- Design
- Manufacturing
- Installation
- Project Management
Design
Our daily mantra is to give you the steel structure you want, in the most cost-efficient manner possible. Our organization is geared towards achieving this.
All our buildings are designed to meet SANS10601 design parameters for safety, and our team spends significant time, prior to project commencement, understanding your needs and the environmental conditions under which the structure will operate.
Some of the factors we take into account when designing your building include both dead and live loadings such as snow loading, wind speed and terrain category, as well as services required by the building including fire extinguishers, suspended ceilings, ducting and loadings both inside and outside.
Whilst civils and wet works, and any onsite specific engineering, is the responsibility of the client, we have strong relationships with reliable specialists in these fields and should you require contacts, we are more than happy to recommend some options. We believe that by focusing on what we do best we can assist you in achieving the most efficient solution.
We work extensively with our clients to provide advice on the most effective building design to meet their needs including ventilation, insulation, natural lighting and door access among other considerations. The most critical aspect of the design is the optimization of space and financial resources available to achieve the desired result.
While every building is custom-made, we do have pre-optimised building sizes available based on spans of 8m, 11.8m, 15.5m, 19.5m and 23m. These have been developed to enable the most efficient span utilisation.
While our pre-optimised buildings are very popular for those where cost is a primary driver, we can, and regularly do, build to variable size, as client’s needs dictate.
All our engineers carry full professional indemnity and our solid relationship with many engineers enables us to optimize design and manufacture.
Foundations and footing for the structural steel can be part of the design element. As this is affected by soil types and conditions, we investigate the terrain, site conditions and environmental factors and take this into account when costing the project.
All our steel and connection bolts are galvanized, high tensile 8.8 graded steel. We believe in using the best quality materials to ensure the longevity of the structure. These finishes are also part of our pride in the overall look of the finished structure.
Manufacturing
Our 7070 sqm factory focuses on four critical success factors during the manufacture process:
Right Materials:
Having been steel building manufacturers since 1992, our entire team is committed to producing steel structures of the highest quality.
We only use high grade materials, which are all signed for and checked at every stage throughout the process. Our internal controls mean that every part of your structure is accounted for, from beginning to end.
Our plant and equipment are custom purchased with the primary decision taken not on brand name or price, but on cutting accuracy. This is, we believe, the most important function for all equipment.
Right Staff:
We have an experienced labour force that has been with us for many years. Each team member has been developed and trained to a superior level in the job functions he performs and each one of them understands the role they play in delivering a quality end product.
Their dedication is visible, not only in their job performance but also in their respect for and compliance with health and safety standards within the factory.
Right Processes:
Our processes have been refined over the years to the point where we have a very tight production process in place. We recently completed a building with over 9,000 holes and when it was erected on site, every hole lined up and matched its partner! No small achievement in this business.
Right Quality Checks:
We have set quality check areas throughout the process and each area is signed off and handed over before the next stage begins. This enables us to pick up any snags quickly and correct them, if necessary, before they progress into the next production segment.
Our Quality Teams are extremely proud of their track record and have raised the bar on a number of occasions to further improve quality standards.
All our buildings are custom made to meet each client’s specific requirements and this allows us to provide you with a building that will meet all your specifications without the need to compromise on the functionality of the building.
While we provide a complete service to those clients who want to make use of it, should you have your own engineer we will gladly manufacture and install a building according to your engineer’s specifications.
The Production Process:
We take pride in the effective and consistent production process employed. Your Project Manager controls the process from beginning to end so at every stage one person is overseeing and controlling the process. SpanAfrica® believes the best person for this job is the Project Manager who fully understands your needs and requirements.
The final quality check is undertaken post production just before it leaves the paint line for transport and delivery on site. This is where the Project Manager has a final check to ensure everything is correct and ready for transport.
SpanAfrica® is geared to take on projects of all sizes, and though some projects are as small as 200sqm, the majority of projects undertaken range between 1,000 and 5,000sqm with the largest project undertaken to-date being 32, 000sqm.
Installation
Our skilled and experienced installation crews are available to install all our steel structures, or you may prefer to use your own contractors.
Our teams can handle the bases, rigging, sheeting and painting and are both quality control driven and health and safety compliant.
Your Project Manager will visit the site regularly and will be available when it is completed for the official hand-over.
All access to sites is strictly controlled and you will be introduced, at the outset, to all members of the crew that will be working on your project so that you know who your SpanAfrica® team is, upfront.
Particular care is taken when offloading the structural components on site and you will receive regular communication and liaison prior to the truck arriving to clarify where it must be offloaded and where key components are to be stored.
Project Management
SpanAfrica® has a team of Project Managers who are assigned to each individual project. This service bridges the communication gap between the customer and the SpanAfrica® Team.
This allows the following post-sales service to all our valued clients:
- Open and clear communication
- Service delivery efficiency
- Increased Customer Satisfaction
- Service Delivery Effectiveness
- Optimised risk assessment
- Increase in Quality control