RMD Kwikform engineers and site supervisors provided Rapidshor- and Kwikstage-based shoring and formwork solutions for contractor Khansaheb Civil Engineering, to support the fast-track construction of the Fujairah City Centre.
RMD Kwikform has worked with Khansaheb Civil Engineering on numerous large-scale projects, including the Wafi Mall and Ritz Carlton extension in Dubai and has now boosted its project portfolio by providing a complete shoring and formwork solution for the construction of the 45,000-sq-m Fujairah City Centre.

The project had an extremely tight programme: work commenced in March 2011 and in less than five months the main concrete frame was completed.

Commenting on the project, RMD Kwikform UAE general manager Darren Ellwood says: “This is one of the largest projects RMD Kwikform has undertaken in Fujairah to date and represents a key cornerstone in the development of the emirate. Thanks to our experience in large-scale projects of this type, we were able to help and support Khansaheb through the design and construction phases of the project.

“In order to achieve the fast cycle times demanded by the programme, we developed a solution combining the benefits of our modular Rapidshor system with lighter weight Kwikstage. With Rapidshor taking the strain of the larger slabs and beams, Kwikstage could be used to support lighter duty slab areas. It was this combined approach to the shoring needs of the project that helped achieve major cost savings for Khanseheb, as it was able to use some of its existing Kwikstage fleet, topped up by equipment from RMD Kwikform, reducing overall hire volumes.”

In addition to Rapidshor and Kwikstage shoring, RMD Kwikform supplied Superslim and GTX beams to form the soffits for a range of slab thicknesses. This equipment was also used to form the many drop beams, with column forms designed for the construction of the columns.

Fujairah City Centre ... the concrete frame was completed in five months.

“Thanks to the effectiveness of the shoring systems used for this project, and the simplicity of erection, striking and dismantling of the shoring, the onsite team – supported by our site assistance technicians – were able to achieve some impressive cycle times,” Ellwood says.

In total, 1,200 tonnes of RMD Kwikform products were used to construct the mall, which will house more than 100 specialty retail stores, cafes and restaurants.

In addition to the core mall, RMD Kwikform supplied a range of similar equipment for the construction of the 4,000-sq-m cinema complex.

RMD Kwikform is a global supplier of formwork and shoring solutions, operating through four regional centres – Europe, Australasia, Americas and the Middle East.

The company has a comprehensive product range and provides tailored solutions, including wall formwork, special formwork, decking and shoring solutions; and propping, protection and climbing formwork systems.

“We work with our customers on an individual level to provide a solution that matches their exact requirements,” says Paul Williams, managing director, Arabian Gulf and India. “Whether it be the first option we provide or the result of a number of discussions and consultations, we always aim to ensure the ultimate solution is reached.

“We have a number of site-assistance technicians, who are fully trained in all RMD Kwikform products. These employees are on-site, and are always on hand to provide support to our customers on a day-to-day to basis, providing advice on challenges when – and as – they arise.”

Demonstration facilities throughout the region allow its customers to see the products first-hand, while also allowing its employees to have specialist training on new systems. “We also run various practical and technical training programmes for our customers. This ensures our customers have a complete understanding of our equipment and – more importantly – how to use the equipment on-site, rather than just providing the equipment and then leaving them to it,” says Williams.
“Our product ranges have been developed to work in synergy with each other, with many of our ongoing product enhancements having been developed in response to our customers’ feedback. This ensures we provide only the best solutions to our customers, while continuing to provide innovative products for the current market,” he adds.

RMD Kwikform has a diverse product range that caters for the civil engineering and building sectors and over recent years, has launched a number of new products and introduced new systems to the Middle Eastern markets.

“This year, we introduced a hydraulic self-climbing formwork system to the market, which has proven very successful,” Williams says. “Overall, we simply plan to continue to offer the highest level of customer service and support that we possibly can. This, alone, tends to differentiate us from our competitors when it comes down to the value proposition.”
Some of the other UAE projects the company has been associated with include Dubai Mall, Mirdif City Centre, Dubai Metro, and The Yas Hotel. Its ongoing projects are Sheikh Khalifa Interchange and the Presidential Palace in the UAE; Shamiyah Holy Haram Expansion 3 project in Makkah, Saudi Arabia; Muscat Airport in Oman; and Burj Marina in Qatar.

Commenting on the construction market and the prospects it offers, he says: “The UAE’s construction market has been depressed since the global financial crisis hit in 2008, especially within the building sector. While we know construction levels will never return to the exceptional pre-2008 levels we all experienced, we do believe the market has bottomed out and there will be an incremental recovery in the UAE market over the medium term – especially within the oil and gas and infrastructure sectors.

“As a regional business with operations throughout the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, we have understandably experienced a drop in business levels in some markets over the past couple of years. A notable exception to this would be Saudi Arabia, where we have seen significant growth. We are now seeing the tide turning, with construction activity increasing across a number of our markets, from which we expect to see significant improvement in business towards the end of 2012 and into 2013. In addition to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, India and Iraq are all showing positive signs of growth, with RMD Kwikform in a strong position to support this demand.”
RMD Kwikform was first established in the UK in 1948. It set up an office in the UAE in 1978, and as such has been servicing the Middle East region for over 30 years.

The regional head office and yard is located in the UAE, providing support to the regional companies in Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the emirates, as well as its export division based in the UAE and its new company in India. All operating companies have dedicated yard and demonstration facilities, with the ability to provide customer training.
The company employs over 300 staff within the region (over 1,000 globally) and has export activities throughout the GCC, India, North Africa and Levant regions.

“With our global head office located in the UK, we have operations in 17 countries with export activities in significantly more. RMD Kwikform Middle East is an ‘Investor in People’ employer, and was one of the first companies in the UAE to achieve this accreditation,” he says.

The company is focusing on increasing its market share within the GCC territory it services; consolidating its presence and expanding activity in the India market; and exploring selective project opportunities in the Mena countries serviced via its Middle East export division.