Concrete enhancing and repair products supplied by a.b.e. Construction Chemicals are being used for the construction of the massive Green Star precinct, Oxford Parks, now being developed in Rosebank by Intaprop with Concor Buildings as the main contractor.
a.b.e. Construction Chemicals, part of the Chryso Southern Africa Group, is supplying durarep FC fairing compound to provide an attractive finish to the concrete works, and durarep FR fibre-reinforced mortar to deal with concrete imperfections and for column construction at the multi-million-rand development between Bompas and Jellicoe roads.
Rens Pelser, Technical Sales Consultant for a.b.e., based in Boksburg, says durarep FC is a single component, polymer-modified cementitious compound that provides a fair-faced finish to concrete and masonry, and can also close blowholes prior to the application of protective coatings. “durarep FC only requires the addition of a minimal amount of water for mixing. It is easy to apply and requires no priming or curing membranes to ensure excellent bonding to concrete and masonry structures. It contains no chlorides and can be used for vertical and overhead applications,” Pelser said.
durarep FR is a polymer-modified, cement-based mortar widely used to repair voids and honeycombed areas of concrete. “The product, which is also chloride-free, provides high ultimate strength and has high resistance to abrasion – in fact, four to six times stronger than plain rendering. durarep FR does not shrink and is easy to apply and, as it is pre-blended, constant quality and performance are ensured,” Pelser explained. “It can be used to repair potable water-retaining structures, cooling towers, and as bedding mortar for concrete planks at sports stadiums or suspended flooring.”
Oxford Parks is a focal point along Oxford Road in Rosebank and when completed will house five buildings on a master basement structure.
Oxfords Parks Phase 2 commenced in February 2019 after the successful completion of Phase 1 in 2018 which houses the new head office of BP Southern Africa. Phase 2 of the project includes the simultaneous construction of “Building 2” – Life Healthcare’s new 10 000 m2 head office, “Building 3” – a 4 000 m2 multi-tenanted building housing inter alia Metier Private Equity and G+D Currency Technology, and “Building 5” – 3 400 m2 offices for Arup and Sony Music. The buildings were designed to complement each other, and their respective footprints fit together in a jigsaw puzzle configuration, proportionately occupying the site to optimise the usage of this prime precinct.
All precinct buildings are constructed to be compliant with Green Star design requirements. “Building 1” in Phase 1 was Green Star-registered and awarded a 5-Star Green Star rating. All specifications on the project are in line with Green Star requirements and the buildings in Phase 2 will also be Green Star-registered to achieve 5-Star Green Star ratings.
Other noteworthy SA building projects for which a.b.e.’s durarep products were used include:
- Impala Platinum cooling tower, Springs;
- Growthpoint Lakeside offices, Centurion;
- N17 Regents Park highway bridge, Johannesburg;
- Val de Vie River Bridge, Paarl;
- Norval Foundation premises, Steenberg; and
- Nuform office block, Margate.
