The Abu Dhabi General Services Company (Musanada) said it has started operating and deploying a new engineering system based on machine guidance using geographical positioning systems (GPS) for grading works.

This will help in guaranteeing highly accurate control, improving the management of occupational safety at construction sites and enhance the quality of work in the infrastructure sector, it stated.

The new system, which is being operated in co-operation with contracting companies, will allow the company to stay abreast of work-related developments, minimise occupational incidents and help protect life and property.

Suwaidan Rashed Al Dhaheri, the acting CEO of Musanada, said: ""The new system operates based on the installation of the machine guidance application, which allows real-time tracking of equipment and ensures that the earth level is matched to the levels and ratios predefined in the system."

"This ensures a high-quality and highly accurate final product, which helps improve the quality of work in the infrastructure sector," noted Al Dhaheri.

"The objective we hope to achieve from the implementation of this system in terms of occupational health is minimising human resources during movement of equipment inside operational areas and therefore minimising the likelihood of fatal incidents or unsafe use of equipment," he stated.

Al Dhaheri pointed out that until now excavation, levelling and grading of the foundation layers of roads and infrastructure using traditional techniques mainly relied on the skills and experience of the machine operator to complete the required work within the shortest possible time.

"In addition, the presence of foremen and other colleagues was essential while operating the machine, due to the operator’s inadequate visibility around and under the machine," he stated.

But now, with the upgradation of such machines by deploying GPS control has helped increase productivity by 30 per cent, which will help complete and deliver projects as per the defined schedule," said Al Dhaheri.

The new GPS system has also helped achieve savings estimated at Dh0.93 fils per sq m after taking into consideration the overall cost of supply and installation of the device, he noted.

It has helped Musanada to cut construction material losses by 15 per cent, as the traditional method relied on repeating the work in order to reach the required quality, he added.-TradeArabia News Service