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"We now have to carefully study the financial capability of any client that we're contracting with."
Looking forward Newton says Dutch Foundations is eyeing potential business in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and India as well as bolstering support for its sister operations in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.
In Dubai he says an emphasis will be placed on value engineering as both developer and contractor become more cost conscious and less time stressed. One of the biggest potential areas to save will come through optimising the foundation design.
"Things have tended to be overdesigned to allow for lapses in quality control, just in case something is not right," says Newton.
"But if you design more to the optimums and minimums, then it forces contractors to improve their quality control because there are no overestimated factors of safety.
"There's a lot of money to save here and it'll be good for the industry."
Newton adds that he expects the practice of preliminary test piling will become more commonplace in order to verify designs and potentially shorten the foundation lengths.
"That's pretty normal in the rest of the world, but in this region time has been prohibitive and overdesigns have gone ahead just to get the project moving," he says.
"Now the onus has changed from time to cost."
Similarly Keller is also looking to focus on value engineering as a means of undercutting its competition with a particular emphasis placed on using their stone columns machine, or Vibrocat, as an alternative to piles in some instances.
"Before it was very easy for a consultant to just go for piling and save a lot of headaches when it came to precise details about economising," he says.
"We are trying to say look, here you need piles, but here you don't, let's go with stone columns or other improvements. This is how we're trying to position ourselves in the market."
Khan says techniques such as vibro-replacement (stone columns), vibro-compaction, grouted columns or deep soil mixing can be more economical solutions and less labour intensive, although limited to structures under 10 storeys.
"The consultants have more time now to research these different options and are more willing to do trials," says Khan.
"It doesn't cost the client anything and it's a good opportunity for us to show off what we can do and how we could save them money."
Ten piling companies to know
Swissboring
Swissboring was established in Switzerland in 1952 and opened its Arabian Gulf office in Dubai in 1973. The firm currently has more than 100 piling rigs and more than 1000 employees, excluding labourers, operating out of offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman. Swissboring is currently working on the Emal Smelter Complex in Abu Dhabi, the Al Sufouh Transit System in Dubai and the Barwa Financial District in Qatar.
Middle East Foundations
Middle East Foundations (MEF) was established in 1995 and now has offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The firm currently operates 55 piling rigs and 33 cranes with a total workforce of around 1300 people. MEF is currently working on Dubai's Botanica Tower and Burj Al Alam, the tallest residential tower in the world. Previous projects include the Dubai Metro, the Burj Dubai, Dubai Mall and Dubai Airport.
Bauer
One of the biggest piling and foundation contractors in the world, Bauer started its Gulf operations in 1982 and now has offices in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The firm has more than 1500 staff in the Gulf and currently operates more than 50 piling rigs and 100 service cranes. Current projects include work on Abu Dhabi's Al Bustan Complex and the Doha Centre project in Qatar. Previous projects include the Dubai Metro, the Burj Dubai and the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi.
APCC
APCC was founded in 1979 and currently has offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with project experience across the region. The firm currently has a staff of around 1000 and a total of 32 piling rigs at their disposal. APCC is currently working on a number of projects in the UAE including the Al Jalila Hospital and the Wave and Pixel tower at the Dubai Waterfront.
Keller
The Keller Group operates in more than 30 countries around the world and its Gulf operation was established in the 1970s. The firm now has offices in Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which share 30 piling rigs and have a total skilled staff of 230. The company is currently working on the Saudi Kayan project in Jubail, which requires a total of 17,000 piles, as well as the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, for which Keller will provide 2000 piles.
Dutch Foundations
Dutch Foundation was launched in Dubai in 1998 and now also has sister companies in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. The firm's Dubai office currently has a fleet of 24 piling rigs and 580 staff while the Bahrain office maintains a staff of around 60. The Dubai office recently downsized its operation from a peak of 40 rigs and 1300 staff last year. Dutch Foundations has an impressive list of projects to its name including plots in Business Bay, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Media City and Jumeirah Lake Towers.
NSCC
NSCC was founded in the UAE in 1968 and is now considered a regional leader in the design and construction of foundation engineering. The firm currently has a workforce of around 1700 and boasts offices in Abu Dhabi, and one in Dubai, Sharjah, Bahrain and Doha. NSCC is currently working on a US $124 million (AED 456 million) contract for the expansion of the Abu Dhabi International Airport Midfield Terminal, which require 3700 piles.
Edrafor Emirates
Edrafor Emirates is a sister company of Edrafor Lebanon and opened its branch in Dubai in early 2007 when it won the foundations contract for Churchill Towers in Business Bay. Its machine fleet currently includes 16 piling rigs and over the years, the firm has bought equipment from the likes of Bauer, Casagrande and IHC. Edrafor Emirates is currently working on the ground works for a new Emirates Bank on the border between Dubai and Sharjah, UAE, which involves using a unique foundation method called strutting.
Sharaf Foundations
Sharaf Foundations is a privately owned firm based in Dubai and working throughout the entire Gulf region. The company was established in 2007 with a main office located in Ras Al Khor Industrial Area. In October the company was awarded the piling and foundations contract for the Creek Towers and Plaza at Dubai Maritime City, which covers 69,273m² and is expected to be complete Q3, 2009.
Simplex Almoayyed
Simplex Almoayyed is the piling and foundations wing of Bahrain's Almoayyed Contracting Group and an offshoot of India's Simplex Concrete piling company. Simplex India has four regional head-quarters in Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The Bahrain outfit currently has four piling rigs in its fleet.
Swissboring
Swissboring was established in Switzerland in 1952 and opened its Arabian Gulf office in Dubai in 1973. The firm currently has more than 100 piling rigs and more than 1000 employees, excluding labourers, operating out of offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman. Swissboring is currently working on the Emal Smelter Complex in Abu Dhabi, the Al Sufouh Transit System in Dubai and the Barwa Financial District in Qatar.
Middle East Foundations
Middle East Foundations (MEF) was established in 1995 and now has offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The firm currently operates 55 piling rigs and 33 cranes with a total workforce of around 1300 people. MEF is currently working on Dubai's Botanica Tower and Burj Al Alam, the tallest residential tower in the world. Previous projects include the Dubai Metro, the Burj Dubai, Dubai Mall and Dubai Airport.
Bauer
One of the biggest piling and foundation contractors in the world, Bauer started its Gulf operations in 1982 and now has offices in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The firm has more than 1500 staff in the Gulf and currently operates more than 50 piling rigs and 100 service cranes. Current projects include work on Abu Dhabi's Al Bustan Complex and the Doha Centre project in Qatar. Previous projects include the Dubai Metro, the Burj Dubai and the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi.
APCC
APCC was founded in 1979 and currently has offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with project experience across the region. The firm currently has a staff of around 1000 and a total of 32 piling rigs at their disposal. APCC is currently working on a number of projects in the UAE including the Al Jalila Hospital and the Wave and Pixel tower at the Dubai Waterfront.
Keller
The Keller Group operates in more than 30 countries around the world and its Gulf operation was established in the 1970s. The firm now has offices in Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which share 30 piling rigs and have a total skilled staff of 230. The company is currently working on the Saudi Kayan project in Jubail, which requires a total of 17,000 piles, as well as the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, for which Keller will provide 2000 piles.
Dutch Foundations
Dutch Foundation was launched in Dubai in 1998 and now also has sister companies in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. The firm's Dubai office currently has a fleet of 24 piling rigs and 580 staff while the Bahrain office maintains a staff of around 60. The Dubai office recently downsized its operation from a peak of 40 rigs and 1300 staff last year. Dutch Foundations has an impressive list of projects to its name including plots in Business Bay, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Media City and Jumeirah Lake Towers.
NSCC
NSCC was founded in the UAE in 1968 and is now considered a regional leader in the design and construction of foundation engineering. The firm currently has a workforce of around 1700 and boasts offices in Abu Dhabi, and one in Dubai, Sharjah, Bahrain and Doha. NSCC is currently working on a US $124 million (AED 456 million) contract for the expansion of the Abu Dhabi International Airport Midfield Terminal, which require 3700 piles.
Edrafor Emirates
Edrafor Emirates is a sister company of Edrafor Lebanon and opened its branch in Dubai in early 2007 when it won the foundations contract for Churchill Towers in Business Bay. Its machine fleet currently includes 16 piling rigs and over the years, the firm has bought equipment from the likes of Bauer, Casagrande and IHC. Edrafor Emirates is currently working on the ground works for a new Emirates Bank on the border between Dubai and Sharjah, UAE, which involves using a unique foundation method called strutting.
Sharaf Foundations
Sharaf Foundations is a privately owned firm based in Dubai and working throughout the entire Gulf region. The company was established in 2007 with a main office located in Ras Al Khor Industrial Area. In October the company was awarded the piling and foundations contract for the Creek Towers and Plaza at Dubai Maritime City, which covers 69,273m² and is expected to be complete Q3, 2009.
Simplex Almoayyed
Simplex Almoayyed is the piling and foundations wing of Bahrain's Almoayyed Contracting Group and an offshoot of India's Simplex Concrete piling company. Simplex India has four regional head-quarters in Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The Bahrain outfit currently has four piling rigs in its fleet.
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