Construction World July 2015

PROJECTS AND CONTRACTS

INCREASED CAPACITY AfriSam, a supplier of concrete solutions, has increased its readymix supply capacity to cater for an increased customer demand for concrete in the burgeoning Sandton/Midrand/Centurion corridor.

is that the larger projects demand reputable suppliers for their needs as they require assurances with respect to both the quality of the concrete mix as well as the continuity of supply,” says Amit Dawneerangen, national sales manager of AfriSam. AfriSam has a very interactive rela- tionship with both its customers and the industry in general. This level of involvement and in-depth understanding of the chal- lenges faced by contractors and developers, allows the organisation to proactively and strategically implement plans that cater for increased demand. AfriSam, with its proven track record for innovation, supplies specialised con- crete solutions to meet project specific design requirements using elements such as fibres, waterproofing admixtures and superplasticisers. Its technical teams are cognisant that product needs to be delivered on schedule to ensure both concrete strength and workability. Jukskei operation As a long-standing supplier of concrete solutions in Africa and South Africa, it is significant that AfriSam’s Jukskei operation is one of its older operations. Established as a quarry in 1956, the facility now offers the full concrete supply spectrum. As AfriSam expanded its market offering, it constructed readymix plants across all major locations and the readymix plant at Jukskei went into operation in 1992. This plant has serviced customers across a broad range of project applications with some of the more noteworthy including the Gautrain Rapid Rail Project. While the Jukskei operation is most ideally positioned in the centre of this growth node, AfriSam has a number of other readymix plants that ensure continuity of supply to customers. There are two readymix plants at its Wynberg, Sandton facility and AfriSam operates another strategically situated new readymix plant in Laezonia, just off William Nicol Road and the N14. This is a good location from which to service customers whose contract sites are north of Sandton and offers AfriSam the option of additional future capacity expansion. AfriSam emphasises that while the individual plant operations are different, the batching interface is identical across all its plants. Use of the same interface ensures consistent batching, minimises errors and provides the ability to deliver supply backup from various locations. In this way customers have the absolute assurance that any poten- tial disruption to an individual operation will be minimised.

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Discovery Head Office, Alice Lane Phase III, Mall of Africa and the new PwC headquarters in Waterfall Estate, but will also see transfor- mation of the transportation systems within the area. Some other notable projects are the Waterfall Estate project and the development of the vacant land in the immediate vicinity of AfriSam’s Jukskei Construction Materials operation, as well as ongoing office building and mixed-use developments in Centurion. In addition to being able to provide readymix concrete solutions, AfriSam’s strategic foot- print of its aggregate operations is also well positioned in this corridor. Quality and speed

Following a major investment in AfriSam’s readymix capacity across its plants in this geographic region, it now boasts a combined capacity

of approximately 300 m 3 per hour thereby ensuring that customers’ concrete needs are met with continuity of supply. Growth across this geographic area can be attributed to various factors including the decision by a significant number of large corporate organisations to either upgrade existing buildings in the Sandton CBD or construct new modern facilities. The general upgrade of the Sandton inner city area will not only dovetail with a number of high profile new-build projects such as the

An important advantage for all AfriSam customers in these growth nodes is that all its plants are equipped with genera- tors. This will ensure that should there be power outages the supply of readymix will not be interrupted. Many of the recent and current projects are characterised by their fast track nature, so in order to meet production schedules, the delivery of readymix concrete needs to be perfectly timed. “A reality in the current market climate is that customer service and the ability to supply are equally as important as the quality of the readymix concrete being delivered. Another reality In a major capital investment AfriSam recently commissioned what is deemed to be their single largest stationary readymix plant in operation in South Africa at its Jukskei operation.