AFRISAM BUILDS IN VALUE FOR PRECAST MANUFACTURERS

market, as well as in 52.5N HSC product in the southern market – AfriSam’s value-adds include on-site technical services.

These services, which are rendered by staff from the AfriSam Centre of Product Excellence, assist customers to determine the ideal mix designs for their specific applications and propose aggregates that meet these requirements. AfriSam’s SANASaccredited laboratory services are used to verify and test the efficiency of mixes and product deliveries can be specifically scheduled around customers’ individual activities.

“In the CPM market we focus on helping our customers operate as efficiently as possible,” says Mike McDonald, manager of AfriSam’s Centre of Product Excellence. “This may include the evaluation of their site practices and mix designs, and helping them reduce the overall cost of their final products without compromising the quality or aesthetics of those products. For example, certain customers have successfully switched to our Rapid Hard Cement product as an overall cost-effective alternative to HighStrength Cement in this market.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach in the CPM market, so we draw from all the alternatives available to provide the most cost-effective solution for each customer. We value our CPMs and we’re committed to building relationships that will give them a competitive edge. Our success to date reflects the quality, consistency and high performance of our products.”

The “R” early strength factor in AfriSam’s 52.5R CEM I Rapid Hard Cement and 42.5R CEM II HighStrength Cement is proving to be a real differentiator in the CPM market. Top-of-the-range 52.5R Rapid Hard Cement, developed for specialist concrete product manufacturers, is performing

AfriSam’s 42.5R High-Strength Cement has been specially formulated and activated to allow for further extension and performs very well when used in combination with additional mineral components. This is also true when used in the production of structural concrete. The “R” rating of the HSC is supported by AfriSam’s strict quality control plan and this product is achieving in excess of the SANS 50197 minimum of 20MPa mortar strength at the two-day mark. High-Strength Cement is commonly used to achieve concrete strengths of 10-60MPa, but it is particularly suitable for high-strength concrete, with strengths of 80MPa and higher.

“We’re proud to be able to offer an ‘R’ rating with the two products supplied to the CPMs, while retaining an extremely low carbon footprint. In effect, we’ve introduced technological advances that have boosted performance in terms of strength, performance, durability and workability, without sacrificing sustainability,” says McDonald.

particularly well, achieving in excess of the SANS 50197 minimum of 30MPa mortar strength at the two-day mark. This is enabling CPMs to develop a variety of new high-specification products, such as highway barriers, roof tiles, retaining wall systems, culverts and concrete pipes. AfriSam is the only South African manufacturer to produce a 52.5R strength class cement as a standard product.

“These market-leading products, together with our value-adds, are part of AfriSam’s initiative that seeks to unlock value for our customers across the board in new ways. Our CPM customers are experiencing tangible benefits and this has led to measurable growth in this market for us. Our innovative approach allows us to make a genuine contribution to optimising their operations.”

The Hansgrohe Group has published EPDs for nine AXOR and Hansgrohe product categories. The EPDs provide information about the environmental impact of a product in relation to its entire life-cycle, from the extraction of raw materials, to manufacturing and many years of use, to recycling or disposal. This data provides architects, builders and designers with important information for the sustainability of their construction projects and is particularly important for those subject to international certification systems such as BREEAM or LEED.

The EPDs cover about 1 400 of the best-selling chrome products from the standard AXOR and Hansgrohe collections and product ranges. Products of identical design have been grouped into the nine so-called “average” EPDs: overhead showers, hand-held showers, hoses, shower pipes, basin taps, shower and bathtub taps, kitchen taps, basic bodies and thermostats. The data sheets provide information on flow rates, water and energy consumption and CO2 balances, as well as on the origin and composition of materials and recycling options in the event of dismantling. A total of over 35 environmental indicators are shown.

The approach of transparently presenting the sustainability of products has been pursued by Hansgrohe for a long time. In 2010, it drew up the so-called “PCR Product Category Rules” for sanitary fittings and showers for Germany. One year later, the