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Rocla Awarded R120 million Contract in Gaborone |
| Released: 05 January 2010 |
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Johannesburg - January 2010 - Precast concrete
engineers, Rocla has secured the largest order in
its 90 year history in southern Africa with the
recently awarded contract to its Kwena Rocla
Business Unit in Botswana. Rocla will supply over 50
000 tons of precast concrete products to the value
of over 100 million Pula (R120 million) for the
Greater Gaborone Sewerage Project.
Rocla won the contract against stiff competition due
to its track record of timeous delivery, production
capacity, quality products and positive business
relationships with Chinese contractors in the
region. |
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Yan Yong, Managing Director at
China Jiangsu International (left)
and Glen Ansell, Managing Director of Kwena Rocla. |
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The increase in residential and business property
developments in the greater Gaborone area over the
past few years has resulted in numerous spillages
and overflowing in the town's sewerage system. The
Gaborone City Council appointed China Jiangsu
International to upgrade the sewerage system, who
subsequently awarded Rocla the contract to supply
the precast concrete products for the project. Kwena
Rocla will supply 42,300 tons of 100D RJ SI pipes
and over 500 tons of manholes and sundry vibrated
products over the 12 month contract period.
Glen Ansell, Managing Director of Kwena Rocla says,
“The project has a very tight delivery schedule,
which required us to get assistance from Rocla South
African-based Roodepoort, Polokwane, Virginia and
Orkney factories. We have also hired plant and
equipment from Murray & Roberts to expedite the
offloading and handling of products delivered for
the Gaborone Sewer project.
“The language barrier has been a challenge, but it
has not deterred or compromised our communication
and delivery to Jiangsu,” adds Ansell. “We have
translated our product catalogues, technical data
sheets and CDs into Chinese to assist the customer
and we use a translator at all our meetings. In
addition to this, we have drawn up a critical path
analysis to assist Jiangsu in its installation
programme. All their product installation teams have
been trained on the various aspects of handling and
installing products at Kwena Rocla's factory.”
In addition to the standard 100D RJ SI concrete
pipes, Rocla is manufacturing specialised pipes with
dolomite aggregate mixed with Calcium Aluminate
Cement (CAC) with sacrificial CAC linings. CAC
linings are ten times more effective in withstanding
sewer corrosion which assists in prolonging the
lifespan of the sewer system. The rapid rate of
modernisation, a change in diet and an increase in
the levels of detergents released into sewers are
some of the factors which have resulted in sewerage
water becoming more acidic and corrosive.
Furthermore, Rocla is supplying customised dolomitic
pipes with High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) linings
for extremely aggressive sewer conditions. HDPE
lined pipes also offer the structural benefit of
concrete and do not require compact soil for
support. Due to their weight, they can resist
unstable surrounding soil conditions and remain
stable even when ground water is present.
Kwena Rocla also assisted Jingsu in procuring,
handling and testing equipment and various
specialised consumables required on site. Kwena
Rocla is an ISO 9001:2000 rated company and all
products are certified according to Botswana Bureau
of Standards (BBS) and South African Bureau of
Standards (SABS) quality standards.
Yang Yong, Managing Director at China Jiangsu
International says, “Kwena Rocla is the preferred
supplier as they have established business and
technical credibility with Chinese contractors
operating in Botswana. It is also favoured by the
Botswana Government on projects due to their
capacity to deliver quality products, technical
support and their contribution to economically
empowering citizens and fulfilling social
responsibilities”.
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More about Rocla
Rocla (Pty) Ltd, part of the Murray & Roberts group,
is a leading manufacturer of precast concrete
products for infrastructure, including pipes,
culverts, manholes, poles and other related and
customised products.
Rocla partners with customers to design and develop
solutions for specific applications. With over 91
years of experience in precast concrete technology,
Rocla provides extensive backup and technical
expertise to its customer base. Rocla has an
extensive network of factories throughout South
Africa, Namibia and Botswana, and is an ISO
9001:2000 certified company.
Through the Rocla Academy, Rocla displays its
ongoing commitment to Continuous Professional
Development in the Construction industry. The Rocla
Academy adds value by providing training to
customers, contractors and engineering consultants.
Being the only company that offers skills and
competency training to external stakeholders, Rocla
partners with its customers to add value and deliver
service of a superior standard.
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