How Sharjah will raise lifespans of its buildings

The Sharjah City Municipality authorities are pulling out all stops to extend the life expectancy of buildings.

Thabit Al Tarifi, Director-General of the Sharjah City Municipality, said that the civic authorities have started implementing several measures aimed at safeguarding the buildings in line with modern town planning and urban development methods.

The Sharjah City Municipality’s inception dates back much before the founding of the UAE, as it was established in 1927, Al Tarifi said. It has a rich database, and the first building permit was issued way back in 1961 and a good 10 years before the UAE was founded, data showed.

The civic authorities have been hard at work to carry out periodic maintenance for each building within their jurisdiction and proper implementation of all rules and regulations.

Khalifa bin Hada Al Suwaidi, Assistant Director-General of the Engineering Department of the Sharjah City Municipality, said several measures were undertaken to upgrade the sustainability of the buildings, including those that enjoy heritage status.

“ To ensure the efficiency of buildings, the municipality has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the American Concrete Institute to enhance cooperation between the two parties in matters related to their longevity and safety,” he added.

Al Suwaidi emphasised that the quality of the building materials and suitability to climatic conditions and allied natural factors are responsible for a building’s life expectancy. Periodic maintenance of buildings helped expand their lifespan, where structural integrity with the passage of time is of utmost importance. “Waterproofing and thermal insulation is one of the key factors as far asthe life expectancy of a building is concerned, ” he added.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com