Upgrading Of Cape's Road Routes
UPGRADING strategic routes interconnecting South Africa's Northern Cape hinterland, Raubex Group entity, Roadmac Surfacing Cape (Roadmac) is pressing ahead on four major road projects for the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL).
Three of these contracts are on Route 27 (R27), starting at Calvinia and extending northwards beyond the town of Brandvlei. The total incremental distance is around 210km, split equally into approximately 70km portions that are running concurrently, requiring precise project planning and delivery. The scope of works on all sections entails the strengthening and widening of the existing road surface, plus a new reseal.
Roadmac started on the initial Calvinia section some 12 months ago, with the balance of the projects awarded in set phases. The middle and second section, awarded in October 2012, runs south from Brandvlei, whilst the third travels 70km north from Brandvlei to Verdoorst (Section 10) and commenced in May 2012.
Running parallel with these projects is a fourth SANRAL widening, repair and reseal contract on the N7 between the towns of Vanrhynsdorp and Bitterfontein (km 80.42), which commenced in August 2012.
Upgrades on the R27 cater for rising traffic volumes, particularly from heavy vehicles servicing industries that include salt and gypsum mines around Brandvlei.
The current road width along the R27 is 6m, which is widened by 1m on both sides to include a full width shoulder. The same design approach is being constructed by Roadmac on its N7 project.
"Our scope of work also includes the repair of failed sections using in-situ reclamation techniques," explains Dieter Rencken, Roadmac Surfacing Cape's contracts manager. (Roadmac forms part of Raubex Group Limited's Construction Division.) Sub-base layer works on both the shoulders and in-situ repairs are being cement stabilized.
Commenting on the RM500's performance to date, Rencken says that the unit has shown itself to be a good all-rounder in both milling and mixing applications, particularly when facing tough and varied ground conditions.
"In this respect, the RM500 is well-suited to the challenging demands placed on it, and we are achieving good daily advance rates in line with the construction programme."
"Equipped with the 2.4m wide Cat universal rotor, comprising 200 carbide-tipped bits arranged in a chevron pattern, the RM500 excels in reworking dense in-situ materials, cutting and mixing to a maximum depth of 406mm, and in the process achieves the highest levels of material pulverization and gradation," says Christo Ihlenfeldt, Barloworld Equipment Bellville Cat sales professional. (Barloworld Equipment is Caterpillar's southern African dealer.)
These and other technological innovations continue to drive Roadmac Surfacing Cape's road rehabilitation business model, where the company claims to have experienced major growth over the past ten years. Recently completed milestone contracts include a 17 month repair and reseal project on the N1 north of Laingsburg, which involved around 100 000 cubic metres of in-situ recycling over a 70km section.
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