BPC has conducted rigorous load-testing to ensure the bleachers can withstand the loads that they will be subject to during the Grand Prix, according to Nielsen.
Another challenge was the installation of some of the cladding panels which are inclined at seven degrees to the vertical facade and incorporate window recesses and soffit panels.
In recognition of its workmanship, BPC has received an additional order for the supply of 6,490 coloured tiles for the VIP Tower and 300 units of barriers, according to Nielsen.
Meanwhile, BPC is set to start installation work on site on the landmark 22-storey Zamil Tower, having recently completed design work for the cladding panels. The building, which incorporates both traditional and modern features, will be clad with 200 mm and 150-mm-thick insulated and solid white sandblasted panels. The tower will touch a maximum height of 95.5 m and will serve as a gateway to the suq area in central Manama.
BPC has been associated with several other major projects in Bahrain including the headquarters of Taib Bank and of Bahrain National Holding, the Joslin Diabetes Center, the Justice Ministry Tower and Almoayed residential building.
Describing these projects, Nielsen says: “Work on the Taib Bank headquarters was completed at the end of last year. The three lower levels of the 16-storey building in the Diplomatic Area feature insulated wall-cladding panels with special exposed dark green marble that has been specially imported from India. The rest of the building is fitted with ivory-coloured cladding panels with a sandblasted/acid-washed surface. GRC panels in a matching dark green and ivory colour give a unique appearance to this imposing building.”
Another building that is close to completion in the Diplomatic Area is the extension of the Ministry of Justice building. BPC is close to completing the erection of white coloured sandblasted panels on the nine-storey building.
BPC has recently completed the installation of 250/350 mm-thick insulated pigmented wall cladding panels with an acid-washed finish on the 11-storey Bahrain National Holding headquarters in Seef.
Another project that it has completed recently in the Seef area is the five-storey Almoayed residential building where it erected wall cladding panels and hollowcore slabs. The wall cladding panels have a pigmented sandblasted finish for the exteriors and a fair-faced ready-for-painting surface in the interiors.
Another striking complex, the newly-completed four-storey Joslin Diabetes Center in Segaya, features BPC’s white sandblasted insulated sandwiched cladding panels and 200-mm-thick hollowcore slabs.
The company has several jobs in hand including Ministry of Housing projects and a 21 luxury-villa compound for Haji Hassan in Saar. BPC has just started the design work on the villas project which calls for the design, production, supply and erection of coloured finished cladding panels, beams, columns and hollowcore slabs. The project also includes the construction of 1 km of boundary wall, substation and gate house.
In addition, it has also been involved with the supply of hollowcore slabs for numerous residential and commercial buildings in Bahrain including the Mannai Tower, Qarooni building, Ruru tower and two nine-storey buildings, all in Juffair; the Majaz Tower in Seef, the link building at Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, Al Rossais Tower in the Diplomatic Area and the CPR Directorate building in Isa Town.
Among other developments, its new precast concrete production facility in Qatar has been operational since August and has already clinched a major contract for prestressed piles in the country.  The facility has a capacity of 200,000 sq m of hollowcore slabs per year.
Nielsen is highly optimistic about the construction sector in Bahrain and expects the market to maintain its momentum for at least the next five years.
 “The construction industry is booming as a result of the economic growth and the impetus given by the government to both the economic and housing sectors,” he says. “Real estate development is also a major area of growth. Despite the increase in the number of precast manufacturers in the country and a surge in competition, projects such as the Bahrain Financial Harbour and the Amwaj Islands will provide good opportunities for the precast industry and BPC expects to win the lion’s share.
“Precast concrete is becoming increasingly popular in Bahrain. While hollowcore has had a long-standing hold on the market, people are also becoming more aware of the aesthetic appeal, the speed of erection and the economic advantage that precast cladding panels offer.”
BPC was established in 1978 as a joint venture company between the Haji Hassan Group, Bahrain and NTR Holding (previously known as Rasmussen and Schiotz Holding), one of the largest construction groups in Denmark. It manufactures and supplies all types of precast concrete components, which include facade elements and hollowcore slabs, as well as glass reinforced concrete. The company has grown over the years and operates subsidiaries in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.