Gulf Construction Online - Al Subhiah on track with landmark hospital

Oman International Hospital

Oman International Hospiital ... scheduled to be completed in April.

Al Subhiah on track with landmark hospital

01 February 2020

About two-thirds of the work on the prestigious Oman International Hospital in the Ghubra area of the Omani capital has been completed and construction is now at an advanced stage, according to the main contractor Al Subhiah Contracting.

Under a RO11-million ($28.57 million) contract, Al Subhiah Contracting is responsible for the complete construction works of the 100-bed hospital building, which includes two basement levels and six upper floors, involving a total built-up area of 42,000 sq m. Its scope of works on the project also covers MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) services, including the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, fire-fighting and fire alarm systems, and extra-low-voltage (ELV) systems.

The Oman-based contracting company started work on the contract in April 2018 and is scheduled to complete it by the end of April this year.

Oman International Hospital ... being built to high standards.

The hospital building is now structurally complete with all masonry works including plastering, floor screeds, internal drywall partition works, piping works for the fire-fighting system, as well as the chilled water piping work and ducting for the HVAC system and other MEP piping and tray works having been completed, according to a senior official of the company

“Approximately 65 per cent of the work is completed on the Oman International Hospital,” B R Guruprasad, general manager of Al Subhiah Contracting, tells Gulf Construction magazine.

The project is being implemented on a fast-track basis as the client, Al Afia Healthcare Development & Investment Company, had already scheduled the opening date in advance for its hospital facility, he adds.

Outlining some of the work under way on site, project manager Biju John says: “We are currently working on installing the HVAC system and various related equipment as well as the ELV system. Also under way simultaneously are the cabling, internal finishing, marble and tiles laying, painting, roof waterproofing, external marble and aluminium screen fixing works.”

The building sits on a raft foundation, whose thickness varies from a minimum of 500 mm to 1,500 mm. The reinforced concrete superstructure features post-tensioned slabs – as opposed to the conventional slabs which were initially planned – while most of the internal walls comprise gypsum board which needs to be reinforced with additional supports to allow the installation of all fixtures like wash basins, countertops and water closets (WCs).

Undertaking a prestigious project of this nature is not without its challenges, John says, adding that the dewatering requirements as well as site access and space constraints, especially with regard to storing materials and positioning concrete pumps, were among the trickiest encountered on site.

John points out that as the structure extends almost 3.5 m below the water table, dewatering and waterproofing was carried out in parallel.

Some 450 workers are currently engaged on the site.

Another key challenge was obtaining approvals from local authorities such as the dewatering and discharge permissions including location, and rerouting of underground cables and services with shutdown approvals.

Also, to speed up the construction of the project, a decision was made to use post-tensioned slabs instead of conventional slabs. This meant the contractor had to obtain municipal approval for the change in the structural design.

“We planned all these activities well in advance and, with proper and timely coordination with the designated agencies and government bodies, we managed to obtain the required permissions on time, which helped to a large extent in expediting work on the project and enabling it to progress to its current status,” John adds.

To date, the project has required 30,000 cu m of concrete, 3,800 tonnes of reinforcement steel, 12,000 bags of cement, 6,500 sq m of floor and wall tiles, 11,500 sq m of internal and external marble, 20,000 sq m of vinyl flooring, 12,000 tonnes of plastering, 8,500 sq m of glazing and aluminium windows. Also utilised will be 4,000 switches and sockets, 3,000 light fittings, 750,000 m of electrical wires and 390 HVAC units.

Some 450 workers are currently engaged on the site.

Al Subhiah Contracting, he says, was involved from the outset in the technical discussions to sort out issues with various services and in coordinating with the different specialised subcontractors to ensure things got done on schedule for the overall timely completion of project.

“We had regular weekly progress meetings with the client and separate co-ordination meetings with our various subcontractors along with our site team to identify areas that faced issues and required proper coordination to move forward,” says Guruprasad.

“In addition, we were involved in organising the different types of finishes along with other installations since the interior design team was engaged at a later stage,” he adds.

Al Subhiah Contracting started work on the Oman International Hospital project in April 2018.

Apart from the Oman International Hospital, Al Subhiah Contracting is also building the Al Muzn commercial and residential building at Plot No 969 in Al Mawaleh for Majan Development under a RO4.5-million deal, which is nearing completion, and broiler houses and associated facilities at wilayat Ibri for A’Namaa Poultry under a RO9-million contract, says the company’s commercial manager.

Al Subhiah Contracting, which was established in Qurum, Muscat, in 2006, is an excellent grade main contractor in Oman. It can undertake construction projects of various types worth up to RO50 million, including schools, malls, supermarkets, hospitals, residential, commercial, industrial and warehouse facilities, roadworks, villas and mass housing projects.

The company is ISO 9001:2015, 14001:2015 and OHSAS 18000:2017 certified in Oman.

According to him, business levels for the company have improved compared to previous years. While projects are few due to the current economic climate, the company anticipates a number of new projects to be unveiled shortly.

To maintain its competitive edge in the market, Al Subhiah Contracting has, over the past year, boosted its skilled workforce including engineers and technical staff, and acquired new machinery and assets.

“In addition, we have also implemented a new SAP system,” he says.

The company currently has a labour force of 950 and 100 technical and non-technical staff. It has a common warehouse facility spread over 12,000 sq m and a material laydown yard covering 13,000 sq m. This apart, its individual construction sites have camps and storage facilities.

Guruprasad is aiming for Al Subhiah Contracting’s further growth in the construction sector and looking to clinch other challenging projects as well as diversify its areas of operation over the short term.