Saudi Readymix Completes Supply of Concrete to Rafal Living Tower in Riyadh
All concreting works at the prestigious Rafal Living Tower project in the center of Riyadh was completed last month. Rafal Living Tower, a luxurious residential apartment tower on King Fahad Road in the Capital, is 60 stories high. Saudi Readymix was contracted by Dubai Contracting Company, the main contractor of the project, to fully supply ready-mixed concrete and pre-mixed wet mortar to the Tower.
The first pour of concrete started in June 2015. “The project was very special in its nature,” said Jawad Abu Salah, Saudi Readymix General Manager in the Central region. “Most buildings in the vicinity of the project have started to show signs of corrosion in less than 10 years, so special concrete mixes were designed and supplied to increase the durability and hence the life span of the structure.”
The project required over 65,000 cubic meters of concrete, of which almost a fifth was slag concrete, also known as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) concrete. Slag is a cementitious material that is added to the concrete mix as a partial replacement to cement. It is a recycled waste material that reduces the carbon foot print of concrete, reduces its permeability, increases its durability, and hence the life expectancy and sustainability of the structure.
Saudi Readymix supplied the concrete through several of its 8 factories that are positioned in various locations in Riyadh. Special placing equipment were used to pump and place the concrete in the higher levels of the tower.
Saudi Readymix is the leading ready-mixed concrete supplier in Saudi Arabia with a network of over 40 factories located in various strategic locations throughout the Kingdom. The Company employs around 3,000 employees and runs the largest fleet of mobile equipment in the region. The Company contributes in many ongoing research in concrete in collaboration with various academic institutes and organizations.