Dr. Akasabi: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Witnesses a Quantum Leap in the Regulations of Construction Materials
National and International Experts Discuss Concrete Specifications at SASO
A distinctive group of national and international experts in the field of building and construction gathered today this morning, Monday, in Riyadh, to discuss ready-mix concrete specifications and quality requirements, within the framework of the workshop organized by SASO during the period 3-5 Muharram, 1436 AH, corresponding to 27-29 October, 2014, entitled "Ready-Mix Concrete Specifications and Requirements of Quality and Accreditation" at its main headquarters in Riyadh. This is a continuation to SASO's efforts aiming to support the building and construction sector, update and activate Saudi standard specifications in the field of building and construction materials.
For his part, His Excellency the Governor of SASO, Dr. Saad bin Othman Al-Kasabi confirmed in a speech delivered at the opening of the workshop's activities that Saudi Arabia has witnessed over the past two decades a quantum leap in the regulations and standard specifications of building materials, represented by the issuance and approval of the Saudi Building Code, in accordance with the directives of the High Commissioner, noting SASO's incubation of the Code project and its effective contributions to approving it. Moreover, the Governor of SASO confirmed in his speech that SASO started more than seven years ago adopting all the approved standard specification within the Concrete Building Code, most of which were issued by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
Specialists anticipate that this gathering will come up with specific and clear mechanisms for establishing and updating Saudi standard specifications in line with global trends. Also, the gathering will support the efforts of SASO and other concerned authorities in activating the national project of the Saudi Building Code, will found a solid legislative structure to support the building and construction sector and will provide the necessary safety and security for citizens and residents in the Kingdom. It is scheduled that the activities of these specialized workshop will last for three consecutive days, as the events will include 18 work sessions addressing critical issues relating to concrete and its specifications over three days.
It is noteworthy that SASO has made rapid efforts to strengthen the building and construction sector in the Kingdom through this workshop, which came after the recently ended workshop on steel reinforcement. SASO has also made effective contributions in the National Strategy for Rationalization of Energy Consumption in its second phase through updating the specifications of thermal insulation products, as it has approved the mandatory technical regulations of thermal transmittance value of residential buildings and 13 mandatory technical regulations on 10 specific materials in thermal insulation, in addition to other strategic issues relating to the building and construction sector.