Architect and Builder August/September 2019 | Page 10

NEWSWORTHY SA CEMENT PRODUCERS APPLY FOR IMPORT PROTECTION The Concrete Institute (TCI) has on behalf of the South African cement producers applied to the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) of South Africa to investigate the surge of imports of low-priced cement. TCI has lodged the application on behalf of AfriSam, Dangote Cement SA, Lafarge Industries South Africa, Natal Portland Cement Company, and PPC. Bryan Perrie, TCI Managing Director, says imported cement is undercutting the industry by at least 45%. When this is combined with unprecedented low levels of demand due to slowed economic growth, the industry is facing a survival crisis which threatens to undermine the industrial capacity of the country. “The cement industry has no option but to request ITAC to conduct a safeguard investigation to determine whether the cement industry requires protection from the surge in imports,” he states. Perrie feels the South African economy is at a crossroad where trade policy determinations will play a critical role in determining the industrial direction of the country. “The key to future growth lies in achieving greater efficiencies within the country’s relevant manufacturing sectors. The cement industry must com- pete on a level playing field and not be scrambling to survive against low priced imports. The sector needs space to grow, which a successful ITAC application would provide,” he states. Bryan Perrie, 011 315 0300 or [email protected] 10 STUDENT ACCOMMODATION CALLS FOR MORE STRINGENT FIRE-SAFETY MEASURES Fire-safety requirements for student accommodation are by nature more onerous than other building types. This warning from ASP Fire CEO Michael van Niekerk comes in the wake of the fire that gutted the iconic Huis ten Bosch student residence at Stellenbosch University on the evening of 12 August. Although 160 students had to be evacuated and two were injured, fortunately there were no fatalities. Fire-safety requirements for any building in which rooms are rented out as accommodation are deemed to be more stringent, as this is on par with a hotel, for example. As it is a densely-populated residential environment, the building has to be adequately equipped in order to comply with all of the necessary regulations and standards. In terms of fire safety, fires can be dealt with through three main actions: The first is controlling the growth of a fire to prevent it from spreading, followed by suppression to cool a fire rapidly. Finally, extinguishing a fire means that there is no heated substance remaining. Evacuation should also be safe and easy, while allowing unrestricted access for emergency services. The installed fire-detection system must be able to detect the fire as soon as possible, warn occupants, and allow them to escape in time. “Buildings that accommodate large numbers of people are often not designed with specific occupant characteristics in mind,” van Niekerk stresses. The fire-engineering specialist has experienced a high demand for assistance in developing designs for new buildings, as well as bringing existing non- compliant buildings, especially older buildings, up to standard. Moreover, historic buildings that accommodate residents, or that are converted to accommodate residents, pose a particular challenge in this regard. However, fire-safety awareness has improved significantly from 100 years ago, when historic buildings often lacked modern fire-safety elements vital for the safe evacuation of residents, or Michael van Niekerk to prevent fire or smoke from spreading rapidly through CEO ASP Fire the building. “I see the industry growing, both in terms of size and depth of knowledge, as more engineers specialise in fire engineering,” van Niekerk comments. Looking at the latest trends in the property-development market, he points to the current large scale repurposing of commercial and even industrial buildings into long-term residential units. The second trend is an increased demand for affordable student accommodation, such as the refurbishment of the Hatfield Square mixed-use student accommodation in Pretoria. ASP Fire has also been tasked by the City of Johannesburg to conduct a survey of dilapidated building stock in areas such as Brixton and Newtown. 500 ‘problem’ buildings in Johannesburg have been earmarked that can potentially be repurposed by developers and investors to alleviate the housing and student accommodation shortage in the city. “The owners of many of these buildings face similar challenges as office buildings, in that they do not necessarily contain adequate fire-safety features necessary in terms of the relevant regulations when people reside and sleep in them,” van Niekerk concludes. www.aspfire.co.za News Watch