The Cement & Concrete SA’s KwaZulu-Natal branch kicked off the year’s events with their first site visit for 2022 at the RCL 1 Campsite in Camperdown on the 9^th of March 2022. At this site Martin & East are currently manufacturing precast concrete barriers for use as a temporary vehicle restraint system for SANRAL in the upgrading of the N2 and N3 national routes in KwaZulu-Natal.

On the day of the event, more than 60 attendees from various sectors of civil engineering and the construction industry were introduced to the design, production, and performance of the precast concrete barriers, as well as the quality control aspects behind the operation.

Christo Barnard from Deltabloc SA introduced the attendees to the proprietary barrier system that uses a patented tension beam and coupling mechanism that can be adapted to achieve different containment levels. Christo explained that the technology being used to link the barriers together is built into the concrete with no separate installation parts required, making them vandal-proof and cost effective. The barriers conform to the standards of a MASH Test Level 4 barrier system and have been crash tested to SANS 51317 (EN 1317) to ensure that the required W4 working width is achieved.

Attendees were afforded an opportunity to observe a concrete pour in the production yard, whilst Giselle Dawson of Métier Mixed Concrete presented the process behind the manufacture and supply of the ready-mix concrete, as well as how quality materials are selected for the concrete. Attendees also observed the preparing and demoulding of a concrete barrier in the production yard, where David Maluleke took the attendees through the process of how the preparing and demoulding is carried out, ensuring efficiency of the process without compromising the quality of the barriers.

At the site’s material testing laboratory, Wiseman Mkhonza of Naidu Consulting took the attendees through the process behind the quality and performance monitoring of the concrete barriers.

Cement & Concrete SA’s KwaZulu-Natal branch chairperson, Mr. Kevin Volmink, thanked Martin & East, Deltabloc SA and Métier Mixed Concrete for sponsoring the event and congratulated the sponsors and project team on successfully showcasing this unique project. Kevin also expressed gratitude to all the attendees, the CCSA KZN Branch Committee and to the CCSA Events Management team for their contributions towards ensuring the success of the event. Finally, CCSA KZN Branch Secretary, Kerusha Ayer, encouraged attendees, who were not members of CCSA yet to join and to diarise the various exciting upcoming events that have been planned by the CCSA’s KZN Branch Committee for 2022.