RMD Kwikform has made inroads into the Middle East ground-shoring market with innovation and bespoke solutions
The ground-shoring market is on the rise in the Middle East and India and RMD Kwikform is determined to make a serious impression in the region, according to David White, the company?s general manager for regional ground-shoring business in the Middle East.
Mr White said the ground-shoring market is already well-known in the UK and worth around ?110 mn per year?and now the time is right for growth across the Middle East and India. He attributes the growth in the region?s ground-shoring market to multiple factors. These include an increased oil price leading to governments spending more money on major building and infrastructure projects, a drive towards modernisation on older buildings, improved standards on new construction projects and, perhaps most importantly, a much-improved safety and sustainability culture.
?There is now more thought and care being taken for the protection of people on the ground,? Mr White told Technical Review Middle East. As well as construction, industries which are reaping the practical and safety benefits of improved ground-shoring innovations include oil and gas, and water, including sectors such as stormwater management. In terms of sustainability, the products are durable and reusable. Mr White said that particularly in the UAE, reducing the carbon footprint has become a big priority for many companies. As such, moving away from a throwaway culture helps improve environmental stewardship.
With Dubai 2020 on the horizon, there is a short?term opportunity for ground-shoring services, thanks to a flurry of building activity. This is to ensure major projects are finished ahead of this event so that, when the eyes of the world are on the city, half?completed sites are not spoiling Dubai?s appearance. Conversely, this has led to some hotel and residential projects being put on hold until after the event but once these projects could be restarted, again, opportunities for ground?shoring should arise. But it?s not just about Dubai?Mr White said that projects in Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Oman, Saudi and Kuwait are offering myriad opportunities for the company. He cited the Ajman City Centre mall project as a particularly strong example of their work.
The main ground?shoring products which RMD Kwikform is keenly promoting to the Middle East market include the trench box, manhole box and tubeshor. The trench box trench?lining systems are useful for areas with a high water table, which is very common in the Middle East. Flexibility is important with the trench boxes ? Mr White said these can be extended to a maximum depth of 5.6 metres.
Tubeshor hybrid hydraulic tubular shoring systems, meanwhile, are used for propping waling beams or capping beams on large excavations, as well as vertical applications, such as bridge?bearing replacements. An integral hydraulic ram unit is rated for an AWL up to 4,500kN once the mechanical lock-off collar has been engaged.
Providing bespoke solutions is an important part of the service. As well as versatile systems, RMD Kwikform serves its Middle East customers with a design team in the UAE head office. Ground?shoring solutions can be designed at concept stage, driven by a geotechnical report.
Looking ahead, geobrace systems?incorporating a reusable waler beam which can be added to the Tubeshor range?will be the next innovation RMD Kwikform plans to bring to market in the Middle East at the end of this year and into 2020, complementing existing products. ?All our sales team have been trained in ground-shoring,? Mr White said, emphasising the importance of expertise at every level in the company. ?They are able to identify opportunities on the ground.?
As well as flexibility with products, Mr White said that customers have different options for the terms of sale, with hire, purchase and buyback plans all on offer. As many Middle East projects require ground-shoring solutions for up to several months, these options help RMD Kwikform?s customers determine which type of sale is best for their needs. With plans afoot to move from the current Sharjah premises into a new, larger Middle East head office on the Sharjah?Dubai border, Mr White is optimistic about RMD Kwikform?s future in the region.
