COVER STORY
Industry innovators beyond the imaginable With various technologies at the fingertips of every enterprise, it’s becoming increasingly important to innovate in order to stay ahead of the pack. Fresh ideas and new technologies are birthed when businesses dare to venture beyond what is imaginable.
A
s market leaders in asphalt and road construction, Shisalanga Construction strives to manufacture groundbreaking technologies. “We have always taken a keen interest in innovation and development. To maintain this standard, we are constantly looking for ways
to improve and give ourselves an edge in the industry,” says Wynand Nortje, technical manager, Shisalanga Construction. Shisalanga’s renowned Cliffdale laboratory is vital to the company’s success as industry innovators. According to Nortje, the SANAS 17025:2017 accredited lab is the only one of its kind in South Africa, as it is directly
A Shisalanga Construction team working on a resurfacing project
linked to production in addition to being a testing facility.
Performance-based approach Wynand and his team have moved away from the volumetric design system and have embraced a new, performancebased approach. Their priority is to manufacture asphalt products with the desired result in mind. To ensure that its mixes have an overall enhanced pavement performance, Shisalanga tests and adjusts its technologies accordingly until a workable solution is reached. Shisalanga’s prototype pothole-patching trailer is able to patch between five and eight tonnes of asphalt a day
