ON THE COVER
Innovation is key to solving the water challenges with which the country grapples. This includes revolutionising construction practices to deliver critical municipal water infrastructure quicker and more cost-effectively. At the same time, these new builds need to be robust so that they continue to add value for many years with minimal maintenance and repairs. Precast concrete meets all these requirements and more, including the ability to execute projects in a safer manner by restricting work at height and by placing concrete in a setting that can be controlled more easily than on a worksite.
Concor expertly assists with ensuring Fourways Mall’s sustainability
Construction World recently visited Fourways Mall where Concor is on track to complete the Fourways Main Roof Works Project by June. This fast track upgrade project started in October and forms part of the Fourways Mall Repositioning initiative and involves covering 50 000 m2 of the roof parking on level 7 with a roof, while 10 200 m2 of this will be fitted with solar photovoltaic (PV) structures. In addition, Concor was responsible for the rehabilitation of the access ring road. Martin Muller, Concor’s Contract Manager and Luke Matthews, the Site Agent, explain how this challenging project will future-proof Africa’s largest shopping mall.
Is SA’s construction supply chain ready for mega-projects?
It is anticipated that renewed investment in South Africa’s infrastructure may bring with it some overdue mega-projects – raising expectations about the construction sector’s readiness for the unusual demands of such contracts. Amit Dawneerangen, Construction Materials Executive: Sales and Product Technical at AfriSam, says that the country needs urgent and extensive investment in projects from roads and dams to wastewater treatment plants and energy infrastructure.
Afrimat Construction Index improves in the fourth quarter of 2024
Afrimat, a leading mid-tier mining and materials company providing Bulk Commodities, Construction Materials, Industrial Minerals and Future Materials and Metals, has released the findings of its Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) for the fourth quarter of 2024. The ACI is a composite index of the level of activity within the building and construction sectors and is compiled by economist Dr Roelof Botha on behalf of Afrimat.
The ACI has now improved for three quarters in succession, the first time this has occurred since the pandemic-related lockdowns, re-establishing a familiar trend in the construction sector at large. According to Dr Botha, the recent lowering of the repo rate, and, by inference, also the prime overdraft rate, has exerted a marginal positive impact on the ACI, with the year-on-year increase of 2,5% outperforming the year-on-year real GDP growth rate of 0,5% by a considerable margin.
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