Construction World September 2015

CEMENT AND CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY

QUALITY MEETS AFFORDABILITY Performance, efficiency, reliability, and affordability differentiate the quality range of compact concrete mixers, concrete cutters and light towers, from Goscor Power Products.

Goscor Power Products is the exclusive southern African distributor of the H-Power range of light construction equipment. With ISO 9001:2008, CE, EPA and CSA accreditation, this product range reflects world-class quality and the H-Power concrete mixer is no exception. This versatile, compact, high efficiency mixer boasts a 350 ℓ drum capacity and rated production capacity of 240 ℓ per load. Fitted with four wheels and a draw bar, the operator friendly unit can be moved with ease on site to keep productivity levels up. Mark Bester, managing director of Goscor Power Products explains that the H-Power units are available with different engine options including Robin Subaru and H-Power 10 hp diesel engines “in order tomeet the extremely diverse applications of concrete mixers.” “The Goscor Q450 concrete cutter is extremely affordable without compromising on quality. “It is unique in the sense that it is one of themore powerful and efficient cutters available on the market,” affirms Bester. The strong 14 hp Robin Subaru Engine with a highmount air cleaner, is capable of powering a full 450 mm blade compared to other 350mmunits on the market with 11 hp engines. A larger cut ensures shortened work time on site while the water system which provides optimum flow to the blade to ensure the blade stays cool during cutting, extends equipment >

life. The plastic water supply tank makes this unit virtually corrosion free and is thus ideally suited for coastal sites. Goscor Power Products recently augmented its wide range of construction equipment with the addition of a diesel-powered light tower. “The main objective of developing this light tower was to create a unique, completelymobile unit that can be easily transported on the back of a bakkie rather than being towed. This broaden the unit’s accessibility to working areas and is ideal for roadside stop-go, construction and mining sites,” explains Bester. This unique compact light tower combines lighting power and auxiliary power in one unit, offering 220 000 luminous flux from two LED lights which can be easily lifted to 4,2 m. Fitted with a 5 kVa diesel generator, the light tower provides an impressive 7,5 hours of contin- uous running time with a total inclination of 10 degrees with side-mounted support struts ensuring unit stability. “This high quality, affordable compact product range, parts and spares are readily available from our dealer support network across South and southern Africa including Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia,” states Bester. All Goscor Power Products equipment is tested specifically for the harsh dry and dusty southern African conditions to ensure optimum reliability, maximised uptime and low total cost

of ownership for customers and end users. Goscor Power Products, part of the Goscor Group of companies and Imperial, has enjoyed significant growth over the last fewmonths and the resultant increase in market share required the company to move to larger premises at the end of 2014. “Our new facilities have assisted us in further improving our service to our valued customers by enabling us to enhance stock capabilities, accommodate larger stock volumes and improve lead times,” concludes Bester.

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BETTING BIG ON ZIMBABWE’S GROWTH After a challenging economic phase, the Zimbabwean economy is showing strong signs of recovery. The 2014 tobacco crop achieved new record levels, and demand for the product continues to be strong, particularly in China. Cotton, too, is booming while the mining sector is starting to revive.

tons. It will increase the country’s total capacity to 2million tons, an increase of some 48 percent. Building for the future The Msasa plant is being built to the most modern standards, including bulk-handling and palletising capabilities such as were recently introduced at the Bulawayo factory. Thereafter, a clinker plant will also be constructed in the country, properly positioned to feed Msasa. This will supplement PPC’s existing clinker plant at Colleen Bawn. “The key point to make is that Zimbabwe’s cement industry can already meet existing demand, so the investment in Msasa of around USD86-million is very much a vote of confi- dence in the country’s future as we see it,” Lekula says.“It’s an expression of our confidence that the economy is on the up, and also in the growing amount of intra-regional trade with South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia particularly. Our total investment is USD200-mil- lion in the country over the coming years.” PPC Zimbabwe is also involved in infra- structure projects in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. He adds that a big contributing factor to PPC’s investment is the support the company receives from the state – in particular

Along with this economic revival, the Zimbabwean government is beginning to invest in renewing existing infrastruc- ture, like roads and dams, and to invest in new projects, such as energy generation. “As Zimbabwe’s largest producer of Ordinary Portland Cement – the highest grade – PPC Zimbabwe is a key player in all the big projects under way, and we are working hard to be involved in those still at the planning stage,” says Njombo Lekula, managing director of PPC Zimbabwe. “We are also well positioned to play a leading role in the building up of Zimbabwe’s infrastructure because we already have the equipment, processes and tanker fleet to handle bulk deliveries, something that’s vital for these big projects. We see ourselves as selling not just cement but a total solution to our customers.” >

Lekula goes on to point out that PPC Zimbabwe is looking to the future, with substantial new investments in capacity underway or planned. He explains that while PPC’s existing factory in Bulawayo positions it particularly well in the Matabeleland region, it’s clear that much of the country’s future growth will be centered on Harare and Northern Zimbabwe. Much of the infrastructure needed in this region will be housing, in line with the trend towards rapid urbanization in Zimbabwe (and the rest of Africa, for that matter). To ensure that PPC Zimbabwe is able to participate in the development of this region, it has embarked on the creation of a second manufacturing facility at Msasa, just outside Harare. PPC’s Msasa plant is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2016 and, Lekula says, should have a capacity of 780 000

CONSTRUCTION WORLD SEPTEMBER 2015

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