BENEFICIATION
“The biggest benefit
of precast slabs is that
whatever can go wrong
goes wrong in the factory
rather than on site, and
there what is likely to go
wrong is typically with
concrete compaction.”
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A bridge beam manufacturing line. CoreSlab manufactures a comprehensive range of high-quality
T, Y, I, M, and F-type bridge beams, in addition to barriers and parapets.
both processes, to make a better finish
to the product and to save on certain
expenses like additional labour incurred
with conventional concrete, as well as
fewer rejects — though it is quite a bit
more expensive,” adds De Bruin. He says
the company is still doing the input cost
analysis on SCC as to whether the higher
cost is offset by the lower labour cost on
site. The factory itself is already highly
labour intensive, albeit more productive
and efficient.
There are standard moulds for certain
products, as stadia and reservoirs
for instance typically have the same
specced products, and the moulds can
consequently be repeatedly reused. “Most
of the products we manufacture are
standardised — you can’t change the size
of a rugby field in a stadium. We target
the structural concrete market rather than
architectural concrete. Though we have
done some of the latter — like pavement
seating and balustrades — it tends not
to be economical as the learning curve is
long, and the reject rate high through trial
and error and is not really our core focus.
“We know how to do suspended-concrete
QUARRY SA | MAY/JUNE 2019_31