The UK-based Liquid Plastics, a leading manufacturer of specialist coatings and roof membranes, will use the Big 5 show to launch its recently-introduced Green Roof Systems in the Middle East.

Liquid Plastics, which is a repeat exhibitor at the region’s most-awaited construction show, has also expanded its participation by exhibiting both inside Hall 2 and having an additional demonstration tent in the outside area of the hall on the concourse.
“Delegates will have the opportunity to see live applications of Liquid Plastics’ world class, seamless protection systems and the chance to speak to the company’s leading technical advisors,” says a spokesman for the company. “Visitors to the stand will also be amongst the first in the Middle East to learn more about the Green Roof Systems.”
Green Roof Systems represent the latest in roofing innovations and provide an environmentally-friendly solution in the quest for sustainability, particularly in urban developments where the emphasis is on increasing biodiversity and quality of life, he says.
“Available as either an extensive or intensive green roof, you can choose to simply provide a natural green habitat for plants and animals or have a completely landscaped, aesthetically-pleasing environment that can be accessed and enjoyed by the building’s occupants,” says the spokesman.
During the Big 5, the company’s regional manager for the Middle East Gabby Shaar will be joined by colleagues from the UK who will demonstrate the full range of Liquid Plastics’ products including the Green Roof Systems, currently the must-have system in the UK.
“With many prestigious projects completed over the last 30 years in the Gulf region, Liquid Plastics has demonstrated its ability to provide the right products to combat the accelerated weathering and early signs of degradation suffered by buildings in the Gulf as a result of the region’s harsh climate,” says the spokesman. “With an impressive range of high-quality protection systems for roofs, walls, balconies and hygiene control, the company’s market-leading products have proven extremely popular across the globe, including the region in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.”
Liquid Plastics’ expertise lies in seamless roof systems — high-performance, waterproof polyurethane membranes that are completely cold applied and cure to provide an unrivalled watertight finish. They are highly durable, elastomeric, ultraviolet (UV) stable and can be guaranteed to last for up to 25 years, says the spokesman.
One of the company’s first prestigious roofing projects in the region was undertaken back in the 1970s when its products were specified to coat a series of GRP (glassfibre reinforced plastic) domes at Sharjah International Airport. The system used at the time long outlived its anticipated 10-year lifespan, remaining in excellent condition for 20 years, he says. In 1999, with the airport confident of the performance of Liquid Plastics’ products, an agreement was made between the airport authorities and the company to have the domes re-coated with the same product.
Recently, the company has completed one of the most high-profile projects in the Middle East — the roof of the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha — which was commissioned by the Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his family.
“The architect, IM Pei, specified Liquid Plastics’ inverted roof system for the job because of the long history of experience the company has in supplying roofing systems in the area and the excellent technical support that Liquid Plastics provides in the region. The company’s inverted roof system differs from traditional systems due to its totally seamless Decothane root-resistant waterproofing layer,” says the spokesman. “The system is insulated with inverted roof board and completed with pavers or ballast that can withstand foot traffic and provide a durable walkway for pedestrians.”
He continues: “The waterproofing layer in an inverted roof situation such as the one on the Museum of Islamic Art is located at the bottom of the system. This provides added UV protection for the building and also helps to increase the building’s thermal performance and reduce air-conditioning costs. As the waterproofing layer is not exposed to the elements, it is also likely to last beyond the guaranteed 25 years.”
Headquartered in England and with offices in the US and Belgium, Liquid Plastics has grown to become a global company with distributors in more than 40 countries around the world. Supporting the company’s operations in the Gulf is Shaar who — having worked in the construction industry for over a decade, in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon — has gained a wide technical knowledge dealing with architects, contractors and other specifiers of the region.
He has previously worked for three major protective coatings companies in the area and has vast experience, having held both business development and technical positions, which also gives him a unique and varied background for his role with Liquid Plastics, says the spokesman.
Liquid Plastics will be exhibiting at Stand 2D75 in Hall 2 and also in the Concourse.