'Construction quality' priority for Abu Dhabi

Collapsing buildings in the UAE have raised questions over build quality

Improving the quality of construction in the UAE is a top priority for Abu Dhabi’s department of municipal affairs (DMA), it was revealed this morning at the ongoing Construction Week Building Sustainability into the Middle East Conference, which is being in held in Abu Dhabi.

Matthew Plumbridge, consultant for the DMA’s environmental and sustainability planning section said: “With a few building collapses over the past three months, the quality of construction has become a big issue for the DMA. Such happenings cause a lot of damage to the construction sector and real estate market. Who would want to invest here when the quality of construction is suspect?” The last three months have seen buildings collapse in Dubai and Sharjah.

Once the building codes are introduced they will become law and will be implemented only within Abu Dhabi. But Plumbridge said the codes would be available to the other emirates allowing them to implement them if they felt it was needed.

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Other factors being assessed to be included in the new green building codes are the use of low-carbon concrete-mix design and a solar rooftop programme.

Plumbridge also said that glass buildings in the desert would not be encouraged by the codes but would not rule them out completely in order to promote architecture and artistic expression.

 

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