Large Circulation System for Kazakh Company Uy Kurylys
The Kazakh company Uy Kurylys has been producing ceilings, sandwich panels, interior walls, elevator shaft elements and stairs out of concrete in Aktobe since summer of 2016 on a large circulation system from Weckenmann Concrete and thus doing its part to solve the great demand for residential space in the Central Asian republic.
With an area of around 2.7 million km², Kazakhstan is about seven times the size of Germany. However, with 17.7 million inhabitants the country has a relatively low population density of seven inhabitants per square kilometer (For comparison purposes: Germany has 231/km²). The Central Asian presidential republic is situated between Russia in the north, Mongolia and China in the east as well as Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan in the South. Kazakhstan is Germany’s most important trade partner in Central Asia. Governed by President Nursultan Nasarbajew, the country is among the so-called group of successful transformation states. Kazakhstan has great oil reserves, but would like to diversify and modernize their economy in line with the president’s strategy, “Kazakhstan 2050”. Their objective is to gain admission to the 30 most developed countries of the world.
Weckenmann builds second plant in Kazakhstan
In spite of its low population density, like many aspiring national economies, Kazakhstan sees itself confronted with the challenge of meeting the enormous demand for housing with good, but reasonably priced housing for its population as quickly as possible. “Above all, the cities are growing quite rapidly in Kazakhstan,” says CEO Hermann Weckenmann, “without precast concrete component technology it wouldn’t be possible to produce affordable housing on short notice.”
Early in 2016, the Swabian plant and machinery installer had already successfully put into operation the largest precast plant in Kazakhstan for GLB in Astana. With the precast plant in Aktobe (formerly Aktjubinsk), the fifth largest city in Kazakhstan, on August 30, 2016 Governor Berdylbek Saparbaev officially inaugurated the second large-scale plant from Weckenmann. Precast concrete component manufacturer Uy Kurylys has been producing ceilings, sandwich panels, interior walls, elevator shaft elements and stairs since summer of 2016.
80 new jobs in the precast plant
This large circulation system was designed by Weckenmann in close cooperation with their Kazakh partners, built in Swabian Dormettingen and constructed on site in Aktobe in only 26 weeks by Weckenmann specialists and put into operation. The plant includes 44 pallets, with which the high quality precast concrete components are produced with a thickness ranging from 80 to 400 mm. With their new plant, Uy Kurylys has provided 80 jobs for motivated employees, who are proud to be able to help ease the housing problem in their region with their work. Around 50,000 m² housing can be built with the precast concrete components from the new plant in 12 months, corresponding to ten apartment buildings with nine levels each. Uy Kurylys estimates that the installation time of a housing project with precast concrete components from the new Weckenmann plant can be reduced from twelve months to six months.
“You can tell how important the new plant is for the region of West Kazakhstan by the fact that Governor Saparbaev planned the opening ceremony for August 30, the Kazakh ‚Constitution Day‘“, explains Hermann Weckenmann, “because on this national holiday only buildings that have significance for the entire country can be inaugurated.”
Incidentally, Aktobe is 4,100 km from Dormettingen; not exactly a short distance for the 460 t steel parts of this plant. Nevertheless, the project participants from Uy Kurylys and Weckenmann emphasize the close and very constructive teamwork. And they are glad that in the future, not only apartment buildings, but also kindergartens, schools, hospitals and other social buildings will be built with the precast concrete components of the new circulation system.
Text: Hermann Weckenmann
