Gulf Construction Online - Pioneer builds on low-E glass success

Al Wasl Office Complex

Emirates Glass supplied 2,500 sq m of low-E glass for the complex.

Pioneer builds on low-E glass success

01 MARCH 2001

Emirates Glass is an architectural glass processing company which has been going from strength to strength, especially in the high-rise market. The Dubai-based firm has won worldwide respect for the quality of its products.

The company has submitted bids and emerged triumphant on virtually every major project in the UAE. Some of its most striking projects include the Emirates Tower, the Dubai Internet City, Sheraton Plaza and Towers and Tower No 1 which houses the Dusit Dubai. Among its latest projects in Dubai is the Al Wasl office complex for which it supplied some 2,500 sq m of low-emissivity glass (type NN 41 on blue) in more than 1,900 varying sizes.

Emirates Glass has now become virtually an industry standard in the emirates, says Munir Mansour, general manager.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, it is currently supplying glass for the Citibank regional headquarters building in Bahrain.

Emirates Glass supplies a wide spectrum of glass products covering a range of clients' requirements in terms of energy conservation, thermal properties, colours and external cladding. It also supplies monolithic glass for the double glazing industry.

Its premium product is low-emissivity (low-E) glass, which is very highly regarded for its ability to keep the building environment cool. Emirates Glass is a pioneer manufacturer in the UAE for this type of glass which was hitherto imported into the country.

''The major advantages of low-emissivity coatings are their climate adaptability and increased thermal resistance,'' he explains.

Low-emissivity coatings can - when adequately designed and properly used in an insulating glass unit - save up to 40 per cent of the total energy cost of a major building. Its use will furthermore decrease substantially the initial capital cost of climate control equipment. Combining good thermal performance with high transmission, low-E glass is found to be very useful in the Gulf 's climate.

Demand for low-emissivity glass types in the Middle East is steadily growing. Applications range from major curtain-walls and windows to atriums and skylights.

Set up in 1997, Emirates Glass has a capacity of 1 million sq m per year utilising Leybold technology from Germany. The company operates two shifts on a six-day week. However, during peak production, the facility remains operational round-the-clock. Emirates Glass was accredited to ISO 9002 in June 1999, just 18 months from the start.

The company imports clear glass from the region and body tinted glasses from the UK, US and Europe. Sourcing raw material from all over the world, allows the company to offer a bigger product range.

As a local producer, Emirates Glass offers a tremendous amount of flexibility for local contractors and builders. It relieves them of the hassle of going overseas to buy glass, time constraints and financial losses.

Nicholas explains: ''The flexibility does not come just by ordering locally. If one side of a building is ready and the other is still under construction, the client can order in parts from Emirates Glass. However, if he buys overseas, he will have to put all the order in one go. This is very important benefit.

''Using a local supplier enables contractors to execute the glass work of a building in part because glass can be delivered in batches. Another major advantage of local supplying is quick replacement. If the shipment ordered from overseas goes wrong and some panels break, the client will have to ask for replacement which can delay the project. Replacement lead time can be up to 10 months and it can put the builder in a difficult situation. Emirates Glass, however, can provide replacements from days to within a month at the latest, depending on the size and colour of the glass. Emirates Glass products meet the highest world-acknowledged standards and 99.9 per cent of them are custom-made.''

The product range includes:

EmiCool (classic high-performance coating);

EmiCool plus (low-emissivity coating);

EmiCool Sun (sunbelt low-emissivity coating);

EmiTherm (factory-fabricated, dual-sealed insulating glass unit assembled with two or more panes of glass separated by a dehydrated airspace; and

EmiTuff (fully tempered glass).

''There's a world shortage of glass and the growth in supply sources is going to be based on hi-tech facilities,'' says Munir.

Munir believes that the company is well placed to increase its share of the market because of the quality of its products, timely delivery, price, logistical support and state-of-the-art production facility, particularly for low-E glass.