3D PRINTING CONSTRUCTION OF THE YEAR AWARD

Dubai is laying down foundations for the future of its construction industry through Dubai Municipality building the largest 3D printed structure in the world. The new technology took a year of testing to ensure the project met strict building standards. The basic structure of the administrative building was constructed using only one 3D printer.

The two-storey administration building is 9.5m high and has a total area of 640 square meters. This reduced construction costs and contributed to the development of solutions to the demographic challenges by reducing the number of construction workers required on site. The process works by layering a fluid material along a predetermined route mapped out by a computer، similar to an inkjet printer. The special mix solidifies into concrete instantly to convert the digital model into a three-dimensional object.

This building has been designed and executed so that it can be used as rooms or offices. The walls were printed directly from the printer,، unlike the traditional method of construction,، which depends on the work of tightening wooden pieces with nuts and bolts, reinforcement and pouring of concrete and making bricks. Construction costs for a building this size were cut from about AED2.5m to less than AED1m.

OFFSITE PROJECT OF THE YEAR

DuBox leads the field in offsite manufacturing construction of volumetric modules in the GCC, delivering reduced costs, increased quality, faster completion times and an inherently sustainable construction model. This project is a 10-building residential complex for The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) in Saudi Arabia, comprising 288 one- or two-bedroomed units of housing for management and office staff. Seventy-five per cent of this project is designed, manufactured and assembled offsite in a controlled environment at a DuBox factory in the kingdom before being travelling by road to the Red Sea site. Each module is built in pre-cast concrete and is fully constructed and fitted out, including all mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, before reaching the site. Offsite manufacturing construction on this project commenced before the site was ready and took place in parallel to site clearance and landfilling works. This saved the client 74 days of manufacturing production time. Numerous savings have been made: a 30% reduction in labour costs; a 50% – 90% reduction in overall waste and a 30% reduction in solid waste. The project will complete on budget and on time in 11 months, 30% quicker than traditional construction.

BIM IMPLEMENTATION OF THE YEAR

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) is the developer behind Saudi Arabia’s flagship international regenerative tourism initiative – The Red Sea Project. A central pillar of the country’s Vision 2030 and the nation’s ambition to diversify its economy, it will place Saudi Arabia firmly on the global tourism map and provide visitors with an unparalleled variety of immersive experiences delivered to the highest standards of personalized, luxury service. As one of the world’s last hidden treasures, The Red Sea Project is home to some of the most diverse and unique natural environments. The destination is being developed over 28,000 km² of pristine land on Saudi Arabia’s west coast and features a vast archipelago of more than 90 islands, mountain canyons, dormant volcanoes and ancient heritage sites. The Red Sea Development Company is committed to being pioneers in project delivery through BIM and digital ways of working, improving customer experience through the development of a Digital Twin as part of Smart Destination Strategy. The project is already on the path to internationally recognised certification through best practice processes and is setting standards within the region.

DIGITAL PROJECT OF THE YEAR

One Za’abeel is a mixed-use development by Ithra Dubai. It includes residential, office, commercial and hospitality offerings. A multi-record-breaking architectural structure, it is strategically located between the Dubai World Trade Centre and Za’abeel Park. Alec’s scope of work as the main contractor includes all concrete structures, waterproofing, masonry, link bridge, fireproofing, and underground services. Alec participated in the management, operation and development of technological tools. For One Za’abeel, the project has seen 72 new initiatives implemented. To deliver on the highest standard whilst keeping the teams safe and efficient, research on global construction best practices was conducted and successfully implemented.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE YEAR

By implementing a series of key initiatives across the operational excellence, customer centricity and growth pillars of its 2020-24 strategy, Aldar Properties has made great strides in its digital transformation journey, enabling the company to both stay ahead of the curve and navigate challenging economic conditions in the current pandemic situation.

The last 12 months saw Aldar scale up its technological innovations with the launch of an ambitious Digital Transformation Strategy to position itself at the forefront of stable, responsible, and diversified growth and transformation. The key business objective for its Development Management business was to provide transformational digital tools and industry leading processes to ensure all developments are delivered on time, budget, and quality with world class customer experience.

Data is becoming the core of the organisation’s informed decision making and hence there has been significant strides in aggregation of data sources and developing Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning capabilities for predictive analysis. The impact of Covid-19 had ramped up and expedited some of the programmes with greater emphasis on automation, digitisation, collaboration and data. The benefits were evident and translated to improvements to operations, customer experience and the overall financial performance of the business, maximising shareholder value and driving sustainable growth.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE YEAR

Aecom is committed to making digital business-as-usual through our digital transformation initiative. Only then will we see the benefits and significant improvements in outcomes for the built environment and our communities. The company’s digital transformation strategy aims to source, develop and implement faster, smarter and better solutions for our clients’ most complex challenges. It harnesses the innovation of its team and partners, such as Microsoft, Bentley and Autodesk, to leverage the vast amount of project knowledge we possess in unique ways, building industry-leading automated design tools and creating collaborative digital platforms that are transforming the infrastructure sector through the aggregation and analysis of data. The initiative is rooted in understanding client needs and developing digital solutions that improve processes and workflows across our projects. This digital-first approach has been pivotal to Aecom’s ability to continue delivering some of the region’s most ambitious projects during the pandemic, as well as maintaining the quality and efficiency of our service. With construction needing to be leaner and greener, Aecom is embedding digital solutions into workflows that are key to accelerating the delivery of critical infrastructure that will leave a legacy in the Middle East.

SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR

Multiplex is a leading international construction contractor, with its Middle East head offices based out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE for the past 22 years. Positive Impact is its expression of the net positive idea, where Multiplex aims to do more good than harm as a business, driving a positive change on the pillars of Environment, People and Communities.

SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR

HIGHLY COMMENDED

THE RED SEA DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) is the developer of the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destination, The Red Sea Project. Located on Saudi Arabia’s west coast, the area is home to some of the world’s most unique landscapes, marine environments and endangered species. To protect this environment TRSDC is setting new standards in development, offering nature-based solutions, from construction to destination management and guest experiences following the company’s robust Environmental and Sustainability strategy. Sustainability and positive conservation benefit are at the heart of The Red Sea Project, which aspires to not only protect but enhance the natural environment.

START UP OF THE YEAR

Tenderd is the largest heavy equipment rental marketplace in the Middle East, with a fleet of more than 10,000 pieces of equipment and over 200 equipment types. These help contractors rent and manage construction equipment in a systematic and efficient way. Tenderd was created to disrupt the traditional construction industry by offering a secure, simple and reliable way to rent heavy equipment. It does this by digitising the most time-consuming steps of the process. From real-time productivity monitoring to predictive maintenance alerts, Tenderd’s vision is to enable automated workflows and orchestrate construction to save time and energy.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY RISING STAR OF THE YEAR

Tamer is the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) and Innovation Manager at ASGC Construction in the UAE. His expertise includes BIM and project management. He took the lead on the VDC implementation in various locations and projects across the globe, including the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, USA, UK, The Netherlands and Morocco. Tamer has specialised in VDC 4D/ 5D simulation, smart reporting and project management solutions. He is the 4D BIM section editor for BIM Arabia Magazine and has many publications in this field. Tamer is an international speaker and member 4D Construction Group.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY LEADER OF THE YEAR

Jason became CEO of Al Laith on 1 February 2020 and moved his entire family from South Africa. He was in the business for four weeks before the world fell apart in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the construction and events sectors shutting down. Our revenues plummeted by 69%, but Jason kept calm and collected and immediately managed fears whilst still trying to understand the business. He rolled out a 180-degree digital strategy built on four pillars: 1 – Sustain the business; 2 – Impact our people as little as possible; 3 – Impact the community as little as possible; 4 – Emerge stronger.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY LEADER OF THE YEAR

Mansour Faried is China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East’s Chief Engineer and Corporate Engineering Director. He is an outstanding construction technology leader who has created an innovative work environment that is positive, upbeat, and motivating in terms of digital construction technology. As a visionary in innovation, he recognises the opportunity to improve efficiency that has a positive long-term impact on the company. He has instilled a flexible, ‘together we can’ attitude within the company through his effective leadership, is a pioneer in innovation and a role model in unveiling new technologies.

WOMAN IN CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR

WINNER

MARYAM OBAID ALMHEIRI

DUBAI MUNCIPALITY

Eng. Maryam Obaid Almheiri, Director of Dubai’s GIS Center, Dubai Municipality, was chosen as the Construction Technology Woman of the Year in the Construction Technology Awards