Farhana Chowdhury

Rubber is a staple product that is used in various industries for a variety of purposes. Out of these, rubber flooring takes up a big chunk of sector, as it has been incorporated for daily use.

The rise in eco-consciousness has promoted the use of sustainable materials in order to set up a healthy residential ecosystem. It is be-lieved that rubber flooring makes building safer and a lot healthier, assuming the product is made out of natural rubber, not the synthet-ic variety. It also aids in making interior sur-roundings fresher and cleaner.

being a 100 per cent renewable resource, rubber flooring is popular for its anti-static properties and resistant wear and tear. Plus, it is easy to install, greatly reduces vibration and effectively provides sound insulation. This is one of the main reasons gym floors are lined with rubber flooring. The flexible yet durable nature of the material withstands the weight of heavy equipment and protects exercisers from fall injuries.

rubber flooring is a boon to society, catering to immense requirements. besides the gym, it is also used for modern playgrounds, play ar-eas, garages, gardens, open spaces and as drainage. These come in a number of formats ranging from grip lock systems to grids that

aim to hold items in place. Its resistance to fad-ing and hygienic nature also make it an ideal interior deco item.

It also caters to outdoor activities such as equine sports that require proper pavements for horses to walk on. The animals can have a comfortable and durable path to trot on. Car

garages also make use of rubber flooring, giv-ing wheels a good grip when parked.

Different patterns can be clubbed together to display a creative look while children’s rooms can be decorated with educational ele-ments such as maps or letters of the alphabet. It gives them a safe and secure surface to play on, without the need to worry about slippage.

Apart from using it on the ground, rubber flooring can also be used to line the sides of various places, allowing the transportation of heavy items that could otherwise cause dents and scratches.

Quite often, many people make the mistake of choosing the wrong kind of rubber flooring, which can lead to expensive maintenance costs and losses. It is important to note the main purpose of the flooring and opt for one that comes with an eco-certification.

be it tiles, rolls, mats, contemporary rubber flooring has taken on a strong environmental-friendly approach whereby it is composed of ingredients that do not harm surroundings. Its

Pave the Path tosustainable floorsRubber flooring with its non-toxic, durable qualities make it an ideal material for ground coverage

nora systems Gmbh, which devel-ops, produces and markets resilient rubber floors under the brand name nora, has been shaping the develop-ment of rubber floor coverings for over 60 years as a leading manu-facturer worldwide. Headquartered in Germany, nora has been in the UAE since 2012 and provided resilient rubber flooring solutions to several major projects in the UAE and other GCC countries.

Steven McFadden, Regional Manager of nora systems in the GCC, says, “Healthcare and education are two of our focus markets and we have been fortunate to be involved in the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Arzanah Medical Complex and Mafraq Hospital, to name but a few, in the UAE. We have been equally successful with applications in Sidra hospital, Doha, Princess Nora University Hospital and King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Saudi Arabia. Many educational institutes also, including the region’s first PVC-free schools with Foremarke, Dubai and Repton, Abu Dhabi.”

nora rubber flooring materials are PVC free offer a 20-plus year life expectancy, which is generally four to five times longer than that of its competitors (PVC and Linoleum). Its LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) and ease of maintenance is second to none. Competing products require a range of maintenance chemicals that are both expensive and labour intensive; and are some-times hazardous to the environment and patrons, such as strip-ers and coatings.

Since launching its GCC office, it has gone from strength to strength. Purely down to the fact that architects and end-users/clients are demanding more from the flooring and are considering all aspects, and not just cost.

It is important to note that floors have 60 per cent of the contact area and 33 per cent of the visual area of any building, and choos-ing the best type is now as important as choosing the best equip-ment. Resilient flooring is no longer a “final touch”, it is functional, hygienic and environmental, and will add to the experience of a building. “Rubber flooring is the future, of resilient flooring in the region and I predict more and more clients will be moving in ‘rub-ber direction,’” confirms McFadden.

Ideal flooring for varied projects

nora system GmbH

steven McfaddenRegional Manager

a leading name in the world for over six decades

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Sports & Athletic Rubber Surface Technology

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nora systems GmbH develops, manufac-tures and markets high-quality resilient floor coverings, shoe components and stair treads under the nora® brand name.

With a market share of over 80 per cent in Germany and more than 50 per cent worldwide, nora systems is the global market leader and has been shaping the development of rubber floor coverings. The main focus of its business activities

experts in sustainability and design

nora systems rubber floor coverings boast resilient qualities

lies in the market segments health care, education and industry. With the nora-ment® and noraplan® product lines, nora systems stands for quality “Made in Ger-many” all over the world.

Creative interior concepts with innovative designs

nora floor coverings are based on high-quality natural and industrial rubber. The vulcanisation process gives the coverings their permanent resilient qualities and resistant surface. The floorings are prac-tically indestructible, displaying scarcely any signs of wear even after years of in-tensive use.

With more than 300 colours, different surface structures and inlays for innu-merable composition possibilities, the

nora® assortment gives architects, plan-ners and building developers prolific op-tions for creative interior design.

The name ‘nora’ has always been syn-onymous with innovative floor design. In the 1960s, the norament pastille cover-ing became a cult classic. About 80,000 square metres of norament® 925 were installed at Frankfurt Airport in 1968 and was used for more than 30 years. This means that norament® withstood the passing of more than 130 million pas-sengers — without any visible damage.

forerunner in environmental preservation (PVC-free)

Sustainability, environmental preserva-tion and healthy living have long formed a key element of the corporate philoso-

phy at nora systems. Numerous certifi-cates awarded by administrative bodies and federations are a testament to the environmental compatibility of nora floor coverings, which contain no harmful plasticisers or halogens.

The company has been certified for its environmental management system (eeC 761/2001) since 1996. In addi-tion, there are the cradle-to-cradle ex-aminations of the production process by the Fresenius Institute, as well as LeeD and GreeNGuArD certification for in-door air quality.

nora floor coverings have been carry-ing the “The blue Angel ...for low emis-sions” environmental label since 2006. At the beginning of 2011, the company is the very first manufacturer of rubber floor coverings to receive the environ-mental Product Declarations (ePDs) from the Institute Construction and en-vironment (Ibu). nora systems is also a founding member of the German Sus-tainable building Council.

nora system blue: all-in-one package for clean indoor air

With its certified nora system blue instal-lation system, the company has taken yet another step toward a healthy living en-vironment. nora systems is the first man-ufacturer worldwide to develop an all-in-one concept for environmentally compatible floor installations, compris-

ing three components.These are first of all the floor covering

itself, secondly the installation materials, and thirdly, a professional installation. every single component in this system solution meets the guidelines for indoor air hygiene issued by the Federal envi-ronmental Agency and carries the “blue Angel” eco-label.

With nora system blue, the company has once more extended its spectrum of expertise: From a manufacturer of rub-ber coverings through to a provider of all-in-one system solutions for healthy-living buildings.

With more than 300 colours, different surface structures and inlays for innumerable composition possibilities, the nora® assortment gives architects, planners and building developers prolific options for creative interior design

rayMond sPort llC

Raymond Sport LLC was estab-lished in 1987 and is currently backed with 27 years of experi-ence both locally and internation-ally specialising in and focusing on sports and leisure related commer-cial activities.

rubber products form a key product group that has helped enhance its product portfolio. raymond Sport represents one of the world’s leading rubber manufacturers and has the expe-rience and expertise to handle a wide variety of contract condi-tions. As members of profession-al and industry associations, raymond Sport are committed to maintaining the highest levels of service and are recognised by their clients, who are happy to endorse their reputation.

rephouse is a leading manufac-turer of rubber flooring systems.

With its state-of-the-art produc-tion technology, ISO 9001:2008 certification and more than 28 years of hands-on experience in both production and installation all over the world, rephouse can ensure premium quality rubber flooring products tailor-made for almost any kind of applications.

rephouse is also ISO 14001:2004 certified.

The story of Melos GmbH be-gan in 1930 with the recycling of rubber from salvaged tyres. To-day, Melos is a market leader in the field of granules. Products made by Melos GmbH are used in particular in processing for running tracks in sports stadia, as fall protection surfaces for children’s playgrounds, as infill granules on artificial turf as well as for non-slip surfacing in swim-ming pools.

ELJI INTERNATIONAL LLC, subsid-iary of Happy Holdings, is a well-estab-lished company with several years of manufacturing experience in various rub-ber products. eLJI is capable of convert-ing natural rubber, Sbr, ePDM and other rubber and rubber-related raw material to value-added products of best utility and sophistication, based on customer re-quirements using various processes such

as moulding, extrusion, etc. The product range of eLJI International

includes building protection systems such as corner guards, speed humps, wheel stoppers, wall guards, marine fenders, bearing pads, a wide range of general-purpose products like Seals, O-rings, Packing Strips, expansion Joints and beadings. eLJI is specialised in manufac-turing rubber gaskets for different indus-tries such as oil and gas, petrochemical and water industries.

eLJI International is also well known for its variety of rubber tile and flooring products.

ELJI RUBBER TILES, which come in different designs and shapes, manufac-tured using the high quality ePDM rubber granules giving more softness for the sur-face and colour durability. It is widely used for playgrounds, schools, house courtyards, horse stables, etc.

ELJI FLOORING, done for jogging tracks, common play areas and swimming decks, are the best solution to avoid slip-pery floors and is environment friendly.

All the flooring and tiling can be adapted to customer requirements and can also be done, based on requests, using both re-cycled and reclaimed rubber products, thus providing a cost effective solution, depending on end use.

eLJI International products are ex-ported to both developed and developing countries and is well accepted by the end users and has been utilised in various prestigious projects.

eLJI products go through very stringent quality measures using the established QC systems by employing foolproof testing equipments and rigorous stage-wise inspections.

eLJI is led by a team of highly qualified professionals to supervise, direct and de-velop technical and professional policy matters. eLJI International is guided by its Chairman Dr P V S Namboothiripad, postgraduate engineer from IIT Mumbai. He had served as CeO for Apollo tyres as well as CMD for Hindustan Latex. He had also served at Al rajhi Petrochemicals, KSA, at a senior advisory capacity.

Committed to better service

Gasket specialists

the company boasts years of hands-on experience in rubber flooring systemsa new standard in the

rubber industry

non-toxic materials and omission of PVC components make it ideal for areas that have pets and children.

The reason PVC is so shunned by the pub-lic is because of the highly dangerous toxins it emits over the period of time. From mak-ing its way into the human body through ac-cidental ingestion, inhalation or absorption, its content can affect the liver, immune as well as the reproductive system. In addition, it has high chances of causing cancer.

The component can easily make its way into the food chain through water or con-tamination when being cleaned.

Children and animals are susceptible

to hazardous situations where either one may attempt to chew on the flooring ma-terial. A number of campaigns have now been launched across the world that aims to educate people on the dangers of poor flooring and how to avoid life-threatening situations.

With this in mind, a number of organisa-tions have also taken a pledge against the use of PVC in ingredients and strive to ensure the ingredient is phased out altogether.

It is important to have proper installers who will ensure they use the right tools and sub-flooring on which to place the rubber material. using proper accessories is necessary to see that the floors are lined correctly.

From breaking falls to preventing slipping, well-installed rubber flooring will not only appear great aesthetically, but will also avoid unnecessary accidents like tripping or scrapes.

The uAe is home to dedicated events that provide a platform for those involved in the trade. For instance, Arabplast features a portfolio of materials used in buildings and construction. businessmen get a chance to meet others with similar interests and ex-plore opportunities to improve the region’s flooring sector. Plus, seminars bring in sea-soned experts from across the world to share trade-specifics and how these can be incor-porated.

— farhana@khaleejtimes.com

Pave the path to sustainable floors» Continued from previous page

rubber floorinG trendskhaleej times / aDVeRtisiNG sUPPlemeNt

FOR A SPACE THAT REALLY ‘GETS IT’.THE FLOOR IS YOURS. TALK TO US.

WHEN IT COMES TO IMPROVING YOUR FACILITY, NOBODY HAS MORE TO SAY THAN YOU DO. SO OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS TO LISTEN. BY WORKING WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, NORA® WILL HELP YOU TURN YOUR IDEAL SPACE INTO A REALITY.

Sales contact UAEnora systems GmbH (JLT Branch)

2008 HDS Business Centre| Jumeirah Lakes Towers

PO Box 478392 | Dubai, UAETel.: +971 (4) 450 8175Fax: +971 (4) 450 8374

E-mail: steven.mcfadden@nora.comwww.nora.com/corp

nora systems GmbH develops, manufac-tures and markets high-quality resilient floor coverings, shoe components and stair treads under the nora® brand name.

With a market share of over 80 per cent in Germany and more than 50 per cent worldwide, nora systems is the global market leader and has been shaping the development of rubber floor coverings. The main focus of its business activities

Experts in sustainability and design

nora systems rubber floor coverings boast resilient qualities

lies in the market segments health care, education and industry. With the nora-ment® and noraplan® product lines, nora systems stands for quality “Made in Ger-many” all over the world.

Creative interior concepts with innovative designs

nora floor coverings are based on high-quality natural and industrial rubber. The vulcanisation process gives the coverings their permanent resilient qualities and resistant surface. The floorings are prac-tically indestructible, displaying scarcely any signs of wear even after years of in-tensive use.

With more than 300 colours, different surface structures and inlays for innu-merable composition possibilities, the

nora® assortment gives architects, plan-ners and building developers prolific op-tions for creative interior design.

The name ‘nora’ has always been syn-onymous with innovative floor design. In the 1960s, the norament pastille cover-ing became a cult classic. About 80,000 square metres of norament® 925 were installed at Frankfurt Airport in 1968 and was used for more than 30 years. This means that norament® withstood the passing of more than 130 million pas-sengers — without any visible damage.

Forerunner in environmental preservation (PVC-Free)

Sustainability, environmental preserva-tion and healthy living have long formed a key element of the corporate philoso-

phy at nora systems. Numerous certifi-cates awarded by administrative bodies and federations are a testament to the environmental compatibility of nora floor coverings, which contain no harmful plasticisers or halogens.

The company has been certified for its environmental management system (EEC 761/2001) since 1996. In addi-tion, there are the cradle-to-cradle ex-aminations of the production process by the Fresenius Institute, as well as LEED and GREENGUARD certification for in-door air quality.

nora floor coverings have been carry-ing the “The Blue Angel ...for low emis-sions” environmental label since 2006. At the beginning of 2011, the company is the very first manufacturer of rubber floor coverings to receive the Environ-mental Product Declarations (EPDs) from the Institute Construction and En-vironment (IBU). nora systems is also a founding member of the German Sus-tainable Building Council.

nora system blue: All-in-one package for clean indoor air

With its certified nora system blue instal-lation system, the company has taken yet another step toward a healthy living en-vironment. nora systems is the first man-ufacturer worldwide to develop an all-in-one concept for environmentally compatible floor installations, compris-

ing three components.These are first of all the floor covering

itself, secondly the installation materials, and thirdly, a professional installation. Every single component in this system solution meets the guidelines for indoor air hygiene issued by the Federal Envi-ronmental Agency and carries the “Blue Angel” eco-label.

With nora system blue, the company has once more extended its spectrum of expertise: From a manufacturer of rub-ber coverings through to a provider of all-in-one system solutions for healthy-living buildings.

With more than 300 colours, different surface structures and inlays for innumerable composition possibilities, the nora® assortment gives architects, planners and building developers prolific options for creative interior design

RAymond SPoRt LLC

Raymond Sport LLC was estab-lished in 1987 and is currently backed with 27 years of experi-ence both locally and internation-ally specialising in and focusing on sports and leisure related commer-cial activities.

Rubber products form a key product group that has helped enhance its product portfolio. Raymond Sport represents one of the world’s leading rubber manufacturers and has the expe-rience and expertise to handle a wide variety of contract condi-tions. As members of profession-al and industry associations, Raymond Sport are committed to maintaining the highest levels of service and are recognised by their clients, who are happy to endorse their reputation.

Rephouse is a leading manufac-turer of rubber flooring systems.

With its state-of-the-art produc-tion technology, ISO 9001:2008 certification and more than 28 years of hands-on experience in both production and installation all over the world, Rephouse can ensure premium quality rubber flooring products tailor-made for almost any kind of applications.

Rephouse is also ISO 14001:2004 certified.

The story of Melos GmbH be-gan in 1930 with the recycling of rubber from salvaged tyres. To-day, Melos is a market leader in the field of granules. Products made by Melos GmbH are used in particular in processing for running tracks in sports stadia, as fall protection surfaces for children’s playgrounds, as infill granules on artificial turf as well as for non-slip surfacing in swim-ming pools.

ELJI INTERNATIONAL LLC, subsid-iary of Happy Holdings, is a well-estab-lished company with several years of manufacturing experience in various rub-ber products. ELJI is capable of convert-ing natural rubber, SBR, EPDM and other rubber and rubber-related raw material to value-added products of best utility and sophistication, based on customer re-quirements using various processes such

as moulding, extrusion, etc. The product range of ELJI International

includes building protection systems such as corner guards, speed humps, wheel stoppers, wall guards, marine fenders, bearing pads, a wide range of general-purpose products like Seals, O-Rings, Packing Strips, Expansion Joints and Beadings. ELJI is specialised in manufac-turing rubber gaskets for different indus-tries such as oil and gas, petrochemical and water industries.

ELJI International is also well known for its variety of rubber tile and flooring products.

ELJI RUBBER TILES, which come in different designs and shapes, manufac-tured using the high quality EPDM rubber granules giving more softness for the sur-face and colour durability. It is widely used for playgrounds, schools, house courtyards, horse stables, etc.

ELJI FLOORING, done for jogging tracks, common play areas and swimming decks, are the best solution to avoid slip-pery floors and is environment friendly.

All the flooring and tiling can be adapted to customer requirements and can also be done, based on requests, using both re-cycled and reclaimed rubber products, thus providing a cost effective solution, depending on end use.

ELJI International products are ex-ported to both developed and developing countries and is well accepted by the end users and has been utilised in various prestigious projects.

ELJI products go through very stringent quality measures using the established QC systems by employing foolproof testing equipments and rigorous stage-wise inspections.

ELJI is led by a team of highly qualified professionals to supervise, direct and de-velop technical and professional policy matters. ELJI International is guided by its Chairman Dr P V S Namboothiripad, postgraduate engineer from IIT Mumbai. He had served as CEO for Apollo tyres as well as CMD for Hindustan Latex. He had also served at Al Rajhi Petrochemicals, KSA, at a senior advisory capacity.

Committed to better service

Gasket specialists

The company boasts years of hands-on experience in rubber flooring systemsA new standard in the

rubber industry

non-toxic materials and omission of PVC components make it ideal for areas that have pets and children.

The reason PVC is so shunned by the pub-lic is because of the highly dangerous toxins it emits over the period of time. From mak-ing its way into the human body through ac-cidental ingestion, inhalation or absorption, its content can affect the liver, immune as well as the reproductive system. In addition, it has high chances of causing cancer.

The component can easily make its way into the food chain through water or con-tamination when being cleaned.

Children and animals are susceptible

to hazardous situations where either one may attempt to chew on the flooring ma-terial. A number of campaigns have now been launched across the world that aims to educate people on the dangers of poor flooring and how to avoid life-threatening situations.

With this in mind, a number of organisa-tions have also taken a pledge against the use of PVC in ingredients and strive to ensure the ingredient is phased out altogether.

It is important to have proper installers who will ensure they use the right tools and sub-flooring on which to place the rubber material. Using proper accessories is necessary to see that the floors are lined correctly.

From breaking falls to preventing slipping, well-installed rubber flooring will not only appear great aesthetically, but will also avoid unnecessary accidents like tripping or scrapes.

The UAE is home to dedicated events that provide a platform for those involved in the trade. For instance, Arabplast features a portfolio of materials used in buildings and construction. Businessmen get a chance to meet others with similar interests and ex-plore opportunities to improve the region’s flooring sector. Plus, seminars bring in sea-soned experts from across the world to share trade-specifics and how these can be incor-porated.

— farhana@khaleejtimes.com

Pave the path to sustainable floors» Continued from previous page

RubbeR FLooRinG tRendSkhaleej times / ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

FOR A SPACE THAT REALLY ‘GETS IT’.THE FLOOR IS YOURS. TALK TO US.

WHEN IT COMES TO IMPROVING YOUR FACILITY, NOBODY HAS MORE TO SAY THAN YOU DO. SO OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS TO LISTEN. BY WORKING WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, NORA® WILL HELP YOU TURN YOUR IDEAL SPACE INTO A REALITY.

Sales contact UAEnora systems GmbH (JLT Branch)

2008 HDS Business Centre| Jumeirah Lakes Towers

PO Box 478392 | Dubai, UAETel.: +971 (4) 450 8175Fax: +971 (4) 450 8374

E-mail: steven.mcfadden@nora.comwww.nora.com/corp