Two-A-Day

Project Name Massive Firewall Built With Precast Concrete
Client Name Two-A-Day
Brief Description

Cape Concrete supplied mechanically anchored precast concrete columns and panels to build a 134 metre-long firewall at Two-A-Day’s (TAD’s) apple and pear distribution centre in Grabouw, Western Cape. We used Peikko’s mechanical column shoe anchors https://www.peikko.co.za/products/precast-products/column-connections/.

The wall, designed by structural engineer Herman Smith of Merlicon, rises to a height of 12.9 metres and has a four-hour fire rating, complying with international firewall requirements and local SANS regulations.

The wall was erected to reduce high insurance risk levels identified by TAD’s insurance company, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Africa.

The precast concrete panels were installed in a staggered configuration and varied in size, with some weighing almost seven tonnes. The manufacturing and earthworks started in September and the installation was completed in December 2022, thus totaling a 4 month construction duration.

One of the main advantages of using precast concrete for the construction of this building was the speed of construction.

Precast elements can be manufactured off-site while the site is being prepared, which reduces the time required for on-site construction.

This allowed for a fast track construction process that helped accelerate the project timeline and reduce the overall construction duration.

Additionally, precast concrete can be produced to very high quality standards in a controlled environment, which results in consistent, high-quality elements. This can help reduce the time required for on-site quality control and can result in faster construction overall.

Overall, the speed of construction and the ability to produce high-quality elements were key factors in the client’s decision to use precast concrete for this project.

Type of Structures where Precast is used 500m³ of concrete
Contract Duration  4 Months
Completion Date 12/15/2021

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