The needs of architects and civil engineering contractors for specialised construction products and materials change as infrastructure projects become more technologically advanced while at the same time having to remain cost effective. Rocla, part of the IS Group, South Africa’s leading manufacturer of precast concrete products, is geared up to offer innovative solutions no matter how challenging the customer requirements are.
Rocla recently received a request for pre-cast deck planks for installation on the recently constructed Colchester Bridge. The N2 was being converted into a double lane highway due to increased traffic to the region and a new bridge was required by SANRAL. The new Colchester Bridge was built parallel to the existing bridge which crosses over the Sundays River and took six months to complete. Graham Howell, Sales Consultant for Rocla, Port Elizabeth said “This was the first time Rocla had been tasked with supplying these pre-cast bridge deck planks, but upon receiving the specifications, we made specially designed moulds. Once the moulds were ready (approximately 8-12 weeks from order) we started the pre-cast plank production, which comprised 2,640 planks of 2150 x 300 x 75 in size”. “Rocla’s sophisticated and strategically located manufacturing plants ensure that our customer’s requirements are fully embraced, even if the contract calls for non-standard newly designed product. Concrete product expertise and guidance has always been the cornerstone to our success and this was evident with the Colchester Bridge project where the supply of pre-cast concrete planks was a new venture for us, but having seen the successful installation of the pre-cast planks, we are now able to supply this product to other bridge related construction projects, and tailor the design of the planks to meet requirements” said Howell.
