Poolside
& landscape steel,
built
for chloride.

Coastal Dubai sits in corrosivity category C5-M (marine, very high) under BS EN ISO 9223. The pool itself adds chloride aerosol within roughly 1 m of the water surface. A rail that would last 30 years inland fails in 18–36 months at the wrong specification. Finesse defaults to:

• Grade 316L stainless steel to BS EN 10088 (molybdenum-bearing, chloride-tolerant) for pool-edge guards, deck rails and any element within 1 m of pool water
• HDG to BS EN ISO 1461 + duplex coat (epoxy + polyurethane to BS EN ISO 12944 C5-M system) for damp landscape steel away from direct water contact
• Grade 304 stainless is not used for any pool-adjacent rail; it pits and stains in chloride within months

Reference: ISO 9223:2012 Corrosion of metals and alloys — Corrosivity of atmospheres

Pool safety and pool-area guards in private Dubai villas follow:

• Dubai Building Code 2021, Part B (Architecture) for guard heights and infill geometry (100 mm sphere)
• BS 6180:2011 for the design horizontal load on the top of the rail (0.36 kN/m for single-family villas)
• Dubai Municipality pool-safety guidance for compound-separation pool fencing: 1,200 mm minimum height, self-closing self-latching gates, no climbable horizontal members below 600 mm
• UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice 2018 where the pool sits inside a multi-occupancy building or hotel

For commercial pools (hotels, resorts, clubs) the host project’s consultant sets the additional requirements; we fabricate to the approved drawings and provide a load-check on the rail.

It depends on what and where:

• Permanent structures fixed to slabs or footings — pergolas, gazebos, pool-house frames, large BBQ islands — require a DM building permit through a licensed consultant.
• Compound-separation pool fencing is normally part of the original villa permit; replacement-in-kind on the same line does not need a new permit.
• Movable planters, sculpture mounts, freestanding garden features below a threshold size and weight do not normally need a permit, but a community NOC from the master developer may still be required for elevation reasons.

We confirm the permit path with the consultant before any fabrication starts and pre-coordinate with the master-developer design committee (Emaar, Nakheel, Meraas, DDF, etc.) where required.

We default to BS EN ISO 12944 system specifications, which classify atmospheres from C1 (very low) to C5-M (marine, very high). For Dubai landscape work we use:

• C3 (urban inland): HDG to BS EN ISO 1461 (85 µm min) + polyester powder coat (60–80 µm DFT)
• C4 (industrial / urban coastal): HDG + 2-coat epoxy/polyurethane duplex system, 200 µm total DFT
• C5-M (marine, coastal villas): 316L stainless for exposed components; HDG + zinc-rich epoxy + polyurethane topcoat for structural steel, 280 µm total DFT

Dry film thickness (DFT) is logged element-by-element under our ISO 9001 system and supplied as part of the handover pack.

Reference: ISO 12944 series — Paints and varnishes, Corrosion protection of steel structures

Stainless and carbon-steel work is fabricated to BS EN 1090-2 with execution class EXC2 or EXC3 selected against consequence class. Welding follows AWS D1.6 for stainless steel and AWS D1.1/D1.1M for carbon-steel structural elements. Stainless welds are routinely pickled and passivated per ASTM A380 to restore the chromium oxide layer; this is mandatory on any 316L weld inside a C5-M zone, otherwise the heat-affected zone rusts in the first season.

Galvanic corrosion is a common failure mode in landscape steel: stainless fixings through galvanized members in a wet environment can drive accelerated corrosion of the galvanizing. We:

• Specify like-for-like fixings wherever possible (stainless on stainless, galvanized on galvanized)
• Use nylon or EPDM isolating washers and sleeves where dissimilar contact cannot be avoided
• Apply cold zinc-rich repair to galvanizing damaged during installation
• Avoid copper or brass fixings on any steel near pool water

• Galvanizing thickness by magnetic gauge in line with BS EN ISO 2178; minimum coating mass per BS EN ISO 1461
• Paint DFT by elcometer at the rate specified in the BS EN ISO 12944 system data sheet
• Anchor pull-out tests on chemical anchors used to fix posts to concrete slabs, by an accredited UAE laboratory
• Pickling & passivation verification on stainless welds using ferroxyl or copper-sulphate testing per ASTM A380
• MPI on critical welds in load-path connections by an accredited third-party lab

Yes. Landscape architect packages typically describe form and finish; we develop the structural shop drawings, run the wind and rail load checks through a licensed consultant, and select the material grade and coating system against the corrosivity zone. For complex sculptural pieces and water features we provide a 3D model and full-scale mock-ups for approval before fabrication starts.

• Stamped structural drawings and load calculations
• As-built drawings
• Material certificates: stainless grade analysis (BS EN 10088), mild steel mill certs (BS EN 10025)
• Welding procedure specifications (WPS) and inspection records under AWS D1.1 / D1.6
• Pickling & passivation verification reports for stainless welds
• Galvanizing certificate to BS EN ISO 1461 and DFT log to BS EN ISO 12944
• Anchor pull-out test reports
• DM and master-developer NOCs, where required
• Maintenance schedule (cleaning intervals, fixings re-torque, touch-up)

• Specified for the zone. 316L stainless at pool edges, marine-duplex on landscape structural steel, never a default carbon-steel rail in chloride.
• Designed to code. BS 6180 rails, DBC 2021 geometry, BS EN ISO 9223 corrosivity, BS EN ISO 12944 paint systems, BS EN 1090-2 execution.
• In-house fabrication. Two 6 kW CNC lasers, 170 t CNC bender, laser welding for visible stainless joints, pickling & passivation lines.
• Tested by independent UAE labs. Coating thickness (DFT), anchor pull-out, MPI weld checks and stainless passivation reports — all issued in the client’s name.
• Bespoke design capable. Sculpture mounts, water features, lighting integration, full coordination with landscape architect.
• ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001 certified.