The authentic Arabian appearance of Madinat Jumeirah is being created through the application of coloured architectural plasters, which have been developed especially for the project by RMC Topmix in Dubai.

    Traditional local materials used by Emirati masons over hundreds of years - such as washed beach sand and cement - are used to manufacture the plaster, but the latest modern technology is applied to bring the process up-to-date in a computerised, controlled environment.

    RMC Topmix is supplying more than 3,000 cubic metres of the coloured plaster for the external finish of Madinat Jumeirah, which recreates the look and feel of traditional heritage sites, such as the Al Shindagha area of Dubai.

    Commercial Manager Nigel Harries says the company broke new ground in the UAE when it became the country’s first supplier of ready-mixed plasters and mortars, and its specially developed ‘Turath’ range (turath means ‘heritage’ in Arabic) has captured the imagination of architects and clients seeking a traditional look for their buildings.

    “If you look elsewhere in the world, it is the norm to have mortars and plasters delivered by a concrete mixer into specially-made tubs on site,” he explains. “We successfully introduced this concept in the UAE with normal grade plaster, but very quickly realised there was an interest for a coloured architectural plaster.

    “ It started with one villa on Al Wasl Road where the client wanted wind towers and a traditional look. There were articles in the local press about it and we started getting calls from people who wanted something similar – and it’s almost by chance that the Madinat Jumeirah initiative came along at about the same time.”

    Engineers from RMC, which is the world’s largest ready-mix concrete supplier with operations in 28 countries, visited various local heritage sites to recreate the traditional colours used in days gone by.

    “We made a number of samples to get the colour and texture just right,” Harries explains. “Our product has the flexibility to enable different textures, and this has been applied in different areas of Madinat Jumeirah to create a bespoke finish.”

    He says there are tremendous advantages of coloured plaster over paint, especially if you are seeking a traditional appearance.

    “If you want perfection you use paint, but if you want a natural feel then you go down the route of an architectural plaster because you are going to get something that looks different. Then you have to look at some of the benefits in the longer term - our system is through-coloured so if it chips you have the same colour underneath, and it even adds to the appearance if a corner chips off if you want it to look old.

    “It is also consistent in that it wont fade. In fact, we believe it actually gets better with time. Paints have a certain lifespan depending on their quality but our plaster is there for life, so long as it has been applied properly.”

    As well as the traditional raw materials in the plaster mix, there are certain technical constituents which bring it into the 21^st Century.

    “ We add polypropylene fibres to reduce the risk of shrinkage cracking, we add special plasticizers which keep the material flowable, and set-retarding chemicals which keep it ‘live’ and useable throughout the day to reduce wastage,” Harries explains.

    “ It is produced in a computerized, controlled environment which has a big advantage over any site-mixed operation. This allows unmatched levels of quality control and the product is delivered to site before the masons begin work which boosts productivity. There is also an element of size allowing a commercial advantage – to mix a full truck load on site manually would take a lot of resources and time, but we can produce a full load in 10 minutes.”

    The popularity of RMC Topmix’s Turath range, which can be tailor-made to match any pastel or sand colour, has led to more contracts for the Al Quoz-based company since work began on Madinat Jumeirah, including the ongoing construction of 20 villas at Emirates Hills and five villas in Sharjah.

    “We have now developed an initiative whereby we will actually apply the plaster, as well as supply it,” Harries says. “We can control the product very well, but if an unskilled mason is applying it there can be a lot of problems as far as the visual appearance goes.

    “We always offer technical support and guidance, but we also now offer a service where we will apply it as well to ensure the control and quality, particularly for smaller sites.”

    He added: “We believe we are very competitive and are giving something that is very different - if people are looking for a heritage theme for a building, then this product works.”

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