Application of Fiberglass in Giant Statue

The Giant aka (The Emerging Man) is an impressive new sculpture at the Yas Bay Waterfront Development in Abu Dhabi. The giant is a concrete sculpture consisting of a head and two hands reaching out of the water. The bronze head alone is 8 meters in diameter.

The sculpture is fully reinforced with Mateenbar™ and then shotcrete on site. Since less concrete cover is required when using GFRP (glass fiber reinforced polymer) rebar, a minimum concrete cover of 40mm is specified. No corrosion protection is required when using Mateenbar™ due to its corrosion resistance and high chemical resistance.

Environmental Considerations for Composite-Enhanced Sculpture

Sculptures and structural elements need to be highly durable and require no maintenance or repair during their lifetime.

The following environmental factors were considered when selecting Mateenbar™ as the optimal reinforcement material for this project:

1. The high salinity of the Arabian Gulf ocean.

2. Wind and high humidity.

3. Hydrodynamic loads from wave sea level rise and storm surge.

4. The sea temperature in the bay ranges from 20ºC to 40ºC.

5. Air temperature from 10ºC to 60ºC.

Marine Environment - Durable Concrete Rebar

Mateenbar™ was chosen as the ideal reinforcement solution to eliminate corrosion risks and extend the design life cycle without maintenance. And provide a 100-year design life cycle. When using GFRP rebar, concrete additives such as silica fume are not required. Bends are manufactured at the factory and delivered on site.

The total used weight of the Mateenbar™ is approximately 6 tons. If the giant project used rebar, the total weight would be about 20 tons. The lightweight advantage saves labor and transportation costs.

This is not the first time Mateenbar™ has been used in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi F1 Circuit used Mateenbar™ concrete rebar at the finish line. The non-magnetic and non-electromagnetic properties of Mateenbar™ ensure no interference with sensitive timekeeping equipment.