Elaborating on the project, a Bauer spokesman says. ''The city of Abu Dhabi has severe parking problems and underground car-parks are being built between the high-rise residential buildings. As per the new guidelines of the Abu Dhabi Municipality, anchors in neighbouring properties and extensive dewatering are prohibited. The retaining wall of the car-park is a permanent structure, horizontal displacements on the retaining wall are limited and the berm excavation method was adopted.

''In a first stage, the secant pile wall was constructed. The primary and secondary piles have a toe level of -22 m and were both reinforced.

''In a second stage, from a reduced level of -7 m, the bell-shaped tension piles with a toe level of -18 m were constructed.

''In a third stage, the centre portion of the plot was excavated up to final excavation level of -12.5 m and the central part of the raft including the columns were erected.

''Finally, precast concrete girders were placed at intervals, on both sides of the columns, creating a strutting system of the retaining wall.''

The Abu-Dhabi based Bauer International - which is the UAE branch of Germany's Bauer Spezialtiefbau - started its work last July and finished the project in November.

Abu Dhabi has spent billions of dirhams on trip, since it was launched under a master plan back in 1979. DeLeuw Cather International is the consultant on TRIP projects.