Atlantis Contracting successfully delivered approximately 3,500 linear meters of waterproof expansion joint systems for the Park & Ride facilities of Riyadh Metro Line 2 in collaboration with BACS Consortium, ensuring watertight performance, structural movement accommodation, and long-term durability for this major transportation infrastructure project.
Atlantis Contracting successfully completed the supply and installation of advanced waterproof expansion joint systems for the Park & Ride facilities of Riyadh Metro Line 2 in collaboration with BACS Consortium — covering a total installed length of approximately 3,500 linear meters. The scope delivered 100% watertight expansion joint systems engineered to accommodate high structural movement capabilities across thermal, seismic, and structural loading conditions — meeting the demanding operational and environmental requirements of large-scale transportation infrastructure within one of Saudi Arabia's most significant urban mobility programmes. The installed systems protect the Park & Ride structures against water ingress, preserve structural integrity under continuous movement loading, and ensure long-term operational durability across all joint locations.
Project Overview
Riyadh Metro Line 2 — Park & Ride Facilities
Client: BACS Consortium
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Contractor: Atlantis Contracting
Scope: Supply & Installation of Advanced Waterproof Expansion Joint Systems
Total Quantity: 3,500 Linear Meters (LM)
System Performance: 100% Watertight | High Structural Movement Capability
Key Materials: Waterproof Expansion Joints | High-Movement Elastomeric Seals | Waterproof Membranes | Aluminum Covers | Stainless Steel Fixings
Infrastructure Context
Park & Ride facilities within a metro transportation network are high-demand infrastructure assets — subject to continuous vehicular and pedestrian traffic loading, exposure to Riyadh's extreme thermal cycling, and the ground movement and structural settlement inherent to large reinforced concrete structures. In this environment, expansion joints serve a critical dual function: accommodating the structural movements that prevent cracking and structural distress, while simultaneously providing a fully watertight barrier against water infiltration that could damage the structure's reinforcement, degrade the concrete, and compromise long-term structural performance.
The 3,500 LM scope at the Riyadh Metro Line 2 Park & Ride facilities represents a large-scale, operationally critical installation — where every joint must perform reliably from day one of metro operations and continue to perform for the full design life of the infrastructure without maintenance intervention. Atlantis's selection of 100% watertight, high-movement expansion joint systems directly addresses these dual performance requirements.
Site Challenges & Atlantis Solutions
Challenge 1: Achieving 100% Watertightness at 3,500 LM Scale
Achieving and verifying 100% watertight performance across 3,500 linear meters of installed expansion joints — across floor, wall, and transition locations with varying joint widths, substrate conditions, and movement gap dimensions — requires both correct system selection and meticulous installation quality at every single joint metre. A single poorly sealed interface or incorrectly installed membrane junction can compromise the watertight performance of an entire zone.
Solution: Atlantis implemented a zone-by-zone quality verification protocol — waterproofing membrane installation and membrane-to-joint interfaces were inspected and approved before any expansion joint assembly was installed over them. All completed expansion joint installations in waterproofed locations were water-tested before any covering or finishing works concealed the installation. Any deficiency identified during testing was immediately remediated and re-tested before the zone was accepted and signed off.
Challenge 2: High-Movement System Performance in Metro Transportation Loading Conditions
Park & Ride structures are subject to unusually high structural movement demands — combining the thermal cycling of exposed concrete structures in Riyadh's climate (with daily and seasonal temperature ranges far exceeding those of enclosed buildings), vehicle-induced dynamic loading, and the long-term differential settlement of large reinforced concrete slabs. The expansion joint system must accommodate all of these movement types simultaneously without degradation of the watertight seal.
Solution: Atlantis selected high-movement elastomeric seal systems specifically rated for the combined movement demands of transportation infrastructure — with movement capability verified against the project's structural engineer's specified joint movement calculations. System selection was documented and approved against the BACS Consortium's project specifications before installation commenced, ensuring every installed metre was confirmed to meet the required movement and watertight performance criteria.
Challenge 3: Large-Scale Substrate Preparation Across Varied Joint Conditions
Across 3,500 LM of expansion joint locations, substrate conditions varied significantly — with areas of concrete surface contamination, minor cracking, uneven joint edges, and dimensional variations from the structural design drawings. Proceeding with expansion joint installation over inadequately prepared substrates would compromise adhesion, movement performance, and watertight integrity.
Solution: A systematic zone-by-zone substrate inspection was conducted before any installation commenced. Contaminated and damaged concrete edges were saw-cut, cleaned, and rebuilt where required. Joint widths were measured and recorded against design dimensions, with any significant deviations flagged for structural engineer review before proceeding. No expansion joint installation was permitted to commence in any zone without written substrate acceptance sign-off from the Atlantis quality inspector.
Challenge 4: Metro Programme Sequencing & Access Coordination with BACS Consortium
The Riyadh Metro programme operates under one of the most tightly managed construction schedules in the region — with interdependencies between structure, MEP, fit-out, systems integration, and commissioning phases that left limited windows for expansion joint installation in each zone. Works could only proceed after structural completion and before subsequent fit-out or systems works covered or constrained the joint locations.
Solution: Atlantis coordinated directly with the BACS Consortium programme team to identify and confirm installation windows for each zone well in advance. A rolling 3-week look-ahead programme was maintained and shared with BACS, enabling resource and material pre-positioning ahead of each zone's window. Atlantis's mobilization speed and pre-staged material management ensured that no BACS programme window was wasted due to readiness issues on the Atlantis side.
Systems Applied
Component
Application
Performance
Waterproof Expansion Joint Systems
Floor, wall & transition expansion joints — full watertight structural movement accommodation
100% Watertight
High-Movement Elastomeric Seals
Movement seal elements within the joint assembly — thermal, seismic & structural movement
High Movement Rated
Waterproof Membrane Systems
Substrate waterproofing at joint locations — membrane-to-joint interface integration
Continuous Waterproof
Aluminum Cover Plates
Architectural cover system over joint assemblies — durable, flush, traffic-rated finish
Heavy-Duty
Stainless Steel Fixings & Anchors
Corrosion-resistant anchorage at all joint locations
Corrosion Resistant
Joint Sealants & Accessories
Interface sealing, transition treatment, and accessory components at all joint locations
Watertight Seal
Operations Summary
The following sequence was carried out by the Atlantis team across the Park & Ride expansion joint scope:
•Site mobilization and zone-by-zone survey — mapping all expansion joint locations, joint widths, movement gap dimensions, substrate conditions, and finish materials across all Park & Ride areas.
•Systematic substrate inspection and acceptance testing before installation commencement in each zone.
•Concrete edge repair and substrate remediation at all locations requiring rectification.
•Waterproofing membrane installation at all designated joint locations — applied and approved before joint assembly installation.
•Membrane-to-joint interface flashing and reinforcement strip application at all transitions.
•Supply and installation of high-movement elastomeric seal systems into the prepared joint openings.
•Supply and installation of waterproof expansion joint assemblies across all floor, wall, and transition locations.
•Installation of joint sealants and accessories at all interface and transition details.
•Water-testing of all membrane and joint interfaces before aluminum cover plate installation.
•Installation of aluminum cover plates and stainless steel anchorage systems.
•Movement functionality testing and load acceptance check across installed expansion joints.
•Final inspection, quality sign-off, and handover documentation submitted to BACS Consortium.
Outcome & Performance
Upon completion, Atlantis Contracting successfully delivered 3,500 linear meters of advanced waterproof expansion joint systems across the Park & Ride facilities of Riyadh Metro Line 2 — in collaboration with BACS Consortium. The installed systems provide 100% watertight protection against water ingress, reliable accommodation of high structural movement under thermal, seismic, and traffic loading, and long-term durability suited to the demanding operational life of metro transportation infrastructure. The project adds to Atlantis's established reference portfolio for large-scale expansion joint works within Riyadh Metro — one of the world's largest metro construction programmes — and demonstrates Atlantis's capability to deliver technically demanding, quality-critical movement joint installations within the stringent programme and quality framework of major international infrastructure consortia.
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