Asa Metals – Steelpoort.

In late April this year we were appointed by Steffanutti Bressan in Kempton Park as the supplier for the gabions and geotextiles for the site near Steelpoort in Limpopo for the client Asa Metals (Pty) Ltd. Our gabion prices were the best and at the time we were asked to assist the consulting engineer in Midrand with the gabion sectional and layout drawings.

The quantity estimated was aproximately 6000m3 and mass-gravity gabion retaining walls ranging in size from 2m to 8m height were designed, foundation depth about 10% of the height and base width about 50-60% of height, determined by the soil parameters on site. A B.O.Q. was done for the works to determine precise volumes and sizes required to start the installations.

The materials were sent to site in four loads commencing from early May as production proceeded in our gabion production facility. All gabion materials supplied were class A galvanised as per SANS 1580 specification with A4/U24 – 210g/m2, non-woven, Bidim geotextile, layed at all gabion and soil contact faces.

We also provided a skilled gabion contractor to provide an estimate for the labor only component of the installations, together with planned on site plant required and time completion estimates. He was however not used due to the existing prices tendered on the works were lower than his submissions.

The project will now be completed by the end of August 2008 if all goes to plan, I visited site a few times to also advise on the corect installations and provide any other advise necessary to complete the project on time and with the required neatness/quality. Production achieved on this one was about 2.5m3 per man per day, normally contractors allow for 1man per m3 per day.