AFRISAM’S ROCK SOLID FOUNDATION FOR QUALITY AGGREGATES

With a heritage spanning more than eight decades, AfriSam’s footprint of quarries nationwide is supported by quality systems that ensure customers reliability and consistency of aggregate supply.

“The value of the right aggregate for the task cannot be overstated, as it affects all aspects of project success – from safety and longevity to cost-effectiveness and reputational risk,” says Amit Dawneerangen, general manager sales and product technical at AfriSam.

The company’s strong product technical department ensures that all facilities and products comply with the necessary standards and quality specifications. Standard quality control testing is conducted regularly on each aggregate stockpile at every operation, and annual testing is also conducted by independent SANAS-accredited laboratories.

“This is all vital to assuring the customer that our aggregate helps them to meet the design engineer’s specifications for their contract,” he says. “Without these quality systems and processes, the construction value chain can be compromised and cause various negative impacts for stakeholders down the line.”

Glenn Johnson, general manager construction materials operation aggregates at AfriSam, highlights that ongoing planning and investment ensures that the company’s quarry reserves are in place for future sustainability.

“There can be no quality aggregate supplied if there are not well-planned and compliant quarries to mine,” says Johnson. “We have therefore invested extensively in finding, licencing and establishing quarries with suitable geology and mineralogy; of course, these must also be close to markets – hence our wide national footprint.”

Based on these facilities, AfriSam’s range of offerings ensures that it can provide consulting engineers and contractors with every project requirement. According to AfriSam regional sales manager Shaughn Smit, this also means meeting the stringent demands of Committee of Transport Officials (COTO) and South African National Standards (SANS) specifications.

“By applying the ISO 9001-2015 standards framework internally, and by applying our various quality systems at all our operations, we give customers peace of mind in terms of compliance and best practice,” says Smit. “We can provide this regardless of whether the aggregate application is in road building, readymix, concrete product manufacturing or asphalt production.”

This avoids the many risks that accompany the use of cheap, sub-standard aggregate, including its impact on the longevity and safety of structures, and the added maintenance and repairs required when structures fail prematurely.

“Our focus on quality is cost effective as it ensures value for money over time,” he says. “It also means that contractors and their clients reduce the considerable reputational risk that project delays or challenges can cause.”

Dawneerangen says AfriSam’s depth of expertise and experience has made it a valuable partner to the consulting engineering sector, as it shares its knowledge and insights on the application of aggregate.

“Especially with large and complex projects, our specialists are able to provide insights to assist project design at an early stage,” he says. “Where aggregates are specified for a project but are not available in the area, we can even step in to produce custom aggregates that suit customer needs.”

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