Ramboll was steel consultant and supplier for BWSC in the construction of two power plants in Lebanon, from 2012 to 2016. Ramboll designed and provided the materials for the buildings (totalling 8,000 m2) which in capsule these process plants.
Special challenges for the project:
- The first primary steel had to be delivered on site only six months after the start of the project
- The plant is located in an earthquake zone
It took only six months from the project was initiated to the first steel was on site. This is only possible because Ramboll uses an iterative design process concept in very close cooperation with the customer. The design of both the process plant and the buildings is planned and executed in parallel from day one of the project and is based on agreed preconditions and assumptions, which are validated continuously. The method necessitates continuous adjustments of the steel model, which are handled via Ramboll’s Change Management system. Ramboll’s experience with this type of project means that most assumptions prove correct and therefore, the additional costs of the fast-track delivery of steel are by far exceeded by the savings in time.
With the use of the iterative design process, the customer can shorten the overall timetable for the realisation of a project with several months compared to a conventional design process.
Delivery of robust steel design for earthquake areas
Generally, Ramboll focuses on providing designs which make transportation, installation and subsequent use both safe and cost competitive. Already in the customer’s own bidding process, Ramboll actively contribute to improve the customer’s bid price and thereby help them win the job.
In this particular case, the process plants are located in an earthquake zone which creates special requirements for the design of the plant structures. The project benefitted from the experience of Ramboll’s Icelandic experts in designing seismically loaded structures to ensure optimized buildings in terms of both consumption of materials and resistance in case of earthquakes.
Purchasing, quality and logistics
Ramboll was responsible for purchase and quality control of the steel used in the construction of the plants. 1,400 tons of steel were required for the two power plants and Ramboll used a 3D design model to calculate the quantity. Ramboll provides steel at fixed prices which is why the design of the steel constructions is estimated while the bidding process is still on-going. It is crucial for the customer’s total project cost, that any unreliability of the estimation of steel quantity is reduced as much as possible. Therefore, a very precise 3D model (Robot and Tekla) is prepared already in the bidding phase.
In addition to steel, Ramboll was responsible for purchasing cladding and roof panels as well as cranes, gates and insulation. Ramboll was furthermore in charge of the logistic coordination of deliveries from all over the world, based on a broad international network of suppliers. Supplies were purchased from Ramboll’s preferred suppliers in China, India, Spain, Germany, Finland, Sweden and Denmark.
