Spotlight on Dubai

 

Dunbar & Boardman’s first project in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was in the late 1990s. This was the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and we quickly built on that, increasing the number of projects we worked on not only in the UAE but also across the Gulf Region. Since the 1990s we have completed Vertical Transportation and Building Maintenance Unit projects in the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. Many of our projects have been for internationally prestigious buildings.

Here are just two examples of prestigious buildings we have worked on and a brief project description:

The iconic Burj al Arab Dubai - The brief for Dunbar and Boardman was to assist with planning the space accommodation for the 18 elevators and 2 escalators. Our role included specification writing and contractor evaluation and the firm remained involved with the project from conception stage through to final commissioning.

The Bahrain World Trade Centre – Dunbar and Boardman were appointed to witness test and commission the work - Secalt fully powered BMU systems were specified by Atkins and these were to be installed in both towers. Following completion, we were awarded the contract to manage the site maintenance work.

Listed below are some more of the projects we have completed in the UAE and Gulf Region:

Jumeirah Beach Complex Dubai

Four Seasons Dubai

Damac Ocean Heights

Damac Signature Tower

Saraya Towers Abudhabi

Al Mafraq Hospital Abu Dhabi

Gate District Towers Abu Dhabi

King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh

Al Madah Towers, Jeddah

Four Seasons Hotel, Bahrain

National Bank of Kuwait

Kuwait Investment Authority HQ  

The full list of our projects in the region can be found here. Do you have a current or planned project in the UAE or other country in the Gulf Region? We would be happy to discuss any such requirements and how we may be able to assist. 

We are attending the ‘Façades and Design Engineering - UAE Summit’ this week so this is a great opportunity for you to meet with us face to face if you are also attending the summit in Dubai. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

How do your ensure that a high-rise can cope with the needs of the people using it? 5 Considerations.

Elijah Otis’ invention of the over speed governor and safety brake in 1853 was a turning point that enabled elevators to be used in high-rise buildings. By the 1880s the first high-rise buildings were constructed in the USA and by the mid 20^th century high-rise buildings existed in many cities throughout the world. Cities with dense populations require increased numbers of high-rise buildings and each high-rise presents a number of challenges that need to be addressed prior to ground being broken and a project starting the build phase. There are 5 considerations listed below.

1. Planning

Involve a specialist lift company at the initial orientation phases of a high-rise construction project and ensure that calculations are made for the number of people who will need to be moved vertically throughout the day. These calculations are fundamental to the success of the completed building.

2. Traffic Flow Management

Managing the daily traffic flow of people up and down the building in what is referred to as vertical transportation is one of the biggest challenges facing any building contractor. 

3. Elevator System Design

What sort of elevator system should be used? This will depend on the traffic flow estimates for the building. How many elevators will be needed? Is it advisable to use a double deck system? Should shuttle elevators and escalators be deployed?

4. Energy Efficiency

Elevators account for between 2-10% of a building’s energy consumption. Depending on the traffic requirements of the building it may be advisable to establish a system of Destination Selection Control (DSC) that will both limit energy consumption and transport people in the most efficient way by grouping destinations. In recent years innovations such as solar powered elevators have increased the energy efficiency options available in some cases.

5. Building Maintenance Units

How will the building be maintained on an ongoing basis? The design and creation of Building Maintenance Units (BMU) is specialist work and needs to be addressed during the initial stages of a building project.

Dunbar & Boardman has extensive experience of high-rise projects as you can see by clicking here

We worked on the iconic ‘Burj al Arab’ and have successfully designed and installed Building Maintenance Units and Destination Control systems. We have also provided Maintenance Management Services for many buildings.

Do you have a new high-rise project that you’d like to discuss with us? Please give us a call on T +44 (0)20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.