Friday, July 18, 2025
Al Habtoor Engineering - Partners in Progress

Precast pioneer powers ahead

TRIP contract ... a parking structure in Abu Dhabi.

Al Meraikhi Company is one of the precast concrete pioneers in the Middle East, having spearheaded this technology in the UAE over a quarter of a century ago.

"Though precast concrete was developed in Europe and the US a long time ago, this technology did not reach the UAE until 1975," says a spokesman for the Abu Dhabi-based manufacturer. "This was when Al Meraikhi Company realised that there was a high demand for an advanced industrial production of building components that could ensure higher efficiency, economy and quality. Since then, Al Meraikhi Precast has excelled in developing cost-effective precast construction techniques through its sophisticated resources in design, construction, quality control and quality assurance capabilities."

He continues: "This resulted in company winning ISO 9001 accreditation in 1996, and being recognised by the accreditation bodies of Britain, the US and France, as the first construction company in the Gulf to be certified to ISO 9001, in design and manufacturing. The company manufactures a wide range of precast products, which are internationally recognised and developed under licence from world-leading companies. It is a registered member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) and the Glass Reinforced Cement Association (GRCA).

Al Meraikhi's production covers:

  • Hollow-core concrete prestressed slabs (HCS);

  • Precast prestressed structural beams (pre-tensioned and post-tensioned);

  • Precast structural elements simply reinforced such as footings, tie beams, columns, slabs, walls, and stairs;

  • Glass reinforced concrete (GRC) panels under licence from Pilkington Brothers, UK;

  • Architectural precast facades with fair-face, polished and exposed aggregate finishes, including various patterns, carving and pigmenting of concrete;

  • Precast boundary walls comprising precast footings, columns, tie beams and wall panels, in various patterns;

  • Miscellaneous precast elements for infrastructure projects such as culverts, manholes, traffic and barriers; and

  • GRP liners for shuttering, moulds, pipes and similar products.

    "This range of precast elements has been widely used in commercial and residential high-rise buildings, villas, schools, hospitals, power stations, shopping centres, cinemas, police stations, mosques, parking structures, roads, bridges and beautification projects such as fountains, seawalls and jetties, including a number of Al Habtoor Engineering projects," the spokesman says.

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