In what is a first for the Kenyan construction industry, Bamburi Cement has today introduced a Mobile Concrete Laboratory to enable its customers conduct on-site testing of materials and offer solid technical advice on concrete at various construction sites. In what is a first for the Kenyan construction industry, Bamburi Cement has today introduced a Mobile Concrete Laboratory to enable its customers conduct on-site testing of materials and offer solid technical advice on concrete at various construction sites.
The launch reaffirms Bamburi Cement’s evolution from a building materials supplier to a construction solutions provider. The Mobile Concrete laboratory, in which Bamburi Cement has invested over Kshs.15 million, is fitted with state of the art equipment for conducting on-site tests.
The laboratory offers flexibility and convenience to users who would otherwise have been forced to go to fixed concrete laboratories for tests. This approach thus reaches out to a greater geographical sphere with regard to far off sites that have limited or no access to concrete testing facilities.
The Lab aims at ensuring that the quality of concrete and its constituent materials used at construction sites meet the specifications of standards stipulated by Kenya Bureau of Standards and requirements of the National Construction Authority which will ultimately result in overall improvement of construction and safety standards in the construction and building industry.
The Mobile Concrete Lab will conduct on-site aggregate analysis, testing of fresh and hardened concrete as well as assess soil stabilization tests for road works. Customers will be able to know the quality and adequacy of their aggregates, sand and concrete mix designs. Users will additionally benefit from expert technical advice on concrete optimisation and best practices.
“Bamburi Cement advocates for the use of quality materials in construction for achievement of the best results. It is against this backdrop that we introduce this new value added service to users of our products. The service is designed to provide quality testing and convenience to our customers,” said Bamburi Cement Managing Director Bruno Pescheux.
The latest innovation by Bamburi comes at a time when the country is experiencing rapid developments in the construction industry due to increased investment by government and private sector in infrastructure and housing. With this immense growth, there have been several challenges with building capacity and improving the level of professionalism in construction practices in Kenya.
“The Mobile Concrete Lab will bring sophisticated testing equipment to construction sites. To this end, our customers will benefit from immediate and advanced professional services to ensure that only quality materials are used for concreting works and construction on site,” added Pescheux
The construction sector in Kenya recorded a $235 million (Sh24.6 billion) loss in 2013 according to the National Construction Authority (NCA), which it blamed on low and poor quality workmanship.
This launch augments the cement maker’s ongoing country wide initiative dubbed Builders Academy that has been offering free training to construction workers aimed at improving their skills, professionalism and safety in the building and construction industry. This is in line with its advocacy in improving construction and building standards in the country. This year alone, it has trained over 1,600 masons from across the country.