September 2010
Aggregate and sand - shaping the past and shaping the future
‘It is clearly a truism to observe that no developments in South Africa or for that matter any other country, can take place without a quarry. It is a long-held adage in the industry that the oldest profession in the world is that of a quarryman, because without a road to parade up and down, the lady of the night would not have been able to ply her trade. Not a road, not a railway, not a harbour, nor a building of any kind larger than a grass hut, could have been created without materials supplied from the quarry industry'.
What an apt quote to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Aggregate and Sand Producers' Association of Southern Africa (Aspasa).
But this goes back even further than 1990, to the early 1960s when the need for an industry body became an issue. The then ‘Transvaal' was the first to form TAMA (Transvaal Aggregate Manufacturers Association) and this was followed by the formation of the Institute of Quarrying (IQSA) in 1969, and then AGFED (Aggregate Producers Federation) in 1973, which was fairly unstructured and needed the commitment of a dedicated person or group of people to run it effectively. In 1990, the captains of industry called a meeting at the IQSA's annual conference, and a steering committee was nominated to investigate the function of a new body, resulting in the formation of Aspasa on 23 August 1990.
Great credit must go to its first director Sir Rupert Bromley, a man, who to this day, has a deep passion and love for this industry, and a man who has done much to change the face of quarrying for the better. Also to Nico Pienaar, who has built on Sir Rupert's proud legacy through his hard work and commitment, earning much respect from the industry. Also to the many people who have been involved in the past and those still involved in the various committees of this very important organisation. This is truly a platinum celebration - and Modern Quarrying is proud of its association with Aspasa and the industry as a whole.
Let us know what you'd like to read in the magazine. Feel free to contact the editor Dale Kelly on tel: +27 11 622 4770 or 083 419 9162, or email her on dalek@crown.co.za. For your advertising spend, contact Bennie Venter, email: benniev@crown.co.za.
On the cover
In the past, instant power at the turn of a switch was a given, and infrastructure, mining and industrial projects went ahead without any major obstacles in terms of planned connections to the national grid. Today's environment is different and many projects, particularly green field mining developments, are being mothballed or delayed because of a shortfall in the available power supply. Longer-term, the roll out of new state-owned power stations is expected to eventually catch up with future demand, but in the interim what is going to fill the energy gap?
In this article, we look at turnkey engineering specialist - Caterpillar power systems southern African dealer Barloworld Power - which is able to provide an effective and prompt solution.
In this issue
• We visit a limestone crushing site in Ndola, Zambia to see the largest modular plant ever installed by Pilot Crushtec - a literal meccano set of modular crushing equipment. Here MQ was able to see at first hand, just how well this company is able to innovate and push the boundaries in terms of quality customer service and delivery.
• Accompanied by delegates at the recently-held IQSA Symposium in PE, MQ visits the Port of Ngqura, which is SA's 8th commercial port development, and which is set to provide a vital conduit to international markets.
• We celebrate Aspasa's platinum anniversary from its early beginnings to the recognition it now receives as a significant force in the mining and quarrying industry.
• MQ takes to trip to Durbanville in the Cape, and reports back on Wearne's state-of-the-art hollow core facility. Prestressed hollow core slabs are among the most advanced products in the precast industry especially with regard to their high quality and low consumption of materials. This is truly a high-tech facility, ready and waiting for the upturn in the construction industry.
