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Colossal expertise flows into water infrastructure upgrades

As South Africa begins to rehabilitate and repair ageing water infrastructure, Colossal Concrete Products (CCP), Africa’s largest concrete railway sleeper manufacturer, says its comprehensive range of precast concrete products can provide meaningful solutions.

“Drawing on decades of experience in high-load, high-durability concrete manufacturing for the rail sector, CCP has the technical expertise, manufacturing precision and quality assurance to support the creation, maintenance and rehabilitation of urgently needed water systems,” says CCP Chief Operating Officer, Mmapitso Kiewiet, who welcomed commitments made during the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), and allocations for water infrastructure in the 2026 Budget.

The renewed focus on water infrastructure ties in with World Water Day on March 22. This underscores the universal right to safe water and sanitation.

Rail and water: leveraging cross-sector expertise

CCP has produced prestressed concrete railway sleepers and related products for freight rail and the Gautrain. The company has already supplied large water projects in Mpumalanga and Gauteng, and recently provided 1,300 metres of its 2,250mm diameter pipes to divert grey water at one of South Africa’s newest power stations.

An example of cross-sector application is the SATS railway culvert, originally designed for the South African railways to channel water beneath railway lines, while accommodating substantial fill heights and axle loads.

CCP Technical Sales and Service Manager, Werner Booyens says that these were engineered to withstand dynamic rail loading and severe environmental conditions. “A culvert system, commonly referred to in industry as an S-Class culvert, has subsequently been developed to meet modern design requirements in accordance with SANS 986. These systems are widely used in the mining and private sectors – as well as on national roads, where their enhanced structural capacity and durability make them well suited for storm water management, mine water control and municipal drainage applications,” Booyens adds.

“Culverts manage and reduce flooding by safely conveying excess water away from roads, railways, developments and natural water courses. When properly designed, installed and maintained, they minimise flood-related damage. Without them, those structures act like dams, leading to upstream flooding, increasing the risk of buildings, foundations and infrastructure being submerged.

In addition, these culverts control flow direction, guiding water along a planned route, preventing random overland flow which can erode roads and embankments and undermine foundations. They also decrease damage to services and pavements by reducing erosion and scour,” he explains. 

Products to improve water flow management

CCP has identified several products to assist with water sector upgrades:

  • Large-diameter IWJ jacking pipes: Designed to form sub-surface corridors for primary steel water mains, these are installed using trenchless jacking techniques. They enable underground conduit construction beneath national roads and railways with minimal surface disruption – particularly valuable in urban environments where conventional open-trench excavation is costly and disruptive – for example in a sewage infrastructure application
  • Valve chambers: These robust and lockable housing structures protect valves within major bulk water distribution networks – and have been used by entities such as Rand Water and Johannesburg Water. They provide secure access for maintenance and operations, ensure long-term structural integrity under high internal pressures and external loads, and help to prevent vandalism
  • Rectangular portal culverts: Critical drainage structures in rural and urban settings, their geometry and structural capacity accommodate high-volume storm water conveyance beneath roads, embankments and rail corridors, mitigating flood risk and protecting adjacent infrastructure
  • Sump rings: These large precast concrete cylinders can be stacked to form deep sumps, wet wells or manholes. They provide safe maintenance access and connect multiple pipelines, enabling pumps to collect and lift water from low-lying or flood-prone areas, temporarily store water during peak flows, and regulate discharge into downstream systems. Durability, rapid installation and customisable depth make them well suited to complex urban, mining, agricultural reservoirs and industrial drainage networks

According to Booyens, these products are manufactured in a controlled factory environment using advanced technology and purpose-built equipment. Precision moulds ensure consistent dimensions.

“High-quality raw materials are carefully selected, batched and mixed to strict specifications to ensure consistent strength, durability and performance. The concrete is compacted using modern vibration techniques which eliminate voids and achieve a dense, impermeable concrete product.

Steel reinforcement, where required, is accurately positioned to provide structural integrity and resistance to external loads and ground pressures. Throughout the production process, dimensional tolerances, wall thickness and surface finish are continuously monitored. The pipes are then steam cured under controlled conditions to achieve early optimal strength and long-term durability,” he advises, adding that these tightly controlled manufacturing processes produce pipes with high load-bearing capacity, low permeability and strong resistance to abrasion, chemical attack and weathering.

Engineering the future of water

In line with World Water Day on 22 March, Kiewiet says that CCP remains committed to supporting South Africa’s drive toward universal access to safe water and resilient water infrastructure: “By leveraging our position as the region’s largest railway sleeper manufacturer and applying our precast concrete expertise to the water sector, we are contributing to the rebuilding and safeguarding one of the country’s most vital and critical public assets – its water infrastructure.”

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The Wilds: A Sanctuary of Stone and Steel

The Wilds was officially opened to the public in 1938, carved out of the rocky “koppies” (hills) of the Witwatersrand. Unlike the manicured lawns of the city’s more traditional parks, The Wilds was designed to showcase South Africa’s botanical heritage. It is a vertical garden of sorts, featuring steep stone paths that wind through forests of yellowwood trees, proteas, and ancient cycads. At its highest point, the reserve offers one of the most spectacular views of the Johannesburg skyline, where the brutalist towers of Hillbrow seem to rise directly out of the prehistoric-looking vegetation.

However, like many of Johannesburg’s public spaces, The Wilds fell into a period of deep neglect during the late 1990s and early 2000s. As crime rates rose and the city’s maintenance budgets shifted, the reserve became overgrown and was perceived as a “no-go zone.” The waterfalls stopped running, the stone paths crumbled, and the once-vibrant greenhouse became a skeletal ruin. For nearly two decades, this incredible piece of real estate sat largely abandoned, used only by a few brave locals and the occasional film crew looking for a “wilderness” setting within city limits.