Construction World June 2016

ROADS AND BRIDGES CRITICAL to ensure lasting road design

As more and more South Africans invest in cars of their own, our local road infrastructure continues to remain under pressure both in terms of new road development and existing road maintenance.

– to determine whether two or more laborato- ries obtain the same results. PPC’s response to the above has been to work with accredited laboratories to facilitate testing and create custom designs based on the needs of clients – at no additional cost. “We also work closely with consulting engi- neers throughout the project: from design to final laying of the road.” Maloa adds that something as simple as bulk spreading can also make a massive difference in the rollout, completion and future maintenance of the road. “Here one’s solution provider can prove invaluable from the outset. We’ve found that by working with project managers to understand spreading calculations and designing the product mix appropriately, and then facilitating strength and moisture control tests, we can provide a seamless bulk spreading solution. This includes planning a delivery schedule so that product arrives on time, communicating with the site manager and, most importantly, assigning a specific driver to a site to enable project understanding and efficiency. Drivers are briefed extensively to ensure proper speed control throughout the bulk spreading process – saving time and money both in the short and long term, due to the ongoing focus on quality.” With the construction and maintenance of roads set to remain a regional and national priority well into the future, Maloa explains that taking a solutions-driven approach with suppliers can potentially give construction companies an edge in the market: “Partner- ships remain key to long term success both for smaller and large scale projects. By drawing on the expertise and cost efficiencies suppliers can unlock in contracts, road developers can ensure they not only deliver on time and within budget, but create and maintain roads that meet the country’s needs.”

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A lack of product knowledge and inadequate understanding of the properties of different construc- tion materials is further adding

and manufacturers of road materials and solutions to step up and initiate value-adding partnerships that ensure delivery objectives can be met.” Maloa notes that PPC’s experience in the market shows that challenges in road construction often occur at the very beginning of the projects. “A lack of product knowledge and inadequate understanding of mate- rials’ properties can mean that projects are compromised from the outset both from a quality and cost perspective. There are addi- tionally very few credible testing laboratories across the country. As a result, a dispro- portionate amount of time is often spent retesting or trying to analyse soil samples and develop mix designs – all of which have a material cost in terms of time and money.” Combination of solutions With many regions across the country having soil with high clay content (or plastic index), contractors also often need to approach road design in these areas using a combination of solutions. “While the starting point is product selection (i.e. using a product like PPC Sure- road that has been extended with limestone), project managers need to test throughout construction to improve unconfined compres- sive strength and indirect tensile strength of the road.” These tests should include mate- rials design testing, process control testing (to ensure that constructed layers meet the required standards) and comparative testing

to this challenge, with many contractors starting to rely on consultants to meet skills and delivery-related gaps. Thabiso Maloa, technical consultant at PPC, argues that closer partnerships with suppliers can lead to better results and should thus be explored. By simply refining spreading calculations and exploring alternative application techniques for example, contractors can not only improve efficiency and quality but also positively impact bottom line while constructing roads that are built to last. A critical enabler Just one element in South Africa’s greater transport system, our road infrastructure remains a critical enabler across the country. “Even though we continue to see improved integration across various transport platforms in line with global trends, our roads are still our primary connectors – supported by rail, ship and air transport infrastructure,” explains Thabiso Maloa, technical consultant at PPC. “Because of the significant investment a road represents it’s important to ensure that they’re not only built correctly, but also appropriately maintained to ensure extended lifespan. As new or ‘challenger’ construction companies start moving into this oppor- tunity space, there is a need for suppliers

CONSTRUCTION WORLD JUNE 2016