Could North African Urban Expansion Projects Provide the Solution to Traffic Congestion?

DUBAI, UAE, September 20, 2010 - Rapid urban development and a growing population causes congestion
challenges in many of the world's metropolis. North African nations have the
opportunity to learn urban planning lessons from these countries to create
modern cities with integrated planning solutions to meet demand needs.

www.virtualpressoffice.com/eventsSubmenuForSearch.do?showId=990&
enableHistory=EventsTab&myLink=myEventsSubmenu&fromSearch=T

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste
this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the
space if one exists.)

Having said this, many cities are still experiencing difficulty creating
solutions that achieve their planning objectives. Asked what the challenges
were, Professor Moustafa Ghamrawy, Secretary General of the Egyptian
Geotechnical Society (EGS), explained, "There has been vast expansion urban
development in Egyptian metropolises in the past decades. This has created
several problems including - for example - parking." Ghamrawy continued,
"Heavy traffic due to expansion causes serious delays and financial losses.
One of the causes of the sluggish traffic is the lack of parking facilities.
Hence, it is imperative to construct multi basement garages in several sites
in each city."

When questioned as to why this has not already been widely implemented he
responded, "Construction of multi basements requires thorough knowledge of
piling and deep foundations techniques in various soils and rocks. It is
necessary for the region's practitioners to exchange knowledge and brain
storm state-of-the-art methods to achieve this goal."

The changing demand on building requirements will require development of
the existing geotechnical technical skill base. Amr Darrag, Director
Corporate Planning and Business Development at EGEC and Professor at Cairo
University, commented, "Egypt is the largest country in the North African
region with a track record of experience in piling over almost 100 years.
There is currently extensive need for piling due to increasing use of high
rise buildings and structures with heavy loads warranting the use of deep
foundations. The region also has many infrastructure projects that require
unique foundations solutions."

IQPC's Piling & Deep Foundations North Africa event is taking place at
the JW Mariott Hotel Cairo from 22-25 November 2010. This industry leading
four-day event program will provide the opportunity for regional geotechnical
specialists to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by project
developments. Through benchmarking and learning from local and international
case studies and technical presentations the opportunity to improve project
performance and optimise design will be provided.

Key industry and academic organisations represented at the event include
Hamza Associates, Egyptian Geotechnical Society (EGS), Soilmec, Housing
Building and National Research Centre, Ain Shams University, Cairo
University, Bauer Egypt, NSCC, Deep Foundations International (DFI), Keller
Egypt and many others. To join these industry leaders email enquiry@iqpc.com
to register. Further details can be obtained at
www.pilingfoundationsnorthafrica.com

About IQPC Middle East:

For over thirty years, IQPC has helped the world's leading corporations
solve their business challenges through the sharing of practical industry
solutions and global best practice. In the process, the company has built a
formidable reputation for quality and value. The world's most progressive
companies have benefited from IQPC's unrivalled global reach, which has
connected international expertise with regional and local leaders.

For more information, please contact Eileen Espelita, Marketing
Manager, IQPC Middle East, +971-4-364-2975, enquiry@iqpc.ae

For more information, please contact Eileen Espelita, Marketing Manager, IQPC Middle East, +971-4-364-2975, enquiry at iqpc.ae