Gulf Construction Online - BASF ‘put Meydan on the fast track’

UAE Focus

Sporting showcase ... the racecourse was built at a cost of $2.72 billion.

BASF ‘put Meydan on the fast track’

As Dubai gears to hold the world’s richest horse race this month at its showcase Meydan racecourse, BASF reveals how it helped win a race against time to open the stunning project last year.

01 March 2011

MEYDAN City in the Ras Al Khor area of Dubai, UAE, is home to the $2.72-billion Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse, which opened its doors to great fanfare last year.

Work on the project started in June 2007, and despite construction delays, the developer set an uncompromising target of hosting the 15th Dubai World Cup – the world’s richest and largest horse race with its prize of $10 million – in March, 2010.

Fast tracking the project meant appointing numerous additional contractors to help meet schedules. A ready supplier with proven products that would guarantee quality outcomes was critical to the project’s success, and BASF Construction Chemicals was one of those suppliers.

The Meydan Racecourse and Grandstand includes the Meydan Hotel, the first five-star trackside hotel based around a horse-racing facility, and a glass-fronted restaurant situated on Levels 2 and 3 of the grandstand.

Surrounding the grandstand are world-class horse-racing facilities, an all-weather surface practice track, jockey and horsemen’s lounges. Construction of the Meydan Museum and Gallery, an Imax theatre and the Meydan Marina will follow.

Explains Monish Ramchandani of BASF Construction Chemicals: “The Meydan Racecourse and Grandstand represents the first phase and centrepiece of the Meydan City development. The project included the construction of four bridges and 4.6 km of roads and services to provide easy and quick access to the main grandstand and racecourse. However, there was considerable delay in terms of completion of the main stand and the infrastructure works.

“Dozens of companies, both local and international, were thus contracted by Meydan to ensure the project kept to schedule. Construction went on for around two years in extreme climatic conditions with thousands of workers deployed round the clock.

“A key challenge was that Malaysian architects TAK Design Consultants had specified product from a single supplier. This clearly needed to be supplemented as a vital component of successfully fast-tracking a project is having the necessary construction materials on hand when needed. BASF was able to offer onsite technical expertise, prompt service and a ready supply of critical materials and products.”

Without any specifications, BASF supplied in excess of Dh3.1 million ($843,9623) in materials in less than a year to various project components.

BASF provided a one-stop solution for most of the structural and architectural elements to the projects including floors, walls, tiling, repairs, expansion joints, sealants, base plate grouting for all the street lamps, and grouting to diaphragm walls for the wetland canal. It also provided technical training, assistance and support to complete the work. Of particular benefit to construction teams was the local availability of BASF materials.

Another major challenge faced by the BASF team was dealing with all-new construction members.

“We were dealing with a completely new client base for the project – the consultant, a TAK and Africon Al Burj joint venture, a new client (Meydan) and new contractors, namely Afcons, Guangsha and Leaders. We thus took an inclusive approach, putting together a building development team comprising BASF commercial, technical and regional managers to meet with and address all requirements,” says Ramchandani.

Products supplied by BASF included Mastertop flooring technologies, Ucrete industrial flooring finishes, Flowcable admixtures, six different grouting products from the Masterflow range, Waboflex expansion joint systems, five different repair mortars from the Emaco range, Concresive adhesives and anchoring mortars, and Masterflex sealants and waterbars.

The project came through on time for the racecourse to host the Dubai Cup.

The new racecourse is able to accommodate 60,000 spectators in the 1.2-km-long grandstand. When not used for races it serves as a business and conference facility.

The racecourse represents only 20 per cent of the development. Meydan City, when complete, will include the 3.7-million-sq-m Horizons residential development with an 80-berth marina, the Metropolis development comprising 16 office buildings, and the Godolphin Parks recreational area and mall.

While the 2012 deadline for completion has been pushed out due to slow global investment trends, a contract has recently been awarded to Guangsha Middle East Construction for development of the $400- million Business Park, which will include 16 commercial buildings, parking for 3,000 cars, as well as retail, food, beverage and other office spaces.