More specialist machinery will be good for industry

Having spent some time in Saudi Arabia recently, it was good to hear from some people who were generally optimistic about the next couple of years.

While oil-related projects are scaled back, due to the crude price being in the doldrums, and the construction industry is only so-so, there was a great buzz about the infrastructure projects in the Kingdom.

In particular, mining bauxite has spurred the construction of several major rail projects, running east to west and north to south, as well as a rapid transit system to take passengers between Medina and Mecca.

This is exciting for the PMV industry, as building these railways will see innovations in engineering and machinery not seen since the days of Brunel. How on earth the contractors are going to build across the searing desert sand, or through the impenetrable gabbro of the mountains remains to be seen, but you can be sure that it will take a new generation of rock drills, LGP bulldozers and many other classes of equipment to make it possible.

Advertisement

FEATURED COMMENT Please click here to comment on this article

Speaking of Brunel, the great engineer once said; ‘I am opposed to the laying down of rules or conditions to be observed in the construction of bridges lest the progress of improvement tomorrow might be embarrassed or shackled by recording or registering as law the prejudices or errors of today’ meaning that no-one should be afraid of trying new ways of doing things, even if unsure of the result, as this is the way progress is made. Admittedly, he was speaking at an inquiry following the collapse of one of his bridges, but high risk and innovation surely belong together.

While it might be difficult and dangerous, these projects are a win-win for everybody. Firstly, the construction industry wins some big contracts that require a lot of workers. Secondly, the machinery and tools industry get to sell and maintain equipment through the downturn. Third, the government will get a cost-efficient way of transporting minerals and freight, while passengers can use a cheap and environmentally friendly form of transport.

Finally, I get to bring you a string of interesting reports and application stories over the next few years as the projects progress. I hope you’ll enjoy them.
 

---