CEMENT & CONCRETE SA

There is no reason that an appropriately designed, built and maintained concrete reservoir should not continue adding value for at least 100 years. This is considering the durability of concrete which enables it to resist many deleterious effects while maintaining its desired engineering properties.   So said renowned materials specialist, Dr Rod Rankine, when addressing cement and concrete industry stakeholders at Cement & Concrete SA’s (CCSA) Concrete Working for Water Roadshow.   Dr Rankine noted that it is important that South African engineers, contractors, sub-contractors and participants in the civil-engineering construction supply chain ensure that concrete water infrastructure realises its full potential. This relies on best practice in terms of construction; quality control; structural design; and detailing.   “When we design and build new reservoirs, it should be done so well that they last as long as possible, which is at least a century. This is not unusual for an appropriately maintained concrete reservoir that has been delivered to the highest possible quality standard,” Dr Rankine said. #ccsa #concrete #waterinfrastructure #concreteconstruction #concretedesign #construction #constructionindustry #engineering  

The latest edition of Concrete Beton, the foremost authority on the vibrant South African concrete industry, is now available on our website for download.   Again, Hanlie Turner, Business Development Manager and Editor of Concrete Beton; her editorial team; and contributors have ensured that your favourite read is jam-packed cover to cover with concrete-related content that is both informative and inspiring.   On p10, Edwin Trout, Executive Officer of ICT, contributes an update to a Technical Note, titled “The use and condition of Reinforced Aerated and Autoclaved Concrete planks”. This follows Prof Chris Goodier of Loughborough University’s insightful CONCRETEFiX presentation.   A technical article on p14 explores the considerable potential for cementitious alternatives, such as fly ash and granulated blast-furnace slag, to help reduce the cement industry’s carbon footprint.   On p8, Dr Peter Taylor, Director of the National Concrete Pavement Technology Centre at Iowa State University reviews the evolution of concrete pavement construction systems over the past 80 years and provides fascinating insights on what is still to come.   Iconic Concrete on p18 looks at the Three Gorges Dam in China. Sadly, our contributor, Jan de Beer, has retired due to his health. We thank him for his tremendous contribution, to date, and welcome our new contributor, David Poggiolini, who will keep you spellbound with future features of iconic structures throughout the world.   Furthermore, you can read more about our model that helps you to design concrete mixes with a smaller carbon footprint.   https://lnkd.in/eyEh8Six

The raising of the Tzaneen Dam wall ogee crest and tongue wall and replacing its existing ogee spillway with a combination of labyrinth and ogee-spillway crests, will entail placing 16 400m3 of concrete, which is about 3 280 concrete-mixer truck loads.   So said Wessel Janse van Rensburg, Technical Advisor to the Construction North Infrastructure Management Directorate of the Department of Water & Sanitation, at Cement & Concrete SA’s (CCSA) Concrete Working for Water Roadshow.   Tzaneen Dam’s left embankment will be raised to 175m and right embankment to 780m and the new labyrinth ogee concrete spillway will be 91m in length.   A total of 3 770m3, 2 950m3 and 2 250m3 of concrete will be used to construct the bason-apron slab, ogee and still-base toe, alone. This is in addition to the placement of 1 630m3 for the construction of the retaining wall and 1 450m3 of concrete for the labyrinth spillway. The construction of the tongue wall will entail placing 505m3 of concrete and the diversion pipe 310m3 of concrete. Moreover, 150m3, 123m3, 80m3 and 20m3 of concrete will be used to build the side/tongue wall and intake tower floor slab and its wall, respectively. An additional 50m3 of the construction material will also be used for general concrete repairs to the existing infrastructure as part of the upgrade. #CCSA #concrete #concreteconstruction #concretedesign #concreteapplication #water #watermanagement #waterinfrastructure #civilengineering #civilconstruction #concreteconstruction  

Cement & Concrete South Africa’s Inland Branch invites you to enjoy another Bowls Blitz, an opportunity to network with other cement and concrete stakeholders in a fun and relaxing environment.   Anticipated to be yet another resounding success, this year’s Bowls Blitz will again take place at Edenvale Bowling Club. The venue can accommodate a maximum of 100 people so reservations will be made on a first come first served basis.   Make sure you do not miss out!   #bowlsblitz #adayonthepitch #donotmissout #crackanegg #disturbthehead #fastgreen #fullcount #knockout #cementandconcrete #CCSA

South Africa requires a complete paradigm shift in the way in which water is currently being managed. This will facilitate water recovery, including desalination; reuse; and recycling which, Dr. Anthony Turton believes, have the potential to make a large and lasting impact on the water and sanitation crisis.   The renowned scientist specialising in water-resource management addressed the many professionals from the cement and concrete industry who attended Cement & Concrete South Africa’s Concrete Working for Water Roadshow.   At present, water is viewed as a single-use stock, requiring dams and inter-basin transfers to be constructed to ensure security of supply. The world over, this approach has been the driver of industrial growth. However, its unintended consequences are the economic decline of areas that previously thrived on a foundation of dammed water areas.   Instead, Dr. Turton says that water should be managed as “an infinitely renewable resource that it is.” “Science shows that water is a flux flowing in time and space, with the same volume returning to the ecosystem after it has been used,” he said.   This radical approach to managing water will also serve as a catalyst for the development of a dual stream reticulation economy in which water of different prices is used for various productive applications. For example, water of a lower quality, as opposed to water treated to potable standard, should be used for industrial processes.   #concreteconstruction #concretedesign #concreteworkingforwater #watermanagement #waterinfrastructure #water #sanitationforall #sanitation

Local engineering and scientific expertise already exist to solve South Africa’s ever-deepening water and sanitation crisis. However, these are yet to be fully harnessed by government to help to articulate a clear vision to decisively arrest the decline.   This is according to Dr Anthony Turton, a renowned scientist specialising in water-resource management. He was addressing the many built-environment professionals who attended the Cement & Concrete Society South Africa’s Working for Water Roadshow. Dr Turton reemphasised the need for a team of apolitical technical experts to help government navigate the dire water and sanitation crisis that the country is facing.   He noted that political will to find sustainable solutions to the problems that are clearly articulated in a carefully considered and formed policy and strategy would also attract much-needed private capital into the country’s water and sanitation industry. This is in addition to facilitating more technological innovation by the private sector to optimise processes.   According to Dr. Turton, efforts should mainly be geared at water recovery, including desalination; reuse; and recycling which, he believes, have the potential to make a large and lasting impact.   “If we multiply the 38-billion-m3 of water that is accessible from our dams 1,6 times, we derive at the 63-billion-m3 that we will need in about six years’ time at current consumption levels. This can be achieved by recovery, reuse and recycling of South Africa’s total water resources,” Turton said.   #concreteworkingforwater #waterandsanitation #waterinfrastructure #civilengineering #civilconstruction #concretedesignexcellence #concreteapplicationexcellence #engineeringexcellence #waterislife

  Cement & Concrete South Africa will be hosting a Careers Day in Concrete at Stellenbosch University on 11 April 2024.   Open to second- and fourth-year Civil Engineering students, the event provides and opportunity to learn more about career paths in the concrete industry from accomplished built-environment professionals. They include Zutari Structural Engineer, Matteo Angelucci; Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch, Gideon van Zyl; Werner Jerling CEO of ASLA; and Cobus Pretorius, Managing Director of Skerp Consulting Engineers. Vacation work opportunities at these companies which are at the forefront of the design and application of concrete will also be discussed.   The event also provides a tremendous opportunity for companies to showcase their skills and expertise to up-and-coming built environment professionals by taking advantage of our various sponsorship opportunities.     #careersinconcrete #careersincivilengineering #careersinstructuralengineering #concretedesignexcellence #concreteconstruction #concretefuture #engineeringthefuture #developingengineersofthefuture #thefutureofengineering      

Make sure you do not miss out on THE LAST CHANCE TO BOOK your attendance at Cement & Concrete SA’s (CSSA) CPD-accredited Concrete Working for Water Roadshow. Events will be held in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in February 2024. Sponsored by AfriSam and Corestruc, leading experts from both the public and private sectors will present on a broad range of topics. These will highlight best practice and innovation in the design and application of concrete to deliver robust water and sanitation infrastructure. CCSA members will display their product and service ranges at the events where delegates will be able to interact with technical experts. Esteemed water-resource management expert; environmental advisor; speaker; and author, Dr. Anthony Turton’s, keynote address will set the scene by focusing on the extent of the water dilemma and the way forward to avert a potential disaster. Bryan Perrie, CEO of CSSA, will provide an update on the cementitious materials for concrete standards.   #booknow #CCSAconcreteworkingforwaterroadshow #concreteworkingforwater #CCSAroadshow #water #waterandsanitation #waterinfrastructure #waterandsanitationinfrastructure 

Durable, versatile and cost-effective, concrete is the material of choice for the construction of top-notch infrastructure for the storage, distribution and treatment of drinking water and effluent.   Cement & Concrete SA’s up-and-coming ECSA CPD-accredited roadshow – Concrete Working for Water – will showcase best practices and standards, as well as innovation in the design and construction of quality water infrastructure. This includes large, capital-intensive distributed systems for public service delivery; complex mine and industrial water and wastewater treatment management processes; and smaller, but smart schemes deployed in agriculture and other sectors.   Presentations by experts from both the public and private sectors will be supported by case studies and practical outcomes.   Dr Anthony Turton, keynote speaker at the event, says South Africa is at an inflection point. “We became a water constrained economy in 2002 when the National Water Resource Strategy indicated that we had allocated around 98% of all available water. This implies the need to build infrastructure to recover, recycle and reuse wastewater. The size of the market for ‘New Water’ – water recovered from waste or from the ocean – is around 25-billion m3 per annum. This means that we must invest into new infrastructure to generate two-thirds of our total dam storage capacity if we want to create full employment by 2030. This is all going to be concrete dependent,” Turton says.   The roadshow will take place on Thursday, 22 February in Cape Town, Tuesday, 27 February in Durban and Thursday, 29 February in Gauteng. https://lnkd.in/dUHb56Tf #concreteworkingforwater #concretedesignexcellence #concreteapplicationexcellence #waterinfrastructure #waterandsanitation #ccsaroadshow #booknow #timeisrunningout