South Africa is currently experiencing a surge in infrastructure development projects, which aim to better the lives of all South Africans. The latest, the De Hoop Dam project, will see a significant rise in potable and irrigation water to people living in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.

The work done at the De Hoop Dam project led to significant simplification of the construction process and allowed one of the highest construction rates achieved in South Africa, with a peak of more than 130 000 m³ of RCC placed in one month.

The 347million m³De Hoop Dam was commissioned in 2007 and is one of the largest concrete dams in South Africa. It cost in the region of R3.5 billion to complete.

The dam used cement products supplied by PPC Ltd. At its completion, it took a staggering 94 963 tonnes of cement to construct the De Hoop Dam.

“We are thrilled that the Department of Water Affairs chose our products to construct this much-needed infrastructure project. We have been a part of South Africa’s infrastructure development for over 120 years and we plan to continue to be for the foreseeable future,” said Naseam Ismail, PPC’s Mpumalanga Area Manager.

The construction of the De Hoop Dam also signaled several firsts for PPC and the construction of cement dams in the country. At the last Fulton Awards in 2013, the project was awarded the ‘Civil Engineering Structure’ and ‘Sustainable Concrete’ awards.

The dam will be used for two primary purposes. The first is to supply water to the towns, industries and poorly serviced rural communities in Sekhukhune, Waterberg, and Capricorn Districts of the Limpopo province. The second is to supply water to mines in order to help unlock vast mineral deposits, mainly in the form of platinum group metals found in the region. “The dam will therefore be a catalyst for both social and economic development for this region,” said President Jacob Zuma who attended the opening ceremony.