Gulf Construction Online - Al Jazera uses CDE unit for City of Roses work

Manufacturers & Procurement

CDE’s wash plant deployed for the City of Roses project.

Al Jazera uses CDE unit for City of Roses work

01 December 2023

Saudi-based Al Jazera Concrete Company (JCC) has commissioned a new sand wash plant engineered by wet processing expert CDE as it continues to support the development of Madinat Al Wurood (also known as the City of Roses), a new suburb located in the north of the Taif governorate.

Under the supervision of the Ministry of Housing and as a part of Saudi Vision 2030, the project will see the development of over nine million sq m of land, including 112 km of road networks and 5,400 residential villas in its first phase alone.

Founded in 1980, JCC is a key producer of readymix concrete of varying strengths which to date has supplied over 425,000 cu m of poured concrete to the project for the construction of more than 1,500 prefabricated residential units.

With a view to further improving the efficiency of its operation, the compressive strength of its concrete, and to reduce the environmental footprint associated with concrete production, JCC partnered with CDE to design and engineer a wash plant to efficiently process and enhance the sand equivalent (SE) value of its crusher fines.

CDE’s Regional Manager (Middle East & Africa) Ruchin Garg said: “The use of unwashed crusher fines in concrete production can impact upon the end use of the final concrete product, rendering it unsuitable for higher value construction applications. It can also increase the requirement for cement in the concrete mix in order to achieve the desired compressive strength, a costly process both commercially and environmentally.”

Abdelmajeed Al Kurdi, the Area Manager for Taif at JCC, said: “Concrete is, by its very nature, a highly taxing industry on the environment. From cement manufacturing to water consumption, the process leaves a considerable environmental footprint which we’re committed to addressing.

“CDE’s significant presence in Saudi Arabia was a major factor in the decision to partner with the washing experts.”

“Washing materials is an entirely new direction for our company and so we sought more than technology, more than a supplier: we sought a partner and, given CDE’s presence and solid reputation in the local market, we trusted the quality of its equipment and the expertise of its team,” he added.

JCC visited Al Tawi, another of CDE’s customers in Saudi Arabia operating its washing technology as part of its readymix concrete production.

“Attending the reference site was a key moment in the process. Observing the technology in operation reinforced our belief that CDE was the partner of choice to help us achieve our aims with this project,” added Kurdi.

Laboratory tests conducted by CDE revealed the SE value of the crusher fines feed material used in JCC’s concrete mix to be around 50 per cent.

“The SE value indicates the proportion of dust and clay-like material in the feedstock,” stated Garg. “The lower the value the more of that material is present. Equally, if we increase the value then the final concrete product is stronger and requires less cement to bind.”

Using CDE manufactured sand in the concrete mix design lowers the production of CO2 by optimising the concrete mix with less cement required to obtain the same compressive strengths.

With a view to increasing the SE value of JCC’s feed material, CDE proposed a wash plant set up comprising two of its patented EvoWash sand classification and dewatering plants coupled with its AquaCycle thickener for water management.

A compact, modular sand washing system, CDE’s EvoWash washes and deslimes the crusher fines by ensuring low moisture product with the help of its high frequency dewatering screen. The hydrocyclone technology provides unrivalled control of silt cut points and eliminates the loss of quality fines.

Working in tandem, CDE’s AquaCycle offers an alternative to water extraction from natural sources and the costly process of pumping water to the plant, especially in arid regions where water resources are not readily available. It significantly reduces water consumption by ensuring up to 90 per cent of process water is recycled for immediate recirculation around the plant.

Processing up to 300 tonnes per hour (tph) of material, the CDE solution is producing 200 tph of 0-5mm sand with a final SE value of 88 per cent, up from around 50 per cent prior to commissioning and significantly exceeding acceptance criteria of 70 per cent.

“Our solution has delivered a significant improvement in the SE value of JCC’s material and optimised its concrete to reduce the volume of cement required in the readymix, resulting in significant savings in cement consumption,” added Garg.

Al Kurdi said in addition to driving down cement consumption and boosting the SE value of its material to produce a higher quality end product, the solution designed and engineered by CDE has also delivered significant efficiency gains in terms of water management on site.

“Already, the integration of our first CDE wash plant into the operation has transformed our business and given us a competitive advantage in the local market. We’re able to exceed expectations and that will position us well for future success as we tender for high value projects of major public interest,” he added.