Civil Engineering April 2022 | Vol 30 No 3

Civil Engineering April 2022 47 Corobrik’s R800m Kwastina factory enters full production T he commitment made by Corobrik at the South African Investment Conference at Sandton in 2019 has paid off, with its new Kwastina factory in Driefontein entering full production by the end of March. The R800 million investment in the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility has gone hand in hand with a further R200 mil- lion earmarked to expand Corobrik’s concrete operations in KwaZulu-Natal. Kwastina produces clay face bricks, while the concrete operation is targeted at the plaster brick and block market. Kwastina (‘Home of the Brick’) is fully automated, from mixing the raw materials to the end product. Capable of producing 100 million bricks a year, the new factory will easily be able to meet larger-volume or- ders. In a first for the South African market, Kwastina will also have the flexibility to produce small quantities of bespoke prod- ucts for the architectural segment. Kwastina is touted as the most techno- logically advanced and environmentally friendly brick manufacturing plant in Africa. “It is an acknowledgement on our part that we need to progress and make those step changes that will keep us rel- evant for the next 100 years,” says Booth. The project was completed on budget, despite a three-month delay due to the Covid-19 hard lockdown in 2020. “We believe we invested at the bottom of the cycle. All things being equal, if the government rolls out what it plans to, in terms of infrastructure like clinics, hospitals, police stations and schools, then Kwastina is ideally placed to make those projects more cost-effective and efficient. It is going to give us an advantage in the market, not just in terms of technology, but also in quality and consistency, which are critical for specifications involving tight tolerances,” says Booth. Corobrik is already hard at work ex- tending its product range, with a number of new products already being introduced. Trials are currently being carried out with brick glazing for bespoke projects, as well as the clay raw material to produce dif- ferent colours to give Kwastina a unique footprint in the country. “It was a privilege to see Kwastina through to fruition,” says Booth. He as- cribes the success of the project to detailed planning and the fact that tried-and-tested technology has been used, mainly im- ported from German suppliers.  An opportunity to tap into new standards S outh Africa can significantly improve water and energy efficiency by aligning its tap labelling programme with international standards, finds a new study released ahead of National Water Week. The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) and CLASP spearheaded the study by independent experts, which culminated in a report titled, “In-depth Assessment of Water Efficiency Opportunities in South Africa”. The report found that standards for taps and showerheads could address the country’s link to water and energy crises by reducing the use of water and electricity needed to heat some of that water. The SABS Special Committee recently participated in the International Standards Organisation (ISOA) project to develop an ISO standard for water labelling systems. The SABS considers the standard, once published, to be applied to establish a water efficiency labelling programme in South Africa. In establishing such a programme, the report notes that there must be “uniformity between the requirements of all related SANS and international tap standards.” “This report seeks to advance water and, in turn, energy ef- ficiency in South Africa by making recommendations for alignment to international standards which have improved efficiency globally. It encourages a ‘flow follows function approach’ in the labelling and standardisation of taps and installations,” says Ashanti Mogosetsi,​ Project Manager for Appliance Standards and Labelling at SANEDI. South Africa predominantly imports commercially available taps. To solve the problem of inefficient water use, countries are increasingly standardising taps and fixtures to maximise water saving. Among the recommendations of the report are that, when South Africa implements the labelling programme, water flow rate targets should be set to improve water efficiency, while labelling should be defined by the function of the faucet. The report recommends the best minimum and maximum flow rates that would not compromise the user’s experience and recommends that SANS introduce uniform de- scriptions of tap types and consider where the taps will be used, as well as their functions. Toilets, taps and showers typically consume 40% to 60% of the total annual potable water in domestic and commercial areas, which is why water efficient fixtures typically save water, energy and costs. “We encourage South Africans to engage with the report and take steps to align their plumbing needs with the country’s evolving regulatory framework. Conserving water also conserves energy, which reduces your annual water and electricity bills,” concludes Mogosetsi​. To access the full report, visit www.savingenergy.org.za/ reports/index.html .   Kwastina can produce 100 million bricks a year Standardising taps and fixtures can maximise water and energy savings