MATHIS secures the first laminated timber project in Qatar

After 2 years of marketing in Qatar, Mathis has seen its efforts rewarded having secured the glulam elements of a project in the military parade zone of the new International Airport at Doha. The 80 m x 20 m structure, a mixture of timber / steel elements and a fabric covering, was the obvious and natural choice because of technical, aesthetic, and ecological reasons.

Having made several submissions and proposals, and participated in many technical meetings, this French company was awarded the contract. "Our philosophy is simple: we aid and assist the architects to realize their projects with our timber structures," explains Mr. Alan Dolléans, International Project Manager. Mathis provides all the structural calculations and drawings, carries out the fabrication of the structure, arranges the transportation from the factory to the site, and monitores the erection of the frame.

The timber elements were shipped by sea, and then delivered to site by lorries. The structure was erected in one week without any difficulty. The contractor responsible for the erection, experienced in erecting steel structures, and was pleasantly surprised by the ease of installing the 23 m long beams. "Our trump card is to integrate the engineering design with the digitally controlled CNC fabrication machinery so that when the elements arrive on site they can rapidly and accurately be assembled in record time."

Having completed this initial project in Qatar, Mathis has successfully shown that it is possible to provide alternative forms of construction in timber in the region. Mathis is currently in the process of studying drawings for other large scale projects in the Gulf and hopes, (Inshallah), that between now and the end of the year to see other glulam projects spring out of the ground.