Building Investment (Jan - Feb 2016)

Special Feature
TOP TO BOTTOM:
Seremban High Court at Seremban 2, Negeri
Sembilan and new warehouse.
business portfolio which, over time, has had a
history of innovation and development. The
business here in Malaysia began in 1985 when
Fletcher provided a licensing agreement to a
company called MRI - they built the facility
that is currently at Nilai – under which they
were entitled to produce and sell the Decra®
brand in Malaysia. During that time, AHI in
New Zealand was already exporting Decra
products to Asia, including markets such as
Japan.
In 2005, Fletcher acquired MRI - since
then we have been operating under the AHI
Roofing entity in Malaysia, producing and
distributing Decra® brand into Malaysia
and other Asian markets. We also produce
for several markets in Africa to support
RTG’s growth there. RTG operates with
ISO-accredited production in New Zealand,
Malaysia, Hungary (Europe) and Corona,
California (USA), supplying into markets
across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas and
New Zealand / Australia. In that context, RTG
is the largest manufacturer of stone-coated
metal roof tiles in the world and the only
stone coated metal roof tile producer to have
a multiple plant network with a truly global
reach.
As for AHI Roofing Malaysia, what’s
interesting is that our production is almost
entirely destined for export outside of
Malaysia. In the Asian context, Japan is a
leading market for us, the Philippines is a
growing market and we have footholds into
many other regional markets.
B&I: AHI Roofing’s flagship product
Decra® Roofing Systems has been around
for ages - what distinctive features set it
apart from the others?
RA: If you think about the traditional
roofing market here in Malaysia or in the
region, clay and concrete tiles are traditional
“heavyweight construction” materials. Our
product range falls into the “lightweight”
category and by comparison can weigh 7
times less than other traditional materials.
In other words for an equivalent area of roof
coverage, our product would be lighter by a
factor of 7. This offers architects, developers
and homeowners a variety of benefits in terms
of structural and cost advantages - roof trusses
can be reduced to bear the same weight load,
same for columns, foundations, etc.
I think the more compelling advantage
to the architect, developer or home owner
is the aesthetics achieved from the flexibility
of design offered by our product range. Our
products are durable yet pliable, allowing
designers to integrate bolder aesthetic design
elements (curves and angles for example)
which would be difficult to achieve with more
traditional materials. This advantage provides
a unique opportunity for creativity and end
design.
In addition to enhanced design
opportunities, the performance of the product
offers impressive advantages as well. The
product itself and the nature in which it is
fixed into place, is well suited to high intensity
storm environments. Our system is proven
to offer wind resistance of up to 193km per
hour (120mph) in wind tests, making it very
suitable for typhoon exposed markets and
coastal regions. And its durable nature can
help to reduce maintenance costs over the
lifespan of the roof. These are some of the
reasons our products are coveted in resort
projects across the region, including here in
Malaysia.
For high intensity seismic areas, (e.g.
Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia), there
is a compelling argument to use our products
because of their lightweight nature and the
way they are fastened to the roof structure.
This interlocking and horizontal fastening
system can provide incremental structural
integrity and a lighter load on the structural
frame below. This differentiates the Decra®
offer in our opinion.
B&I: What of the ‘desired’ roof pitch for
Decra®?
RA: We perform best when roof pitches
are 15° or higher - we can go to 12° for some
profiles. And we back our performance
Building & Investment | www.b-i.biz 19