Professional piling contractor in Laos hunting for local & international projects
Professional piling contractor in Laos hunting for local & international projects
PROCON Company Limited, an expert in piling works contractor in Laos, has expressed strong interest in being involved in the construction of the mega Laos-China railway.
The firm has enough capacity and long established specialised experience in the field of foundation development using state-of-the-art of technology to increase the potential of construction in Laos.
The company has invested in two kinds of technologies in recent years, investing about 20 billion kip in these tools. They are technically known as a hydraulic static pile driver and rotary rig pile machine with both expected to replace other equipment in the future.
Company Director Mr Thongphet Phouthavong detailed each technology saying the hydraulic static driver was the tool used to install pre-stress concrete piles while the rotary rig was used to drill the ground for concrete piling construction.
Both technologies create minimal noise so they won't disturb nearby neighbours unlike the equipment used by many construction companies at present.
The hydraulic static driver can install a maximum of 30 to 60 pilings a day, compared to the old �drop hammer' which can only manage eight pilings. The rotary rig can manage about 10 to 30 pilings a day with a depth standard of 10 metres, while out-of-date tools can only do a maximum of four piles. Based on this advantage, the contractors or owner could save a lot of time and keep construction costs down.
Mr Thongphet said the railway project was the main aim of the company, focusing on construction of station foundations which are expected to begin next year.
While project construction has begun in the provinces, especially drilling tunnels, this wasn't relevant to the company's work.
Construction of the US$5.8 billion railway, with a total length of 417 km and linking Vientiane to the Chinese border, includes 33 stations.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the project took place on December 2, 2015, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
The Laos-China section is part of a railway that will run from Kunming in China to Singapore and is part of the Belt and Road Initiative that China will use to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia and the rest of the world.
Mr Thongphet has already talked to the sector concerned about his intention to take part in the railway project.
The company has introduced six new technologies and plans to add two more in the near future because of the number of big projects and rapid development in Laos.
The new construction equipment is very important as it gives project owners greater confidence knowing they can complete their job faster and more effectively.
The company director said that in the past project owners were constantly asking piling contractors when they would finish their work. But now with the modern equipment and professional teamwork, the company can ensure the work is completed as planned.
�In the past, construction costs were very high and it took a very long time to complete a job. But now the company can reduce the cost by half and do it more quickly,� he said.
Last year, PROCON Company Limited completed several projects such as Mittaphab Hospital where it installed 900 pilings, taking only 40 days to complete including the pile fabrication.
Using the old technology it would have taken three months to complete, he explained.
Established in 2013 and located on Road No. 10 in Xaysavang village, Xaythany district, the company concentrates on the installation of building foundations and steel structures.
�We intend to be professionals in foundation construction. We have a clear process of operations that is very useful to customers,� Mr Thongphet said.
The company is now preparing to begin a project at Setthathirath Hospital which is expected to start in November. Other planned projects include a hotel in the city with 1,000 pilings to be installed. Ongoing projects include construction of bridge foundations in the Donnokkhoum area of Sisattanak district and a library on the 450 Road.
The company provides free consultations on piling design for people who want to build a new house.
Mr Thongphet called on the public sector to support domestic companies, noting that most Lao companies don't get work on big foreign aid projects. Project developers bring in equipment to do it themselves even though local construction companies have the latest technology on offer. If the public can support domestic construction companies it will benefit the economy and create local jobs.
On some big projects local people benefit from supplying rocks and sand but sometimes they don't even get that. This was a major challenge for Lao construction companies, he said.
