MACSTEEL, a merchandiser and distributor of steel, in partnership with Tate&Nicholson, Fortress, Pick n Pay, and WBHO has announced that it will attempt to break the Guinness World record for the longest roof span covered by a single metal corrugated sheet.
Macsteel’s roofing unit roll-formed the sheets spanning the width of 280m, across the widest part of the roof covering the new Pick ‘n Pay flagship distribution centre in Kempton Park.
National Product specialist at Macsteel Roofing David Reid said in a briefing yesterday that the width of the longest sheet to be ever rolled in the world was 200m, while Macsteel’s sheet width is 280m. He said that is the reason the management team decided to apply to enter the Guinness World Records. The company said it would know next week if it has broken the record.
"The biggest challenges for the project was that after November last year, the country had unprecedented rain for about three months, that challenged us because you can't roll form these sheets when it is raining and you can't install. Another challenge was catching up with the programme that was almost delayed due to the rain. We have caught up though," Reed said.
Macsteel used their South African roofing product Novotexi 440, roll-formed on site, while using their industry-leading Sky Forming process.
“It would have been much harder to break the world record without pairing these two Macsteel innovations," Macsteel said at a briefing yesterday.
The roofing product, Novotexi 440 was developed by Macsteel to resist high winds on large-scale roofing projects and to meet the challenges engineers face in providing solutions for extreme weather conditions caused by climate change, the company said.
The company uses Sky Forming to streamline the roofing of mega-build projects. It is the process where the roll-forming container producing the Novotexi 440 sheet, is lifted to the level of the roof so that it can seamlessly apply the product, at height and speed.
Macsteel chief executive Mike Benfield says, “We are very excited to be part of this development project with our partners. We remain true to the spirit of ‘Pursuing Reinvention’, which is the driving force behind our business strategy and has become the foundation on which we initiate and manage all our customer engagements.”
The Pick ‘n Pay flagship distribution centre's construction is scheduled to be finished in 2023.
Macsteel said the company had primed innovation as one of its key pillars to ensure sustainability in a global and South African context.
BUSINESS REPORT