HAVING provided its expertise to some of the prominent projects in the UAE, Rainsmart Solutions is hoping to penetrate the Saudi market with its brand of specialised products that provide greening and stormwater management solutions.

The Australia company, which provides engineered environmental products and solutions in the field of geosynthetics, stormwater management, and green roofs, will be at The Big 5 Saudi Arabia this month promoting its new products – the green wall and the permeable paving system – along with its underground tanking and green roof systems, according to Minon Desai, a company director.

Desai, with a background in environmental management, has been working in the field of stormwater management and green roofs for over 12 years providing holistic and sustainable urban development solutions to the building construction industry.

Green roof at Yas Island ... a high-profile project.

Rainsmart is a young dynamic company with vast experience in the field of stormwater management and manufacture of green roofs, producing its own product range from recycled plastic. In addition, it provides complete assistance, from design to installation and support for stormwater products and green roof systems.

Its product range covers 50-mm grass and gravel pavers for permeable car-park and traffic surfaces; 30-mm drainage cells for subsurface irrigation for roof and podium gardens; and sub-soil drainage tank modules for underground retention, infiltration and stormwater detention tanks.

A team of engineering and environmental professionals provides a creative and holistic approach to urban development in an environmentally sustainable manner. “We offer a comprehensive range of engineered eco-friendly products and technical skills to ensure successful application of our products,” says Desai.

Since commencing business, Rainsmart has expanded rapidly to become a leading designer and distributor of innovative landscape and engineering products and applications. Its products have been used in many projects throughout Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

For instance, last year, Rainsmart supplied and installed its smart streetscaping system, which caters for a 9,500-cu-m stormwater storage and potential reuse option, in Sharjah, UAE. The company’s Ellipse Tanking system, wrapped in geotextile and impermeable liner, has been installed along 5.8 km on both sides of the Sharjah Airport Road.

The system is designed to collect and store stormwater runoff from the catchment of Sharjah Airport Road and surrounding areas, and eliminate the possibilities of zonal flooding, while at the same time offer an option of stormwater reuse and recycling.

“The modular design of the Ellipse Tanking system ensured that the installation was completed in less than two months and suited variable site contours with ease. The underground nature of the system ensured that the valuable surface space has not been compromised,” Desai says.

Rainsmart solutions ... even for the playing field.

Another product that has found popularity in the UAE is the Green Roof system.

“With urban development and the increase in impermeable surfaces, modern cities are experiencing the heat island effect and pollution. Green roofs eliminate these effects and provide environmental and commercial benefits to the buildings,” he explains.

Rainsmart has supplied more than 250,000 sq m of its Green Roof systems in the GCC. Some of its recent high-profile projects include the Yas Marina Circuit Hotel, Abu Dhabi; and the Fairmont Hotel, Palm Jumeirah, Marina Apartments, Palm Jumeirah, Meydan Race Course, and Dubai Studio City in Dubailand, all in Dubai.

Rainsmart has also made considerable headway in the region with its soakway system for stormwater management. Its Tank Modules are described as being suited to any subsurface infiltration, retention or detention stormwater applications. The Green Label-approved, environment-friendly product – manufactured using recycled materials – is lightweight, features an engineered design, with structural components developed through research and development.
“It is ideal for the construction of underground infiltration, reuse, detention tanks, grass swales, subsurface interception channels, septic leach drains and lightweight void fillers for roof gardens and planter boxes applications,” says Desai. “The Rainsmart Tank Module system supersedes traditional gravel and pipe-based systems by far. Furthermore, its availability in kit form makes it economical and easy to transport and handle. The lightweight nature of these modules also eliminates the need to use heavy machinery, and makes installation quick and easy.”

As the modules are buried underground away from direct sunlight and use the principles of soil filtration and accelerated microbial actions (bio-remediation), they store and convey stormwater of a far superior quality, he says.

Sharjah stormwater project ... a storage and reuse option.

Rainsmart has installed more than 60,000 cu m of its soakway system in the past couple of years in the GCC. A few of the recent projects include Al Waab City, Barwa City, Barwa Commercial Avenue, New Doha Airport and Shell Refinery in Ras Laffan, all in Qatar; Jebel Ali bus depot, Emerald Palace and Kempinski Hotels & Resorts, Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, and Emarati housing estate and Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, all in the UAE.

In terms of business, the past two years have been slow for the company, particularly in its domestic market, but it kept busy thanks to projects that were already in hand. “We are a global company and so we have a larger export market,” he says. Its turnover last year was $4.5 million.

But while business has been bearish, Rainsmart has been constantly updating its production capacity to enable it to cope with market demand.

Established in September 2007, Rainsmart Solutions has a production facility in Malaysia and distributors in the GCC.
Rainsmart Solutions will be present at Stand E01 at the show.