SAUDI ARABIA - Case Study

The continuous supply of hollowcore was a key element in plans for construction of the largest university in the Middle East which opened in Saudi Arabia in September 2009. To meet this need one of the largest construction firms in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Oger Ltd, commissioned Spiroll to establish a turnkey factory for the continuous production of prestressed hollowcore slabs. 157,000m² of Spiroll hollowcore was manufactured specifically for the construction of the new King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) in Jeddah. KAUST was built as an international, graduate-level research university dedicated to inspiring a new age of scientific achievement in the Kingdom that will also benefit the region and the world. The core campus is located on more than 36 square kilometres along the Red Sea at Thuwal, about 80 kilometres north of Saudi Arabia’s second largest city, Jeddah. KAUST is the realisation of a decades-long vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. It is governed by an independent, self-perpetuating Board of Trustees and supported by a multi-billion dollar endowment. The University, which is merit-based and open to men and women from around the world, will pursue its research agenda through strategic research trusts that focus on areas of science and technology that are important to Saudi Arabia, the region, and the world. The construction project was in the hands of Aramco, the largest consultant engineering company in the Middle East, which set Saudi Oger a demanding schedule that included the need for a capacity of 8,500m2 of hollowcore per week. With a well established reputation in the Middle East, this is where Spiroll came in to the picture. In September 2007, Spiroll successfully won the contract to design and build the plant which was operational within 6 months. Starting from scratch, Spiroll immediately installed a Project Manager and two technicians to oversee the onsite support contract from day one. The team stayed on location for 12 months to provide training and technical advice and handover well after the first hollowcore slab came off the production line. This particular project included factory design, civil and layout drawings, product design, supply of hollowcore production machinery, specification and procurement of local factory equipment, drawings for all ancillary equipment, quality assurance documentation, and operational training and support.With the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology now established as one of the region’s most successful construction projects, it will stand as a testament to the quality of service provided by Spiroll Precast Services.