Chedi Hegra Hotel — External E-Buggy Shed

Project Overview

Reference: 25T1277
Contractor: CRAFT
Consultant: SaudiConsult
Mada Team: Faisal Alyoubi, Muhammad Mohtashim, Mudakkir Uzair

The Challenge

Designing an external shed using lightweight drywall framing (cold-formed steel studs) able to withstand heavy structural loads was a significant engineering challenge. Against a design wind load of 4.2 kN/m², the risk was of the frame buckling, twisting, or shearing off its foundations; a live load demand of 70 kg/m² further required a ceiling/roof joist system in lightweight metal that would not sag over time. Because standard drywall tracks and studs are highly susceptible to moisture when exposed outdoors, the system also had to be sealed against weather, protected from thermal bridging, and reinforced with heavy-duty bracing — without adding excessive weight or cost.

The client needed a fast, cost-effective shelter for its E-buggy fleet. Traditional hot-rolled structural steel or masonry construction would have been considerably more expensive, required heavy machinery, and taken weeks to build.

Our Solution

Rather than abandon the lightweight concept in favor of heavy-duty structural steel, Mada engineered a system that maximized the structural capacity of standard drywall framing components (U-tracks and C-studs) through strategic geometry and precise connection detailing:

• Paired standard light-gauge C-studs — which twist easily under lateral pressure — back-to-back and interlocked them into a “boxed” column configuration at critical load points, multiplying bending resistance without introducing heavy structural steel
• Simulated the exact 4.2 kN/m² wind load and 70 kg/m² live load on the drywall profiles to generate a definitive Design Calculation Report
• Proved empirically that, through boxed configurations and proper spacing, the lightweight system achieved the required safety factors — giving the client full engineering confidence without the cost of a heavy-duty structural alternative
• Supplied Mada Frame, Mada ProGuard Glass Mat Sheathing Board, and Mada accessories and finishing products

The Outcome

The engineered drywall system met the 4.2 kN/m² wind load and 70 kg/m² live load requirements with documented safety margins, delivered at a fraction of the cost and time of a hot-rolled steel or masonry alternative. Approximately 1,500 m² was supplied for the external E-buggy shed.

Why It Matters

For CRAFT and SaudiConsult, this meant a fast, cost-effective shelter for the resort’s E-buggy fleet without resorting to hot-rolled structural steel or masonry — avoiding the added cost, heavy machinery, and weeks of construction time those alternatives would have required, on a heritage tourism site where program speed mattered.