Case Study
KAFD Towers (3.04 and 3.05)
Project Overview
Location
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Building
King Abdullah Financial District – Towers 3.04 & 3.05
Aeroseal Contractors
AWT Services
Contract Engineer
Evolution Engineering Services
Goal
Reduce duct leakage and pass inspection
Before Aeroseal
15,289.6 CFM total leakage
After Aeroseal
257 CFM total leakage
Results
98.3% average leakage reduction and all buildings passed inspection, allowing construction to resume
High-Profile KAFD Construction Projects Stay on Track with Aeroseal Duct Sealing
Duct Leakage Causes Inspection Failure, Costly Shutdown of Multi-Use Towers
The King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) is home to some of the largest, most recognizable buildings on the Riyadh skyline. Located in Saudi Arabia’s capital, the KAFD has become one of the world’s largest financial centers. This high-profile area, with several super high-rise construction projects underway at any given time, sees the best work from some of the country’s top contractors.
So when construction was halted on two, high profile towers (Building 3.04 and 3.05), El Seif Engineering Contracting Company, one of the general contractors, was understandably concerned. The buildings could not pass pressure testing. “These are mixed-use buildings, designed for an array of retail, office, and residential tenants,” said Mohammed El Omla, an El Seif Project Director. “Our work had to be perfect for such a diverse clientele.”
Isolating leaks across two towers meant we had to be right the first time. We were confident that Aeroseal duct sealing was the only option to ensure this project would pass inspection successfully
Ma’in Ja’bari
Senior Commissioning Manager -
Evolution Engineering Services
So when construction was halted on two, high profile towers (Building 3.04 and 3.05), El Seif Engineering Contracting Company, one of the general contractors, was understandably concerned. The buildings could not pass pressure testing. “These are mixed-use buildings, designed for an array of retail, office, and residential tenants,” said Mohammed El Omla, an El Seif Project Director. “Our work had to be perfect for such a
diverse clientele.”
El Seif Engineering Contracting Company is one of the Middle East’s leading construction companies and a member of the El Seif Group, a major Saudi group of companies with diverse business in the Kingdom and the Middle East.
Following the initial test and balance work, El Seif called in Evolution Engineers Services (EES) to conduct an assessment and identify a solution. EES is certified in the field of building systems commissioning for HVAC, electrical and green buildings as well as commercial environmental systems testing and balancing by the U.S-based National Environmental Balancing Bureau.
“We identified multiple segments of ductwork with major leakage issues— including smoke exhaust ductwork spanning more than 30 stories in Building 3.04,” said Ma’in Ja’bari, an EES Senior Commissioning Manager. “The ductwork is in a masonry shaft, making any type of manual sealing impossible. We knew an innovative solution would be required for this unique problem.”
Results
Learn how AWT used Aeroseal duct sealing to help El Seif pass inspection and resume construction on this important project by downloading the case study.
