In general people who pass by a park bench, a paved promenade or a well-planted streetscape think nice. They don’t often think about what is holding it all together. In the UAE, the solution is becoming precast concrete and it’s doing more than just looking grey.
Today, precast concrete is used in the UAE for more than just roads and bridges. Ranging from sculptural bollards along a Dubai waterfront to the modular planter systems along the pedestrianised streets of Abu Dhabi, it has become one of the most flexible materials in modern urban design. This guide delves into how, and why, it is so naturally situated in this part of the world.
How Can Precast Concrete Make a Difference to UAE Urban Landscapes?
It is important to recognise the UAE’s climatic demands and why this material is suited for such conditions before going into any specific applications. It’s a tough one it is, with temperatures regularly topping 45°C in summer, high levels of UV radiation and coastal humidity causing material degradation in all aspects. Wood decays. Metal rusts. Plastic discolours. Precast concrete does none of that.
Precast concrete resists vandalism, wear and weathering in outdoor, public areas much better than wood, plastic or metal. That durability is no longer a desirable optional feature on the agenda for a country aiming to create world class cities at real scale and real speed.
The UAE government has dedicated AED 110 billion towards infrastructure and urban development, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi being the key focus areas. Now sustainability is at the core of that programme, with a national target of 70% green buildings and now this is becoming more prevalent in the design of public space and landscape. Precast concrete is an ideal addition to that agenda – because it produces less waste on site, consumes less labour and offers a longer service life than many other materials.
Precast Concrete Pavers and Pedestrian Surfaces
At the very least, one thing that is on the road and in the eyes of people in any city is precast concrete. Precast concrete pavers are used throughout Dubai and Abu Dhabi for walkways, public plazas, promenades and community gathering areas.
The current city of Masdar in Abu Dhabi is an incredible example of how to do it. It has an all precast concrete pedestrian network with consideration given to street widths and materials to ensure the city is 10-15 degrees cooler than the rest of Abu Dhabi. This isn’t a coincidence — if precast concrete paving is implemented strategically, it can be a significant part of an UAE landscaping project that helps reduce the urban heat island effect.
In addition to being able to match poured-in-place concrete, precast pavers can provide design variety that cannot be achieved with poured-in-place concrete. They are manufactured in a variety of textures, profiles, colours, and finishes in UAE. A range of moulds can be used to create a variety of cobblestone-effect finishes for heritage areas, smooth finishes for contemporary promenades and textured slip-resistant finishes for high traffic areas, all created from the same base material.
Street Furniture, Such as Benches, Bollards and Waste Receptacles
Landscaping is more than just surfaces and planting. Whereas furniture is the element that makes a public environment functional — precast concrete does a fine job of doing that with style.
Precast concrete benches are engineered to handle heavy usage, high temperatures and the occasional wear & tear from the public. Concrete benches can maintain a more stable thermal equilibrium and need almost no maintenance after installation, unlike wooden benches which need regular maintenance, and metal benches which heat up too easily during UAE summers.
There is a wide range of designs. Benches are manufactured by precast companies in the UAE in various styles without back support, curved designs, integrated planter-bench combinations and those with embedded timber or stone accents. A UAE based manufacturer, Orient Concrete Products have established a niche in the manufacture of precast architectural components and street furniture for landscapes as opposed to being imported.
Another popular precasted component featured in the UAE cities’ design is the bollards which are employed to demarcate pedestrian zones and to safeguard the facades of buildings, as well as to direct the flow of traffic. Steel bollards generally corrode after a couple of years of exposure to salt air, whereas precast concrete bollards do not have that problem — a major benefit in a country like UAE where the coastline makes up the majority of the country.
Organize Plantation and Integrate Green Spaces
That’s where the real fun begins for the landscape designer. Precast concrete planters are far removed from the old-fashioned, heavy duty rectangular planters of years gone by. Precast planters serve several purposes in contemporary urban environments in the UAE, such as providing planting space, marking pedestrian areas, offering casual seating, and defining public space.
Cities can reimagine green space in a flexible way without substantial infrastructure investment using modular precast planter systems. That modularity also means that green spaces can adapt to the changing demands of the city: an attribute that is important in a city as dynamic as Dubai.
In pedestrian walkways in the UAE, there is often a combination of planters and benches, providing an area for people to relax while enjoying the greenery. This is especially effective in shopping areas, waterfront promenades, outdoor dining spaces, and other locations where a greater time is spent in the space.This really lends more time in the space, particularly in areas where one is shopping, sitting on the waterfront promenade, or in an outdoor dining space. The structure is created by concrete, the plants give it life. When used in combination, they have a synergistic effect.
Maintenance of Retaining Walls and Management of Level Changes
The UAE is not flat all throughout. Level changes are a regular occurrence on hillside sites throughout Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and parts of Abu Dhabi and precast concrete retaining walls do the job well — and a good one can make a significant contribution to an overall landscape design, not just support it.
New precast retaining walls are truly versatile. Patterned finishes can simulate natural stone or give a gabion-basket appearance; custom form liners can form specific patterns and textures directly in the concrete face. The outcome is a wall that seems like a deliberate design, rather than a structural need.
Precast retaining walls can offer a variety of functions within urban parks, residential developments, and waterfront projects without sacrificing structural integrity, such as enclose garden beds, add seating ledges, and control stormwater flow. The versatility is ideally matched to the landscape design requirements of the UAE cities as the land value is very high and everything in the landscape has to be justified.
Sculptures and Monuments, Architectural Features
This is the app that no one would expect if they think about it, but it is indeed interesting. With a skilled artist, precast concrete is more than a building material: it’s a medium for public art and architectural expression. Precast manufacturers in the UAE have created public artworks, monument bases, facades for decorative applications and landmark installations throughout the urban landscape of the gulf.
The sculptural form of precast concrete is functional, practical and durable – but it can also provide memorable, distinctive design. The material assumes the form of the mould being filled, so there are very little design restrictions; complex curves, geometric patterns, Arabic geometric motifs, organic forms and more are all possible. Unlike bronze or steel public art that tends to fade, corrode or require constant maintenance in the Gulf climate, precast concrete maintains its shape with minimal upkeep.
Precast concrete art and architectural features offer a perfect fit for UAE cities looking to create public spaces and are in need of a locally made, durable, and scalable solution that meets the region’s aesthetic and practical requirements — from Dubai’s waterfront districts to Abu Dhabi’s cultural corridors.
A Landscape Element Is a Crash Barrier or a Traffic Management Feature
It is rare for this application to appear on a “creative landscaping” list, but it is noteworthy. Precast concrete crash barriers and road delineators are not just safety infrastructure but also a way to demarcate the road-landscape boundary, create pedestrian zones, and provide a finish with matching material palette to the surrounding street landscape.
Precast concrete barriers are engineered for road safety and traffic control, and they can be easily installed, moved, and repositioned to keep up with the changing urban landscape.Precast concrete barriers are designed to be easily installed, removed, and relocated to accommodate changing urban conditions, making them a valuable asset for road safety and traffic control. But as the public space around a barrier system comes to maturity, a temporary safety arrangement can become a permanent fixture of the edge of the landscape.
The Sustainability Angle
There is no such thing as sustainable landscaping in the UAE that is anything but real. Precast concrete slabs reinforce that direction in a number of concrete ways. There is less material waste in the factory production than casting on site. Precision moulding reduces the waste of concrete. Fewer replacements also decrease overall resource use throughout the lifetime of a material, and a longer service life means that the material is not replaced as often.
When used correctly, precast concrete can meet the goal of UAE to have 70% of the building stock certified as green and support LEED and Estidama credit requirements. Sustainability and environmentally responsible materials and production processes are becoming more commonplace in the UAE precast industry, not only due to regulations, but also because it is expected by the market — and that’s a significant point for landscape architects and urban planners to consider when selecting materials for public realm projects where compliance and credibility are key.
Selecting the Correct Precast Concrete Supplier in UAE
When it comes to landscaping with precast concrete, not all concrete is created equal—finish quality, dimensional and design differences are what set the suppliers apart. The UAE precast sector is well established and manufacturers are located throughout Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, many of which are ISO 9001 certified and make architectural quality precast components which are ideally suited for urban landscape applications.
For public realm and landscape projects: Ensure that your manufacturer: Can produce custom-moulded shapes; has a true range of surface finishes beyond plain grey; has a proven track record of working on public realm and landscape projects specifically; and has the logistics capability to deliver and install project components across UAE cities without major disruption to the community.
Final Thoughts
In fact, the scope of precast concrete solutions in landscaping for cities in UAE is very broad: the ideas are limitless. The material is up to the task and more.