legal consultant for projects and construction Leonora Riesenburg.

Some positive initiatives under the legis-lation include the incorporation of a fairer process of selection of an arbitrator.

“The parties at dispute are given more sway over the organisation and formation of the panel, with the court of law only having to be called upon to fi ll any gap that might occur in the case of failure to

“Centers of arbitration have set down their own regimes,

leading to discrepancy” - Leonora Riesenburg

agree. These provisions seek to redress issues of confl ict of interest and integ-rity in the justice framework,” explains Riesenburg.

The new bill will also give parties the right to elect an arbitrator before the work starts, as well as at the time of dispute. Currently, if the client and FM contractor prefer to adopt arbitration as a method of resolving disputes, they must say so when

they are negotiating contractual terms.“This is a wholly new revolutionary con-

cept. In theory the parties will therefore be entitled to vary the original ‘dispute resolution’ terms and conditions. In the case of non-agreement the remit will be with the tribunal,” she adds.

Another benefi t clients and FM contrac-tors can gain from the legislation is that, subject to certain specifi ed exceptions, the arbitration award will be deemed fi nal and binding. This eliminates the risk of court proceedings after the event. Arbitral awards on late payment will therefore bring the matter to a timely close.

The draft law is also set to incorporate precise time limits for the duration of a hearing, as Clyde & Co associate Elise Gillians explains: “At present, unless the parties agree otherwise, or a court order is obtained extending the time limit, an ar-bitrator or tribunal must issue its decision within six months. This is rarely desir-able, particularly for more complex dis-putes. The new law allows the arbitrator or tribunal to extend this period without recourse to the court for a further period of up to six months. In terms of practical-ity, I see this as a change for the better.”

The bill is also set to lay down details regarding the procedure that should be followed during an arbitration process, according to Gillians.

“If parties have agreed on arbitration, but have not agreed on a set of arbitra-tion rules which determine

July2010 23

the procedure, there will be less room for argument as to how the arbitration is to be conducted. Again, these kinds of disputes lead to wasted time and greater costs for both parties.”

In addition, it is anticipated that the draft law will impact foreign arbitration awards and make them more easily en-forced against companies in the UAE.

“The draft has not been made public yet, but in general terms, if you have a services company that is based in the UAE and you are a foreign entity who has a management contract or supply contract and you wish to have any disputes with that company determined by arbitration outside of the UAE, then the new law may make it easier to secure an award abroad and enforce it here in the UAE against that local company,” suggests Kilpatrick Stockton managing partner Tom Wilson.

“Bear in mind, however, that the law may not have application to disputes that are already in an arbitrational process before the new law is passed. It will be interesting to see how the law deals with this.”

ANALYSIS

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A legal technique used to resolve disputes outside the courts. A third party reviews the case and imposes a decision that is legally binding. Lawyers have said that the new bill will consist of 63 detailed articles divided into nine chapters. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have arbitration centres – the Dubai International Arbitration Centre and the Abu Dhabi Conciliation and Arbitration Centre. Drafters of the new law are taking feedback from these centres.

ARBITRATION

control over the arbitration process when compared with those of other countries.”

But Riesenburg suggests that the draft bill will offer a fairer process for arbitral tribunals: “They will be given the au-tonomy that is arguably currently amiss. This includes the jurisdiction to deliver preliminary, interim, interlocutory, partial and fi nal awards and costs,” she explains.

“This does not however mean that parties will be barred from recourse to the court for urgent or interlocutory applications; which is the current practice. How the two will be reconciled will be of great interest.”

The draft law remains subject to con-sultation and legislators will be given the opportunity to amend details before the bill is passed. However, from the brief that has been seen so far, it seems that legal professionals are happy with the changes.

“All in all I would say that the major-ity of the changes which will be brought about by the draft arbitration law are, though subtle, welcome to the region,”

says Gillians.“The key benefi t of the draft law is that, being signifi cantly more

detailed than the current law, it will bring greater clarity as to the legal provisions which ap-ply to arbitration in the UAE.”

And, Wilson adds: “The law may steam-line the

24 July 2010

Systech International

associate director

Philip Adams

Clyde &Co associate for Middle East projects Elise Gillians. Kilpatrick Stockton managing partner Tom Wilson.

It has been said that the law is based on international arbitral legislation, as well as the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law’s Model Law (UNICITRAL) and the IBA Guidelines on confl icts of interest.

“The federal law seeks to reinforce international standards to ensure that whenever there is an arbitration [hear-ing] in the UAE, the proceedings will be natural for all international practitioners and participants. Hence, one of the aims is to promote the region as an international arbitration location,” says Systech Interna-tional associate director Philip Adams.

It is feared, however, that although the model will apply to all arbitration, whether domestic or global, “the cut and paste ex-ercise” of basing the law on international sources “will lead to anomaly and ambigu-ity,” according to Riesenburg.

And, the draft law is not without its drawbacks, says Gillians: “The courts of the UAE will retain a higher degree of

process for enforcing arbitration awards rendered here in the UAE.”

Riesenburg also agrees that the model is “sound and progressive,” but stresses the importance of front-end legal advice.

“Federal laws have their limitations, and indeed it is rare that any arm of the justice system will or should interfere with the parties’ original intentions. Intervention is the exception and not the rule,” she says.

“The majority of the changes are welcome to

the region” - Elise Gillians

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INTERVIEW


INTERVIEW


INTERVIEW


Taller in more ways

Being responsible for the day to day management of the tallest building in the world would usually be enough work for one person to han-dle. But, for Ali Al Suwaidi this is just one task on his long list of priorities.

Not only is he the senior director for operations at

the Burj Khalifa, but he has also helped set up the newly launched Middle East Facilities Manage-ment Association (MEFMA), and conducts regular FM related lec-tures on behalf of the Real Estate

Regulatory Authority (RERA) in the UAE.

“As part of the new [jointly owned property] law that is coming in to place, anybody who wants to get a license has to go to three different lectures. One is about the law itself, one about owners as-sociations and one about facilities management,” he says.

“This is very time consuming - I have to talk for four hours in front of 40 people. But, the attendees are very happy about what we share with them because we provide practical knowledge and, rather

than using theories from Europe, we talk about FM in Dubai. We share secrets with them – this how the industry will improve. There shouldn’t be any secrets.”

Early careerMulti-tasking is nothing new to Su-waidi. In fact, he was still studying the FM trade whilst maintaining critical power systems for the UAE telecom operator Etisilat in 1997.

“I decided to improve my com-munication skills so I completed my MBA at the American Univer-sity of Sharjah,” he refl ects.

The man behind the Burj Khalifa’s complex facilities management operations refl ects on his ambitious career-path that led him to the

most challenging role of his life

INTERVIEW

28 July 2010

During the fi rst six months of his stud-ies, Suwaidi shifted roles in the company to look after the health and safety depart-ment. And, at the same time, he com-pleted his international safety manage-ment diploma. It was at this point that he realised that a career in the FM industry was defi nitely for him.

“I wanted to be one of the pioneers who lead the industry and take it to next level,” he says.

In 2006 Suwaidi moved on to set up a fully outsourced FM model for Etisi-lat’s rival company Du. He brought in a consultant from South Africa and put out a tender for facilities services.

“I took all my experience in health and safety and added it together with my background in business admin and engi-neering to set up FM for Du,” he adds.

One year later, Suwaidi joined facilities management company Imdaad. There, it was his responsibility to ensure opera-tional ef ficiency across all areas of the company, as well as educating existing and potential customers about facilities management and the role of the organi-sation as a whole.

“Moreover, I believed that transpar-ency and credibility was very important. So I started attending FM events to ensure that we took a practical approach to elevate the sector.”

The BurjDuring his early career, Suwaidi over-came a number of diffi cult obstacles. But, it was when he fi rst started work at the Burj Khalifa that he faced his biggest professional hurdle.

“I was very happy to get the job at the Burj Khalifa. I was delighted,” he insists. But, at the same time, I knew it would be a big challenge. There is a lot of science that goes into the project that my team and I need to capture,” he explains.

Indeed, the Burj Khalifa is demanding when it comes to facilities management,

more so than the usual 40-story buildings or small communities tend to be.

Every day the tower can expect up to 12,000 people to pass through its doors, according to Suwaidi, and managing residents can prove to be the biggest challenge for the director.

“The building is transitioning. People have already started taking over the corporate offi ces and doing fi t-outs. We have to ensure that we give them the right guidelines and implement health and safety procedures because people are living in the building while professionals are fi tting-out their offi ces.”

Logistical challenges can also crop up when people and materials are making their way to some of the tallest offi ces and residential units in the world. Luck-ily, the Burj’s FM team addressed these challenges with solutions.

“We have the tallest elevator in the world and the fastest double-cabin eleva-tor in the world, which moves at 10m per second. We have elevators for different zones – three zones of residents, one zone for the hotel, and two zones for corporate offi ces,” explains Suwaidi.

“Otis maintains the lifts in accordance with best practice and civil defense regulations. Its employees are well trained of course, and it is an interna-tional team.”

Suwaidi is also in charge of organising preventative maintenance for the mam-moth structure’s plant and machinery. And, with so much ground to cover, moni-toring electrical and cooling equipment can be prove to be a hefty task.

The total connected electrical load the Burj Khalifa can manage at one time is 80MW – enough to power 1.3 million 60W light bulbs. The maximum demand load at any one time is estimated at 40MW to 45MW, and this can vary dependent on the level of occupancy inside the tower.

In terms of air conditioning, a district cooling plant delivers cold water to the building. The tower’s chilled water sys-tem is a closed loop, with pumps circulat-ing the chilled water at the rate of 1200 litres per second.

And water isn’t wasted either. In order to minimise pump pressures there are further heat exchangers situated at plant rooms within the tower.

“People have already started taking over the corporate offi ces and

doing fi t-outs. We have to ensure that we give

them the right guidelines and implement health

and safety procedures”

Fifteen million gallons of that water is then collected from condensation and used for groundskeeping.

“Also, solar panels heat up the hot water used in the building and save us up to 30% of electricity,” says Suwaidi.

“We are doing more [to be sustainable] – like publish-ing our energy report and sharing it with our management.”

Around 15 types of services provided at the Burj Khal-ifa, including cleaning and groundskee-

facilities services at the Burj Khalifa are outsourced

15

INTERVIEW


“We didn’t want to train other companies to learn about the security system

because we built it”

ALI AL SUWAIDISuwaidi graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Toledo, Ohio before beginning his professional FM career at the UAE-based telecoms company Etisilat in 1997. He completed an MBA at the University of Sharjah in 2004 and became facilities manage-ment for Du in 2006 and executive director for Imdaad in 2007. He left Imdaad in 2009 and became the senior director of operations at the Burj Khalifa.

INTERVIEW

ping, are outsourced, but the senior direc-

tor and his team of 27 have their own building

management system and implement key

performance indicators and service level agree-

ments, which must be met by subcontractors.

“We have to make sure they match with our pro-

cesses and we check what their capabilities are and what experience they have – this is

very, very important to us. Then of course, we

have to ensure that our

out-

sourced service providers are flexible,” says Suwaidi.

Façade cleaning of the tower is car-ried out from cradles suspended from building maintenance units. The podium level is cleaned from a cradle attached to telescopic arm machines and abseiling techniques are needed to clean 50m at the top of the building.

And, each ‘cleaning’ of the Burj takes around eight to 12 weeks to complete.

All security process and systems, how-ever, are operated in-house.

“We didn’t want to train other companies to learn about the

security system because we built it. Also, we try to

minimise the amount of guards at

the Burj to make the

INTERVIEW


system more automated. It’s not all about physical security.”

Juggling responsibilitiesDuring his time at the Burj Khalifa, Su-waidi has also been involved in external projects including MEFMA, a not-for-profi t organisation which is set to change the future of FM in the region.

The group, comprising 13 board mem-bers was offi cially launched at the FM Expo in May this year.

“Myself and seven or eight people worked hard with RERA to establish MEFMA. We went to RERA when the cri-

sis took place and they said that we need a non-profi t association that will help us get feedback from the market before FM regulations are launched.”

So what will it bring to the market? “A lot of things,” he says. “Knowledge, benchmarking, training, awareness, and of course it will assist the government with FM regulations.”

But, when asked if MEFMA will be-come a member of Global FM, which has teamed up with associations from the UK and Australia, Suwaidi responded with an out-right no.

“We want to be independent. We will cooperate with them, but we have our own agenda in the Middle East. We are an independent not-for-profi t association, rather than part of another association.”

The world of FM is not how it used to be 13 years ago; technologies, systems and solutions have evolved. But, accord-ing to Suwaidi, some changes made in the industry, which have happened since

MEFMAThe Middle East Facility Management Association is a non-profi t association initiated by RERA in 2009. Headed by Imdaad CEO Jamal Lootah, the organisation aims at establishing a platform of knowledge and best practice for the FM industry.

“Now, everybody is looking at the effi ciency

and reliability of services. Nobody wants to pay for breakdowns

so people are looking at preventing”

Suwaidi conducts several facilities management-related lectures on behalf of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority. He says that the public have responded well to his classes.

the start of his career, have not been for the better.

“When there was a boom in the real estate sector the FM industry was affected because nobody looked at the quality of the buildings,” he says, adding that the sector is starting to see some improvement.

“Now, everybody is looking at the effi -ciency and reliability of services. Nobody wants to pay for breakdowns so people are looking at preventing.”

Few could argue with that.

CASE STUDY


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In the fi rst of a series of case studies Facilities Management Middle East discovers how Sheikh Khalifa Medical City is operated and what it takes to manage a hospital in the Middle East

CASE STUDYCASE STUDY


CASE STUDY


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The importance of FM in a hotel, of-fi ce block or residential unit is signifi -cant. But, when it comes to hospitals, it is a matter of life and death.

Running a healthcare facility requires advanced systems, technical knowledge, complex solutions and a team with the abil-ity to focus on the core medical activities.

Every single detail from lighting control down to the mopping of the fl oors contributes to a healing environment for patients, and services that are sometimes overlooked in regular buildings cannot afford to be neglected inside a hospital.

Fortunately, it seems that facilities man-agement at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) in Abu Dhabi is in safe hands.

“When you are staying at a hotel, you’re in a good mood because you don’t have to work and you have better morale. So, you will see things in a positive light. When you enter a hospital you are sick and so our job is to provide an environ-

ment where a patient feels immediately relaxed,” explains SKMC director of facilities and construction management Stephen Bridgman.

“We are trying to use the physical envi-ronment to help with patient care.”

SKMC, which is owned by SEHA, the newly established Abu Dhabi health services company, consists of a 568-bed tertiary hospital, 14 outpatient specialty clinics and Abu Dhabi Blood Bank.

It also manages six family medicine clinics, two walk-in clinics, two dental

centres, and an urgent care centre, which are distributed around the emirate.

Plant, machinery and utilitiesLike with any major infi rmary, SKMC’s equipment is machinery monitored 24/7 and doesn’t wait to breakdown before it is fi xed or replaced.

For instance, it is crucial that elevators are maintained for reasons that are spe-cifi c to a hospital’s needs, as SEHA facility planning and construction manager Dr Abdelmadjid Bensalem points out: “If lifts breakdown then there is a problem because medicine, food and diagnostic results need to be delivered to patients at specifi c times.”

“We always have to look at travelling times and how quickly doctors and nurses are moving from point to point.”

And, the building’s utilities are man-aged in such a way that the plant and equipment never loses power supply.

FM professionals at SKMC must make sure all plant, machinery and equipment at the hospital is monitored 24/7 and that the facility is squeaky clean. This is a matter of life and death.

“When someone is on a life-support machine the power has to be on, it

can’t go off.”- Stephen Bridgman

CASE STUDY


CASE STUDY


“When someone is on a life-support machine the power has to be on, it can’t go off,” explains Bridgman.

“The Abu Dhabi distribution com-pany provides us with three different lines of power from independent places decreasing the probability of a cut off by three times. If all three of those fail then we have back up generators. And, if the worse thing happens and all the power lines and generators fail, then the life-support machines have UPS backup systems which immediately pop on if there is a complete power failure. These are complicated systems.”

Another utility, which can lead to disastrous consequences if not properly monitored is medical gas.

This is a piped system which is re-sponsible for supplying oxygen, nitrous oxide – supplied to surgical suites for its

which, according to Bensalem are prop-erly monitored at all SEHA clinics.

“The walls are coated with anti-fungal and anti-bacterial paint. Even the fl oor coverings are anti-allergenic.”

Bridgman and his facilities manage-ment team outsource these services to subcontractors, whose work is then monitored by the facility’s support ser-vices department.

“There are people doing the work and there is people checking, and then there are checkers of the checkers. So it’s a highly integrated process and it goes from the CEO and COO all the way down to the individual people,” he says.

ContractsOther services, such as security, are also outsourced for the benefi t of SKMC.

“When you hire a company, you get the intelligence and experience of an entire company rather than one individual. Also, by outsourcing, the hospital can focus on its core activities – providing healthcare,” Bridgman adds.

Contractors are prequalifi ed and evaluated based on technical and fi nancial skills so that SKMC gets the best value.


Bridgman: SKMC has pack up generators and electrical lines at the hospital so we can rule out the risk of a power cut.

SEHA facilities development and

maintenance manager Ali Al Qamzi.

anesthetic functions, nitrogen – used to power surgical equipment, medical air – supplied by a special air compressor to patient care areas using clean outside air, and carbon dioxide – typically used to infl ate or suspend tissues during surgery.

The pressure within each gas delivery system is constantly regulated at SKMC.

“Medical gases are very important for health, but they can also be dangerous so we have to consider safety issues at all times,” reports Bridgman.

And SEHA facilities development and maintenance manager Ali Al Qamzi seconds this argument: “Sometimes we need 100% fresh air. It is dependent on the function of the room, for example an operating theatre. You wouldn’t have these stringent requirements in a ‘nor-mal’ building.”

Cleaning and infection controlArguably the most important facilities services inside a hospital are cleaning and infection control,

The number of beds at SKMC

568

CASE STUDY


Also, senior electrical engineers, senior mechanical engineers and security of-fi cers within the FM department manage the subcontractors on a day to day basis.

“They work on a two year contract and if they are not meeting our requirements then we take on another contractor,” explains Bensalem.

IT systems and solutionsBuilding management systems and elec-tronic monitors regulate complex heating and cooling systems, within SKMC.

A hospital needs air fl ow to keep away infections and reduce viral and bacterial growth, and rooms need to be kept at specifi c temperatures.

Freezers, which store blood and bone marrow, must also be monitored, as any warming of patient samples could render them useless.

“SKMC has done a great job, thanks to SEHA’s initiative on upgrading our entire IT packages. The technology is catching up,” says Bridgman.

But, it is the FM team who serve as the overall building electrical systems and mechanical systems coordinators to make sure they provide the best environment for their guests.

The director and the section head of building maintenance Ahmed Al Nu-aimi are in charge of committees so any

problems the hospital’s staff may have are quickly resolved.

“I have great staff so I manage them and respond to all the queries, the ques-tions of the healthcare professionals, visitors and the patients. Ahmed and I share duties on different committees,

Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) is located in Abu Dhabi and operates under the management of Cleveland Clinic. SKMC is owned by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, recently established to oversee operations of all public hospitals in the Emirate. The hospital is the fl agship institution for the public health system in Abu Dhabi and has several ‘Centers of Excellence’, and aspires to practice contemporary medicine comparable to the best hospitals and medical centers in the world. SKMC provides comprehensive healthcare services in all of the disciplines relevant to the needs and priorities of the community to attain the highest levels of patient satisfaction. It consists of a 568-bed Tertiary Hospital, 14 outpatient specialty clinics and Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, all of which are accredited by the Joint Commission International. In addition, SKMC manages a 125-bed Behavioral Sciences Pavilion, six family medicine clinics, two walk-in clinics, two dental centers, and an urgent care center distributed over the city of Abu Dhabi.

ABOUT SHEIKH KHALIFA MEDICAL CITY

SKMC head of building maintenance Ahmed Al Nuaimi.The new Mafraq Hospital won the best sustainable hospital project award last month at the Hospital Build Exhibition, Dubai.

“The walls are coated with anti-fungal and anti-bacterial paint. Even the fl oor coverings are anti-

allergenic.”- Abdelmadjid Bensalem

such as safety committees, where they need a facilities person involved,” Bridg-man reports.

“All of our staff know that they can report a problem and they will see response. The key to facilities manage-ment and all the services that go with it is our response time. Any nurse can call any of our people and we will try and get what ever problem they have solved. The people we get the most requests from are the healthcare professionals and other staff because they are at the hospital every day.”

Sustainable futureAs well as SKMC, SEHA owns and oper-ates several other healthcare facilities

CASE STUDY


used to water the grass and plants in the gardens surrounding the buildings.”

SEHA’s HealthSystem also received the highly commended award for best healing environment at the event.

The organisation was honoured for reducing length of stay, having a well-managed patient fl ow, reducing waiting times, decreasing levels of infection, achieving good health and safety records, having a well managed patient nutrition programme and receiving positive patient feedback through testimonials.

“Our vision is to develop a healthcare system and to develop the infrastructure required to support and achieve world class standards for healthcare delivery. I congratulate our team and all our part-ners on this recognition which shows we are moving in the right path towards that goal,” says SEHA chairman Saif Bader Al Qubaisi.

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in Abu Dhabi including the new Mafraq Hospital, which won the best sustainable hospital project award last month at the Hospital Build Exhibition in Dubai.

The environmentally sensitive 745-bed building is currently being constructed to replace the current hospital in the same area.

In addition, SEHA received highly a recommended recognition in the category of Best Hospital Design for its new Al Ain Hospital. Both hospitals are set to open in early 2014.

“We looked at using sustainable materi-als and cooling systems. The hospital

will also be heavily shaded so the heat is kept out,” says Bensalem.

“The water will be heated by solar panels and then recycled and

Two new hospitals will be built in Abu Dhabi

2014

“SKMC has done a great job, thanks to SEHA’s initiative on upgrading our entire IT packages”

- Shephen Bridgman

36 July 2010

Al Nuaimi: facilities management is the back bone of Skeikh Khalifa Medical City. We work 24 hours a day to make sure the hospital is well maintained and monitored.

SEHA facility planning

and construction

manager Dr

Abdelmadjid Bensalem

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LANDSCAPING


Despite the problem of water scarcity in the Middle East, there is an increasing desire to lay green lawns and plant fl ower beds in and around the region’s

developments. In light of this, Facilities Management Middle East discovers ways to maintain landscapes whilst using as little irrigation as possible

Thirsty work

A building is an obvious essential for every community or mega project, whether it is a residen-tial zone or an offi ce block. But

without landscaping, developments like The Pearl, Qatar and Dubai Marina could look rather dull.

The Middle East is renowned for its fi ve star resorts, spas and hotels but where would Downtown Burj Dubai be without its famous dancing fountain? Or the Atlan-tis without the beach side promenades of The Palm Jumeirah?

Mega-projects from theme parks and wildlife centres, to skyscrapers and man-made islands, depend on striking land-

scaping to attract investment, but at what cost to the environment?

The Dubai government has recently announced plans to provide every person living in the emirate with the equivalent of 25m² of greenery by 2020.

This is good news for service provid-ers, as more construction leads to an increased demand for maintenance. But where there is a need for groundskeeping there is a need for water, and a lot of it.

According to the head of Dubai Municipalities’ Horticulture Project Unit Abdullah Al Ali, a square metre of grass needs 54 litres of water per day to keep it hydrated– not ideal in a desert region.

But luckily, as Facilities Management Middle East found out, more and more service providers around the Gulf are playing their part to maintain the beauty of the outdoors whilst preserving the world’s most vital element.

ConservationWhen it comes to landscaping, water can be spared using a number of different methods. Firstly, water retaining additives can be mixed with soil.

“These can hold water for quite a long period of time, further minimising water requirements. The additives also help improve the overall quality of the soil,”

SECTOR ANALYSIS

LANDSCAPING


reports Arco General Contracting director Rafael Khanoyan.

Secondly, the choice of trees and fl ow-ers planted in this region will determine how much H2O is consumed.

According to Lee Allen, an associate for Cracknell, a specialist in master planning, landscape architecture, project manage-ment and irrigation engineering, up to a quarter of all water used for irrigation is wasted because of poor plant choice.

“Plant selection is very important. Twen-ty to twenty-fi ve percent of irrigation water in the UAE is lost by draining down to the water table,” he told Facilities Management Middle East.

“Local plants would boost cultural identity, which is being eroded by the use of tropical plants,” he said.

Johnson Controls Global Workplace Solutions regional executive and general manager for the MENA region Jason Goddard seconds this argument: “Plant-ing should be based on using indigenous species that are able to survive in their habitat with minimal attendance both from a water perspective and maintenance.”

“Whilst this may not be seen as the most attractive option, it is a more respon-sible route to take and is arguably more in keeping with the location.”

There are however, fi rms that design land-scapes with long-term maintenance in mind.

“Our company conserves water by de-signing landscapes with more plants, which need less water, without compromising on aesthetics and composition,” says Deffufa Décor Director Samira Fahim.

Landscaping contractor Proscape also identifi es the plants which won’t survive in this region and the plants that need a large amount of water to stay alive. Further, the company’s chairman Ahmed Abdul Rahim Anoohi notes that mulching is important to retain moisture and reduce weed growth.

“We advise clients to cover plant beds with pine barks, coloured wood chips, gravel or pebbles,” he says.

Automatic irrigation is another common technique used to maintain green embank-ments in a sustainable way.

“Being associated with Dubai municipal-ity for various projects for decades, we have in-depth knowledge on evapotrans-piration rates of various zones in Dubai

and for various plants. Irrigation network zones will be created separately and dif-ferent times of operation will be set for different plants,” explains Anoohi.

“We advise the client to operate sprin-klers/sprayers during the night time to reduce the evaporation loss.”

Recycling water is the most obvious technique, guaranteed to save water come rain or shine. But it has its drawbacks.

PLANTING FOR THE FUTUREArco General Contracting director Rafael Kha-noyan lists foilage that can cope with the Middle East climate

Grass: Paspalum works the best. Bermuda also works well depending on which water is used to maintain it, as it is more fragile.

Palms: Phoenix dactylifera Washington robusta.

Trees: Delonix regia Azadirachta indica Acacia Ficus Conocarpus

Shrubs: Tecoma spp. Allamanda cathartica Bougainvillea Hibiscus

Ground covers: Pennisetum Vitex Leucophyllum Alternenthera Ruellia Hymenocallis littoralis

The choice of trees and flowers planted in the Middle East will determine how much water is consumed every day.

“Planting should be based on using indigenous

species that are able to survive in their habitat”

- Jason Goddard

The amount of water needed to hydrate one m² of grass every day

54 LITRES

LANDSCAPING


IrrigationThe argument about whether to use treated sewage effl uent or potable water to preserve large areas of land, such as public parks, has stirred up a lot of debate.

On the one hand, using potable water to hydrate plants and other greenery is, for obvious reasons, bad for the environment, especially in a region where fears over wa-ter scarcity are rife. But the use of irrigated water can also have nasty consequences.

“You have to be careful with treated sewage effl uent (TSE) because some-times there is a terrible smell that comes from it,” says Nazneen Sabavala director of landscape design for 3 Square.

“In general, using recycled water is a great way of maintaining landscaping but the waste water generated is generally not enough to meet the demand of irrigation.”

Poor quality TSE can also cause residue buildup in the irrigation network result-ing in maintenance issues. And treatment methods vary, making some TSE water more toxic than others.

But there are ways to avoid the risk of TSE harming humans and animals, ac-cording to Khanoyan.

“We use special water fi lters which sift organic contaminants.”

Aside from being energy effi cient, TSE has other advantages. It is cheaper than

Custom-made synthetic grass can be laid into all types of projects and requires virtually no maintenance. This is bad news for groundskeepers but good news for facilities managers hoping to reduce the amount of water consumed by a building and, in turn, long-term operation costs.

“Seventy percent of water used in a household goes to watering the lawn and landscaping. This can amount to over 100,000 gallons of water per year,” reports Jennifer Lalani, operations man-ager for GreenPeople, a manufacturer of synthetic grass.

“A synthetic lawn can save owners thou-sands of dirhams every year in water bills. It pays for itself in a matter of months.”

Goddard argues that the marketing of synthetic lawns in the Middle East is grow-ing: “Green lawns in the Middle East could not be described as characteristic of the region and to be truly sustainable, should arguably not even be considered with the preference being indigenous landscapes. However, if it is an imperative, then syn-thetic grass may be an acceptable option.”

But, there are issues to be considered when investing in artifi cial turf: “In terms of extending its life-time, it should of course be made from sustainable or recycled material to have a low carbon impact on the environment. Issues of tex-

Above and top right: Treated sewage effluent can be used to water plants in a more sustainable way than potable water. Synthetic grass was laid at Arabian Ranches, Dubai.

Proscape chairman Ahmed Abdul Rahim Anoohi.

potable water and contains minerals, which reduces the requirement of fertilizers.

Anoohi goes one step further and says: “If we don’t use treated sewage water for plants, it will be dumped into the sea and pollute the environment.”

“Also, DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) recommends the use of TSE water for irrigation purposes. They discourage use of DEWA water for water-ing plants.”

SyntheticsThere are other ways of preserving water of course; by using no water at all.


SECTOR ANALYSIS

of greenery will be provided to every person living in Dubai by 2020

25m²

ture and fade due to UV, appear to have been addressed, but more research into the product is required,” Goddard adds.

But, when it comes to landscaping, grass isn’t the only element of the garden that needs maintaining.

“Decking requires cleaning, mainte-nance and application of sealers/paints once every six months. Pool cleaning needs to be done once in a week for physi-cal impurities,” explains Anoohi.

“There are automatic back-wash fi lters and chlorinators available to keep the pool clean.”

Demand So how high is the demand for landscap-ing maintenance? And is this the top item

on clients’ list of priorities during the economic crisis?

“Yes and no,” says Fahim. “Yes because the number landscaping projects in the re-gion is growing and there is more aware-ness about [the availability of] profes-sional services. No because, for economic reasons, garden owners are doing some of it themselves.”

But Khanoyan disagrees: “There is a large demand on landscape maintenance because the UAE government is allocating approximately 10% of the urban area for greeneries. As the UAE becomes greener, more maintenance is required in order to preserve these landscaped areas.”

A shared view among landscaping con-tractors, however, is that fewer man-hours are required for maintenance nowadays.

“The key trend in groundskeeping in today’s maintenance is through mechani-sation,” says Khanoyan.

“Using state of the art technology, we are able to use less manpower and main-tain the greenery with a much higher rate of effi ciency.”

“We advise clients to cover plant beds with pine

barks, coloured wood chips, gravel or pebbles”

- Ahmed Abdul Rahim Anoohi

Deffufa DécorDeffufa Décor is a company that provides design, execution and maintenance for projects including high-rise buildings, parks, roads, bridges, roundabouts and schools. The company minimises water consumption by using plants with minimal water requirement and implements appropriate irriga-tion systems and water retaining additives.

Al Ryum/Arco General ContractingAl Ryum General Contracting has six companies under its belt. Three companies are based in Abu Dhabi including Al Ryum Contracting, which specialises in construction, design and landscape solutions; Arco International, which offers landscape maintenance and maintains around 75% of Abu Dhabi; and Al Ryum Trading, which supplies a range of projects including sports surfaces and irrigation products. Dubai also

has a landscape solutions provider (Arco General Contracting), as well as Arco Electromechanical and Arco Tech Trading.

3 SquareFormed in 2006, 3 Square is a Dubai-based company specialis-ing in interiors but also deals with landscape designs and installations. Most of the company’s projects are private residential villas located in places such as Dubai Sports City. 3 Square also has a potential green roof project coming up but details are being kept under wraps.

TerraverdeTerraverde is a professional land-scape contracting company based in Dubai and is specialised in creating outdoor living spaces combining natural elements with style and design. In 2009, the company was awarded the honour ‘Landscaping Contractor of the Year’ for the 2nd

year in a row, for the implementation of innovative landscaping mainte-nance, including the conservation of natural resources.

CracknellCracknell was established in Dubai in January 1993 and in London in 1987. It is registered with the Dubai Municipality and the British Land-scape Institute. The company offers master planning and urban design, landscape architecture, concept architecture, irrigation engineering, horticulture, project management and construction supervision. It is currently working on projects such as Abu Dhabi International Airport, a sustainable housing ?? in Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Central Market.

ProscapeEstablished in the year 2000, Proscape has seven companies under its belt catering for various land-scape requirements in the Middle

East. Since 2006, the company has worked on a number of Dubai’s high profi le developments such as the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, Mirdif City Centre and Victory Heights.

Johnson ControlsJohnson Controls Global Work Place Solutions offer a full range of real estate and facilities management services. Landscaping design and maintenance services are provided through its total facilities manage-ment model.

GreenpeopleGreenpeople introduced its synthetic lawns in the Middle East six years ago and has been implementing them into commercial, residential and sporting developments ever since. Lawns are made in the USA and custom made for the Middle East’s climate. They are UV resistant, recyclable and require no water to maintain them.

KEY SERVICE PROVIDERS, CONTRACTORS, ARCHITECTS AND MANUFACTURERS TO KNOW

Fahim: We save water without compromising on aesthetics.

BIG ISSUE


Providing air conditioning in an environmentally friendly, cost-effective and aesthetically pleas-ing manner is a challenge faced

by all building owners and developers worldwide. In the Middle East, where up to 80% of a building’s energy use in summer months can be directly attributed to the air conditioning, selecting the most effi cient system is even more important, particu-larly given the effect this can have on costs over the building life cycle.

The increasing demand for sustainable buildings in the region and greater focus on the whole life costs of a property are leading designers to consider the use of en-ergy effi cient and green technologies. And with the current fi nancial crisis affecting all sectors within the construction and com-mercial property industries, fi nding ways to reduce running costs of both new build and existing buildings is now a top priority.

One of the latest technologies to be introduced in the region provides an holistic solution to all of these issues. With lower running costs and less maintenance needed than many traditional methods of air conditioning, chilled beams or ceilings offer a cost-effective system that can be applied to most building types.

The technologyThere are two types of chilled beam tech-nology available: active and passive. Active beams are the most suited to the Middle East environmental conditions. Although yet to be applied on a wide scale in the re-gion, chilled beams and ceilings have now been specifi ed for several projects and have been successfully installed and operated in other areas that have a similarly aggressive climate of high temperatures and humidity.

An active chilled beam is an air-water system that uses the energy conveyed by two fl uid streams to achieve the required cooling or heating in a space. The higher the temperature differential between the air in the occupied space and the water fl owing through a chilled beam, the greater the amount of cooling provided. This is particularly important during peak summertime months, when the tempera-ture differential is greatest. Active chilled beams can provide up to 500W/m (150W/m2) of cooling capacity.

By combining an increased internal summer temperature with an energy effi -cient room comfort system such as chilled beams and ceilings, larger reductions in a building’s running costs can be achieved. These reductions can lead to a drop in the size and cost of the central plant.

A report by the UK-based Wales School of Architecture, following two years of research and monitoring, found that the peak energy consumption of chilled ceiling systems is 70% lower than that of a tradi-tional fan coil system.

Energy consumption is not the only advantage of chilled ceilings and beams. They contain no moving parts, such as fans and fi lters, which reduces the maintenance requirements and associated costs. This means they are more reliable and less noisy.

Integrated servicesIn terms of facilities management, one of the biggest advantages of chilled beams and ceilings is the potential to integrate several other services within the units. Termed Integrated Service Modules (ISM) or multi-service chilled beams can incorpo-rate building services such as fi re alarms and smoke detectors; sprinkler systems;

voice, data and power cabling; speakers and public address systems; and, impor-tantly, lighting, all within an architecturally-designed metal casing.

The type of services that can be integrated is also likely to increase with advances in technology. For example, the recent refurbishment of Places for People’s Headquarters in Central London marked the fi rst UK project that combines active chilled beams with Micro Prism Optic (MPO) luminaire technology. The ISM for the project were designed and supplied by SAS International.

MPO technology minimises direct and refl ected glare in conformity with both EN12464 and CIBSE LG7. In the Places for People project, the luminaires are linked to a DALI lighting system and a combination of passive infra-red absence detection and

Could chilled beams be the best solution for the long-term air conditioning of Middle East buildings? SAS International marketing director Andrew Jackson outlines the benefi ts of the technology andexplains why it’s growing in potential for the region.

Cool runnings

BIG ISSUE


By combining an internal summer temperature with chilled beams, larger reductions in a building’s running costs can be achieved.

Jackson: using chilled beams can cut operation costs.

or rectangular, but can be manufactured in a range of shapes and sizes to incorporate particular room or client requirements.

User comfortIt is important that any energy or room comfort solution specifi ed must still provide a high level of occupant comfort, resulting in an improved level of productiv-ity. Although mechanical, the minimal level of refrigeration required in chilled beams, ceilings and ISM not only leads to less electricity being consumed, but also higher room comfort levels due to the minimal noise and air movement.

Cold dumping is not an issue as it can be with other air conditioning systems; instead the products offer high levels of uniform cooling. Chilled ceiling systems work by radiating energy (cooling) down-

wards which, in turn, cools occupants and contents within a space rather than directly cooling the room air. With the coolth provided by radiation rather than convec-tion there is no perceptible air movement and no noise levels to contend with, which ensures another comfort factor.

In addition, it is possible to set up sepa-rate cooling zones within a room, ensuring only occupied areas are cooled and further reducing operating and maintenance costs.

The water fl owing through chilled ceil-ings and beams does so virtually silently; the amount of noise generated by the air passing through the beams depends on the air fl ow rate, but again is minimal. The air passes through a series of nozzles before entering the active chilled beam.

Life cycle considerationsIn an independent study by consultants Cyril Sweett the whole-life costs of chilled ceilings and beams, fan coil units, VRF and VAV sys-tems were compared for a new three-storey offi ce development operating over a 25-year period. The fi rm concluded that chilled beams and ceilings had the lowest life-cycle costs, being considerably cheaper to operate and maintain than the other technologies.

While not appropriate for every project there is no reason why this technol-ogy cannot be applied to most new and refurbished offi ce developments, as well as within other environments such as schools, universities, airports, hospitals and libraries.

daylight sensors ensure lighting energy consumption is minimised.

Such integration reduces the ceiling space needed to provide the services; and simplifi es the service routes, making them easier for facilities managers to trace in future; in addition, ISM are designed to enable maintenance of services through a single access panel.

The off-site prefabrication of building services within ISM also leads to faster on-site installation, a reduction in on-site wastage and storage requirements, plus a better quality end product, which will result in fewer problems during the life cycle.

Similar in appearance to a standard metal ceiling system, a chilled ceiling panel is constructed from a copper cooling element which is bonded to the rear of a metal ceiling tile. Tiles are usually square

SECTOR ANALYSIS


FM service providers explain the cost benefi ts of routine fl oor maintenance and how expensive restoration and material replacement can be avoided

It’s no secret that fl oors need cleaning for hygiene and aesthetic purposes. But, according to service providers in the Middle East, most facilities man-

agers are unaware that regular mainte-nance, not only protects the ground they walk on, but their cash fl ow too.

Carpets and tiled surfaces must go un-der the correct maintenance procedures to keep them from wearing away.

And, a wooden fl oor may appear to glisten with the help of a mop but without the correct cleaning compounds, cracks

will begin to show, and eventually leave a dent in your fi nances.

“If the correct repairs are not under-taken promptly and professionally, then the damage will soon spread, often to a state beyond economical repair,” insists Craig Boast, manager of the Floor Doctor division at Smashing! Cleaning Services.

“Unfortunately, because fl oors can take some time to noticeably deteriorate, and the lines of communication between prod-uct users and specifi ers are often poor, the learning curve amongst property

companies is usually slow, and the take-up of improved methods and materials can be almost non-existent.”

Almost all fl oor fi nishes are prone to damage, particularly in heavily traffi cked areas, such as hotel lobbies.

But, costly restoration of these surfaces can be avoided by preventative mainte-nance. The question is, how?

“Unless scratches are extremely deep, the sanding of wooden fl oors is unnecessary,” reports Arturo Adefuin, housekeeping specialist at Ecolab, which

SECTOR ANALYSIS


SMART FLOORS

provides maintenance services for sev-eral fl oor types.

“Maintaining a good condition of the polish applied, limiting damage to the polish or wax and not allowing the seal [of the fl oor] to be damaged would mean a lot of savings. Proper daily maintenance is the key to prolong restorative procedures on the fl oor,” he says, adding that the use of walk-off mats in the entrance of a prop-erty will also trap unwanted dirt.

“Approximately 0.54 kg [of dirt] is col-lected from every 1000 people who pass through [a building], so just imagine a very busy business centre and hotel with lots of people coming in and out several times a day.”

Speed Cleaning is also called upon to preserve fl oors by power washing, scrub-bing (using rotary scrubbing machines) and dusting (using dust control mops).

“Routines on client sites will nor-mally include a daily, weekly and monthly cleans. Prevention [of damage] in the second case would normally be found via education, training others not to drag or drop items on a fl oor but rather lift and place,” says Speed Cleaning managing director Terry Vaughan.

When it comes to carpets, more than one maintenance cycle is required. A dai-ly routine includes vacuuming and stain removal, which is commonly mistaken as

minutes and no vacuuming is required after the procedure.”

Floors made from natural stone also need to be maintained on a regular basis in order to prevent the need for res-toration, which includes grinding honing and polishing.

Marble tends to stain and deteriorate over time since tap water, regulary used to clean the material, contains salts, min-erals and chlorine which are all detrimen-tal to natural stone.

“In addition, more and more ‘decora-tive’ marbles are being used for their beauty and not their strength. These marbles are generally prone to foot abra-sion, vertical compactions, scratching and staining,” reports Marble Renewal manag-ing partner Graham Alban.

“Impregnators often called penetrating sealers, chemically solve these problems. Dirt, water and waterborne soiling are prevented from penetrating deep into the stone causing staining, discoloration and deterioration.”

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Boast: eco-friendly cleaning products have a long way to go.

of dirt is collected from every 1000 people who pass through a building

0.54KG

a job that needs to be scheduled rather than taken care of as soon as possible, according to Adefuin.

“The longer the soil stays on the carpet, the more diffi cult it is to remove it,” he says.

Secondly, there is the intermediate maintenance cycle, which should be provided once a week or every few days, depending on the degree of soil imbedded in the carpet.

Adefuin explains that sometimes vacu-uming is not enough to remove the grime that sticks to the fi bres.

“We offer what’s called spin-bonnet-ting, whereby we use a rotary machine to remove attached dirt. After spraying detergent onto the carpet, the imbed-ded soil will transfer to the bonnet pad at the bottom of the machine. The fl oor requires a drying time of around 10 to 20

“The learning curve amongst property

companies is usually slow, and the take-up of improved methods and

materials can be almost non-existent”

Natural stone tends to stain and deteriorate over time since tap water, regulary used to clean the material, contains salts and chlorine.


SMART FLOORS

So, a good daily maintenance prolongs, the interim maintenance cycle thus also extending the periodic or restorative maintenance cycle.

Also, if fl oor restoration is prolonged, huge savings in manpower, equipment, electricity and utilities will occur.

PH neutral fl oor cleaners should be used to keep marble and other materials in top condition, service providers have advised.

“The labour cost accounts for 79% of the monthly operational fees of hotels, resorts and spas; 85% for kitchen services; and 84% for healthcare facilities, such as hospitals,” reports Adefuin.

“If routine maintenance is kept up then stripping [of wooden floors] will only need to be carried out every four months, if not, which happens to some companies, stripping needs to be done on a monthly basis. So if you strip the floor 12 times a years instead of three times a year, you will add 300% more cost on to the said procedure.”

Carpet restoration is carried out using a carpet extractor, which cleans the surface with chemicals as it vacuums, and only needs to be carried out every six months if daily and interim maintenance is kept up.

Specifi ers must understand their fl oors and what type of maintenance and clean-ing it needs, depending on the type of materials they are made of.

It is also important that a cleaning and maintenance consultant is brought in at

FLOOR CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE COMPANIES TO KNOW

The Floor Doctor, Smashing! Cleaning ServicesThe Floor Doctor provides residential and com-mercial properties with a “forensic” one-stop solution for all fl ooring materials, ensuring that their preventive and corrective maintenance requirements are met completely.

Speed CleaningSpeed Cleaning is a general cleaning company providing services to contract sites, such as offi ces, shops and banks; and hotel clients. The company also provides pre-opening work for buildings after construction workers have left. It offers deep cleaning of private residences, pre-opening hotels and shopping centers etc.

EcolabThis company offers a range of services for all types of fl oors including carpets, marbles, granite, natural stones, vinyl, synthetic and laminated wooden fl oors, natural wood, man-made stone tiles, ceramic tiles and rubber tufl ex.

A+ ServicesA+ Cleaning Services is specialised in the clean-ing shopping complexes, restaurants, residential and commercial buildings.

Marble RenewalMarble Renewal, UAE performs the restoration process of stripping, repairing, stain removal, resurfacing and polishing to a natural “high gloss” fi nish without using wax. It offers regular preservation to maintain the original factory-fi nish of marble.

Berkeley ServicesEstablished in 1984, Berkeley Services Group UAE has grown annually into an organisation offering a range of services to clients including cleaning, security, maintenance, landscaping and support services.

the design stage of a project so the cor-rect fl oors are installed in specifi c areas, as Boast explains.

“We have recently inspected an exhibi-tion centre that has Crema Marfi ll marble in the main corridors. This is clearly unsuitable for the intended foot and mechanical traffi c. The consultant that approved the use of that material is long gone, and the facility manager now has a major problem to maintain it.

“If we were all operating on a carbon neutral basis, then many

environmental concerns would be resolved, and companies wouldn’t be hiding under the eco-

bushel”


“With tight budgets, their own short-term solution is to continue to replace panels with the same product. Over 10 years this will cost them millions of dirhams. Floors are probably the most diffi cult element of a building to replace, yet they are constantly subjected to the worst wear and tear, aggressive cleaning methods and strong chemicals.”

So what chemicals should be used to clean fl oors and how much do they cost?

According to Adefuin, cleaning chemi-cals used in hotels, resorts and spas account for just 2% of the overall monthly operational cost, between 3 and 10% for healthcare facilities and 3% for kitchen fl oor maintenance.

Natural and environmentally friendly cleaning products are now becoming more popular among service providers.

Marble Renewal offers a PH neutral product which cleans and protects fl oors made from stone without the need to rinse the material afterwards.

“Conventional industry neutral clean-ers are too harsh. They destroy the natural polish of the stone and cause it to discolour over time,” explains Alban.

And, Adefuin seconds that argument: “Neutral cleaners are the safest to use on most fl oor types. It also has a very pleasing scent and could also be used to neutralise foul odors.”

Ecolab offers a maintenance chemical called INdur Brilliant Plus, which is safe to use on all fl oor types and only 1ml is required per litre of water.

The Floor Doctor has also launched a number of eco-friendly fl oor maintenance products. But, according to Boast, green cleaning still has a long way to go.

“Whilst there are some very good prod-ucts on the market that make a variety

of ‘eco-friendly’ claims, often the plastic packaged products travels on airplanes, cross borders on smokey diesel trucks, and spend six months in an air condi-tioned store before we even see them.

“The term “carbon neutral” really needs to get more coverage – this is when a product can reach its point of use saving as much of the environment it has damaged. If we were all operating on a carbon neutral basis, then many environ-mental concerns would be resolved, and companies wouldn’t be hiding under the eco-bushel.”

There are also “non-slip” fl oor cleaning products on the market, which can be benefi cial for high traffi cked areas such as hotel lobbies and shopping malls.

These products can gloss the fl oor, whilst providing traction to prevent falls.

“It is misconception that a glossy fl oor is slippery, the truth is a gloosy fl oor

All fl oors require daily cleaning to prolong thier life-cycle. Floors made from stone should be polished regularly.

Costly restoration and replacement of wooden floors can be avoided if routine cleaning and maintenance is kept up.

“Floors are probably the most diffi cult element

of a building to replace, yet they are constantly subjected to the worst

wear and tear, aggressive cleaning methods and

strong chemicals”

means a highly polished fl oor, if a chemi-cal used has non slip or anti slip proper-ties then it should not be slippery. A wet fl oor is a slippery fl oor, that’s what we have to always remember,” adds Adefuin.

But, with all the types of maintenance and the cost benefi ts they bring, are facilities managers taking note and de-manding services?

“Yes, undoubtedly,” responds Boast. “Poor materials, incorrect cleaning

methods and questionable restoration at-tempts have left an abundance of fl oors in a state of disrepair. We help our contract clients by providing fl exible fl oor mainte-nance models that best fi t their revenue stream and ease their cash-fl ow.”

And Adefuin agrees: “Just look at how many cleaning services we have now in the market, they have popped up like mushrooms.”

SECTOR ANALYSISSECTOR ANALYSIS

JANITOR’S KEYS

48 June 2010 www.constructionweekonline.com

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVE THIS YEAR?

Portland Middle East general manager Abdelaziz Rihani“Sustainability is hard work. Becoming a sustainable en-terprise is like climbing a mountain that is higher than Everest. This year, we have begun climbing to the top of the mountain by elimi-nating waste (anything that does not add value to our customers); using renew-able energy sources, such as solar power systems; cre-ating a cultural awareness that integrates the prin-ciples of sustainability into what we do everyday among our residents; and creating a new model for business (redesigning it) by pioneer-ing sustainable commerce.”

Khidmah services manager Ryan Darnell“At Khidmah we are very keen on promoting and contributing to sustainability. We have had many sustainable initiatives including our participation in Earth Hour 2010 and the implementation of re-cycling in the properties we manage. This said, the most sustainable initiative we would like to empha-sise this year to date is the implementation of to-tally biodegradable cleaning chemicals and micro fi ber cloths across one of our large scale government cleaning and pest control contracts, which has educated the client, their employ-ees and their customers on the cost savings and benefi ts that can be achieved by using sus-tainable products.”

e manage. This said, the we would like to empha-he implementation of to-ng chemicalsross one of ent cleaning , which has

employ-on the

that sus-

Mace Macro facilities manager Sarah Riley“Macro takes sustainability seriously. We realise that it’s not a simple subject. It starts with having informed staff and get-ting the sustainability message across in the right way to clients, developers, own-ers, occupiers, contractors, and service providers. Our best initiative this year has been to recruit a specialist in environmental management who is helping us to put sus-tainability fi rmly at the heart of our busi-ness. Our policies, procedures and staff training are being reviewed to help improve our approach to sustainability and we’ll be building on that foundation over the next few months to make sure we can offer the best possible support to our clients.”

Cracknell associate Lee Allen“The biggest challenge for landscape architects and the region is the limited availability of water. Plants that re-quire less water can address the water shortfall. However, due the long pro-curement period, suppliers need to be comfortable that the propagation of low water demanding plants makes com-mercial sense. One of our biggest ini-tiatives is developing existing relation-ships with the nurseries to give a heads up of the plants of the future, ensuring that when sustainable projects go to ground, the right plants are available.”

Union Paper Mills manager for market-ing and contracts Huzaifa Rangwala“Our collection system enables us to collect recyclable waste from all parts of the UAE. After basic seg-regation and sorting at the source; this waste is sorted in detail at our facility in Dubai. This year we have started to improve our sort-ing process so that we can handle larger and more diverse quantities of recyclable waste thereby also ensuring minimum or zero diver-sion of recyclables to the landfi ll. This has enabled us to expand the scope of recyclable waste we are able to collect from our clients.”

JANITOR’S KEYS


Do Business in the Education Sector

21-22 NOVEMBER 2010ADNEC, ABU DHABI, UAE

ENDORSED BY

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ORGANISERS OF:

ORGANISED BY

CO-LOCATED WITH

To discuss exhibition, workshop involvement and sponsorship opportunities contact:

Matthew Robarts, M: +971 (0) 50 1142303 [email protected] or

Ahmed Zakaria, M: +971 (0) 50 6114469 [email protected]

*MEED Education Special Report, January 2010

Billions of dollars are being invested in the Middle East and North Africa education sector, with $36 billion in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia alone.*

Building Future Education MENA, exhibition and conference allows:• Architects, Consultants and Contractors to target key decision makers; including Education Ministries, International Institutions, Private Education Operators and Developers

• Construction Product Manufacturers to target speci�ers building Schools, Colleges and Universities

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uilding

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Image courtesy of Repton School in Dubai. www.reptondubai.org

United Arab Emirates • Saudi Arabia • Egypt • Qatar • Oman • Jordan • Kuwait • Libya • Bahrain

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facilities management middle east - july 2010

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