When spiralling construction costs forced a reconsideration of specifications for the Pullman Hotel -- the Majid Al Futtaim Group’s 23-storey, four star resort and business hotel development at the Mall of the Emirates, Dubai -- a strategic decision was made to use BASF Construction Chemicals’ BASF’s Senergy Exterior Insulation and Finishing System (EIFS). It’s a decision that shaved AED3.9 million off material costs and saved three months in construction time.
Says Graham Barrett of BASF Construction Chemicals: “When market dynamics caused material and labour costs to spiral in the UAE in late 2008, alternatives needed to be found for the $120 million Pullman Hotel development - solutions that would lower capital costs without compromising the quality, aesthetics or sustainability of the structure. BASF’s Senergy EIF System met those requirements, and more.”
Insulation of any structure is a critical requirement in the UAE. It minimises the need for cooling in the UAE’s hot climate, lowering energy consumption and enhancing the environmental sustainability of structures as per the directive of the country’s building authorities. Different types of cladding exist however, with more traditional solutions requiring considerable reinforcing and preparation of the underlying structure. This is more labour and time intensive and more expensive, offering a lower return on investment.
Notes Julian Pritchard “The façade of the Pullman Hotel was originally to receive Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) cornices and features, which would be supported by precast panels of different thicknesses. BASF proposed the use of the Senergy EIFS, a state of the art technology representing advances in materials and techniques that could deliver proven, sustainable benefits in terms of insulation and energy savings, as well as financial and program (construction time) savings.”
The basic components of the Senergy EIF System include expanded insulation board, adhesive, reinforced base coat and finish coat. It is used for exterior walls in new and retrofit commercial, residential and institutional construction.
It features unlimited colours, textures and architectural details that support design freedom, allowing the creation of details that would be impossible or cost prohibitive with other claddings. Its exterior insulation capabilities reduce energy costs, while 100% acrylic reinforced base coats and finish coats produce a weather resistant barrier, provide crack resistance and resist fading and abrasion.
This was the first use of EIFS by the main contractor on the Pullman Hotel project, Khansaheb Civil Engineering and following on from this used the Senergy EIF System on additional projects with similar success.
Originally the project only required EIFS for the hotel energy centre but following the decision made by the client a total of around 26,000m2 of Senergy EIFS was supplied to the project.
Says Ghassan Mansour: “This was no easy sell. Building insulation technology is a vital and integral part of the structure and ensuring it is correctly implemented involves a complex decision process. The BASF team and contractor Khansaheb had to take the properties and dynamics of myriad construction elements, including curtain walling, precast and steel frame construction into consideration, along with design criteria such as wind load, dead load and thermal calculations. Project management also needed to be refined and precisely executed.”
Original specifications called for the use of Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) for the cornices and other feature design panels. The main columns were to be constructed in precast panels of different thicknesses. BASF proposed the use of the Senergy EIFS and the client accepted based on demonstrated financial and program savings.
The use of the Senergy EIF System allowed the redesign of the buildings columns and cornices in a lightweight steel supporting structure to replace the columns and cornices. This was clad in a calcium silicate board. The Senergy Secondary Weather Barrier EIF System was then applied to this substrate. On other areas the Senergy EIF System was applied directly to a concrete block substrate. In total the project used 26,000m2 of EIFS
The results were spectacular. “Not only has the Senergy EIF System enabled the achievement of the desired aesthetics and architectural design elements on the exterior of the building, but it has lowered the energy requirements of the building by 50%, cut construction time by three months and saved the client AED3.9 in material and labour costs,” enthuses Graham Barrett.
BASF Construction Chemicals’ solutions were also used elsewhere in the construction of the East Hotel, highlighting the breadth and diversity of the BASF range.
- Mastertop 1332, a UV-stable, polyurethane-based multi-layered car park decking system, was used on 1 300m2of the hotel’s car park. Its crack bridging and waterproofing properties are especially relevant for exposed and intermediate traffic decks.
- Mastertile 30 and 200, which are a tile adhesive and latex additive for high strength grout, respectively, were used for the approximately 10 000m2 of tiling in the Pullman Hotel lobby.
- Masterflex 610, a waterbar is suitable for all construction joints subject to hydrostatic pressure, was used in the construction joints for the East Hotel’s water tanks.
- Mastertop 528, a self-smoothing, cementitious, non-structural, floor underlayment was used as a final finish to underlayments for 15 000m2 of carpeting at the hotel.
BASF Construction Chemicals’ objective is to become a supplier of choice and a preferred customised solution provider. Notes Julian Pritchard: “Creating strategic alliances with our customers and becoming an integral part of their business by supporting their success is very important to BASF. It delivers value for both parties.
“Our products and solutions are state-of-the-art, customisable and innovative. They are tailored to deliver not only added engineering value, but eco-sustainability and bottom line value to our customers. We take a high-touch advisory and support approach to all our projects in the UAE and, as a result, our solutions are gaining market share.
“We look forward to a continuing our relationship with the Majid Al Futtaim Group and Khansaheb Civil Engineering,” concludes Julian Pritchard.
Notes Chris Gregory, Contracts Manager of Khansaheb “After looking at value engineering options for the project, Khansaheb chose the BASF Senergy EIF System. We found the system easy to install and has resulted in an attractive, functional facade. The initial cost savings on the project coupled with the long term energy savings make this an ideal system for the Gulf climate. Khansaheb have used Senergy EIFS on two additional projects resulting in similar success and will be using the systems on future projects.”
The construction of the Pullman Hotel, begun in July 2007, will be completed in September 2010.