FOLLOWING its successful launch last year as a separate specialty division of Dammam-based Zamil Steel Company, Zamil Pre-fabricated Houses (HouseZ) is steadily working towards boosting its market share as well as increasing acceptance for affordable pre-fabricated housing structures.

As it moves towards its goal of being a major provider of such structures, HouseZ is riding on the highly accepted and recognisable Zamil Steel brand of steel structures to further enhance its reputation as a reliable local and eventual regional provider of pre-fabricated housing for different industrial requirements, says a spokesman for the company.

HouseZ is currently manufacturing these housing units under strict quality control procedures in its new separate plant at Dammam’s Second Industrial City, which has enabled it to increase its output, as it seeks to increase its market share in the pre-fabricated housing niche.

HouseZ systems are cold-formed light-gauge galvanised steel structures that are precisely engineered and manufactured to serve a large number of applications. The product line is based on the light steel framing (LSF) system, which can be used for many applications such as labour camps, site offices, residential houses and other health and educational facilities.

“LSF is composed of galvanised cold-rolled C-profiles connected by screws with no welding whatsoever. It is engineered for vertical live and dead loads as well as horizontal wind load or earthquake loading,” he explains.
Furthermore, cladding can be of any dry wall systems (corrugated metal panels and cement boards, among others) and walls of the LSF system are insulated between the C-profiles with fibreglass boards or blankets.

Citing some of the advantages of the products, he says the buildings are light in weight featuring smaller foundations, are easy to handle and fast to install. Fire-rated buildings can also be produced using this system. In addition, HouseZ units are environment-friendly because they are made of environmentally responsible steel and save energy, produce no waste or site pollution and are fully recyclable, according to the spokesman.

“Apart from their flexibility and proven functionalities, these buildings provide other benefits too that would otherwise be a concern for standard buildings. HouseZ structures are non-combustible, hurricane- and earthquake-resistant, as well as being resistant to mould and termites while not featuring any components that would induce allergies,” he says.

HouseZ has completed several projects that have highlighted its growing acceptance as a creative and reliable provider of pre-fabricated structures in Saudi Arabia and is aggressively positioning itself to become a major provider for pre-fabricated housing in the Middle East, the spokesman adds.