A landmark renovation project
at one of the world’s largest shopping malls featured the installation of over
500,000 square metres of Flowcrete Group’s polyurethane deck coating
materials.
The Dubai Mall needed to
refurbish the surface of its car parking facility, which is the most expansive
in the Middle East & North Africa region with over 14,000 spaces across
three separate high-rise buildings.
The award-winning Deckshield
polyurethane deck coating system, from global resin flooring specialists Flowcrete Group,
was specified for all levels of the multi-storey structure.
This system was chosen for
its ability to maintain a smooth and colourful finish when faced with
operational demands such as constant vehicular traffic, structural movement,
fuel and oil spillages, thermal variations, abrasions and wear.
Located in the 20 billion
dollar Downtown Dubai complex, The Dubai Mall holds the record for the world’s
largest retail centre based on total area. The venue hosts 635 retailers and
attracts over 750,000 visitors every week, making it also the world’s most
popular shopping and leisure destination.
Vik Vithlani, Flowcrete
Middle East Sales Director, said: “We’re really proud of the surface that we
supplied for this iconic Dubai location, as we had to overcome numerous
challenges to ensure a high-quality finish.
“The end result had to match
the exacting standards for both functionality and presentation that The Dubai
Mall has become renowned for around the world.
“Appearance was a vital
factor, as the car park is the first impression many visitors will have,
however the floor also needed to be robust and hard-wearing. This combination
of aesthetic appeal and durability is a key characteristic of Flowcrete Group’s
resin floor solutions.”
Within the five month
project, over 540,000m² of Flowcrete Group’s Deckshield ID & ED coatings
were installed across basement, lower ground, intermediate and exposed top
level decks of the breath-taking structures. These systems create a waterproof
membrane that sharpens light reflectivity and can enhance interior visuals with
attractive colours.
Alongside the size of the car
parks, the project also had to take into account that the mall would be
operational throughout the refurbishment period, eliminating any possibility of
simultaneously closing down the entire car park.
It was imperative that the
new materials be laid as swiftly and diligently as possible to avoid undue
inconvenience to visitors – a need that was heightened by the fact that one of
the busiest shopping periods of the year, the Eid Al Fitr holiday, was fast
approaching.
Before the new floor could be
applied the previous system, which had failed soon after the mall opened, had
to be raised and disposed of. Voids where wheel stops had been removed also had
to be filled in before the Deckshield material could be laid on top, a task
which required over 80,000kg of non-shrink grout.
The Deckshield range has
proven to be a popular choice for large-scale construction projects in the
Middle East and was recently specified for concourse areas of the new King
Abdullah Sports City Stadium. The elite sports venue chose to use
Deckshield ED in large part thanks to its proven UV stability, meaning that the
floors would be protected from the desert sun.
For more information please
visit
www.flowcreteamericas.com or
contact Daniel Ash at Flowcrete Group’s Marketing department on +44 1270 758
702 or email
dan.ash@flowcrete.com.