UAE-based contractor Civilco Civil Engineering and Contracting is relying on the safety, efficiency and speed of Meva’s automatic hydraulic climbing system, MAC, to climb the cores of the Rosemont Hotel and Residences under construction on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.

Meva’s climbing platform is completely enclosed to provide a safe working environment following stringent safety standards; and its operation is described as being fast and simple.

The Rosemont Hotel and Residences will reside in two 53­-storey towers with 448 hotel rooms and 280 serviced apartments. It will feature restaurants, health clubs and conference facilities, a sky lobby and skypool as well as a 7,000-sq-m indoor rain forest with its own beach, pool and cafe.

“Panels of the crane­-independent AluFix wall formwork are used as hanging shutters on the MAC’s climbing platform. The advantage is that they can be moved into place and adjusted into position entirely by hand and without special tools. The panels’ all­plastic facings deliver a first­-class concrete finish throughout the pouring process,” says a spokesman for Meva, a leading German formwork manufacturer.

The same quality is achieved for the rectangular columns which are also poured using the AluFix system, he adds.

In order to handle the vast number of columns, engineers from Meva KHK designed special steel forms that can be re­used numerous times and provide the high-quality finish required for the circular columns. The steel forms also feature built­-in working platforms with all­-round fall protection.

With a project of this size and scope, a clever technical solution for the large slab areas is essential to guarantee smooth work flow, ensure worker safety and fast operation to stick to tight schedules. MevaFlex conventional slab forms using aluminium beams, separate facing panels and standard props are used to complete work on the inside slab areas. They are being combined with large­-format table forms with built­-in edge protection that are flown in through the tower’s open façade, the spokesman explains.

Meva, established in 1970, offers a comprehensive product portfolio covering all formwork requirements from foundation to high-rise, from hand-set formwork to automatic climbing technology. It currently serves contractors from 40 locations in 25 countries and 10 logistics centres.