a.b.e. Construction Chemicals’ KZN
branch has secured a major R3.5 million Transnet contract for the supply of
concrete bridge repair products to Transnet.
a.b.e. is part of the Chryso Southern
Africa Group of companies.
Darryl Laycock, Technical Sales
Consultant for a.b.e. in KZN, says several of the company’s concrete repair
products were specified by the Transnet Rehabilitation, Maintenance and
Engineering (RME) division for its repair of the Inshambili and Ifafa bridges
over river mouths on the KZN South Coast.
“These are the first bridges to be
tackled in a massive ongoing bridge repair project by Transnet that is part of
a seven-year project in KZN. The timing of the repair work is determined by the
severity of concrete spalling but Transnet has already identified various bridges
in need of repair for 2020-21 in the province,” Laycock explains.
At the forefront of the a.b.e. products
used for the bridge repair projects is the company’s durarep GT MCI, a
sprayable version of the company’s polymer-modified cementitious repair mortar,
of which 7,800 units of 25 kg will be used for the repair of the first two
bridges. Containing a migrating corrosion inhibitor (MCI), this durarep
formulation is based on blended cements, graded siliceous aggregate, proprietary
chemical additives, fillers, and anti-desiccants. The migrating corrosion
inhibiting qualities offer extended life expectancy of concrete in aggressive
rust-promoting locations such as the Transnet bridges which are over lagoons
virtually on the Indian Ocean.
“durarep GT MCI has generally made an
extremely favourable impression with Transnet RME as its fast-track spraying
properties are superior to any alternative repair mortar on the South African
market and we are confident that it with the other a.b.e. products used for the
initial two bridges will again be specified for the rest of the Transnet repair
programme.
“Tenders will provide the final contract
content but the basic specification is now in place with Transnet and has
become the standard bridge repair product package for Transnet Freight Rail,”
Laycock states.
The other a.b.e. products used for the South
Coast bridges’ refurbishment are:
- durabond
GP – an acrylic emulsion used as primer/bonding medium for concrete repairs; - durarep
ZR primer – a liquid epoxy resin with metallic zinc that provides excellent
corrosion protection; - epidermix
345 – a “slow-set” solvent-free epoxy resin bonding agent to bond new concrete
to old concrete; and - duracote
WB – a high-performance polymer coating with strong crack-bridging properties
used in the first two bridge repairs both as primer and grey coating.
Laycock and his colleagues at a.b.e.
have established a strong relationship with Transnet RME and Transnet Freight
Rail and provide in-depth advice on product specification as well as training.
“a.b.e. will be able to offer the same on-site service, irrespective of location
or company carrying out the various contracts – or the a.b.e. products
selected, for that matter.”
a.b.e. Construction Chemicals in 2017
also provided concrete repair products for the critical repair of support
columns of a coal tippler at Richards Bay harbour: durarep Fluid Micro Concrete
(FMC) was the main remedial product used on this occasion with Darryl Laycock
also handling the a.b.e. input to Transnet. “a.b.e. has been supplying concrete
repair products for routine tippler shutdowns over the past three years,”
Laycock states.
More information at www.abe.co.za
