PROJECT: Basra Times Square MALL
LOCATION: Basra - Iraq
STRUCTURE TYPE: Shopping Mall
STATUS: Opening date for the first two phases December 2016
MALL CONSTRUCTION AREA: 45.000 m²
RETAIL FEASIBILITY: AK’s International Retail Consultancy
MALL REAL ESTATE CONSULTANCY: KDM Danışmanlık
ARCHITECT: M. Ali Özdemir
ENGINEERING: Nuri Işık
STEEL CONSTRUCTION DESIGN: Kare İnşaat Mimarlık Turizm San. ve Tic. LTD.
Basra Times Square Mall located in Al Jubiale being the most crowded commercial area of Basra, defined as Venice of Middle East, with its 45.000 m2 leasable area attracts attention as a modern shopping mall built with structural steel. Project Information and Authored by: Nuri Işık (Kare İnşaat)
Al Dayer Group, the investor of the shopping mall in Basra, is the biggest ready mix concrete producer in the region which also provides contracting services. Before the decision to proceed with structural steel construction, a detailed presentation was made to Al Dayer Group explaining the advantages of structural steel and the decision was made on that basis.
The fact that moden steel structures were built in a much shorter time in comparison to reinforced concrete load bearing system would result in an earlier return of investment has been effective on the decision. Preference of structural steel as core frame system resulted in the completion of the first phase of the shopping mall eight months earlier than planned. The monthly lease income of 20 dollars/m2 provided an additional income of approximately 7,2 million dollars to the investor.
Steel manufacturing, assembly and delivery works cost to investor was 6 million dollars. From this perspective, it was proven that the structural steel decision was an economic and profitable investment.
Designing all buildings in structural steel also enables wide spans and availability of numerous variations architecturally in addition to much shorter completion time in comparison to reinforced concrete structures. Another important decision factor was the availability of many rational solutions for future functional changes as required by the users. The structure designed as shopping mall and residence has been planned in three phases. The first phase of the project with all its materials exported from Turkey has been opened by the end of December 2016.
STEEL MANUFACTURING
In order to enable uninterrupted and swift production, shop drawings prepared in-house have been distributed among manufacturers we have worked with in the past. In the process of manufacturing commencement to finalization of installation, a project manager responsible with the compliance with specification, standards and safe delivery on time was dedicated to the project.
A comprehensive manufacturing plan enabling continuity in installation works was prepared as per the particular conditions required by the project. All welding inspections, supervision, management and planning activities were carried out rigorously during the manufacturing and installation stages.In case of any issues which may affect the quality of the project, the project manager was given the authority to stop the work within our knowledge. The inspection and supervision of all welding activities with the management and planning of the same during the manufacturing and installation phases were organized by the project manager.
Procedures and documentation such as welding plan used in welding quality control processes have been kept in line with manufacturing and up to date.