In November 2024, Xinguangzheng delivered a large prefabricated steel factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The building measures 100x150x10m, offering 15,000 square meters of space. It is used for assembling, finishing, and storing furniture. The factory is designed for Riyadh’s difficult desert climate. This includes extreme heat up to 50°C, sandstorms, and changes in humidity. It features heat-reflective cladding and dust-sealed joints. These features keep the inside cool and clean for woodworking and upholstery.
Customer Demand
Our client is a new furniture maker in Saudi Arabia. The company is based in Riyadh’s industrial city. It specializes in modern home and office furniture. Materials are sourced from local wood and fabrics.
The Saudi Vision 2030 plan encourages local production to lower imports. Following this plan, the client wanted a full-scale factory. The goal was to produce 50,000 units each year. They needed a prefab specialist from China to build it quickly and affordably.
Their existing rented spaces were not efficient. Dust got inside and caused 20% of materials to be wasted. Heat also built up, which affected glue drying and painting.
Key needs included a 15,000 sqm clear-span layout for conveyor lines. They also required an office annex and mezzanine storage. The building had to meet the Saudi Building Code (SBC 301 for steel). It needed to be delivered by November 9, 2024, for the peak winter production season. The design also had to handle Riyadh’s challenges. These include sand abrasion, summer heat of 40-50°C that can damage equipment, and occasional flash floods.
The Xinguangzheng team reviewed the client’s documents. These included blueprints, site surveys, and load calculations. We then proposed a complete prefab solution. It featured bolted portal frames for wind and seismic resistance up to 1.5 kN/m². The plan included preparations for HVAC to keep the inside at 25°C. It also used modular sections for future expansion. The total budget was under 12 million SAR.
Solutions
Xinguangzheng worked with local contractors in Riyadh. This ensured the prefab structure was integrated smoothly. We used Q355B steel frames. These were optimized for shipping to Saudi Arabia through Jeddah port. All parts were prefabricated in our factory in China. They were certified to ISO 9001 and SBC standards. A hot-dip galvanizing process provides 30 years of corrosion resistance against desert conditions.
Core Specifications Detailed:
Dimensions and layout: The building is 100m wide by 150m long, with a 10m eave height. The roof has a 4% slope. It has column-free spans up to 30m for flexible machine placement. A 1,500 sqm mezzanine holds fabric rolls and tools.
Structural Components:
- Frame: The frame uses Q355B tapered portal beams with bolted connections. It can support loads of 40 kN/m² for overhead cranes and stored furniture.
- Roof and cladding: We used 0.8mm aluminum-zinc coated panels. They have a reflective white finish with a solar reflectance of 0.65. Polyurethane insulation (R-value 4.5) cuts heat gain by 35%.
- Foundation: The foundation consists of isolated concrete pads with embedded anchors. It sits on a stabilized sand base. Perimeter drains make it resistant to floods.
Custom Functions:
- Ventilation: Ridge vents and wall-mounted exhausts remove dust. The building is prepped for central AC units.
- Openings: There are four 6m x 6m roll-up doors for loading. Personnel doors have insect screens.
- Office annex: An 800 sqm prefab module serves as the office. It has insulated walls and faces the internal workspace for better oversight.
Implementation Process
The factory was built in four phases over five months. This process coordinated our team in China with the on-site teams in Riyadh to limit disruptions.
- Prefabrication (1.5 months): Production took place in our Qingdao factory. We ran sandblast simulations and bolt torque tests.
- Shipping and site prep (3 weeks): Containers were shipped through Jeddah to the Riyadh site. The foundation was poured using local materials, saving 15% on costs.
- Erection and integration (2.5 months): The frame was assembled in 20 days. Cladding and the mezzanine were installed in 25 days. HVAC and electrical systems were connected using dust barriers during the windy month of October.
- Commissioning (1 week): The project was handed over on November 9, 2024. We conducted load trials and thermal imaging. We reserved 10% of the budget for anti-condensation coatings.
Results
The factory has been operating since November 2024 and has performed better than expected.
- Production uplift: The clear spans simplified assembly lines. This increased output by 45%. Dust-related defects fell to under 5%.
- Economic wins: The total cost was 11.2 million SAR, which was 7% under budget. This allowed a full winter production run with all machinery in place.
- Resilience: The building kept an internal temperature of 28°C during 48°C heat. The galvanized steel shows no wear after the first sandstorm. The factory is expected to last 40 years.
- Efficiency: The ventilation system reduces cooling energy use by 30%. This supports Saudi green building goals.
Xinguangzheng specializes in constructing workshop buildings for various industries. Share your documents with us to receive a custom quote tailored to your project.
Ahmed Al-Saud, Factory Director: Xinguangzheng’s prefab skill made our Riyadh vision a reality. We got a 15,000 sqm factory ready by November 9, 2024. It handles the heat and sand perfectly. The process was smooth from China to our site. It’s powering our furniture business with no problems!
