Major formwork players will showcase a range of innovative products and technologies at the Middle East Concrete (MEC) Exhibition, the region’s only complete event dedicated to the concrete industry.

MEC and PMV Live, co-located with The Big 5, will take place at the World Trade Centre in Dubai from November 21 to November 24. 

Seven formwork exhibitors, including GHI, PERI and Doka, will take part in event.

Citing considerable growth across Saudi Arabia over the past five years, with similar strength predicted for Qatar and Kuwait in the final quarter, representatives from market leaders Doka, PERI and GHI, all attributed success to small but vital enhancements to their product and service offerings.

Formwork is the building technique whereby concrete is poured onsite into prefabricated permanent or temporary molds, and can be a costly and time consuming endeavour for building developers and contractors if not addressed properly, said a statement.  

With production and shipping expenses amounting to a significant segment of total formwork costs, suppliers have identified and applied new technologies to their manufacturing processes, resulting in significant cost reductions for project developers, averaging nearly 50 per cent, it said.

Influencing factors in cost reduction include considerable advancements in materials production which has decreased the need for cranes and costly heavy equipment.

Mohamed Soliman, managing partner of GHI Formwork, said: "Implementing minor changes, such as the use of lighter yet stronger base materials in specific product lines has resulted in up to 47 per cent savings to our clients with absolutely no compromise on pressure standards. Lighter material that can be manipulated by the manpower on site allows the client to purchase less material overall, as it can be moved easily and is not dependent on precious crane time. Developers want the flexibility to integrate new material with old stock in order to maximize their savings."

Highlighting the importance of research and development across the industry, Ulrich Rottler, general manager of PERI Middle East, said: “The prices of formwork and scaffolding work are determined by the combination of material price and workforce used. By developing systems with easy-to-handle elements, fewer components and increased maneuverability, clients benefit from less labor and in turn lower costs. These are the key components to any successful formwork R&D department.”

Doka, the Austrian company, stressed the importance of continued technical advancement across the industry.

Peter Vogel, regional manager Middle East, said: “As the formwork leaders in the region, Doka has always been at the cutting edge of research and development with groundbreaking innovations - most recently in the Middle East with new systems specifically developed to suit the market. Services such as our Ready to Use pre-assembly units maximise our clients’ investment by offering value-driven solutions providing significant cost savings and time-gain, all with maximum safety, transparency and reduced close-out costs.”

Nathan Waugh, exhibition manager at dmg :: events, said: “With seven exhibitors at this year’s event, we are looking at one of the largest formwork presences we’ve ever had at MEC. This speaks to the health and continued growth of the sector, which is positive news for all our exhibitors, and we look forward to seeing what they have to offer.”

With live Doka product demonstrations scheduled to take place over the four-day event, visitors will have the opportunity to experience the benefits first hand. – TradeArabia News Service