Doka Group has acquired the formwork technology division of the Australian construction firm Grocon to boost its presence in the emerging markets, including the Middle East and East Asia.

Doka, an international producer and supplier of formwork, is a unit of Austria-based Umdasch.

The integration of the Lubeca platform system will offer customers an expanded product portfolio and therefore provide an even greater competitive edge for Doka and Lubeca, said Johann Strunz, Doka CEO in charge of overseas markets.

The new subsidiary will be known as Lubeca Australia.

"Our diversity offers customers a broad range of formwork systems and ideal solutions for any structure or customer requirement. This acquisition is a valuable complement," stated Strunz.

“Lubeca customers will continue to benefit from the advantages offered by its automatic climbing formwork Jumpform, and at the same time access the added range of wall and floor systems as well as complementary formwork services from Doka,” he added.

The Jumpform is highly competitive and predestined for emerging markets as well as markets where safety, high load-bearing capacity and short forming-times are very important.

The system is used primarily in residential construction and for building concrete cores of office towers and tall multi-purpose structures.

Lubeca's range of operation extends from the primary Australian market to the Middle East, as well as Singapore, Malaysia and India. In these markets Lubeca jumpform, is the chosen formwork system, said Doka.

In the Middle East, Doka and Lebeca have played key roles in projects like the Elite Residence in Dubai Marina, where Doka provided the slabs and columns, and Lubeca the Jumpform.-TradeArabia News Service