Construction of Umm Al Houl Power Plant IWWP - Project Overview

This article discusses the construction of Umm Al Houl Power Plant IWWP in Qatar by Al Jaber Engineering. It covers the project background, objectives, distinctive activities, and project review. The author, who served as the construction manager, shares their responsibilities and contributions to the project.

CE 3.1 Project Information
Name of the project: Construction of Umm Al Houl Power Plant IWWP
Location of the project: Qatar Economic Zone 3, Doha, Qatar
Project Duration: May of 2015 to February of 2017
Organization: Al Jaber Engineering, Qatar
Role and Designation during the time: Construction Manager
CE 3.2 Company Background
Al Jaber Engineering is one of the leading general contractors that was established in
1995. It has completed several large scale turn key projects for their clients in highways,
roads and infrastructure, engineering, procurements, installation and commissioning or EPIC,
pipeline construction, maintenance of oil and gas or petrochemical installation, sewage
treatment plants and pumping stations sectors. The projects are executed properly with high
quality and budget. This organization even focuses on the standards of health, safety and
environment and thus is extremely popular and recognized in Qatar construction community.
CE 3.3 Project Background
CE 3.3.1 Characteristics of the project
This project of Construction of Umm Al-Houl Power Plant IWWP was the third
important project in my engineering career. It is a section of the biggest power as well as
water project of Qatar and is scheduled to be situated within Qatar Economic Zone 3, at the
south of Doha’s capital. This power plant would have the ability of supplying maximum of
2.52 GW of electricity as well as 590,000 cubic metres or 136 million gallon of drinking

water per day for 2.5 million houses in the respective area. The Umm Al-Houl Power was
eventually started by the Qatar General-Electricity and Water Corporation or Kahramma,
Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Foundation as well as K1 Energy for properly managing and
operating the project. I was appointed as the construction manager in this project and I
ensured that this entire project work is being executed properly without any complexity.
CE 3.3.2 Objectives developed for the project
This project was decided to be completed in two distinct phases. The first one was
completed by Q2, 2017 and the second phase is to be completed by Q3, 2018. For completing
the work, I have developed the following objectives:
 To construct the Umm Al-Houl Power Plant as the section of the biggest power as
well as water project of Qatar.
 To manage as well as operate the power plant for Qatar General-Electricity and Water
Corporation, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Foundation as well as K1 Energy.
 To construct the first phase of this project of Umm Al-Houl Power Plant IWWP.
 To implement the project under the National Vision 2030 of Qatar government.
 To increment the total outputs of water as well as electricity by 25% and 22%
respectively.
 To supply up to 2.52 GW of electricity as well as 590,000m3 of drinking water in one
day to around 2.5 houses in the selected area.
CE 3.3.3 My area of work
I was recruited as the construction manager in this project by my project supervisor.
Since, I had been a part of several big construction projects in my professional career, I was
selected by the management. Previously, I have done similar projects and thus I was given
the major responsibility of managing the constructions. I also had the task of controlling and

Project Manager
Construction
Manager (Me)
Project Engineers Chief Surveyor
Supporting technical
and Engineering Team
Site Engineers/
general foremen
/foremen
Land Surveyors Store Keepers/ PMV
Supervisors
taking follow ups of the project procurements. I even had to attend the weekly construction
meetings with the main contractor MRS/HITACHI for identifying the problem area early
enough for corrective actions. I was selected since the management of procurements was
easier for me and I could easily communicate with the subcontractors and vendors.
CE 3.3.4 Project Group
Figure 1: People involved in the project
CE 3.3.5 My responsibilities throughout the project
I supervised as well as inspected the site activities associated to the scope of work and
then held daily construction meetings for removing the site constraints and properly
evaluating the project work. I also reviewed the project schedule and project budget for
estimating the resources for meeting the project milestones. I lead and managed the project
site team and hence managed the resources for preparing the biweekly and triweekly
schedule. I also managed, coordinated and communicated with the procurement department

for every material delivery, inspection and proper discussion regarding the delivery
processes. I even ensured that the site team is following the safety and quality according to
the project requirements, especially working on the height activities.
CE 3.4 Distinctive Activity
CE 3.4.1 Engineering knowledge and skills applied in the project
I had used knowledge of core civil engineering for completing the work. The design
of structures and concrete technology are the major subjects that are required in this particular
project. Moreover, I had high knowledge of building and town planning and hence the
construction of such huge power plant was much easier and simpler. I have also applied my
knowledge of geology and geotechnical engineering to maintain the safety and security of the
project team members.
CE 3.4.2 Accomplishment and Task Performed
I have accomplished the project by properly utilizing my skill, intellect and civil
engineering knowledge. I did the site preparation properly for receiving foundations for
versus buildings like switch gear buildings, evaporator buildings and cable trenches. After
this was completed, my team succeeded to complete the raft foundation of evaporation
building with dimensions of 20 x 89m and height of 1.2 m. Next, I came to the stage of
columns that comprised of 100 numbers of columns with different dimensions. The average
dimension was 30 x 70cm and others of 30 x 120cm. I have used cantilevers for the other
column in this project. Moreover, I divided these columns for every evaporator for 5 specific
groups to cast every 20 columns one time for settling out, scaffolding, fixing of
reinforcement, fixing of 3 faces of shutters and completed the inspection. I even casted 20
columns in every 4 days. I made sure that the MEP is finished in 45 days by involving regular

day and night shifts. Regarding the 3D modelling of this power plant, I have used my
knowledge of modelling software.
CE 3.4.3 Identified issues and their solutions
3.4.3.1 Issues
One of the issues that I had faced here was while starting the acceleration of the site
activities. When I dismantled one set of 20 columns, I eventually found out that 9 columns
were segregated for the first meter only and the concrete could be removed by hand only for
checking the reinforcement of the columns. I informed the quality control team and then
called my consultant and concrete supplier on site for investigating together.
3.4.3.2 Solutions
To resolve the issues, I suggested to site investigation and evaluation. I returned to the
office for the purpose of taking relevant solution from the site engineer and quality engineer
and finally got the solution of removing and demolishing all the columns after visual
inspection. I even discussed with quality manager and project manager for accepting the fact
that we have poorer quality of concrete placement and carrying out necessary tests. I
determined the concrete integrity by ultrasonic pulse velocity by direct method (BSEN
12504-4; 2004), compressive strength of concrete cores (BSEN 12504-1; 2009/ EN 12390-1;
2012/ 12390-3; 2009) and durability test of concrete by electrical indications of the concrete
ability of resisting CI penetration (ASTM C-1202). I found out that the vibrators are required
to be changed for doing some of the parts and that few of my team required training for
dealing with concrete casting.

CE 3.4.4 Plan to produce creative and innovative work
My main plan was producing an innovative as well as creative effort by effectively
working together as a group. I also sub divided our works properly and ensured that the
individual parts are completed with efficiency. This project was a big challenge to me to
enhance and apply my project management tools into construction work as this industrial
project consider a land mark for Qatar.
CE 3.4.5 Collaborative Work
I and my project members completed the work by working collaboratively. In this
project, I managed 800 skills and unskilled labours and worked in day and night shifts
together with my team and it was a perfect challenge for completing it safely and
successfully. This project has significantly increased my communication skills as I had
Hitachi Company associated with it and it was good opportunity for me to be close to another
culture engineering style.
CE 3.5 Project Review
CE 3.5.1 Project Overview
I have efficiently completed the construction of the Umm Al Houl Power Plan IWWP
as a construction manager. The project started in March 2015 and ended in February 2017.
The main purpose of this project was to supply up to 2.52 GW of electricity as well as
590,000x3 of drinking water per day to 2.5 million houses. I have conducted 28 days
compressive test for cube testing. This project increased my technical skills, as I practice it on
site with my team and we investigated, evaluated many site issues and constrains on site.

CE 3.5.2 My Contribution to work
I have done my work as a construction manager in the construction of the Umm Al
Houl Power Plant IWWP. I have reviewed the technical submittals and all civil shop
drawings for accuracy project’s requirements according to the constructability reviews. I was
majorly responsible for the construction activities of package A of MSF plant like site
preparations, construction of the cable trenches with 2 meters, chemical dosing system, sea
water discharge chamber, evaporators of unit foundations and columns, switch gear
buildings, internal roads and pavement and even drainage system for the evaporators. I even
provided solutions to the issues faced here.