Hmmm… The last post doesn’t really reflect the actual works we did for the Dubai Canal. Yeah, the Tolerance Bridge and the Canal is all nice and photogenic, but it’s built by another company altogether! So, here’re pictures showing what we actually constructed in the 1.5 months leading up to the opening of the Dubai Canal. The car park.
Paving works on the road in front of Safa Park, on 31 Oct 2016, 10 days before the official opening ceremony of the Dubai Canal – This was the most difficult part, as this road was the ONLY access to the construction sites of a number of other Contractors (like Besix and Wade Adams). It was the only access leading to the Tolerance Bridge’s and Boardwalk’s south side (built by Besix), and vehicles passed through non-stop as all were rushing to complete the works before the Dubai Canal’s grand opening. (And everybody knows that when Dubai declares something, that something is fixed. Deviate and be ready to be blacklisted, or worse…) So, we started paving at friggin 4am, and sent an army of workers to cordon off the road for 2 hours, by force. (Nope, no one is gonna help you. Here, you have to take things into your own hands, or perish…)
This was the car park on Day 1 of my arrival (24 Sep 2016)
We completed it exactly by midday on 8 Nov 2016 (Day 46) – This is a picture of the completed car park taken in July 2017, during Dad’s visit…
One of the biggest challenges was constructing a retaining wall between the canal boardwalk (which is part of Besix’s scope) and our car park. We got the retaining wall design only in October, and there were a horde of obstructions – building foundations, existing live water pipelines and chambers, abandoned underground pipelines… The photo above shows the start of the retaining wall construction works i.e. the start of steel reinforcement fixing for the retaining wall base on 13 Oct 2016 (Day 20). Mind you, at that time, the retaining wall design still hadn’t been finalized. We received the final design on 23 Oct 2016! And the canal, boardwalk, car park and everything was to be completed by 8 Nov 2016
19 Oct 2016 (Day 26) – Retaining wall in full swing (on left), breaking of a receiving pit in progress (middle) …we would have broken this much earlier if we hadn’t broken a large water pipeline, ahem… As you can see, at this time the canal still hasn’t been flooded
8 Nov 2016 (Day 46) – Whew! Just in time. Canal, bridge, wall and boardwalk all done. Workers resting by the retaining wall (right)
This is the road in front of Safa Park (the one shown in the first picture above) – Look at the mess! – Utility works in progress 11 Oct 2016 (Day 18)
Same location, 2 days before official opening. Nearly done, but still a lot of clutter to clear (left). Look at how many workers were involved. We just bloody swarmed it! – 7 Nov 2016 (Day 45)
This was a real thriller, the ramp going down to the boardwalk from Safa Park road – On 6 Nov 2016, 3 days before opening, we still hadn’t friggin cleared the obstructions. Look at all the water chambers in the middle of the proposed road! – Breaking and adjustment of chamber cover levels in progress – 6 Nov 2016 (Day 44)
One day later, almost there! Look at our army of workers! – 7 Nov 2016 (Day 45)
The road in front of the villas – This was a real pain in the neck. There were all sorts of utility lines below the existing road and we had to complete this while causing the least disturbances to the residents (obviously). Yeah, if only that could be done. At the end, we just worked through, enduring the endless complaints. (Yup, I gave my mobile number to all the residents!) – What a mess! – 17 Oct 2016 (Day 24)
Same location, nearly done – 31 Oct 2016 (Day 38)
Look at all the live power cables under the villa road! It was a nightmare to lower them, and the Electricity Authority have strict procedures on working with live cables!
Another part of the villa road, 7 days before official opening. We were waiting for the canal contractor to install a big ass water pump (or was it a ummm… I forgot) before we could fill it up and build the road on top. At this time, we were still waiting – 2 Nov 2016 (Day 40)
Same location, works completed, morning of the day before inauguration – 8 Nov 2016 (Day 46)
This alley was where I used to park my car before the government and consultant suddenly decided to upgrade the alley into a road, …in the last minute! On 3 Nov 2016, 6 days before opening ceremony, we ripped up the whole tiled alley, on an instruction from the office. It was so sudden, the lady residing in the house beside, raised hell for us because she had a party, and suddenly, there was no parking left. We levelled the friggin alley, lowered some cables, placed kerbstones (the alley had no kerbstones, and was a no-through road) and laid new tiles all in 5 days! – Here, workers giving the new road a final sweep – 8 Nov 2016, 7.30am (Day 46)
And that’s the story of how we friggin finished the car park in 1.5 months. I worked straight out for 46 friggin days, 7am to umm… 8pm, lost 4 friggin kg, and destroyed my entire wardrobe of socks (because I walked throughout the day). Tough, but WE NAILED IT!!!
Paving works on the road in front of Safa Park, on 31 Oct 2016, 10 days before the official opening ceremony of the Dubai Canal – This was the most difficult part, as this road was the ONLY access to the construction sites of a number of other Contractors (like Besix and Wade Adams). It was the only access leading to the Tolerance Bridge’s and Boardwalk’s south side (built by Besix), and vehicles passed through non-stop as all were rushing to complete the works before the Dubai Canal’s grand opening. (And everybody knows that when Dubai declares something, that something is fixed. Deviate and be ready to be blacklisted, or worse…) So, we started paving at friggin 4am, and sent an army of workers to cordon off the road for 2 hours, by force. (Nope, no one is gonna help you. Here, you have to take things into your own hands, or perish…)
This was the car park on Day 1 of my arrival (24 Sep 2016)
We completed it exactly by midday on 8 Nov 2016 (Day 46) – This is a picture of the completed car park taken in July 2017, during Dad’s visit…
One of the biggest challenges was constructing a retaining wall between the canal boardwalk (which is part of Besix’s scope) and our car park. We got the retaining wall design only in October, and there were a horde of obstructions – building foundations, existing live water pipelines and chambers, abandoned underground pipelines… The photo above shows the start of the retaining wall construction works i.e. the start of steel reinforcement fixing for the retaining wall base on 13 Oct 2016 (Day 20). Mind you, at that time, the retaining wall design still hadn’t been finalized. We received the final design on 23 Oct 2016! And the canal, boardwalk, car park and everything was to be completed by 8 Nov 2016
19 Oct 2016 (Day 26) – Retaining wall in full swing (on left), breaking of a receiving pit in progress (middle) …we would have broken this much earlier if we hadn’t broken a large water pipeline, ahem… As you can see, at this time the canal still hasn’t been flooded
8 Nov 2016 (Day 46) – Whew! Just in time. Canal, bridge, wall and boardwalk all done. Workers resting by the retaining wall (right)
This is the road in front of Safa Park (the one shown in the first picture above) – Look at the mess! – Utility works in progress 11 Oct 2016 (Day 18)
Same location, 2 days before official opening. Nearly done, but still a lot of clutter to clear (left). Look at how many workers were involved. We just bloody swarmed it! – 7 Nov 2016 (Day 45)
This was a real thriller, the ramp going down to the boardwalk from Safa Park road – On 6 Nov 2016, 3 days before opening, we still hadn’t friggin cleared the obstructions. Look at all the water chambers in the middle of the proposed road! – Breaking and adjustment of chamber cover levels in progress – 6 Nov 2016 (Day 44)
One day later, almost there! Look at our army of workers! – 7 Nov 2016 (Day 45)
The road in front of the villas – This was a real pain in the neck. There were all sorts of utility lines below the existing road and we had to complete this while causing the least disturbances to the residents (obviously). Yeah, if only that could be done. At the end, we just worked through, enduring the endless complaints. (Yup, I gave my mobile number to all the residents!) – What a mess! – 17 Oct 2016 (Day 24)
Same location, nearly done – 31 Oct 2016 (Day 38)
Look at all the live power cables under the villa road! It was a nightmare to lower them, and the Electricity Authority have strict procedures on working with live cables!
Another part of the villa road, 7 days before official opening. We were waiting for the canal contractor to install a big ass water pump (or was it a ummm… I forgot) before we could fill it up and build the road on top. At this time, we were still waiting – 2 Nov 2016 (Day 40)
Same location, works completed, morning of the day before inauguration – 8 Nov 2016 (Day 46)
This alley was where I used to park my car before the government and consultant suddenly decided to upgrade the alley into a road, …in the last minute! On 3 Nov 2016, 6 days before opening ceremony, we ripped up the whole tiled alley, on an instruction from the office. It was so sudden, the lady residing in the house beside, raised hell for us because she had a party, and suddenly, there was no parking left. We levelled the friggin alley, lowered some cables, placed kerbstones (the alley had no kerbstones, and was a no-through road) and laid new tiles all in 5 days! – Here, workers giving the new road a final sweep – 8 Nov 2016, 7.30am (Day 46)
And that’s the story of how we friggin finished the car park in 1.5 months. I worked straight out for 46 friggin days, 7am to umm… 8pm, lost 4 friggin kg, and destroyed my entire wardrobe of socks (because I walked throughout the day). Tough, but WE NAILED IT!!!
