Site visit: Dubai - Fujairah Highway

MkII Soldiers from Harsco Infrastructure provide the load-bearing capacity for exceptional strength and versatility that forms the basis of any formwo

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The 80km, $326.7m Dubai-Fujairah highway project is a landmark federal infrastructure project in the Middle East, completing a main traffic artery from Dubai to the Northern Emirates, with more than 40km of highway in total, traversing through mountainous terrain.

The project, delivered in three phases, was renamed the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Highway in 2010. “Phase 3 was the most ambitious, as well as being the most technically challenging, including five precast beam composite deck bridges designed and erected through mountainous terrain at many different altitudes and following various cambers,” explains Al Ahmadiah Aktor LLC GM Christis Loizides.

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Such was the logistical and engineering challenges posed by Phase 3 that it resulted in a unique relationship between contractor and supplier – a relationship that both parties state was critical to the successful completion of the overall project.

“A road is a road and a bridge is a bridge, but what made this really interesting was the major challenge posed by the environmental conditions and locality,” comments Harsco Infrastructure UAE sales manager and Gulf export sales Joe Farina.

“It is quite interesting how they determined this route from the Northern Emirates to the East Coast, and the challenges that posed. We have worked with Al Ahmadiah Aktor before, with whom we have a very good working relationship. I would say that, as a contractor, they are very good engineers.”

“When you are going after a job, you are a supplier, but once you are on board, you are a partner,” says Farina. Working with Al Ahmadiah Aktor was a fundamental element of the overall success of the project. We could talk to them about any issues from an engineering and technical aspect.

That goes a long to resolving any problems, because a drawing is only two dimensions. Once you get on-site, new problems may arise that you have not encountered before.”

As an example, Farina points to the presence of critical underground gas and water pipelines that prevented direct loading or equipment placement under one of the five bridges.

“We had to come up with a solution whereby we still had to support the bridge directly underneath, but not actually down to the ground. This meant we had to disperse those loads horizontally onto ground areas where it was safe to do so.

Again, that took a lot of discussion with the contractor as to how to derive at a solution conducive to them being able to carry out their work, and for us to be able to provide the service they expected.

That was interesting; it lends a different dynamic to such a project. It very much adds to our skills and knowledge base. Of course, it also gives an extra wrinkle and a frown here and there as well,” Farina notes with a smile.

“We have got to play our part, as a supplier and a partner to the contractor, in shouldering the burden of their formwork problems. I think it is sometimes under-estimated as to how important that working relationship is,” points out Farina.

“You can put ideas on the table, disagree and still derive at a mutual solution. The best solutions come to the fore when you are in that sort of position.” Farina also highlights the critical role played by project manager Robin Watt.

“The project manager was very proactive and hands on; he knew what he wanted, and managed it very well.”