This article considers how access to materials and equipment impacts the South African construction industry, noting the role that it plays towards broader developmental goals and urban growth. Read on if you’re interested in how materials such as timber, clay, steel and concrete are put to use, as well as the significance of equipment like concrete mixers. The South African construction industry is like many others in the world, in the sense that it equally relies on resources, materials and equipment.

 

Although the country itself is still considered to be ‘developing’ — mainly because it is characterised by major variations in infrastructural access and availability across urban, peri-urban and rural spaces — its construction industry is still, in many respects, emerging with great promise. With a huge influx of tourists, skilled workers, foreign investment and corporate companies, there has been an increased demand for housing and retail space, and consequently an increased need for materials and equipment.

 

Fortunately, with the country’s wide availability of natural resources and BS Power’s provision of quality equipment and concrete mixers, there is ample opportunity for construction companies to earn their keep by assisting with local development for both residential and commercial purposes.

 

Rich Natural Resources & Access to Equipment

 

South Africa is immensely rich in natural resources, with great access to a number of materials used widely in construction and development. Local supply accommodates the great need for everything from wood to clay. Mining and forestry are naturally important sectors that have a major influence on the construction industry, as do manufacturing and environmental factors such as access to water. Then, of course, there are also the human elements to consider — without access to labour, effective project management, and security and safety personnel, these natural resources would not be adequately manufactured, distributed and used effectively, therefore creating trouble for the contractors who need them.

 

What’s more, without access to things like concrete mixers, cranes and other tools, buildings would not go well. In order to make these materials accessible for both builders and contractors, a certain amount of skill, equipment and financial investment is required to acquire these products and move them along the supply chain safely and efficiently. Among the many, many important materials in the construction industry, timber, clay, steel and concrete are generally considered to be the most important parts of construction.

 

Together, they provide structural bearing, insulation, reinforcement and finishing necessary for any home or retail site. Thanks to South Africa’s growing economy and capacity, construction has been able to progress at a high speed, allowing for increased growth. This, in turn, contributes to increased quality of life and access to infrastructure, all of which positively impact the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). To understand how these materials are gained and put to use, take a look at the section below to learn how these items are manipulated to aid construction ambitions.

 

Timber

 

South Africa has a well-developed forestry sector, which has become an important facilitator in developmental projects all over the country. Thanks to the high demand for timber in construction, many trees are both planted and imported to aid timber manufacturing and production. This is evident in the country’s ample number of pine and oak trees, eucalyptus and wattle.

 

These are all fast-growing species that can be easily cut down, manufactured and sold for everything from construction to paper production and furniture. Although there is not great access to specialised wood such as mahogany, the resources provided by the plantations through KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga are sufficient to grow the local timber industry while also providing much-needed materials for building sites.

 

Similarly, with greater access to these kinds of woods, the manufacturing capabilities of the country have expanded to allow for the development of high-quality, treated wood. This in turn caters to luxury developers and furniture companies looking for top-of-the-range options. However, timber is not without its problems.

 

Unlike clay and cement, the cost of timber production and transportation is high, and the environmental impact is notable, especially when one considers the water, space and manpower required to keep these living resources in good condition. For these reasons, urban forestry and community forestry projects are immensely useful to aid access to this resource without over-reliance on imports and unsustainable plantations.

 

Timber is used in many different ways, depending on its characteristics, durability, colour and growing requirements. For construction purposes, timber is labelled according to its various purposes; there is structural timber, formwork timber, flooring timber and decking timber. Each of these varieties can be applied in specific ways, whether for roof trusses, finishes or beams.

 

In the Western Cape particularly, although the plantations in the area are small, there is ample specialty timber in the area, which is often good for furniture and art materials. Meanwhile, Mpumalanga is known for having good construction timber, and the Eastern Cape is emerging with more and more wattle and eucalyptus.

 

 

Clay

 

Similarly, clay is a naturally occurring resource, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, where the rich alluvial deposits from valley rivers aid the conversion of eroded stone and other minerals into clay. In KwaZulu-Natal, the combination of humidity and alluvial deposits from the Umgeni and Tugela rivers contribute to the environmental conditions needed to increase chemical weathering that breaks down shale, mudstone and sandstone into rich clay.

 

In Gauteng’s Highveld region, wet and dry cycles similarly help erode larger rock formations into clay. This is the same clay used by both local communities and established builders to produce the bricks and blocks that are essential for foundational load-bearing walls and structural pillars.

 

Clay blocks are particularly important in the South African construction industry because it is a durable, fire-resistant material that can withstand extreme temperatures and veld fires, both of which the country is well-known for. What’s more, it provides excellent insulation in colder months, helping to keep a home warm without a large extra expenditure.

 

Clay is commonly mined for brickmaking and foundational housing material, but it is also incredibly important in South Africa’s budding ceramics industry. In fact, ceramics has become an essential cornerstone of the local Art Economy, as well as its developmental trajectory. Thanks to South Africa’s geological composition, soil formation patterns, river sediments and rich soil, clay is something that all builders will have almost immediate access to when producing new homes or commercial sites.

 

Steel

 

South Africa is one of the largest producers of steel on the continent, with groups such as SA Steel Mills, Scaw Metals Group and ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) offering an unprecedented supply to contractors and various other sectoral players, such as manufacturing and mining. Without steel, industrial needs would be difficult to meet, and development would be largely halted by a lack of access to reinforcement for bigger projects.

 

In many ways, steel is considered the skeleton of any construction project, given that it is often embedded in concrete to enhance its strength and used throughout roofs, railings, beams, railways and highways to ensure durability. Much like concrete, steel is greatly adaptable and used in versatile contexts. For example, corrugated steel sheets are put to use on roofs, while metal cladding made with steel offers a weatherproof, insulated option for large-scale infrastructure.

 

Steel is also widely used because of its ability to be pre-fabricated, therefore simplifying the building process. Quick assembly is a massive bonus on construction sites where equipment, labour and time are often limited. Steel, when put to use in either permanent or temporary structures, provides an easy, high-performance option for contractors who need reliable, flexible options for their buildings.

 

 

Concrete

 

Perhaps more than clay and timber, South Africa’s concrete industry is comparatively robust, with massive companies and producers like Lafarge, AfriSam, PPC and Sephaku Cement providing high-level products all over the country. Assisting developers and contractors by ensuring great access to much-needed materials. As most of us will already know, concrete is the primary building material that delivers high-impact, durable outcomes in a huge range of building sites.

 

Not only is it highly versatile, but it is also cheap to mix, hard-wearing, and an efficient way to recycle aggregates such as sand, gravel and crushed stone, which is widely available throughout the country’s regions. Concrete is used in virtually every building site, be it on a smaller farm in a rural area or on the largest highways, bridges and roads of the country’s major cities.

 

The strength of concrete is perfect for load-bearing structures and heavy-duty infrastructure, which is precisely why it is evident in national urban centres throughout Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. Fortunately, South Africa also has sufficient access to concrete and cement aggregates, including water, sand and gravel, as well as the manufacturing capacity to produce it locally, thereby reducing supply chain risks.

 

Concrete is a vital part of South Africa’s developmental goals, as it provides an affordable means of building. What’s more, the concrete industry has created numerous jobs for those working in quarries, mines, cement manufacturing industries and logistics. Ultimately, concrete production in South Africa plays an important role in infrastructure, public well-being and private growth.

 

The Importance Of Access To Materials And Equipment

 

Without access to high-quality materials and equipment such as concrete mixers, construction companies will struggle to deliver the best service to their clients. Whether they are residential or commercial projects, both require construction-grade materials to ensure their longevity and sustainability in varying conditions and environments. South Africa is known for its harsher climate, with high temperatures, rainfall and extreme spatial variations.

 

For these reasons, building can often be a difficult task, and in many ways, these conditions have made development challenging. Coupled with social inequalities, limited state spending and corporate regulations, development can be a long process that requires extensive time, money and sectoral collaboration. Fortunately, with increasing access to quality materials, and BS Power’s provision of effective concrete mixers and other quality tools, the construction industry is slowly simplifying the acquisition process that precedes the hard work of assembly, removing the obstacles that prevent its smooth completion.

 

 

The Importance Of Equipment

 

Naturally, as much as material is essential for construction to take place, it cannot be put to good use without the equipment necessary to ensure its adequate production and development. In order for concrete to be effectively poured in batches — and used on foundations, floors, walls, exteriors and more — it is necessary to have the best possible equipment on hand. BS Power’s concrete mixers are one of the important pieces of equipment needed to ensure that this material is mixed effectively. When buying concrete mixers, one must keep resources such as labour, aggregates, water and electricity in mind — as all of these factors will determine one’s ability to mix certain volumes of concrete on-site.

 

At BS Power, concrete mixers come in a range of different sizes and with many alternative features, offering contractors the ability to determine their equipment purchases based on their own material needs. So, if you’re searching for the perfect equipment to service on large building projects, contact BS Power today.