Another WDS speaker confirms

D&Ri can announce that another speaker has been confirmed for the World Demolition Conference that forms the first part of the World Demolition Summit in Amsterdam on November 6 2014. Ruud Schreijer will make a presentation on a project currently under way in Saudi Arabia, entitled: MATAF, the expansion of the Holy Mosque in Makkah.

In addition to supplying three RS4500 demolition machines for the project, Ruud is also responsible for the provision of the necessary experienced and skilled operators that these machines require. He will discuss the challenges involved in the coordination of the project, as well as a background to the project itself.

Work on the Mataf Expansion has already begun, will take approximately three years to complete and when finished will increase the Mosque’s capacity from 52,000 to 130,000 pilgrims. The area behind the existing Ottoman structure is the subject of the demolition work and it will subsequently re-built with a basement, three floors and a roof, all without pillars and all for Tawaf only.

Tawaf requires pilgrims to circle the Holy Kaaba seven times in a counter-clockwise directions, with each circuit starting from the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad). Each circuit is completed when pilgrims return to the Black Stone and perform Istilam (kissing, touching or pointing to the Stone).