Doha Metro- A Unique Metro

A target project for Mapei since 2014, the Doha Metro is a rapid transit system which was built in two phases. The first phase was the construction of three out of the four lines, and 40 stations. The public have been using these fully operational lines since 2020. The Doha Metro system has been built by four construction companies' joint ventures: Red Line North, Red Line South, Green Line, and Gold Line. 

The Mapei products that were used for the construction of this outstanding metro were:

• We first had to ensure that the products used for waterproofing the system were in tandem with the design life of the structure which was 120 years. MAPEPLAN TU S was used for this. 
• The double layer membrane system was to be compartmentalized every 200 square metres with the highly flexible IDROSTOP PVC BEC ME 32T.
• IDROSTOP MULTI 11 re-injectable hoses were incorporated into the waterstops. 
• MICROSEM 8000, which is a micro fine cement, was also put in the Idrostop for crack injection. 
• The second thing in hand was to devise a system through which we could repair the membrane in case of damage. 
• We solved this problem by using MAPEPLAN TU S 20 and MAPEPLAN PVC PROTECTION membranes. 
• For injection to happen between the two membranes in the case of leakage, MAPEPLAN INJECTION FLANGES were installed. 
• The flanges were injected with MAPEGEL UTT, a re-swellable acrylic resin, to flood the compartments. 
• The swelling action of Mapegel UTT was encapsulated with PLANIGROUT 300 ME PCT, a free-flowing grout. 
• POLYFOAMER FP and POLYFOAMER FP/LL were used as foaming agents. 
• MAPEDRILL MS polymers were used for soil conditioning. 
• The installation of flooring in the main stations was done with ULTRATOP. 
• Other sealers like MAPECRETE STAIN PROTECTION  and epoxy primers like PRIMER SN and ULTRATOP STUCCO were used in the installation as well. 
• One of the challenges faced was the application of glass chips within the Ultratop.
• Mapei achieved this by performing a variety of tests like slip and abrasion resistance, to showcase its durability. 
• Another challenge was the complicated design of the flooring including the installation of the aluminum strips
• The installation of these had to be careful and precise so that the final result after polishing was consistent over the whole area. 
• To ensure firm bonding in places where there were curved tiles with a hexagon tile finish, we used ADESILEX P10 mixed with ISOLASTIC.
• ULTRACOLOR PLUS was used for the mosaic tile finish in the prayer room.

A very challenging and demanding project, the outcome was grander than expected.