News

CMA DIRECTOR RETIRES
(01 March 2010)
John Cairns, the CMA’s director for the past 13 years, officially retired at the end of February. His position has been filled by newly appointed director, Hamish Laing.

John will continue to work for the CMA on a consultancy basis for the next six months and will be still very much ...... read more

CMA MEMBERS DONATE BUILDING MATERIALS TO TOWNSHIP YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
(15 February 2010)
The Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) is donating over R700 000 worth of precast concrete building products for the construction of a youth development centre (YDC) at Orange Farm, a large township with a population of over 1.5 million, located some 45 km south of Johannesburg. The products include concrete masonry ...... read more

UPDATED PERMEABLE PAVING DESIGN SOFTWARE AVAILABLE FROM THE CMA
(10 February 2010)

Updated versions of PermPave, software used for designing permeable concrete block paving (PCBP) surfaces, and LockPave, software used for designing conventional concrete block paving (CBP) surfaces, are now available from the Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA).

PermPave Version 2.1 and LockPave Version 18.1 are available on a single disc at no ...... read more

CONCRETE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION INVITES ENTRIES TO ITS 13th AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE COMPETITION
(11 January 2010)
The Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) will be staging its 13th Awards for Excellence competition during 2010. The competition is open to all architects, engineers, manufacturers, developers, contractors or users involved in precast concrete projects and is not limited to CMA member companies.

CONCETE ROOF TILES - THE MOST ECONOMICAL AND BEST LOOKING ROOFING MATERIAL
(02 January 2010)
Concrete roof tiles are still the most cost-effective roofing material for roofs built with trusses. This observation is based on an updated survey coordinated on behalf of the Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) by roofing specialist, Victor Booth Pr Eng. – an independent consulting engineer.

Last conducted in 2007, the survey ...... read more

A MEETING OF PRESIDENTS
(23 November 2009)
Garth James (left), president of GIGSA (Geosynthetic Interest Group of South Africa) and Silvio Ferraris, president of the CMA (Concrete Manufacturers Association), seen here during a break at a CMA seminar in Cape Town on the design, construction and reinforcing of CRB (concrete retaining block) walls on September 30th. 

It ...... read more

SOUTH AFRICA PARTICIPATES IN INTERNATIONAL PAVING CONFERENCE
(14 November 2009)
Buenos Aires offers an ideal setting for a conference, providing a rich cultural and architectural heritage which is nothing if not inspirational. This, and the fact that Argentina has been using concrete block paving (CBP) for the past 30 years, is why its capital was chosen as the venue for ...... read more

CONCRETE BLOCK PAVING MORE COST-EFFECTIVE THAN PREMIX ASPHALT IN MANY APPLICATIONS
(09 November 2009)
An independent survey conducted on behalf of the Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) during August shows that concrete block paving (CBP) is, in most instances, a more cost-effective surfacing option for driveways, car parks, residential streets and township roads than premix asphalt paving (PAP). The results of the survey have been ...... read more

SEMINARS DEMONSTRATE HUGE INTEREST IN HOLLOW-CORE SLABS FOR MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS
(08 November 2009)
If there was any doubt as to the huge level of professional interest in how prestressed and reinforced precast concrete hollow-core slabs can be used as an alternative flooring material for multi-storey buildings, it was dispelled in October when over 250 engineers, architects and property developers attended two seminars on ...... read more

PRECAST CONCRETE OFFERS A HOUSING SOLUTION – SA HOUSING CONFERENCE
(28 October 2009)
Precast concrete can reduce South Africa’s housing backlog dramatically. Just how was the subject of two papers presented at this year’s SAHF (Southern African Housing Foundation) International Housing Conference and Exhibition. These were delivered by CMA director, John Cairns, and Llewellyn van Wyk, a senior researcher at the CSIR.

Staged ...... read more

UPDATED CONCRETE BLOCK PAVING MANUALS AVAILABLE FROM THE CMA
(13 October 2009)
The Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) has republished three paving manuals: Book 3 - Specification and Installation; Book 4 – Site Management and Laying; and Building Roads. Books 3 and 4 are largely instruction manuals meant for contractors and engineers, whereas Building Roads is a promotional leaflet aimed at local government ...... read more

MASONRY BLOCK-LAYING TRAINING TAKES OFF
(29 September 2009)
CETA (Construction Education and Training Authority) approved training in masonry block-laying has begun in earnest. Based on course material specifically developed for laying modular masonry blocks as opposed to conventional bricks, the training has been developed by the CMA (Concrete Manufacturers Association) in collaboration with a senior block-laying instructor.

“This ...... read more

CMA MEMBERS MAKE SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO GFIP
(23 September 2009)
Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) members are making a substantial contribution to the GFIP (Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project). Thus far producer members of the CMA’s PIPES (Concrete Pipe, Infrastructural Products and Engineering Solutions) Division, have supplied over 24 000 tons of precast concrete infrastructural and construction material to the project.  The ...... read more

CMA Update - September 2009
(21 September 2009)
...... read more

TRANSNET FREIGHT RAIL SELECTS CONCRETE MASTS FOR SALDANHA/SISHEN ELECTRICAL FEEDER LINE
(27 August 2009)
Prestressed concrete masts have been specified by Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) for a capacity upgrade on the Saldanha/Sishen iron ore rail link. Manufactured and delivered by CMA (Concrete Manufacturers Association) member, Infraset, the masts will carry a supplementary feeder line which will be used to boost the supply of electrical ...... read more

DE AAR SECURITY WALL BUILT WITH PRECAST HOLLOW-CORE SLABS
(20 August 2009)
Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) member, Stabilan, has supplied hollow-core concrete slabs for the construction of a 4 500m security wall around a juvenile detention centre in De Aar, Northern Cape. Built for the Northern Cape’s Department of Transport, Roads & Public Works, the wall was completed in February this year. ...... read more

FRESH BLOOD FOR THE CMA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
(15 July 2009)
The CMA’s 2009/10 management committee includes three new faces and a new president. The new president is Silvio Ferraris who retains his position as vice president of the Concrete Retaining Block (CRB) Division.

New committee members include: Devi Lategan, vice president of the Masonry Division; Chris Morgan, vice president of ...... read more

CMA TO HOLD THREE SEMINARS ON CONCRETE RETAINING BLOCK WALLS
(19 June 2009)
The Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) is to stage three half-day afternoon seminars on the design, construction and reinforcing of concrete retaining block (CRB) walls.

The first will be held on July 23rd in Midrand and the other two will take place on September 30th in Cape Town and on October ...... read more

CAPE TOWN’S FIRST MAJOR PERMEABLE PAVING PROJECT COMPLETED
(18 June 2009)
Permeable concrete block paving (PCBP) scored its first major success in the Western Cape when it was selected for a water attenuation project at Grand Parade in central Cape Town. This historic square has since been accepted as the official public viewing site for the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament ...... read more

PAVING SUSTAINABILITY ON THE AGENDA AT SEPT INTERNATIONAL PAVING CONFERENCE IN BUENOS AIRES
(09 June 2009)
The Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) says sustainability and the environment will feature prominently at this year’s SEPT, the Small Element Paving Technologists conference which is taking place in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 18th to 21st .

CMA director, John Cairns, who is a member of the international SEPT committee, ...... read more