All plots in the UAE have a story. The property owner is serious about things if the compound wall is constructed well. A poorly finished, broken down one will convey the opposite message — and in a market as image-driven as the UAE, you really do get what you see. Knowing what the market is like, and what to expect from the concrete compound wall suppliers in UAE, isn’t a difficult task at all. This guide is all about those suppliers, the products, how to assess the suppliers effectively and what the entire process entails from quotation to completion.
Why is the UAE using concrete compound wall so extensively?
A concrete compound wall is a type of perimeter wall that forms a compound or encloses a plot, property or facility. It sets the boundaries, creates privacy and an extra level of security. In the UAE, compound walls are the most common type of walls that can be found in villas, residential communities, farms, factories, warehouses, schools, even palaces.
In the Gulf Region, compound walls are now being built using precast concrete. It’s simple: precast panels and columns are produced in factory-controlled environments, delivered to job sites, and can be quickly erected with cranes and a team of erection professionals. The other option, on-site construction of a brick or block wall, requires much more time, labour and is not as effective.
The use of boundary walls is common in the Gulf for marking plot boundaries and providing privacy for villas, offices, factories, farms, etc. Precast concrete surfaces are virtually maintenance free and most only need to be washed with water to keep them looking as good as they did when they were poured. In the UAE’s hot, dry climate, it’s a significant benefit that a traditional rendered brick wall can crack, peel and begin to decay much quicker than the homeowner thinks.
This has been taken seriously by the construction industry in the UAE. One of the industry’s most prominent brands, Gulf Precast has five factories and six production sites and a capacity to produce 1,500m³ a day that supply projects throughout the UAE and employ more than 3,500 skilled workers, including more than 100 engineers. Such operations is a testament to the importance of compound wall demand in this market.
In UAE, there are various types of concrete compound walls available:
Not all compounds walls are the same product! Knowing what they are will enable you to have productive discussions with suppliers and not order the incorrect system for your site.
Panel-and-column precast system. The most popular system in the UAE residential and commercial compound wall market. Precast columns are placed in concrete footings and precast panels are inserted in grooves between columns to create a wall. It is modular, easy to install and is flexible to non-standard plot shapes. The height of the columns and the size of the panels are dependent on the wall height to be constructed.
Full precast wall panels with strip footings. Increased panel sizes and built-in strip footing systems. Such are perimeter long runs for industrial and agricultural lots where the focus is on speed rather than customisation of the run For instance, Exeed Precast’s boundary wall elements have precast columns with isolated footings as the structure and precast boundary wall panels with strip footings which combine to provide strength and durability.
Walls for decoration and buildings. More upscale villa communities and palace compounds may include compound walls with decorative caps on the columns, patterned or textured panel faces, personal logos, and high-quality surface finishes. There are a few UAE suppliers who make them in addition to their regular product lines.
A wall panel comprising an insulating compound. A new product segment that is on its way to success in the UAE. Two concrete layers connected by stainless steel connectors and a continuous insulation layer in between. Such walls comply with the Dubai Government energy regulations (U-value of 0.57 W/m²K) and greatly help reduce the heat gain into enclosed compounds. Data from Dubai Precast shows that in UAE environment, compliance with the architects’ requirements of the Dubai Government helps to significantly cut down on operating costs, up to 76%, and pays for itself after just about 6 years.
Retaining compound walls. The standard compound wall system also serves as a retaining wall in cases where the ground level elevation of the inside and outside of the perimeter walls is different. This involves special structural engineering to accommodate soil pressure load and not all suppliers are structural engineers. Explicitly confirm this if your site has uneven terrain.
A few things to consider before making a Compound Wall supplier UAE selection
There are numerous concrete compound wall suppliers available in the UAE. It does take a little bit of legwork to find a competent and reliable one, but it’s well worth the effort since a substandard compound wall will end up costing a lot of money to repair later.
Concrete grade and structural standards. C35 grade concrete is the minimum grade used by quality suppliers as per BS 8110 standards – compressive strength of 35 N/mm². Ask for documentation. It’s supplied by any reputable supplier, no questions asked.
Certifications to ISO and ASTM/BS standards. Only a credible concrete compound wall supplier in UAE can be ISO certified, have UAE Civil Defense standards and offer wall products that are in line with the relevant BS/ASTM structural codes. These certifications are not only documentation, it also verifies the presence of quality management systems in design, manufacturing and testing.
Realistic lead times. The UAE construction sector is a high-speed running business and has to adhere to deadlines. A reputable provider should be able to give you a realistic lead time (typically 4-8 weeks) and delivery coordination, and if necessary, installation support on site. If the supplier provides you with a general answer with regards to lead time this is helpful information.
Supply-only vs supply-and-install. Some suppliers produce compound wall components and give them to users. Others provide complete installation services, such as crane operation and erection teams, as well as post-installation inspection. Supply and install contracts provide you with cleaner accountability, when something goes wrong, there’s no doubt about who is accountable?
References for portfolio(s) and project(s). Request that finished compound wall projects similar to your own be shown. Large infrastructure projects may not be the type of project that a supplier has experience in designing for a high-end villa compound. Suppliers who primarily work on large infrastructure projects may not be as design sensitive or detail orientated as a residential project. Consider a supplier that has a track record of designing and implementing villa and residential compound walls in the UAE.
After-sales support. Manufactured panels have a uniform thickness within each batch. This is important because if a panel breaks because of ground movement or impact, another one is available that is a perfect match. Check with your supplier if they hold replacement panels or they can manufacture them in-house.
Top Concrete Compound Wall Suppliers in UAE
Solid Rock Concrete Works (SRC Precast)
Solid Rock Concrete Work is among the top precast companies in UAE and is specialised in supply of prefabricated building components, offering innovative building solutions to the customers. Their product range encompasses concrete precast, boundary walls, road barriers, precast manholes, concrete foundations, and precast light-pole bases, offering a wide range of products to cover the compound wall projects as well as the related infrastructure for the site. Their products are manufactured in Umm Al Quwain.
With cutting-edge production facilities, SRC Precast is able to create precast systems with accuracy and efficiency while adhering to industry standards, ensuring that each project is uniquely met. They have a team of experienced design experts and project managers that focus on quality and innovation.
Source: srcprecasts.com, yellowpages-uae.com
2. Exeed Precast LLC
In the UAE, where privacy and security are paramount, Exeed Precast’s boundary wall solutions offer not only privacy and security but also an unmistakable touch of elegance, setting new standards in aesthetics and functionality. They have compound wall elements for projects of a residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial nature, all with specific project needs and requirements.
Exeed Precast, a part of the business of National Holding’s Exeed Industries, owns two big manufacturing plants in Industrial City, Abu Dhabi with more than 200,000 sq. m of manufacturing area. They have an automatic pallet circulating system, which enables them to achieve high volume and dimension uniformity. If you are planning a large residential development or a farm with hundreds of metres of compound walling, then you can count on Exeed Precast for a dependable partner.
It is suggested that the following activities be carried out:
Naran Precast Concrete is a premier precast boundary wall manufactures company in UAE who is well experienced in designing advanced and cost-effective boundary wall design for formal properties, villas, governmental buildings and other constructions. They offer the latest precast boundary wall solutions that meet today’s engineering standards, whether you need a simple boundary wall or a more complicated structure.
NPCC is based in the city of Ajman and provides services to clients in several emirates, where they are well known for their wall projects related to residential compounds and governmental compounds. Their personal approach to service and competitively priced, make them a sensible choice when specification is important as well as budget and time.
- Zamac Precast UAE
Zamac Precast offers a variety of precast concrete fencing units. They provide customized precast concrete fencing and boundary wall options for projects that are not completely within the standard range, or for any design requirements that must be met.
Zamac’s solution is client-focused and as part of this they collaborate with contractors, specifiers and property owners to create wall solutions that are tailored to the individual site and its design specifications, instead of using off-the-shelf solutions. They are based in Umm Al Quawain, UAE and supply to the compound wall market, both standard and custom product lines.
- Concrete World UAE
Concrete World pursues a lean business approach that is cost effective, timely and of good quality. Their plant is strategically located in Batayeh industrial area of Sharjah, close to E611 highway and supply to all parts of UAE is done at an optimum transportation cost.
Concrete World should be contacted for compound wall applications where the simplicity of precast delivery at competitive price and logistical reliability are the key elements of the project priority list. Having a Sharjah address means that they are easily accessible during delivery in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates.
- RAK Fix LLC
RAK Fix LLC, Ras Al Khaimah, provides concrete precast, precast manholes, concrete foundations, road barriers, precast light-pole bases, boundary walls and plastic barriers in the UAE. RAK Fix offers wall compound in local supply, avoiding the logistics of sourcing from Abu Dhabi/Dubai for projects in northern emirates such as Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah and surrounding areas.
Source: yellowpages-uae.com
- Emfil Emirates Filigran LLC
Emfil of Ras Al Khaimah has a specialism in precast floor and roof slabs, cladding panels, sandwich panels and insulated façade panels, modular walls and precast stairs. In the realm of compound wall projects, where the use of insulated panel systems is gaining significance in the context of energy-efficient villa compounds, Emfil’s product range and knowledge of the manufacture of insulated panels is a true differentiator.
Source: yellowpages-uae.com
In this section, I will outline the steps for installing the Compound Wall
Knowing how it’s installed will assist with planning the duration of your project and with making better tenders.
It starts with a site survey. Prior to any production, the supplier’s engineering team conducts an on-site survey to determine the dimensions, ground levels, soil conditions and any areas of special requirements such as level changes or sections of retaining walls. This survey provides input to engineering drawings and structural calculations.
Foundation work follows. On-site concrete footings such as concrete column footings and strip footings are formed and cast then allowed to cure. This is the only phase which cannot be hurried, as concrete foundations must have time to cure before any loads are placed on top of them. During the summer months in UAE, it is more critical that curing is managed properly.
Next, comes the delivery and erection of the panels. Precast columns and panels are delivered on flatbed trucks from the factory. A crane places columns in cast in-place footings and panels are installed between columns. A professional erection crew carefully stages every level, checking the dimensions along the way.
This yields a completed compound wall in days not weeks. If it’s a normal plot of a villa with a couple hundred metres of perimeter, a good supplier and installer can do the installation in just 3-5 working days after the foundations are ready.
Options for a compound wall design are more than just grey concrete
There is a perception that needs to be corrected, namely, precast compound walls can’t be just plain grey panels. The UAE market has come a long way from that.
Surface finishes can be smooth concrete, exposed aggregate, sand-blasted texture, board-marked finish or stone-effect mixes. This looks from the natural concrete to pigmented concrete and painted finishes. They come in a variety of heights, from 2 metres to 3 metres and can be as high as 10 metres around the perimeter walls of industrial, agricultural, or high security sites. Several of the bigger suppliers offer decorative column caps, carved screen inserts, logo panels and ornamental features. There are also various surface finishes that can be applied to the outside (street side) and inside (property side) of the surface for premium projects — effective, appealing and economical.
Concrete can be made whatever size, shape, colour and texture desired. Acid-etched, smooth, grit/sand-blasted, rubbed/polished and exposed aggregate finishes are available. Concrete can be cast to look like natural stone and very detailed architectural designs can be created due to the mouldability of concrete.
Permits and Regulations in UAE
Permits are needed for compound walls from the relevant municipal authority, in the UAE, this could be any of the following: Dubai Municipality, Abu Dhabi City Municipality, Sharjah Municipality, or the relevant municipal authority in other emirates. Your supplier should be well-versed in the local permitting codes and be able to offer the engineering documentation that is usually requested by municipalities, such as structural calculations, foundation design, material specifications, etc.
Please do not skip this step. Not building a compound wall with permission brings legal problems and may lead to a demolition order. A good supplier will be aware of the regulations and be able to assist clients in navigating the documentation.
Final Word
UAE boasts a robust network of concrete compound wall suppliers with a high level of expertise. If you are working on a single villa site, a whole neighbourhood, a farm boundary or an industrial site, you’re sure to find a supplier who has the right product, capacity and experience.
Gulf Precast and Exeed Precast are the top two in terms of scale and technical depth. The customisation and client service skills of NPCC and Zamac Precast are strong. There are several practical, cost-effective solutions available from Solid Rock, Concrete World, RAK Fix and Emfil in various emirates and projects.
Seeking the right match in terms of supplier capabilities and your requirements—scale, location, design needs, timeframe, cost. Obtain two or three estimates. Review certifications. Request references from the site. If project size warrants, visit a finished project. This small investment of time, up front, can save a lot of time — and money — when work is underway on site.
