Close to 25 years since launching the Swede beam system (SBS) in Saudi Arabia, the innovative building element has revolutionised the way structures are being built in the kingdom and given contractors greater flexibility in their construction says Al Rashid Abetong Company.

At present, there are more than two million sq m of Swede beam slabs constructed in Saudi Arabia.
The Swede beam is a special building system used mainly for shopping malls, offices, industry plants, parking buildings, family entertainment buildings and other structures requiring heavy loads, long spans and limited number of columns.
The success of the system can be attributed to the advantages that the systems offered to contractors not to mention the team of dedicated and experienced engineers and technicians being employed by the company.
One of the key advantages was flexibility. “The system can be designed with primary and secondary beam arrangement to provide an area of about 20 m by 30 m (600 sq m) free of columns,” says a spokesman for the company. “This provides a great flexibility for architects and building owners for future changes in building usage. The system can also be designed to accommodate higher than normal loads like 3,000 kg per sq m for entertainment areas and 5,000 kg per sq m for process equipments.”
In addition, the low construction height provided by the system offers a reduced building height that is easily translated into savings in finishing materials and reduced volume of space to be air conditioned.
Shorter construction time is another of the advantages offered by the Swede beam system. Since the precast part of the structure is manufactured in the factory while the foundation is executed on site, structures can be erected on site quickly. Using easily movable modular moulds, the contractors can also concrete the cast in-situ slab quickly.
Swede beam systems also promise excellent climate comfort and energy savings. “As Swede beam roofs do not have any membrane or other material on top side, it has a bright shiny surface that reflects back the sunrays into the atmosphere,” says the spokesman. “The remaining incoming heat energy is stored in the concrete slab during the day and again radiated back to the sky during the night. Therefore only a small portion of the heat energy is penetrating the heat insulation under the slab. This helps reduce the air-conditioning installation at projects and also reduces the yearly running costs drastically of more than 50 per cent compared to similar single-storey buildings.”
The beam systems are guaranteed watertight without any waterproofing membrane, which means that it is easy and cost-effective to install air conditioners, transformers, water pumps for chillers or similar equipment on the roof, since such installations do not damage the waterproofing membrane or heat insulation. Also, roofs of conventional structures require maintenance and replacement after some years, but with the Swede beam roof, such maintenance or repairs will not be needed.
The vacuum-treated and powder-coated Swede beam slabs offer the highest degree of strength and durability against corrosion and abrasion caused by vehicular traffic, says the spokesman. Swede beam roofs are normally utilised as car-parks where a ramp can be arranged at a minor additional cost, and are very suitable for shopping malls and offices.
Formed in 1977 as a Saudi-Swedish enterprise, Al Rashid Abetong has grown rapidly over the years to become one of the largest and most successful precast companies in Saudi Arabia. The company has four factories and a main office located in the Second Industrial City in Riyadh, in addition to two branch offices in Jeddah and Al Khobar. There has been a significant expansion during the previous years and a new hollowcore factory has been up and running since June 2007 with a production capacity exceeding one million sq m, making it the largest hollowcore factory in the country, according to the company.
Al Rashid Abetong’s range of products cover all types of precast elements such as wall panels, columns, beams, double tees, hollow cores, form slabs, and stairs. The scope of work can include everything from initial design in close coordination with the client’s engineers followed by production, transportation, erection and final handing over to the client.
Since its establishment, the company has successfully carried out a large number of projects in various precast industry sectors in the kingdom which include major shopping malls such as the Al Rashid Mall in Al Khobar; the Mall of Arabia and Central Park Mall, both in Jeddah; the Granada Center, Le Mall @ exit 5, and the Salaam Mall, all in Riyadh; Khamis Avenue at Khamis Mushait; and the Al Noor Mall and Al Rashid Mall, both in Madinah.
The company is also associated with the design, production and erection of 65 schools all over the kingdom, and industrial buildings such as the Al Marai Factories at Al Kharj, the Riyadh Cable Factory at Riyadh and the Khurais Industrial project.
It has also worked on office buildings such as the Rashid Tower at Riyadh, Dewan Al Jazeerah Building at Al Khobar; residential buildings such as the Al Nawras Duplex Villas at Al Khobar and various residential compounds all over the kingdom; and university buildings such as the King Saud University, King Faisal University, King Khalid University, Taibah University, and Imam Saud University, among others.