Vehicle variety

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On the road: 4x4 vehicles play a vital role on construction sites, but availability is one of the determining factors when decisions are made about which one to use.

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Visit any construction site in Dubai, or further afield for that matter, and the presence of four-wheel drive vehicles is unmistakeable. This is unsurprising.

The conditions on sites are hardly conducive to the clients of Maserati; it is more a case of ‘two wheels bad', ‘four-wheels good'. In fact, with the larger projects in the emirate representing small towns in size, it is imperative to be able to navigate easily around the construction site.

And this ability to cope with all terrain is especially important in a region where a large number of developments are based on reclaimed land. The Palm Jumeirah, Deira and Jebel Ali - not to mention those developments in Abu Dhabi on Al Raha Beach and Saadiyat Island, for example - require hardy vehicles to be able to manage the varying terrain.

Talal Adel Hammoud, projects plant manager, CCC (UAE) explains that long experience in the region has enabled the company to ascertain what exactly works best for their company. "Consolidated Contractors International Company has a long and extensive experience in the construction industry both locally and internationally. CCC has been operating since 1954 and during these years the company has worked on thousands of projects and used a variety of 4x4s."

Based on this long-term experience, Hammoud advocates the Toyota brand, citing its longevity and ‘complete package'. "These days CCC relies heavily on Toyota vehicles. Some of the main reasons for that is durability, excellent after-sales support, low cost of maintenance and high resale value." As a result of this, CCC has unified its entire fleet.

What is more, different models are used, depending on what role a CCC employee occupies. For example, a senior member of staff could expect to be provided with a Land Cruiser or Prado, while the foreman and other on-site personnel are provided with double-cabin models.

However, Hammoud admits the task can sometimes determine what type of vehicle is provided, with the Land Cruiser favoured for field repair and maintenance tasks: "The Land Cruiser pick-ups have a high horse power and are excellent in remote areas, especially when used for towing big compressors and welding machines."

Mazen Malouk, deputy administrator, ACC, says the company tailors its approach to 4x4s depending on the terrain: "It depends on the nature of the project. If you have one in the middle of nowhere, say the desert, you need a decent, powerful engine but for normal terrain, you can go with a less powerful vehicle."

Hammoud also points out that, unlike other forms of motor vehicle, there has been little change in the basic operation of 4x4 vehicles. Where they have improved has been within the creature comforts, more in line with the increasing expectations of the public than a need to improve mechanically.

For Toyota, these changes, clearly seen on the Land Cruiser and Prado, are developments such as differential lock, ABS, stereo, CD, DVD and GPS.

Having to cope with the differing projects also means CCC needing to balance what would be required of the vehicle in any given environment. As mentioned, Dubai's construction site place varying demands on the contractor as their locations can encompass unique specifications. "Of course, there are certain projects that take place in areas that need special applications; sometimes regular 4x4s are not applicable and cannot do the job.

"In certain rough terrain or others where we have encountered shallow water, big-wheeled tractors are needed to move people and equipment around. We deal with this issue case by case, and depending on the terrain situation we take action."

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