In response to increased demand for specialised concrete repair work, Concor Civils has introduced a dedicated concrete repair division as a stand-alone offering trading as Murray & Roberts Concrete Repair.

The new division is headed up by Pherdy le Roux, under the guidance of Joe Rader, an expert in the innovative use of concrete.

The concrete repair division is equipped to carry out the repair and rehabilitation of concrete chimney stacks, bridges and cooling towers, and to provide fasttrack floor coatings. For concrete chimney stacks services include,but are not limited to, concrete protection coatings, internal and external concrete repairs, using specialised access systems and a selection of repair methodologies.

On bridges, the Murray & Roberts Concrete Repair team is equipped to carry out diagnostics of the bridge structure and to implement the necessary concrete repairs and protection, apply protective coatings and replace bridge bearings and repair joints. Cooling towers are repaired and rehabilitated with protective coatings, structural strengthening and waterproofing systems, while floor finishes include polyurethane and epoxy coatings on screeds.

“Specialised concrete repair work has always been part of our civils’ service offering,” Anton Botha, MD of Concor Civils, says. “However, in recent times, our concrete repair workload has increased dramatically and it made strategic sense to create an independent team of professionals focused solely on this critical area of work.

“Working under the banner of Concor Civils, which has an excellent track record in this arena, the concrete repair division offers a high level of skills, complemented by a depth of technical and application knowledge. Its capabilities are underpinned by access to the Murray & Roberts Concrete Centre of Excellence set up in 2010 to raise the level of construction technology in the Murray & Roberts Group and introduce new technology to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

“The innovative use of concrete is the watchword for the Centre for Concrete Excellence and this operating philosophy is carried over to the concrete repair business, establishing a significant market differentiator,” continues Botha.

“Generally, concrete repair work is application-specific and the solutions recommended by the new division depend on the individualrequirements of the task or the problem. This team is equipped to assess the best course of action in each circumstance and to develop a sustainable solution to rectify the issue and maximise the useful life of the structure.

“The market is looking for sustainable solutions when it comes to concrete and civils work, essentially a single source contractor. The concrete repair division will therefore also provide valuable assistance to clients involved in small civil works where a reputable contractor is required to carry out this work and where having the necessary skills and applications knowledge is essential.”

Recent concrete repair project highlights include major repairs to a raw meal silo at Ulco for AfriSam, repairs to Rustenburg Waste Water Treatment plant, Bospoort Water Treatment Works, Greenside Colliery, Middelburg Ferro Chrome as well as polyurethane coating at ABSA in Pretoria and at Standard Bank in Johannesburg.