Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013
Abu Dhabi: Around Dh100 million has been saved in seven industrial, residential and road construction projects across the capital since the introduction of a new cost-cutting and environmentally friendly technology, the Abu Dhabi Municipality (ADM) said today (Tuesday).
The durable and sustainable utilisation of geosynthetic materials in the building of pavements has resulted in a 14 per cent cost-cutting outcome in the total budget of the projects. These include: the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) where Dh 34 million has been saved, in addition to the North Wathba Residential Project which saw a Dh 42 million reduction in its total cost had this new technology not been used.
“Geosynthetic materials are essentially polymers one of which is the ‘geogrid’ used in pavements. Pavements which have geogrids installed in them not only have a significantly longer lifespan, they also have a better quality, therefore performance, and have a lower Carbon Footprint, making it environmentally friendly,” said Dr. Ahmad Hassan Ali, Projects Design Consultant, Internal Roads and Infrastructure at the ADM.
“Additionally, the new pavements require less material because of their thinner layers. This means that there is a substantial cut-back on logistics as less trucks are being used to transfer the material. Having less heavy vehicles on the roads means that they become safer for drivers and users,” he added.
These were the discussion points at the sixth annual International Conference & Exhibition Geosynthetics Middle East (GeoME).
“[The ADM] seeks to link this methodology with the environmental, social, and economic aspects in order to optimise the utilization of resources and place Abu Dhabi city at par with the advanced global cities that boast a safe, attractive environment highly responsive to all environmental issues, given the rapid development drive seen by the Emirate as envisioned in Abu Dhabi Strategy 2030,” said Engineer Essa Mubarak Al Mazroui, Acting Executive Director of Municipal Infrastructure and Assets, Abu Dhabi City Municipality.
The concept of geosynthetics was first discussed as a theory in 2010 and was implemented a year later.
“We can now see that many developments and empirical researches which have been presented in the last five years are rapidly bringing geosynthetics to important and practical applications within the Middle East,” he added.
In the future, Dr. Ali told Gulf News that the Municipality seeks to introduce geosynthetics road asphalt and the recycling and maintenance of pavements.
“Currently we are constructing a pilot project in Al Shahama whereby we are recycling pavements. During this trial, we are cutting on raw material by 80 per cent, on costs by 40 per cent, and in the time taken to complete the project by 70 per cent, meaning that there is much less traffic disturbance due to construction,” he said.
The Municipality revealed that it is also instructing contractors, consultants, designers and manufacturers, through specific guidelines, to use environmentally sustainable methods in the creation of a project. A team from the ADM supervises all projects while another follows up on them by remaining stationed within the site for a period of time to ensure that all guidelines are complied with.
By Nada Al Taher Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
