AfriSam has a workforce of about 1,300 employees at its operations in South Africa , Lesotho and Eswatini
AfriSam took a leading role in producing the material to meet the new durability specifications
The company was interested in how durability tests needed to be conducted , as part of the process of ensuring concrete compliance . Two of South Africa ’ s leading academics – Emeritus Professor Mark Alexander at the University of Cape Town and Emeritus Professor Yunus Ballim at the University of the Witwatersrand – pioneered the country ’ s Durability Index tests . Government agencies adopted the standards and tests , and the sector increasingly took them on board .
It was not simple to apply these new durability standards , however , and AfriSam actively contributed to an industry-based Durability Committee to put in place testing methods and equipment . This included establishing a dedicated Durability Laboratory at its Centre of Product Excellence in Roodepoort . Outside of universities , AfriSam was one of the first to install the correct test equipment , which allowed it to check whether a concrete mix would comply with durability specifications .
Carbon Footprint This work coincided with the progress that AfriSam was making in the field of supplementary cementitious materials . During this time , the assumption within the sector was that the quality of a concrete depended almost entirely on the volume of cement in the mix . Alternative materials like Pulverised Fly Ash ( PFA ) or Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag ( GGBS ) were seen as just extenders to reduce cement – rather than as a constituent which could add its own value .
With its extensive knowledge base , built up from both site and laboratory experience , AfriSam was able to research this field scientifically . A key realisation from this body of work was that cementitious material like PFA and GGBS could enhance the durability properties of concrete , while reducing the proportion of energy-intensive clinker . Up to 70 % supplementary cementitious materials can now be used , depending on the application . This reduces the carbon footprint of the concrete .
At the same time , the company continues to apply strategies at its cement plants – such as waste heat recovery-reuse and alternative fuels – to make cement manufacturing more energy efficient . Manufacturing of cement remains energy intensive , with every tonne of cement manufactured being linked to about a tonne of carbon dioxide emissions . Through a range of initiatives , AfriSam has been able to reduce its carbon emissions by 33 % since 1990 .
AfriSam was the first cement company to publish an environmental policy in 1994
Social responsibility has always been an important feature of the company
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