Radcrete plans Gulf sales blitz
01 March 2007
The use of Radcon 7 by several companies on projects in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait has encouraged its supplier, Australia-based Radcrete Pacific, to begin marketing the waterproofing product in the region.
Although Radcon 7 has been used in more than 75 countries over the last 20 years, it is a new waterproofing concept in the Middle East, says Michael Rorke, executive general manager of Radcrete Pacific.
It has a unique technology that waterproofs and protects reinforced concrete for the life of the structure, eliminating the need for future maintenance, he says.
“Unlike traditional membranes, which are applied onto the existing concrete surface, Radcon 7 is a biochemically-modified silicate that is sprayed onto the surface and then forms a membrane within the concrete itself. As the product reacts within the concrete, it seals existing cracks and remains active in the concrete, re-sealing future cracks on contact with water,” he explains.
Radcrete has already appointed a distributor in Saudi Arabia, where it is represented by the Jeddah-based Isam Kabbani Group.
Isam Kabbani has applied Radcon 7 to the rooftop of a major shopping centre in Jeddah as well as swimming pools in resort complexes, water tanks and bridges.
“As we have done some projects in the region – for example, we have just shipped the product for Hyundai and Kuwait Petroleum – we will now be making Radcon 7 available throughout the Middle East,” he adds.
Radcrete Pacific’s managing director Ed Byrne says that he expects the success of Radcon 7 in Europe, the US and Asia to be repeated in the Middle East. “We have had tremendous success in numerous countries applying Radcon to projects as varied as the bridge between Thailand and Laos, museums in Brazil and aquariums in Norway. The initial success in Saudi Arabia convinces us that there will be tremendous demand for Radcon throughout the Gulf.”
Radcrete Pacific is currently in discussions with a number of companies in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait and expects to appoint several distributors in the coming months. It later hopes to break into the Bahrain and Oman markets.
Radcon 7 is also different from crystal growth materials that are designed for use only in areas of low thermal stress such as basements, because it is primarily used on above-grade high thermal stress projects such as bridges and exposed rooftops.
Byrne claims Radcon 7 has many advantages over traditional membranes: “It eliminates the need for protective screeds, is cost effective and is environmentally friendly. It is also easy to apply, is trafficable within a few hours of application and cannot be damaged by other contractors on site.”
He adds that Radcon 7 is particularly suitable for areas of high humidity because it enables concrete to out-gas moisture and therefore effectively eliminates any premature delaminating issues common for traditional membrane technologies. It is also said to provide excellent protection to the reinforcement against chloride ion attack and can withstand virtually unlimited hydrostatic pressure.
