Paschal's formwork will help shape the VIP tower at Bahrain's Formula One race track, among a number of other projects that are drawing on the benefits of the system, according to the Bahrain-based Paschal Concrete Forms Company, the main Middle East branch and stockist for the German formwork system.

'For the construction of the VIP tower at Bahrain's Formula One racetrack, Cybarco-Bahrain and its Malaysian joint venture partner have started using the Paschal system. The circular wall at the basement of the building will be constructed by using Paschal's polygonal system," says Amir Delghandi, the general manager - Middle East.

Paschal's formwork systems help speed up work and are cost-effective, durable and environmentally-friendly, he says. The formwork was first developed in the early 1970s by Paschal Werk G Maier, which now offers several types of systems for various applications. The most popular among them in the region is its modular formwork system, says Delghandi.

Several contractors in Bahrain are currently using the German system for their projects, he says.

Almoayyed Contracting has started using the Paschal system for its latest project, the Ibn Al Khuldoon School, after successfully completing a 5.8-m-high ground reservoir wall at the new Hidd port project.

Habib Ali Awachi & Sons has completed a 10-m-high circular tank at the Alba jetty facility upgrade project with Paschal's modular panels and climbing system. The contractor finished the wall in three lifts of 3.5 m panels.

Kuwaiti firm Khalid Ali Al Kharafi & Brothers Company has completed structural work on the fast track on a 350-m-long reinforced concrete wall for a dry and cold warehouse project at Ma'meer.

Ahmed Omer Contracting is using the formwork for most of its projects such as the Al Rashidiya villa at Saar and a mosque at Sanad.

Skyline Contracting is completing work on the fast track on the BD2.5 million ($6.6 million) Kanoo School using the system. This three-storey building has 96 classrooms, 12 laboratories, one multipurpose hall, two gymnasiums, two swimming pools, one arts room, two libraries and offices.

And Technical Construction Company is using the system for the BD1 million Girls Intermediate School in Isa Town and the proposed Bahrain Golf Club, also in Isa Town.

Paschal Concrete Forms Company began its activities in Bahrain in 1998 and has since added about 100 successful construction companies from the GCC countries to its list of customers.

Other contractors utilitising Paschal systems for their various projects in Bahrain include A A Nass, Ahmed Mansoor Al A'ali, Al Ammari, Al Nasir, Al Ghanah, Bokhowa, Chapo, Dadabhai, G P Zachariades, Key Construction, Kooheji Contractors, Mohammed Jalal, M A Y Al Mezeal, Project SA, TMC and TCC.

Paschal counts many landmarks among its completed projects such as the Citibank headquarters, Alba (Aluminium Bahrain) jobs, the Sail Tower, Taib Bank, Arab Bank and Al Dana Mall in Bahrain.

Paschal has also supplied systems to other GCC countries for many prestigious projects in Oman, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The Ibra Hospital, one of the major projects in the Sultanate, is being built on the fast track by the contractor Bahwan Engineering Company of Muscat, using Paschal formwork, according to Delghandi.

Elaborating on the formwork system, he says: "Paschal panels are strong and durable, being manufactured of 6-mm-thick frames of sturdy steel, which offer high protection against corrosion. The surface of the panels is covered with high-quality Finnish birch plywood with a special phenolic resin coating of 220 gm/sq m. Steel frames protect the edges of the plywood and the gap between them is filled with a special sealant.

"Therefore, the panel's plywood can be reused up to 250 times and the steel frame will remain good for more than 20 years.

"The product is suitable for any concrete structure. It is simple to use, giving fast erection time even when using unskilled labour, and does not require a crane. The panels also require less storage space and are easy to transport.

'In addition to the economic advantages to contractors, our products are very environmental friendly. The experience of many contractors shows that, in the long term, 1 sq m of our formwork panel lasts as long as 100 sq m plywood and approximately 1 cu m of timber. It means that contractors can reduce their cost dramatically and the world's wood resources are conserved for future generations.

"Due to stiff competition in the construction market, especially in recent years, many contractors have tried to find ways to cut costs by reducing their superstructural period with less manpower and material wastage. They seek a formwork, which is delivered to them ready for erection, thus enabling them to erect it and pour the concrete on the same day! Paschal systems offer such a solution.'

Paschal Concrete Forms accords high priority to giving immediate response to enquiries, Delghandi points out. 'Therefore, in addition to our direct support, Abu A'Amer Equipment Hiring Company - which has a wide range of modern construction equipment - is offering our formwork system on a hiring basis to contractors in Bahrain," he says.

To complement its formwork supply services to the construction industry in the Middle East, Paschal also offers an excellent scaffolding system from Nisso International Corporation of Japan, says Delghandi.

The system is already being used on several projects in Bahrain, the most prestigious being the new Shaikh Khalifa Bin Sulman Causeway Bridge connecting Mina Sulman to Hidd.

Nisso International Corporation, a part of Nisso Industries Company, developed a revolutionary scaffolding system called the Nisso 3S Octagon series (ring type)," Delghandi explains. "This patented Nisso scaffolding system is easy to assemble, absolutely safe and strong. It can be used as access scaffold as well as shoring and support."