(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Delivering quality projects on time with minimum future maintenance cost is the key challenge Qatar's constructing sector will be facing in the run up to the FIFA 2022.
The country, which is sitting on an estimated $200bn projects, is expected to experiences huge pressure in the supply chain of primary construction materials or aggregates, in the next two years, said an expert.
"Qatar's construction sector is currently witnessing a unique scenario. A combination of many things is happening at the same time. The simultaneous launch of mega projects is all likely to upset the supply chain of aggregates, Khaled Awad (pictured), the Chairman and Founder of Advanced Construction Technology Services (ACTS) told The Peninsula.
It's not just about large project being launched. Qatar is going strict on the quality checks of construction materials as well. Reforms on labour laws are also on their way. "All these are coming together. This is something that which make more challenging but also interesting that Qatar has to cope with all these.
"Qatar is expected to launch a series of mega projects under various government-supported agencies alone before 2022. All of them are set to start simultaneously. The construction sector needs a mammoth volume of primary materials. Given the huge number of projects in its pipeline, Qatar's aggregate resources are not enough to meet the demand. I do not foresee any pressure on the supply chain this year or in 2016 for that matter. But the year 2017-2018 will face stress," he said.
A data released by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) underpins Awad's point. MDPS data shows Qatar's projected demand for gabbro is a huge 264 billion tonnes for the next few years. Demand for limestone will be an estimated three million tons. Qatar's demand for gabbro and limestone will reach its peak during 2014-16, when Qatar's gabbro berths will have to handle 60-80 million tonnes a year.
Awad, however, believes that the projected demand-supply gap of aggregates could be closed through effective use of recycled construction waste.
A Qatar National Research Fund (QNFR) project recently completed a study on how to convert waste into an asset and then inform the government here to give them an understanding of how this works. The idea was to test the quality of re-processed waste material in new construction projects, including buildings, roads and other infrastructure and it has been found successful.
It is estimated that there are around 100 million tonnes of construction waste material that could be reused. Based on 2012 consumption of imported aggregate, this100 million tons can supply Qatar for five years.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.