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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
APRIL
2015
PROJECTS AND CONTRACTS
points out that the ergonomics of the newroof
can be found in how effectively it improves
the natural light coming into the plant.
“The old roof had been designed with
raised segments, which in turn had glass fibre
sheeting on the sides. This was supposed to
allow light in, but it is very old technology
and was probably not really ideal even when
it was implemented – let alone when one
considers how little light was coming in after
decades of weathering,” he says.
Kruger indicates that in order to increase
the natural light coming in, R&D utilised
polycarbonate sheeting to allow sunlight
into the building. He says that one in every
five roofing sheets was made of this polycar-
bonate material, which diffuses the light and
ensures that there are no bright pinpoints
of light at certain times of the day. These,
after all, can be blinding and thus create a
safety hazard.
The new zinc alum roof.
The preparation included ensuring that
the zinc alum roof sheets were rolled to
the correct size, that the supporting beams
were properly prepared and certified,
and that everything was delivered to the site
on schedule.
“In addition, there were aspects like
health checks and safety lectures for the
workers, ensuring that all the necessary
tools are available on site and making sure
that the site manager has access to an office
with Internet connectivity, so he can stay in
touch with the head office, so any potential
challenges can quickly be dealt with.”
“Another feature of this project is that
R&D is focused on improving skills. This
means that we will bring in three or four new
employees to gain experience here, over
the course of the entire project. By allowing
them to learn on the job, they are able to
gain valuable experience that will stand
them in good stead as they continue their
career,” says Williams.
This high level of preparation is vital,
continues Williams, because ABI needed the
plant to remain fully functional during the
re-roofing project. The nature of the plant
is such that it would not be cost effective to
ABI to shut it down for any extended period,
which is yet another reason why the company
turned to R&D in the first place – the company
has a reputation for being able to undertake
projects like this without impacting on the
work done within the facility.
He points out that the intense prepara-
tion beforehand has so far meant that the
project has remained on track and, when
the new roof is fully installed, it will be
both safer and more ergonomically friendly
than the one it has replaced, meaning it
should provide effective protection from the
elements for several decades at least.
Better light and more
ergonomically sound
Johny Kruger, site manager at ABI Devland,
“We are utilising a colour known as Opal
White, which offered the best diffusion
of light when we tested different colour
sheets. Even though only 20% of the roof
is composed of these sheets, we expect it
to increase the amount of available light
entering the building from under 400 lux to
upwards of 1 300 lux.”
This, continues Kruger, not only
improves working conditions within the
plant, but also reduces ABI’s electricity
costs. In fact, he says, R&D estimates that
within a decade years, the electricity savings
alone will enable ABI to recoup the cost of
the entire roofing project.
“Safety laws around lighting inside a
plant of this nature are quite strict and as
I understand it, the minimum lux that is
acceptable is around 500 lux. With the new
roof, the plant achieves over 1 000 lux, even
Inside view of the zinc alum and polycarbonate
roof panels. Natural light comparison – the new
roof (left) versus the old one (right).