The Ghana Cement Works (Ghacem) is capable of producing a special type of cement that would withstand corrosion by the sea to improve the life-span of public and individual properties particularly in the coastal towns and cities.
Mr Bayor Seidu, Production Manager of Ghacem said the company imported salt resistance cement for the construction of the Aboadze Thermal plant and the product could be manufactured locally for the building and construction industry if found to be commercially viable.
He said products of Ghacem even though certified to be of very high quality by the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) to ensure safety and efficiency in the building and construction industry, Ghacem cement has low resistance to the salty winds of the coastal areas.
Mr Seidu was speaking at a day's seminar for about 200 sand-Crete blocks and concrete products manufacturers in the Western and Central Regions in Takoradi on Tuesday.
Participants at the seminar organized by the GSB, also included cement distributors, works managers of municipal and district assemblies, discussed approved methods for the manufacture of good quality products, to enhance efficiency and safety in the building and construction industry.
They were also introduced to new mobile sand-Crete block testing equipment, to asses the quality of products of manufacturers for certification under the regulations of the GSB.
Mr Seidu said the availability of equipment for testing products of sand-Crete and concrete manufacturers was a good idea, because one of the challenges facing the building and construction industry was how to determine a good quality product for building and construction, for safety and value for money.
Mr Charles Gyabaah, an Engineer of the GSB, who was the resource person said guidelines for the production of high quality products had been prepared for sand-Crete and concrete manufacturers, and after testing their products would be graded with grade 'c' being the least.
He said the quality of sand and water and also good storage was important in the manufacture of good and safe products and these must not be compromised.
Mr Antwi Boasiako Acheampong, acting Regional Officer of the GSB in the Western and Central Regions, said the acquisition of the mobile testing van was aimed at providing conformity assessment service to small-scale companies and manufacturers of sand-Crete and concrete blocks.
He noted with concern that most block manufactures do not adhere to sound quality practices, saying the quality of blocks differ from each manufacturer due to the different methods employed in the production and the proportion of constituent materials.
Some of the participants accused Ghacem for sometimes supplying underweight cement.
However, Mr Seidu intend blamed some cement distributors for this and said such incidents must be reported to Ghacem for investigation.