CAFCO 300 PROTECTING THE WORLD’S TALLEST HOTEL
14/03/2007
In January 2007, UK based passive fire protection material manufacturer, Cafco International, dispatched the concluding part-shipment of Cafco 300 from its’ Middle East manufacturing company – Cafco International LLC, which has been used to protect the structural steel elements of the ‘Rose Rotana Suites’, Dubai’s and the world’s newest and tallest hotel.
In total, the two year contract has required 420 Tonnes of the long-established passive fire protection material, making it easily one of the largest product supply orders secured in the UAE construction industry over the past two years.
At 333 metres high, the Rose Rotana Suite skyscraper now officially surpasses the height of Dubai’s well known ‘Burj al Arab’, which is located close by. Until now the latter, at 331 metres, had held the record for the tallest hotel on the planet. The statistics are astonishing. When complete in mid 2007, the new structure will accommodate 72 floors containing 480 studios and suites, a lobby lounge, a 24-hour restaurant, 2 complete floors of meeting rooms, 3 floors of dedicated service offices and a state-of-the-art fitness centre, with an outside pool.
Cafco 300 is a single pack factory quality controlled passive fire protection material, based on vermiculite and gypsum. At the Rose Rotana Suite complex the material is being applied to the steel columns at an average thickness of 22mm and to the steel beams at an average thickness of 28mm. In the event of a fire, Cafco 300 will provide 2-hour protection to 600 square metres of structural steel comprising each of the 69 floors; a staggering total of 41,400 square metres.
The striking Rose Rotana Suite complex, located on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road, was designed by Khatib & Alami Architecture & Planning and Cafco 300 was specified at the blueprint stage.
Exhaustive product testing, accreditations and approvals, together with local availability, technical support and inspection services were primary reasons for its selection. Project Management for the project was provided by the Abbco Group. The General Contractor was the Arabian Construction Company. Cafco recommended applicator, Tuleila Heat Insulation, were responsible for the installation of the Cafco 300.
Cafco 300 is specifically formulated for protecting internal surfaces of leisure and entertainment centres, educational facilities, commercial buildings and the like. The lightweight, spray or trowel applied coating adds minimal thickness to steel (and/or concrete) frames, metal floors, roof decks and return air plenums etc., yet provides extremely efficient fire resistance.
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