Lebowakgomo, a residential area and part of the Sekhukhune District Municipality in Limpopo Province, recently had four kilometers of gravel road upgraded to a tar surface which included the laying of new stormwater pipes supplied by Rocla. The project, which forms part of important infrastructure upgrades in the area, is an ongoing project that will offer the local community safer and more reliable road and walkways and services.
Karel Komape, Project Manager on the Lebowakgomo project for Ditlou Suppliers and Services, said “Infrastructure maintenance plays a crucial role in the upliftment of communities who in the past have had to utilise deteriorating road and walkways and drainage systems. We believe, as contractors to the project, that infrastructural components have to meet the standards required by our programme and Rocla’s Interlocking Joint stormwater pipes did just that.”
Rocla supplied 1,037 x 100D standard 2.44m long Interlocking Joint (IJ) stormwater pipes ranging from 450mm up to 1200mm in diameter.
“We at Rocla view all projects, large or small, with the same focus towards delivering a solution that meets customer requirements “said Matthews Ntjie, Sales Consultant for Rocla, Polokwane. “Initially we were not aware of the volume of pre-existing stormwater piping needing to be replaced but upon discovery, revised this quantity internally and engaged with our manufacturing plant to formulate a game plan to meet the required deadlines set by the contractor, without negatively impacting other projects / customers, which we managed to achieve successfully “said Ntjie.
“Our Interlocking Joint pipe is manufactured specifically for use in stormwater applications, as opposed to sewer applications. The male/female type joint is formed inside the wall of the pipe which prevents any widening of the pipe, ensuring the outside dimensions of the pipe remain constant. The joint itself is used for centering the pipe during laying operations. The joint is sealed with a sealant and/or a membrane with a bitumen sealant or similar. A rubber collars, placed around the outside of the pipe diameter can be supplied to prevent any soil particle movement into
the pipe and enhance the water tightness of the joint. Therefore, the rubber collar should be specified where ingress of groundwater must be avoided and a more expensive rubber ring joint pipe is not necessary “concluded Ntjie.
Komape commented that the product supplied by Rocla was a locally manufactured and high quality stormwater pipe that met their requirements for the project. “The Interlocking Joint stormwater pipes were delivered on time, which enabled us to keep the project on schedule. We would definitely work with Rocla again on future projects” Komape said.
