Project Overview
In a rapidly growing residential district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Dubai British School (Mira School) is a testament to the power and versatility of precast concrete in educational design. Developed by consultant firm, Al Hashemi, and precast concrete producer, United Precast Concrete Dubai LLC, the new campus spans five distinct blocks totaling more than 325,000 ft2. The campus’s fully precast concrete superstructure supports a wide range of functions—from classrooms and labs to sports facilities and administrative spaces—all while delivering speed, sustainability, and long-term performance.
Strength, Style, and Sustainability
To bring the school to life, the project team manufactured and installed nearly 3000 precast concrete components, including insulated wall panels, load-bearing solid walls, cladding, parapets, columns, beams, stairs, slabs, and boundary walls. The roof structures over the campus’s indoor pool and multipurpose sports hall also feature single T-slabs measuring roughly 80 ft in length and supported by deep primary beams, showcasing the structural versatility of precast concrete in long-span applications.
Designing for seismic resilience in a moderate-risk zone added complexity to the work. Wet connections between columns and beams were used to emulate monolithic behavior, while vertical stitching joints between shear walls ensured continuity and ductility. Coordinating horizontal and vertical reinforcement was also a critical challenge, especially at beam-column intersections. Architectural requirements concerning façade aesthetics presented additional issues, particularly where precast concrete panels and cladding elements overhang the primary structural frame. This required precise coordination between the architectural and structural systems to maintain the project team’s visual and performance goals.
Precast concrete was instrumental in meeting the project’s aggressive timeline. Production and on-site erection were executed in parallel, allowing installation rates to peak at 150 pieces per week. This just-in-time delivery method maximized productivity and efficiency at the jobsite. The use of recycled aggregates and ground granulated blast-furnace slag in the concrete helped enhance sustainability. Additionally, leveraging precast concrete technology significantly benefited on-site environmental performance by helping to minimize construction noise, dust, and emissions. Each of the project’s 460 precast concrete wall panels was engineered for high-performance insulation, contributing to long-term energy efficiency and occupant comfort. Architectural features including grooves, overhangs, and recesses were fully integrated into the precast concrete design, eliminating the need for extensive on-site finishing. Mechanical, engineering, and plumbing (MEP) provisions were cast directly into the precast concrete wall panels, reducing site disturbance and accelerating installation.
The Dubai British School campus is more than a collection of classrooms; it’s a showcase of engineering precision and architectural vision. By leveraging a fully precast concrete solution, the project achieved speed, sustainability, and seismic resilience, delivering a world-class learning environment built to serve generations of students in the UAE.
Mason Nichols is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based writer and editor who has covered the precast concrete industry since 2013. |