SA’s cement foundation should not be allowed to collapse
If there is reason for real optimism it lies in the presidency’s investment and infrastructure office
Attractive is not a word that springs to mind when thinking about concrete. Dull, heavy, grey, boring and ugly are more likely descriptors. Yet concrete has been foundational to human society for centuries. Cement can be found in Babylonian, Assyrian, Egyptian and ancient Greek architecture. Even today, the magnificent dome of the Pantheon remains the most awe-inspiring concrete structure of ancient Rome.
SA’s modern economy has also been built using concrete. Our mines, railways, roads, dams, factories, offices, schools and houses are all constructed and maintained with concrete. SA-invented concrete dolos breakwaters protect numerous harbours, providing safe passage for trading nations and security for numerous coastal communities. Who cannot be proud of concrete’s contribution to our world-class structures such as Soccer City, the Moses Mabhida stadium, the Gautrain, Coega, Johannesburg University, Groote Schuur Hospital and OR Tambo International Airport? All of these conc...
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