Bahrain Precast Concrete Company (BPC) has been busy over the past year on account of a high level of construction activity in Bahrain, according to the company.

The Salmabad-based precast manufacturer is now gearing itself to meet the increased demand anticipated this year with an expansion of production capacity and new product launches.

"We expect heightened activity during 2002 on various types of construction projects," says Flemming Nielsen, general manager.

The past year has seen the company involved in a diverse range of projects from high-rises to eye-catching villas and its own batching plant.

Nielsen comments: "We have been involved in some of the most prestigious projects last year. These include the Citibank headquarters in the Seef district where we supplied almost 12,000 sq m of insulated cladding panels, beams, precast staircases, boundary walls, paving tiles and hollowcore slabs.

For the Seef Tower which is set to open shortly, BPC supplied some 9,000 sq m of hollowcore slabs, arches and fins. The arches and fins form part of the entrance canopy of the 17-storey office building near the Seef Mall in Seef.

Last July, BPC completed supply of a precast system comprising load-bearing walls and hollowcore slabs for the Khateeb villa in A'ali.

"This is a very interesting private villa project which has various living areas built at different levels within the premises. It called for the manufacture of intricate artistically-designed precast elements," Nielsen points out.

A testimony to the confidence BPC has in its products is the fact that company has recently built its own batching and mixing plants using BPC precast elements. The plant, which has a capacity of 60 cu m per hour, has been constructed using BPC's load-bearing walls and hollowcore slabs.

Last year, BPC also provided precast systems for 10 identical GSM buildings for Batelco which have been built in various locations throughout Bahrain. These buildings are designed to house equipment that support the GSM requirements of that particular locality.

At the end of December 2000, the company completed installation of 'Bon Voyage' and "Welcome to Bahrain" panels along the route to Bahrain International Airport on a fast-track basis.

BPC is well poised for this year too with a number of ongoing projects and new ones on which it has just started design work.

The company is currently supplying insulated sandwich panels to the Taib Bank office building in the Diplomatic area. The 16-storey building will feature dark green exposed surface precast panels on the three lower levels while the rest of the building will have an ivory sandblasted/acid-washed finish. The project is scheduled to be completed in September 2002.

Work is ongoing on the guest palace in Gudaibiya, where BPC's precast cladding panels and hollowcore slabs are being used. The prestigious development is expected to be completed by the end of 2002.

For the seven-storey Al Eslah Al Khairiya building in the Diplomatic Area, BPC will provide white sandblasted cladding panels, ivory acid-washed panels and hollowcore slabs. The office building is slated for completion in October 2002.

Another interesting project in its order book for 2002 is the striking Riffa clock and gate tower which will occupy pride of position within a roundabout. The 40-m-high tower, will comprise a full loadbearing precast structure surmounted by a brass dome and flagpole.

An unusual project is the VIP villas complex for a well-known hotel chain. BPC will provide 580 GRC elements resembling timber for a sample villa before proceeding with 22 other such villas.

In Bahrain, the company is expanding its premises by adding another production line. The new facility will boost the company's capacity for hollowcore slabs by 80 per cent, according to Nielsen. The new line is expected to be operational by April.

Abroad, its Dubai-based sister concern United Precast Concrete is building a precast concrete manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi, which is expected to go on stream next month (February).

In addition, construction is expected to start shortly on a precast production facility in Qatar, in line with BPC's expansion plans to serve the market of that country.

BPC is now poised to launch production of 400 mm-thick hollowcore slabs, which offer the benefits of a longer span at a lower price compared to conventional construction.

These slabs are offered in spans of up to 19 m and are said to be ideally suited for areas where columns would pose a hindrance such as in shopping malls, car-parks, hotels, industrial facilities and auditoriums. New machinery, which can produce 60 sq m per hour of these hollowcore slabs, has been installed and tested.

In the meantime, the company is actively promoting its polished concrete which can be offered in a variety of colours - and continues its efforts to increase the colour palette offered for its precast products.