DESIGN SERVICE OPENS MORE DOORS TO USING FIBRE IN CONCRETE
The use of fibres in concrete goes back to Roman times , but modern fibre technology now offers contractors and end-users almost limitless possibilities , which can be brought to life by the specialised design service from CHRYSO Southern Africa and Oxyfibre .
Izak Louw , operations manager at Oxyfibre , explains that CHRYSO ® Macro polypropylene fibres compete with the conventional steel mesh as a reinforcement for concrete . As such , these macrofibres are considered as structural elements , and must pass stringent tests to prove the strength and integrity of their physical properties .
“ This creates the basis for us to offer a specialised engineering design service for the application of our macrofibres , not only for ground supported slabs but also for precast concrete ,” says Louw . “ We use the customer ’ s data on loadings , ground conditions and the kind of activities that will be carried out on the concrete surface – such as rolling loads and racking loads .”
CHRYSO Southern Africa has been the official distributor for Oxyfibre since 2016 , with the two firms having built a strong working relationship for many years before that . Oxyfibre makes available both microfibres and macrofibres supplied by Adfil Construction Fibres , who Oxyfibre represents in sub-Saharan Africa . ADFIL Construction Fibres bases its manufacturing facilities – as well as its research and development laboratory – in Belgium .
“ Most of our customised fibre designs relate to civil engineering applications , such as roads and industrial slabs ,” he says . “ However , we also provide the design service in smaller contracts for driveways , residential homes and requirements on farms .”
Working closely with CHRYSO , the Oxyfibre engineering team considers the customer ’ s needs and provides feedback on aspects like fibre dosage , the size of saw-cuts on a slab and the optimal thickness of the concrete . “ With our tailored design service , we work closely with the customer to supply the required calculations and technical specifications ,” he says . “ We also produce a detailed commercial proposal that sets out the benefits of CHRYSO ® Macro fibres ; our service comes with professional indemnity .” www . za . chryso . com
COROBRIK OFFICIALLY ACCREDITED AS A BRICKLAYING TRADE SCHOOL
Leading clay brick and paving manufacturer Corobrik has been officially accredited as a Skills Development Provider ( SDP ) by the Quality Council for Trades & Occupations ( QCTO ). “ We are now a fully accredited trade school for bricklayers ,” says Talent Developer Manager Sibongile Dlamini .
The company actively contributes to the government ’ s skills development and empowerment initiatives by offering bricklayer training at building schools at Avoca in KwaZulu-Natal , Lawley in Gauteng , and Lansdowne in the Western Cape . The training is fully accredited by the Construction Education & Training Authority ( CETA ).
These not-for-profit training centres are open to the public , government appointed students , and members of various organisations . Another major focus is assisting its own customers . “ As an added incentive for our major customers , we have bricklayers that can go to site ,” says Dlamini .
“ We have been offering this training for over a decade to date ,” says Karabo Motsepe-Marutla , Government Development Manager at Corobrik , adding that the manufacturer celebrates its 120th anniversary this year . “ The focus is obviously to equip unskilled workers with building and bricklaying skills such as that they can be gainfully employed and gain knowledge of building and the construction industry as a whole .”
An interesting trend , according to Sibongile , is an increased uptake of the training by women . Minister of Human Settlements Mmamoloko Kubayi recently handed out certificates to a group of women from the Western Cape who successfully completed the Corobrik training . “ That is changing the face of the
construction industry from the ground up ,” notes Sibongile .
Another focus for the Corobrik training is to support local economic development projects , whereby bricklaying promotes empowerment and social upliftment and boosts the economy . “ This is a key initiative for us . We do not only want to hand out certificates but want to contribute to viable employment opportunities that fill critical gaps in the construction industry . It is critical , especially as bricklaying has been prioritised by the government as a scarce skill ,” concludes Motsepe-Marutla . www . corobrik . co . za
News Watch 5