In order to fulfil conditions of establishment, Christ Church Preparatory School and College based in Midrand, Gauteng, had to change their entrance and exit design in order to comply with Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) requirements. Square Edge Construction assisted with turnkey engineering and design
for the project and selected Technicrete’s Earthform retaining interlocking blocks for the embankments and DZZ and BondBrick pavers and garden kerbs for parking, internal and external walkways.
“Technicrete’s DZZ 60mm grey pavers were the best solution for this project due to their durability on areas that Christ Church Preparatory School and College has that are subject to high volumes of (small passenger) vehicle and foot traffic. The interlocking zig-zag formation creates a structurally sound and hard wearing overlay that offers a professional finish. The DZZ bricks are also to be used on the external JRA walkways “said Franz Frank, Director and Owner of Square Edge Construction.
“We chose Earthform retaining interlocking blocks for applications on the larger cut sections of the parking area and the smaller retaining sections where needed. When designed accordingly by a professional Engineer, Earthform gives embankments a natural support whilst protecting the land from collapse due to erosion. Additionally, it provides an attractive and practical finish in difficult to access steep areas through the creation of plantable and easy to maintain retaining walls” said Franks.
Earthform blocks are typically able to be stacked up to about six – eight layers high (1.0 – 1.5m) provided that the embankment soil conditions are suitable and that no additional loads are applied at the top of the embankment. Technicrete recommends all walls greater than 7 rows (about 1.2m high) to be designed by a suitably experienced engineer as other factors like rain and ground water must also be considered.
Technicrete Fig 7 and Fig 12 kerbs were installed internally with the autumn coloured BondBrick as border to internal walkways. Fig 7 kerbs are precast concrete semi-mountable edge restraints featuring a splayed profile designed for emergency vehicles to bump onto a verge safely during emergencies. Whilst the Fig 12 kerbs are specifically manufactured and designed for light commercial perimeters, flower beds, and walkway restraints.
“Technicrete’s BondBrick is a reputable and traditional paver that is economical, but still offers longevity, which is a necessity for an educational campus such as Christ Church. Traditionally rectangular in shape, it offers a strong interlock and long-lasting wear. It was these characteristics that made it a first choice for this project “commented Thabani Mtolo, Sales Consultant for Technicrete at Olifantsfontein.
“Square Edge Construction has worked with Technicrete over many years and know the quality and longevity of their products. Our experience has also been that their service and delivery scheduling is good and reliable, a key factor for contractors at site. Technicrete’s product combinations will enable us to give the Christ Church project an aesthetically pleasing finish with an impressive durability in the longer term” Franks concluded.
The interlocking pavers conform to SANS 1058 and are available in various formations, sizes and colours whilst the kerbing, designed to SANS 927, is designed for specific applications as in the case of the Christ Church project.
Technicrete offers a wide range of precast concrete products for a variety of retail and commercial applications in the construction, building and mining industries. Over the years Technicrete has expanded its range of concrete products and designs and manufactures the most comprehensive range of concrete products.
As with all Technicrete products, their in-house engineering team is always available to advise and assist contractors and developers for their project requirements. Technicrete is part of the ISG which also includes Rocla.
