Project: Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
Client: IGY Marinas, Target Marine, Nakheel
Dubai is an iconic destination that’s known for its soaring skyline and incredible feats of engineering. One of these is Palm Jumeriah, an artificial island in the shape of a palm tree.
Positioned on the east and west sides of the palm is Palm Jumeirah Marina, a 522 berth marina featuring over 7km of Dura Grating walkways, which still look stunning more than 15 years since they were first installed. First built in 2007, the marina was widely acknowledged at the time as the biggest budget marina in the world, setting the benchmark for a new standard across the UAE.
The marina construction consisted of pre-cast concrete pontoons which were notable for their width and stability. Dura Composites were selected to provide grating walkways for the pontoons and were able to manufacture a bespoke peach colour at the client’s request, which blended in seamlessly with the other styling and detailing of the marina and complemented the breath-taking views.
The marina construction consisted of pre-cast concrete pontoons which were notable for their width and stability. Dura Composites were selected to provide grating walkways for the pontoons and were able to manufacture a bespoke peach colour at the client’s request, which blended in seamlessly with the other styling and detailing of the marina and complemented the breath-taking views.
The Dura Grating was the perfect solution for the waterside setting thanks to its chemical resistance, anti-slip performance in both wet and dry conditions and innate durability. It offers outstanding safety and has been proven to maintain 95% of its slip resistance after an incredible 1.1 million footfalls. The small hole sizes enable accessibility for all kinds of footwear and a vast range of marina users and light duty vehicles such as golf buggies.
When it came to fixing the Dura Grating to the pontoons, Dura Composites Commercial Director Tom Bowman brought his innovation skills to bear by inventing a brand-new Dome Washer fixing. Previous solutions used by others had proved not fit for purpose in hazardous marine conditions, and so the invention of this new low-profile washer transformed the way in which the grating panels could be applied in different commercial environments. Today, Dura Composites boasts a large range of sturdy fixings that complement all methods of marina construction for maximum versatility.
Interestingly this project was the largest at the time for Dura’s Commercial Director Tom Bowman who’s ingenuity and technical skillset now means he has multiple patents and scores of design registrations to his name.
Commenting on the project, Tom Bowman said:
Even after 15 years, Palm Jumeirah Marina remains one of my favourite projects at Dura Composites. At the time, the creation of a marina of that size on an artificial island seemed like an amazing feat and one that Dura were proud to be involved in.
Creating a bespoke solution is what we do best and we are delighted to see that even after all this time, the product still looks great and helps to ensure the accessibility of a state-of-the-art facility providing premiere services to boat owners and guests.
