DESPITE the grim economic scenario, Bahrain Precast Concrete Company (BPC) says it has reason for optimism given the government’s renewed focus on ensuring “a roof over every family”.

This drive will be a shot in the arm for the precast industry, according to the company’s new general manager Michael Pedersen. This apart, the precast concrete specialist expects to steal the limelight shortly by erecting the tallest precast concrete buildings in the region.

In addition, the economic recovery across Europe and the US could instill investor confidence in the Middle East and Bahrain, he says, adding that he expects projects put on hold to be reinitiated and other new projects launched in the coming year.

Pedersen

Pedersen took over the reins of BPC at the height of the global economic meltdown. Comment-ing on the economic situation over the past year, he says: “The construction industry, which is one of the Bahrain’s main industrial sectors, has been badly affected by the global financial meltdown.”
Against this backdrop, BPC too was affected. “But we managed to steer clear of most problems. Everyone is watching the market situation and hoping for better days,” he says.
Pedersen also adds that the company’s performance on the hollowcore front has not been encouraging. “Although these slabs have been popular in the construction of commercial and residential buildings in the country, new projects have been few as banks have tightened up on loans for private houses and the government has become cautious. All these factors have affected demand for hollowcore in a big way.

But there is a silver lining, says Pedersen. “Despite these problems, we have managed the situation well. We have a good and dedicated workforce and with signs of economic recovery across the globe, we will be back to our old glory very soon.”
The company is also planning for the future and turning to new technology to provide low-cost housing solutions, which could help address the housing shortage in Bahrain. In this regard, BPC plans to offer precast houses with prefabricated panels.
“These types of houses, if successful, will create enough work for all of us for a long time,” Pedersen says.

Projects
Through the testing times last year, BPC has ensured the timely completion of some prestigious projects such as the Zallaq Hotel and Spa, a 24-storey twin-tower project in the Seef District, Sacred Heart School extension in Isa Town, the Toyota and Lexus car-park in Tubli, and the adjacent Al Mari Mosque.

BPC ensures its products are of top quality.

The Zallaq Hotel and Spa project is scheduled to open in May. “We finished this project within a record time of three months, right from production to the erection of some 753 beige acid-washed panels,” says Pedersen.
The company also completed the 24-storey twin-tower project in the Seef District last September, which is claimed to be the tallest precast structure in Bahrain to date. For this project, BPC designed, produced and erected 350-mm-thick shear walls; 120-mm-thick parapet wall panels; precast concrete columns (various sections); precast and normal beams (various sections); staircases and 150-, 200- and 400-mm-thick hollowcore slabs.

BPC has also completed the extension of the Sacred Heart School, which is a separate structure attached to an existing building. For this project, BPC produced and erected 250-mm-thick load-bearing cladding panels; 505 sq m of 200-mm-thick load-bearing cladding panels; parapet panels; non-load bearing panels; 240 m of precast beams; 285 m of precast columns; staircases; and hollowcore slabs.
For the Toyota and Lexus car-park in Tubli, the company supplied white, sand-blasted fascia panels, hollowcore slabs, beams and columns. Similarly, for the Al Mari Mosque near the car-park, BPC produced and erected 200- and 250-mm-thick load-bearing cladding panels, precast parapet panels, 200-mm-thick internal load-bearing precast panels and hollowcore slabs.

The 35-storey building in Seef ... designed to be tallest precast structure in the Gulf.

Having completed the current tallest precast structure in the country, the company has secured and is now working on what is expected to be the tallest precast building in the entire GCC, according to Pedersen. BPC’s scope of work on the 35-storey precast building in Seef District, located opposite the Bahrain City Centre, includes design, production and erection of various precast elements including 400-mm-thick shear walls; columns in various sizes; circular columns; beams in various sections; staircases; 200-mm thick solid slabs; and 150-, 265- and 500-mm-thick hollowcore slabs.
Another ongoing project for BPC is the construction of 15 double-storey precast compound buildings for offices along the periphery of the police fort in Salmaniya. This includes a car-park for individual buildings and two circular watch-towers. For the project, the company has produced and erected beams, staircases, 250-mm-thick insulated load-bearing external panels and 200-mm-thick Internal load-bearing panels with a fair-faced finish ready for painting and 150-, 200- and 320-mm-thick hollowcore slabs. External load-bearing panels include round units featuring fort-like symbolic shapes.
Other ongoing projects include a car-park for Toyota in Arad. For this five-storey precast building for docking Toyota cars, the company has produced and erected sand-blasted white wall-cladding panels; 250-mm-thick shear walls; precast columns, beams and parapets; staircases; and 200- and 500-mm-thick hollowcore slabs.
On the hollowcore front although business has been down, it has undertaken some landmark projects including Durrat Al Bahrain, where it erected slabs for 400 houses, and the car-park and shopping area of Villamar @ the Harbour at the Bahrain Financial Harbour, which involved the erection of 200-, 265- and 320-mm hollowcore slabs.