Boulevard World (BLVD World) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is one of the region’s most ambitious entertainment destinations. Opened in November 2022 for Riyadh Season, the park features replicas of international landmarks and holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest man-made lagoon.
Delivering the project on time required speed. Commissioned by Sela and designed by Khatib & Alami, with construction led by Building Direction, more than 50 subcontractors worked in parallel to complete the development in just 82 days. Among them, 3S Structural Steel Solutions (a Blocks Group company) was entrusted with the design and build of the Chinese pavilion, delivered in a record 55 days.
The fast-track approach relied heavily on light gauge steel (LGS), combining modular design, prefabricated LGS frame packages and continuous site operations. This method enabled the pavilion to be completed ahead of schedule and allowed the wider project to open on time while still gaining international recognition.
For fast delivery and modular construction, few solutions match the accuracy, speed and flexibility of an LGS building system - already an approved methodology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Construction Director of 3S Structural Steel Solutions, Mr Yousef Sbeity, has been working with FRAMECAD for over 20 years, across many organisations in KSA and has an impressive profile in delivering modular, entertainment, residential, as well as pod structures, all using the FRAMECAD light gauge steel roll forming system. He also has an impressive profile with delivering fast-paced projects in record times. Faced with the tight delivery schedule of Boulevard World, he completed China World in record time, delivering ahead of schedule.
3S Structural Steel Solutions has been a key customer for FRAMECAD in the capital of KSA, Riyadh, since 2021, and has an impressive record in delivering short lead time entertainment projects all over KSA. In 2022, Sela awarded them the Chinese pavilion to be delivered as a turnkey solution in a record 55 days.
With their LGS expertise, 3S leveraged modular design and rapid prefabrication to produce and assemble the structures directly on site. By mobilizing their F325iT system as an onsite ‘factory in a container,’ they eliminated transportation delays and maximized efficiency.
Since receiving their dedicated F325iT roll former system in 2021, 3S Structural Steel Solutions has produced over 2 million meters of the 89mm profile and delivered more than 1,600 tons of steel—powering key projects in KSA alongside Sela.
With just a 55-day lead time, speed was critical. The team needed to design, manufacture, assemble, erect and install façades for all 12 buildings covering more than 6,500m² of unique Chinese architectural structures. With curves, high pitched roofs, and high walls, these weren’t ordinary boxed structures that were easy to detail or engineer.
Eng. Islem Saber, head designer at 3S Structural Steel Solutions, explained, “FRAMECAD Structure gave us the flexibility to adjust the different shapes and use the strengthening features in the software for the members to pass the loading requirements in the Saudi Building Code. Each design building took me less than a day to design, engineer and get it peer reviewed. Due to the shape of the building, there were so many changes that had to be adjusted midway through the design and it was very easy to apply the required changes without causing any delays. The generation of the structural reports made it very easy for me to compile the required documents and send to the consultant for approval.”
The design process ran in parallel with production. As soon as a building design was finalized, it was immediately sent to production onsite. This approach eliminated transportation delays that could have jeopardized the 60-day deadline.
With an average manufacturing speed of 550m/hr, the team worked in two 12-hour shifts, running 24/7. Using 0.95mm high-strength G550 MPa profiles (about 1.35kg/m), they produced roughly 750kg/hr or about 15 tons per day across 20 hours, leaving 4 hours daily for coil changes and quick breaks.
Mr. Yousef Sbeity, Construction Director, noted, “This project had one of the tightest deadlines we have faced and there was no room for errors or delays, we were working around the clock, 24/7. The biggest factor that helped us achieve the deadline was the flexibility of having our F325iT machine onsite, all produced frames were instantly erected and installed. On some days, we produced as much as 12 tons, with designs running in parallel to production. In 20 days, we produced over 160 tons of steel frames, leaving approximately 25–30 days to install the façade, MEPs and interior finishes. We delivered the project in record time, a milestone I never doubted achieving with the FRAMECAD system and support in place. This project has given our client outstanding trust in our product and delivery capability.”
The China Zone was completed ahead of schedule, strengthening 3S’s reputation as a trusted partner for rapid entertainment builds in the Kingdom. Successful delivery also reinforced the advantages of light gauge steel speed, adaptability and cost-effectiveness compared with traditional methods.
Pleased with the results, Sela quickly awarded 3S additional pavilions, including the French Zone, Jeddah City Walk, and the Egypt Zone.
Mr Yousef Sbeity added “Light Gauge Steel is by far the best method of construction for us as it greatly complements our façade product, flexibility of the moving the machine, speed of production, speed of design and its adaptability and approval within the Saudi government sectors. We don’t face any issues explaining what the system is, as everyone in KSA knows what the FRAMECAD building system is, and its popularity is growing day by day. I am so proud to be able to deliver such iconic projects in non-traditional methods and proved to all my clients and government boards, that I can build projects much faster, and cost effectively. I have certainly made a footprint in the FRAMECAD system as I believe that the Chinese pavilion would have taken a minimum of 12-months if it was done in traditional methods.”
Discover more about light gauge steel machines here and reach out to our team for further information.