Materials EXPO
Concrete and construction expos address 4IR readiness This year’s African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo, well established with excellent attendances in the industry, will once again take place at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Gauteng. The organisers explain the relevance of this expo, given recent developments at governmental and presidential levels. They argue the significance of the event in line with the 4th Industrial Revolution (4iR)
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n this year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), the theme of which was “Following up on our commitments: Making your future work better”, President Cyril Ramaphosa provided a ray of hope to the construction industry by sharing several shovelready projects that are coming on stream thanks to the Infrastructure Fund implementation team. ‘The cranes and yellow equipment that we have longed to see across the landscape of our country will once again soon be an everyday sight,’ said President Ramaphosa. Added to this, he noted that the digital economy will increasingly become a driver of growth and a creator of employment. This was a re-emphasis of last year’s SONA in which the president stressed the urgency of equipping the nation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the necessity to adapt to and embrace the various opportunities it presents. ‘With the recent introduction of 4IR technologies, built assets are changing and impacting the entire construction value chain. In fact, a study published in the International Journal Of Architectural, Civil And
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Construction Sciences, titled “Construction 4.0: The Future of the Construction Industry in South Africa”, found that adopting 4IR technology in the construction industry will not only improve the performance of the industry regarding cost and time savings, but will also create sustainable buildings. ‘With 4IR, the built industry has the opportunity to leapfrog to more efficient production, successful business models and competitive value chains. What all this tells me is that digitising Africa’s construction industry, from inception all the way through to facilities management, will make it more attractive to potential investors and, in turn, boost its contribution to GDP,’ says Johan van Wyk, Commercial Director, African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo.
Global hub for the African construction industry
Informing and assisting the industry on how to adapt to and embrace these and other changes, will be the focus of the African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo - the global hub for the African construction industry
volume 10 | issue 1 www.tobuild.co.za
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