Gulf Construction Online - Installux to launch new products

Bahrain

The Murooj Complex in Dubai ... a major success for Installux.

Installux to launch new products

01 January 2006

In a bid to meet the trends in the market, aluminium systems manufacturer Installux is currently focusing on major product developments and intends to bring five innovations on the market later this year.

“These new products are fairly revolutionary and will take Installux to new heights in its quest to offer complete systems solutions,” says Basim Al Saie, general manager of the Bahrain-based Installux Gulf, the Middle East subsidiary for the French manufacturer.
“These sophisticated developments will satisfy recent trends in the market,” he adds.
Al Saie elaborates: “One of these products is a new-generation curtain-walling range which has been designed as a single-product solution for a variety of applications. It will replace our existing line and conforms to the new European regulations – RT2005 – which stipulate stringent standards regarding thermal conductivity and emission.
“Our second product is a new casement series with a thermal-break, which also conforms to RT2005 for thermal efficiency. A variation of this product – a non-thermal break range – will also be developed.”
The other three products will be façade-related systems, details of which will be revealed later, states Al Saie.
In addition, by mid-2006 Installux will look at further development of its existing solutions for doors and windows.
“Besides our product focus, we will also be looking at opportunities in the market and at developing solutions for the medium sector of the market, which seeks quality products at a more affordable price,” he says.
Installux was the first international aluminium systems company to open a regional office in the Gulf in April 1997. Starting operations with five basic products, Installux Gulf currently has an extensive range of more than 14 different aluminium systems. The group comprises four major companies specialising in high-quality aluminium systems, office partitions, external solar protection, shop-fittings and signage.
“Installux has seen its sales to the region rise from 30 tonnes in 1998, continuing through 230 tonnes in 1999 and 300 tonnes in 2000 to a whopping 1,300 tonnes last year. The aluminium systems have been successfully used on a variety of projects ranging from small residential villas to multi-storey institutional-type buildings. We are now handling the most prestigious as well as the largest projects throughout the region,” he says.
Commenting on the construction market in Bahrain, Al Saie says: “These are interesting times in Bahrain with a lot of major projects moving to the tendering and contract award stages. However, while a project looks good at the design and tendering stage with high specs, contractor-competition puts pressure on prices at the tendering stage, and it is the final quality of the project that suffers. It is simply beyond the common law of things to expect the best at the cheapest! It is sad to see subcontractors squeezed to make-up for the bidding war between contractors. This is an unhealthy situation that we are seeing even now in a booming market. Also unfair comparisons and competition between medium and top-end products that do not rank on the same quality scale, is a reason that is driving quality down.”
Among the largest projects, that Installux is involved in Bahrain is the Gajria building in Sanabis, for which it is supplying two-sided structural glazing curtain wall as well as some doors and windows.
“We have recently performed a test - our fourth to date in Dubai – on a mock-up of a curtain-wall for this project building in Dubai. The sample has passed all tests – seven to be precise in accordance to American ASTM, and AAMA – including a critical dynamic wind testing done using an aircraft engine to simulate hurricane force winds with driving rain. After successfully completing the test, we asked for a destructive test to see the limit of our product! This test was conducted to wind pressures of up to 4.5 kPa before we had to stop it due to a breakdown in the test chamber. We have tested the same product previously up to 5.6 kPa!” says Al Saie.
Installux started supply of material for the Gajria building last October and expects to complete it by mid-February. It is also handling a number of smaller buildings in Juffair, and an office building in the Diplomatic Area which has already been handed over.
Installux is active in Dubai where it undertook a few large projects. Most recent is the handover of the Al Murooj commercial and residential complex, six towers at the Burj Residences and a further three buildings in the Burj District.
Installux’s major projects in the Qatar market include the supply of aluminium systems for part of the prestigious Khalifa Sports City. Its latest success in Doha is the Beverley Residential Development, a 30-storey tower in the West Bay.
The company is also supplying to projects as far afield as Jordan and Yemen and has established contacts in Iran and Egypt.
"However, our main focus is to ensure that our immediate markets in the Gulf are well-covered and our existing partners are well looked after and properly supported," he concludes.
Elaborating on the problems in the market, Al Saie says: “A major concern in the construction sector is the escalating prices of aluminium, which not only affects aluminium extruders but also end-users. The building envelope costs roughly around 30 to 40 per cent of the construction costs with aluminium accounting for 10 to 15 per cent.
"While the industry believes that the spike in prices is temporary, the trend is not healthy for the aluminium industry, where high prices are sometimes being driven by investment funds and not real users of aluminium.
“Another serious concern is the wastage of energy. The authorities need to pay greater attention to the consumption of electricity as it is illogical to continue with the old building standards and criteria for thermal efficiency. Any energy-saving features that are planned and built into new projects – such as high-quality systems and high-performance glass in windows, doors and facades – will reduce the huge wastage of electricity. Now is the right time to set out new building codes – what we currently have are only very basic standards – that stipulate mediocre efficiency.”
Meanwhile, Installux Gulf has also been busy promoting the other products produced by the group, namely, awnings from Stores Roche, demountable office partitions from Tiaso and shop-fittings from Sofadi. Al Saie reports growing sales for these products.