Fake, low-grade products flood construction market

Abu Dhabi - The bogus products find their way into construction sites, mostly through the back door

Fake and substandard materials flooding the construction market pose a huge threat to building safety, industry experts have pointed out.
Consultants and safety managers say contractors and sub-contractors source out fake and inferior quality products for cladding and fire safety, to save on costs. And the bogus products find their way into construction sites, mostly through the back door.
A fire safety expert who has worked at a regulatory level at the Dubai government said that between 2004 and 2014, around 12 per cent of contractors and subcontractors were involved in using fake materials. "It is an industry secret. There are many who are willing to compromise on quality and safety if it saves them a few bucks," said the expert, with more than 15 years of experience in fire safety.
Nutankumar Manvatkar, another safety expert, said contractors sneak in fake products after they get approval from consultants. "In the initial stages of construction, they use the listed products that are approved. One or two months into the project, they substitute the approved material with another, which is cheaper but inferior," said Manvatkar who has worked as Vice President, Fire & Rescue, Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation (Trakhees), Dubai.
"Either consultants are kept in the dark or some turn a blind eye to the malpractice," added Manvatkar.
A safety manager at a consultancy in Abu Dhabi said fake products are available from all markets including China and India, and the purchasing divisions of companies get special deals on them. "You are talking about savings worth millions on huge projects. Budget constraints are what drives companies to sidestep on quality and safety," said the manager.
Manvatkar also said investigations into some notorious fire accidents in Dubai had revealed that the façade drawings submitted to authorities had dodged the fire safety requirements.
With the UAE introducing the new Fire and Life Safety Code, that emphasis on the use of fire-resistant claddings, experts are hoping the safety gaps in building construction will be minimised.
The new cost-effective code, an update of the 2011 version, as announced on Sunday, January 22, features 20 chapters, 784 illustrations and 256 tables. The updated chapters have specifications on using fire-resistant materials for cladding to reduce flammability in the event of a fire, in addition to other stipulations related to fire doors, access for Civil Defence trucks to reduce incident response times; and educating consultants, contractors and end-users on the latest modifications.
For the first time, those flouting the rules will face prosecution and penalty of up to Dh50,000.
Though details of the code are not yet made available to construction companies, industry players say stringent regulations were overdue.
Jyothish Sugadhan, Health and Safety Manager at Turner & Townsend International LLC, said many high rises built before 2012 have used flammable materials in cladding and coating - the main reason flames engulfing the building facades in the event of fire.
"It is high time we fix it. The new code, when implemented, will have a huge impact on the construction industry. Some market players will be forced to dump the fake materials they have already purchased. Demand for quality products will spiral, which is a good thing," said Sugadhan.
anjana@khaleejtimes.com
A 2013 study commissioned by the Construction Industry Institute (CII), in Austin, found the counterfeit 'industry' does hundreds of billions of dollars of business annually.
The CII research found that steel was the most commonly counterfeited construction material. Using low-grade steel in place of structural steel reduced costs by half.
According to the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC), more than 80% of counterfeit products originate in China. Among these are bulk items used in the construction industry like scaffold and cranes. Other nations implicated in counterfeiting operations by U.S. Customs include Taiwan, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Pakistan.

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi