Logo

1,145,000 Meters OF MARINE BARRIERS AND COUNTING Live LIVE

Published on 11 Apr ‘21
Ecobarrier EFB-650 buoys deployed to protect Dubai’s coastlines

ECOBARRIER EFB-650 BUOYS DEPLOYED TO PROTECT DUBAI’S COASTLINES

Nikola Zutic of Waagner Biro explains how the Ecobarrier EFB-650 buoys have been deployed to protect Dubai’s coastlines.

According to the Dubai Coastal Zone Monitoring Program, there are eight public beaches in Dubai that have received the Blue Flag certification, reflecting a clean, safe, and well-maintained environment for all to enjoy. All swimming areas at these public beaches have been demarcated by floating buoys and swimming barriers to clearly signify where there are safe swimming and water sport zones.

However, many of these existing buoys were worn and failing. As a result, Ecocoast has been brought on board to replace them with new floating buoys that meet international standards of safety, so as to ensure that recreational users have clearly demarcated areas where it is safe to swim, and where water sports can be conducted.

Our range of Ecobarrier Floating Buoys EFB-650 have been deployed to replace the faulty buoys, with more than 230 buoys installed since the operation began in 2017.

Ecocoast continues operation to replace failing buoys with EFB-650s
Ecocoast continues operation to replace failing buoys with EFB-650s

Nikola Zutic, project manager at Waagner Biro, worked on the project and explains that Ecocoast’s scope of work was to fabricate and deliver the EFB-650s to the site office, from where Waagner Biro took them to particular site locations and installed them with all anchor accessories and items.

Manufactured from strong, durable, UV-stabilised virgin polyethylene, the buoys are filled with closed-cell polyurethane foam for additional strength and durability.

The EFB-650 has a total weight of 20 kilograms and has a maximum mooring weight of 82 kilograms. The units are rotationally moulded with a wall thickness of 7mm, and can also be customised in yellow, red, and green, as per IALA recommendations E-108.

“The client’s requirements were to provide marker buoys made of 100% UV-resistant material and to be tagged with their logo, also using 100% UV-resistant materials and stickers. The EFB-650 buoys were listed as approved materials within the tender documents,” Zutic explains.

He adds that there were no major challenges encountered while installing the buoys since the EFB-650s have passed all tests in both the laboratory and in the natural environment in the sea.

“Also, EFB-650 was previously approved by the Client and as such it was included within the approved material list. The main challenge with the buoy was, in order to meet the client’s expectation, to provide the client logo sticker that should not fade under the constant impact of UV.”

Furthermore, the EFB-650 can be paired with Ecocoast’s Standard Recreational Barriers that are manufactured using durable, UV-stabilised lemon floats, which are rubber-like in softness and flexibility, making them ideal for open beaches to protect swimmers. The barriers are made up of small yellow floats connected by a high-tension rope. A temporary jellyfish net can also be attached to the barriers.

“The buoys should help in preventing swimmers to go outside and various vessels to go inside the designated area,” points out Zutic, adding that the EFB-650 buoys have been installed at various locations along the Dubai coastline for the last three years.

For more information, please contact us via: www.ecocoast.com/contact-us.

EcoCoast Related Blog Posts

Contact us today for engineered solutions that last! Let's discuss your project, and together, shape the future of marine protection, safety and security. We look forward to hearing from you.