June 2013
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
61
equipment
THETWO-STOREY
700 m
2
showroomwill
also house a sales andmarketing office and
training facility in order to fully highlight
the endless creative possibilities that con-
crete offers in modern day construction.
PMSA sales and marketing manager
Quintin Booysen believes that the com-
pany is setting a trend in the local in-
dustry through the construction of the
entire building which is, in itself, the most
fundamental aspect of the showroom.
"Themodern, minimalistic and aesthetical-
ly-pleasing building is constructed almost
entirely out of concrete, and in so doing,
dispels the common misconception that
concrete is a cold, grey and ugly material
suited mostly for industrial purposes."
The showroom flooring is completed
with HTC Superfloor, which is an easy-
to-maintain polished concrete flooring
system that provides the highest shine to
the floor surface, bymaking use of a range
of HTC floor grindingmachines and acces-
sories. Booysen notes that PMSA has gone
one step further by using HTC Superfloor
to polish a number of concrete pull-up
structural concrete walling panels, which
make up the showroom walls and main
reception staircase.
“A polishing and grinding machine
weighs up to 300 kg and would be impos-
sible to run against a wall. Another option
would be to use a hand-held grinding
tool, however that would not ensure a
precision finish.
"PMSA improvised by polishing the
precast concrete panels using the HTC
Superfloor system, before pulling them
up by making use of a tilt-up method,”
he continues.
These panels are being used both for
structural and display purposes to highlight
the potential beauty of precast concrete, by
simply polishing or adding colour aggregates
to it. Booysen adds:“Our main objective is to
show architects, engineers and contractors
that a polished precast panel can serve as a
stylish and modern finish in a home, office
Innovative concrete showroom
PanMixers South Africa (PMSA) – the largest supplier of concrete, brick,
block and paving making machinery and technology in Africa –
officially opened its cutting-edge showroom, following 18 months
of tireless and dedicated work.
or shopping environment while being a
structural element.”
In addition to being aesthetically-
pleasing, Booysen points out that the
PMSA showroom is also environmentally-
friendly and requiresminimal maintenance
and energy in its daily usage. "Polished con-
crete provides further benefits that include
ease of cleaning due to a smooth surface,
and a reduction in lighting bills, due to the
fact that the panels reflect more light into
the building."
According to Booysen, concrete floor-
ing can have a lower installation and life-
time cost, when compared to traditional
products such as epoxy flooring and tiling.
"What's more, the entire building is fit-
ted with acoustic and thermal insulation
ceilingsto ensure that the structure is kept
cool in the summer andwarm in thewinter,
Offices in the functional showroom.
Continued on page 62
