Recently formed Aldar Laing O’Rourke Plant, a division of Aldar-Laing O’Rourke JV, has taken delivery of 60 Atlas Copco XA 136 portable air compressors – ordered through local distributor Inma – to meet demand by contractors working on the Al Raha Beach project in Abu Dhabi.
The mixed use waterfront development stretching 11 km and covering an area of 500 ha is being developed along the beach side of the main Abu Dhabi – Dubai highway and will provide 120,000 residential units along with eight hotels and commercial, retail and leisure developments; to house a daytime population of residents and workers of 250,000.
Aldar Laing O’Rourke Plant was subsequently formed to meet the plant rental needs of all Aldar joint venture main contractors’ partners and sub-contractors across the development – including the developer’s new HQ building.
SPHERICAL
Recognized as the first spherical building in the Middle East, the 110 m high building is predominantly located in the Al Dana Precinct; the financial and commercial ‘hub’ of Al Raha Beach.
The ‘futuristic’ aluminum and glass exterior with underground car parking and marble floors and walls will, according to the developer, be ‘a prestige commercial building fit for 21st Century Arabia as a Category A International Office.’
Set for completion later this year, the 23-storey spherical building transfers the exterior weight loads through two large central concrete cores. It will boast a floor area of almost 82,000 m2.
By completion the building will incorporate 57,000 t of steel, 25,000 m3 of concrete and have an area of glass façade covering more than 25,000 m2.
Throughout its construction, the main contractor has relied on numerous Atlas Copco XA 136 compressors from the plant rental fleet.
The XA 136 is, according to Aldar Laing O’Rourke Plant Manager, John McCoppin, “proving to be the ideally-sized compressor to meet daily requirements.”
“Its free air delivery (fad) of 290 cfm at 7 bar is the optimum rating for this type of rental use,” he said, adding, “We have great experience with Atlas Copco compressors both in the UAE and the UK.”
DUST
“Even constant dust storms in the area and high temperatures frequently at 40ºC and above are not proving a deterrent. Regular blowing across the radiator and air filters to keep them clean, and the compressors will run forever,” he confirmed.
Other developments on the Al Rana Beach project using large numbers of the Atlas Copco rental compressors include Aldar-J&P JV’s main interchange and bridges contract.
At any one time up to a dozen Atlas Copco compressors are in use on the massive interchange crossing the new 10 lane link highway to Abu Dhabi and providing direct access into the Al Dana Precinct and surrounding area. This new project is eagerly anticipated by local residents, fed up with current traffic snarls.
INMA Gulf Development & Construction LLC provides after-sales support for all the compressors with INMA engineers.
They frequently visit the site for routine checks.