Matthew Hebden has supplied over 3000 metres of aluminium T-Pren expansion joints for the new King Abdulaziz international airport. The new airport has been designed to accommodate 80 million passengers and will be the main gateway for pilgrims coming to perform the Haj as well as providing quick connections to domestic and international destinations.

The new airport covers 670,000 sq.m. and so accommodating the thermal movements of such a large aluminium roof was an important design issue, which was overcome by the use of the T-Pren expansion joint. The aluminium sides of the T-Pren were welded to the aluminium sheets in the gutters to form a waterproof expansion joint.

T-Pren is a composite material with a centre section of neoprene to provide the expansion and contraction bonded to aluminium on either side, which is then welded onto sections of the metal gutter. The bonding is done under strictly controlled factory conditions in accordance with ISO 9001 quality standards.