Concrete Work in Dubai International Financial Centre

Broom (non-slip, standard outdoors), steel trowel (smooth, indoor), exposed aggregate, stamped/patterned, coloured and polished. Decorative finishes can add 30-100% to the base rate but replace the cost of a separate surface like pavers or tiles.

Look for crews who do concrete daily, not general handymen — finishing is a perishable skill and a two-hour window decides how the slab looks forever. In Dubai International Financial Centre, ask for addresses of slabs poured a few years ago and look at the joints and edges, which is where poor work shows first.

Strongly. Frost can ruin an uncured pour, extreme heat causes plastic shrinkage cracking, and rain marks fresh surfaces. Good contractors watch forecasts and will delay a pour; be suspicious of anyone happy to pour into bad weather to keep the schedule.

Concrete is priced by area and thickness for slabs (per m² or sq ft), by volume for supply (per cubic metre/yard), and by the job for repairs. The concrete itself is often less than half the bill — formwork, reinforcement, sub-base preparation, finishing and access drive the labour cost.

Common rules of thumb: 75-100mm (3-4") for paths and patios, 100-125mm (4-5") for driveways and garage floors, more for heavy vehicles — always over a compacted sub-base with mesh or fibre reinforcement. Thin slabs on soft ground crack no matter how good the finish looks.

Severely — high temperatures flash-dry the surface and cause plastic shrinkage cracking. Good contractors pour at dawn, use chilled mix water or ice from the batching plant, and cure actively for days. Ask specifically how a summer pour will be cured.