Construction World October 2020

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

GEOSYNTHETICS ARE THE KEY TO SUSTAINABILITY

Produce, consume, discard and repeat. This has been our pattern as humans since the dawn of evolution. We have become more sophisticated in what we produce and how we consume it. But the discarding, fundamentally, remains unchanged with tons of waste often ending up in landfills or water sources.

W hether it is in dams, mines or land- ͤOOV ZLWKRXW WKH SURSHU PHDVXUHV and tools in place, our actions risk contaminating the planet. As Africa’s oldest and largest geosynthetic installer, GAST understands KRZ HIIHFWLYH DQG HͦFLHQW KDYLQJ WKH correct geosynthetics service provider can be. This has been GAST’s niche since 1961 where the company has constantly installed an array of quality geosynthetics to meet the requirements of varying terrains and project needs. GAST not only supplies but installs

numerous geosynthetic products from geomembranes which have the primary function of preventing the migration of contaminated leachate to surrounding soil LQ ODQGͤOOV WDLOLQJ VWRUDJH IDFLOLWLHV FRDO stockyards, pollution control dams and/ or return water dams; to geotextiles which play an integral part in various construction and civil applications due to its versatility and robustness including an array of other geosynthetic related products and services. GAST has always been synonymous with innovation and progressive methods, stemming back to the 1980s when the

FRPSDQ\ SDWHQWHG WKH ͤUVW ̸GDP̹ OLQLQJV perfected through GAST’s ingenuity, which made the “plasticisation“ of soil possible for WKH ͤUVW WLPH LQ WKH ZRUOG GAST is always adapting to the changing landscape, innovating not only to meet the needs of the industry but to consistently deliver quality products and services to its clients. It is believed that the Geosynthetic industry is experiencing a 4IR boom with entities globally adapting sophisticated equipment and tools to push innovation and improve quality. GAST is seen as a leader and pioneer in its 4IR endeavours

currently developing fully automated deployment machines that utilise VWDWH RI WKH DUW $UWLͤFLDO ,QWHOOLJHQFH and other deep learning A.I technologies to provide a more cost- effective and higher quality service to its clients. Kevin Gast CEO & President of GAST Global stated that “Globally we have seen a tremendous shift in geosynthetics over the last two years and COVID-19 has exacerbated the need for more innovative and cost-effective solutions forcing geosynthetic installers and PDQXIDFWXUHV WR ͤQG ,5 GULYHQ techologies. GAST has recently appointed a new Chief Technology 2ͦFHU DQG LV DW WKH IRUHIURQW RI DXWRQRP\ DQG DUWLͤFLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH within the industry, our clients FRPH ͤUVW DQG XWLOLVLQJ WHFKQRORJ\ provides them with a cheaper, higher quality and safer product.” GAST and Fraser Alexander have worked closely together on various projects in South Africa; including the Elikhulu TSF project; Marula TSF; and future projects like Rasimone. Perhaps one of the greatest consequences of this partnership has been the adherence to the social and environmental sustainability protocols while still producing quality outcomes. GAST has completed over 13 000 projects during the last millennium and boasts accreditation from the United Nations and World Bank and is seen as a world leader in geosynthetics. ƒ

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