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CMA NEWS AND MEMBER ARTICLES

CMA News & Articles - The CMA is the precast concrete industry association of South Africa. Find our members on our website to source quality precast concrete products, professional built environment service(engineers, architects, contractors and more).

Telkom using concrete poles to ward off vandalism

Telkom has found precast concrete poles to be highly effective in discouraging and preventing cable theft.

The telecommunications utility is now making use of precast concrete poles in place of traditional timber poles to support phone lines in areas where cable theft is rife.

It first put the concept to the test in early-2013 when it embarked on a pilot project in Kwa-Zulu Natal’s South Coast area of Braemer, using prestressed concrete poles manufactured and supplied by CMA member Aveng Infraset’s Effingham, Durban, plant. A total of 400 x 7 m poles were supplied.

Telkom’s strategy was to run the pilot project for 10 months to enable it to prove itself. Having done so, it has followed up by placing a further five orders with Effingham since February last year for poles for installation in two other areas in KZN and three areas in the Eastern Cape.

The first of these orders was for 500 x 7 m poles for installation in the Lusikisiki area near Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape.

The next two orders consisted mostly of 7 m poles as previously, but also included taller poles to provide for dips in undulating landscape encountered at these locations. An order placed with Effingham in September for poles destined for Sinembe on KZN’s North Coast near Tongaat comprised 657 x 7 m poles, 14 x 9 m poles and two 10 m poles. The company received a further order in November for poles for Kenterton near Ixopo in KZN, consisting of 380 x 7 m and 20 x 9 m poles.

Telkom subsequently placed orders in December and January for Mthatha and Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, for 550 x 7 m poles and 75 x 7 m poles respectively.

“Telkom is satisfied that our poles contribute a lot towards solving the vandalism problem, so we expect the orders from them to multiply in coming months,” commented Samantha Chetty, Sales Consultant, Construction Products, at the Effingham facility.

“A further incentive is that, even when the poles are not likely to be targeted by cable thieves, they have the advantage of durability and a much longer life-span than timber poles,” she added.

The Effingham plant is one of two Aveng Infraset plants in the country – the other being its Brakpan, Gauteng, plant – that manufacture and supply prestressed concrete poles for lighting and related purposes, such as the application now being put into effect by Telkom.

Among a range of other products the Effingham plant produces are masts used for electrification purposes, including electric lines for railways.



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