News Details

Dubai: New GFRP-reinforcement system available

Schoeck ME FZE provides material and engineering support in Middle East

The managing director at Schoeck ME FZE in Dubai: Christoph Spitz. (Source: Schöck ME FZE)

Project Qatalum in Doha (Qatar) – Schöck ComBAR GFRP bars were installed in more than 1000 m2 of slab as corrosion-resistant and electrically non conductive reinforcement. (Source: Schoeck ME FZE)

Schoeck ME FZE (Middle East Free Zone Establishment), a subsidiary of the German structural building products manufacturer Schöck AG, began formal operations on February 1st in Dubai. Schoeck ME FZE's mission is the local selling of the products of the parent company, their engineering and detailing, their customization, the local quality assurance, the onsite support regarding handling and safety installation aspects and finally the delivery of the products to their final destination. Schoeck ME FZE is concentrating on engineering and the distribution of the Schöck ComBAR. It is a glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcing bar which offers all the benefits of steel in terms of design, tensile strength and bonding properties, but it is also much lighter and easier to handle. In addition ComBAR is neutral to electrical and magnetic disturbances. Schoeck ME FZE’s warehouse is located in Jebel Ali Free Zone.

“The ComBAR system is already a well established and popular solution to challenging reinforcement problems in Europe and we believe that the Middle Eastern market represents a major opportunity for this technology,“ says Nikolaus Wild, chairman of the board of Schoeck ME FZE. He continues: ”We need to be close to our customers. The new subsidiary allows for faster delivery and for the provision of local engineering services. In addition, we can offer direct support at construction sites regarding matters such as the correct handling of ComBAR bars and on site safety instructions”.

Experience in reinforcement solutions

The managing director at Schoeck ME FZE is Christoph Spitz. He has been working in Germany and in the United Arab Emirates as a civil engineer, specialist for foundations and tunneling and area manager since January 2006. Christoph has been responsible for a number of major projects involving ComBAR in Europe and Middle East. Examples include the seafront villa for the Qatari Royal Family in Doha and the Qatar Aluminium factory (Qatalum) in the State of Qatar, where ComBAR bars were installed as an electrically non-conductive concrete reinforcement in the so-called “rectifier areas” of the floor slab. Several other projects have been designed using Schöck ComBAR reinforcement.

Tested and approved

Compared with first generation GFRP systems, the Schöck ComBAR reinforcing bars have a much higher tensile strength and a significantly higher modulus of elasticity (E = 60 GPa). Their bond properties match those of steel rebar. Extensive independent tests have been run on ComBAR in Europe, Canada and in the Middle East by the Arab Testing Centre, the Dubai Municipality and by the King Fahd University. The tensile strength and the bond behaviour have been tested in short-term and in long-term tests. In the long-term tests a large number of bars were tested at different temperatures (23 °C, 40 °C and 60 °C) and also conditioned in aggressive liquids representing the harsh environement of the Arabian Peninsula. This value guarantees a life-time of the bar of 100 years in many types of environment and structure, including the warm and chemically aggressive marine surroundings encountered in the Middle East. “Corrosion of steel reinforcement frequently leads to extensive damage to concrete members, resulting in the need for costly repairs or the premature replacement of the entire structure. In many cases, Schöck ComBAR bars can be a technically sound and economically viable alternative to conventional corrosion protection measures or to the installation of stainless steel," says Christoph Spitz, Managing Director of the Middle Eastern subsidiary.

For more information, please visit www.schoeck.me