Elevate RubberGard EPDM, a sustainable and durable roofing solution for the prestigious Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi

The Yas Mall, located in the heart of the dynamic Yas Island, is Abu Dhabi’s ultimate shopping, dining and entertainment experience. Described as "the missing piece of the Yas Island jigsaw puzzle", the gigantic 232,258 m² complex focused on sustainability on every step of its construction process, which took place between 2011 and 2014.

General contractor BESIX Group was awarded the project. Although PVC was initially specified as roofing membrane, it did not meet the local ESTIDAMA requirements as only chlorine-free materials could be used. ESTIDAMA is a building design methodology for constructing and operating buildings and communities more sustainably, developed and promoted by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC).

Local Elevate Master Contractor Western International recommended the use of the RubberGard EPDM membrane due to its compliance with ESTIDAMA requirements, its long-term durability - even in the extreme UV radiation and heat of Abu Dhabi- and its capability to meet the fast installation rates that were set for the construction of the Yas Mall. In total, about 100,000 m² of 1.5 mm thick RubberGard EPDM membrane were used in this project.

A key challenge was the tight deadline of seven months imposed by the customer, so that the Yas Mall could open as scheduled. The roofing contractor was able to quickly and efficiently install the large RubberGard EPDM sheets and use the QuickSeam™ Tape system for seams and details, thanks to the training they received by Elevate’s technical department both at the training center in Brussels (Belgium) and on-site.

Using an inverted ballasted system was also a bonus, as it allowed the use of large EPDM sheets (6.10 m wide by 30.50 m long), which resulted in a faster and efficient installation. Fewer seams were required during the construction phase, which also made the installation process easier.

A construction project of this size was backed by Elevate’s field support services. A dedicated team was made available to address any issues quickly and efficiently before, during and after installation.

EPDM is the most future-proof roofing solution when it comes to sustainability, performance and design freedom. Learn more about the role it played within this project and many others by discovering its benefits.