Technicrete, one of South Africa’s leading manufacturers of precast concrete products turns 50 this year. Originally part of the Concor Group launched in 1948 by Jurgen Schultz, who, in 1968, saw a gap in the market for the manufacture and application of precast concrete products. The group launched Concor Technicrete as a new division that would focus totally on this new range of precast offerings.

 

So strong was Schultz’s belief in the precast market that he obtained exclusive rights to manufacture Deckwerk blocks in South Africa, which were used in the successful construction of the Magoebaskloof, Fanie Botha and Bloemhof Dams all of which were lined with these purpose design blocks from Technicrete. The success of Concor Technicrete products on these projects is what established the division as a major industry player.

 

Following on this success they received a contract to line a canal from the Kukane River in the then called Ovamboland (now Northern Namibia) to Oshakati. Fifty years and thousands or projects later, the rest, is as they say, Technicrete history.

 

Past and Present

In 2006, Concor was acquired by Murray and Roberts and Concor Technicrete became an independent company within the group. This resulted in the name change to simply Technicrete, an iconic brand that has stood the test of time.

In 2013, The Infrastructure Specialist Group (ISG) was formed after Murray and Roberts unbundled Technicrete, Rocla and Ocon Brick who joined the ISG Group. A new executive team for ISG was established, led by Albert Weber the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Weber commented “The Technicrete brand is iconic in South and Southern Africa. It is known for quality products that have been manufactured using the latest available technologies backed up by a superior plant workforce and sales team. To celebrate Technicrete’s 50^th birthday is a major milestone in our history as a company and in my role as its CEO. I am extremely proud of how Technicrete is still considered a preferred supplier to most commercial and residential projects of all dimensions, and how it has grown to meet the often-stringent requirements of our ever-changing times”.

Over the last 50 years, Technicrete has grown operationally as well as product wise. From small beginnings to the construction of Technicrete’s first major plant at Randfontein, the establishment of nine other country-wide manufacturing facilities followed. The product range too has expanded from Deckwerk to a catalogue that offers a complete range of precast concrete pavers, kerbs, erosion protection systems, drainage, retaining walls and concrete masonry solutions that has applications for both commercial and residential developments.

 

Technicrete Values

“Our people are at the core of our success. Without their commitment to our brand and customers we would not be here 50 years on. It is our people who live our core values that embrace: care, respect, integrity, accountability and commitment to  the delivery of quality products and services” said Weber.

“We are committed not only to the continued upskilling of our own staff, but also to the upliftment of local workforces through knowledge transfer in areas where we supply or manufacture our products. We wish to make a meaningful contribution to the infrastructure and people of this country” said Weber.

Technicrete has supported various educational and community support-based organisations over the years through its Corporate Social Investment Programme.

Technicrete operates a STOP.THINK philosophy and commits itself to providing a safe and healthy environment for its employees with an objective of ‘Zero Harm’ at all its sites.

 

Certified Standards

Technicrete is a fervent member of the Concrete Manufactures Association (CMA) in South Africa and adheres to the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System.

Despite congestion within the precast concrete product market, Technicrete has, based on its history, always had the edge, unique attributes of the company include:

• A strong historical foundation which allows us to build upon our trust marks of heritage and credibility
• Delivery on key promises of quality and product service, for which we are highly respected
• A depth of knowledge based on the experience we bring to the business place and customer base

 

Products to suit all requirements

From major civils projects to medical facilities and universities; residential upgrades to upmarket residential estates; motor vehicle dealerships to large commercial buildings and shopping complexes; infrastructural projects to health clubs, Technicrete has been involved for 50 years in these types of projects around South and Southern Africa.

Weber said “In 1978, the Aggeneys mining township was established in the Northern Cape, the Technicrete Zig Zag Block Pavers are still there in good working order nearly 40 years later – that’s good quality product for you”.

 

The Future

“Technicrete will continue to play a major role in the supply of precast concrete products as infrastructure around the country continues to be upgraded. Private sector commercial and residential property developments still reflect as a growth industry and I believe our service, competitive pricing and product quality will continue to give us the edge making us a preferred supplier for at least the next 50 years” concluded Weber.

Located in Mamelodi East, Lompec Education Centre is providing much needed educational facilities to the local community. The demand for affordable education has grown considerably since the center inception in 1982, so much that an additional ten classrooms were required in order to separate the junior school from the high school. The IS Group of companies came on board to assist in the expansion of the Lompec Education Centre by donating materials and funding.

The IS Group has provided funding in the form of a donation in cash and kind to the value of R743,000.00. This was for the manufacture and delivery of 1,635 square meters of Technicrete Bond Brick pavers, 77 meters of Figure 7 1000mm kerbs, 2,200 Technicrete Earthform grey retaining wall blocks and 87,000 Ocon Brick clay stock bricks. A cash portion of R456,590.00 was donated to Lompec. The combined donation was used to build 10 new classrooms, a library and a computer facility.

“We were delighted when the IS Group informed us they would be assisting in the much-needed expansion programme. In addition to the bricks and kerbs, we were able to complete two sections of the school with Ready Mix concrete which was cast on the first floor; reinforcement steel was purchased and along with the donated bricks, enabled us to complete two wings” commented Barnard Mashiane, Emis Officer, Lompec Education Centre.

Group Marketing and Communications Manager for the IS Group, Malebusa Sebatane, said “Access to education is crucial for the upliftment and skills development of previously disadvantaged communities. Without education there is no future. When we heard about the need for extra classrooms and learning facilities at Lompec Education Centre we offered to donate, through the manufacture and transportation of materials required, and assist in the center’s expansion”.

“The financial donation by the IS Group will enable us to buy paint and floor tiles as well as complete the stormwater erection, paving installation, electrification elements and finishing touches to Section C of the school” concluded Mashiane.

Lompec Education Centre offers conventional education from pre-grade R up to Grade 12 delivering good results. In 2017 the centre was staffed by 41 educators overseeing 924 learners. Lompec engages in skills development by partnering with local universities in teacher training and during 2017 monitored four UNISA students and one University of Pretoria student. Additionally, they gave bursaries to five learners.

In 1978, the Aggeneys mining township was developed in the Northern Cape by the then Black Mountain Group. Housing and roadways were built for the groups` employees and local residents. Technicrete, then known as Concor Precast, operated two block manufacturing plants adjacent to Aggeneys enabling them to produce the newly designed Zig Zag block pavers for the project.

“That was 39 years ago, and the roads and houses are still in perfect condition, even though traffic throughput has been at a far greater speed than the original roadways were designed for” said Tony van der Berg, Technical Executive, at the IS Group.

“We visited Aggeneys 15 years ago with engineers from the Black Mountain Group who confirmed that they had conducted no maintenance whatsoever since we supplied the new Zig Zag product in 1978. We had also originally supplied a number of black hollow products for the housing project, and when visiting earlier in 2017, the product still has a good surface and appearance – testimony to our manufacturing and design capabilities and a real commendation for the use of concrete in order to obtain a longer lifespan for such applications”.

“Originally, we manufactured our Zig Zag product with a VB4 sized Schlosser machine and a single Besser machine. Today, we use far more advanced technologies and equipment in the manufacture of our Technicrete concrete products and these too will stand the test of time. Our expertise in concrete technology is well documented, not only for standard product, but for customer specific requirements as well” concluded van der Berg.

Since 1978 Technicrete has introduced the Double Zig Zag (DZZs) interlocking pavers which offer the same longevity and cost effectiveness through their continuous, hard wearing surface overlay.. They are particularly suited for areas of heavy traffic such as municipal parking areas, petrol station forecourts, industrial and factory roads, suburban streets as well as domestic driveways.

The DZZs are available in Autumn, Terracotta, Grey, Plum, Slate and Tan colours.

Technicrete offers a range of products from Armorflex simple erosion protection solutions to retaining wall support blocks as well as interlocking pavers and kerbs.

Technicrete ISG is part of the IS Group of companies which includes Rocla and Ocon Brick.

All new properties developed in the Ekurhuleni region, regardless of the size, are required to submit a storm water management plan to the Ekurhuleni Municipality. To meet this prerequisite, the consulting engineers, Mhiduve (Pty) Ltd, developed an innovative storm water attenuation management system through the use of Technicrete’s Aqua Zig Zag Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and DZZ interlocking pavers on the new Columbia Pharmaceutical factory development in Boksburg, thereby enabling it to meet local authority requirements.

Deon Slabbert, Project Engineer from Mhiduve (Pty) Ltd, commented “We believed that the successful management of the storm water element at this new factory required an innovative approach due to space challenges we faced on site. In addition to permeable paving used as a covering for attenuation ponds, we used Technicrete’s DZZ 80mm interlocking pavers over areas of 3,000m² and 1,200 m²  respectively below the permeable paving that had capacity to hold 1,600m³  of storm water. We also sourced 4,300 m² of Aqua Zig Zag 80 mm Class 40/2.6 pavers. The DZZ pavers were coupled with 2-4 mil of filler stone that was used as grout in the system.”

“The DZZ paving blocks are in fact ‘slotted’ paving blocks, which allow the storm water to penetrate the surface through these slots and be collected in the unique layerworks underneath the paving surface from where it can be released in a controlled manner into the system of the local authority. The SUDS that were supplied by Technicrete are increasingly being used to prevent run-off and flooding, as well as a method of collecting, attenuating and cleaning storm water” said Slabbert.

Technicrete Sales Representative, Wayne Oliver commented “SUDS are increasingly being used to prevent run-off and flooding, and as a method of collecting and cleaning storm water. It is an interesting and successful use of our DZZ range of interlocking pavers for an application as crucial as storm water attenuation management that was a critical component of the Columbia Pharmaceutical factory development. The combination of the DZZ with the Aqua Zig Zag and filler stone established a good permeable paving system suitable for the dispersion of the quantities of storm water expected.”

The Technicrete sustainable urban drainage system allows heavy rain to infiltrate through a permeable concrete block paved surface into a unique sub-base before being released in a controlled manner into sewers or water courses. The paved areas must be firmly restrained and Technicrete kerbing was utilised for this purpose on this attenuation project.

“The DZZ offer a hard wearing surface overlay for traditional applications such as commercial and industrial roadways, depots, suburban streets, petrol station forecourts as well as residential driveways and pavements” said Oliver.

Situated in the north-east of the Limpopo Province, in the heart of the Limpopo bushveld, is the rural town of Giyani. While the area is comprised mainly of rural villages,  infrastructural upgrades are required for the continued upliftment of local communities in terms of residential and transportation facilities and skills development.

Technicrete was recently contracted to supply the paving and kerbs required to upgrade Phase Two of a 5.10 km gravel access road, the D3892, by Tzaneen-based PGN Civils at Gon`on`o Village. The entire upgrading project is valued at R8 million (for the paving and kerbs) and was initiated by the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure.

PGN Civils Director Tintswalo Mothupa commented “The upgrade of the gravel access road formed part of a general upgrading project for the Gon`on`o Village area. The upgrade of the road makes vehicle traffic easier and the sidewalks make it a safer environment for pedestrians. Additionally, it was important that members from the local community received skills training in order for them to participate in the application of the paving and kerbs as well as other associated construction activities. The ability to upskill and become employable is critical in these outlying rural areas”.

Technicrete supplied 36,000 80mm grey class 40 DZZ’s, 5,000 80mm terracotta DZZ’s as well as 1,500 figure 8c mountable kerbs.

Mishack Mdhluli, Sales Representative for Technicrete ISG in Polokwane added “Every infrastructure project is an important project, particularly where local community members can receive skills training to earn or supplement their income as they did at Gon`on`o Village. We take our role in such contracts very seriously. Not only in our ability to supply a quality product to make such upgrades successful and long lasting, but to ensure that communities also come away with useful skills for the long term. It is always a pleasure for Technicrete to be part of these kinds of projects”.

Technicrete offers a vast range of paving and kerbing products not only for infrastructure related projects but also for commercial, industrial and residential developments.

A positive customer experience is what all retailers seek to achieve through their sales outlets. This puts an emphasis on a good aesthetic appearance internally and externally, which is an element that the new CTM retail outlet in Thornhill, Polokwane considered when choosing the Technicrete Enviro-Wall retaining wall blocks being selected for the external features of this new retail outlet.

The concept of the Enviro-Wall system is a gravity retaining wall constructed of dry stacked interlocking pre-cast blocks. The configuration of the retaining wall can be changed by opening or closing the space between the blocks. In the open configuration, the cavities between the blocks can be filled with soil, ideal for plant growth due to the moisture that is collected in the open spaces. The Enviro-Wall is reversible allowing either the smooth or rough textured to be chosen, or a combination of both can be used to create a unique design.

Technicrete supplied 10,962 blocks to the CTM project, which was installed by FN Civils.

Marius Nel, Project Manager and Frikkie Nel owner of FN Civils said “We have worked with Technicrete for over 30 years on various projects, so the quality of their product and soundness of their technical recommendations is not up for question. They have a proven track record. The final appearance of the Enviro-Wall product at CTM is testimony to this”.

“We have a great working relationship with FN Civils that stretches back many years. The Thornhill CTM project was awarded to FN Civils who sought our technical input as to what was the best suited product available from Technicrete for the retainer walls. We recommended our Enviro-Wall system as it is the preferred option for walls requiring reinforcement in the form of horizontal Geogrids and the long-lasting quality that it offers” said Peter Hilton, Sales Representative for Technicrete.

The Enviro-Wall system is suited for installation on a wide variety of embankment heights, although high and vertical walls should be supported by a reinforced fill. Foundation requirements will be dependent on the wall height and underlying soil conditions.

The system is suited to bridge abutments, earth embankments, cut slopes, landscaping of cut and fill areas around buildings, the protection of steep channels, river banks and culvert inlets and outlets. The Enviro-Wall also has the ability to reduce noise when installed alongside roadways.

Technicrete ISG is part of the Infrastructure Specialist Group which also comprises Rocla and Ocon Brick.

Upmarket residential estates like Broadlands Estate in Polokwane require residents to ensure that any additions or refurbishments done to their properties conform to the    high- existing standards. Aesthetics and finishes have to reflect the lifestyle that owners have invested in, and Technicrete paving is considered to be the leading choice when it comes to paving at the estate.

Technicrete’s Trojan paving, well known for its durability and appearance, was recently used at a Broadlands Estate residence for the driveway, house perimeter and carport areas. The home owner chose the Trojan design after looking at the quality of the Technicrete brick product that was installed at a neighbouring residence in 2016.

Andre Buitendach, Owner of Adri Projects said “The random shaped edge bevels of the Technicrete Trojan Autumn coloured 60mm square paving has given an aesthetically smart final finish to the driveway and other paved areas. We installed 1200 m² of the Trojan squares, which we had to install in batches due to time availability of the client”.

“We appreciated the fact that Technicrete understood our predicament with delivery of product to the estate. The estate’s Body Corporate does not allow vehicles over eight tonnes on the property. Technicrete salvaged the situation by supplying all the paving we required in more lightweight delivery vehicles in a series of shuttles to and from the estate” said Buitendach.

“Technicrete’s Trojan squares and slab formations are ideally suited to residential applications as well as municipal parking areas and pedestrian walkways due to their durability and lifespan. So, we were pleased to have been contracted for further paving installation work at Broadlands Estate. The finish of the paving on this residence, and the previous five projects, is very elegant and befitting of this upmarket estate, and offers owners a long lifespan due to the innate quality of the product” said Peter Hilton, Sales Representative for Technicrete ISG in Polokwane.

Technicrete’s Keystone paving was installed at five private residences at Broadlands Estate in 2016.

Technicrete ISG is part of the Infrastructure Specialist Group which also comprises Rocla and Ocon Brick.

Technicrete’s Armorflex system was specified by both the architects and engineers for use on construction of the new entrance road to Du Pont Pioneer’s newly built research facility at Delmas, Mpumalanga. This product placement was due to the client’s requirement for a ‘Green’ Road that could blend in with the natural surrounds of the facility whilst offering suitable durability to traffic loading and environmental conditions with an impressive final appearance.

“The Internationally Licensed Armorflex system is manufactured in South Africa by Technicrete and is the only similar type system available locally with the facility to wire tie adjacent blocks together into long mats. Anchorage into in-situ soil further assists with stabilisation of the blocks and road surface. The loose but interlocking design allows the concrete road surface to remain flexible to movements, eliminating the cracking and spalling issues that plaque solid concrete surfaces, even when exposed to regular inclement weather. The openings in each block and between blocks are perfectly sized to benefit from enough vegetation growth to make the surface appear ‘natural’ whilst still maintaining structural integrity. Similarly, Armorflex is also a perfect solution to Jeep Track type installations.” said Justin Kretzmar, Sales Engineer for Technicrete.

Michael Magner, Director at Activate Architects said “The Du Pont research facility was built on farmland therefore the Technicrete product blended perfectly with the rural setting, while providing an erosion resistant roadway and keeping traffic at a slower pace due to the slight roughness of the finished on the product”.

“The project entailed a 400 meter long roadway and parking area for approximately 40 cars. Technicrete’s Armorflex and kerbs were chosen by the project’s Structural/Civil Engineer who has had prior successes with these product ranges on other applications. Good access to the specification team at Technicrete for reliable supplier based technical input made a positive impact for us on this project “said Magner.

Probuild’s Site Agent on the Du Pont Pioneer project, Mark Guthrie commented “Technicrete’s Armorflex road product was easy to install, and the cells, when seeded and filled with topsoil, will enhance the growth of grass. The very design of Armorflex enables roots to penetrate the geotextile below the blocks which enhances anchorage of the installation, giving a very secure and sturdy surface for vehicle traffic. On this project the final appearance was very good and blended well with the natural rural aesthetics of the completed facility’.

The Du Pont Pioneer project which commenced in January 2016 was completed at the end of January 2017. The Technicrete Armorflex road and supporting Figure 3 and 7 kerbing covered 2,700 m².

“We were very happy with the service we received from Technicrete. Due to the durability of the Armorflex road product, very little breakage occurred during the delivery of the product, resulting in a seamless installation” concluded Guthrie.

Technicrete ISG is part of the IS Group of companies which includes Rocla and Ocon Brick.