• CRADLE TO GRAVE
CONCRETE FAST TRACKS
MINE LINK
Construction of a new access road to Marula Platinum Mine
on the Eastern Limb of the Bushveld Complex in the Limpopo
province of South Africa, is nearing completion.
Jointly funded by Marula Platinum Mine and Roads Agency
Limpopo, the new road will quickly and efficiently connect
employees from surrounding communities, such as Diphale
Village, with the Implats operation.
Matlokwa Transport & Construction was awarded the
contract to build the road and associated 60m-long bridge
over Moopetsi River. Notably, the design of the bridge
incorporates precast-concrete beams, despite the structure
being only between 5m and 8m in height and crossing an
intermittent river.
A decision was taken by Risimati Consulting Engineers to use precastconcrete
beams when a flash-flood washed away all of the earthworks
in 2019.
Lesila Moloka, site Agent of Matlokwa Transport & Construction,
says that while the engineering design initially incorporated
cast-in-place concrete beams, a decision was taken by Risimati
Consulting Engineers to use precast-concrete beams when a
flash-flood washed away all of the earthworks in 2019.
“We had to significantly accelerate the construction programme
to keep the project on track. This approach proved to be a
faster and more cost-effective means of constructing the
superstructure. Mobilising to site in the beginning of January,
our precast-concrete bridge beam supplier was able to
complete the entire installation in only four days as planned to
enable our teams to commence working on the superstructure
immediately,” says Moloka.
Coreslab was also tasked with the manufacture and installation of the
104 precast-concrete bridge bearings.
The 52m high quality M2 bridge beams – 13 per 15,43m-long
span – were manufactured and installed by Coreslab, which also
worked closely with Risimati Consulting Engineers to optimise
the design of the bridge.
Coreslab was also tasked with the manufacture and installation
of the 104 precast-concrete bridge bearings – in what is a first
project of its kind for this leading precast-concrete bridge beam
specialist. On this project, Coreslab used an 110t mobile crane
with a reach of between 7,5t and 14t to lift and assist its team
place the precast-concrete elements.
The precast-concrete elements were dispatched from the
company’s state-of-the-art factory in Polokwane, just more
than an hour-and-a-half commute from the construction site in
Burgersfort and lifted directly from the specialised trailers.
Also designed to handle the high volume of heavy commercial
vehicles that service the mine on a daily basis, the 12,5-km long
and 14m-wide Category C road comprises base and sub-base,
upper and lower select, a roadbed and rock-fill layers with a
double seal asphalt surfacing.
All photos by Coreslab
The 52 high quality M2 bridge beams – 13 per 15.43m-long span – were
manufactured and installed by Coreslab.
54 • African Mining •May 2020
Matlokwa Transport & Construction is sourcing some of the
aggregate requirements for the road from its own crushing
operation. The crushing and screening plant is located at
Modikwa mine, another platinum operation in the area, where
the company produces 19mm and 96,7mm, as well as sand from
waste rock.
According to Jaco de Bruin, managing director of Coreslab, the
project has created employment opportunities for more than 90
people from surrounding communities once it peaked last year. •
www. africanmining.co.za