Rocla, leaders in precast concrete infrastructural products and solutions in southern Africa, has partnered with Amitech Pipe Systems (APS) in East London to supply precast concrete meter boxes and lids for the Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) as a cost effective and reliable solution to high incidents of breakages.
APS approached Rocla to manufacture custom designed precast concrete meter boxes and lids according to BCM’s specifications. Rocla received their first order from APS to supply 5000 meter boxes and lids to Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) in June 2009. The first delivery was completed in September 2009, followed by further orders in November and January 2010.
Rocla’s custom-designed precast meter box and lid unit is a durable concrete structure, which weighs up to 80 kilograms depending on size. Made from a 50Mpa concrete, each meter box and lid consists of concrete with textile reinforcement cast in a purpose-made mould, held in place in a steel frame.
Tommy Schafer, Business Manager at Rocla’s Port Elizabeth factory commented, “Being a new product, changes were required to the factory layout and production schedules to ensure that we could maximise productivity”
“The advantage of using concrete for the meter boxes and lids is that it is highly durable and requires little or no maintenance from the municipality and the community”, added Schafer.
