Special-use culverts with windows

Precast concrete culverts are typically designed and installed under bridges and roads to enable the free passage of stormwater. So, when a mining operation from the North West province contacted Rocla for culverts for a smelter tunnel that required windows, the Rocla technical team gathered around the drawing board.

Rocla’s technical team has extensive experience in customising precast concrete solutions. This specialised request, while having its own unique challenges, drew upon the team’s in-depth capabilities.

“The customised culverts were designed to offer operators at the smelter plant a safe passage by eliminating direct exposure to intense heat from metals and sparks at the smelter site, while still providing some source of natural light,” explains Muhammad Bodhania, civil engineer at Rocla.

Rocla designed and manufactured five 1.5 m x 2.0 m walkway culverts (100s) and two 1.5 m x 2.0 m walkway culverts (100s), with 200 mm thick reinforced back panels and 450 mm x 450 mm window inserts.

“This project highlights how Rocla can overcome any application challenge through innovative design. Sometimes one size does not fit all, and that is where our expertise comes to the fore – when a customer requires a solution that is of a more specialised and customised nature,” adds Bodhania.

The units will be delivered to site during the forthcoming winter shutdown months. Rocla has also been commissioned to deliver a further six special windowed culverts.

INFRASTRUCTURE REFURBISHMENT BEYOND THE EXPECTED

Sika ’ s comprehensive refurbishment solutions prolong the lifetime and increase the safety of buildings and structures. This provides a more sustainable and cost-saving alternative to demolition and reconstruction. By reducing material flows and refurbishment frequency we keep life cycle costs and the environmental impact to a low level.