HybriSem 2015 was the final national seminar of the year and attracted a wide range of delegates from the built environment sector including engineers, contractors, concrete product manufacturers, material suppliers and more.
The event was held in Stellenbosch, Port Elizabeth and Kempton Park and was chaired by John Sheath, CEO and Director of the Concrete Society.
The seminar focussed on the latest developments and technology surrounding the use of hybrid concrete construction (HCC) methods, i.e. the combination of precast concrete and in-situ concrete on projects. In his opening remarks the Chairman posed a key question to the delegates, namely: “If the purpose of HCC is to provide improved value to a project and provide the industry will a multitude of benefits, why is it so under-utilised in South Africa?”
“I hope today that with the input from all our guest speakers, we will go some way towards answering that question, and what is more to the point – what can be done to change the mind-set of the industry to consider adopting its use more readily”, he said.
Presentations:
Professor Jan Wium from Stellenbosch University presented findings from a survey recently carried out by the University into improvement in project delivery, in support of the National Development Plan and where hybrid concrete construction could improve this.
The survey revealed that currently consultants and contractors preferred in-situ concrete or precast concrete, in an equal percentage whilst the balance ‘depended on the situation’. Both professions chose precast for its time efficiency and final quality, but preferred in-situ for its cost.
He described the concerns of the professions relating to the design and construction of precast concrete, which covered design guidance, standardization and repetition, technical aspects, and late changes. The construction factors were identified through case study projects, including site visits and discussions with the project teams, at Grootegeluk and Shondoni coal bunkers; Cape Town dispatch plant for Value logistics; Bloemfontein Longridge reservoir, and the VWSA paint shop.
After an in-depth look at the various connections that are required in the use of hybrid concrete construction, he concluded by summarising the requirements that were needed to persuade the industry to utilise more of this unique method of construction.
The seminar was formally closed by the chairman, who took the opportunity to thank the CMA for their support and input into organising the event, in association with the Society.
Thanks were also expressed to Lafarge South Africa as the main sponsor for the national seminar, and to the many others sponsors at the various venues around the country, namely:
PPC, BASF, Chryso-abe, The Concrete Institute, SIKA, Samson Technologies, Corestruc and Sanika Waterproofing.
Press release
Concrete Society of Southern Africa
E-mail: info@concretesociety.co.za
Concrete Society of Southern Africa NPC
Tel: +27 12 348 5305 / 1319
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[HybriSem 2015 highlights the latest hybrid concrete construction methods]
[https://youtu.be/QpvhCwivYOU]
