SGB in the UAE is drawing upon its international pool of resources, available through the parent SGB Group, to service one of the largest civil engineering construction projects currently being undertaken in the UAE ' the Dubai International Airport expansion (Phase II). 

The UAE-based firm says it has been setting the standards in the supply of construction equipment since the mid-1970s with continuous superior service to the construction, petrochemical and industrial sectors by delivering the global standards set by the international SGB Group. 
Through the group's belief and investment in superior regional service and a committed local presence, SGB says its long-standing investment within the UAE has enabled the smooth delivery of many of the region's milestone projects, and with reduced risks to the commissioning contractor.
'SGB's extensive range of formwork systems, combined with design engineering skills and product know-how, provides the lowest in-use cost formwork within the region,' says a spokesman for the company. 'Its unique products are supplied to all the construction sectors, from fast-track commercial building through to high-level design infrastructure projects.'

For the Dubai International Airport expansion (Phase II), SGB is to initially supply $8 million worth of Gass aluminium shoring system to be used as tables in the construction of some 750,000 sq m of slab which will be constructed on all levels, extending from a depth of 19 m below ground level.
The SGB Group has been working very closely with Laing O'Rourke in the UK for many years and has developed a partnership arrangement allowing SGB to work with Al Naboodah Laing O'Rourke on this prestigious project.  

'Having committed time and resources at the tender stage, SGB has, in close liaison with Laing O'Rourke, managed to plan, estimate and schedule production of equipment to meet a very demanding programme for a project that will take approximately two years to complete,' says the spokesman.
'As well as drawing on the extensive resources of the SGB Group, Quebeisi-SGB is contributing to the project locally by supplying specially-designed and fabricated steel column moulds of various shapes and dimensions, which will be used to construct the variety of columns required over the duration of the project,' he adds.
Quebeisi-SGB has been involved in the production of this special formwork for more than 10 years now and has gained a reputation locally for producing high-quality, well-engineered, special formwork solutions, delivered on time from its factory in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi.

As well as producing special formwork for the Dubai International Airport expansion (Phase II), Quebeisi-SGB has supplied steel panel formwork to lift shafts, core walls and sheer walls on several multi-storey developments in Dubai. 
Currently in the initial stages of construction, DCC (Dubai Construction Company) is using this steel panel formwork in conjunction with SGB Highriser self-climbing system on the Al Salam Tower bordering the Sheikh Zayed Road. 
The SGB Highriser system is new to the Middle East but has been successfully used on two major projects in Hong Kong, one of which, the North East International Finance Tower, is the tallest building in  that country.

Highriser
At the heart of Highriser is a newly-developed hydraulic jack system which climbs up a toothed climbing post.  The posts support an overhead framework from which all the wall formwork and access platforms are suspended. This, therefore, provides a very simple and quick method of climbing the entire core formwork in one or two moves.  The Highriser system and formwork can actually be 'jumped' (moved upwards) in three to four hours and complete cycles of cores can be achieved in four to five days, depending on total formwork area.
The system incorporates all internal and external access platforms, suspended from the top framework and, for increased safety, the platforms can be sheeted to provide weather protection and prevent debris from falling on to work areas below.

As safety is a major concern to SGB, it has ' as a group ' been at the forefront of many developments over the years, says the spokesman. The group's latest development, EnviroWrap, is a polyethylene shrink-wrap material, heat applied to the scaffold structure to form a rigid bonded cladding fa‡ade.  The shrink-fitting of EnviroWrap over the entire scaffold and projections creates a continuous bonded skin that prevents dust, water, paint and other pollutants or debris creating a hazard outside the working environment.
'It is more resistant to damage, detachment from the weather or poor attachment, than traditional sheeting methods and is fire resistant to BS: 476 Part 7: Class 1 and certified to DIN 4102 BI,' the spokesman says. 'This product will be available in the UAE early next year and will make considerable improvements to site safety.'

Quality
'Quebeisi-SGB pride itself on the achievement of the highest possible service standards, benchmarking its activities at a minimum level set by the award of ISO 9001,' the spokesman points out. 'Everyone is committed to exceeding the standards and by consulting with its clients about their formwork, falsework, access and contract scaffolding needs, the company provides the most efficient and effective solutions to their requirements.'

SGB is one of the world's leading suppliers of scaffolding and specialist services with resources and skill levels that satisfy the needs and demands of the region's petrochemical, industrial and offshore markets, he says.
Quebeisi-SGB is used to responding and complying with planned plant shutdowns and maximising resources to carry out efficient and safe maintenance or new-build access within these windows of work opportunity.  As a unique international pool of expertise is available at SGB it can provide on-site technical support, safety management and logistic planning to ensure maximum efficiency and smooth handovers, he adds.