Look at any villa community, industrial plot or farm in the UAE and you’ll see one thing in almost all cases – a good rigid concrete wall along the perimeter. There’s more to security than meets the eye. A boundary wall is a declaration in the UAE, it’s a declaration of privacy, it’s a declaration of ownership, and in lots of instances it’s a declaration of style.
The good news is that it is a lot easier to find the right manufacturer of concrete boundary wall in UAE than it is to construct it. UAE has a well established precast industry, with a number of manufacturers producing world class boundary wall systems. This guide will take you through all the information you need — what characteristics are essential in a good manufacturer, the best manufacturers, what the products really are, and how you can make a wise buying decision.
The reasons for the popularity of Concrete Boundary Walls in the UAE
The reasons why Concrete Boundary Walls are popular in the UAE
For reasons other than just aesthetics, concrete boundary walls are becoming the common solution to property delineation in the UAE. Admit it, brick by brick building during a 45°C summer is no picnic and in both man-hours and dollars.
The precast concrete boundary walls address several issues all in one. Panels & columns are produced under controlled factory conditions, brought on-site and erected quickly with cranes. Traditional takes weeks, precast takes days. The quality remains good. The finishing is nice and clean. Most important of all, the wall itself doesn’t deteriorate, crack or begin to move quickly, since it was not poured on a dusty site in the sun.
Precast concrete boundary walls have been used throughout the Gulf Region to enclose the plots and provide privacy between the villas, offices, factories and farms. Elements like logos, screens and modern design can be integrated directly into the wall system. For most precast concrete surfaces, water wash is all that is needed to maintain the surface appearance, thereby keeping the maintenance costs near zero.
This has given precast the edge on the market for boundary walls in the UAE and is why it is so popular in terms of its speed, durability, ease of maintenance and design flexibility.
Choose the Right Concrete Boundary Wall Manufacturer in UAE
However, not all manufacturers provide the same level of quality or service. These are the things that you need to take into consideration before entering into a contract.
Quality and Grade of concrete. Check for C35 minimum grade concrete, the grade used by the manufacturers – the benchmark in the BS 8110 standards. Some manufacturers produce to higher grades when required to do so for the application. Request any documentation of the concrete mix design prior to agreement.
Reinforcement standards. Precast boundary wall panels without adequate steel reinforcement will crack due to soil pressure, heat expansion or wind load. Quality manufacturers create panels that are reinforced with steel of sufficient strength to meet the requirements for the specific site, such as soil type and wall height.
Design flexibility. A good manufacturer will have more than one flat grey panel. Consider materials with different surface finishes (smooth, exposed aggregate or decorative), varying heights, eccentric or concentric footing, or the option of adding a logo or ornamental column. Aesthetics, not just the structural performance is required for the UAE’s villa and palace boundary walls.
Engineering support. Good manufacturers include engineering drawings, structural calculations and erection plans in the supply package. It safeguards the manufacturer and the client, and helps ensure that the wall is compliant with the requirements of the local municipality.
Installation capability. Does the manufacturer have the capacity to erect as well? A business that provides both is likely to be better accountable for the final product. If third parties are hired to install the system, blame games are the name of the game if things go wrong.
Track record. A mile of fences, set in a variety of conditions and soil types, speak louder than any sales brochure. Request references and project portfolios.
The UAE is home to exceptional concrete boundary wall manufacturers
There are superior concrete boundary wall manufacturers in the UAE
1. Solid Rock Concrete Work
Solid Rock Concrete Work is the oldest precast company in the UAE with more than 3+ years of uninterrupted experience. Solid Rock Concrete Work has designed its engineering solutions to be both innovative and cost-effective—meets all requirements for all types of boundary walls, from palaces, villas, residential complexes, private and public gardens to farms. Their boundary wall systems enable the architects complete freedom in designing both traditional and modern, simple and complex. They work on many large projects over hundreds of kilometres in various soil groups.
This information on soil types is significant. The UAE has a wide range of ground conditions ranging from compact gravel in built-up areas to soft, expansive soils in agricultural and desert areas. A manufacturer with experience in multiple soil types is more able to design and work more reliably than a manufacturer with experience on homogeneous urban plots.
Source: srcprecasts.com
2. Exeed Precast LLC
Exeed Precast is the largest subsidiary of Exeed Industries (part of National Holding), with two industrial City premises in Abu Dhabi, state-of-the-art facilities. One of the most extensive boundary wall offers in the market is theirs.
Exeed Precast Boundary walls are meant for residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial plots in UAE. Their product features precast columns with isolated footings as the structural foundation and precast boundary wall panels with strip footing, which are designed to have outstanding strength and durability.
It’s scale and customisation that make Exeed special. They have an automated pallet circulating production system that can produce large quantities of orders with consistent dimensional accuracy. Meanwhile, their design team of in-house designers works with clients on custom designs, which is very important for upscale villa communities and palace compounds where the boundary wall is not only a boundary but also a statement.
They occupy more than 200,000 square metres in ICAD 2, and have 20+ years of construction expertise throughout the UAE and beyond.
Source: exeedprecast.ae
3 . Naran Precast Concrete Co. LLC (NPCC)
Naran Precast Concrete is one of the best precast boundary wall suppliers in UAE and has experience in creating high quality and economical precast boundary wall for formal properties, villas and governmental buildings. They offer precast boundary wall solutions to modern engineering standards that cater to both simple and complex structures.
NPCC is creating bespoke concrete walls for formal properties, such as a private company, residential and especially large-scale commercial properties. Their walls are easier to install, helping to save labour during installation, and are built to be weather resistant enough to withstand the weather conditions the UAE faces, offering safe, cost-effective and durable boundary solutions.
NPCC is based in Ajman and provides services to clients throughout the emirates and is well known for providing personalised service on mid-size projects. NPCC is a good option for the developers or property owners who are looking for a manufacturer without having to make a minimum order quantity with larger manufacturers.
Source: naranpcc.ae
4. LEGO Precast (precast.ae)
LEGO Precast, Dubai, has a strong local reputation in the field of precast boundary walls. LEGO Precast boundary walls are produced in accordance with BS 8110 standards, and are manufactured in standard 6-metre lengths at C35 grade concrete (35 N/mm²). Their design goes down 900 mm below ground level, where soil creates natural resistance to overturning forces, providing stability and resilience in all manner of site conditions. If there is a considerable difference in ground levels, the boundary wall system works at the same time as a retaining wall.
LEGO Precast also provide eccentric footing, concentric footing, walls which fit along the property edge for maximum space in the interior and customisation options such as decorative features, logos and columns. The company has built hundreds of kilometres of precast boundary walls in Dubai, which are built to be long-lasting and reliable.
They offer surface finishes such as exposed aggregate (handscraped) textures which provide an elegant look, especially for villa and community boundaries in Dubai.
Source: precast.ae
5. Zamac Precast UAE
Zamac Precast produces and supplies a variety of precast concrete fencing products and boundary wall products. They supply customized precast concrete boundary wall products to satisfy particular design requirements and specifications when standard ranges do not quite match a project’s needs.
Zamac’s strong competency is their flexibility and customer centric approach. They offer to be a manufacturer that can work with projects that have weird plot shapes, non-standard heights and particular architectural finishes and so on, which is useful for those projects.
They are homeowners, contractors, and specialist specifiers in the UAE, who are served by their high-performance fencing systems and boundary wall systems.
Source: zamacprecast.ae
6. Saad Precast LLC
Based in Umm Al Quwain, UAE since 2008, Saad Precast has over 15 years of experience in the production of boundary walls in the UAE and Oman. They make boundary wall panels, columns and bespoke items for domestic, commercial and agricultural use.
Their competitiveness along with manufacturing quality, makes them a good choice for projects with a budget constraint, especially in the northern emirates. One of the reasons often given for choosing Saad Precast for large plot developments with hundreds of metres of perimeter wall is due to the ability to provide quality products at reasonable prices without sacrificing structural integrity.
Source: saad-me.com, businessblog.ae
The installation of precast Concrete Boundary Walls
A better understanding of the installation process will enable you to plan your project time frame and “ask the right questions” from your manufacturer.
It starts with a site survey. The manufacturer’s engineering team conducts an assessment of the ground levels, soil conditions, plot sizes and if there are any differences in levels that would require retaining wall functionality. They use this survey to make engineering drawings and calculations of the structures.
Next, foundation work is done. Strip footings (for panel systems) or isolated footings (for column systems) are cast and hardened in the field. The only stage that takes time is the curing period for the concrete footings, before wall panels can be installed.
Panel delivery follows. Precast elements are delivered on a flat truck, taking care to avoid any damage during transport. Precast panels are then installed between the precast columns using a crane or lifting equipment, ensuring that each panel is aligned correctly.
In the end, the finished boundary wall that went from bare land to full perimeter in mere moments as opposed to the time it would take to build in traditional masonry. When installing boundary walls for a standard residential villa plot, the foundation curing time is a parameter of only a few days, where the professional installation team can install the entire boundary wall.
Installation is in a straight forward sequence where permits are approved and a supplier has been identified, earthwork to required level prior to commencement of erection, and then panel installation.
Concrete Boundary Wall Design Options in the UAE
The UAE precast boundary wall market is undoubtedly one of its authentic benefits as it offers a variety of designs. Times of “plain grey and that’s it” are behind us.
These finishes range from smooth concrete to exposed aggregates, sand-blasted finishes and stone-effect finishes. Colour isn’t just grey – there are many manufacturers that can create bespoke colours and even paint or render completed walls. It can be customised to the desired height, ranging from normal residential heights (2-3 metres) up to taller ones (for industrial, palace or high security applications). Most reputable manufacturers offer a range of decorative items that feature logos, ornamentation, carvings and textures for screens. Insulated sandwich panel boundary walls are also available for projects where energy efficiency is a priority (concrete outside with thermal insulation inside).
Cast in any size, shape, colour or texture as desired, it has very good structural properties. Acid etched, smooth or coarse ground, grit or sand blasting, rub or polish and exposed aggregate options are available. The mouldable concrete mix can also produce very articulated designs while mixes that mimic natural stone can be created.
Before ordering, there are some important questions to ask:
A few direct inquiries will save you a lot of potential headache down the road before you decide to use a concrete boundary wall manufacturer in UAE.
Inquire if they provide both the supply and installation or are only a supply company. Inquire about the actual grade of concrete they use and if they have mix design records. Request engineering drawings of a similar previous project. Find out how long they take from order to delivery — with so much activity in the construction industry, manufacturers can be backlogged. Inquire on their after installation support and if they guarantee any structural warranty. Request a minimum of two references for finished projects like yours in size and scope.
The right manufacturer will have no problem answering all of these questions. The incorrect one becomes nebulous.
Final Thoughts
The UAE boasts some of the most skilled and experienced concrete boundary wall manufacturers in the area. Solid Rock Concrete Work , Gulf Precast, Exeed Precast, NPCC, LEGO Precast, Zamac, and Saad Precast all have their own solid strength; decades of experience designing and installing boundary walls in all property types that UAE has to offer.
The secret is to match the manufacturer’s ability with the project: the size, the site, the soil, the styling, and the time. That research first, ask the right questions later and you will end up with a boundary wall that does what a good boundary wall should do: stands solid, looks sharp and almost requires no attention for decades.
