AS PART of its drive to enhance its international exposure, Rezayat Protective Coating (Rezayat Procoat) will be at Saudi Build promoting its fusion-bonded epoxy-coated rebar (FBECR).

The company, which boosted its production capacity by 25 per cent at the end of last year, has increased its capacity to 100,000 tonnes per year (tpy) from 80,000 tpy to meet growing demand for its FBECR. Rezayat Procoat is now looking to expand its stockyard.

The Al-Khobar-based company participated at Saudi Build last year and reports a satisfactory performance. “We had a reasonably good response last year,” says Riyadh Al Homoud, general manager.

Rezayat Procoat was also present at gulfBID, the region’s premier building and interiors exhibition, held in Bahrain last May, as part of efforts to boosts its regional presence.

Rezayat Procoat specialises in the production of FBECR, which is widely used in the construction of buildings, highway bridges, culverts and tunnels, among other applications.

“Fusion-bonded epoxy coating of steel rebar – measuring 8 mm to 40 mm in diameter – protects them from corrosion, giving prolonged life to concrete structures,” says Al Homoud. “The reinforcement steel is coated with the blue epoxy, a soft powder that melts once it comes into direct contact with hot surfaces, and adheres to such surface. It dries after few seconds, forming a thin layer that protects the steel against all corrosion agents and prolongs the life expectancy of the steel. The coating provides a tough and inert barrier impervious to chloride and other salts.”

“We have an in-house facility to cut and bend coated steel bar in accordance to the original structural drawings. We can also supply coated wire mesh and look to add value to our products wherever possible,” he adds.

The coating is applied according to ASTM A 775 standards, to deformed rebar of ASTM A615 Grade 60 steel in straight 12 m lengths, which are obtained from Saudi Iron and Steel Company (Hadeed), a subsidiary of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic).

The major advantage of coated epoxy powder film is that it eliminates the contact between the steel bars and corrosion agents that exist in the surrounding environment such as moisture, chloride and industrial chemicals, which ultimately protects the steel from corrosion and extends the lifespan of structures, he points out.

Homoud is optimistic of registering a better performance than last year, and is keen to tap the opportunities offered by the construction market in Saudi Arabia.

Rezayat Procoat, which has its plant in the Dammam Second Industrial City and a branch office in Jeddah, is fully owned by Rezayat-Alireza Group of Companies, a major business group in the Middle East. Established in 1992, the company’s turnover stands at $50 million with a staff strength of 100 employees.

The ISO 9001:2000-certified company is an approved supplier of FBECR to several large companies in Saudi Arabia such as Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), Sabic, Saline Water Conversion (SWCC), Saudi Electric Company (SEC) and the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu.

The firm is involved in a number of major projects in Saudi Arabia including Jubail refinery, site preparation works at Jubail II, bridges and canals in the Al Khobar-Dammam areas, and a bridge on Safwa-Rahima, Abqaiq Road, among other projects.

Rezayat coated rebar has been used widely throughout the kingdom and overseas on several major industrial and commercial projects.

Major Saudi projects using its products include the Ghazlan power plant, Sabic headquarters, Yanbu desalination plant, the Yanbu PTA aromatics plant, Abqaiq wastewater treatment plant, Dhahran International Exhibition Centre, Shaybah oilfield infrastructure and pipeline project, Ministry of Defence building in Riyadh, Dar Al Youm building in Dammam, Ras Tanura Refinery (upgrade), Saudi Steel Pipe’s plant expansion, Aramco substation in Ras Tanura, Kemya’s LLDPE (linear low density polyethylene) plant in Jubail, the Prince Nayif Commercial Building, Middle East Power Company in Dammam and the ABG School in Qatif.

Overseas, Rezayat coated rebar has been used at the US embassy in the Philippines, Qatar embassy in Sudan, Port of Aden in Yemen and Kuwait University in Shuwaikh.

The company will be present at Stand 762.