Industrial company Lafarge South Africa says its SupaSet concrete mix product – a ready-to-use product launched earlier this month to quickly set poles in position – is suitable for small contractors involved in erecting poles.

“SupaSet takes only about 10 to 15 minutes to set, compared with up to two days using a conventional concrete mix. SupaSet is formulated to have a high rate of early strength development. This complements Lafarge’s wide range of designed-for-purpose products, which contributes to the company’s vision to help build better cities with more desirable environments for all our people,” says Lafarge South Africa national sales and marketing manager Maria Sazeides.

The on-site manual mixing of a traditional concrete mix is associated with wastage of surplus ingredients and made-up mix, contamination and variable results, says Lafarge, adding that SupaSet is designed to be convenient for small contractors and also to eliminate costly wastage.

“After digging a hole of the correct depth and width for the size of the pole, the pole is inserted and the hole is filled up to one-third to half-full with water. SupaSet is then spread evenly around the pole to completely cover the surface of the water. More water is sprinkled evenly on top of the powder. The pole must be adjusted immediately to ensure it is vertical and at the required height because of the fast setting time,” Sazeides explains.

After seeing a demonstration where SupaSet was used to erect poles, fencing company Ethekwini Fencing owner Ronnie Moonegha was impressed by the product and used it in the contract he had secured to fence various rural schools in KwaZulu-Natal, Sazeides notes.

“We are delighted to see customers enjoying the rapid consistent results and cost-effective benefits of SupaSet,” she points out.

Sazeides highlights that the unique formulation of SupaSet is an example of how Lafarge focuses on understanding the needs of its customers and applying its technical strength to provide user-friendly, high-quality solutions that contribute to the elimination of some traditional stages of building, thereby promoting the quicker completion of work activities, enhanced productivity on pole installation work and cost efficiencies.