Johan van Wyk, director of the Southern Africa Readymix Association.
The Southern Africa Readymix Association (Sarma) has an important role to play in auditing and verifying that member companies adhere to strict quality standards, but its function goes way beyond this and is evolving in line with industry requirements. “In addition to ensuring that our readymix products and delivery mechanisms are world class, internally we’re forming closer relationships with our member companies so that we can add value to their operations, and that includes skills development and training,” explains, Johan van Wyk, director at Sarma. “Externally, we’re aligning our mission and operating scope with other leading associations in the cementitious industry to leverage key synergies. Initiatives include CPD-accredited training programmes in cooperation with The Concrete Institute (TCI), as well as the upcoming Concrete Conference.” The Concrete Conference, being held between 17 and 18 August 2017, is an industry first and will be hosted by Sarma, the Concrete Manufacturers Association, the Concrete Society of Southern Africa, and TCI. The anchor sponsors are AfriSam, Lafarge, PPC and Sephaku. “In the past, Sarma ran its own annual conference for the readymix industry, but it no longer made sense to host this event in isolation,” he explains. “The inaugural Concrete Conference establishes a new direction and is the only event of its kind dedicated to concrete,” says Van Wyk.
Conference programme Day 1 of this year’s Concrete Conference will comprise three sessions in the morning covering change management, the economic landscape, and a stakeholder panel discussion entitled ‘Prospects for the Concrete Industry’. The panel will be chaired by the heads of Consulting Engineers South Africa, Master Builders South Africa, the South African Institution of Civil Engineering, and the South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors.
“There are a number of pressing issues that the construction industry needs to address collectively and we all need to be part of the solution,” says Van Wyk. “The conference is certain to be a highly engaging forum for debate.”
High-performance concrete The afternoon session on Day 1 covers the fascinating topic of high-performance concrete. This session kicks off with a presentation entitled ‘Myths and truths about high-performance concrete’. The presentations that follow then consider precast, structural and readymix high-performance concrete. These sessions also carry CPD points for ECSA registered professionals via the Concrete Society. “As a starting point, it’s important to note that high-performance concrete doesn’t necessarily imply high strength, i.e. 60 MPa and above,” says Van Wyk. “For example, a 10 MPa no fines concrete used to form low-density drainage structures could also qualify as a high-performance specification.” Culminating Day 1 is the Sarma AGM, followed by the gala dinner and the Readymix Awards.
Case studies Day 2 comprises six case studies from the Concrete Society’s 2017 Fulton Awards (both nominations and winning entries). These include the Mndwaka Dam; the V&A Waterfront precast parking garage; and the Mount Edgecombe Interchange. “It’s a great opportunity to showcase the technical details behind these leading developments,” he explains. “Our slogan for The Concrete Conference 2017 is ‘Just mix it’, and that sums it up perfectly,” Van Wyk concludes. “This is more than just a conference: it’s an invaluable platform for cooperation among public and private sector stakeholders in addressing the needs of our rapidly changing industry.”
