Gulf Construction Online - KBC puts complex on firm footing

Kuwait

Offshore drilling for the Oil Sector Complex.

KBC puts complex on firm footing

01 December 2005

The initiative and technical competence shown by Kuwait Bruckner General Contracting Company (KBC) have helped ensure that the Oil Sector complex sits on a sound foundation that comprises a total of 1,500 piles.

The company offered two pricing options to the client – one based on the original design and scope of works of the tender which called for driven piles and an alternative bid based on augured piles for which it offered both its design and construction services.
“Under our alternative design we offered to take on the liability both for the design and construction of the piles – which is not a normal practice in the contracting business,” says Aisha A Budastour, general manager of the company. “The client opted for our alternative design and hence we were able to provide the client with not only a technically superior solution but also a more cost-effective one.”
Charged with the responsibility of redesigning and constructing the pile foundation under bid package 2 of the project, the company redesigned the foundation, from precast to cast in-situ piles, taking care of all design criteria and soil conditions, while at the same time helping to lower costs for the client.
“Being a highly specialised company, we conducted a complete value engineering study and while launching construction work on site, we undertook trial tests and load tested the piles on the same site where they were to be installed,” she points out.
“The piles were mainly placed under the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and Ministry of Oil buildings, while the remaining were distributed within the pool and the car park area,” she explains.
Piles with diameters of 480, 600, 1,000 and 1,250 mm and compression working loads of 500, 900, 3600 and 5,400 kN have been used for the project. “In addition, the tension forces for the tent-proof construction have been resisted with tension piles, of 1,250 mm diameter and tension loads range from 2,500 to 8,500 kN.
According to Budastour, another major challenge was the time frame allotted for the contract.
KBC started work for bid package 2 under a KD770,000 ($2.6 million) contract in November 1999 and completed it within 10 months. It was also appointed as subcontractor for shoring and dewatering worth KD200,000 with main contractors with bid packages 3, 7 and 8.
“We were fighting against the clock to ensure our contract was completed on time so that the other packages contractors that were following on from our work (contracts for which were already awarded) could start work on their contracts,” she adds.
KBC is currently working on a number of projects in Kuwait involving shoring, dewatering and excavation to a depth of 39 m for the A/12 Shuwaikh pumping station, Egaila pumping station (48 m deep), and for other prestigious residential and commercial buildings such as Nofa Tower, Shira’a Tower and Murghab Twin Tower. It is also executing foundations entailing piling works for Kharafi residential developments, car showrooms, high-tension towers as well as telecommunication towers.
KBC is also carrying over shaft and microtunnelling works of diameter ranges from 500 mm up to 2,500 mm for various projects all over the State of Kuwait.