13 - 15 November, 2017
Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Conference Day One: Monday, 13 November 2017

8:00 am - 8:45 am Start of conference registration with welcome refreshments

8:45 am - 9:00 am Opening remarks from the conference Chairman

Ian Hosking, Vice President, Ground Engineering and Tunnelling at AECOM

Ian Hosking

Vice President, Ground Engineering and Tunnelling
AECOM

CONSTRUCTION OF URBAN UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE MIDDLE EAST


Mohammed Ahmed Alrayees, Head of Drainage Project Execution Section, Drainage and Irrigation Department at Dubai Municipality

Mohammed Ahmed Alrayees

Head of Drainage Project Execution Section, Drainage and Irrigation Department
Dubai Municipality

9:30 am - 10:00 am New developments in the environmental-friendly and cost-optimised construction of urban underground infrastructure in metropolitan cities: Highlighting case studies from Metro Frankfurt, Metro Copenhagen and Metro Singapore

  • The load impact of high-rise buildings on urban underground infrastructure
  • Prevention of settlements when constructing alongside existing buildings
  • Environmental issues: Sustainable groundwater management
  • Project efficiency: Tool wear, abrasiveness of the soil, rock mass
Prof. Dr. -Ing. Rolf Katzenbach, Director of the Institute and Laboratory of Geotechnics at Technische Universität Darmstadt

Prof. Dr. -Ing. Rolf Katzenbach

Director of the Institute and Laboratory of Geotechnics
Technische Universität Darmstadt

10:00 am - 10:30 am Alternative fill compaction methods by dynamic compaction

• Introduction to dynamic compaction and rapid dynamic compaction techniques
• Fill construction by DC/RDC as alternative to conventional roller compaction method
• CPT as a Quality Control Test for fill compaction

Aymen  Ben Braiek, Technical & BD Manager at Trevi Ground Engineering

Aymen Ben Braiek

Technical & BD Manager
Trevi Ground Engineering

10:30 am - 11:00 am Sustainable concrete for underground infrastructures and deep foundations

• Waterproofing Concrete & 11 mechanisms of corrosion
• Hydrophobic & PoreBlocking Ingredient Concrete
• Singapore MRT, ‘Bugis Station’ Case Study
• HATS, TOLO & Changi Wastewater Treatment Project references
Abdelrahman  Armouti, General Manager  at Cementaid

Abdelrahman Armouti

General Manager
Cementaid

11:00 am - 11:30 am Networking break and refreshments

• Undercovering challenges that arise when planning, designing and engineering urban underground space infrastructure
• Mitigating construction risks and managing groundwater inflows
• Tunnelling through difficult ground conditions
Nidal Odeh, Director Transport and Infrastructure for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain at Arcadis

Nidal Odeh

Director Transport and Infrastructure for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
Arcadis

Imraan Motara, Head of Ground Engineering, Middle East at WSP | PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF

Imraan Motara

Head of Ground Engineering, Middle East
WSP | PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF

Ian Hosking, Vice President, Ground Engineering and Tunnelling at AECOM

Ian Hosking

Vice President, Ground Engineering and Tunnelling
AECOM

Prof. Dr. -Ing. Rolf Katzenbach, Director of the Institute and Laboratory of Geotechnics at Technische Universität Darmstadt

Prof. Dr. -Ing. Rolf Katzenbach

Director of the Institute and Laboratory of Geotechnics
Technische Universität Darmstadt

Dr. Robert  Thurner, Technical Director Middle East at Keller

Dr. Robert Thurner

Technical Director Middle East
Keller

BEST PRACTICE FOR PLANNING AND EXECUTING GROUND IMPROVEMENT AND DEEP EXCAVATION

12:20 pm - 12:50 pm Choosing the best ground improvement methods - Based on soil conditions and clients’ needs

  • Grouting techniques that improve the foundation in existing facilities
  • High loaded soil improvement techniques applied successfully for sensitive structures
  • Value engineering on major ground improvement projects
Dr. Robert  Thurner, Technical Director Middle East at Keller

Dr. Robert Thurner

Technical Director Middle East
Keller

12:50 pm - 1:20 pm Permeation engineering for ground strengthening

The insitu strengthening of soils to increase their load carrying capacity has in the past been a crude and inexact science. GeoInnovations has over the last 12 years invented and developed a patented system which allows accurate design and installation of sub-terrainian ground strengthening solutions for various construction problems. 
The system revolves around the patented ReFORCE system which is a unique and sophisticated method of accurately placing a geotechnical grout at significant depths in a soil using lightweight and portable equipment to form load bearing consolidated masses and columns which can be used as piles, anchor blocks, water cut off trenches and temporary works for basement construction in technically difficult geotechnical conditions.
David  Kitching, Director  at GEOINNOVATIONS LIMITED

David Kitching

Director
GEOINNOVATIONS LIMITED

1:20 pm - 2:20 pm Networking lunch

2:20 pm - 2:50 pm Effective management of ground water control in deep excavation projects on coastal sites: Highlighting case studies from Changi Water Reclamation Plant project in Singapore and Barakah Nuclear Power Plant Project, Abu Dhabi

• Particular issues and potential environmental impacts associated with groundwater control in urban & built environment
• Practical application of ground water exclusion method such as cut-off wall & Coffer Dams
• Exploring new techniques for groundwater control
Dr. Suresh Parashar, Head of Geotechnical Engineering at Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC)

Dr. Suresh Parashar

Head of Geotechnical Engineering
Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC)

2:50 pm - 3:20 pm Discovering Innovative methodologies for deep excavations to improve efficiency: highlighting experience from Doha, KSA and UAE

  • Tailoring the excavation support according to the excavation size and composition of soil and rock
  • Latest developments in shafts and tunnels
  • Recent project-specific examples to show solutions
Ian Hosking, Vice President, Ground Engineering and Tunnelling at AECOM

Ian Hosking

Vice President, Ground Engineering and Tunnelling
AECOM

3:20 pm - 3:50 pm Digital evolution in geotechnical engineering

  • Digitisation of geotechnical data
  • Innovation and adoption of digital disruption initiatives
  • The link between complex modelling for design and BIM
Robin  Stewart, Geotechnical Engineer at ATKINS

Robin Stewart

Geotechnical Engineer
ATKINS

MODERN DEWATERING TECHNIQUES: NEW METHODS AND APPLICATIONS

3:50 pm - 4:30 pm Panel discussion: Understanding the most efficient water management procedures to use in the foundation design of infrastructure projects

•  Discovering the variation of water level tables across the region and the challenges this has on underground infrastructure 
•  Understanding how to effectively manage the impact of rising water tables on foundations, roads and pipelines and mitigate the corresponding risk 
•  Evaluating environment friendly ways to dispose discharge water

Ilias Michalis, Technical Director MEA, Geotechnics and Tunnelling at Parsons

Ilias Michalis

Technical Director MEA, Geotechnics and Tunnelling
Parsons

Ian Finlay Leibrick, Tunnelling and Geotechnical Specialist at AECOM

Ian Finlay Leibrick

Tunnelling and Geotechnical Specialist
AECOM

Ken  Howes, Associate Director  at Cementaid

Ken Howes

Associate Director
Cementaid

4:30 pm - 4:35 pm Chairman’s closing remarks and end of conference day one

The published programme is correct at time of printing. However, given the seniority of our speakers and the nature of their roles, speakers may subsequently substitute or remove themselves from the programme. This is always regrettable, and we will always try to replace the speaker with a speaker with equivalent insight.