|
|
|
|
News |
 |
| |
Rocla Products Form
Crucial Link in Sishen-Saldanha Railway Upgrade |
| Released: 11 January 2010 |
| |
Johannesburg - January 2010 - Rocla, the leading
specialist in precast concrete infrastructural
products and solutions in southern Africa, has
contributed to the successful upgrade of the
Sishen-Saldanha iron ore railway line by supplying
pipes and culverts to assist with the drainage at
various railway intersections.
The Sishen-Saldanha railway line is a single, heavy
haul line built to carry export iron ore from Sishen
in the Northern Cape to Saldanha in the Western
Cape. The railway line upgrade project undertaken by
Concor on behalf of Transnet, entailed building
double lines at critical loops located at railway
line intersections. This has resulted in a reduced
delay time when trains have to cross each other and
has relieved traffic blockages in various problem
sections of the line.
Concor was contracted to deliver the earthworks,
trackworks, overhead track equipment (OHTE) and
drainage for the Sishen Saldanha project. Concor
subsequently awarded Rocla the contract to supply
SAR specification culverts to assist with the
drainage at the intersections. Pipes were also
supplied to assist with drainage within the loops. A
special feature of the project is that Rocla
custom-designed and produced concrete signal boxes
to enable safe and low maintenance installation of
computer systems.
All material was manufactured and supplied from
Rocla's De Aar factory. Andre Pienaar, Business
Manager at Rocla's De Aar factory says, “Our sales
and technical teams worked tirelessly to ensure that
all material was delivered timeously on site for
installation during periodic 72-hour shut downs.
"We conducted site visits fortnightly to ensure the
delivery plan was up to date and compared site
progress with factory progress. The gravel road
conditions proved to be a challenge, as most of the
sites were far from the factory, but the cartage
contractors delivered despite the challenges. In
total, we delivered pipes and culverts for 14 loops
on the Sishen-Saldanha railway line.”
Each SAR Portal Culvert, used primarily in
stormwater drainage applications, consists of a deck
and two legs and is placed on a concrete base. The
culverts are used underneath rail road crossings to
allow the water to move from one side of the railway
line to the other. They are designed especially for
use on railways, however, they can be used in any
application to accommodate excessive fills.
Derek Brink, Site Agent at Concor, says, “Rocla
partnered with us to deliver a customised solution
based on the needs of the project. Rocla's concrete
signal boxes have added value by housing and
protecting the computer systems, which ensures that
the railway schedules and operational efficiency are
maintained."
|
| |
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. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
