Corobrik has once again played an important part in the final phase of the Umhlanga promenade upgrade, with its clay pavers being a defining characteristic of the entire 5km long seafront stretch that is already a favourite with those out for a morning stroll, jogging or taking a late afternoon walk with their dogs.

Mike Ingram, sales director for Corobrik, said the swirl pattern and use of Cederburg, Champagne and Burgundy pavers had been taken through all four phases of the project. This continuity along the entire promenade included the design which emanated from the iconic whale bone pier and echoed the unique seafront location with its dunes and breaking waves and the choice of colours and texture which perfectly complemented the landscape. The Umhlanga beachfront promenade upgrade - which cost approximately R70 million - was in the process of being designed when extreme weather conditions in March 2007, which severely damaged much of the beachfront infrastructure, accelerated the project forward. It was also the ideal preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Construction of the final phases of the development indicated a longer term approach to promoting Umhlanga as a prime tourism destination within the ambit of eThekwini.

The fourth and final phase of the upgrade began in January 2011 and finished in December ahead of the busy festive season. The upgrade, similar to the previous phases, included the walkway (promenade) paving, promenade linkages, alien plants eradication, lighting, street furniture, dune rehabilitation, traffic calming measures along Marine Drive and the increase of parking bays at Durban View Park.
The project was funded by eThekwini Municipality's Economic Development Department and was a combined initiative with a collaborative team from the City's Architecture Department -Urban Design & Landscape Architecture Branch, Engineering Unit's - Development Engineering Northern Branch and Electricity Unit's - Special Lighting Branch


In addition to the building of retaining walls to hold the walkways in the event of further storms and landscaping, the municipality elected to replace the existing concrete block paving with more aesthetically pleasing clay pavers.

However, according to Ingram, the choice of clay pavers went far beyond the overall look of the promenade. "Corobrik clay pavers were the practical choice. They are extremely durable and are skid resistant making them the perfect choice for an area which is exposed to harsh weather and sea spray and is specially created to handle high volumes of pedestrian traffic."

Ingram added that Corobrik pavers were also suitable for long-term maintenance as they did not fade and could be matched to new pavers. They can be easily lifted or "unzipped" to gain access to underground services. Replacing the pavers leaves no "scar".

During the fourth phase, 2005m2 of Cederburg (50mm), 1 788m2 of Champagne, 893m2 of Burgundy pavers were used, equating to a total paved area of 4683m2.