Advanced Piped and Cast Company (APACC) in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, has few equals in the Middle East when one considers reinforced concrete pipes (RCP) and glass fibre reinforced pipes (GRP).

The RCP manufacturing range stretches from diameter 300 mm to 2,400 mm and covers standard, jacking, pipe, rocker pipe or special sizes all done with PE, PVC, GRP lining or unlined.
“Our sophisticated cutting and milling machine can produce any length of pipes and we are pioneers in the manufacture of pre-cast manholes and inspection chambers in the region,” said general manager for sales and marketing Tony A Rouphael.
Rouphael added that diameters outside the company’s product range could be produced depending on the project size while other pre-cast reinforced concrete requirements could be designed and manufactured according to the project drawings.
The GRP range extends from diameter 25 mm to 2,600 mm with stiffness up to 50,000 N/m square and pressure up to 32 bars.
“We produce also all related fittings and accessories to provide solutions to the total GRP requirements,” said Rouphael. “GRP manholes are our specialty to integrate with our RC manhole design. GRP lining is another area of our manufacturing line for protection and coating applications such as sewer and drainage.
“We also manufacture pumping stations liner as well as the GRP ladder. Another line of our product range covers GRE, GRV pipes and fittings. The GRP chemical/water tank is another specialty in our array.”
Since it was commissioned in 1997, APACC has supplied hundreds of kilometers of pipes for utility network projects in the UAE and Qatar. The company has a management system certified to ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001 and is the only company outside the USA to be certified by the American Concrete Pipe Association, says Rouphael.
 “We have in place advanced technology and assured quality, providing outstanding products for civil infrastructure projects,” a company spokesman says.
“Our products are used in storm water and drainage networks, water supply and irrigation systems, the oil and gas sector as well as power and desalination plants.
“In conjunction with our manufacturing activities, we offer engineering and support services to our clients and a total solution approach aimed at assisting them with their project development- from design to completion.
“Our technical and operational knowledge and expertise, coupled with the transfer of technology from international leaders in the pipe industry, bring a unique and unrivalled advantage to our customers.
“Our emphasis on quality and performance has given us an enviable standing in the business community. We aim to deliver sound and durable products that meet the highest standards in the world, thus contributing to the improvement of the quality of life in the UAE and the Middle East region.”
The American Concrete Pipe Association approved APACC’s application for membership in 1998 and in the following year APACC won the Shaikh Khalifa Industry Award. In 2000, it stepped ahead of all other companies in its sector to win the Shaikh Khalifa Excellence Award.
In 2001, APACC’s sister concern, Excellent Pipes Company, commissioned its plastic pipe plant in Abu Dhabi.
The GRP factory was set up in 2002 and in 2003 APACC introduced the precast sewer manhole concept for the first time in Abu Dhabi. In 2004 the group set up another significant project, Technical Industrial Plastics, for manufacturing Tip-GriP PE liner.