Mastering the materials

Constructing something as ambitious as the Dubai Metro requires smart use of materials – and the right materials can make all the difference in ensuring a project is delivered on time.

Everyone can now have small sigh of relief now that the Dubai Metro has been delivered on time. With 10 station opening on 09/09/09 and the remainder to open over the coming months, the achievement of meeting the deadline was, in part, helped by choosing the right materials.

As one of the final stages of construction, finishes can sometimes become an afterthought in the construction schedule. However, it was the selection of the right material for the finishes that made a crucial difference in ensuring the Metro arrived on time.

Construction adhesive and chemicals supplier IBS Mapei supplied a variety of materials to the Metro’s construction, and it was these high-tech materials that helped speed up delivery. “Finishes are always squeezed on schedules,” says Mapei business development manager Laith Haboubi. “The finishes are under pressure and there’s a great danger of compromising the quality if you rush it. But if you have the right products then you can accelerate programme times.”

Self-hydrating screeds played a crucial role. Usually a screed takes three to four weeks for the moisture content to get down to a workable 2%. However, Mapei were able to supply screeds that could achieve this in two to three days, representing a massive acceleration of the construction process.

“The screed comes towards the end of the project. If they had used the traditional method of fixing or screeding, they would have needed 4 to 6 weeks before they could have installed the stone, so the whole project could have been delayed,” explains Mapei commercial manager Naheed Younis. “We really added value to that project by speeding up the work by a minimum of four weeks.”

Because nothing like the Metro has even been built before in the Middle East, the project required materials that hadn’t been used in the region before.

Of course, the use of new materials meant that everything had to be double-checked to ensure the most effective methods were used.

“We have a huge database of most materials in use worldwide, so any time someone comes to us, we can go to our bank of information to look at that particular stone, that particular material, where there will be a wealth of test data,” says Younis. “One of our strengths in our research and development is that in less than a week, we can fly any piece of material that is new to the market , do the proper testing and provide the right solution for the new material.”

Although safety is always paramount on any project, the high profile nature of the Dubai Metro meant that there was absolutely no margin for ever, so using hi-tech materials that were thoroughly evaluated not only added value by speeding up the construction, but also by providing a far higher confidence level.

“We go through a whole list of questions before we give any recommendation,” says Haboubi. “We also save the potential liability caused by doing something the wrong way. There are several places in the UAE where there are large legal claims because due to the fast tracking of the project, those points were not taken into consideration.”

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