For the past two years, there has been a building boom in Qatar. One of the prime catalysts for this has been the upcoming 2006 Asian Games. One of the projects making waves as part of the pre-games boom is the Al Jazeera Tower.
The specifics
The Al Jazeera Tower is a five-star hotel being built on a fast-track schedule by main contractor Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Qatar LLC. The owner is Sheikh Jassim Bin Nasser Al Thani and Retaj Marketing & Project Management while MZ & Partners are consultants. The building, which covers an area of 30 by 30 m, will comprise two basement floors, a ground floor and 36 floors when completed.
On a deadline
As work began only in March 2005, the time scheduled for construction and completion is very tight. "We are in the fast track," says D Loganathan, Plant & Machinery Manager, L&T Qatar LLC. "We are currently operating on a floor per week schedule." To manage this schedule, the company has ordered several new pieces of equipment, including a new Alimak Scando 650 FCII 24/32 passenger and material hoist and a Liebherr 132 EC-H through local distributor INMA Co. Qatar LLC.
The hoist
Indeed, throughout the construction of the Al Jazeera Tower, the high-speed passenger and material hoist plays a key role ensuring speedy movement of people and materials.
"We use it primarily for moving construction material up to different floors," adds Loganathan. "All sorts of material for finishing work, such as bricks, cement, marble, etc, is taken by the hoist. The main reason for choosing the Alimak was safety.
For instance, we appreciate the fact that it has a sensor system that warns of overload."
According to Loganathan, the frequency converter system is also important as the hoist adapts its speed according to the load. The VFC frequency control motors drive the system through a high efficiency gearbox and the hoist operates at speeds of up to 65 m per minute. "Another interesting feature is the fact that we can add more modules of the freestanding mast without any problem," he adds.
The Alimak ALCII, a microprocessor-based fully collective control system, manages control of the Scando 650. Capable of controlling up to six hoists, ALCII brings the efficiency and ease of use normally associated with hotel lifts to the construction site. "The landing program is very good," explains Loganathan. "We decide what floors we use. For instance, we are not using some of the upper floors right now as we are waiting for the slabs to be poured first." The hoist offers a payload of 2,400 kg at the present configuration and has a standard maximum lifting height of 250 m.
The crane
The new Leibherr tower crane, placed inside the building, is also playing its part in speeding up construction.
"The jobsite is very cramped and thus an internally located floor climbing crane saves valuable space," says Loganathan. "We have chosen the Liebherr self-climbing unit as it also saves on erection costs and a lot of time-consuming operations on the ground."
The crane has a cross-section of just 1.9 m and is therefore particularly suited for operations in narrow shafts on the compact site. It is being lifted 12 m every two weeks.
"Without the new crane, we would not have been able to meet our deadlines operating on a one floor per week schedule," acknowledges Loganathan. "The main reason for choosing the Liebherr is its outstanding performance which we know from experience. A 25-year-old Liebherr unit also working on this site is still performing well with minimum breakdowns. It is virtually maintenance-free."
Ready to deliver
Now, with the best equipment on its side, the team can focus on its primary objective: completing the project. "We have 250 people working at the site," says Loganathan.
"Construction work is on continuously 24/7. The only problem we have right now is that there is a shortage of concrete and other building materials sometimes owing to the extreme demand." They're sure to sort that out too!
© Construction World 2006
