The United Arab Emirates is the leader in the Middle East in building sustainable and durable structures, with 65 percent of all green buildings in the MENA region located in the UAE. As the UAE looks to build new and improved structures for the Expo World 2020, durability and sustainability will be a top priority. Cortec, a corporation providing environmentally safe MCI® and VpCI® technology, hosted a workshop this past week for industry specialists tackling issues around building sustainable and durable buildings in Dubai.
“We want to create durable and green structures that last in the UAE and through new technology and construction practices we can build structures that last over 100 years,” said Usama Jacir, regional director Middle East. “The UAE is the leader in the Middle East when it comes to delivering sustainability, and now with the focus on Expo 2020, durability will play a big role in building structures that will last well after 2020.”
Plans are underway in Dubai to build the Mohammed bin Rashid City in time for Expo 2020. The durable, urban complex will span more than 54 million square feet and will include leisure areas, sports developments as well as parklands, retail zones and villas.
Dubai is home to some of the most sustainable commercial buildings in the world. The world’s tallest building, The Burj Khalifa and the Jebel Ali Freezone was built with a design life of over 100 years. “More authorities and developers are adopting these philosophies. They are building with longevity in mind,” added Jacir.
Earlier this year, the Dubai Municipality launched a law making green building practices mandatory in the construction industry. As a result, solar water heaters and certain products will be a requirement for all buildings. Durable buildings are known to save money through reduced energy and water consumption.
“There will always be an environmental impact when any structure is built, this is unavoidable. However, sustainable construction enables us to be more efficient in our use of resources in order to create green buildings and homes,” said Jacir.
Cortec manufactures bio-based and environmentally friendly products used for extending the service life of structures and equipment. When mixed with concrete, its MCI corrosion inhibitor migrates towards steel reinforcement protecting it from the corrosive effects of the environment. Through this process, the service life of reinforced concrete structures is extended.
