Concrete Hoarding Blocks in the UAE: How to Plan Ballast for Temporary Site Fencing

Temporary fencing and hoarding are often installed at the beginning of a project and modified several times before completion. They protect the site boundary, manage access and provide a visual screen. Yet the conditions acting on that boundary can change quickly: panels are covered with advertising, gates are added, ground levels are altered and exposed areas experience strong wind.

Concrete hoarding blocks, sometimes called ballast blocks or fence bases, can form part of a temporary support system. Their weight is only one part of the solution. A competent temporary-works designer must also consider the fence, connections, ground, wind exposure, bracing and the full installation sequence.

This guide helps contractors develop a practical brief. It does not prescribe a universal block weight, spacing or fence height; those must be established for the actual project and governing requirements.

What is a concrete hoarding block?

A concrete hoarding block is a precast unit used as ballast or as part of a support arrangement for temporary fencing, solid hoarding or another temporary structure. Depending on the design, it may incorporate a recess, fixing detail or proprietary connection for a post or brace.

Blocks are not interchangeable simply because they look similar. A unit that suits an open-mesh fence may be unsuitable for a solid panel, a large gate or a signboard. Its lifting provisions must also be compatible with the proposed method of handling. Where the project also includes a separate vehicle-management line, the guide to choosing a precast barrier explains how its selection differs from procuring fence ballast.

Arab Precast supplies a range of precast concrete products. For a hoarding or ballast application, confirm whether a suitable standard or custom unit is available and whether the required engineering documentation can be provided.

Why a heavier block does not automatically make a fence safe

Wind acts on the exposed area of the fence or hoarding. The resulting forces must travel through the panels, posts, fixings, braces and foundation or ballast into the ground. Failure can occur at any point in that chain.

A safe design should address, as applicable:

• Overturning and sliding of the complete arrangement.
• Uplift or movement of individual blocks.
• Strength and stiffness of posts, braces, fixings and panels.
• Ground bearing, settlement, slope and drainage.
• Stability during installation, alteration and dismantling.
• Changes in wind exposure caused by nearby structures or open terrain.

A project near an exposed coastal road in Fujairah may have a different exposure from a sheltered urban plot in Business Bay. Neither location can be designed using the other site’s ballast schedule without checking the underlying assumptions.

Open-mesh fencing versus solid hoarding

Feature	Open-mesh fence	Solid hoarding
Airflow through panel	Generally greater, although signs and debris change the effective area	More restricted; the panel presents a larger effective wind-catching surface.
Typical objective	Define a boundary while preserving visibility	Provide privacy, screening and a controlled visual boundary.
Design sensitivity	Panel infill, attachments, post spacing and exposure	Panel height, solidity, bracing, connections and exposure.
Change that requires review	Adding shade cloth, banners or accumulated debris	Increasing panel height, adding signs or modifying gates and bracing.

The designer should use the governing design standard and project criteria. Mesh should not be assumed to be wind-free, especially when fabric, advertisements or temporary signage have been attached.

The information a temporary-works designer needs

Before ordering blocks, assemble a short design brief with the site team and consultant:

1. Location and exposure: Site address, surrounding buildings, open areas, duration and applicable wind criteria.
2. Fence geometry: Panel type, height, length, porosity, posts, gates, corners and returns.
3. Ground conditions: Pavement or soil type, slope, allowable bearing, proximity to excavations and underground services.
4. Boundary constraints: Public footpaths, neighbouring land, underground assets, vehicle routes and permitted footprint.
5. System components: Proposed blocks, connection details, braces, supplier drawings and lifting provisions.
6. Sequence: Conditions while the line is incomplete, during a gate opening, or when a section is temporarily removed.
7. Authority and client requirements: Site-specific permit, hoarding, pedestrian and interface requirements from the relevant authority or developer.

A temporary-works check should address the whole arrangement. The block supplier’s information supports that assessment; it does not replace the project-specific design.

Procurement checklist for precast ballast blocks

Enquiry item	What to request or confirm
Dimensions and verified unit mass	Supplier drawing and nominal or measured weight; state any tolerance required.
Concrete and reinforcement	Details appropriate to the design, exposure and expected handling.
Post or brace interface	Accurate recess dimensions and compatible connection details; confirm load transfer.
Lifting system	Identified lifting points, allowable load and handling instructions for the specific unit.
Ground interface	Bearing footprint and any pads, levelling or restraints required by the designer.
Quantity and delivery	Number of units by phase, unloading location and access restrictions.
Quality information	Drawings, inspection records and test documentation required by the project.
Reuse and removal	Conditions for repeated lifting, inspection, rental or return if offered.

Avoid accepting a quotation based only on “one block per panel.” Panel dimensions, bracing and site exposure must first be resolved by the designer. If other precast items are arriving in the same phase, coordinate the vehicle restrictions and unloading arrangements discussed in the Dubai barrier delivery guide; check the current restrictions and any required permits for your own route.

A practical installation sequence

The approved method statement and temporary-works design govern the work. A typical sequence includes:

1. Verify that the latest approved drawings, site access and ground preparations are available.
2. Locate services and confirm the ground or slab can carry the proposed loads.
3. Establish an exclusion zone and use lifting equipment selected for the actual unit weight and lifting radius.
4. Place and orient blocks as shown on the design; fit the specified posts, connections and bracing.
5. Maintain the temporary stability measures required during erection, not only after the full line is complete.
6. Check gates, access routes, protruding bases, pedestrian interfaces and visibility.
7. Record the installation inspection and obtain the required release before exposing the arrangement to normal use.

For handling principles, see the guide to lifting, moving and storing precast barriers. The specific ballast unit may have different lifting points and instructions, so confirm them with its supplier.

Inspection after installation

Set an inspection regime appropriate to the design, contract and site conditions. A competent person should check for displaced blocks, loose connections, damaged braces, settlement, corrosion, unauthorised additions and obstruction of access routes. Inspect after a significant weather event, vehicle strike or modification, and whenever required by the approved plan.

If a panel or brace must be removed for deliveries, do not assume the remaining line is stable. Use the approved alteration sequence and reinstate the system before leaving it unattended.

Frequently asked questions

For a project-specific precast enquiry, contact Arab Precast with the approved design requirements, dimensions, quantities and delivery location. Confirm supply scope and custom manufacturing before finalising the order.