Construction World May 2021

READYMIX

The mix design is what guarantees the quality of the concrete AfriSam supplies.

Quality readymix equals quality construction. In an economic climate where it is unthinkable to rebuild structures that have failed because the quality of the supplied concrete was not up to standard, the processes to ensure the quality of concrete is vital. Construction World spoke to Amit Dawneerangen, General Manager Readymix at AfriSam. THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY IN READYMIX

Why is quality so important when it comes to readymix? There are a number of factors why quality readymix is important. For AfriSam, the safety factor is the most important. When concrete is supplied to a project and the structure fails, it has serious implications as you are dealing with people’s lives. The second centres on reputation. As a supplier your reputation and credibility is intricately associated with a structure. If it needs to be demolished because of quality issues, it casts doubt on your ability to supply quality concrete for future projects. The third reason centres on the long-term durability and sustainability of the structure. If the quality of the supplied concrete is not as per what was specified in the design, it could lead to unintended maintenance costs down the line. Time (for the contractor) is another factor why the quality of supplied concrete is vital. Projects have tight deadlines and stoppages or disruptions due to the areas that must be repaired or replaced, cannot be afforded. The last factor is cost. At the end of the day someone has to foot the bill for making good if the quality of the supplied concrete is not up to standard. What processes are in place to ensure the quality of AfriSam’s readymix? The mix design is what guarantees the quality of the concrete AfriSam supplies. Our batching plants have computerised batching systems to ensure that there is little human intervention needed to execute mix designs. All mix designs are stored onto a central system and downloaded to the batch plant. Afrisam employs highly skilled people in its product technical department. These experienced concrete technologists are familiar with the performance of concrete and are responsible for designing and maintaining our product range. That instils confidence in the customers whom we supply. The end product is dependent on using high quality materials –

cement, aggregates, sand and admixtures. It is important not to opt for the cheapest input material as this compromises the quality of the end product. How has AfriSam differentiated itself from competitors with regard to standards and quality? AfriSam’s readymix business carries an ISO 9001 certification. From a standards perspective, this is what governs the way in which we run our business. We have policies and procedures in place and work instructions that every employee is familiar with and to which they work accordingly. By following that system, it gives us the confidence to know that we are able to produce quality concrete. Another differentiator is AfriSam’s ability to create customised solutions. Our standard product portfolio of general concrete ranges in strength from 10 MPa up to 50 MPa. For specific projects we are able to design customised concrete mixes to meet the requirements for the application, e.g. High Strength concrete, self compacting concrete, concrete for road pavements, and durability concrete. For a specific project a competitor may price normal products (not customised products), a contractor might accept that quote and only afterwards realise that those products do not meet the specifications of the project. That is where we find that many of our competitors do not have the capabilities to design these products and produce it to a consistent quality. These designs take place regionally at the various product technical departments based in Gauteng, Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal. We do call on AfriSam’s Centre of Product Excellence for durability testing as they are adequately set up for (especially) initial testing. How have you managed to sustain the focus of quality in a difficult economic climate? Contractors are under pressure to secure projects because of the limited number of projects out to tender. In order to secure work,

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