The challenge of
installing one of the largest expanses of flooring in a single project – and
one of the most complex – faced the hub where east meets west at Hamad
International Airport in Doha, Qatar.
The volume of epoxy
terrazzo flooring supplied by Sherwin-Williams - 140,000 sq metres of pigmented
epoxy resin - involved the shipping of pre-mixed marble aggregates from Italy
to complete the design for the main floor areas consisting of three colours,
primarily dark grey with pure black or white epoxy terrazzo.
The epoxy terrazzo was
poured in situ as the 16,000 workers from various countries navigated their way
around the 5,500-acre site and ground and polished the flooring to a high
finish, bringing with it major environmental benefits. Thin set epoxy conforms
to the EU’s solvents and Volatile Organic Compounds Emissions Directive.
The installation
process itself also meant there was very little waste – the terrazzo prepared
for installation was measured accurately to allow as much or as little to be
used in application.
Now, almost 10 years
later, the epoxy terrazzo flooring is still shining brightly providing a
dazzling welcome to visitors to the airport, described as ‘the gateway to
Qatar’ and the hub for its world-class airline Qatar Airways with the capacity
to serve 8,700 passengers per hour and 30 million every year.
Vik Vithlani of
Sherwin-Williams, said: “This was quite a challenge and proved the aesthetic
and environmental value of terrazzo. This demonstrated how we can meet the
demands of architects and specifiers with longer-lasting products with
ever-greater green credentials.
“We can create truly
bespoke options in terms of both colour and aggregates such as glass, marble,
granite and mother of pearl. Terrazzo has its roots in technology hundreds of
years old, but for those looking to specify correctly from the outset, with longevity
in mind as well as return on investment and aesthetics, it remains a thoroughly
modern choice.”
Terrazzo flooring is a
composite – a mix of resin with aggregates which give the product such variety
in its design. Intended to be a durable, hard-wearing and highly decorative
flooring solution, the resin is mixed with coloured marble, granite chips or
other approved aggregates such as glass.
Sherwin-Williams has
successfully supplied terrazzo flooring to a number of major projects including
the Greenwich Visitor Centre at the Old Royal Naval College in London, Salford
Royal NHS Trust and Central Library, Manchester.
In the US, terrazzo
flooring systems are commonly utilised, and the large, high specification
developments of the Middle East can commonly be found featuring bespoke
terrazzo systems.
With simple
re-polishing or re-sealing using water-based products a typical terrazzo
flooring can last up to 40 years. However, vinyl floor sheets would require
replacing typically every 12 years or less.
