Work on the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island is moving on a fast track with the museum project now entering the piling works phase.

The piling contract was awarded through a competitive tendering process to German construction company Bauer International FZE, said the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), the master developer of cultural, residential and tourism destinations in Abu Dhabi.

Work will progress over the following 20 weeks. A total of 5,638 piles will be driven into the ground, including 4,298 steel piles and 1,340 concrete piles, amounting to 94.2 km in length, it said in a statement.

The piling works contract constitutes the second sequential package to be issued for the Louvre Abu Dhabi since its groundbreaking. The first package of enabling works, also executed by Bauer International, was completed in January 2010 after 503,000 cu m of earth had been excavated to accommodate the base of the museum.

"We are very excited about the Louvre Abu Dhabi project and how it is progressing so rapidly. This development is indeed one-of-a-kind - from design aesthetics to constructions mechanisms - it is a piece of art in the making. Taking the development aspect into perspective, our requirements for contractors are very demanding and we are proud to work with the world's leading construction firms as we build these top-class museums," commented Lee Tabler, TDIC's CEO.

Following the completion of the piling, a sub-structure contractor will be appointed to construct the concrete and waterproofing works up to ground level. The tender for this was sent out in mid-February 2010 and the contractor will be appointed in May 2010, the statement said.

A main contractor will be tendered from March to September 2010 to execute all remaining works which includes the dome and cladding. The project will be completed on schedule in 2013.

Designed by Jean Nouvel, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is part of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District which will be home to the world's largest concentration of cultural institutions in the world and will also include the Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum. - TradeArabia News Service