Putting up a sound barrier

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Fencing and site hoarding started off as a niche market, but as Hugo Berger finds out, the sector is experiencing a huge growth in popularity.

As the number of construction projects rises across the GCC, there is an increased demand for fencing and hoardings for the sites of construction.

This particular sector of the market is growing at a rate keeping pace with the rest of the construction industry.

Until about four years ago, most firms would mark off their sites with wooden fencing. But, as the market matured, developers began to realise the importance of having aesthetically pleasing, uniform hoardings to border their projects.

One of the companies which helped bring about this change is S&B, which bought its steel fence system to the region.

Paul Grundy, managing director, S&B, says: "In Abu Dhabi they were using a system which was highly unstable and huge, which if it had fallen on somebody would have killed them instantly."

"If it landed on a car or hit anyone, then it would have been Goodnight Vienna."

"It took on average six strong men to lift one section of this, whereas with our system one man can lift it, although two guys usually do just for ease of handling."

As well as being easily moveable, the fences can be sprayed with company logos, giving the site a smart, uniform appearance.

But even if its coating has been eroded away by the elements, it can be recoated and refurbished at minimal cost, says Grundy, unlike timber which could need replacing a number of times during a project.

Grundy says that developers are beginning to realise that good fencing can help create interest in a site.

"If you have a load of timber around the site, which is falling down, then would a potential homebuyer want to buy an apartment in the building?

"If you are not bothered about what the outside looks like, then what's the quality of work inside going to be like?

"In the GCC there isn't such a big problem with theft and pilfering like there is on UK sites, or with keeping children out for health and safety reasons.

"Here the aims are to secure the site so no one else builds on it and also to screen off all the excavations and other building work."

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