"Dubai has one of the highest per capita construction spends in the world and the value of ongoing projects in the UAE is more than AED 800 billion. Amassing projects in foundation works is Dubai Mass Foundation. Construction World finds out...."
Dubai's innovative futuristic vision demands the highest standards in working and living environments. The massive construction works underway beckons specialized contractors in all areas to compete and complete projects on time. Understanding this, Mass Dubai was established in 2004 by a team of professional engineers and technical staff with impressive knowledge and experience in infrastructural projects.
A vision
Committed to excellence and innovation in various specialized services, Dubai Mass prides itself with state-of-the-art machinery for implementation at key stages of projects. The company strives to work closely with clients to deliver custom solutions for individual requirements and budgets.
"To be an innovative organization committed to the pursuit of excellence, we aim to make significant contributions to nation building through our work in the field of Infrastructure Development", says Engineer Arfan Abdul Majid Ali, General Manager, Dubai Mass Foundation. Ali is a virtuoso in the construction industry with 23 years of experience in the field, and he says with pride, "Our team has consistently delivered professionalism and excellence over many years in the engineering and construction field."
Core experience and application
Dubai Mass Foundation provides services in the area of bored piles using CFA method and bentonite system, earth supporting with soldier piles, contiguous piles and secant piles.
The activity of the company focuses on main foundation contracting and port marine construction .
The company has been constantly making efforts to introduce advanced technology in order to ensure quality output. In its successful efforts, it has put to use, latest developments in foundation technology including piling, shoring by contiguous pile wall, secant piling, sheet piling etc.
Projects piling up!
The company is getting busier than ever! Among its noted projects include a piling contract involving more than 1500 piles for the SEWA at Sharjah and commercial and residential developments in Dubai.
Piling work of Fortune Tower in the Jumeira Lake Area
Piling work for EREC Building No.11, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bur Dubai
Piling work for Jumeira Shoreline Apartments
Piling work for SEWA
Piling work for several residential buildings in in Dubai and Sharjah, etc.
Piling work for Al Ameera Tower (Princess Tower) - Tallest tower in Sharjah
Environmentally conscious
Heeding to highest health, safety and environmental (HSE) standards, the company strives to meet recognized industry requirements by introducing the HSE system as a tool for internal quality control and improvement. Dubai Mass Foundation conducts monthly training programmes on the site for new employees for maintenance of health, safety and quality standards. Technical training sessions for managerial and technical staff are organized frequently for improving their knowledge and updating them about technological innovations in this field.
Firm Footings
The construction frenzy is making room for all, yet, 'the skilled professional'; 'the first people on a construction site', 'The Dutch Foundation Company', is firmly rooted in the sands of UAE. Construction World digs deep....
Loaded services
Established in 1989 in the United Arab Emirates, the Dutch Foundation Company has been dealing with all sorts of piling and shoring works. "Our long term experience in the field along with our sound backing of foundation engineering and soil mechanics have enabled us over the past 15 years to build a very good reputation with over 800 projects in the U.A.E. market alone" says Salim Khoury, Managing Director, Dubai Dutch Foundation who successfully established an office in Dubai three years back.
Foundation Piling and retaining wall systems are core to the company's services who involve themselves in overrunning variable soil conditions, Logistics, Construction Techniques, and Innovating Drilling Techniques.
"Most piling contractors stick to the specialized business of piling work, however, we offer our clients a complete design and build foundation package, including conceptual and final design, complete execution and testing and commissioning", explains Khoury. "The time frame involved can be anything between 15 days to 12 months. "Essentially the scale of work depends on the package required by the client for example, the nature of the development, the role of Dutch Foundation in obtaining of local authority permissions and approvals, enabling works such as site clearance and earthworks and of course the execution of the specialized foundation engineering works", he adds.
Many foundation requirements in Dubai at the moment are similar. In high rises for example the retaining wall and piling systems are similar like the ones in DIFCC, Media City or Jumeirah Lake Towers. Then there are other developments that are special like the proposed 'Light Rail Mass Transit System', marine piling works or the foundations for a bridge or interchange. While the general principles of foundation engineering are similar, the configurations of course are entirely unique. The emphasis for Dutch Foundation is on innovation both in design works and execution in order to provide the Client with the most optimum scheme both technically and of course commercially.
The company's primary contraction techniques involve
Large and small diameter Cast in Situ Bored Piles (vertical / raked) using temporary / permanent casings with Bentonite Slurry stabilization.
Secant piled retaining wall systems
Contiguous retaining wall systems
Solider pile (beams and panels) retaining wall systems
Temporary and/or permanent grouted tie-back anchors
Marine piling works
Soil Nailing
Ground water control
Concrete rehabilitation
Well Equipped
Apart from having a fleet of over 21 service cranes of 35-50 tonne capacity, the Dubai Dutch Foundation Company is well equipped with over 500 staff and latest high-tech pile boring rigs firming its foundation deeper in the sands of UAE. Dubai's sister companies share the benefit of this impressive fleet and have been used in the execution of prestigious projects such as interchange IP-69 in Abu Dhabi, L.N.G. Giant tanks (99m. diameter) in Ras Laffan and Westbay Complex for H.E.Shaikh Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jaber Al Thani in the state of Qatar among others. The Dubai Dutch Foundation Company prides itself in having machines from some of the industry recognized European manufactures such as Bauer in Germany and Casagrande, CMV and Trivesoil from Italy. The machines range in size such that piles can be offered from 500mm to 2000mm in diameter and are capable to drill to depths of 65 meters. The fleet includes:
Bauer BG-30's
Bauer BG-22's
Bauer BG-14's
Casagrande B250's
Casagrande B125's
Triviesoil 200, 160 & 140's
CMV TH30
Hitachi & P&H based CFA machines
Bauer UBW08 anchor drilling machines
The company is continually investing in the latest boring rig technology and is currently placing order for new rigs in 2006.
"One of the keys to our success is self sufficiency", quips Khoury. "Our machines are maintained in our two fully equipped workshops in Al Quoz Industrial area and in Jebel Ali Industrial Area; we maintain all our own support equipment such as excavators, shovels, vibro hammers, low bed and trailers and we manufacture our own drilling equipments such as augers, buckets, casings and even Kelly bars. "We are entirely self-sufficient", says Khoury.
Projects
Presently the 'Dubai Dutch Foundation Company has in excess of 20 projects in hand and is currently working on projects in
Dubai Health Care City
Jumeirah Lake Towers
Business Bay
Dubai Airport Free Zone
Media City
Knowledge Village
DIFC and Trade Center Areas
Other individual developments in Dubai and Sharjah
SEISMIC WORRIES
On a final note, considering the recent after shocks in the city from the Iran quake on being asked if we need to worry about Earthquakes damaging buildings in the country, says Khoury "Piling is inherently seismic resistant to a certain extent. "Essentially Pile foundations are deep foundations and adhere where required to the statutory requirement of 'Design Seismic Loading Requirement'." Ironically, heavy structures tend to have deep piles making them safer towards Seismic Loading.
Construction World 2005
