The ability to ensure a consistent quality and ongoing capacity of aggregate supply is a major differentiator in the roadworks and civils industry. B&E International is demonstrating its ability to provide both these critical elements on the Trans African Concessions (TRAC) extensive road rehabilitation and upgrade programme on the N4 in the Highveld region in Mpumalanga.
B&E International is demonstrating its ability to provide both these critical elements on Trans African Concessions’ extensive road rehabilitation and upgrade programme on the N4 in the Highveld region in Mpumalanga.
Construction work is underway to upgrade the N4 Toll Route between the N11/Hendrina Interchange in Middelburg and Wonderfontein and once completed this will offer motorists an even better and safer road. The project is expected to be completed by the end of October 2016 and includes both roadworks and civils infrastructure work on bridges and culverts.
Significantly, B&E International is crushing aggregates for both Murray & Roberts infrastructure and Raubex Construction, the two contractors appointed to undertake this road construction and rehabilitation on the N4 for TRAC. An important aspect on all such projects is the supply of consistent quality aggregate material that meets the requisite specifications and to ensure that the required quantity is available on time to dovetail with the construction schedule.
“Contractors are assured of both with B&E International appointed as the aggregates contractor especially as much of the aggregate is crushed and stockpiled, a factor that is considered the most cost effective option,” says Chris Weideman, director: operations at B&E International.
On the Murray & Roberts Infrastructure portion of the project, B&E International is responsible for production of the base course and sub base as well as surfacing material and asphalt aggregate. Material for the base course (G1) was produced at B&E International’s own source in Middleburg at 9 000 t/day. In total 82 000 t of base material was supplied from this operation.
The Murray & Roberts Infrastructure section of the contract includes a large cutting and it was decided to use the cutting for source material for crushing instead of spoiling the rock from the cutting. This provided the customer with a significant cost saving.
B&E International was responsible for the hard excavation of the cutting itself as well as the crushing. Weideman says that initially the idea was to crush within the cutting itself, however due to the final width of the cutting being too narrow as well as its close proximity to the high volumes of traffic on the N4, B&E International took the decision to establish its crushing plant adjacent to the cutting as this was a far safer option.
“Even though the crushing operation was about 100 m from the cutting, this was still a technically challenging task as the cutting, right on the busy highway, had to double as a quarry. Added to this was that the road could only be closed for short periods of time for blasting activities to take place,” Weideman says. “Safety is a primary consideration for all B&E International operations and no cost is spared in ensuring that the highest safety best practice standards are met. In the case of this particular operation extra care and responsible management was critical due to its location.”
Both sub base (G4) and rock fill was taken from the cutting material. Crushing was done at a rate of between 5 000 and 6 000 t/day on a 24/7 basis. In total some 110 000 m3 of material was removed from the cutting, with 160 000 t being crushed for the sub base at this operation. The balance of the material from the cutting was used as rock fill.
Approximately 5 000 t of surfacing material (G1) was sourced from B&E International’s operation in Middelburg and Weideman says that this is one of two of the company’s strategic sources in Middelburg that enabled it to produce the required aggregates in the time frame required.
In total, three crushing plants were in operation to service the N4 roads projects – the plant in the cutting quarry producing G4, the plant in Middelburg crushing G1 and a second plant in Middelburg producing the surface aggregates. Production of the required aggregates for the Murray & Roberts Infrastructure contract took two months, with all crushing completed and the material stockpiled for the contractor’s use. The drill and blast operation in the cutting finished at the end of July 2015.
The aggregate for the Raubex Construction portion of the roadworks is being supplied from two different sources, both of which are old SANRAL quarries that were made available to TRAC. In total 600 000 t of material will be crushed for this contractor with 500 000 t of sub base (G5) being supplied. The base course (G1) will be supplied from a different quarry and this will total around 82 000 t.
Significantly, B&E International also crushed the material for the WBHO portion of the N4 rehabilitation project which was completed in early 2014 and also on the N4, this time on the Mozambican side. The company also crushed about 350 000 t for another section of the national route, again for contractor WBHO. This included base, sub base and asphalt aggregates. Weideman says that this underpins B&E International’s ability to operate proficiently cross-border and ensure continuity of supply.
“The successful supply by B&E International on all of the N4 crushing contracts can be attributed to a number of interlinked elements which include securing strategic sources of quality product; the use of high quality reliable equipment; highly trained, knowledgeable and skilled teams of people and our ability to provide the capacity required to ensure uninterrupted product supply,” he confirms.
