The seven month road-over-rail bridge upgrade project on Curie Avenue, one of Bloemfontein’s main arterial roads running alongside the showgrounds, was completed in September 2015. The functional Rebloc vehicle restraint barriers from Rocla, one of the subsidiaries of the IS Group of companies, were utilised due to their strong safety features of this precast concrete product.
 
The Rocla Rebloc system offers an integrated coupling system which creates a continuous chain of high-strength energy and force absorption, should a vehicle collide into the barrier. The connecting facilities are integrated into the specially profiled concrete which ensures that there are no loose parts or accessories that would require maintenance or be subject to theft or vandalism. Maintenance of the Rocla Rebloc road barrier is anticipated only in the event of motor vehicle collision with the road barrier, and such maintenance would only be deemed required in extremely severe cases of impact with the barrier.
 
Tau Pele Construction in Bloemfontein were contractors for the project and Operations Director Frans Bower said “ We have an established relationship with Rocla, and know that their products are of a high quality, offering good vehicle restraint safety features, which was required for the Curie Avenue bridge upgrade. Over the years, much road and vehicle wear, tear and damage has occurred on this stretch of road, and it was decided that increased safety measures, which included barrier and pedestrian protection, needed to be considered. The Rocla Rebloc was the best available system, due to its simplicity of installation, low maintenance and well-designed reinforcement, which absorbs impact, and in turn may prevent even heavy vehicles from breaking through the restraint system.”
 
 Rocla Sales Consultant based in Virginia, Lodewyk Brink, commented “The Rebloc system utilises the internationally recognised F-Shape System, which confirms to SANRAL’S standard profile requirements. The concrete barrier length of six meters allows for faster installation and costs are reduced by requiring fewer couplings. Note that shorter elements are available for radiuses areas. Only the terminal elements at each end of the barrier chain are anchored to the road surface to cope with impact at those points, if required.”
 
The Rocla Rebloc barriers installed at the Curie Avenue project included 200m of the 107cm high barrier (RB107) in the median and 60m and 80m of the 814cm high barrier (RB81) on either side of the road.
 
Alternative applications
 
The Rocla Rebloc system can also be utilised for:

• Security at railways and airports
• Protection at high security areas
• At the base of mountains and hills to contain land and mudslide debris
• Prevention of illegal dumping
• Blocking entrances to construction sites or areas where access needs to be restricted
• Segregation of bulk materials
• Securing vacant land/buildings

Rocla is one of South Africa’s leading manufacturers of pre-cast concrete products for infrastructure projects and recently was awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification after an audit by TÜV Rheinland Inspection Services. The audit covered Rocla’s design, development, manufacturing and delivery of precast concrete products processes for the infrastructure sector.
 
The company can manufacture to customer requirements in addition to offering standard pre-cast sizes.
 
Rocla is part of the IS Group of companies which includes Technicrete ISG and Ocon Brick.