Nigeria is a country of incredible diversity. Different vegetation zones from savannah woodlands and rain forest areas to vast mangrove swamps mark a contrast to many cosmopolitan and up-and-coming cities. The economic upturn of the West-african country in the 1950ies was based upon the oil reserves of the Niger Delta. Today, Nigeria is not only Africa's largest economy, but also a major emerging market and investment hub of the continent. For five decades now, Julius Berger has been committed to Nigeria. Engineering and construction services for large projects in the fields of structural and civil engineering, the gas and oil industry as well as industrial plants have played a large role in Nigeria's upswing. Julius Berger is the largest private employer in the country, employing approximately 18,000 people from 40 countries.
Julius Berger has executed a large number of infrastructure and building projects over its five decade long presence in Nigeria. The company's core values include a commitment to high quality as well as responsibility for employees and society. Besides a Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) management system, the company's quality management system conforms to requirements set by the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the International Standards Organization (ISO). In-house production sites and laboratories for quality testing ensure consistent high quality is used in construction projects.
Memmert drying ovens have been used at country-wide Julius Berger building material laboratories to condition and dry building material samples. Tests, for example the determination of grain size distribution, are performed in accordance with international standards such as BS EN 933-1 or national standards. In addition to earth, sand, asphalt and aggregate, red laterite, which is often used as a building material in tropical regions, is also tested. The drying of building material samples until they are a constant mass is done at 110 ± 5° C. Compressed asphalt samples are manufactured at temperatures between 145 and 150° C.
AtmoSAFE would like to thank Julius Berger for its kind support during the preparation of this article.
