Changes in building methods and advanced technologies in the UAE and the region generally have resulted in more lightweight, low cost and highly deformable substrates being used for example building boards, composites and precast elements - along with an increased demand for floor coverings like glass, metal and composite tiles (and not to forget significant recent changes to ceramic and porcelain tiles), with the final result being that adequate bonding to substrates can pose new challenges perhaps usually overlooked. Premium adhesives and grouts formulated to specific performance standards are therefore vital to optimizing the success of today’s advanced tile and stone installations, from start to finish.

MAPEl firmly believes that as technology and techniques change, industry standards must evolve to meet these changes. Under the ISO 13007 standards, an adhesive or grout must meet specific performance criteria before being accredited with a classification code. MAPEl is heavily invested in the ISO 13007 performance classification standards, from the initial formula design at the research and development stage to practical field applications that encompass various projects around the world.

The ISO 13007 standard evolved from three European standards EN12004, EN13888 and EN 12002 by a majority vote (of at least 75%) in 2005. This has now become THE international standard for tile adhesives and grout as there are 156 signatories to ISO around the world.

Importantly for this region, The Gulf Standards Organization (GSO) which is the GCC standards organisation based in Riyadh and which counts its members as; Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, wholly adopted the standard in November 2007, and its local reference is GSO:ISO 13007 – 2007 with 4 parts listed.

This should go a long way in assisting designers and specifiers as well as project supervisors and material approvers in selection of the right material for such applications and eliminate the ambiguity often caused by having multiple (and sometime obsolete) tiling standards such as ANSI, BS and DIN.

Some of the main properties required under the standard are;

Tensile bond adhesion strength: This test method is for cementitious (“C”) adhesives, and is used to quantify the amount of bond strength to the substrate as either “C1” ( 0.5 MPa) or “C2” (1.0 MPa) after a 28 day cure period (tested at 28 days under; ambient conditions, heat exposure, immersion in water, and freeze/thaw cycles). Tensile bond is the amount of force exerted on both the adhesive and tile assembly in an upward pull motion to the point of failure.

Open time: This test method is for cementitious (“C”), dispersion (“D”) and reaction resin (“R”) type adhesives. It is used to determine the maximum open time of the adhesive before loss of bond strength occurs. Tiles are placed in the adhesive after 5,10, 20 &30 minutes. After curing for 28 7 days, they must meet a tensile or shear bond strength of 0.5 MPa after no less than 20 minutes. To receive the optional characteristic of an extended open time (“E”) rating, the tile would be set into the adhesive after 30 minutes, while still meeting the prescribed minimum bond requirements.

Fast setting adhesive means the adhesive has met the requirements for a fast setting adhesive. 0.5MPa after no more than 24 hours (however, open time can be only 10 min.).

Slip resistance: Used for cementitious (“C”), dispersion (“D”) and reaction resin (“R”) adhesives, this test method verifies whether the adhesive has the ability to hold tile to a wall in a vertical application, without slipping. The tile is first placed into the adhesive, weighted and then placed in a vertical position for 20 minutes. The tile must not slip more than 0.5 mm in order to receive a “T” rating for slip resistance.

Deformability: This test method is for cementitious («C») adhesives only and is used to quantify the degree of deformability that an adhesive can withstand before it breaks or loses bond. In the test, a piece of cured adhesive (known as a “lintel”) of a prescribed length, width and thickness is supported at each end and then pushed downward using a curved anvil that is positioned midway between two end supports. The downward movement of the adhesive is measured in order to determine whether It can be classified as a deformable (”S1”) or highly deformable (“S2») adhesive. This property is particularly important when fixing ‘unstable’ tiles or where the substrates can exhibit deflection.

Mapei’s Commitment to ISO 13007As the construction industry continues to innovate substrates, floor coverings and installation methods, MAPEl continues to innovate and improve its adhesives and grouts. Not only has MAPEl adopted the new global, measurable ISO 13007 standards from product design to field-testing; It is committed to exceeding customer satisfaction with exceptionally performing products. All industry partners benefit from ISO 13007’s easy-to-use, easy-to-understand guidelines that optimize installation success from start to finish.

Mapei’s local subsidiary, Innovative Building Solutions, runs a series of workshops and presentations on the new standard. If you would like to participate, please contact us for details and dates.

As a global leader and cutting-edge manufacturer of adhesives and grouts, MAPEl recognizes the importance of continually innovating and improving the quality of its construction products.

ISO STANDARDS

ISO 13007

Currently holds the position of Business Development Manager for IBS-Mapei for the UAE. With nearly 25 years experience in the construction industry (19 years of which in the Middle East), he is a well known personality in the field of construction chemicals and materials and is actively involved on a number of technical committees . In addition to being a UK qualified civil Engineer, Laith is also qualified in marketing, business, management and corrosion.

Laith’s Profile

PALM JUMEIRAH ICON

In the swimming pool, the surfaces were carefully cleaned and levelled; the concrete substrate was waterproofed using the MAPELASTIC system. MAPELASTIC is a two-component, flexible cementitious mortar specifically formulated for waterproofing concrete structures, balconies, terraces, swimming pools, etc. even at high temperatures. When reinforced with FIBREGLASS MESH, it is also resistant to movements in the substrate, bridging cracks of upto 1.5 mm. After complete curing of the MAPELASTIC, the glass mosaic chosen for the swimming pools was laid using ADESILEX P10, a high-performance ‘super white’ cementitious adhesive classified as C2TE S1 to ISO 13007,with no vertical slip for tiles and glass mosaics, enhanced by the addition of ISOLASTIC.The same ADESILEX P10 plus ISOLASTIC adhesive system was also used to lay mosaic tiles in the lobbies and entrances of the hotel, and tile joints grouted using ULTRACOLOR PLUS high-performance, anti-efflorescence grout for joints from 2 to 20 mm, which incorporates the Drop-Effect® water repellent and BioBlock® anti-mould technology.Mapei’s products were chosen for several reasons, one of which was the successful previous track record on Atlantis in the Bahamas, as well as local availability and importantly, site support to ensure the success of the application.

Amongst Mapei’s involvements with Atlantis the Palm Jumeirah project, included the large centerpiece, open-air swimming pool (one of the largest in the UAE at 2,500m2).

MAPEI SEALS

MAPEI’S PROJECT

Dubai Metro - Dubai - UAE

Atlantis Hotel - Dubai - UAE

Marina Bay Hotel - Abu Dhabi - UAE

Guggenheim Museum - New-York - USA

La Scala Theatre - Milan - Italy

Opera House - Sydney - Australia

Grand Mosque - Abu Dhabi - UAE

Dolce & Gabbana - Dubai - UAE

SOME OF THE MAPEI’S MAJOR PROJECT REFERENCES

STAFF EXCEL IN TECHNICAL SERVICES ROLESSite Support Technician Daniele Spiga, who has more than 31 years’ industry experience, provides advice to contractors and tile installers to make sure proper application methods are applied consistently.After gaining extensive experience in Italy, working for three years at Ditta Argiolas Cagliari, eight years at Ditta Onnis Cagliari and 12 years at Edil 2000 in Turin, he worked for three years at Contract Interiors Johannesburg, before arriving in the UAE in 2005.Daniele supervised the installation of marble and artistic mosaics at Platinum Projects, Dubai; and then spent two years overseeing developments with Manser Saxon, Dubai. In early 2008, he was appointed IBS-Mapei Senior Site Technician, and spent time improving his technical skills at Mapei’s headquarters in Milan.

Architect Tarana Daroogar is another key player in the Mapei UAE team, boasting more than 30 years’ experience in construction chemicals, architectural design, design development and construction. A registered California Architect since 1986, she worked in the US for nine years before moving to the Gulf, and also has a Masters degree in Architectural Engineering from Tehran University. She has worked in US, Bahrain, Iran and the UAE“The team is very cohesive and nice to work with,” said Tarana, who started working with Mapei as the Specification Manager. “The company is heavily investing in research and development and is very environmentally conscious.” Tarana has been a member of several environmental groups related to the UAE and construction including Emirates Green Building Council, EEG and participates regularly in green conferences and events. Tarana, who is currently involved with several prestigious projects, enjoys working with clients and providing tailored solutions, particularly as no two projects are ever the same. “We can end up talking about many different products,” she said, describing the working process. “Sometimes we go in to talk about ‘x’ and end up dealing with ‘y’ and ‘z’ too. Often there can be a lot of components related to a project.” Our practical on-site experience can help overcome many issues as we can identify then at design and specification stage.She highlights Mapei’s pro-active nature as one of its main attributes. “It’s great for initiating ideas and preventing problems at site rather than reacting to things once they have started going wrong!.”

TEAM PROFILE

Daniele Spiga, Senior Site Support Technician Tarana Daroogar, Technical Service Manager

When it comes to Technical services and site support, IBS-Mapei have a wealth of employees with hands-on experience who pride themselves on working to the highest international standards. Here we highlight two of them.

Is Abu Dhabi a focus for Mapei?Abu Dhabi has always been a focus for Mapei. With prestigious projects such as Emirates Palace Hotel and the Grand Mosque in our portfolio, we already have an impressive track record. However, we have started winning more commercial work there recently.

What are the projects you are currently working on in Abu Dhabi at the moment?

We are currently working on a number of important projects, such as Al Gurm Resort, Between 2 Bridges hotel (B2B), two of the new Rotanas as well as the Marina Bay Hotel, which is supporting the F1 2009 event. It is fair to say that many of these hotels are under pressure to complete on time, but without compromising quality. This is where we are seen to add a lot of value.

Which products are most in demand?They vary from rapid hydrating self-levellers to the adhesives and high performance coloured grouts.

Is Saudi Arabia a focus for you as well?Not from our local subsidiary, Innovative Building Solutions, as this was set up specifically to serve the UAE market. But I believe that the Mapei Group has been successfully supplying Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the rest of the Gulf for many years now, through an established network of agents and distributors.

Can Mapei help in speeding up projects?Yes, definitely. Usually the application of screed or self-levelling compounds need to cure and achieve a low relative humidity, so that the trapped moisture does not effect the subsequent finishes such as paraquet, vinyl, carpet and even certain stones and ceramic tiling. Typically, this takes anything from 10 to 25 days, depending on the material and thickness.

How do rapid setting and hydrating principles work?The idea is that whatever type of finish has been specified for the project, the sub-floor preparation will not be a limiting factor. This is where we are currently assisting many projects to fast track their programs, as we can offer screeds such as Topcem or self levelers such as Ultraplan Maxi, which can receive subsequent finishes after 24 hours (depending upon application thickness), or even Mapecem, which can receive finishes after only three hours. This time saving is considerable as finishes are very often the last activity to be carried out on site and are always under pressure from previous delays.

Tell us a little about your cementitious self-levelling, fast hydrating screed – are you the only company to do it?

We are able to save time without compromising quality of construction, and more importantly, minimise the risk of failure of the selected application of finishes. Trapped moisture in the substrate can lead to unsightly blistering of vinyl flooring, swelling of parquet and staining of ceramic and natural stone. A rapid hydrating screed, if formulated correctly, will eliminate this problem. Of course, one should always look at this solution from only one supplier to ensure maximum compatability, and more important for the client, one source of liability. Mapei can provide such complete systems.

IBS-MAPEI’s Commercial Manger Naheed Younis says the company has the ability to speed up projects without compromising quality, and that has always been a major focus.

SPEEDING IT UP

Q&A

*This article first appeared in Construction Week

Naheed Younis is the commercial manager of Innovative Building Solutions, Mapei’s UAE subsidiary. He graduated in civil engineering from the University of Mississippi, US. His professional experience has included working in contracting, consulting and as a client representative as well as a specialist material supplier. Younis has 28 years of experience in the industry in the UAE, and is considered an authority on concrete technology and construction best practice particularly in the Middle east.

Naheed’s Profile