The new 40 000m\u00b2 Rustenburg Mall shopping centre remains on track for completion in April 2021, with main contractor Beckers Bouaannemers relying on readymix partner AfriSam for its concrete production capacity and technical know-how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project \u2013 where construction began in October 2019 \u2013 is set to meet its timelines despite three months of lockdown during which no construction activities could take place. According to Barend Becker, director of Beckers Bouaannemers, a large contract like this demands a well-resourced and responsive concrete partner, which is why the company has a long history with AfriSam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting out as a small hardware retailer in Centurion over 30 years ago, with a doorframe installation as its first construction job, Beckers Bouaannemers has grown into a substantial construction company delivering multi-million projects for its clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOver the years, we have built a good relationship with AfriSam,\u201d says Becker. \u201cWe know that we can trust them to provide us with excellent service and a quality product. They work closely with us during the construction phase to make sure that our requirements are met.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once completed, a total of 14 000m\u00b3 of readymix concrete will have been used for the various construction components such as surface beds, columns and other structural elements as well as ancillary work. For this project, the construction team chose a more environmentally-friendly concrete mix that used a slag stone as an aggregate option. This was selected in conjunction with AfriSam, who worked with the project engineer to find an optimal mix design to meet all quality specifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe rely on AfriSam\u2019s expertise in the design of concrete mixes, to provide us with the best-suited product for each specific application,\u201d says Cobus Mouton, contract manager at Beckers Bouaannemers. \u201cAll AfriSam products deliver a quality build, but we especially like their surface bed product which has a promising seven-day early strength result and provides a smooth finish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mouton admits it has been a challenging year, with Covid-19 proving extremely disruptive to the company\u2019s construction projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHowever, our suppliers and subcontractors \u2013 including AfriSam \u2013 have pulled out all the stops to ensure that we bring this project back on track,\u201d he says. \u201cWe are extremely grateful to all our subcontractors for the important role they have played in making up the lost time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the disruption of the pandemic, 2020 has been a record year for AfriSam\u2019s readymix plant in Rustenburg. In addition to the Rustenburg Mall, the plant is also supplying readymix concrete for the construction of another large mall in the vicinity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo meet our customers\u2019 demand, the plant operates six days a week during the peak construction period from September to December,\u201d says Gerhardus Maree, operational manager at AfriSam Readymix. \u201cThis means starting our supply to customers early in the morning and working through until late at night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The increased production for concurrently supplying both these large projects has demanded careful logistical planning from AfriSam. To meet the construction programme requirements, seven more readymix trucks were relocated to Rustenburg from other AfriSam plants in Gauteng.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The large pours on both projects \u2013 sometimes between 500 m\u00b3 and 600 m\u00b3 a day \u2013 have meant that raw material management was also critical. With limited silo capacity at the plant, the delivery of cement, aggregate and slag had to be carefully planned with raw material suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An extra batching plant was also erected on the existing premises to ensure there were no delays in supplying both projects. This plant produces an average of 58 m\u00b3 of concrete per hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AfriSam\u2019s readymix plant in Rustenburg, in operation since the 1980s, has supplied concrete to Rustenburg landmarks such as the Netcare Ferncrest Hospital, Waterfall Mall, the Royal Bafokeng housing project and Tharisa Mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur ultimate goal is to provide our customers with the best possible service,\u201d concludes Maree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The new 40 000m\u00b2 Rustenburg Mall shopping centre remains on track for completion in April 2021, with main contractor Beckers Bouaannemers relying on readymix partner AfriSam for its concrete production capacity and technical know-how. The project \u2013 where construction began in October 2019 \u2013 is set to meet its timelines despite three months of lockdown … Continue reading RUSTENBURG MALL \u2013 BUILT ON CONCRETE RELATIONSHIPS<\/span>