Photo Gallery
NPC Concrete opens plant in Tinley Manor
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Improved technology at NPC Concrete Plant in Tinley Manor
The newly commissioned NPC wet batch ready-mixed concrete plant at Tinley Manor is designed to support the current surge in construction activity. Also known as central mixed or pre-mixed concrete, the differentiating factor is that the concrete goes into the delivery trucks “wet”, i.e. already mixed with all ingredients including water.
Although the initial investment in a wet batch plant is considerable compared to a regular ready-mixed plant, product consistency is substantially greater, resulting in more efficient use of the key input ingredient, cement. By producing concrete of the desired strength, or MPa, more efficiently, NPC’s Tinley Manor wet batch plant produces ready-mixed concrete of a superior consistency, truckload after truckload, at market competitive prices. Another important benefit is the comparative speed with which wet batched concrete, guided by computer, can be mixed and dispatched. The NPC Tinley Manor plant is capable of approximately 80 cubic metres an hour.
The leadership position NPC holds, as supplier to the KZN construction industry, is thanks, in part, to company specialists such as Product Technical Manager Rolf Schutte. Rolf, whose normal working environment includes NPC’s various laboratory facilities, uses mathematical terms to describe the advantages of wet batched ready-mix.
“With wet batched concrete the standard deviation can be expected to be much, much lower which means that the materials are more accurately batched and mixed. In the mix design process one can more accurately target the desired strength (MPa), while reducing wastage. Where product testing is concerned, it is normal in overseas countries where wet batching is commonly used, to take test samples at the plant rather than on site, as is common in South Africa. That's how confident of mix consistency they are before the product leaves the plant,” Rolf says.
Rolf Schutte, NPC concrete technologist and product technical manager gazes into the mixing unit of the NPC Tinley Manor wet batch ready-mixed concrete plant. Rolf is known in industry circles, having been manager of the KZN Regional Laboratory of the Portland Cement Institute, now the Cement and Concrete Institute (C&CI).
Editorial
How concrete technology is helping us build better
Why should you consider wet batched ready-mixed concrete, arguably the concrete industry’s finest product. After all, other options are available. Like site-mixing for yourself, or conventional ready-mix.
Wet batched ready-mix
NPC Product Technical Manager Rolf Schutte expresses the competitive advantage wet batch ready-mix enjoys mathematically. “With wet batched concrete the standard deviation can be expected to be much, much lower, which means that the materials are more accurately batched and mixed. In the mix design process one can more accurately target the desired strength (MPa), while reducing wastage.
Site-mixing problems
At first glance site-mixing might appear to be the industry’s cheapest option, but site-mixing has numerous weaknesses. Product consistency is a sensitive issue with site-mix, especially on larger pours, and site-mix is also a messy business. Site-mixers must buy cement and maintain stockpiles of stone and sand and should have access to clean water. . There are also safety concerns about wheel barrow ramps or cranes which are used to deliver concrete to upper storeys.
Improvement on conventional ready-mix
Most of these concerns disappear when you switch to ready-mix, pumped where necessary. The picture gets even better, however, when you choose the more consistently-mixed, wet batched ready-mix, such as that supplied by NPC Concrete from their Tinley Manor plant, the only wet batch plant on the North Coast. Also known as central mixed or pre-mixed concrete, the differentiating factor is that the concrete goes into the delivery trucks “wet”, i.e. already mixed with all ingredients including water.
Conclusion
By producing concrete of the desired strength, or MPa, more efficiently, NPC’s Tinley Manor wet batch plant supplies ready-mixed concrete of a superior consistency, truckload after truckload, at ready-mix market competitive prices. Another important benefit is the comparative speed with which wet batched concrete, guided by computer, can be mixed and dispatched. The NPC Tinley Manor plant is capable of approximately 80 cubic metres an hour.
click here to visit
www.npcaggregate.co.za
We are a company in the NPC group. click here to visit
www.npc.co.za
