Quarry Southern Africa May 2018 | Page 29

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