Construction Management Guide

Hilti, the Liechtenstein-based construction solutions provider, has launched its unique range of laser measuring tools that aim to redefine the benchmark for performance and reliability. Equipped with Pulse Power that can emit up to one million laser pulses in a single second, the three new laser range meters – the PD 40, PD 42 and PD 4 models – overshadow all other tools of this kind in terms of measuring performance, reliability and ruggedness, according to Sam Winkler, product manager for measuring systems at the Hilti Regional Office for Middle East and South Asia, located in Jebel Ali Free Zone in the UAE. [Read more...]

Amid the current global financial crisis, the construction market has seen a downturn, exposing contractors to risks. JONATHAN BRUFAL* discusses crucial issues contractors might face if the contracted party calls for a change in terms. [Read more...]

by KK Sarachandra Bose
Organisation of business is a matter of municipal laws. As such, the organisational form that a business can assume depends on its place of creation. While entering into contracts, it is important for the contracting parties to understand the legal system in the country. The legal system in one country can vary greatly from that in another. [Read more...]

Two-stage tendering is slowly being recognised in the Middle East as a potential way to achieve an employer’s objectives and reduce risk, writes EMILY LAWRENCE*. [Read more...]

 by Nick Carnell
Both the 1987 and 1999 editions of the FIDIC standard form contain a number of requirements that particular things shall be done within a set period of time. [Read more...]

by Antonios Dimitracopoulos
As a result of the termination or indefinite suspension of projects en masse, over the last two to three months, irate contractors were seeking urgent advice from their lawyers on their legal position, as well as on the process and cost of dispute resolution options. [Read more...]

A common mistake is to assign two or more people to an activity without designating who has the primary responsibility to ensure the work is done correctly and completely. A lack of primary responsibility may make some people defer to each other and end up delaying work that needs to start quickly. You can also run into a problem when multiple people miss portions of work that each person thinks the other one is working on. If an activity has only one person assigned, it is pretty clear who is responsible. But if two or more people are assigned to the same activity, make sure one of them is designated as primarily responsible for coordinating the work to ensure it is done completely, correctly and within quality, effort and duration estimates. [Read more...]

The Buildsafe UAE safety alerts this week recommended that all sites should undertake a review on all lifting operations to ensure work methods statements are relevant to the operation. [Read more...]

R.F. Feldman

The resistance to deformation that makes concrete a useful material means also that volume changes of the concrete itself can have important implications in use. Any potential growth or shrinkage may lead to complications, externally because of structural interaction with other components or internally when the concrete is reinforced. There may even be distress if either the cement paste or the aggregate changes dimension, with tensile stresses set up in one component and compressive stresses in the other. Cracks may be produced when the relatively low tensile strength of the concrete or its constituent materials is exceeded. [Read more...]