Monthly Archives: April 2020

Client Focus

CONCOR HEAD RALLIES SA TO FIGHT VIRUS

“South Africa has boldly taken the right steps to avoid the high number of coronavirus-related deaths experienced by many countries; we just need to stay strong, stay healthy and stay at home.”

This is the message from Concor CEO Lucas Tseki as the country enters an extended lockdown for another two weeks.

“This is an historic challenge facing the planet, and we are all called upon to make our own contribution in these difficult and uncertain times,” Tseki says. “The current crisis highlights more than ever how interconnected we all are – across communities, countries and continents. We are all in this together, and must act responsibly toward a common goal of stemming the spread of the virus.”

He commended President Cyril Ramaphosa “for his grit and courageous leadership in the face of adversity”, noting that the decision to extend the national lockdown could not have been easy. The lockdown’s impact on business was clearly front-of-mind for decision-makers, but the global spread of the deadly virus demanded that tough choices be made.

“For Concor’s executive team, our primary focus at the moment is the group’s sustainability, so we continue to engage our business partners and explore opportunities within the market,” he says. “We are doing everything possible to mitigate the financial impact of the coronavirus including preparation for responsible resumption of operations post the lockdown– and we are confident that together we will weather this unprecedented storm.”

Concor is one of the largest players in the sub-Saharan African infrastructure and construction sector, and is a proudly Level 1 B-BBEE company.

Client Focus

AFRISAM READYMIX FACILITATES DURABLE CONSTRUCTION OF BRAKPAN RESERVOIR

AfriSam’s responsiveness and ability to deliver according to specification made this leading construction material supplier the preferred readymix concrete partner for the new Brakpan reservoir being constructed by Superway Construction.

According to Xolani Mbatha, technical product team leader at AfriSam, the company’s quality readymix creates concrete possibilities for the production of durable infrastructure.

“Productive collaboration between AfriSam and contractors is critical for the successful execution of any project, and this is especially so when it comes to defining and meeting product specifications and facilitating delivery within construction programme scheduling,” he says.

An excellent example of the success of such a cooperative partnership is clearly visible at the site of the reservoir currently under construction at Sallies Village in Brakpan.

The City of Ekurhuleni, as part of a commitment to address water capacity constraints within its region, has embarked on building 29 reservoirs during the period 2018 to 2021. This will see a combined storage capacity of 550 megalitres being added to the infrastructure.

Superway Construction won the contract for the construction of a new reservoir adjacent to the existing Brakpan reservoir amid fierce tender competition. Contract manager, Eugene Gibbard, acknowledges that being awarded this contract is gratifying for Superway Construction and recognises the contractor’s experience in a wide variety of construction and infrastructure projects.

The scope of this project includes the construction of the reservoir and all ancillary works including the perimeter fence, new access road, chambers and guardhouse. Elements where concrete is specifically required include the strip footings, walls, column bases, columns, column heads and roof.

The implementing agent, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, issued detailed project specifications and when completed, the 18-megalitre reservoir will be 8.2-metre-high with a diameter of 60 metres and will have a slightly sloped concrete roof.

AfriSam secured the contract to supply 2 500 m3 of readymix concrete based on its ability to meet the stringent quality specifications. All concrete supplied will be as per the consulting engineers’ material specification for an impermeable water retaining structure.

“Previous experience with AfriSam’s professional technical team and their responsiveness and ability to deliver according to client specification made them the preferred readymix concrete partner for this reservoir project,” Jurie Moolman, Superway Construction site manager, says.

SANS 2001-CC1-2012, the specification for structural concrete that is being used for this project, calls for fly ash as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). As the standard operational mix supplied by AfriSam’s Sub-Nigel plant contains slagment, the operations team had to be pro-active in introducing a customised concrete mix changing from using slagment to fly ash in order to meet the project requirement.

The slump was initially specified at very low levels between 10 mm and 60 mm. This was of concern considering the high minimum binder content specified, ambient temperatures and the need to pump the concrete. Close consultation between AfriSam’s technical team, Superway Construction and the consulting engineers resulted in an agreed slump on 125 mm in conformance with SANS 878.

The careful calculation of the water:cement ratio to not exceed 0,5 ensured that the tight shrinkage specification of between 0.3 and 0.45 mm will be met. A crystalline waterproofer is incorporated into the mix to further enhance permeability properties while a CHRYSO curing compound will allow adequate cementing reactions to aid strength gain, impermeability, abrasion resistance and durability. A well-graded aggregate is used for this special application.

This custom mix underpins AfriSam’s capability in designing and supplying a fit-for-purpose readymix concrete; in this case a workable mix which accommodates placing techniques and meets the project specification.

The reservoir will be constructed in three lifts for the full circumference, ensuring stability for the reservoir walls. This necessitated a continuous supply of readymix concrete and AfriSam allocated seven readymix trucks to each pour, and when required this was increased to 12 trucks.

Initial planning has already commenced for the roof to be poured in one pour. Moolman says that while this will be a daunting single pour of 630 m3, the volume of the pour will not be the biggest challenge; this will be to ensure an acceptable finish over such a large area. Detailed planning will be done to ensure all the required resources are available to achieve this milestone.

Queen Mabunda, territory sales manager at AfriSam, says that AfriSam has been able to contribute positively to maintaining the integrity of the project. “Our extensive experience and knowledge within the readymix sector and access to resources within the company, including the Centre of Product Excellence, allowed us to provide Superway Construction with the readymix solution it needed on this project. Further, our stringent quality control measures at AfriSam’s Sub-Nigel plant provided the assurance that the customer needed when it came to consistent product quality.”

AfriSam has supplied readymix concrete and technical advice successfully to a number of reservoirs constructed in the Ekurhuleni region. Mabunda says that the timely response of using fly ash to meet the project requirement will position AfriSam well in the market to supply other similar projects.

Work on site commenced in May 2019 with a contract completion date set for June 2020. Prior to the lockdown, Superway Construction was on track to hand over the project by the end of May, ahead of time and on budget.

Client Focus

FLSMIDTH’S LABORATORY CONTRACT AT SALDANHA RENEWED

Automated laboratory leader FLSmidth has had its Operate and Maintain (O&M) contract at the Saldanha Iron Ore Terminal on South Africa’s west coast renewed for another three years.

The company has successfully operated the quality control laboratory at Saldanha – Africa’s largest iron ore export facility – for the past eight years, according to Martin Matthysen, Director, SPA (sampling, preparation and analysis), Sub Saharan African and Middle East at FLSmidth.

“An average of approximately 8500 tonnes of iron ore per hour pass by conveyor from the rail head to the ship during loading,” says Matthysen. “Our automated laboratory located above the conveyor must sample and test from this ore stream, delivering accurate and precise data timeously to stakeholders.”

He says the automated system installed by FLSmidth for a leading iron ore producer takes a representative sample of the ore and processes it though the laboratory with minimal human intervention. It is the only laboratory with ISO 17025 accreditation for the iron ore sector, complying with standards ISO 9516 for chemical analysis, ISO 4701 for particle size determination, ISO 3087 for moisture analysis, ISO 11536 for loss of ignition analysis and ISO3082 for sampling.

“Operational quality and stringent standards are vital in this process, as both the seller and the buyer of the ore must be confident that test results on the shipment are accurate and precise,” he says. “The laboratory analyses the material’s chemical composition, particle size, moisture content and loss of ignition levels – as these indicators all impact on the final price of the product.”

The accuracy of results is further checked by participating in a proficiency testing scheme as well as ‘round robin’ analysis – in which samples are verified by laboratories selected by end-customers elsewhere in the country and world.

“We are pleased to have delivered exemplary past performance at Saldanha, in service of our client’s best interests and efficient operation,” he says. “Our ongoing focus on quality has also ensured that we remain compliant with all-important ISO standards in our daily processes.”

He adds that the automated laboratory’s ability to deliver reliable and accurate results as quickly as it does, is also a vital benefit to the client.

Client Focus

BCCEI WAIVES LEVIES FOR APRIL AND MAY 2020 BRING RELIEF TO SECTOR

The Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) took an unprecedented step in April 2020 when the Council announced that it would waive the BCCEI administration and dispute levy contributions for that month. In another move aimed at bringing much needed relief to an already ailing industry sector, the BCCEI has announced that this waiver will be extended to the month of May 2020.

This is a significant gesture as the BCCEI does not receive any grants or subsidies from the government and its only source of income is through the administration and dispute levies which is received from registered companies in the civil engineering industry. These levies are used for the running and day-to-day operations of this bargaining council.

BCCEI general secretary, Nick Faasen says that the Council decided on the step as it is fully aware of the situation in which both employers and employees find themselves at this time.

“Budgets and cash flow are under immense pressure following the declaration of the National State of Disaster and the subsequent implementation of the nationwide lockdown which was further extended. We acknowledge that many people in our sector will, in all probability, have a reduced income and we believe it is essential that we work together to find ways to reduce expenses, wherever possible,” Faasen says.

The BCCEI, representing two unions and two employer organisations, provides a range of valuable services to the civil engineering sector. Currently, the Council continues to operate through non-contact methods and remains committed to prompt service delivery to the industry.

Client Focus

SKID-MOUNTED DRY-TYPE TRANSFORMER DOES DUTY ON COAL MINE

In a specialised application on a coal mine, Trafo Power Solutions recently supplied a dry-type transformer mounted on a mobile skid.

“The harsh environment of a coal mine required us to specially design a fit-for-purpose solution,” David Claassen, managing director at Trafo Power Solutions, says.

“The cast-resin dry-type transformer is ideal for the mobile arrangement as it is cooled without oil,” he explains. The absence of oil makes it a safer option in terms of fire hazards, especially on a coal mine.

It is also more environmentally-friendly, as there is no chance of an oil spill. The 1250 kVA dual-MV configuration supplied to this mine allows the unit to be linked up to either 11 kV or 6,6 kV supply.

“The unit was designed for a compact enclosure, while still allowing for sufficient air movement for cooling,” Claassen says. “We provided a unique solution of a cast-resin transformer with Class H insulation rating for both the medium voltage and the low voltage windings.”

This insulation standard ensures that the transformer can withstand temperatures of up to 180°C. He notes that the enclosure design had to accommodate these heat factors while also preventing the ingress of dust or water.

Special engineering was also applied to building a high level of mechanical rigidity into the transformer itself, as demanded by the regular relocation of the mobile skid. This movement means considering that vibration and other forces must be borne by the equipment without affecting its performance.

Claassen emphasises that Trafo Power Solutions is experienced in providing dry-type transformers in a range of enclosed formats to suit customers’ needs. The inherent safety of these transformers also allows them to be installed in underground mining locations.

“We can provide various dry-type transformer enclosed solutions with a mobile skid, which is a versatile format for a range of mining applications,” he says.

Trafo Power Solution’s solid track record in cast-resin transformers is based on its local expertise and design capacity, combined with the high quality manufacture of the units by Italy-based TMC Transformers.

Client Focus

NICHE EXPERTISE IN CUSTOM CHUTE DESIGN PAYS OFF FOR MINES

While being a relatively minor cost component on a mining operation, a well-designed transfer chute punches well above its weight in sustaining uptime and productivity.

“This is where industry experience and specialised design expertise come into their own,” says Weba Chute Systems managing director Mark Baller. “It all starts with understanding the chute’s application before custom-designing the solution – which is where we excel.”

With four decades of industry service behind it, Weba Chute Systems has turned chute design and construction into a science, says Baller. He notes that the ‘school fees’ paid by the company to date cannot readily be replicated by new entrants or by players who are focused on other equipment lines.

“We are dedicated to providing locally manufactured, quality chute solutions – it is all we do,” he says. “This means that we have invested hundreds of thousands of manhours in our technology, and we can continue to innovate.”

He notes that a chute is often not given the same importance as equipment such as crushers or screens, but it is nonetheless a critical item that could potentially stop production if it failed. This makes it more sensible for mines to partner with proven experts, whose business model ensures that they will be there to support the product in years to come.

“With almost 5000 chutes installed globally, customers can see that we are here to stay,” he says. “Why would you buy any equipment without the assurance that it could be supported over its lifetime?”

Client Focus

MULTOTEC INSTALLS GREEN POWER

Making a sustainable contribution to easing South Africa’s energy crisis, leading mineral processing OEM Multotec has installed renewable power at one of its facilities in Spartan near Johannesburg.

The substantial investment saw 684 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels being installed in November 2019, creating a 223 kW generating system. It serves Multotec’s most energy-intensive works – its injection moulding facility – providing almost 20% of the daily electricity demand.

According to Multotec’s group manufacturing executive, Werner Stessl, the impact of the new system is not just economic. It will also have important environmental benefits in terms of the country’s climate change targets.

“Multotec is committed to environmental sustainability and we value the fact that this installation is likely to save about 30,000 kg of carbon dioxide emissions each month,” says Stessl. “This is the equivalent of planting about 100 trees a month.”

He says the organisation has been carefully monitoring its rising electricity costs, and sought a responsible solution that would leverage the latest renewable energy technology. In collaboration with solar power experts Energy Capital, a thorough investigation of its energy consumption and available opportunities was conducted.

“After months of planning and research, it was established that we could run a battery-less system which would valuably augment our current municipal supply,” he says. “After some structural engineering to prepare our designated roof areas, the panels were efficiently placed and linked up by mid-November last year.”

To date, the system has more than met Multotec’s expectations, which were contractually guaranteed by the service provider. The detailed up-front investigation showed that the installation could be repaid by energy savings within about four and a half years. System performance – right down to the electricity generated by each PV solar panel – can be monitored daily on an online dashboard, he says.

The local municipality has also begun to benefit from Multotec’s initiative, as there is usually ‘overflow’ power generated at weekends which the moulding facility does not need. This excess electricity is now channelled back into the main grid by Multotec, at no cost to the municipality.

Client Focus

FLSMIDTH WAREHOUSING FACILITY KEEPS MINES PRODUCTIVE

Optimising customers’ production and maximising their return on investment is the ongoing mission of the well-resourced FLSmidth’s warehousing facility in Stormill, west of Johannesburg.

According to Derek Lane, operations manager at FLSmidth, continued investment in the facility over the past decade has kept it at the leading edge of customer service. Today, it has grown to 10,500 m2 under roof and 1,660 m2 under crane, with dual lifting capacity of up to 40 tonnes.

“We have technical capability across FLSmidth’s range of KREBS® slurry pumps, cyclones and valves,” says Lane, “allowing us to service customers through sub-Saharan Africa and into the Middle East.”

Meeting customer needs is paramount, and the operation has a strong focus on stocking strategic parts to facilitate the rapid assembly of new product. In addition to this, and central to the pump operation, is also the efficient refurbishment and retrofitting of equipment. Supporting the customer drive for lowest total cost of ownership, the Stormill facility also stocks a range of service exchange units assisting mines to maintain uptime.

Strategic stocking is done on the full range of KREBS pumps from the UMD™ heavy duty, millMAX™, split casing slurryMAX™, gravelMAX™ and vMAX™ range, all of which feature a recessed impeller design allowing the pumps to run dry. In addition, Technequip™ valves are stocked in a variety of sizes, both flanged and wafer type.

“Our workshop and warehousing capacity equip us to respond quickly to customers in various regions of Africa and beyond,” he says. “This is critical in helping maintain their operational uptime while keeping costs down.”

The quality of the FLSmidth’s KREBS pump range also allows them to be offered to customers on a trial basis. Trial pumps can be run against time or tonnage targets to ensure that they exceed the performance of existing equipment, says service manager Martin Jones.

“The service component in these trials includes a dedicated service technician who visits site for checking and fine-tuning during the trial,” says Jones. “This level of technical on-site collaboration from our teams allows operational parameters to be closely monitored and refinements made to specific performance requirements.”

An important cornerstone of FLSmidth’s customer support strategy is closely aligned with the operational drive by mines to achieve the lowest operating costs possible. Jones says that by providing a range of service support options  for all new products supplied, the company is able to add value to mine sites. Within South Africa, service support options include regular visits by service technicians to site, as well as  more intensive levels of service in the form of Bespoke maintenance contracts, and field service support teams operating in strategic locations.

“Some customers request a period of commissioning assistance, for example, and we can provide experts on site for as long as the customer requests them,” he says.

Lane highlights the importance of regular and correct maintenance of equipment to minimise lifecycle costs and maximise productivity. To meet this goal, FLSmidth conducts customised training on request for customers. This could be focused on hands-on maintenance staff dealing with essential day-to-day maintenance. It is also available for higher-level staff such plant engineers, on topics such as product selection. The training can even be delivered in different languages, suited to the region.

The large stockholding of spares at Stormill for pumps, cyclones and valves is based on historical and forecasted customer consumption. Key customers also hold strategic consignment stocks at their sites. These are currently located in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, as well as with an agent in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.

“This allows us to have the stock as close to the customer as possible, to optimise availability,” he says.

He emphasises that all the Stormill facility’s activity is strictly governed by recognised international standards. The operation is certified with ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental management and OSHAS 18001 for safety and health.

Client Focus

DRY INSTALLATION OF GRINDEX PUMP AT IRON ORE MINE

An iron ore mine in the Northern Cape is benefiting from the versatility of a Grindex Bravo 800 pump, which was recently dry-installed by Integrated Pump Technology for boosting slurry flow.

According to Justin Bawden, key account manager at Integrated Pump Technology, the submersible Grindex Bravo pump is best known for operating in a liquid environment. In this case, however, it needed to be used as a booster from the wall of one of the mine’s settling dams.

“The distance from the settling dam to the collection pit was about a kilometre, and the fluid being pumped was high in solids,” Bawden says. “This meant that we needed to boost the pressure considerably from the dam wall. The solution therefore needed to consider both the abrasiveness and the specific gravity of the slurry.”

He noted that the previously installed pump was a normal dewatering pump. It had failed due to the extreme wear from the heavy sedimentation in the mine’s settling pond.

In a solution developed in collaboration with Integrated Pump Technology, the mine submerged one of its existing Grindex Bravo pumps in the settling dam. This unit pumps into a 5-inch pipeline over a distance of about 30 metres at a head of 8 to 10 metres to the newly supplied Grindex Bravo 800 at the top of the dam wall.

“We dry-installed the new heavy-duty Grindex Bravo so that it could receive material from below and boost it to the collection pit,” Bawden says. “It was vital to provide sufficient pump capacity so that sediment did not block the pipeline.”

He highlights that the heavy sedimentation in this application required a fit-for-purpose slurry pump like the Grindex Bravo 800. With its impeller and pump housing made of Hard-iron™, the pump was able to provide the high wear-resistance required.

“The sand and stones in the slurry would quickly cause extreme wear and cavitation inside a normal dewatering pump, which is usually made of cast iron,” he says. “The large throughlet of the Bravo pumps also allows them to handle solids of varying sizes.”

With a rated output of 45 kW and a shaft speed of 1,475 rpm, the Grindex Bravo 800 is able to deliver an output of almost 100 litres per second in this application. In addition to the pump’s thermal protection to avoid overheating, an optional cooling jacket on the pump can be fitted for use in dry pit applications.

Integrated Pump Technology is the official distributor of Grindex pumps in sub-Saharan Africa. So confident is Integrated Pump Technology in the quality of these submersible pumps, that the company extended the warranty on these pumps to 30 months.

Client Focus

CALL FOR LEVEL PLAYING FIELD AFTER SOBERING BUDGET

As the Finance Minister Tito Mboweni painted a sobering picture of the country’s economic future in his recent Budget Speech, AfriSam has encouraged government to foster industrialisation through a level playing field.

“For a number of reasons, South Africa is unfortunately de-industrialising its economy,” AfriSam CEO Rob Wessels said. “As committed corporate citizens, we are up to the social challenges and want to keep our industries thriving as an engine for upliftment.”

Speaking after AfriSam’s Annual National Budget breakfast event held in Sandton recently, Wessels emphasised the need for fair competition in the cement sector. He said industry was engaging government and trade authorities to ensure fair conditions over the import of cement, including the enforcement of existing port tariffs for these goods.

He also noted that the recent imposition of carbon tax in South Africa meant a further cost added to local producers which many importers did not face. AfriSam sales and marketing executive Richard Tomes noted that cement imports were rising and were having a negative impact on job creation in the country.

In his address to the event, Econometrix chief economist Dr Azar Jammine warned that the signs for any recovery in the construction sector this year were not good – with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicting a growth rate of only 0,8% for the local economy. This was even before the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in China was factored into this estimate.

“Most of the upturn in cement demand that we hope for, in the immediate future, will come from infrastructural investment projects rather than from the building industry,” Dr Jammine said. “The outlook for the building industry in the coming year looks very bleak. Building completion statistics – especially for flats and townhouses – are declining sharply.”

In the previous financial year, the construction sector had performed even worse than the broader economy, which grew at just 0,4% according to the IMF. The sector lost about 131,000 jobs in 2019, representing 8,8% of the workforce. This was the most jobs lost by any sector in the economy.

According to Jammine, cement sales had fallen by about 5% over the past year. However, he was “reasonably hopeful” that cement demand might achieve about 2% growth over the next few years. While there was “no total collapse”, he did acknowledge that the cement industry was one of worst-hit sectors during the current downturn.

Tomes noted that AfriSam had already removed inefficient capacity and right-sized to cope with the current challenging environment. “Unless we see an upturn in demand soon, we might have to revisit other cost saving initiatives,” he said.

In his recent budget speech, Minister Mboweni committed government to redirect spending towards infrastructure and away from public sector wages. The state’s wage bill was one of the main reasons behind the “huge expansion” in South Africa’s budget deficit.

Dr Jammine argued that the fate of the economy now relied on President Ramaphosa’s ability to implement the plans announced by Minister Mboweni, and to push reforms that could attract investors and make government spending more efficient.