Gulf Construction Online - Meeting challenges

Saudi Review

King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh ... a key project supplied to by BASF.

Meeting challenges

01 May 2014

SAUDI BASF, part of the global giant company BASF, continues to be the leading supplier of construction chemicals to striking projects in Saudi Arabia, such as the expansion of the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah, King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic City, and Maaden aluminium smelter in Ras Al Khair, while supplying to prestigious clients such as the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and Saudi Aramco.

“Our concrete admixture MasterGlenium provides real solutions to major challenges such as pumping concrete up to 600-m high for the construction of landmark towers, while our high-performance grout has helped in anchoring rolling mill machinery at the aluminium smelter in Ras Al Khair,” says Mohammed El Khub, business systems manager of Saudi BASF.

“Saudi BASF’s team of sales engineers provide technical support to our customers in all areas of the kingdom where and when required at very short notice; they are known in the construction industry as the true solution providers,” he adds.

Saudi BASF, which was incorporated in January 2001, started operation and production of construction chemicals in the Second Industrial area, Dammam. This was followed by a second Saudi manufacturing plant which launched operations in Jeddah four years ago. To meet the anticipated demand for its products in the region, BASF has plans to open yet another production facility in Rabigh, which is scheduled to come on-stream in 2015.

The company has nine sales offices, supported by warehouses in every region of Saudi Arabia.

BASF’s Construction Chemicals division offers advanced chemicals solutions for new construction, maintenance and repair and renovation of structures. Its comprehensive portfolio encompasses concrete admixtures, cement additives, chemical solutions for underground construction, waterproofing systems, sealants, concrete repair and protection systems, performance grouts, flooring systems, tile fixing systems, expansion control systems and wood protection solutions.

Among these is the Master Builders Solutions brand built on the experience gained from more than 100 years in the construction industry.

“Master Builders Solutions is backed by a global community of BASF construction experts,” says El Khub. “To solve our customers’ specific construction challenges, we combine the suitable elements of our portfolio, our know-how across areas of expertise and regions, and draw on the experience gained in countless construction projects worldwide. We leverage global BASF technologies as well as our in-depth knowledge of local building needs, to develop innovations that help make our customers more successful and drive sustainable construction.”

Marafiq power and water complex in Jubail and King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah (below) ... a range of construction chemicals supplied by BASF.

El Khub attributes the success of Saudi BASF to the extensive range of high performance products offered as well as the excellent support provided, particularly its marketing department by promoting BASF product technologies and services through seminars and technical presentations tailored for each sector of the market, and the specification department which helps drive its success by getting BASF product technologies specified on projects by engineering firms during the design stage, and then following up by supporting its sales engineers to successfully supply contractors with BASF products to the satisfaction of clients, consultants and contracting companies.

Providing details of the various projects to which the company has contributed, El Khub says for the Grand Mosque in Makkah, BASF has supplied its admixtures systems including its Pozzolith and MasterRheobuild ranges and MasterGlenium for concrete as superplasticisers, retarders and waterproofing; MasterFlex Aquastop and MasterSeal 910 waterstops system for the construction and expansion joints; MasterEmaco range for all concrete repair works; the MasterKure range as curing compounds for concrete; and the MasterFlow range as cementitious and epoxy grouting systems.

It has also provided the MasterSeal range including MasterSeal M 266 as the liquid-applied waterproofing membrane; MasterPren TPE-F fully-bonded TPO (thermoplastic olefin) membrane for the piazza area and MasterSeal 180 anti-fungal epoxy paint for all basement walls and ceiling; and the MasterTop range including an epoxy and polyurethane coating system for floors in the mechanical rooms.

In addition, BASF’s Wabo architectural expansion joints were used for the piazza and the central utility complex (CUC) buildings; while the Alberia range was used to restore the old mataf building.

This extensive range of products was also utilised in similar applications for the King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Abdullah Economic City projects. In addition, these projects also used BASF’s Wabo bearing systems for bridges such as pot bearing, elastomeric bearings and expansion joint systems.

Saudi BASF’s factories in Dammam and Jeddah produce most of these systems including admixtures, grouts, concrete repair products, and flooring and waterproofing systems, while other products such as the TPO membrane and pot bearings system come from its factories in Italy, Wabo architectural expansion joints from its facilities in the US, and the Alberia range of restoration systems from Turkey.

Apart from these construction chemicals, BASF’s Senergy Classic BP EIFS (exterior insulation and finishing system) has gained wide acceptance in the Saudi market.

“BASF has provided around 70,000 sq m of BASF Senergy Classic BP EIFS system since 2012 to our major clients in the Saudi market including Saudi Aramco, government authorities such as Bahrain Causeway Authority and private sector clients,” says El Khub. “Our EIFS system has shown outstanding results in terms of thermal insulation, quality of applied product and efficiency in energy saving.”

Projects on which the product has been used include Manifa, a school and a 155-villa housing project in Ras Tanurah as well as a 38-villa housing scheme in Dhahran for Saudi Aramco; the Bahrain-Saudi Causeway (administration and information centre projects); Joaimah administration building; Al Osais head office in Dhahran; a private villa for Al Osais; Tanajeeb; and Rabiyah mosque in Dhahran.

“These and other projects were completed by BASF-approved applicators and contractors who received the required professional training on the system application. These applicators are capable of completing huge projects within the set budget, time and using international EIFS system application standards,” he comments.

BASF has an extensive portfolio of products that ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to solutions for the oil and gas sector. The world’s leading chemical company has registered sales of about €74 billion ($102 billion) in 2013 and more than 112,000 employees as of the end of last year.

Its construction division’s 5,700 employees form a global community of construction experts and tackle challenges from conception through to completion of a project by combining know-how across areas of expertise and regions and drawing on the experience gained in countless construction projects worldwide. It operates production sites and sales centres in more than 50 countries and achieved sales of about €2.1 billion ($2.9 billion) in 2013.