Post-tensioning construction technique reaches Pakistan



Friday, April 18, 2008
By M Farhan Zaheer

KARACHI: Pakistan is experiencing a wonderful real estate growth with some landmark projects, and in future this pace will increase, as the country is now on track moving ahead rapidly in the sector.

Hilmi Ghandour, Chief Executive Officer of Arabtec Pakistan told The News on the sidelines of a presentation on post-tensioning slab technique, organised by the company in collaboration with world-renowned CCL Gulf Prestressed Concrete LLC recently.

Post Tensioning is a technique of pre-loading the concrete in a manner which controls stresses and deflections that are inducted by the self weight and applied loads, while the structure is in service. Billions of square meters of post-tensioned slabs have been built in high-rise, commercial, residential and office buildings, parking structures, hotels, schools and hospitals.

It has been in extensive use internationally since decades in many parts of the world. Post-tensioned floor construction gained prominence during the construction boom in the 1980s and now consumes more than 50pc of the total quantity of post tensioning steel used worldwide, said Bhandour.

“This would be a new technology to Pakistan though it has been successfully used and improved over the years in many other countries of the region. The technology reduces steel consumption in the projects, providing more space by cutting number of beams in the structure, and provides opportunity to the contractor to complete projects in less than half time,” he elaborated. Roland Asaker, regional manager, CCL Gulf Prestressed Concrete LLC said the real estate growth in Pakistan is an offshoot of developments in the MENESA region (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia).

Arabtec Pakistan, through collaboration agreement with CCL plans to use post tensioning technique in the currently under-construction Karachi Financial Towers, being developed by EHSHAANLC Development in Karachi. This will avail the expertise of one of the world leaders in this technique for the construction of mega projects, which Arabtec Pakistan hopes to build in the coming future. The presentation was attended by the architects and engineering sector people, the licensing authorities, and the developers from private and public sector. CCL are one of the pioneers in pre-stressed construction methods in the world market.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=107384