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Materials & Equipment News

Institute implements changes for inclusivity, diversity

By: Theresa Bhowan 5th July 2019 The Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC) is following a diverse and inclusive approach in the steel industry as it promotes the importance of women working in steel, as well as younger people joining the sector. →

Sassda in transition, creates new membership structure

By: Cameron Mackay 5th July 2019 Owing to the varied benefits which companies obtain as members of the Southern Africa Stainless Steel Development Association (Sassda), the association has created a tiered membership structure. →

GROWTH FROM EXPORTS Growth in the mining, and food and beverage, sectors for stainless steel, led to consumption in South Africa increasing by 8.6% last year

Safika now holds 10% of Sephaku

By: Simone Liedtke 4th July 2019 Investment holdings company Safika has acquired an interest in building materials company Sephaku. Safika now holds 10% of Sephaku’s issued shares. →

AfriSam details carbon tax responses and showcases potential solutions

4th July 2019 JSE-listed diversified materials company AfriSam has implemented various initiatives to reduce its carbon intensity and developed responses to limit the impact of a carbon tax. →

AfriSam details carbon tax responses and showcases potential solutions

PPC reports ‘solid’ results despite challenging trading conditions

By: Simone Liedtke 28th June 2019 Despite having had to navigate through challenging trading conditions across the markets in which it operates, cement producer PPC on Friday reported a 60% increase in its basic earnings a share to 16c, and a 33% increase in its headline earnings a share to 20c for the financial year ended March... →

Sanral extends olive branch to smaller contractors, communities

By: Shirley le Guern 28th June 2019 The massive turnout at the South African National Roads Agency Limited's (Sanral's) N2/N3 information corridor roadshow across KwaZulu-Natal this week saw the roads agency extend an olive branch to local contractors and communities, as well as controversial business forums that had disrupted... →

Consulting engineering remains under pressure

By: Halima Frost 28th June 2019 Consulting engineering remains under the pump →

BRIDGING THE GAP Building bridges for the Gautrain are but a few projects in Nyeleti’s portfolio

WSP remains proactive in slow market

By: Halima Frost 28th June 2019 Amid the pressures in the built environment, professional services provider WSP is proactively looking for opportunities to diversify and alternative ways of conducting its business to improve efficiencies that will benefit clients. “. . . the need for infrastructure investment and development... →

GRID GANG The WSP team working on improving the power grid in Zimbabwe

AfriSam exploring ways to further reduce its carbon emissions

By: Schalk Burger 28th June 2019 Diversified materials company AfriSam is working to further reduce its carbon emissions, after achieving a sustained reduction of 35% as a result of on various initiatives over nearly two decades, says AfriSam Cementitious executive Hannes Meyer. During a media tour of the clinker production... →

Photo by Dylan Slater
LIMESTONE KILN Producing clinker is energy intensive and releases CO2 over and above the fuel used to burn the limestone

PPC appoints CEO with global experience

By: Creamer Media Reporter 26th June 2019 Cement producer PPC has appointed Roland van Wijnen to succeed Johan Claassen as CEO of the group. Van Wijnen is a Dutch national, whose listed company experience and exposure to international global best practice is expected to broaden the management practices of PPC. →

Roland van Wijnen

Sephaku expects weak construction materials demand to continue

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 26th June 2019 Amid weak demand, JSE-listed Sephaku Holdings focused on lowering its debt, defending its share of the market and improving cost efficiencies during the financial year ended March 31. Sephaku CEO Dr Lelau Mohuba on Wednesday said local building and construction materials manufacturers continued... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Sephaku CEO Dr Lelau Mohuba

Company expands on fixing range

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 21st June 2019 Construction and fixing supplier Upat South Africa, the sole Southern African agents for fischer Fixings, has added its Duopower nylon expansion plug to its extensive range of fixings. Made from two different types of nylon, Upat technical sales director and co-owner, Kerry Kuhlmann, explains... →

CLOSE KNIT Upat not only supplies the fischer range of products, the company offers four other major brands that are all complementary

Upat offers a complete solution for construction industry

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 21st June 2019 As a local supplier of premium brands – including those of measuring tool supplier Stabila, power tool manufacturer Milwaukee and construction fastening and fixing supplier fischer – leading distributor Upat South Africa offers a complete solution to clients in construction and associated trades.... →

Lafarge Africa rises to 3-week high after it sells South African unit

By: Reuters 20th June 2019 Shares of Lafarge Africa rose 9.95% to a three-week high on Thursday after the cement maker said it had sold its loss-making South African operations. The stock of the local unit of Franco-Swiss group Lafarge Holcim listed in Lagos, climbed to 10.50 naira, outperforming the weaker Nigerian All... →

Egypt's Tourah Cement stops production due to oversupply

By: Reuters 18th June 2019 Egyptian cement maker Tourah Cement, a subsidiary of Germany's HeidelbergCement , says it has suspended production because of financial distress caused by oversupply in the Egyptian market and is considering liquidation. "Estimated cement consumption during 2019 will end at around 50-million... →

AST declares maiden quartz resource, celebrates with inaugural blast

By: Nadine James 14th June 2019 AST Sand Mines’ Van Dykspruit quarry, on the border between Gauteng and Mpumalanga, on Friday declared its maiden quartzite-roadstone resource. AST management also oversaw the inaugral blast that would provide access to the underlying high-grade quartzite rock. →

Van Dykspruit Quarry

Collaboration seen as key to unlocking South Africa’s industrial potential

By: Simone Liedtke 14th June 2019 The revival of South Africa’s flagging manufacturing sector is core to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s broader economic recovery plan. The importance attributed to manufacturing can be seen in the President’s decision to appoint the experienced Ebrahim Patel to lead the newly restructured Trade and... →

Concrete knowledge crucial to produce sustainable concrete structures

By: Cameron Mackay 7th June 2019 In the context of the struggling South African construction industry, owing to a lack of investment in infrastructure projects, extended and institutionalised knowledge about improving the durability of concrete structures is crucial to the competitiveness of the South African concrete industry,... →

VITAL PRECEDENCE Building is built on precedence. One doesn’t change concrete technology quickly, it takes a long time for new technology to be implemented

Chinese company opens competence centre

7th June 2019 Multinational silicon products developer and manufacturer the WACKER Group has opened a new competence centre for cement and concrete applications in Shanghai, China. The laboratory will develop novel silicone-based products and solutions, which are able to improve the performance of cement and... →

Photo by Bloomberg
CEMENT INNOVATION The new competence center will develop novel silicone-based products and solutions that improve the durability of cement and concrete

Supplier adds new crusher to range

7th June 2019 Construction equipment supplier High Power Equipment (HPE) Africa has added the updated high-performance I54Rv3 impact crusher to the company’s range of screening and crushing equipment manufacturer McCloskey International crushing and screen plants. The I54Rv3 impact crusher, an advanced version... →

COMMENDABLE CRUSHING The I54Rv3 impact crusher operates efficiently in various applications. These include asphalt and concrete recycling, rock crushing, construction, mining and demolition

Producer achieves 35% emission reduction, supports carbon tax

By: Cameron Mackay 7th June 2019 Construction materials supplier AfriSam has reduced the company’s carbon emissions, per ton of cement produced, by 35% from 1990 to 2018 and is focusing on further carbon reductions, sustainability and the implementation of the carbon tax in South Africa. “The 35% is close to the targets being... →

CARBON TAX COMPLICATIONS AfriSam has significantly reduced its carbon emissions

Solutions provider releases new admixture for variable aggregates

By: Cameron Mackay 7th June 2019 Construction chemicals and solutions provider Mapei South Africa released the new Dynamon MS 100 acrylic-based admixture product earlier this year for use in concrete where there are variable-quality aggregates. The admixture prevents variations in the quality of aggregates, particularly in... →

AGGREGATE MITIGATION The Dynamon product was developed to mitigate the effects of poor-quality aggregates

New liner technology surpasses concrete protection alternatives

7th June 2019 Concrete protection liners specialist manufacturer AKS Lining Systems has taken the "cast-in" liner concept and developed its design through the development of Anchor Knob Sheet technology (AKS), which surpasses concrete protection alternatives on both cost-saving and performance. Concrete has... →

DEMANDING CONDITIONS AKS is used in a diverse range of chemically aggressive applications such as mining, water treatment and conveyance of sewage

LafargeHolcim shareholders opt for 73% payout in new shares

By: Reuters 3rd June 2019 LafargeHolcim on Monday said nearly three quarters of its payout for 2018 will be made in newly created shares. Some 72.98% of the 2018 dividend will be made in new stock and the rest in cash, the Swiss company said after shareholders' period to exercise the rights expired on May 31. →

Startups strive to recycle emissions for 'new carbon economy'

By: Reuters 31st May 2019 Jennifer Holmgren, CE of carbon recycling firm LanzaTech, explained modestly how the Chicago-based startup had cut multimillion-dollar deals on four continents, including in China, aimed at helping curb climate change and air pollution. At the Jingtang Steel Mill in Heibei province, the company... →

Chrome ore exports contribute to stainless steel production

By: Cameron Mackay 31st May 2019 The export of chrome ores from South Africa for use in the ferrochrome smelter of Chinese stainless steel group Tsingshan’s stainless steel plant has contributed to global growth in chrome ore supply. “Although the plant receives supply from China, which is re-routed South African material, and... →

New epoxy primer for heavy-duty equipment

31st May 2019 This month, global coatings manufacturer Hempel launched a new epoxy primer for heavy duty equipment and trucks called Hempaprime Shield 700 HS. Hempaprime Shield 700 HS is specifically designed to improve productivity and quality for original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) by reducing production... →

SPRAY DAY The fast drying epoxy allows for shorter intervals between coats

Provider develops specialised stainless steel roll

By: Cameron Mackay 31st May 2019 Stainless steel technical services and products provider SMS group has developed a specialised roll for its stainless steel plants. “Reliable and precise flatness measurement is of paramount importance. These rolls carry the brand name X-Shape and are part of the X-Pact product family, which... →

DIGITAL COMMITMENTS The Manufacturing Execution System and Genius Condition Monitoring System illustrate the company’s commitment to digitalisation and smart plants

Construction companies urged to streamline businesses

24th May 2019 With South Africa’s construction sector under growing pressure as a result of slow government infrastructure spending and a tightening economy, construction companies should be looking at ways to streamline their business processes, improve cash flow management and tighten risk management,... →

ANDREW SKUDDER Challenges faced by the industry are compounded by the fact that many construction groups have not digitised operations such as cost-consulting

Software provides support for project’s design phase

By: Thabi Madiba 24th May 2019 To help avoid construction failures for building contractors and consulting engineers, construction fastening and fixing supplier fischer fixings SA’s design software FIXPERIENCE has been developed as a tool to provide safe, reliable and professional support for the design phases of construction... →

Photo by Creamer Media
ON ITS KNEES The construction industry is currently “dismal and pitiful” considering the inherent infrastructure that exists in South Africa and the opportunities that abound

Full-size wheel loaders now boast advanced features

24th May 2019 Earthmoving equipment supplier CASE Construction Equipment South Africa’s range of full-size F-series wheel loaders has advanced features for faster operation, higher productivity, lower fuel consumption and improved safety on site. “The F-series wheel loaders, with reduced emissions, also offer... →

EFFICIENT AND SAFE OPERATION There are four working modes – max, economy, normal and auto – which allow the operator to maximise productivity and reduce fuel consumption

Embattled sector necessitates cost containment measures – AfriSam

By: Simone Liedtke 24th May 2019 With the South African construction industry remaining under pressure and in a state of accelerated decline, the need to contain costs continues and correct specification of construction materials remains critical. Construction materials company AfriSam construction materials executive Avi Bhoora... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
AVI BHOORA AfriSam remains hopeful that the country’s embattled construction industry is at the end of the downward cycle

Tanzania's China-backed $10bn port plan stalls over terms – official

By: Reuters 23rd May 2019 A planned $10-billion port project in Tanzania backed by China has hit an impasse, with the two sides disagreeing on terms of the infrastructure investment, a senior Tanzanian port official said on Wednesday. In 2013, Tanzania signed a framework agreement with China Merchants Holdings... →

Minerals Council welcomes safety improvements, but warns of continuing policy concerns

By: Nadine James 22nd May 2019 The Minerals Council South Africa will, later this year, launch a new health and safety initiative called Khumbela iKhaya, council chaiperson Mxolisi Mgojo revealed on Wednesday. Addressing the council's annual general meeting, he noted that appreciable improvements in the health and safety... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
Minerals Council chairperson Mxolisi Mgojo

ARM Cement's Kenyan assets sold for $50m – statement

By: Reuters 21st May 2019 The assets of Kenya's ARM Cement have been sold to the National Cement Company for $50-million, its administrator said on Tuesday. ARM Cement was put under administration last August by some of its creditors over a $190-million debt and its shares were suspended from the Nairobi bourse. It has... →

Buoyed by mining recovery, Barloworld looks to Mongolia for growth

By: Irma Venter 20th May 2019 Barloworld’s results on Monday reflected some of the biggest trends in the South African economy, with the company reporting a sharp drop in equipment sales to the troubled construction industry, as well as a decline in new-vehicle sales and car rental days, but with the mining industry seemingly... →

Rescue practitioners expect proceeds of R709m from initial Group Five disposals

By: Terence Creamer 15th May 2019 Business rescue practitioners (BRPs) at construction firm Group Five reported on Wednesday that the disposal of stakes in three companies, together with sale of plant, assets and property, is expected to yield proceeds of R709-million. Group Five’s shares were suspended in March after the company... →

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