BENEFICIATION
is undertaken by Coredrill once the
installation has been finalised.
The more than 90 precast concrete planks
were transported from the factory to the
construction site on an ongoing basis during
the installation period. A 160-ton Liebherr
mobile crane was used to place the hollow-
core slabs onto the bedding that was prepared
by Golden Bay Property Developments
building arm ahead of their installation.
Benefits of precast concrete
On this project, Corestruc worked
alongside Golden Bay Property
Development’s site manager, Rodney
Chauke, who says that up to five weeks
were shaved off the works programme
by constructing the floor using precast
concrete elements. Once the hollow-core
slabs had been levelled and grouted,
brickworks could commence promptly to
complete the shell of the structure at this
level, while the specialist trades started
fitting out the level below.
Quick completion of the structure will
allow Golden Bay Property Developments
to start making a return on its investment
sooner, considering the significant
demand for affordable office space in the
Polokwane CBD.
Clifford Mogale, project manager of
CoreSlab, says that this is one of the many
advantages precast concrete technologies
provide private-sector property developers.
“Moreover, the client is ensured of a
robust and accurate floor structure. This
is considering the levels of precision that
are possible by manufacturing the precast
concrete items in a controlled factory
environment. Each element is at least
40MPa and they have been manufactured
according to stringent quality standards,
which include a system of pre-checks and
post-checks at the factory before they are
dispatched to site,” says Mogale.
He adds that this approach to
construction also complements Golden
Bay Property Development’s high safety
standards on all its construction sites. Bear
in mind that the precast concrete elements
are manufactured at ground level and
their installation only delegated to highly
skilled teams.
Building contractors ensure that
Corestruc’s teams have clear access to the
site and structure. This is in addition to
providing a solid working platform around
the building to support the mobile crane.
The load-bearing walls and the structure
have been built strictly to design, and they
comprise five courses of brickwork with
Brickforce in every layer.
Lintels are used in openings of up to 2m
and the windows and door openings are
supported by props while the slabs are placed.
In Lephalale, CoreSlab worked alongside
Mamondo Development & Construction
on a 10-bedroom guesthouse in Haakbos
Street on behalf of Eskom, and Mogale was
also appointed to manage this installation.
Brickwork in seven days
The brickworks for the 170m² ground
level was completed in just seven working
days, ahead of receiving CoreSlab’s
hollow-core precast concrete slabs that
will support the second storey of the
structure. More than 40 hollow-core slabs
and four precast concrete beams were
delivered to site from CoreSlab’s factory in
Construction underway in Polokwane, the largest city in Limpopo province.
QUARRY SA | MAY/JUNE 2018 _ 27