blue dimensions journal- q4. 2013

BLUE dimension Journal - Q 4 . 2013

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS … PROVEN EXCELLENCE

1 CORPORATE dimension

11 DESIGN dimension

19 MANAGEMENT SERVICES dimension

23 SPECIALIZED STUDIES dimension

29 JAFAR TUKAN ATELIER dimension

Every successful business bases their success on a solid foundation, upon that they can erect a building con-taining all divisions, departments, sections, and units. For this building to contain itself it has to be built on pillars. At Consolidated Consultants Group we are proud to reveal that we have built our past, present, and future relying three main pillars: Ex-cellence, Innovation, and Credibility.

Blue Dimensions is our quarterly journal proudly published in-house where you will be able to enjoy many ideas, topics, success stories, and news from Consolidated Consultants Group and the globe. We want to share our thoughts and ideas to you through this journal.

Best regards,

Said Abujaber CEO

1 www.group-cc.com

C O R P O R AT E dimension

2www.group-cc.com


On behalf of CC Group, I wish to ex-tend our best wishes for a healthy and prosperous year ahead to our stakeholders and clients, and would like to take this opportunity to ex-press my appreciation to each and every member of the CC Group fam-ily for their joint efforts and contri-bution to the success achieved dur-ing 2013.

At CC Group, we believe that such success comes from a relentless fo-cus on innovation and execution. These concepts are not only funda-mental to our technical and mana-gerial development, but also to our sustainable efforts of perform-ing better and smarter. It involves making the most of our resources, empowering our people to do what they excel in using the power of di-verse ideas to overcome challenges and achieve state of the art solu-tions.

by Said Abujaber - CEO

Allow me to share with you some of our 2013 highlights as well as few thoughts on 2014.During last year, we decided to focus on bettering efficiency and creativity; it was all about good implementation of enterprise project management tool (EPM) and getting it right: The right people, doing the right things, at the right time, at the right cost structure.The business environment accelerated in maturity due to the intensive learn-ing and training processes to assure better understanding of our strategies and the ongoing technical catch-ups. In light of that; we stretched the in-volvement of the next line mangers and the younger generation to take part in decision making, enabling them to face future challenges with faith and confidence, as well as come up with new ideas and improvements. The retreat; which was held in Aqaba, Jordan, was a good example where we invited all of the second line man-agement members to attend the stra-tegic management meeting, by giving us more fruitful ideas for the coming future. The theme of the retreat was Building Tomorrow …Today!On another aspect and to better adopt

the growth in our business; which was a direct result of various innovations and creative engineering solutions provided during the last years, we have further improved our internal systems including the implantation of the new EPM. We can declare now that we have integrated procedures that will enable us to measure our performance, especially the Perfor-mance Matrix as a measurement tool based on preset Key Performance In-dicators (KPIs).Finally our community consciousness has been and will always be an impor-tant matter inside CC Group. This is being done through WAEDAT nonprofit organization as our Social Responsibil-ity arm, where we will continue our ambitious program to enable women and young age group of individuals in establishing their own small busi-nesses by providing them with skillful training and helping them to be well equipped with the necessary qualifi-cations to sustain their businesses. We are very proud of this program as a sincere contribution to our community Very best wishes to you and your fami-lies for a prosperous 2014We look forward to brighter and better year.

3


www.group-cc.com

CC Group 2013 Strategic

Planning Retreat

CC Group has adopted a strategic planning process that is supported by an annual retreat. The retreat aims to give the opportunity for manage-ment to meet and brainstorm about important issues and exchanging ideas which will result in a clear road map for the coming year. The retreat was handled & prepared by Strategic planning team in full co-ordination with the administration in CC Group, it was planned & executed in a very professional way & according to best practices.

CC Group has held its 2013 Retreat at the Radisson Blu Tala Bay -Aqaba dur-ing the 28th-30th of November where partners and senior managers partici-pated in this three- days retreat.

The retreat started with welcoming opening speech by our CEO Eng. Said Abujaber. This was followed by pres-entation about main Achievements & projects for CC Group.

The main theme was “BUILDING TO-MORROW TODAY”

The idea behind this is to exchange ideas about the future and to discuss

the main internal operational drivers, in order to raise & enhance our corpo-rate performance to achieve our goals & objectives.

After the Retreat sessions were com-pleted, Facilitators presented high-lights of the collected feedback on discussed presentations & how we align all discussed strategic initiatives with vision to achieve strategic Goals.

4www.group-cc.com


Young professional’s vision toward

CC Group future

The Young Professionals are middle managers from all disciplines who have been invited to attend this year’s retreat to work together with CC Group higher management to achieve the Company’s goals. They have been requested to share their vision of the Company’s journey for the coming era. The Young Professionals presented a logical, attainable, and visionary path towards achieving their aspi-rations and goals by presenting dif-ferent business ideas explained in terms of needs, goals and benefits, stakeholders, and who will be re-sponsible for the implementation. The ideas were categorized to re-flect the core values of CC Group (Excellence, Innovation, and Cred-ibility).

5 www.group-cc.com


EPC: The Efficient Form of

Contract By Nasser G. Nasser

A decade ago, the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) industry comprised of a handful of large, complex projects and multitude of small packages and subcontracts. Today, EPC has become the norm for government funded and large complex projects. An EPC contract is a form of contracts where the contractor is required to Engineer, Procure and Construct the project. In other words, the contractor is responsible for designing the entire project, procuring the materials and equipment and finally constructing the project. The growth in EPC contracts has been partly a result of the increasing size and complexity of projects and the need for a single

point of responsibility, which has led to a growing reliance on contractors’ capabilities and project management skills.Contracts have evolved from item rate packages to lump sum fixed price binding contracts. Slowly but steadily, the onus of project management has shifted from the owner/developer to the contractor. Gradually, the risk of time and cost overruns has been transferred to the contractor, along with the responsibility of designing, procurement of materials and construction.The key differences between EPC contracts and conventional forms of contract are described in the below table:

Packaged-based and rate contractsEPC (Turnkey Contract)CriteriaNo guarantee on the priceGuaranteed price for executionPriceNo guarantee on the timelineGuaranteed timeline for completionTimeAs per agreement between the two partiesUndertaken solely by the contractorProcurementResponsibility of the owner/developerResponsibility of the contractorEngineering/DesignContractor has defined responsibilityContractor takes single point of responsibilityResponsibility

Owner/developer has to coordinate with severalparticipants along with the contractors

Contractor is single point of contact for allmatters for the project developer

Point of Contact

Owner/developer to undertake a day to daysupervision of most of the activities

Contractor is free to work with limited supervision – delivery as per agreed milestonesand specifications

Level of Involvement

Significant risks retained with the owner/developerSignificant risks are transferred to the contractorRisk

6www.group-cc.com


Consolidated Consultants Group (CC Group) is able to play various roles in the EPC matrix depicted above. These roles include the consultant, which is its primary and natural role. In this role, CC Group would be responsible for preparing the front end engineering design in which the design concept and specifications are defined. Moreover, CC Group can be responsible for tendering the contract.

Another role CC Group is capable of fulfilling is the engineering subcontractor to the EPC main

Future opportunities that CC Group can also perform a vital role in the procurement activities by preparing the material requisition documents and assessing the compliance of offers received from vendors with the project specifications and designs.

Future opportunities that CC Group can pursue lie in the project management consultancy component of EPC contracts. To harness these opportunities, CC Group must build on its current experience in project management, invest in further developing its qualified staff members,

and finally recruit highly experienced professionals that can further expand our potential.

CC Group has already been involved in numerous EPC projects, below is a list of the most recent ones:

1. Ma’aden Bauxite and Alumina Co. – Al-Baitha Bauxite Mine. Construction Value USD 150 Million.

2. Aqaba Development Co. – Aqaba New Port Project. Construction Value USD 70 Million.

3. Jabal Omar Development Co. – Jabal Omar Development Project. Construction Value USD 650 Million.

4. Premises of Jeddah Airport 2 Sewage Treatment Plant. Construction Value USD 300 Million.

contractor. Here CC Group is responsible for developing the FEED into the detailed design required for construction. CC Group can also perform a vital role in the procurement activities by preparing the material requisition documents and assessing the compliance of offers received from vendors with the project specifications and designs.

7

Quality Perspective in CC GroupBy Judith Salaytah

The term “Quality” has been defined and re-defined over time by different entities in each corner of the world. Everyone has access to a large number of definitions widely available in electronic media and in traditional libraries.

CC Group has found its own particular way towards understanding quality.Our Clients are the most important contributors to prepare the grounds for quality. They define what quality means to them, by putting down the basics through their requirements for the project or service in the making.

The employees of CC Group view quality through the perception of the Clients. The fundamental criteria originate from the professional translation of the Clients’ requests into project specifics, into scopes and objectives, into technical processes and lists of deliverables and beyond the tangible requests, into additional services, which form integral part of the service provided and cannot be disregarded, even though they might not be visible to the naked eye.

“Be a yardstick of quality.

Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected”

Steve Jobs

Our Quality Management Approach takes the bulk of the works in setting out the rules of the design/engineering service as described in the Project Specific Quality Plan (PSQP).

The breakdown of each component of the Client’s requirements into Work Plan, International Design Standards, Time Schedule and Budget Sheet is a combined effort of Project Managers and Technical Teams.

The commitment to these pre-set rules proves that teamwork is strongly rooted in the cultural background of CC Group’s employees and is the only successful way to implement the Integrated Quality, Environment and Health and Safety Policy of the company.

www.group-cc.com


The results of our coordinated efforts are embedded into the Final Product, which can be a complex list of deliverables, such as Drawings, Reports, Calculations, Bills of Quantities and Specifications for a multidisciplinary design service, as an example; the list varies with the scope of service, whether it is a special study, an urban design, master plan, interior design or a supervision contract.

The success of each contract is measured by Client Questionnaires, the feedback is analyzed and conclusions are drawn as to which process areas need another look-at for improvements.

We understand that our external customers are not the sole clients we deal with on daily basis. All of our employees, in a way or another, are each others clients, and consistently the same ground rules apply to all.

The catalysts of good relationship and successful business are good communications and working together as a corporate team towards the same goal.

www.group-cc.com 8

The year 2013 was very fruitful in strengthening the understanding of what qual-ity really means. The Strategic Planning Retreat in November 2013 reflected on quality in different contexts, the common denominator between all presenters being the importance of team spirit.

CC Group employees offer the highest quality to every client we serve, without discrimination: internal or external, provide quality equally full heartedly and enthusiastically, as if it is the first time. We do not let “routine” become a barri-er and spoil our good intentions, which are by culture built in everyone from the start. In other words, what we wish for ourselves we shall provide for others: the best of quality. This is CC Group’s conscientious and responsible message.


9 www.group-cc.com

Under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Majda Ra’ad, Dis-trict 20 Toastmasters International and The Toastmasters of Jordan host-ed a Corporate Summit Event with guest speaker Mrs. Elizabeth Nostedt DTM Regional Advisor, Toastmasters International on Thursday November 21, 2013 at Crowne Plaza Hotel Am-man which was followed by a Recep-tion. Mrs. Nostedt is in charge of Region 11 that includes Intercon-tinental Europe, Britain and Ireland, South Africa, The Middle East, Saudi Arabia and African territories for the year 2013-2014. The event and reception were attend-ed by CC Group CEO Mr. Said Abu-jaber, and the executive committee of CC Toastmasters Club.

The Event was followed the second day by a training session which was conducted Mrs. Nostedt & was attend-ed by about 50 Toastmasters from the Jordanian TM Clubs. CCTM hosted the 2nd day event at CC premises. The training was very beneficial & was ap-preciated by all attendees. CCTM club received a certificate of appreciation for hosting the second day event.

CC Group Toastmaster Club


www.group-cc.com 10


Stemming from CC Group Social Re-sponsibility strategy and sense of re-sponsibility towards the local commu-nity, it is within our duty to contribute in the development process and start our call for social change. Therefore we launched Blue Scarf Campaign which was entirely sponsored by CC Group’s employees, their families and friends to help the needy people face the winter by providing them with clothes, blankets, carpets, heaters, food, and money. That initiative took place between the 8th and 24th of De-cember.

CC Group employees managed to gather more than 1000 pieces of cloth-ing, blankets and many more, as well donated more than 50 food packages around.

CC Group Social Responsibility

11 www.group-cc.com

SABIS School - part of Iraq Gate ProjectBaghdad - Iraq

Site PlanDistributed around an internal central open space, the buildings be-stow the project an introverted green safe environment.

Driving along the school, the accom-modation and administration build-ing signal the school’s main entrance framed underneath the suspended li-brary.

The entrance piazza and the linear covered axis represent the spine of the covered passages network inter-connecting the different buildings of the school and the enclosed bus park-ing. Due to the proximity of the mall, the performance hall and cafeteria building, as well as the main and mini gymnasium are placed on the south-ern edge to create a buffer zone for the classroom buildings.

On the Ground level, the students ex-perience is animated with a pleasant promenade from the entrance piazza to the KG’s playground, passing by the school’s cafeteria, towards the open landscaped outdoors onto the covered playgrounds or across a suspended bridge, going up to the performance hall, or culminating at the soccer field and the gymnasium.

D E S I G N dimension

12

F I G U R E S

Project Site Area= 18,840 m2

Buildings footprint area= 9,985 m2

Project total built-up area 21,847 m2 comprised as follows: School Classroom Building 1 3,570School Classroom Building 2 3,661Kindergarten Building 2,241Mini-Gymnasium Building (Kindergar-ten) 917Administration Building 2,027ITL Hall 982Performance Hall 2,048Cafeteria 1,516Gymnasium/Sports’ Center 3,221Services Building 1,664

Outdoors area = 10,177 m2

Capacity of school: (1) Number of classrooms 62(2) Number of half classrooms 8 (3) Maximum number of students 1,700 approximately

Construction Value: 32 Million $

Elevations study

- Sun-breakers creep up the classroom buildings to counter for the direct rays of sun - The variety of treatments and the multiple colors animate the buildings fa-cades giving each function of the school a unique identity

www.group-cc.com


13

Jeddah internationalSchool, KSA

Layout:Considering the density of the program, the buildings are set on the periphery of the lot in order to create open spaces and maximize the use of internal playgrounds for children.

Circulation:The circulation challenge is the segregation between boys and girls, so it is designed to eliminate any crossing in between.

Landscaping:-The general landscaping is composed of playgrounds and passages that are covered by a light structure, reducing the solar heat while maintaining pleasant levels of natural daylight and wind circulation.

-The playgrounds are all surrounded by greenery to promote a natural green environment in the school.


www.group-cc.com

14

Elevations study:-In the school Design, shading elements are very essential specially in the local weather conditions.-The combination and selection of shades and colors provides the following advantages to the project:- optimum performance by reducing solar heat gains.

Building Treatment:-Classroom Buildings: Simple building with vertical colored louvers creating grading and rhythm along the elevations. Each classroom building is differentiated from the other through its attributed colors. -Common building: The building facades are created with vertical elements inspired by the louvers used in the classroom buildings where the «L» shape is rotated to create a negative positive effect within the elevations.

-Kindergarten building: The square openings set on different levels & The use of different colors within the horizontal louvers create a playful architecture suitable for children.

-Administration and Gymnasium: Minimalistic horizontal slit openings integrate light while big windows mark the different entrances of the buildings.

- view enhancement from the classrooms.- maximized use of natural light.- potential for striking aesthetic impact with a vibrant visual identity.


www.group-cc.com

15 www.group-cc.com

D E S I G N dimensionThe project aims to link the Al Ain city with Khalifa Port – Industrial Zone (KPIZ) by providing the most feasi-ble route between the Al Ain Airport Roundabout and Sheikh Khalifa Inter-change on Abu Dhabi – Dubai Road at KPIZ. Al Ain Saih al Sidira highway link will connect Khalifa Port Industrial Zone and Al Ain Airport. The proposed route will be a rural Freeway as de-fined by AASHTO and the Abu Dhabi Roadway Design Manual (ADRDM) with the desirable Level of Service (LOS) for a freeway as LOS B, providing full control of access, high levels of safe-ty and efficiency in the movement of large volumes of traffic at high speeds.

The approximate total length is 120 km including interchanges, bridges, underpasses, associated ITS, side road improvements, street furniture and all necessary utilities.

Section 1 : Section 1 is 36 km new sep-arated highway that passes through the Khalifa Port Industrial Zone con-necting The E11 and E75 to join the existing E16 close to Ajban Palace. The road is a new dual 3-lane in each Direction with safeguarding for a fu-ture fourth lane.

Section 2: Section 2 is an upgrade of 58km of the existing E16 to dual three lanes with safeguarding for a new fourth lane. Work will include a combination of at grade roundabout and separated interchanges. Also in-terchanges with U-turn facilities will be provided at intervals of approxi-mately 10km providing access to the adjacent existing roads network.

Section 3 :Section 3 is 27km new dual three lanes separated highway con-necting the E16 to the Camel Rounda-bout Adjacent to Al Ain Airport. The alignment follows the route of an existing utility corridor and crosses the Al Ain Airport Development site to connect at the existing Al Ittihad Street and Hazza Bin Sultan Street Camel Roundabout.

The route includes 12 grade separated interchanges where four of them are major and the remaining are Typical U-turn junctions, in addition to one at grade intersection.

Al Ain–Saih Al Sidira (KPIZ) RoadAbu Dhabi, UAE

Scope of ServicesDesign of new road, interchanges, bridges, underpasses, associated ITS, side road improvements, and widening of existing road, street furniture and all necessary utilities, Safety Audits, and Relocation of all services in coordination with relevant authorities to obtain NOCs. Construction Supervision

Client

Length: 120 Km

Construction Cost:250 Million $

16www.group-cc.com


Urban Development and Tourism Planning for Wadi Musa Downtown in Petra

CC Group was responsible for the Urban Design & Rehabilitation of Wadi Musa is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Petra Region. Located near the entrance to the Petra Archaeological Park it is the main gateway for tourists visiting the Petra Region. Therefore, most of the tourist accommodations and facilities are located in either downtown Wadi Musa or just outside along the Scenic Road to Taybeh. Most public facilities banks and administrative services for the Petra Region are located in Wadi Musa as well. Wadi Musa is clearly the community with the best infrastructure. It is also the transportation hub for the region as buses leaving to other parts of Jordan are leaving from Wadi Musa. The King’s Highway connects Wadi Musa

to the North of Jordan via Shaubak to Madaba or to the Desert Highway (used by most visitors coming to Petra) and to the South of Jordan via Taybeh and Rajif. The Wadi Araba road links Wadi Musa with the communities located in the North of the Petra Region. The Scope of work includes developing the downtown of Wadi Musa by injecting a new public realm, in order to convert the center of Wadi Musa into a dynam-ic, touristic attractive, pedestrian friendly environment. This includes designing a car park to accommodate 350 cars, a public garden of 5000 sq.m, rehabilitating the commercial streets facades, and solving traffic congestion problems at the center. The plan also includes linking Wadi Musa downtown with “Elgi” Village and the entrance of Petra Archeological site.

19 www.group-cc.com

M A N A G E M E N T S E R V I C E S dimension

20www.group-cc.com


The St. Regis Hotel & Residences Amman

Site area: 18,000 sqm Built-up area: 126,500 sqm

The St Regis Hotel & Residences project is a seies of three 17-storey towers. One contains a 260-bed hotel with four restairants, a pool, boutique retail units and conference and business facilities. The remaining two towers will house 79 ser-viced apartments with 5-bed sky villas at the highest levels, alingside their own swinning pool, fitness centre, reception area, cinema theatre and a playground.Services Provided: Technical Advisor

21 www.group-cc.com


Section 2 Azraq – OmaryHighway

Jordan

CC Group have just awarded the sec-ond section of Zarqa – Omary Highway Supervision Services Project by Minis-try of Public Works and Housing, which will be funded by the Saudi Fund for Economic and Social Development, the project aims at rehabilitating and upgrading the existing road starting at Al Oumary border crossing post with Saudi Arabia and ending at the inter-section with Az-Zarqa bypass - Syrian border interchange, via Al Azraq City, with a total length of 122Km, and to-tal cost of 170 Million USD During the next 36 Months.

SECTION 2 Azraq – Omary Highway:The exciting Highway consists of a 2-lane, single carriageway road, ex-tends from Al Oumary border crossing till the intersection with Az-Zarqa by-pass - Syrian border interchange, over a distance of 122Km. This project aims to upgrade the road to 4-lane dual carriageway, with the introduc-tion of a 20m median, in addition to rehabilitating the existing sections of the road.

In addition to that, the project in-cludes the upgrade of the existing intersection along the road by intro-ducing grade-separated intersections (directional), as follows:•Al Oumary/ Al Jafer/ Al Azraq•Al Azraq Bypass (along the AlOumary / Al Azraq Road)•Al Mawkar Intersection•Al Halabat Intersection•Al Daleel/ Free Zone Intersection

22www.group-cc.com


On Monday 5th August 2013, a major milestone was reached at the dam site with the main contractor, have placed the first of the roller compacted con-crete (RCC) into the dam foundation. This follows many months of intensive preparatory works including rock ex-cavation.Situated on the South Phuthiatsana River, approximately 35 kilometers from Maseru, the Metolong Dam is one of the key components of the

Metolong Dam and Water Supply Pro-gramme (MDWSP) whose main objec-tive is the supply of treated water for domestic and industrial use to Maseru and the neighbouring towns of Roma, Mazenod, Morija and Teyateyaneng.Upon its completion, the dam will rise 83 meters above its foundation and will retain a 63.7 million cubic me-tre reservoir. The dam wall will be 60 metres wide at the foundation and 9 metres wide at the top with a crest

length of 210 metres. Construction of the dam is expected to continue into the fourth quarter of 2014. The WTW is designed to treat an average of 75 million cubic metres of water per day, peaking at 93.4 million cubic metres. It is anticipated that the first drop of treated water from the Metolong Dam will be delivered in September 2014.The Metolong Dam is solely funded by a consortium of Arab funders, namely the Saudi Fund for Development, Ku-wait Fund for Arab Economic Devel-opment, Arab Bank for Economic De-velopment in Africa, OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and Abu Dhabi Fund for Development to the tune of US$93.6million. The Design & Construction Supervision Services are conducted by CC Group along with Arcus GIBB Holdings (Pty) Ltd, (GIBB) of South Africa.

Metolong Dam Lesotho

23 www.group-cc.com

S P E C I A L I Z E D S T U D I E S dimension

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

Al Ain–Saih As-Sidira (KPIZ) Road Project

CC Group Design Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to improves safety, efficiency, minimize travel times, fuel consumption and carbon footprint of traffic and transport systems, and provides a seamless integration of information and communications technologies into a unified integrated system, CC Group Comprehensive ITS expertise allows the company to offer clients a full range of ITS services including audit, improvement, planning, and design entire systems. CC Group ITS Team can Provide these services including:• Freeway Management Systems• Tunnel Management Systems• Traffic Data Collection Stations• Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) Stations• Over-height Vehicle Detection Systems• Incident Detection Systems• Mobile ITS System for Work Zones• Parking Management & Guidance Systems• Public Transport Management Systems

• Variable / Dynamic Message Signs• CCTV Systems & Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)• Weather Stations CC Group ITS Unit Applied these systems upon international standard in a professional manner like Servers & Data Centers , Fiber Optic IP Network Infrastructure, Over-height Vehicle Detection Systems (OHVDS), Closed-circuit television (CCTV),

Variable Message Sign (VMS) and Dy-namic Message Sign (DMS) that was committed by more than one stand-ard in Project: Al Ain–Saih As Sidira (KPIZ) Road that was rural freeway with120Km long, dual carriageway with 3-lanes in each direction, The aim of this project is serve the cur-rent and future development between (KPIZ) area and the eastern region of the Emirate of Abu-Dhabi / Al-Ain City.

24www.group-cc.com


Fiber Optic System – IP NetworkThe fiber network considered the Backbone of the entire system and sometimes the whole system can be built on fiber network because it provides fast and high capacity data transmission to establish communica-tion between all the components of the system.

Monitor and Control Room and Sys-tems:Monitor rooms provide an Advanced Traffic Management Software with Graphical user interface (GUI) rich in image that facilitate operator task. It also provide System map with active icons that represent all the sub-systems. Controls all of the system’s devices giving Alarm panel, Traffic alerts & system faults displayed to operators to indicate incident / Acci-dent allowing management on these situations.

CCTV System – Video SurveillanceClosed-circuit television transmit a signal to a specific place, on a set of monitors these signal can be sent analog or digital signals over Internet Protocol (IP) system, it Provides real-time view of traffic on the freeway. These cameras are monitored from the system’s traffic control center to see how traffic is moving on freeways and identify trouble spots. If an ac-cident happens on the freeway, oper-ators can assess the scene and pro-vide information to public safety and emergency crews.

Variable Message SignsThese signs display texts and graphics; bilingual characters (Arabic & Eng-lish), It provides motorists with ad-vance notification of accidents, lane closure, road work, etc. it also aids lane management by defining the lane is open or closed or to be routed and

also displays variable speed limits.

Over-height Vehicle DetectionThese systems promote accident pre-vention by controlling entry of over-height vehicles. Ex. Large vehicle the does not fit the tunnel routed to an-other way that fit it.

25 www.group-cc.com


AQABA CONTAINER TERMINALAqaba- Jordan

26www.group-cc.com

S P E C I A L I Z E D S T U D I E S dimensionACT is located on the northern shores of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the southern end of Jordan. The terminal currently accommodates vessels up to 540 me-ters long and 18 meters of draft.The Aqaba Container Terminal Co. has grown from a feeder port to a mature main liner facility and plays a crucial role in the Jordanian economy, ena-bling growth and development region-ally. It serves as a gateway for the Jor-danian market, as well as for transit cargo moving to and from other coun-tries in the region.In May, 2013, Aqaba Container Termi-nal Co. had awarded CC Group the contract of preparing specialized ser-vice to enhance lighting efficiency for the whole port yards.The project areas comprises the fol-lowing:1. Containers storage yards • Yard – 1 • Yard – 2 • Yard – 3 • Yard – 4 • Yard – 5 • Yard – 6 • Yard – 7 and ALV• Yard – 8• Extension Yard• Loading and unloading Dock

2. Internal Roads3. Entrance gates

The methodology for the lighting study consisted of two phases: 1) Survey and Analysis phase. This included: a. Review of existing lighting systems at the facility. b. Creation of photometric models for the existing facility to determine the actual lighting levels

c. Photographing of the existing lighting systems from designated viewpoints to record existing conditions d. Review of available lighting reports, and review of lighting recommendations for port and intermodal facilities e. Provide site survey and analysis report2) Lighting Design and Tender Documents. This included: a. Provide final design drawings for recommended new and existing lighting poles. b. Provide final simulation for all ports areas. c. Provide final design report d. Provide bill of quantities and technical specifications for the design

The client had reviewed and approved all project documents. The project was handed over by the end of Sep-tember 2013.

27 www.group-cc.com


Integrated Solution for more Efficient Wind Power Production

By Nader F. Daher

Wind is one of the well known energy sources in the history. It has been con-veniently utilized to serve many hu-man needs. Wind energy is certainly a green and sustainable source for producing power, which has stimu-lated energy companies to develop and compete. The World Wind En-ergy Association (WWEA) has reported a world wind capacity of nearly 237 GW, 282 GW, and 318 GW (expected) for the years 2011, 2012, and 2013 re-spectively. Top wind Markets for the year 2013 have included China, Ger-many, India – and United Kingdom. However, wind energy has been his-torically criticized for its intermittent supply and underperformance.

Wind energy cannot have a 100% ca-pacity throughout the year!

While, theoretical yield can reach up to 60%, wind harvesting can only ac-count for a capacity range of 20-40% in average throughout the year. In-creasing efficiency of wind energy has become a growing demand, both greening-wise and cost-wise, which formed a driving force that has re-cently driven the entire technical de-velopment effort of the industry.Some scientists expressed their doubts on efficiency produced by the 3-blade turbines being developed and erect-ed across the globe. For instance, in 1970s, Bill Allison – an automotive sus-

pension engineer – finalized his inven-tion of a 10 bladed fan that ultimately could hit the theoretical efficiency of 59-60%. In addition to blade configura-tion, Allison considered coating, and blade alignment, as well as the effect of experimenting under ducted wind tunnels conditions on getting imper-fect data. Recently, researchers went farther to explain influence of spread-ing wind turbines out in the field. Charles Meneveau, a fluid mechanics and turbulence expert at Johns Hop-kins University, has concluded that placing the wind turbines more than twice as far apart as current layouts – 15 rotor diameters apart – results in more cost-efficient power generation.

28www.group-cc.com


The modern part of the research has also highlighted the importance of complimenting conventional physi-cal testing and prototyping with sci-ence-based 3D engineering simula-tion software. Such application has the capability of employing multi-physics simulation, through solving mathematical equations of structural mechanics, fluid mechanics, thermal, vibrational electro-magnetics and acoustics.

A variety of factors have been proven strong influencers to the entire sys-tem, i.e. both wind and wind power systems. Wind system includes wind characteristics of velocity, turbu-lence, temperature, density, humid-ity, direction of attack, and surround-ing landscape. All of which are beyond our control. Whereas, wind power sys-tem includes another set of factors, of which some were discussed above. The need for a superior and sophisti-cated technology has become more demanding to deal with the multi-fac-torial environments.

Navigating among a wealth of experi-mentation in the field of wind energy,

I am becoming more convinced of the importance of reaching out a more consolidated approach. My proposal is taking into consideration:

I. The Allison’s blades: a 10-blade simple fan made of stainless steel, highly polished and dead flat, for the purpose of reaching a resisting rath-er than a propelling formula. Dead Flat should be made out far enough on stems to capture the wind ener-gy without inducing any drag, which would occur on the inner 1/3 of the fan disc. Fine engineering material for safety and longevity should also be used. The design was proven effec-tive in reducing nacelles developed in front of the fan disc by pulling two blades opposite to each other.

II. The Charles’s spacing: placing the wind turbines more than twice as far apart as current layouts – 15 rotor diameters apart – will result in more cost-efficient power generation. The significance of this innovative think-ing stems from the need to take into account the interaction of the wind power system – including arrays of turbines in the wind farm – with the

entire atmospheric wind flow system.

III. The Simulation software: Such kind of high-speed computer software provides advanced and high-fideli-ty solutions that allow users to in-put many parameters at a time and simulate wind turbulence that forces wind turbines to convert energy. The benefit of the simulation is that it is possible to study turbine placement, their relative arrangements, along with vegetation, surface roughness, and other local geometric effects

The set of solutions mentioned above, should be tested in unconfined envi-ronments, and other renewable sourc-es, like photovoltaic plates should be integrated on the grid and made standby to backup any shortages.

Wind energy as a renewable source is viable and of much significance that scientists should develop. All fac-tors affecting efficiency of producing power from wind energy should be included in wind turbine engineering and development. The highest 60% ef-ficiency of wind CAN be hit.

29 www.group-cc.com

Mahmoud Darwish Memorial

Al-Birweh Park

written by Shadi A. Salam

& Shereen Aswad

Paying homage to one of the most significant figures of contemporary humanitarian culture,national and international icon, late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish; a memorial park named after his birthplace Al-Birweh is lyrically designed to persist his legacy and memorialize the placewhere he rests in peace.

As a poet who brilliantly transformed a nation›s cause into a symbol of universal struggle, engraving the Palestinian reality in the memory of people worldwide, a tribute to the memory of Mahmoud Darwish is a tribute to humbleness, resistance, to

to effortless grace, to freedom anddreams, to reality, to hope, ambition and longing, to existence and coexistence, to land, villages and love, to peace and identity; A tribute to Homeland.

Architecturally and symbolically, the memorial park evolves with intention to capture these meanings and portray them through abstract relations within a contextual setting.

Residing atop a hill in the city of Ramallah, the nostalgic landscape of this location is reminiscent to the unique scenery of rural Palestine, and is hence preserved as the distinctive

memorial park are integrated and harmoniously designed in continuum to the extant fabric.

A linear and central stone stairway in-terweaved by a ramped path elevates the visitor into a journey up the hill where pauses of the stairway further extend to free-standing walls, water features, rock-garden terraces and open-space platforms that each dif-ferently articulate distinct spaces such as the «speaker›s corner» -an open platform for free speech over-looking a body of water- and the 500-seat outdoor theater dedicated to the expression of art and any other crea-tive act.

J A FA R T U K A N AT E L I E R dimension

30

This ascending and episodic passage allows the visitor to gradually experience and interact with the different components of the park, until reaching the top as the experience culminates to the central square that leads to the mausoleum of the poet, where an elegantly-cut tombstone appears, engraved with the poet›s words and humbly resting in a small bounded garden of native flowers.

On both sides of the central square, two rough-stone identical masses incline as though emerging from natural ground and respectively bowing towards the mausoleum. These stone masses - unpretentious

and grounded- are visually complementing to the non-built park components and appear in continuum with the terraced gardens and landscaped walls. One of the masses houses the museum hall, the other the indoor theater hall.

www.group-cc.com


31

As for the theater hall, flexible to be sub-used as three separate spaces, it is anticipated as a venue to foster poetry reading and various artistic and cultural events.

Consequently, the architectural outcome is an interactive unguarded cultural, public place that will continue to relate, pulsate, interpret and express the memory, legacy and cultural consciousness of Mahmoud Darwish, as his words will always «exist»«Death, all the arts have defeated you, all of them.»

The museum hall narrates the different aspects of Mahmoud Darwish›s life; featuring some of his belongings - the poet›s office his coffee cup-, handwritten manuscripts including the original handwritten text of the Declaration of Independence, calligraphy of his poetry verses adorning the walls, several awards and certificates as well as a showcase of all his published volumes of poetryand prose. To further engage the visitor; the poet›s deep voice resounds to video display of his recitals and sequential photos of different stages of his life.

www.group-cc.com


«we will tell our story in our own words, we will

transcribeour historical plot and relationship with the

place, we shallinscribe the memory of place, and the place of

memory»

Mahmoud Darwish

32www.group-cc.com


www.group-cc.com

blue dimensions journal- q4. 2013

Documents

right people

new ideas

behalf of cc group

cc group fam

comc o r p o r

right time

consolidated consultants

right things