November has been the most successful time for Flowcrete Middle East to date. Now into the ninth month since its creation, the firm has made rapid progress in a short span of time, and orders seem to be increasing in value all the time.

With the successful launch of K Screed at the Big 5 exhibition late last year, the establishment of a joint venture with local RMC Topmix LLC, and visits from Flowcrete UK management helping to give product presentation for specifiers, projects have begun to surface, with the most recent being a proposal for specialist screeding works at the prestigious Dubai Marina.

Flowcrete has teamed up with RMC Topmix to supply the Middle East market with K Screed.

This latest floor screed technology comprisies a semi-dry cementitious screed incorporating proprietary additives which produce an early drying, high strength screed. K Screed can be produced in various grades, the most popular being the standard K Screed and Heavy Duty K Screed which can be laid bonded, unbonded or floating and where weight-saving and/or thermal and sound insulation is a requirement.

K Screed can be used in high traffic areas such as airports, hospitals and shopping centres where a high-strength or Category A screed is a specification requirement.

Fast-track construction and refurbishment projects can also benefit from K Screed installation as usually the floor area needs to be trafficked quickly by other trades.

Drying times of K Screed can dramatically reduce programme times, with the average of 7 days per 25 mm of thickness at 15 deg C. Thicknesses range from 20 mm to 40 mm for Standard K and 30 mm to 60mm for the heavy-duty grade.

Flowcrete's extensive range of specialist flooring products has helped the company win many projects. Being able to offer a one-stop shop for products ranging from screeds through to the final floor finish, enables specifiers to have a worry-free time when it comes to the flooring on contracts.

A range of different products was recently used on the Julphar extension of the Gulf Pharmaceutical project in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, where some 4,500 sq m of floor finishes were required. After initial site visits, it was obvious that the project required several different types of flooring. The final project was completed using a combination of Flowcrete's Flowshield, Ultra-Fresh HF and MF.

Flowcrete's Flowshield, a self-smoothing, hygienic, floor finish was used in the technical and production areas where a hard-wearing, hygienic, easy-to-clean topping was required.

Flowshield is a suitable for dry process areas, where the floor is subjected to medium to heavy-duty foot, trolley, pallet truck and rubber-wheeled forklift traffic. Flowshield enhances the working environment by creating a light and easy-on-the-eye atmosphere. Typically used in industrial factories, clean rooms, laboratories and warehouses, Flowshield can also be specified for areas where there is a requirement for an anti-static floor system. Flowshield AS is capable of reaching an electrical resistance in the range of 5 x 104 to 108 ohms. Anti-slip dressings can also be applied to areas that require a textured finish.

Ultra-Fresh HF and MF were used in the chemical tank storage areas that required a heavy-duty, chemical and slip-resistant, polyurethane floor finish. Flowcrete's Ultra-Fresh HF is a seamless finish which contains the unique anti-microbial agent that inhibits the growth of bacteria, fungi and moulds. Ultra-Fresh HF also provides a hygienic, stain, chemical and abrasion-resistant finish which minimises the jointing and hygiene problems associated with conventional flooring tiles usually found in this type of area.

Food-processing factories have also been a favourite with Flowcrete Middle East's technical desk. Master Foods, a subsidiary of Mars, recently contacted Flowcrete for advice on a flooring problem. The firm required an easy-to-clean, hygienic floor finish. Flowcrete's Ultra-Fresh MF was also specified for this project.

Ultra-Fresh HF is a popular product with the food industry due to its high heat and chemical-resistance properties. Available in a wide range of pleasing colours, Ultrafresh HF is an ideal choice for any food or drink-processing plant.

Jebel Ali brand company Emirates Can also recognised the quality of Flowcrete's industrial flooring products. To date, more than 2,000 sq m of Flowcoat SF41, a quality hard-wearing solvent-free epoxy coating, has been applied in its production areas.

Perhaps, the most prestigious of references for Flowcrete Middle East has been the Burj Al Arab where the unique Flowtex Quartz (a decorative epoxy screed) was applied in kitchen areas, which required a hard-wearing but aesthetically-pleasing floor finish.

Deckshield, Flowcrete's car-park decking system is also making headway with many projects now completed and further projects being specified. New contracts include 4,000 sq m of Deckshield in Dubai and 14,000 sq m in Abu Dhabi.

Flowcrete Middle East has also begun to expand its business into South Africa with Ivory Industries promoting a number of Flowcrete products throughout the area.

With visits by Ian Dawson, Flowcrete Middle East general manager and Craig Brooks, Flowcrete International managing director to Johannesburg and Durban, things look set to flourish within that area.