Gulf Construction Online - Diab gets to the core for cladding

Regional News

Diab gets to the core for cladding

01 January 2009

Structural core materials manufacturer Diab has been awarded a major contract by Premier Composite Technologies to supply core materials for 35,000 sq m of composite cladding that will be used on the final 200 m of the Development of King Abdul Aziz Endowment (Dokaae) tower in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

The tower will also feature the world’s largest clock. Two of the four faces of the clock will measure 43 m in diameter.
The sandwich composite cladding will comprise carbon/glass/epoxy skins over a Divinycell P core. This will be then be covered in Italian mosaic tiles of which 13,000 sq m will be gold tiles.
In addition, the clock faces will also be built using sandwich composites based on Divinycell P thermoplastic core.
More than 600,000 LEDs (light-emitting diodes) will be integrated into the sandwich laminates in order to light up the clock faces at night. Carbon/epoxy composites are also being used to construct the hands of the clock. Each of the hands, which measure up to 23 m in length, will also be lit with LEDs.
Over 8,000 sq m of Premier Composite Technologies’ recently expanded production facilities in Dubai, UAE, has been dedicated to the production of the cladding. There will be 250 people involved in the production and tiling of Dokaae tower, when it is fully up and running.
Divinycell P thermoplastic core was chosen by Premier Composite Technologies as a result of its unique combination of properties that were able to meet the structural, environmental and fire requirements of the application, says Diab.
Although suitable for a wide range of uses, Divinycell P is a particularly cost-effective solution for sandwich composite applications in the construction market where excellent FST (fire, smoke and toxicity) properties are often a specific requirement, it adds.
Divinycell P is rated M1/F1 according to the NF F 16-101 standard and complies with DIN 5510 S4 ST2 SR2.
The material also has good mechanical properties, offers good acoustic/thermal insulation values and low water absorption. It is available in three densities – 60, 100, 120 and 150 kg/cu m – and can be supplied in a variety of finishes, including kits, to facilitate and speed processing, according to the company.