It was Keil Befestigungstechnik of Germany that the contractors turned to when confronted with the challenge of fixing the large-format ceramic tiles for the facades of the prestigious Avenues mall.

Keil has not only produced and supplied its undercut fixing system for the concealed fixing of the façade panels but also delivered the special drilling machines to implement the undercut holes in the Italian ceramic tiles (60 cm by 120 cm) at the site.
“This Keil undercut fixing system offer the flexibility of creating a highly aesthetic façade design through attaching the panel from the rear. As it is a mechanical fixing system, it is suitable for different climates, where a wide variation in temperature is expected during installation and over a very long life expectancy,” explains Georg Miebach, a spokesman for the manufacturer.
The special drilling machines were put into operation and workers were trained on site to enable them not only work them but also maintain the equipment independently.
Additionally, Keil has provided the anchors and matching bolts to fix the ceramic panels on the sub-frames of the ventilated ceramic façades, he adds.
Approximately 150,000 anchors were delivered for fixing the ceramic tiles on the facades of the mall while an additional 35,000 anchors were supplied for installing the ceramic tiles at the cold store building.
The main challenge was to prepare a complete set of drilling equipment that could be used under Kuwait’s weather conditions and by workers who were not skilled in using them, Miebach points out.
Elaborating on the fixing system, he says: “The Keil fixing system has continued to evolve since it was invented by the founder of Keil. Over the next few years, we expect that the system to become increasingly popular in the Gulf because it offers numerous benefits in safety and design. The aesthetical and environmental advantages of Keil fixed ventilated facades will offer us increased opportunities to capture a larger slice of the growing building sector in the region.
“The reliability of the fixing system is proven by a large range of approvals received all over the world including for applications that could be subjected to earthquake or hurricane conditions. About 70 per cent of our tools and fixings are exported all over the world,” he says.
Founded in 1963, Keil is a medium-sized family-owned German company with more than 40 years of tool manufacturing experience. It employs around 70 people.