InFocus | Heavy Equipment
Keeping pace with technology
The construction industry is rapidly evolving and is nowhere more obvious than in the UAE. With heavy demands made on an ongoing basis, new machines and work methods that make work faster and more efficient are always welcome.
- By Abigail Mathias, Staff Writer
- Published: 00:00 August 21, 2006
- While some companies design heavy equipment, others are involved in the business of trading different pieces of machinery.
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The heavy and moving equipment sector is witnessing the launch of inventive machines and services
The construction industry is rapidly evolving and is nowhere more obvious than in the UAE. With heavy demands made on an ongoing basis, new machines and work methods that make work faster and more efficient are always welcome.
Many construction companies have thought of new ways to improve their businesses. A part of ETA-Ascon Group, Zenath General Land Transport Co. LLC (ZGLT), is involved in activities such as earthworks, hiring of equipment and machinery as well as supply of sand and aggregates.
The company recently added environmental engineering services to its portfolio.
"We have registered as an environmental engineering services company and would like to establish ourselves as an earthworks company. We are one of the companies in this industry that work in close association with the Emirates Environmental Group.
"Some of our projects include bulk excavation and deep excavation and building temporary access roads," says Rafatullah, Senior Manager for ZGLT and Zenath Environmental Engineering Services LLC.
"Care for environment and safety are our most important concerns. We have high safety standards carried out by a team of safety officers. We adopt the right standards to keep emissions down to a minimum. For us, concern for the environment and safety go hand in hand."
Another company that is diversifying its role is Jengan Est. Besides being a major player in the equipment business, Jengan also offers a host of agricultural and consultancy services.
As part of expansion of its construction equipment product line, Jengan has introduced a new Hoppt Rammer Ram 70B in the UAE. The new machine has bellows on its shaft that offers protection against dust and is equipped with a lubricating ramming system that maintains high performance during its operation period.
The Ram 70B is suitable for compacting and solidifying the refilling on tunnels and sewers, post-piling and road paving work. It is much faster and has higher capacity than an ordinary compactor machine. Many companies are using the equipment to ensure ground stability, which is required in a construction site.
While some companies design heavy equipment, others are involved in the business of trading different pieces of machinery.
Joseph Mathias, General Manager, Al Hamid Group, says, "We are a trading company in the field of heavy equipment and construction machinery. We do not design machinery but we do convey the feedback received from the end users to the manufacturers, who, in turn, inculcate the necessary changes in their designs wherever suitable."
"A new aesthetically-designed showroom, a parts centre and exclusive service in the region are some of the new developments at Al Hamid Group. Our service centre has been fitted with temperature-controlled interiors - a unique aspect for this market, which will enhance the job utility of the service staff, especially during the long summer," says Mathias.
"There are different types of construction projects in the UAE - ones where land is already available and others being built from scratch," says Ashfaque Azad, Area Manager, Mohamed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar.
Al-Bahar is the sole authorised dealer for Caterpillar, which is the world's leading manufacturer of construction equipment and power generation systems.
"Projects where land already exists, such as Dubai Marina and Dubailand, are much more controllable. Other projects such as the Palm Island and The World Island take a lot more effort and ingenuity. Al-Bahar is highly involved in these projects, most of which require bigger Caterpillar machines.
"The first thing we have to do is place the rock to retain the soil; one can't just pump soil, or it will erode. The work cannot go on without rock, which has to be extracted and then transported to the construction site. And one needs machines at every step.
"Whether the need is for heavy earthmoving and quarrying or road construction, building and general construction, Al-Bahar and Caterpillar can provide innovative solutions through machines and services," says Azad.
"Our building and construction product line now includes skid steer loaders, backhoe loaders, telescopic handlers, compact wheel loaders, small excavators and a full range of paving products."
Environment-friendly machines are important for this company too. "Most of the Caterpillar machines comply with the latest European and US emission standards. However, in this part of the world these emission standards have not been implemented, but I am confident that sooner or later they will be used here," says Azad.
Emad Subhi, Sales Manager, Al Bakhit Construction LLC, says, "Though Al Bakhit is still in its infancy, we are the sister company for Unimex, a company that's been well established in the region. We are currently involved in a new venture in the field of concrete handling that otherwise requires to be temperature-controlled below 30 degrees Celsius.
"Previously, chillers had to be used to cool the concrete mixture for which construction companies needed to hire an ice plant. Ice and water were required to keep the cement cool. Now by using a cool sand mix to keep the concrete cool, we can reduce the need for ice and water, and costs can also be drastically reduced. This is appropriate for a place such as Dubai which is so hot," says Subhi.
"New products are constantly being redeveloped worldwide. Customers here are very clued-in to whatever they see abroad, which is usually what they expect in the UAE as well," says Shakil Merchant, Operations Manager-Sales, Kanoo Machinery.
Representing leading international manufacturers such as Grove, Hyster, Perkins, Bobcat, Hiab, Massey Ferguson and Lincoln Electric, Kanoo Machinery provides its services to the industry with a wide range of equipment and consumables.
The company offers after-sales service through a network of workshops and parts and mobile service facilities throughout the Gulf.
"Since moving and heavy equipment are powered by diesel engines, the day is not far when tier-three engines with low-emissions will be common in Dubai," says Merchant.
"The industry is growing in leaps and bounds, and this is obvious from the scope for development in Dubai. In terms of turnover and projects, ZGLT has almost doubled in Dubai alone, says Rafatullah.
"Heavy equipment and machinery, including trucks, is a big market with few players. New designs or changes in technology are easily incorporated by the industry as a whole.
"Today's engines have changed from Euro-2 to Euro-3 and now Euro-4 standards. This offers enhanced and better performance of the vehicle and contributes to a safe environment, besides providing fuel efficiency," says Mathias.
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