Download - Imiesa October 2014
ESAIMESA
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The official magazine
of the Institute of Municipal Engineering
of Southern Africa
IMIM
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Pravin GordhanTaking the hard line in local governance
NATIONAL ASPHALTPioneering Innovations
www.infrastructurene.ws
IINN TTHHEE HHOOTT SSEEAATT IIWe strive to be real consultants – the Afrikaans version articulates this better: to be ‘raadgewende ingeneurs’ – someone who gives
professional advice.” Stan Mkhacane, Chairperson, Nyeleti Consulting
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HEROES OF INFRASTRUCTURE
IMESA 2014Celebrating eThekwini – Proud partner –
The PartnersUnlocking infrastructure development together
The ProvidersSolving the sanitation challenge
HEAD OFFICE Unit 19 Alexander Park, 24 Alexander Road, Westmead, Pinetown, KZN, SA 3610 • Postnet Suite 23, Private Bag X4, Kloof 3640
t +27 (0)31 700 1177 • f +27 (0)31 700 9853 • Contact Daryl Spencer [email protected] c 083 555 9996
NATIONAL OFFICES • Pietermaritzburg • Port Elizabeth • Johannesburg • Cape Town • Shelly Beach
In response to this approach, JOAT has invested in wide-ranging
technology and partnerships that can be harnessed for the
benefit of municipalities. Flow metering solutions (permanent
or temporary, monitoring or revenue-generating), data manage-
ment solutions (data loggers, GSM data loggers), control valve
solutions (pressure-reducing valves, pressure controllers, surge
control), leak detection solutions (leak detection equipment
and service) and energy efficiency solutions (variable speed
drives and system optimising) are all available to be presented
into cost-effective, custom-made packages.
JOAT has also expanded into the optimisation of energy
consumption in the water cycle and has a number of in-house
experts that can undertake energy audits and design energy
efficiency solutions for pump stations and treatment works. This
forms part of its overall approach to making the distribution of
water as efficient as possible.
THE JOAT GROUP OF COMPANIES has moulded itself into an
efficient and market-leading solutions-orientated team that pri-
marily addresses the optimisation of water supply to consumers
through the minimisation of water losses, application of appro-
priate technology, revenue improvement and energy efficiency.
The group’s key focus areas of operation are consulting and
operations engineering (essentially the reduction of nonreve-
nue water and stabilising of water supply), product sales and
support, energy efficiency and mentorship. JOAT’s passion and
vision is to ensure that municipalities become as efficient as
possible in delivering water to consumers and has adapted its
approach towards an outcomes-based partnership that has
shared responsibility and accountability. The ultimate objective
of any successful partnership with JOAT is to provide water ser-
vice authorities with an efficient distribution system that they
are fully equipped and trained to continue to operate.
IMIESA October 2014 1
VOLUME 39 NO 10 OCTOBER 2014CONTENTS
45 Government voice – All systems go
65 De Hoop Dam – Building a legacy
National Asphalt, a member of the Raubex Group, is introducing the latest innovations in road maintenance and rehabilitation to the South African market. Recent business developments have positioned the company to offer further advanced solutions to the market. P6
2014 has been a big year for Nyeleti Consulting. Two awards at this year’s CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards; a new branch in KwaZulu-Natal; great projects – and a formidable executive. Stanford Mkhacane, chairperson; Abe Thela, vice-chairperson; Sundran Naicker, director, KwaZulu-Natal office; Vishal Krishandut, officer manager, KwaZulu-Natal office all take a turn…in the Hot seat.
PROJECT: The eThekwini Western Aqueduct 21
Early succes for Esor 25
Partners in infrastructure COVER STORY: Sasol – Building communities 32
COMPANY PROFILE: Quality Services 35
Consulting in the new South Africa 36
HOT SEAT: Nyeleti Consulting – Engineered to excel 38
CESA Aon Awards: Rewarding engineering excellence 41
PROFILE: CESA’s Young Engineer of the Year 44
Government voiceAll systems go 45
SABITAWarm mix asphalt a sustainable technology 48
Water and sanitationTechnical paper: Expanding containment barrier boundaries 54
De Hoop Dam – Building a legacy 65
Progress at Ingula 67
COMPANY PROFILE: Amanzi Meters – David and Goliath 69
Background to pour flush toilets in SA 72
COMPANY PROFILE: Calcamite – Sanitation comes full circle 74
Technical paper: Enhancing Johannesburg WWTW’s sludge digestion 76
COMPANY PROFILE: Aquadam's Muleby Tank System 80
The Jeffreys Bay WWTP upgrade 82
PipesCOMPANY PROFILE: Fiberpipe's corrosion-free GRP 86
SAPPMA Pipes VIII: Hard work & hope 87
COMPANY PROFILE: Sangio Pipe KZN achieves ISO 9001 listing 91
n thhee HOOTT SEATSEEAAT
iin HSSSS
COMPANY PROFILE: Isuzu trucks drive service delivery 93
Safety, health, environment and qualityEngineering for road safety 95
RoadsReconstruction of Putfontein Road 102
RAMS project transfers skills, builds capacity 105
ArchitectureCelebrating award-winning women in architecture 106
Cement and concreteCall to professionalise concrete supplies 115
ProAll Reimer gets to mix with the best 119
SA needs a sustainable construction industry 121
Restoring Margate tidal pool 123
Technology in constructionCOMPANY PROFILE: IMQS – The municipal engineer’s responsibility 127
IT in Africa’s construction industry 128
Turning data into imagery for better decision-making 131
Construction vehicles and equipmentPower leads to economic resilience 136
New home for Metso mobile 139
‘Superfloor’ status for SA’s largest indoor concrete polishing project 141
Transforming the brick-making business 143
IMESA newsNorthern Branch AGM 145
Obituary: Vincent Granger 146
RegularsEditor’s comment 3
President’s comment 5
Africa round-up 26
Index to advertisers 148
Cover story National Asphalt pioneers latest innovations 6
eThekwini COVER STORY: NPC 10
Municipal feature: Cornubia 12
Electron Road waste facility 17
EDITOR’S COMMENT
IMIESA August 2014 3
To our avid readers, check out what we are talking about on our website, Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and have your say.
@infrastructure4 Infrastructure News
PUBLISHER Elizabeth ShortenEDITOR Nicholas McDiarmidEDITORIAL ASSISTANT Danielle PettersonHEAD OF DESIGN Frédérick DantonSENIOR DESIGNER Hayley MendelowDESIGNER Kirsty GallowayCHIEF SUB-EDITOR Tristan SnijdersSUB-EDITOR Beatrix KnopjesCONTRIBUTORS R Bagatsing, L de Villiers Roodt, D Granger, CJ Gundle, P Heyns, PJ Meyer, W Meyer, H Mtemeri, D Petterson, F Stevens & K WallCLIENT SERVICES & PRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh BotmaPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jacqueline ModiseFINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew LobbanMARKETING MANAGER Hestelle RobinsonDIGITAL MANAGER Esther LouwADMINISTRATION Tonya HebentonDISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa MasinaDISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha PursothamSUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected] United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571___________________________________________________
ADVERTISING SALESJenny Miller Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223___________________________________________________
PUBLISHER: MEDIA No. 4, 5th Avenue, Rivonia 2056PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 E-mail: [email protected] www.3smedia.co.za
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: R550.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR.© Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.___________________________________________________
IMESA CONTACTSIMESA Administration Officer: Narisha SoganP O Box 2190, Westville, 3630Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263Fax: +27 (0)31 266 5094Email: [email protected]: www.imesa.org.za
BORDER BRANCHSecretary: Melanie MatroosTel: +27 (0)43 705 2401Fax: +27 (0)43 743 5266E-mail: [email protected]
EAST CAPE BRANCHClarine ColtmanTel: +27 (0)41 505 8019Fax: +27 (0)41 585 3437E-mail: [email protected]
KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCHSecretary: Rita MatthewsTel: +27 (0)31 311 6382Fax: +27 (0)31 701 2935
NORTHERN PROVINCE BRANCHSecretary: Rona FourieTel: +27 (0)82 742 6364Fax: +27 (0)86 634 5644E-mail: [email protected]
SOUTHERN CAPE KAROO BRANCHSecretary: Henrietta OliverTel: +27 (0)79 390 7536Fax: 086 536 3725E-mail: [email protected]
WESTERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Erica van JaarsveldTel: +27 (0)21 938 8455Fax: +27 (0)21 938 8457E-mail: [email protected]
FREE STATE AND NORTHERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Wilma Van Der WaltTel: +27(0)83 457 4362Fax: 086 628 0468E-mail: [email protected]
All material herein IMIESA is copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers.
Cover opportunity In each issue, IMIESA offers advertisers the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the journal. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the cover story and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings contact Jenny Miller on tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223.
Projects
We know that on the municipal infra-
structure side, there are many
obstacles to be overcome in
improving the approval rates and
delivery times of projects. The lack of profession-
als at municipal level, including building inspec-
tors, and centralised decision-making processes
only add to the problem.
The level of input from the private sector into
public infrastructure is on the increase. All across
the country, big industry is contributing to local
government projects in a major way and, in this
edition, we celebrate the work of Sasol in the Free
State and Mpumalanga. The value of such pro-
jects is actually quite hard to measure. As Lucky
Kgatle points out, a footbridge may be a humble
bit of infrastructure, but how do you measure the
eradication of a mile journey on foot every day for
the local residents? Sasol has taken a true value
measure, like this one, in all their interventions
and, for other companies engaged in similar pro-
jects, this kind of approach may be one to follow.
Celebrating eThekwiniThis is the conference edition, and what an edition
it has been. Its sheer size attests to the robust-
ness of an industry that is thriving, despite trying
conditions. I would like to take a moment for us
all to reflect on the sheer determination and com-
mitment of the individuals working in our sector.
I will not deny that I have heard rumblings of
discontent and disappointment over the year, but
this has not stopped development; it has yielded
some interesting solutions, and the ingenuity of
our engineers is as fresh as ever. Let us not let
politics hijack this. Let us truly think about it and
let this energy carry us forward.
One of our top-achieving metros has partnered
with IMESA for this year’s conference. And a
proud partner it is too. The City of eThekwini’s
Department of Water and Sanitation was the recip-
ient of the extraordinarily prestigious Stockholm
Industry Water Award (SIWA) and our president,
Frank Stevens, describes collecting the award as
one of the proudest moments of his career. Make
no mistake; the proof of excellence in our country
is not only confined to this:
• The City of Cape Town is the Design Capital of
the World this year and remains on the Top 5 list
of Best Cities to Live in.
• Two Johannesburg Development Agency Projects
won awards over the last year.
• Five new centres of excellence have been
launched in South Africa this year, committed
to research and development in areas crucial to
economic development and well-being.
• South Africa still leads the world in terms of
corporate reporting.
• The IMESA CESA Excellence Awards have report-
edly attracted the most entries ever and the
standard of entries has never been higher (I am
reliably told).
We are a troubled country, but we are also a group
of robust individuals, and we persist. IMESA as an
institute is becoming increasingly robust, and its
role in improving service delivery, procurement,
skills development and retention, asset manage-
ment and promotion of its members has grown
steadily over the last year.
This edition also celebrates the partners so
crucial to public sector infrastructure develop-
ment and we take our hats off to the consulting
engineers, the contractors, the innovators and the
manufacturers.
Once again, I look forward to seeing you all at
this year’s conference and to celebrating another
year of keeping on…
IMESA
The official magazine of the Institute
of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY•
I S S N 0 2 5 7 1 9 7 8 Vo l u m e 3 9 N o . 8 • A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 • R 5 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l VAT )“Sasol’s needs are being met and so are government’s, so it is a real win-win
situation” Maureen Mboshane, president of public and regulatory affairs, Sasol
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I remember boarding the plane out of Port Elizabeth in October 2013, following the fantastic IMESA conference, as though it were last week. I remember the conversations; the thoughts I was having; the plans for the year to come.
The tightrope of The tightrope of engineering excellenceengineering excellence
Nicholas McDiarmid
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Towards the middle of this year, I was asked to deliver the key note address at the second international No-Dig Conference held at the CSIR Convention Centre in Pretoria.
Frank Stevens, president of IMESA
The importance of utility tunnelling to municipal engineering
IMIESA October 2014 5
THE THEME of the con-
ference was worded as
follows: “Trenchless is
an attractive option for
crossing roadways and other
transportation corridors, as
well as rivers and waterways.
Trenchless methods can also
be applied to install, rehabilitate
or replace utilities located in
environmentally sensitive areas
and locations where surface
access may be restricted due
to the existence of structures or
vegetation. Trenchless technolo-
gies are often the only viable
construction option, the least
disruptive and, in many cases,
the most cost-effective.”
After listening to a number
of international speakers and
benefiting from networking with
many people involved with utility
tunnelling, I once again realised
the importance of tunnelling to
the municipal engineer.
History around municipal tunnelling in South AfricaThe Woodhead Tunnel at
Slangolie Gorge in Cape Town
is one of the earliest recorded
municipal tunnels in South
Africa. Constructed in 1891, it
has a diameter of 1.7 m and
is 360 m long. Its function was
to convey water from Table
Mountain to Camps Bay. Recent
statistics gathered by the South
African National Committee on
Tunnelling suggest that 39% of
South Africa’s 516 tunnels are
related to water and sanitation
service delivery.
eThekwini Water and Sanitation
owns 18 tunnels, which include
the subaqueous harbour
entrance tunnel and the recently
completed Mahatma Ghandi
(Point Road) microtunnel. This
tunnel – which will be featured
in both a paper presentation and
part of a site visit at the 2014
IMESA Conference – conveys
effluent from Durban’s CBD to
its sea outfall via the newly com-
plete Point Road Pump Station
and the Central Wastewater
Treatment Works on the Bluff.
Asset management of tunnelsThrough the activities of its
national training and initia-
tives, IMESA is endeavouring to
emphasise the importance of
the maintenance and replace-
ment of the country’s much-
neglected municipal assets.
Municipal tunnels are probably
the most forgotten assets with
many municipalities spending
little or no money on these often
high-risk components of their
service delivery networks. In
many cases, municipalities do
not know of the position or exist-
ence of all of their tunnels.
The latest tunnelling equipment and methodsUseful information and literature
will be available within the con-
ference exhibition area to assist
municipal engineers and consult-
ants when choosing the most
suitable tunnelling equipment to
meet their needs.
Factors such as geology, tun-
nel diameter and length, ground
water conditions and access
each influence the final decision.
Machine types available include
EPB shields, AVN, Mixshields
and gripper tunnel boring
machines for large-diameter tun-
nels and auger boring machines,
horizontal directional drilling
(HDD) rigs and direct pipe equip-
ment for smaller tunnels.
Examples of two recent chang-
es of technology used interna-
tionally are:
• Pipe bridges have been
replaced by tunnels under
river beds using HDD equip-
ment (eThekwini Water and
Sanitation had a near-crisis
situation earlier this year when
a large water pipe suspen-
sion bridge collapsed into the
Umgeni River as a result of
hanger cables being stolen).
• Sea outfalls are now laid well
below the sea-bed to prevent
damage and they are more
environmentally acceptable
(eThekwini’s 60-year-old sea
outfalls were simply laid on
the seabed and evidence of
erosion due to currents is a
cause for concern).
In conclusionThe use of municipal utility tun-
nelling in South Africa has yet to
reach its full potential. I would
like to close with the following
statement made by the Mayor of
Tshwane, Councillor Ramokgopa,
during his opening speech at the
No-Dig Conference: “While we
must continually be aware of the
need for job-creation opportuni-
ties, we must also realise that
the latest tunnel equipment and
methods will often offer the
better or only solution – it is all
about finding the right balance.”
These sentiments well
echo the theme of the 2014
IMESA Conference.
ABOVE Umgeni River suspension pipe bridge collapse
BELOW Breakthrough of the Mahatma Gandhi Road microtunnel
6 IMIESA October 2014
COVER STORY
SEAN PRETORIUS, managing direc-
tor of National Asphalt, says,
“Having recently acquired a major-
ity shareholding in Shisalanga
Construction, National Asphalt is now in a
unique position to offer further advanced
solutions to this sector.”
This includes hydro texturising, a cost-
ef fective and environmentally sound
solution for repairing flushed bituminous
pavements.
“With this acquisition, National Asphalt is
now able to build on the initial momentum
created by Shisalanga Construction in the
road maintenance and rehabilitation sec-
tor by promoting hydro cutting technology,”
Pretorius adds.
Shisalanga Construction was established
in KwaZulu-Natal in 1998 and recently intro-
duced three high-pressure system hydro
cutters into its equipment fleet. “Keeping up
to date with the latest technology is critical
for the road industry, particularly with the
current focus on the large-scale rehabilita-
tion of the South African road network. This
means looking at the latest surface textur-
ing and rubber, and spillage removal tech-
nology,” Pretorius comments.
The hydro cutter can remove flushed
seals – including bitumen, all asphalts and
concrete – leading to a substantial improve-
ment of the micro and macro texture of the
seal. This results in a safer runway or road
surface, as well as extending the life of the
asset. Once the excess bitumen is removed,
the stone chip matrix remains.
In terms of multiple seal layers, the hydro
cutter dramatically improves seal stability
and reduces the overall bitumen content
ratio by up to 1 ℓ/m2 in a single treatment.
“That is an exciting potential application
for National Asphalt and we are carrying
out demonstrations in the Eastern Cape in
particular. It is new territory for us but is a
major boost for our innovation and technol-
ogy profile,” Pretorius says.
The high-pressure solution restores the
texture and friction of a pavement by means
of high-pressure water blasting. The hydro
cutter combines variable water pressure
with a high-velocity vacuum system to leave
sur faces safe and stable. The vacuum
system allows the machine to control the
pressure at which it cuts. “The vacuum, and
the ability to control the pressure, means
that the texture depth can actually be
determined while the machine is in motion,”
Pretorius says. “It is a major advantage that
the hydro cutter can actually capture and/
or secure all spillages and waste material
for disposal at designated waste sites,”
he adds. Removing excess bitumen and
rubber from the road surface increases
skid resistance, which results in fewer acci-
dents on South Africa’s roads and runways.
The hydro cutter process can be used to
National Asphalt, a member of the Raubex Group, is introducing the latest innovations in road maintenance and rehabilitation to the South African market.
NATIONAL ASPHALT pioneers latest innovations
IMIESA October 2014 7
COVER STORY
clean open-graded asphalt that has been
clogged by debris. Simply changing the
spray bar nozzles, cutting speed and pres-
sure to create a ‘washing’ action will revi-
talise the asphalt by removing all detritus
material. The vacuum system guarantees
that all unwanted material is removed from
the road surface for proper disposal. The
improved porosity of the treated asphalt
layer also reduces the risk of aquaplaning,
limits the road spray generated by vehicles
by as much as 90%, and reduces road noise
factor by 50%.
The hydro cutter from Shisalanga
Construction consists of a truck-mount-
ed, high-pressure water pump and vacuum
recovery system with a 0.75 m to 3.45 m
variable treatment width. The water pres-
sure is variable and can be adjusted to
suit a particular application. It includes
5 000 ℓ and 10 m3 wastewater storage.
“Water energy is focused in fine streams at
high speed via five rapidly rotating blasting
heads. The water streams physically cut
the binder from the stone with the energy
of each ‘needle’ of water dissipated upon
contact,” Pretorius says. The environmental
friendliness of the technology is due to
the fact it uses water only as opposed to
non-renewable resources such as sealing
aggregates and bitumen, and is safer than
other forms of remediation.
The use of hydro texturising to remediate
flushed bituminous pavements has been
pioneered in Australia and New Zealand, in
addition to Europe and the United States,
with no appreciable reduction in the struc-
tural life of the road surface being noted.
Every year, about 2.2 million m2 of hydro
texturising is carried out by the Australian
and New Zealand road authorities. This
indicates that such leading road authorities
have moved away from traditional forms of
remediation, with South Africa expected to
follow suit as Sanral seeks to introduce the
latest technology to assist with the rehabili-
tation of local roads and runways.
“Technologies are advancing in leaps and
bounds for those involved in the asphalt
pavement industry. Recent developments
and advances with regard to the use of
modified binders, hard bitumen and the like
are affording practitioners such as National
Asphalt the opportunity to utilise its skills
to push the envelope of pavement design,”
says Pretorius. An increasingly important
requirement for road owners is the availabil-
ity of pavement technologies that will limit
interventions on heavily trafficked routes,
thereby reducing disruptions due to conges-
tion and minimising road-user delay costs.
“The technologies available in the inter-
national market for us to piggyback on are
quite huge. Obviously the European, US and
Australian markets are becoming increas-
ingly environmentally conscious as they
strive to comply with increasingly stringent
environmental concerns,” Pretorius says.
National Asphalt’s strides in this arena
include reclaimed asphalt (RA) technol-
ogy, based on successful warm-mix tri-
als conducted in the eThekwini region in
KwaZulu-Natal, where 40% RA was used in
a number of trial mixes. “We have carried
out a lot of development work in the eThek-
wini Metropolitan Municipality, which has
been very supportive of new technologies.
SANRAL has also been watching this very
closely in its drive to spearhead innovation.”
While there are many benefits to introduc-
ing RA, the main advantage is the ability to
recycle an existing pavement layer which
comprises a mix with an inherently good
aggregate and a certain proportion of bitu-
men. National Asphalt has also developed a
unique dual-purpose environmentally friendly
additive manufactured from renewable raw
materials. Termed EcoNat, it can be used in
the manufacture of warm and low tempera-
ture and cold asphalt mixes. In addition, its
use as a powerful asphaltene dispersant
means it is ideal for the manufacture of RA
mixes where it rejuvenates the properties of
age hardened bitumen.
National Asphalt has a number of licence
agreements in place with leading technology
developers in the US. “We always try to
secure new technologies upfront to main-
tain our competitive edge in the market,”
Pretorius says. An example of this is the
acquisition of a majority shareholding in
Shisalanga Construction and spearhead-
ing the adoption of the latest innovations
such as hydro texturising. “National Asphalt
continues to invest significant funds on
the technical and technology side and in
ongoing skills development and expertise,”
Pretorius concludes.
www.nationalasphalt.co.zawww.shisalanga.com
IMIESA offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Companies are afforded the opportunity of publishing a two-page cover story and a cover picture to promote their products to an appropriate audience. Please call Jenny Miller on +27 (0)11 467 6223 to secure your booking.
“Technologies are advancing in leaps and bounds for those involved in the asphalt pavement industry.”
SPECIALISING IN:Water and sewerage reticulation
Bulk transfer pipelines
Reinforced concrete structures
Shoring of excavations
Industrial buildings
Enterprise development
P.O. Box 374, Mount Edgecombe, 4300 67 Siphosethu Rd, Mount Edgecombe 4302Tel: 087 350 1400 Fax: 031 502 5433 Email: [email protected] www.iconconstruction.co.za
ETHEKWINI PROJECTS OVERVIEW
ELECTRON ROAD WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY
THE WESTERN AQUEDUCT
NPCA MEMBER OF INTERCEMENT
Partnering to solve SA’s housing needs
TILT UP SYSTEMS
IMIESA October 2014 9
10 IMIESA October 2014
ETHEKWINI | COVER STORY
NPC IS THE ONLY cement, aggre-
gate and concrete producer in
KwaZulu-Natal, and is heavily
invested in the well-being of the
communities in which it operates. Tilt Up
Systems is a KwaZulu-Natal based company
that was formed in 1999 and has developed
into the leading tilt up contracting service in
South Africa, providing full forming, casting
and erecting services
The concept of tilt-up construction has
been introduced to the Department of
Human Settlements and has created a great
deal of interest as an alternative building
method for affordable housing in South
Africa, which is urgently needed.
Tilt-up technology is a method of cast-
ing reinforced concrete wall panels on a
restricted surface area. The wall panels are
cast on the floor slab of the building in a
predetermined sequence. After the concrete
has cured, the walls are then lifted into posi-
tion and braced until all are secured. This
method allows for the speedy construction of
affordable, durable and high-quality housing.
Tilt-up technology
Tilt-up technology has evolved to address
weaknesses in traditional construction meth-
ods. The method is fast gaining acceptance
across South Africa and is destined to
become the construction method of choice
for low-rise projects. The NPC-Tilt Up system
delivers a high-quality product within tight
time and monetary constraints. Because
wall panels are pre-manufactured, construc-
tion is quick and cost-effective. It offers
numerous other benefits including:
• a high-quality finish
• a hardwearing/durable end product
• an efficient utilisation of available
labour resources
• an economical building method
• reliable quality control
• reduced shrinkage during the
building phase.
NPC and Tilt Up Systems believe that this
concept has exciting potential to help solve
South Africa’s housing needs.
The advantages of tilt-up technologyTilt-up construction remains somewhat
overlooked as a construction alternative,
despite its impressive advantages and range
of utility; including its malleability in accom-
modating specific applications.
Tilt-up construction is a technique that
maximises many of the unique and sustain-
able benefits of concrete for a cost-effective
and efficient construction method. Elements
that are to be tilted up are formed on a con-
crete slab – usually the building floor – but
sometimes a temporary concrete casting
surface near the building footprint.
After the concrete has cured, the ele-
ments are tilted from horizontal to vertical
with a crane and braced into position until
the remaining building structural compo-
nents (roofs, intermediate floors and walls)
are secured.
By forming the concrete elements on the
ground as opposed to the final position, tilt-
up provides a convenient construction meth-
od saving time, man-hours and formwork.
Conventional tilt-up panels are structural
elements within a building that span from
base to roof diaphragm, acting as beams
and capable of carrying roof and slab loads.
KwaZulu-Natal partners for tilt-up innovationTogether, NPC – a member of InterCement – and Tilt Up Systems have developed a tilt-up construction solution for a patented affordable housing system that is set to transform low-income housing development in South Africa.
LEFT Lifting tilt-up panels
BELOW Temporary concrete casting surface
RIGHT Precast elements combine the building facade, structure and final finish
IMIESA October 2014 11
ETHEKWINI | COVER STORY
They combine the building facade, structure
and final finish in one operation.
Panels are set out in accordance with
a predetermined casting layout drawing.
Ideally, panels are cast on the surface bed
of the project or on final concrete hardstand
areas around the building. Tilt Up Systems
provided the famous roadside panels along
the N2 highway in KwaZulu-Natal.
Ngcwayi Housing ProjectThe first project to make use of tilt-up tech-
nology was the 48-unit Ngcwayi Housing
Project at Port Shepstone.
NPC and Tilt Up Systems commenced
work on the Ngcawyi Housing Project in June
2011. At a cost of around R8.9 million,
the project set out to build 48 houses for
the Ngcawyi community using the NHBRC-
approved NPC-Tilt Up system.
The community of Ngcwayi was select-
ed following comprehensive consultation
with stakeholders, such as the Ezinqoleni
Municipality, regarding their inability to
access basic services due to their location.
The municipality indicated that it would
be difficult and costly to bring services to
the community because of the location of
the area. It was therefore decided, together
with the relevant traditional authorities, that
new land should be provided for the com-
munity. NPC and Tilt Up Systems then
committed to building good-quality houses
in an area where there will be adequate
access to basic services as well as other
necessary amenities.
Located at Murchinson in an area called
Newtown, the project enables the community
of Ngcwayi to acquire proper housing and
have access to the basic services provided
by the municipality.
Community, social and labour developmentNPC CIMPOR By the end of the project, the companies
developed and trained 60 local community
members in the building system. For NPC
the benefit lies in implementing their SLP
project and being compliant with the relevant
mining legislation as well as offering the
opportunity to strengthen the good relations
the company enjoys with these important
stakeholder communities.
The first set of houses was handed over to
families in December 2012 by the Minister
of Mineral Resources, Susan Shabangu.
The remaining houses were handed over
in April 2013. The company hopes that the
innovative concept will gain acceptance by
the Department of Human Settlements and
its partners so that it can be used on other
projects in the country.
As NPC managing director, Piet Strauss
said at the time: “As a company, we strive
for sustainability. We must not only be profit-
able, but must also contribute to environ-
mental improvement and the communities
in which we operate. Since 1964, we have
been the only cement producer in KwaZulu-
Natal, and now also produce aggregate and
concrete. By being present here, we provide
employment and also long-term local busi-
ness opportunities. We trust that communi-
ties and business in this province continue
to support each other.”
Tilt Up SystemsTilt Up Systems initially operated as a spe-
cialist supplier and consultant, promoting
and facilitating the use of tilt-up construc-
tion. By 2003, the company was providing
a full-service subcontracting service that
included forming, casting and erecting tilt-
up panels countrywide. In 2008, Tilt Up
Systems moved into the precast market and
has, to date, successfully completed more
than 121 contracts, including:
• 40 000 m2 industrial projects
• 125 000 m2 retail project developments
• numerous award-winning projects,
hallmarked by innovative tilt-up
construction techniques.
Charles van Eck, owner and managing direc-
tor of Tilt Up Systems, started his career
in 1985, working as a specialist in a tilt-up
division.
His 25 years specialising in tilt up con-
struction have led to national recognition
as one of the foremost experts in this
construction technique. This recognition has
extended beyond South Africa’s borders:
in 2006, Van Eck was recognised by the
American Tilt Up Concrete Association when
he was awarded the Tilt Up Contractor of the
Year award.
Van Eck’s work with NPC on the patented
housing system reflects a passion for social
upliftment and housing development. “From
a commercial perspective, I see our key
opportunities in the retail, industrial and
commercial sectors, and our success in
these areas has led to our ability to devote
resources to research and development, in
partnership with NPC-CIMPOR, to this hous-
ing technology.”
The range of Tilt Up Systems projects is
extremely impressive, from large stadiums
to highly visible retail projects, such as the
Gateway Shopping Centre, the Sibaya Casino
and even Walter Sisulu Square.
Tilt Up Systems
t +27 (0)31 765 4104
c +27 (0)82 331 5864
NPC – a member of InterCement
t +27 (0)31 450 4411
Tilt Up Systems’ award-winning feature panel on the road to King Shaka airport, KwaZulu-Natal
THE TILT-UP PROCESS • Perimeter formwork• Apply bond breaker • Fix reinforcing• Position and secure• Lift and brace inserts• Cast and float panel• Cure• Erect and temporarily brace• Connect into unified structure
12 IMIESA October 2014
ETHEKWINI | MUNICIPAL FEATURE
The R25 billion Cornubia Housing
Project in Durban was officially
opened by President Jacob Zuma
in April this year. Spanning over
20 years, the project is the province’s
and eThekwini’s first Cabinet lekgotla
priority project.
Cornubia is a joint-venture dev elop-
ment between the National Department
of Human Settlements, the KwaZulu-
Natal Department of Human Settlements,
eThekwini Municipality and Tongaat Hulett
Development, and is set to be eThekwini’s
largest sustainable and integrated human
settlement initiative.
Once completed in 2030, the 1 200 ha
property will consist of 84 000 housing
units, of which 15 000 will be low-cost
homes. It will house 2 million m2
of commercial space and an 80
ha industrial development.
The construction phase will
create up to 15 000 new jobs,
while the completed develop-
ment will create space for about
48 000 permanent retail and
industrial jobs. Residents will
contribute approximately R300
million in rates to the eThekwini
coffers and a further R2.1 bil-
lion in VAT receipts for the
national fiscus.
Development principleThe housing project is being developed
in accordance with the principles of the
Breaking New Ground (BNG) policy to pro-
mote the achievement of a non-racial, inte-
grated society through the development of
sustainable, integrated human settlements
with associated economic opportunities
for citizens.
The BNG’s strategic focus includes ensur-
ing the delivery of affordable housing in
sustainable and habitable settlements. Its
strategic priorities are to accelerate hous-
ing delivery; improve the quality of hous-
ing products and environments to ensure
asset creation; restructure and integrate
human settlements.
The project is an integrated human set-
tlement which aims to effectively eradicate
a significant number of the informal settle-
ments across the municipality. The house-
holds earmarked for relocation to Cornubia
are selected on predefined criteria that
KEY FOCUS AREAS OF BNG:• accelerating housing delivery as a key strategy
for poverty alleviation• using housing provision as a major job
creation strategy• ensuring that property can be accessed
by all as an asset for wealth creation and empowerment
• leveraging growth in the economy, combating crime and promoting social cohesion
• using housing as an instrument for the development of sustainable human settlements in support of spatial restructuring.
Building a new cityCornubia, a mixed-use and -income development, is altering the Umhlanga skyline and becoming a major industrial area. Danielle Pettersen explores this innovative project.
IMIESA October 2014 13
ETHEKWINI | MUNICIPAL FEATURE
include: people residing in river floodplains,
unstable land, in the way of current and
medium-term development, child-headed
households, disabled persons, women-
headed households, aged persons, the
eradication of complete settlements among
other criteria as approved by the municipal-
ity and province.
More than just housingThe Cornubia development is expected to
contribute to the integration of the city and
seeks to end the legacy of spatial and eco-
nomic imbalances of historical planning by
bringing communities close to job opportu-
nities, social amenities, major services and
public transport. It embraces all aspects of
human settlements and the natural, social
and economic environments.
According to former Human Settlements
Minister Connie September, the depart-
ment has shifted its focus from housing to
human settlements.
A key principle behind Cornubia is the
integration of different income levels and
a mix of freehold and rental housing. In
line with international design concepts,
provision has also been made for social
infrastructure. “The planning was driven
around the need for accessibility, so all
facilities – schools, health and other social
infrastructure – will be within a five-minute
walk,” explains Karen Petersen, the human
settlement executive at Tongaat Hulett.
According to Petersen, Cornubia puts
an end to the stereo-
type that social housing
is simply about putting
a roof over someone’s
head. The communal spaces are
designed to encourage social inter-
action and create a sense of owner-
ship and commitment to commu-
nity. “There is a real social implica-
tion of poorly designed housing.
If you don’t create places where
people are proud to live, then you’re
just reinforcing the idea that neither
the building nor the tenant is worth
the effort.”
Building connectionsThe development is strategically
located between the historically
disadvantaged areas of Phoenix,
Ottawa and Waterloo and newer
areas of Mt Edgecombe and
Umhlanga, and has been planned
to integrate these very different and
disparate communities in a manner
that adds value and enhances linkages and
opportunities to all.
Two bus rapid transit (BRT) routes are
expected to link Cornubia, Umhlanga and
the nearby township of Phoenix. The BRT
routes will also link the area to the Dube
Tradeport and King Shaka International
Airport approximately 7 km north.
A multinodal transport interchange for
taxis and buses has been planned and the
general approach is to make all facilities
accessible to both pedestrians and vehi-
cles. Upwards of R100 million has already
been spent on building linking roads.
“For the City of eThekwini, Cornubia is
set to be a catalyst project that will unlock
development in the northern corridor linking
to King Shaka International Airport and the
Dube Tradeport. It is
encouraging that the
adjacent industrial
sites that will provide
job opportunities for
the local community
are being taken up
by the private sec-
tor,” says Mayor Cllr
James Nxumalo.
Progress The first phase of
482 housing units
is already completed
and the first group
of beneficiaries took
occupancy of their
ONCE COMPLETE, CORNUBIA WILL HOUSE:• 28 000 housing units (15 000 low cost)• 2 million m2 of commercial space • 80 ha of industrial development• schools, clinics and amenities such as
public transport • environmentally friendly and eco-sensitive
industrial and business parks• two BRT routes.
units in November and December 2013.
Interim retail facilities have been provided
to meet residents’ daily needs, includ-
ing arrangements to transport scholars to
neighbouring schools.
Construction on Phase 1B commenced in
November 2013 and is on track to be com-
pleted by April 2015. Phase 1B will see 13
main contractors delivering fully serviced
houses at a cost of R533 million.
Approximately 1 000 affordable hous-
ing units will be developed in the area
around Marshall Dam adjacent to Phase
1B, over a period of two to three years,
from 2016. This will be private sector and
market driven.
On the periphery of Phase 2 is the exist-
ing informal settlement of Blackburn. The
plan is to integrate this existing settlement
into Phase 2. However this is to be under-
taken separately due to the land procure-
ment process not being finalised and a
separate EIA to be conducted.
The industrial precinct is expected to be
completed by 2018. Mass earthworks are
already under way on the retail park and
building construction will commence in
June 2015.
Tongaat Hulett is also in the process of
positioning and branding another 70 ha
gross area adjacent to the retail park as an
affordable lifestyle estate making provision
for approximately 3 500 affordable and
middle-income housing units. It is antici-
pated that construction will commence
in 2018.
OVERALL BULK SERVICESThe total bulk anticipated for the overall development is 3.7 million/m2 split as follows:• 1.7 million m2 residential (46%)• 1.2 million m2 commercial (32%)• 0.8 million m2 light industrial (22%).
14 IMIESA October 2014
THE ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY in
KwaZulu-Natal will be the first of
many public sector entities that
will benefit from a new Smart City
mobile application.
This app is designed to integrate a range
of services offered by the municipality. It is
a responsive service delivery tool designed
to enable municipalities to interact with
their customers in real time. This not only
saves the customers from having to queue
at service points, but also allows speedy
resolution and communication of cases.
In this way, it can serve as the ultimate
customer participation and customer rela-
tions tool for municipalities of all sizes.
This revolutionary app was launched at
the Mobile Government Summit, a national
initiative to advance the use of mobile
technology at national, provincial and local
government level.
Integrated Service Management solutionAsked to position the Smart City app in this
broader service delivery context, DynaTech
CEO Ntokozo Xaba explains that the Smart
City app is only one part of the company’s
broader Integrated Service Management
(iSM) e-government solution.
“Overall, the iSM solution covers mobil-
ity, big data, the cloud and the Internet
of things – what Gartner refers to as the
nexus of forces – using very advanced
software for managing service delivery
issues. This means that eThekwini will be
the first municipality to benefit from this
technology, which I believe will transform
service delivery in the public sector, provid-
ing a truly 21st century approach to this
vexing issue.”
It is clear that the move from outdated,
paper-based systems into e-government
solutions needs to occur sooner, rather
than later. Gathering together public sector
thought leaders at the Mobile Government
Summit and launching new apps like Smart
City are vital steps on the path to enabling
municipalities and other government enti-
ties to not only keep up with, but get ahead
of the current service delivery backlog.
Smart City app to reinvigorate service delivery
ETHEKWINI
IMIESA October 2014 15
ETHEKWINI WATER and Sanitation
received the Stockholm Industry
Water Award at a ceremony dur-
ing World Water Week, for its trans-
formative and inclusive approach to provid-
ing water and sanitation.
“I stand here today as part of a team of
dedicated professionals who have worked
with me over the past 22 years. It is a tre-
mendous honour for all of us in Durban,”
said Neil Macleod of eThekwini Water and
Sanitation on receiving the prize.
In his acceptance speech, Macleod under-
lined the role policy has had in the success
of eThekwini Water and Sanitation. “If the
politicians had not dared to take bold deci-
sions, we would not have been able to do
what we did. You need an enabling environ-
ment,” he said.
Most progressive water utility in AfricaeThekwini has been called the most progres-
sive water utility in Africa by the Stockholm
Industry Water Award (SIWA) jury. “eThek-
wini has championed the approach to pro-
vide sufficient water to sustain human
life, as expressed in the South African
Constitution, now embedded in national pol-
icy. The methods used and results achieved
by eThekwini Water and Sanitation serve
as a sterling example for the many com-
munities worldwide facing similar challeng-
es,” stated the SIWA jury in its citation.
In the past 14 years, an additional 1.3 million
ETHEKWINI
Most progressive water utility in Africa
people in greater Durban have been con-
nected to piped water and 700 000 people
have been provided with access to toilets.
Access to basic water supply and sanita-
tion is provided at no cost to poor families,
while higher levels of service and consump-
tion are charged at full cost, thus respecting
the constitutional right to water while main-
taining financial sustainability.
At the forefront of innovationIn addition to successfully providing basic
services to a large and diverse popula-
tion, eThekwini Water and Sanitation is
at the forefront of exploring technical and
social solutions.
One example is a mini hydropower project.
Instead of using pressure-reducing valves
in pipes running down steep hillsides, the
company is installing mini turbines using
the excess pressure to generate electricity
for the city’s low-tension grid. The eThek-
wini municipality is also pioneering solutions
to convert urban wastewater challenges
to agricultural opportunities, as well as
harvesting rainwater.
The combined result is one of the most
progressive utilities in the world. The open
approach to experimenting and piloting new
solutions across both technical and social
aspects of service delivery has made eThek-
wini a forerunner in the world of utility-
run services.
ABOVE Neil Macleod of eThekwini Water and Sanitation and Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane accept the Stockholm Industry Water AwardPhoto credit: Cecilia Östberg, Exray
ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY, in partnership with the Small
Enterprise Development Agency, launched the construction
incubator centre as part of the city’s plans to promote local
economic development and investments in the townships
and rural areas.
The centre was donated by the local church to the residents of
Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu to develop their skills in order to
improve the quality of their lives.
Mayor Cllr James Nxumalo says the municipality decided to work with
the community to convert the structure into a construction incubator
and training centre. This idea comes after a number of infrastruc-
tural development activities were taking place in the region and most
emerging contractors were not benefiting due to inadequate skills.
Nxumalo says the primary aim was to assist emerging contractors in
these areas in sharpening their skills so that they will be able to grow
their businesses in an innovative and cost-effective way.
“The construction sector makes a vital contribution to the com-
petitiveness and prosperity of the economy. For the country to drive
economic development, it is dependent on the performance of infra-
structure. In this case investors will consider the quality of the infra-
structure as one of the key factors when considering investments,”
says Nxumalo.
Philip Sithole, head of business support, tourism and markets, says
the launch of this construction incubator will play a central role in the
city’s drive to promote sustainable growth.
“That is why it is vital that we invest in the right people with the right
skills, to ensure that this sector continues to positively play a mean-
ingful role in our day-to-day lives. This programme will not only benefit
the contractors but will contribute through its job-generating ability to
local people,” says Sithole.
Construction incubator develops skills
THE COLLECTION and transporta-
tion of waste costs South Africa
over half-a-billion rand every year.
The Electron Road Waste
Management Facility is one of the first large-
scale greenfield waste management facili-
ties in South Africa that includes a refuse
transfer station (RTS). The site is located
north of central Durban, near the Umgeni
River, just south of Umgeni Road and east
of the N2 national road.
A key focus of the facility is to move waste
management towards a more sustainable
municipal service – one that meets new
national waste regulatory requirements,
reduces waste transportation costs, pro-
vides employment opportunities, allows
waste to be effectively diverted from land-
fill and enhances the beneficial recycling
of waste.
At present, most of the waste in Durban
city is disposed of at the Bisasar Road
landfill site in Springfield Park, but this site
is reaching full capacity. When capacity
is reached, waste collection vehicles will
have to travel to the Buffelsdraai landfill
site approximately 33 km away – more than
double the distance of 15 km, which is con-
sidered an economical travelling distance
for collection vehicles.
These prohibitive transport costs have
made the provision of a WTS financially
prudent, particularly since the Electron Road
Electron Road Waste Management FacilityThe R135 million Electron Road Waste Management Facility won first prize for technical excellence at the SAICE Durban Branch Awards 2014 as well as a commendation at the 2014 CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards.
16 IMIESA October 2014
ETHEKWINI
IMIESA October 2014 17
ETHEKWINI
site is less than 1 km from the Bisasar Road
site. The reduced transportation will also
reduce fuel consumption and wear and tear
on road systems, with an overall reduction
of carbon emissions, by implementing this
more efficient transport system.
The Electron Road transfer station has
been designed to transfer 1 200 tonnes
each day. This equates to an entire foot-
ball field covered 1 m deep in waste
that needs to be handled, managed and
transferred daily.
It is able to receive waste from local
household waste collection vehicles and
compact this waste into specially designed
containers. Each container load is at least
twice as big as the load carried by a local
waste collection vehicle. These containers
are then taken by lower-maintenance long-
haul vehicles to landfill. That means, one
single load by a vehicle with lower running
costs replaces what would have been trips
by at least four other higher-cost vehicles
on the roads.
The project teamThe Jeffares & Green team, as lead consult-
ant, undertook the project management,
civil, structural, roads and transportation
designs along with site supervision and
contract management duties. GJA and Allan
Cunninghame were responsible for the elec-
trical, electronic and mechanical duties.
Specialist mechanical-plant consultant
ConsulTech was also involved. There were
many other consultants involved, including
surveyors, architects, a landscape archi-
tect, groundwater specialists and geotechni-
cal scientists, among others.
The construction was undertaken by
Aveng Grinaker LTA. Akura supplied and
installed the specialised mechanical plant
as a subcontractor.
Overview of the facility
Innovation, originality• Design elements were adopted from
a facility in Hong Kong and made to
suit the South African environment and
labour situation.
• It sees the first-time use of the modern-
day Husmann compaction equipment and
related side-pushers. These specialised
German units were brought in through a
South African supplier and also installed
by a local company. This is an interna-
tional skill-transfer for South Africa.
• By introducing side-pushers to the facil-
ity, the processing speed of the facility
is massively enhanced and allows for its
optimal use.
• A focal point of the project is the ± 100 m
x 55 m x 18 m refuse transfer station
SCALE OF THE FACILITY• Over 5 000 m3 of concrete• Over 24 000 m2 of formwork• 500 tonnes of steel• 13 000 m2 of brickwork 6 100 m2 of
roof covering• 5 km of trenching and pipework• 17 000 Terraforce blocks• 10 500 m2 of concrete surface• 11 100 m2 of brick surfacing
LEFT Electron Road Waste Management Facility
ABOVE Compaction hall beneath tipping hall floor with Husmann compactors and the underside of the chutes on the right
BELOW Final weighbridge structure and recording station with truck approaching for control weighing and billing
18 IMIESA October 2014
ETHEKWINI
structure designed by the Jeffares &
Green Cape Town Structures section. The
majority of the facility has no internal sup-
ports, allowing for the free movement of
vehicles, quicker movements and turna-
round times, and greater efficiency. The
ceiling also required a clearance height
of 7.5 m.
• A special stormwater treatment pro-
cess was designed using the newly for-
mulated sustainable drainage system.
Provincial government is now starting
to recognise the new effective natural
process for the treatment of potentially
polluted stormwater.
• A new type of loading magazine that
handles the roll-on, roll-off reinforced steel
containers was designed and constructed.
These magazines also allow live weighing,
so the operator of the facility can imme-
diately ascertain whether the containers
have been optimally filled for transporting.
• The design of the building maximised
natural light and natural air flow.
• Special attention was paid to pollution pre-
vention. The site now consists of a num-
ber of silt/sand traps, oil traps and litter
traps. This was done to allow key pollution
prevention actions such as the capture
of oils, litter, silt/sand and to lower the
chemical oxygen demand of the effluent.
• Specialised control booths were installed
for optimal control of the facility.
Greening initiatives• All external lights on daylight switches
• Maximised use of daylight on apron floor
• Stepped lighting inside the RTS building
• Localised control of air conditioning
• Motion sensors on lights in offices/store
• Recycled rubble used for fill where possible
• Litter and silt traps in catch pits
• Rainwater harvesting to wash bays and for
floor washing
• Low-flush toilets/hold flush
• Low-flow showerheads.
The design of the entire facility needed clear
modelling of traffic movements, capacities
and the structures themselves. This was
accomplished by Jeffares & Green undertak-
ing 3D modelling.
Budget• The contract was completed with over R5 mil-
lion in savings against the tendered amount.
• The tendered amount (due to clear, con-
cise documentation and detailed draw-
ings) allowed the pricing to be over R30
million less than the estimated amount.
• All tenders were within approximately 7%
of each other.
Managerial vision and competence• The project involved many years of inten-
sive option analysis to optimise such
a facility. The project involved a wide
range of expertise including mechanical,
electrical, civil and structural engineer-
ing, as well as industrial architecture,
polluted water treatment, greening initia-
tives, etc., all of which required close and
efficient coordination.
• The financial management of the project
led to a significant cost saving on the ten-
dered civil and mechanical components
of the works.
Construction methods• The geotechnical conditions on-site were
less suitable than other sites, and unique
piling methods and systems had to
be adopted.
• Tilt-up wall panels were used – a first on
this scale – which also allowed for a face-
brick finish, requiring special moulds and
casting techniques on-site. A great deal
of the preparatory work could be done in
parallel to other works on-site, and moulds
allowed for easier, efficient quality control.
This also prevented the need for very high
scaffolding and high-risk bricklaying.
• Over 33 specialist subcontractors were
used to ensure high-quality installation
and, with their experience, ensure correct
product choices were made.
• The contract achieved over 15% for its con-
tract participation goal, which to amounts
to over R19 million spent on empower-
ment. This was over the required target.
• The construction contract involved a budg-
et for the training and upliftment of local
residents and local labour.
• Over R73 000 was spent on direct, dedi-
cated training of less-skilled workers to
enable better employment opportunities
in the future.
• The other benefit of this facility was
employment creation. A range of new jobs
will be created. The design of the facility
was to emphasise manual-labour control
rather than automated/mechanised con-
trol, where possible and logical.
FIGURE 2: 3D model of RTS tipping hall floor, offices, ramp up to the floor, exit ramp, etc.
FIGURE 1: 3D model of the entire facility. The roofing layout allows natural lighting and ventilation
Roll-on, roll-off vehicles for moving containers full of waste or material for beneficial use
IMIESA October 2014 19
Combining time-honoured engineering with
cutting-edge solutions
J&G is proud of its award winning projects
Kraaifontein Integrated Waste Management Facility
Winner of the 2012 National SAICE Award for
Technical Excellence
Electron Road Integrated Waste Management Facility
Winner of the 2014 Durban Branch SAICE Award for
Technical Excellence
ContactsW Cape: Richard Emery on 021 532 0940 or [email protected]
Gauteng: Stuart Gower-Jackson on 011 807 0660 or
KZN: Colin Scott on 033 343 6700 or [email protected]
E Cape: Richard Fyvie on 041 363 1900 or [email protected]
www.jgi.co.za
ETHEKWINI
Aesthetics• The building was oriented and designed to suite local styles.
• Special colour coding was adopted to corporate needs.
• Modern-day colour blending was used to lessen the impact of the
scale of the structure.
Quality of Engineering• Up to this point, over 25 000 hours of professional design
and site work went into completing the facility. Over 402 000
man-hours were spent to construct the facility. The contract
was geared towards labour-intensive construction methods,
to allow for experience gains by the workforce and optimal
employment opportunities.
• Design was done in compliance with current legislation and
building codes.
Complexity• Waste in itself is not consistent in nature. It is not consistent
in character (moisture content, free liquids, bulk-mass items,
level of organic waste, and amount of packaging waste) and a
system was required to be able to process the varying character
of the waste.
• Pollution control, in detail, is required. This includes liquids
squeezed or escaping from the waste mass to special collection
pits in the floors, or drainage from the compactor units.
• The height of the building and the timeframes required special
construction techniques.
• The entire operation of this facility is dependent on data, records
and billing systems. This key control is done using special
weighbridges of a particular length and width, with specialised
drainage pits beneath (to control run-off of polluted stormwater).
This data system, combined with data from the compaction units,
provides critical information.
Environmental• A lengthy environmental EIR/BA process was followed over many
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being issued.
• Some similar sites in South Africa are still busy with their envi-
ronmental processes after 12 years, far from even commencing
the construction stage.
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IMIESA October 2014 19
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IMIESA October 2014 21
ETHEKWINI | PROJECT
THE ETHEKWINI Western Aqueduct
is set to add further capacity of
400 megalitres of water per day to
the 1.1 million megalitres of water
currently consumed per day by the city. This
project comprises approximately 73 km of
welded steel pipelines in diameters ranging
from 1.6 m to 0.5 m, which will be laid along
existing pipeline servitudes. The pipeline
route will run along existing municipal roads
through the eThekwini region from Umlaas
Road terminating at Ntuzuma, Pinetown and
Tshelimnyama, eventually branching off to
the Northern Aqueduct.
Planned over seven phases, Esor Civils was
awarded the contract for Phase Three and
Five and began work on the project in January
this year. Stephen Cahi, with a background in
both road building and pipelines, is the pro-
ject manager and acted as tour guide.
As this is a 25 km stretch of the pipeline,
work has commenced at three fronts in Kloof,
KwaDabeka and Ntuzuma.
Project scopeThe project is labour intensive and is
scheduled to employ 250 labourers during
peak activity times. It is comprised of the
earthworks, trenching, laying of the pipe-
line and welding and the road layer works,
with the pipeline lying beneath the road.
It follows a standard back-to-fill operation.
“The scope of both phases is to lay the
pipeline and do the roadworks for a stretch
The eThekwini Western Aqueduct
The Western Aqueduct is the single largest water infrastructure project ever undertaken by eThekwini City Council, with an estimated value exceeding R800 million. Nicholas McDiarmid, generously hosted by Esor Pipelines, a division of Esor Construction (Pty) Ltd, visited sections of the project and was suitably awed.
22 IMIESA October 2014
ETHEKWINI | PROJECT
of 25 km, approximately equally divided.
Phase One and Two runs from Inchanga to
the Ashleigh Pressure Tank in Hillcrest. From
the Ashleigh Pressure Tank, the pipe line
will extend to the NR5 reservoir in Ntuzuma.
There is about 6 km of road to rehabilitate
and re-align, which is a complete cut-to-fill
operation. We are also digging a new service
trench for the electricity and communications
lines,” explains Cahi. “The new pipeline runs
in new alignment; so we have to do the basic
earthworks first, followed by the trenching and
pipe-laying and finally the road layer works.”
The pipeline itself runs three meters
beneath the road to the invert of the pipe
and about one and a half meters to the crown
of the pipe.
The Western Aqueduct itself originates at
the Midmar Dam and terminates near Ballito.
This phase of the project joins with sectors
one and two, which runs from Inchanga all
the way through to the break pressure tank at
Hillcrest, which is where this phase picks up,
from where it runs to the NR5 reservoir. The
pipeline then branches off to the Northern
Aqueduct where Esor is involved in two further
phases of the Northern Aqueduct. As this is
a brand new pipeline and not an upgrade of
the existing one, no diversions are required.
Pipes and equipmenteThekwini issued all the materials including
the pipes and valves. Welded steel pipes
were supplied by Hall Longmore and vary in
grade from X42 through to X65, with diam-
eters of between 1 and 1.4 m.
While Esor has its own equipment, the
company is also renting equipment and
vehicles from a number of sources, due to
the number of sites involved. This include 30
tonne excavators, pay loaders, side-booms
(for laying the pipe), 30 tonne and 50 tonne
cranes, horse and trailers to move the pipes,
graders and rollers.
“We all have our favourites: I favour
Caterpillar; our contracts manager favours
Komatsu and our site agents prefers Hitachi,
so we have all three on site,” jokes Cahi.
When it comes to trenching, Cahi would like
to see a day when most projects can be done
trenchlessly. “Imagine being able to do a no-
trench through the road. The big challenge
is getting large-sized pipes in trenchlessly.
To jack a pipe of the size we are using 150
m into the ground, you are looking at 500 kg
per running meter! This is a massive weight
– achievable, but very expensive.”
Specification and designAll the specifications came off design
from the engineers – the Western Aqueduct
Consultants Joint Venture – which is com-
prised of Knight Piesold, Royal HaskoningDHV
and Naidu Consulting. The design documents
specify all aspects of the pipeline design,
including size and route of the trenches,
depth of trenches, bedding materials and
trench fill materials.
Decomposed granite is being used for bed-
ding the pipeline in the trench, as it meets
all the requirements. The environment itself
is very stable with little to no seismic activ-
ity. The geotechnical reports do suggest that
some areas along a railway line might be
given to some instability but ultimately this
could only be dealt with once the work begins
at those spots and any tension cracks are
revealed. “As you dig, you see cracks form-
ing and if they appear to be large enough to
be unsafe, then shoring will be put in place,”
says Cahi. Shoring is done either through
sheet piling or driving wedges and beams
with timber between them.
Work on the current phase has been split
up across a number of fronts. Six fronts are
currently in operation: one in Everton Road,
one in Pioneer Road, two fronts in Wyebank
Road, a section proceeding down towards the
Umgeni Valley, a front at the Umgeni River
itself and another descending from the NR5
reservoir towards the Umgeni River. Another
front that would have been in operation was
along a railway line, beginning at the Ashley
break-pressure tank.
The intention was to begin at the Ashley
break-pressure tank, but due to problems
encountered along the rail servitude, this
section has been put on hold temporarily.
There had been a concern that the track
might be undermined, though this has sub-
sequently been resolved. Instead of the
railway line route, work has begun along
Everton Road and has been completed to a
distance of about 1.5 km from the point of
origin in Everton Road, proceeding toward the
NR5 reservoir.
“Ensuring that the specifi cations are followed and aligned with the General Conditions of Contract means that each process and procedure has to be tracked very closely.”
IMIESA October 2014 23
ETHEKWINI | PROJECT
Heavy blasting Approximately 500 m of road excavation
and earthworks has been completed and
the teams have encountered a lot of rock.
This has called for a lot of blasting to be
done – 5 000 m3 to date – and the amount
of rock requires blasting activity on a daily
basis. Blasting has been very intricate,
occurring between houses and roads in
some fairly densely populated suburbs. Two
blasting experts have been contracted to
these works: Trench and Bulk Blast and SBS
Surface Blasting Systems. All the blasts
have been covered, either by mats or exca-
vated materials and the charges cannot
exceed 25 m per second. The teams use
Vibrarecorders to ensure the blasts fall below
the specified limits.
A crack survey is being carried out on the
nearby houses prior to blasting and post
blasting to ensure any damage is document-
ed and managed, and of course as a protec-
tion against any subsequent false claims.
From a contractual point of view, the liability
for any blasting damage lies with the blasting
contractor, if it is found that any aspect of the
operation fell outside of the specifications.
If damage is found to be as a result of any
unforeseeable conditions, it becomes a force
majeure. Because of the potential impact
blasting has on communities, the process
calls on a lot of resources.
Working with the communitiesA project of this magnitude has an impact
on many stakeholders, including the people
living and working in the vicinity and the local
labour market. Esor has appointed public
relations officer (PRO) Simphiwe Twala to
engage the communities directly, a process
which has been remarkably successful.
The blasting process itself is a good example
of this. Residents are kept informed about the
whole process and notified about construc-
tion activities, road closures and the blasting
schedules. Twala continuously liaises with the
political counsellors of the area as well.
Cahi reckons that the positive impact of the
work of the PRO, along with good signage,
well-thought-out detours and the high level
of communication with the affected com-
munities have seen minimal complaints and
greatly enhanced cooperation. “When con-
cerns are brought forward, we don’t ignore
them, we respond meaningfully and this
creates a trusting relationship. The public
relations work as a whole is truly facilitating
our progress on the project and I now see
it as intrinsic to our continued success,”
explains Cahi. What seems like a ‘soft’ issue
can make a concrete difference.
“We also work with a community liaison
officer (CLO), assigned by the local council,
who is also making a significant contribu-
tion. He is the link between the PRO and
the community, as well as human resources
and the community. He organises the local
labour for us in a systematic and fair man-
ner, split across three communities. We have
no say in the matter at all.” The community
provides the lists and the CLO then draws
the names, with no favouritism involved. This
also ensures that Esor retains neutrality.
Meeting the challenges“There are a lot of challenges on a project
of this magnitude,” says Cahi. “It is very
intensive from a project management per-
spective, because there are so many vari-
ables that change from moment to moment.
Ensuring that the specifications are followed
and aligned with the general conditions of
the contract means that each process and
procedure has to be tracked very closely.
It’s a matter of getting everything to link
up in the same direction while following the
original scope of work. Apart from not know-
ing what is buried under the ground from one
patch of site to the next, where volumes of
rock are far greater than anticipated, working
with the community is extremely important.”
A recent service delivery strike spilled over
into Esor’s portion of the works, causing
disruptions. “A project like this, which is
located in an area of high unemployment,
can be the object of a lot of dissatisfaction,
because not everyone in the community is
able to get employment, and this can be
frustrating for them.”
Much more to comeThe scale of the Western Aqueduct is
massive. Phases Three and Five cover
enormously dif fering terrains, including
incredibly steep canyon walls, which will
call for certain aerial interventions when
laying the pipeline. The Esor team – led by
Cahi – is comprised of highly experienced
and qualified individuals whose passion
for their work is highly evident. Since bulk
water pipelines are hidden from view, it is
only during the construction phase that one
can appreciate the enormity and extent of
the infrastructure.
ABOVE LEFT The project consists of laying 73 km of welded steel pipelines. The pipes are being laid along existing pipeline servitudes
ABOVE The pipeline route will run from Umlaas Road, terminating at Ntuzuma, Pinetown and Tshelimnyama
w w w.uti l i ty-systems.co.za
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Early success with low-cost housingPartnering with Government on low-cost housing projects has proven successful for one civil engineering company.
SINCE ENTERING the low-cost
housing sector six months ago,
Esor Civils has experienced suc-
cess beyond expectation and
is presently working on two Government-
subsidised projects to provide 1 000 low-
cost houses in the village of Enhlangweni,
in the Umzumbe Local Municipality near
Ixopo in KwaZulu-Natal, and 500 units in
the village of Ezinqolweni, in the Ezinqoleni
Local Municipality near Port Shepstone in
KwaZulu-Natal.
More recently, Esor Civils has secured the
provision of low-cost housing in Bhobhoyi,
close to Port Shepstone. The company
is earmarked for a further project in the
Umzumbe area and has also set its sights
on the Eastern Cape.
“Low-cost housing is something quite
new for us and it’s working out very well,”
says Mark Rippon, managing director of
Esor Civils. “We already have a diversified
portfolio that includes road building, mining
and township infrastructure work, water
and sewage reticulation contracts, and con-
crete projects for Government, major mining
houses and the private sector. Although our
move into low-cost housing is at the incep-
tion stage, we’re very excited about these
early successes and we believe there is
significant potential to expand into this sec-
tor of the market. We’re proving that we’re
reliable and able to deliver these projects to
the satisfaction of all stakeholders.
“Low-cost housing is still very much a gov-
ernmental focus and the recent increased
subsidy will see the specifications improve
from the two-roomed 40 m2 dwelling with
rainwater harvesting and an outhouse,
that we are building at Muzumbe and
Thimude, to dwellings of the same size but
now plumbed and electrified, and includ-
ing an inside bathroom with a basic hand
basin, toilet and shower. The upgraded
specifications will also be applicable to
the scope of the Bhobhoyi and second
Muzumbe projects.”
Building partnershipsOn these projects, Esor Civils has teamed
up with consulting engineers Bigen Africa, a
leading design engineering company with a
strong presence in Southern Africa and a
growing African footprint. Bigen Africa takes
responsibility for the design of the houses,
provides site supervision during construc-
tion and conducts quality assurance before
the houses are handed over.
On each low-cost housing project, the
Esor Civils team identifies local emerging
subcontractors and supports them with the
procurement of materials and the provision
of training, effectively equipping them with
experience and marketable capabilities.
ETHEKWINI | HOUSING
“Low-cost housing is something
quite new for us and it’s
working out very well.”
Mark Rippon,
MD, Esor Civils
IMIESA October 2014 25
BELOW RIGHT A low-cost house with rainwater harvesting
BELOW Low-cost housing in KZN
26 IMIESA October 2014
INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT
NIGERIAN485 trillion for infrastructure master planNigeria has announced a N485
trillion (R32.6 trillion) National
Integrated Master Plan. The
N166 billion (R11 billion) first
phase will focus on building
major infrastructure and will run
from 2014 to 2018.
According to deputy chair-
man of the National Planning
Commission Abubakar
Olanrewaju Sulaiman, Phase
One will focus on major infra-
structure such as transport
– roads, railways, sea, airports
and power – oil and gas, hous-
ing, water, and information and
communication technology.
Sulaiman noted that Nigeria
has low levels of infrastructure
compared to countries like
Japan, Singapore and China. He
emphasised a need for planning
and stated that over a thousand
stakeholders, including foreign
and local consultants and politi-
cians, technocrats, bureaucrats
and all others, were brought on
board to ensure that the right
environment is provided.
The public sector will finance
52% of the 30-year developmen-
tal plan, while the private sector
will make up the remaining 48%.
“The good thing about it is
that it is going to be private, but
public driven,” said Sulaiman.
He added that the public financ-
ing is expected to come from
the Sovereign Wealth Fund and
the Debt Management Office,
among others.
KENYA African project managers receive trainingThe African Water Facility (AWF),
with the support of the African
Development Bank’s (AfDB) East
Africa Regional Resource Centre,
brought together more than 40
project managers from over 15
English-speaking African coun-
tries to participate in a five-day
Nigeria has announced a N485 trillion National Integrated Master Plan to focus on transport infrastructure
project management training
programme in Nairobi earlier
this month.
The workshop was designed to
increase AWF grantees’ capacity
to navigate through the AfDB
and AWF rules and procedures,
as well as to help enhance their
ability to manage various admin-
istrative aspects of their pro-
jects, thereby maximising results
on the ground and benefits to
targeted populations.
“The AWF has committed itself
to working closely with its grant-
ees to help them overcome the
challenges of project manage-
ment and implementation,” said
Akissa Bahri, coordinator of the
AWF. “Enhanced familiarity with
our project management rules,
as well as knowledge sharing
and capacity building, is of tre-
mendous value to our grantees
and can significantly increase
the success of their projects in
the short and long term.”
At the workshop opening,
Gabriel Negatu, director of the
AfDB’s East Africa Regional
Resource Centre, acknowledged
AWF’s role in the identifying and
financing preparation of projects,
particularly those involving
complex, niche or innovative
approaches and the increas-
ing number in the regional
AWF portfolio.
He encouraged participants
to use the workshop as an
opportunity to address bottle-
necks affecting implementation,
which lead to start-up delays.
He emphasised the need to
ensure project delivery is done
in a timely manner to enable
faster achievement of intended
benefits and avoid cancellation
of funds. The workshop was
designed to:
• enhance the knowledge of the
project management team
members on the rules and
procedures of the AfDB and
the AWF in administrative,
technical and financial man-
agement of projects
• review the constraints and
difficulties encountered in the
implementation of projects
• review the terms of distill-
ing and documentation
of lessons learned and
knowledge products
• foster discussions among pro-
ject management team mem-
bers and exchange experi-
ences to make the appropriate
recommendations to improve
procedures for the monitoring
and supervision of projects
reporting to the AWF.
Participants included a mix
of professionals, such as
project coordinators, procure-
ment and financial specialists,
for whom the training was
specifically tailored.
WEST AFRICA$19 billion infrastructure investmentEight West African nations
agreed to $19 billion worth of
infrastructure deals at the recent
West Africa Investment Forum.
Investments will be injected
into roads, railways, airports,
energy, food security and water.
The largest investment comes
from the UAE company Trojan
General Contracting, which will
spend $16 billion on road and
rail projects across the region.
Essar Projects, the UAE
subsidiary of Essar Group, will
invest up to $1.98 billion in
road, bridge, airport and thermal
power plant projects in Benin,
Guinea Bissau and Niger. Oman-
based Hasan Juma Backer
Trading will invest approximately
$700 million in a dry-port devel-
opment project in Cote d’Ivoire.
A total of 16 agreements were
signed at the investment forum.
AFRICA ROUND-UP
IMIESA October 2014 27
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANKAfDB, Japan sign $300 million loan agreementThe African Development Bank
(AfDB) and Japan have signed a
concessional loan for $300 mil-
lion to support the private sector
in Africa.
The AfDB was represented by
its President, Donald Kaberuka,
and Japan by its Ambassador in
Côte d’Ivoire, Susumo Inoue.
This agreement formed part
of the Enhanced Private Sector
Assistant (EPSA) initiative. EPSA
is an innovative multidonor,
multicomponent initiative for
resource mobilisation and
development partnership to
support AfDB's private sector
development strategy. It was
designed in partnership with the
Japanese government.
At the 2008 G8 Summit in
Gleneagles, the Japanese gov-
ernment announced a major
initiative to support the develop-
ment of the African continent in
the areas of infrastructure and
the private sector.
Implementation of the EPSA
initiative has three components:
to fast-track the set-up of cofi-
nancing for the public sector; the
Fund for African Private Sector
Assistance; and loans to the
private sector. In recent years,
major projects have been cofi-
nanced within this framework.
The signing of this agreement
comes further to the announce-
ment made by Japanese Premier
Shinzo Abe, that his country
would be doubling its commit-
ment to the EPSA account from
$1 billion to $2 billion over the
next three years. This was dur-
ing his official visit to Abidjan in
early 2014.
TANZANIADeveloping Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam portTanzania and the World Bank
have signed a memorandum of
understanding to develop the
Dar es Salaam port.
The cooperation will be deliv-
ered through the Dar es Salaam
Maritime Gateway Project.
It includes the provision of
financial support to facilitate
the deepening and strengthen-
ing of berths one to seven,
the dredging of the entrance
channel and turning basin in
the port, the construction of a
new berth and roll-on, roll-off
terminal, and improvements in
the spatial efficiency and opera-
tional effectiveness of the port.
The provisional cost of the
project is $565 million, and will
be covered by a mixture of loan,
credit, and grant from the devel-
opment partners.
The overall objective of the
cooperation is to support the
TPA to realise the objectives
of the Tanzanian government
for the maritime sub-sector, as
expressed in the Big Results
Now initiative, part of the
Tanzania Vision 2025, and
increase the capacity of the
port to 28 million tonnes by
2020, from the current 14.6
million tonnes handled in
2013/14.
The Port of Dar es Salaam is
arguably Tanzania's most impor-
tant infrastructure asset. Future
growth of the economy depends
on the port's ability to improve,
become more efficient and be
able to handle more trade,”
stressed Ros Cooper, acting
head of office for DFID.
“We are extremely excited to
be part of this initiative that will
help Tanzania be more competi-
tive and that will support eco-
nomic development and growth
across the region. Through this,
the lives of millions of people
will be improved.”
World Bank Country Director
for Tanzania Phillipe Dongier
added, “This memorandum of
understanding marks another
significant milestone in the his-
tory of relations of the World
Bank and Tanzania.
“The World Bank Group has
been a consistent supporter
to the transport sector in the
country in the past and we
are delighted that we are now
closely working with the UK
Department for International
Development and TradeMark
East Africa, which has had an
ongoing support programme
for the last four years since its
establishment in Tanzania, and
the Tanzania Ports Authority to
deliver a project that will make
a substantive contribution to the
development of both the country
and the East Africa region,”
said Dongier.
CONGOIncreasing access to electricity
The Republic of Congo
has received a $15 million
International Development
Association credit and a
$45 million International
Bank for Reconstruction and
Development loan to increase
access to electricity and improve
the efficiency and reliability of
the distribution system.
The additional financing will
provide the country’s National
Electricity Utility – SNE – with
tools to improve the quality of
services provided to its custom-
ers, and to enhance overall
efficiency, transparency and
accountability of its performance
in all business areas. It will also
help improve the performance
and governance of the SNE to
implement sound operations
and maintenance conditions of
the goods, works and services
financed under the project.
The financing also provides
additional funds for new activi-
ties to enhance the electricity
utility’s managerial, technical
and commercial performances
that complement the electric-
ity portion of the ongoing
Water, Electricity and Urban
Development Project (PEEDU).
The project will help increase
access to basic infrastructure
services, safe drinking water
and electricity for the urban
poor living in Brazzaville and
Pointe Noire.
Approved by the World Bank
board in 2010, the project has
strong support from the govern-
ment and has already benefited
over 260 000 people. The stud-
ies conducted under the first
phase of the PEEDU revealed
that the power sector was in
need of reforms and essential
investments in order to restore
the reliability and viability of
the sector.
“The electricity demand in
these cities is expected to dou-
ble in the next few years and the
major transmission lines essen-
tial to supply power are not up
to the standard to meet these
needs,” said Sylvie Dossou, the
World Bank Country Manager
for the Republic of Congo. “This
project will support investments
to retrofit or upgrade the infra-
structure to improve the opera-
tion and management of the
power system.”
AFRICA ROUND-UP
Tanzania and the World Bank will develop the Dar es Salaam port
AREAS OF EXPERTISE Roads and Stormwater. Bulk water and sewage installations. Water and Sewage reticulation networks. EPWP Projects. Structures and Buildings (Facilities) Sport and Recreational Facilities. Solid Waste Projects. Community Centres. Multi-Disciplinary Project Management. Labour Intensive Projects. Township Establishments and Housing Projects. Railway Engineering Services. Mining Infrastructure Projects.
LEVEL 3 BBBEE PROCUREMENT CONTRIBUTEROFFICES:
ALBERTON-Gauteng118 Hennie Alberts StreetBrackenhurst: PO Box 145851Bracken Gardens 1452Tel: 011 868 2494 Fax: 011 868 1348E-mail: [email protected]
ERMELO-Mpumalanga67 Fourie StreetPO Box 1903Ermelo 2350Tel: 017 819 1985 Fax: 017 819 4017E-mail: [email protected]
NEWCASTLE-Kwa-Zulu Natal34 Paterson StreetNewcastlePO Box 27 Newcastle 2940Tel: 034 315 3232 Fax: 086 669 7533E-mail: [email protected]
www.lekwaconsulting.co.za
CESA
SABTACO
Our historyLekwa Consulting Engineers was established in 2002 by two dedicated professional engineers, Kibiti Ntshumaelo and Gert Smit, who seized and developed an entrepreneurial opportunity in the civil engineering industry. Our approach is based on finding synergies with the public and private sector stakeholders, including communities. We believe that through this partnership approach, we could be instrumental in unlocking skills development and job creation initiatives in South Africa. Our office network covers the Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Free State and North West provinces.
What 12 years means to usTwelve years in a sector that is constantly and rapidly advancing is an achievement we are proud of, and we have successfully establishedourselves in the civil engineering consultancy sector. The company has grown progressively over the past 10 years from being a small consultancy to a fully-fledged medium-scale firm. Through our dedication and consistency, we have strived to fulfil our mission and offer our clients:
internationally accepted standards
through networking with specialist partners and associates to provide conventional and turnkey project solutions to our clients
We continue our commitment to offering our clients a professional and unrivalled service. We would like to thank all our clients, stakeholders, suppliers and staff for supporting us through all these years and look forward to continuing the journey with you.
CONSULTING IN THE NEW
SOUTH AFRICA
CESA AON AWARDS 2014
SASOLBuilding communities through partnerships
IMIESA October 2014 29
in the HOT SEAT
“The planned Government infrastructure gives consulting engineering companies
such as Nyeleti an opportunity to develop engineering capacity and capability through
infrastructure provision.” Abe Thela, Vice-chairperson, Nyeleti Consulting
Delivered through strong partnerships, AECOM is proud to be the engineer for the CESA award winning Spring Grove Dam, which augments water supply to five million domestic and industrial users.
www.aecom.com
SUSTAINING FIVE MILLION PEOPLE
PARTNERING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
IMIESA October 2014 31
32 Cover storySASOL – Building communitiesSasol is committed to making a
meaningful and practical difference to the lives of the people living in the communities in which it operates.
CCover tstory
36 InterviewConsulting in the new South Africa
“South Africa is watched by the rest of Africa. One of the key challenges is that, as much we want to thrive as a developmental state, we have to be very cognisant of capacity.” Lefadi Makibinyane, CEO, CESA
41 CESA Aon Excellence Awards 2014
44 Meet CESA’s Young Engineer of the Year – HHO Africa’s principal engineer Makotsene Makgalemele.
“Always ask, ‘Is what I am doing meaningful?’ If it is, do what you need to do to get it done whether you like it or not.”
Nyeleti ConsultingExpanding as a multidisciplinary consulting engineering leader
IINN TTHHEE THHOOTT SSEEAATT 38CONTENTS
32 IMIESA October 2014
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | COVER STORY
Positive news about mining and labour in the mining sector has been hard to come by recently, but Sasol Mining, a subsidiary of the integrated energy and chemical giant Sasol, has been making a considerable positive impact on the lives of not only its labour force but the communities in the areas in which it operates.
non-employees alike. Lucky Kgatle, vice-pres-
ident: Enterprise and Business Enablement
at Sasol Mining, leads the company's SLP
projects, which comprise infrastructure and
enterprise development, service delivery
support and job creation.
“Although our infrastructure projects do
form part of the SLP, they are primarily
driven by Sasol’s commitment to making a
difference in people’s lives,” says Kgatle.
All mining companies need to have SLPs to
obtain or retain mining licences to operate.
“We have taken great care in how we work
with multiple stakeholders to ensure that we
support projects that make an overarching
difference in the lives of the communities,”
he explains.
The role of the local municipalities, in
the areas in which Sasol Mining operates,
is central to Sasol Mining’s SLP projects,
guiding the company’s selection of projects
and facilitating relevant processes: “Our
projects are aligned with the municipalities’
Integrated Development Plans (IDP), but
also take into account the actual needs of
the communities they serve as a primary
point of reference. It is the communities
who best understand the challenges they
face on a daily basis, and it is they who
are best equipped to guide us and ensure
that what we do is optimally effective,”
explains Kgatle.
Maximising impact – Selecting the projectsKgatle explains that the process of working
with the municipalities and the communities
is done through regular SLP forums. These
forums are formed per municipality and are
made up of Sasol Mining and municipality
teams. They regulate all aspects related to
the implementation of the projects in all
municipal areas.
In addition to the existence of the munici-
pal SLP forums, community liaison officers,
who are paid by Sasol Mining but interface
directly with municipalities, communities
and the project teams on the ground, are
appointed in consultation with municipali-
ties. These community-sourced project offi-
cials are responsible for resolving and esca-
lating all incidents and issues that arise in
the project on a daily basis. They also serve
as public relations officials for the projects.
“I always tell my teams to consider the
multiplier effect when selecting projects.
THE PRIVATE SECTOR has a crucial
role to play in the development
of South Africa’s public infrastruc-
ture. Since 2008, in addition to
its CSR programmes, Sasol Mining has
been working closely with the Department
of Mineral Resources, and the municipali-
ties in which it operates, to identify and
provide life-changing infrastructure to local
communities, as part of its Social and
Labour Plan (SLP) commitments.
True partnershipsSasol Mining is committed to making a
meaningful and practical difference to the
lives of the people living in the communi-
ties in which it operates, positively impact-
ing the lives of both Sasol employees and
LEFT Sasol's SLP sees the company partner with all levels of Government
SASOLBuilding
communities
IMIESA October 2014 33
TWO YEARS LATER, Sasol Mining
has managed to complete more
than ten of these projects. A key
feature of the SLP is that the pro-
jects may have no direct or indirect benefit
to the mining right holder.
“If Sasol were to build a road that might
equally benefit a community as much as
it does our mining operation, it would not
meet the requirements. We have put a lot
of effort into finding the right selection
criteria for these projects,” explains Dr
Sarel Booyens, senior manager: Reserve
Acquisition.
Two footbridges
Two footbridges, with an estimated value of
R1 million, were constructed in Mpumalanga
in 2010, the first of which now enables com-
munity members to safely access the local
community clinic, as the bridge crosses a
path that floods during rainy seasons. The
second footbridge enables the community to
safely cross the Welas River, providing access
to schools, clinics, shopping centres and local
factories. Before this bridge was constructed,
an average of four people drowned each year.
It is estimated that some 32 000 households
will benefit from these footbridges.
Lebohang stormwater drainage projectLebohang is located in Govan Mbeki
Municipality and its lack of stormwater sys-
tems resulted in several tragedies.
“We first designed a Total Stormwater
Drainage Plan, which we then split into
two phases, focusing on the most criti-
cal areas first,” explains Booyens. “It was
also important that whatever we installed,
the municipality would be able to expand
on later. Because of limited resources, we
considered maintenance challenges and,
for that reason, chose to install ‘V’ drains,
which are relatively maintenance free.” The
R1.3 million project has made the commu-
nity of Leandra much safer and created 20
jobs during the construction period. It also
incorporated a skills transfer programme,
including cement handling and drainage sys-
tem assemblage. These skills prepared the
workers for Phase Two.
Charl Cilliers sewerage servicesCharl Cilliers is a town located in the Govan
Mbeki Municipality (GMM) and is largely pro-
visioned with pit latrines and septic tanks,
but no vehicles were available to service the
town. This had resulted in serious health
hazards and had become intolerable to
the inhabitants.
Sasol decided to invest in two sew-
age removal vehicles (honeysuckers) and
engaged Mercedes-Benz to supply and equip
the sewage removal trucks. The trucks were
supplied and assembled locally.
Each truck has a capacity of 10 000 litres
and is equipped to empty pits and septic
tanks, twice a day. This removes around
40 000 litres of sewage sludge per day from
Charl Cilliers and transports it to the Evander
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | COVER STORY
THE PROJECTSIn 2012, Sasol formally announced that
a total investment of R200 million in the
communities of Govan Mbeki Municipality in
Mpumalanga and Metsimaholo Municipality
in the Free State was underway.
The impact must be far reaching while also
meeting the requirements of the SLP.”
Since the start of the implementation of
these projects, an impressive number have
been completed and, as Kgatle explains, the
projects chosen reflect the integrity of Sasol
Mining’s intentions.
“At first glance, these are not all head-
line projects,” he says. “A footbridge, for
example, may not seem like much; it’s not
a massive structure, but the difference it
makes in the lives of the affected community
is substantial.”
Instead of implementing one or two head-
line projects, benefiting just a few communi-
ties, Sasol has rolled out a significant num-
ber of smaller projects, which collectively
have changed the lives of many people.
Jobs, skills and empowermentSasol Mining is also fully behind empower-
ing South African businesses. “We spe-
cifically focus on black-owned companies
when employing consulting engineers and
contractors,” continues Kgatle. “We also
have a minimum requirement of 70 per cent
local labour, and strengthen them through
training programmes.” The idea is to identify
non-skilled workers, train them, and develop
a pool of skilled labour for current and future
projects. “We invite local entrepreneurs to
join our training programmes, particularly
those related to construction, like brick mak-
ing and welding,” explains Kgatle. “Sasol
Mining also has training programmes to
develop portable skills that can be used
outside of the company.” Sasol Mining has
partnered with a training provider and has
broadened its training programmes to look
beyond Sasol Mining’s areas of operations.
Because of the broad spectrum of skills
required on Sasol’s SLP projects, not all the
skills can be sourced locally. “Ultimately,
we want to be sourcing 90 per cent of the
skills locally, so once we start implement-
ing large-scale projects, Sasol Mining will
have the paving specialists and welders on
hand locally.” Sasol is currently planning a
housing project for employees that will entail
some 2 000 homes and attendant infrastruc-
ture and services.
Kgatle reports that feedback from the com-
munities benefiting from the SLP projects is
extremely positive, and Sasol appears to be
hitting the mark.
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | COVER STORY
sewage plant of the GMM. The trucks are
valued at R3.5 million and training was pro-
vided to the operators and drivers.
Repair of the Kinross water reservoirKinross is a small town located 70 km north
of Standerton and falls under the Govan
Mbeki Municipality. “The five-million-litre res-
ervoir was initially built and commissioned
in 2009,” explains Booyens. “Prior to Sasol
Mining’s involvement, it posed several risks,
not least was the fact it was leaking before
it even came into use.”
Sasol conducted a study of the structure of
the reservoir and identified what was caus-
ing the leaks in early 2013. During the repair
process, the water system to the town was
diverted into the Rand Water system. The
total cost of the repair and seal initiative was
R2.8 million.
The Leandra Fire Station
Lebohang, in Leandra, is a large informal
settlement and, due to the lack of fire-
rescue services, was identified by Sasol as
a significant fire risk. Whilst the area had no
way of dealing with veld fires, it was also at
incredibly high risk from domestic and veld
fire accidents.
The R10.2 million project included the
construction of a fully fledged 24-hour opera-
tional fire station instead of the initially
planned low-level fire station. Sasol also
committed to the procurement of a new fire
truck, one light delivery response vehicle
and the required firefighting equipment. The
fire station is located next to the municipal
offices and has direct electricity supply from
Eskom and a back-up generator has also
been installed. Training of firefighters has
also been provided, construction is complet-
ed and the station is expected to become
operational in November 2104.
Upgrade of the Koppies ClinicKoppies is a small town in the Free State
and Sasol Mining realised that the clin-
ic servicing the area was too small and
under-resourced. Operated by the Free State
Provincial Department of Health, the clinic
required more consulting rooms, space for
administrative records, a larger emergency
room and an improved pharmacy to man-
age and store medicine effectively. Sasol
is also solving existing sewage reticulation
and supply problems by installing a 20 000
litre water supply tank. The company is
also paving the area around the clinic,
fencing it off and supplying furniture for the
new extensions.
Now almost complete, the R7 million
upgrade has seen the clinic double in size
and boast fully operational emergency and
maternity sections, and a pharmacy. Serving
around 20 000 households, it provides a
full range of primary health services, includ-
ing maternity, dental, tuberculosis and HIV/
AIDS treatment.
The eMzinoni Clinic
Sasol has also recently upgraded the eMzino-
ni Clinic, in Bethal, Mpumalanga, beyond its
initial project scope to ensure that the clinic
can provide more health-care services, such
as dental care, overnight care, a maternity
ward and rooms for consultation and wound
dressing, as well as social and support ser-
vices, including administration rooms, wait-
ing rooms and a dispensary. Around 23 000
households will benefit from the upgraded,
fully equipped clinic.
“This clinic has been transferred to the
Mpumalanga Provincial Department of
Health, although currently, only some of the
facilities are being used. It is a challenge to
attract professionals to the area, including
doctors and nurses, but the state of the
facility may well change that,” says Booyens.
“We also upgraded the sewerage, water and
electricity infrastructure, and an emergency
water and oxygen supply system has been
installed. Our initial budget for the project
was R7 million, and our total investment was
R11 million,” he concludes.
Nthoroane Road project
Sasol has completed the paving of roads
in Nthoroane Extension near Greylingstad
in the Dipaleseng Municipality. The entire
area was in great need, having only gravel
roads, and this R10 m project also included
the designing of the stormwater drainage.
Before paving could begin, the entire area
had to be levelled and access to properties
had to be factored in.
Sasol also installed a drainage system.
During this project it was ensured that
as many local people as possible were
employed and local procurement was pro-
moted by sourcing goods locally.
eMbalenhle sewerage pipeline projectAlthough the GMM had installed a gravity-
based pipeline in eMbalenhle, the system
became blocked due to the installation of
incorrect pipes. Sasol is installing new,
larger pipes, including feeder lines into the
sewerage works.
Future projectsSasol will continue with the implementation
of community development projects as part
of its SLP, and upcoming project include:
• the upgrade of a wastewater treatment
plant in Nthoroane/Greylingstad
• connection of sewerage reticulation pipe-
lines to the local sewage works in eMzinoni
• Phase Two of the Lebohang/Leandra
stormwater project
• Phase Two of the eMbalenhle
footbridge projects
• a bridge for the Sakhisizwe community
(replacing the current, inadequate bridge)
in a community near Evander
• construction of community centres in Charl
Cilliers and Steenbokpan/Lephalale.
This broad range of projects has been
chosen, designed and implemented to max-
imise impact on the communities in a
sustainable and directly beneficial manner.
The manner in which the company’s SLP is
being executed reflects a commitment to
its communities far beyond any regulatory
requirements. Sasol Mining’s investment
in infrastructure, particularly, is also a
reflection of how well the public and the
private sector can partner each other to
great benefit.
The support and cooperation of all levels of
Government have resulted in demonstrable
improvements in the daily lives of the affect-
ed communities. The benefits are both far
reaching and sustainable and demonstrate
the progressive realisation of a better life for
all South Africans.
34 IMIESA October 2014
IMIESA October 2014 35
QUALITY SERVICES has been
successfully servicing the pet-
rochemical, oil and gas, power,
mining, construction, engineer-
ing and other industries for the past 17
years. During this period the company has
grown from strength to strength and cur-
rently employs more than 30 full-time staff.
Quality Services’ mission is to provide a
superior welding consulting service. Since
obtaining SANAS accreditation in 2011,
the company has been able to provide cli-
ents with confidence in the activities they
undertake, whether for statutory inspection
and testing, welding consulting, third-party
quality assurance or expediting activities on
a variety of projects.
Skills, training and standardsAt Quality Services, the importance of
knowledge sharing by staff is emphasised,
as well as training, skills, social and enter-
prise development. This is evident in the
fact that it has been able to maintain
its Level 1 B-BBEE certification for four
consecutive years.
One of Quality Services' core strengths
is offering valued clients assistance in
aligning and enforcing both regulatory and
client-specific standards and specifications
in fabrication, supply, mining upgrade and
civil contracts. As an added service the
company also assists in the compilation,
implementation and maintenance of quality
management systems in accordance with
ISO 9001, ISO 3834 as well as various
other SANS specifications.
Company owner Gordon Voogt is an active
member of the Association of Inspection
Authorities, South African Institute of
Welding, Installation and Fabrication Plastics
Pipe Association and the Southern African
Quality ServicesPlastic Pipe Manufacturers Association.
Quality Services is thus actively engaged
in the market, contributing to its develop-
ment and ensuring it remains current with
best practices.
Quality Services also services the non-
metallic sector with its valuable input in the
non-metallic (HDPE) welding field by assist-
ing clients in ensuring compliance to the vari-
ous SANS, ISO and SABS standards during
supply, fabrication and installation of HDPE
piping and other plastic components.
www.qservices.co.za
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | COMPANY PROFILE
GM Voogt cc t/a Goovveernmment Appprovvedd Inspeectionn AAuuthoriityDDeparrtment of LLabbour AIA PEERR 0075
DDDeparrtment oof MMinerals RResouurccees 44Depaartttmentt of Labbourr In-Service PEERR 0000022 INS
SANAASSS Accrredited Insppecction BBody, NNo.. LVUUP080
Services Offered on Metallic & Non-Metallic Equipment:
Gordon Voogt a proud member of: IFPA, SAPPMA, AIA & SAIW
36 IMIESA October 2014
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | CONSULTING
CONSULTING ENGINEERS are the
keystone to all infrastructure pro-
jects and play an increasingly
important role from conception
to commissioning. CESA is the representa-
tive body for all consulting engineers in
South Africa, with a reach into the SADC
and beyond.
Development and capacity “South Africa is watched by the rest of Africa.
One of the key challenges is that, as much
we want to thrive as a developmental state,
we have to be very cognisant of capacity.
You can’t really classify yourself as a devel-
opmental state if you have a glaring lack of
capacity. It is time that Government acknowl-
edges South Africa has a very strong engi-
neering fraternity, with formidable strength
and experience. The roll-out of infrastructure
for the FIFA World Cup proved this, as does
our world-class functional infrastructure. The
Gautrain, the freeway systems; these are not
just examples of excellent infrastructure but
of innovations as well.
“So the proof is clearly visible: South Africa
is capable of producing highly sophisticated
infrastructure. We are not that challenged
concerning capacity. The way engineering
services are procured is now the prime chal-
lenge. This is CESA’s position and it is what
we are working on with Government to find a
solution. We need to change the legislation
around procurement of professional consult-
ing engineering services and all other built
environment professionals.
Positive transformation“The context of the problems today obviously
harks back to the past and the remedies
per se, whilst not flawed, were ill-advised.
Transformation – especially economic – is
a given key necessity. All CESA member
firms are embracing transformation but the
drive towards economic transformation has
been flawed, largely by generalising the way
engineering services procurement is done.
I think the fatal flaw lies in the Preferential
Procurement Framework Management Act.
A profession is a quality-based offering;
for professional services to be effective
they need to be based on the foundation
of quality.
Quality, competence and price“Qualifications and competence really are
the primary factors. Historical impediments
notwithstanding, if you are going to call
yourself a consulting engineer, certain profes-
sional standards and qualifications are non-
negotiable. As it stands, the pre-qualifications
are price and BBBEE. The BBBEE element is
actually very small – only 10%. The remaining
90% is simply price – and when you view a
professional service purely through price, you
commoditise it. Let me be clear: professional
services are not a commodity.
The fundamental role of consulting engineers“You have to look carefully at the value
offering of public engineering. Consulting
engineering stands at the very foundation
of any project. Innovative solutions that are
overarching and sensitive to the long-term
issue of cost are based on multiple factors
and take more time. In an environment of
price against all odds, you compromise. We
need a solution to this urgently.
“The fees charged by consulting engineers
are around one or two per cent of the project
cost. This is a global figure and a drop in the
ocean, so why should the emphasis be on
trying to undercut competitors? Undercutting
directly impacts the overall quality of a pro-
ject. There are additional irrationalities to
the whole process: bidders are not allowed
the opportunity to present to tender commit-
tees and unpack their proposals, missing
opportunities for potential innovations.
“Aside from missing out on innovations,
those involved at the tender process are
denied the opportunity to learn more about
infrastructure development. This is very
negative for development; one could say
it is anti-development. Simply reading bids
off a piece of paper without finding out the
reasoning behind certain elements of a
Consulting in the new South Africa
Over the last couple of years, Consulting
Engineers South Africa has engaged with Government,
seeking to support and aid the public sector to fulfil its
challenging mandate. CESA’s CEO,
Lefadi Makibinyane, sat down with
Nicholas McDiarmid, providing insight
into the organisation and its increasingly
important role.
“The way engineering services are procured
is now the number one challenge.”
IMIESA October 2014 37
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | CONSULTING
bid is highly limiting and disempowering to
all parties.
The consequences of under-cutting“The utilisation of our member firms in South
Africa is 91 per cent. This shows that there is
work and there is development. The problem,
again, is in the details. Companies have to
undercut each other, abandoning training
programmes and the like. Youth programmes
are crucial and these costs need to be fac-
tored into pricing.
“Our work is foundational, and should not
be constricted. ECSA provides pricing guide-
lines – if we simply stick to those, it will
prove a major improvement for the industry. To summarise, if we
put quality as the first criterion, followed by BBBEE and then price,
guided by ECSA, we have a solution.
Inclusive growth“The presidential business bilateral, Inclusive Growth, is an initia-
tive launched by President Zuma in early 2013. The President’s
goal in this is aligned to the National Development Plan (NDP) of
which the Strategic Infrastructure Plans are central. He wanted to
draw closer to the business sector, being aware that the technical
and financial ability of the government to implement the plan is
very limited. This showed foresight, as both the skills and finances
of the private sector will need to be co-opted to deliver on the
NPD. If you unpack the economic infrastructure and follow the
Public Private Partnership model, you can really start attracting the
private sector towards public infrastructure investment, and thus
accelerate the roll-out of the infrastructure components of the NDP.
“There are a couple of working groups that have developed
from these meetings and they are working between the relevant
Government departments. This is what is going to influence policy
and regulatory development. CESA is playing a significant role
on the Infrastructure Task Team and the President has taken
cognisance of the need for inclusivity at all levels. He realises the
need to provide confidence in government policy to ensure invest-
ment, and the need to work with private sector investors to gain
their confidence.
“At our last meeting, on 6 August 2013, President Zuma said he
is really looking for solutions. We are facing challenges and it is
important that business also suggests solutions. The key objective
of Inclusive Growth is to advance solutions from both the private
and public sectors, ensuring that, when key policies or regulations
are amended, business’s input is included.
Looking ahead, looking beyond“Twenty years into democracy, it is time to look beyond race. A
professional meets the same standards, irrespective of race, and
our national imperatives really would be better served from a place
of inclusivity. The national interest is a shared one and we need
to rally behind South Africa with a humble acknowledgement of the
past and a vision of an inclusive future. Though much work has
been done, we would like to call for more Government/business
bilaterals to keep the momentum going.
The appointment of Pravin Gordhan as head
of Cooperative Governance and Traditional
Affairs is the most visionary one. If anyone
can clean up local government, where the
majority of infrastructure development hap-
pens, it is he. He understands the fiscal
limitations of the country and what munici-
palities need, and we look forward to some
meaningful transformations.
South Africa in Africa“As CESA, we promote the trading of our
services across the continent. We developed
the Built Environment Professional Export
Council (BEPEC) – now under the auspices
of the Department of Trade and Industry
and charged with establishing support structu res to assist our
member firms to work in other countries. Consulting engineering
firms are often small entities, but capable of establishing large
developments and, to do this, they need assistance. So, we call on
Government to sustain its support of BEPAC to promote the export
of professional services and thus facilitate the integration of our
member firms into the rest of Africa.
“The point of building a stronger presence for our member firms in
Africa is in support of South Africa itself. Stronger neighbours mean
stronger trading partners and stronger economic communities.”
CONSULTING ENGINEERS SOUTH AFRICACESA is the ‘Voice of Consulting Engineering in South Africa’. The organisation represents, for its members, a body that promotes their joint interests and, because of its standing, provides quality assurance for clients. Over 500 firms employing just over 23 300 staff, who collectively earn a total fee income of almost R19 billion per annum, are members of CESA. CESA is committed to the key principles of sustainability and sees the promotion of engineering excellence as vital.
38 IMIESA October 2014
THE COMPANY recently
open a branch in
KwaZulu-Natal to
establish Nyeleti as
the consultancy of choice in the
region. Nyeleti intends to build
a local office with specialists
that can respond to the specific
needs of KwaZulu-Natal.
Abe Thela, Vice-chairpersonWhat drives Nyeleti’s
commitment to meeting South Africa’s infrastructure development needs? We see infrastructure
development as being more
about improving the quality of
life of people and enhancing
their economic prospects. The
National Development Plan and
previous government policies
acknowledged this fact and
have placed infrastructure
development at the centre of
the country’s socio-economic
development. Employing a
staff compliment of 110,
Nyeleti contributes directly to
job creation for its employees
and the well-being of their
families. We have also seen
the living conditions of many
communities improve through
infrastructure we have designed
such as water, sanitation and
access roads. We are also
driven by technical excellence
in engineering solutions to
complex infrastructure projects
such as bridges, dams and
power stations.
Noting the complexities of the South African infrastructure environment, what is the most important contribution Nyeleti is striving to make? The planned government
infrastructure gives consulting
engineering companies such
as Nyeleti an opportunity to
develop engineering capacity
and capability through
infrastructure provision.
Since its inception Nyeleti
has trained a number of
young technical staff,
mostly from disenfranchised
backgrounds, some of whom
now run successful consulting
engineering businesses and
some occupy senior technical
positions in Government.
Over and above empowering
individuals, we help to create
the much-needed capacity in
both the private and public
sector. We need an informed
client, not only to ensure
proper implementation
of infrastructure projects
but also to ensure the
appropriate maintenance of
such infrastructure. We will
continue to create this capacity
and also mentor smaller
consulting engineering firms
through our small enterprise
development programme.
How has Nyeleti needed to adjust its view of the traditional role of consulting engineers in order to make its contribution? Traditionally
appointments of consulting
engineers were made through
established client panels and
rosters. With the introduction of
competitive bidding, we had to
look at making our operations
more efficient and also look
at innovative approaches to
the design of infrastructure
projects. We have invested
in a number of innovations
that make our company
more competitive.
How has Nyeleti engaged with Government in terms of finding solutions to the country’s challenges? Nyeleti is a member of a
number of industry business
organisations such as CESA
and South African Black
Technical and Allied Careers
Organisation (SABTACO) who
deal with the business-related
issues of our sector. As I am
the current president of CESA,
the company contributes to
discussions and lobbying with
Government towards finding
solutions to business-related
challenges in our sector. We
also participate in a number of
technical and learned societies
such as SAICE where we
provide the current president,
Stanford Mkhacane, and deputy
president, Sundran Naicker,
from our own ranks. Some of
these organisations are in the
forefront of finding technical
solutions which are sustainable
and suit the local South
African conditions.
How does Nyeleti ensure that its principles and focus is understood and implemented throughout the company? Our
management structure includes
all heads of department who
ensure that management
decisions and the company’s
principles and focus are
understood and implemented.
We also hold regular weekly
discussions on various aspects
of the company principles, as
well as on external issues that
have an impact on the company
and on individual employees.
Stan Mkhacane, ChairpersonWhat are the
key guiding principles employed by Nyeleti in its approach to project design and roll-out? In
line with our commitment and
aspirations to always add
value in whatever we do, our
Nyeleti Consulting
Engineered to excelNyeleti Consulting, a firm of consulting engineers, was formed in August 1999. Fitting to the company’s slogan, ‘Engineered to excel’, Nyeleti won the award for business excellence at this year’s CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards.
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | HOT SEAT
IMIESA October 2014 39
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | HOT SEAT
guiding principles are rooted
around ensuring that we deliver
excellent value in each project
we get an opportunity to be
involved in. It is essential
that we correctly understand
and interpret the needs of
our clients for successful
project design and roll-out.
The accurate definition of a
project is a very important
stage; it is the foundation
towards an acceptable and
effective solution that we can
present to the client and the
end users. We spend adequate
time and resources for this
stage in order to ensure that
we have evaluated all potential
alternatives prior to engineering
design work. As consulting
engineers, we have to close
the gap between the client’s
wishes and needs, and the final
infrastructure that is provided
to the end-user community, by
proposing a solution that will
answer to the real needs of the
community without imposing
constraints, negative impacts
and challenges during the
operation and maintenance of
the project.
How does the company cater to the demands of project delivery in the context of job creation, skills transfer, community development and training? South
Africa is reeling with
huge unemployment. The
construction industry has an
enormous potential to create
jobs which would contribute
tremendously towards stemming
unemployment. In response to
the dire need to create jobs,
Nyeleti Consulting always
looks at the optimisation of
labour intensive construction
elements inherent in the design,
construction and operation
and maintenance functions in
service delivery. The question of
skills transfer also forms part
of the design process, where
young engineering professionals
in our employment are sent for
training at courses presented
mainly by SAICE and CESA, and
are involved throughout the
project cycle – in design and
construction supervision.
We believe that the projects
we implement in communi-
ties should be used to impart
knowledge about civil engi-
neering, in order to create the
understanding of its impor-
tance and thereby enhance
ownership by communities.
Ownership of infrastructure by
communities could go a long
way in preserving these very
important economic invest-
ments in our country – we
could aim at minimising the
destruction of infrastructure
when communities demon-
strate to register their unhap-
piness. There is no wisdom
in burning a school or a clinic
when you want better water
supply. We believe that if ben-
eficiary communities correctly
understand the value of the
infrastructure that Government
provides, these insensible
actions would not happen. We
also look at opportunities to
identify learners from local
communities who we send to
university for civil engineering.
What is the most important characteristic you look for in an engineer? I believe
that engineering – and civil
engineering in particular –
is a noble profession. We
normally talk of a calling in the
theological profession, but I
believe that civil engineering
is also a calling. An engineer
should be dedicated and
motivated to providing a service
in such a manner that money
should not be the main and
foremost objective.
Some of the characteristics
that define an engineer are:
• being a problem solver
• originality and independence
of thought
• an ability to think out of
the box
• being a good listener and
being sensitive to issues
• level-headedness
• being a smart worker.
What role does mentoring play in Nyeleti? The process of
mentoring consists of taking
a young graduate through a
well-defined path in his or her
early professional life, in order
to produce a well-balanced
engineering professional at
the end of a period – normally
the first three to five years
after graduation. In our
case, we aim to have these
individuals be able to be
registered as professionals
by ECSA. Nyeleti Consulting
has a programme where all
civil engineering graduates are
allocated to mentors – who
are registered civil engineering
professionals – to support
them in their development over
this period. These mentors
ensure that each mentee
develops a programme that
forms a guideline for training.
Each engineering graduate
is located in a department
in the company. Importantly,
however, we also provide them
with opportunities for rotating
to different departments over
time. The senior members in
the company conduct regular
talks on subjects that are
of interest to the mentees
towards their registration.
These subjects could range
from issues relating to ECSA
requirements, CESA, SAICE,
OHS and many others.
What do you identify as the lasting legacy Nyeleti is seeking to create? We want to create positive
impressions with our clients,
beneficiary communities or end
users, as well as the general
public who see and experience
or learn about our services. We
strive to be real consultants –
the Afrikaans version articulates
this better: to be raadgewende
ingeneurs – someone who gives
professional advice. We also
strive to put the profession first
in all that we do, everywhere.
Sundran Naicker, Director, KwaZulu-Natal office
In establishing the KwaZulu-Natal office, what impact do you think Nyeleti’s presence will have on the infra-structure sector in that province? Being a proudly
South African brand, Nyeleti will
broaden the skills base within
the province, showcasing its
technical and empowerment
achievements. The endeavour
is ultimately aimed at the
social and socio-economic
development of the broader
KwaZulu-Natal community.
Considering its company culture, values and objectives, what is the most important thing that future clients in KwaZulu-Natal should know about the company? Nyeleti is
a solution-based enterprise
focused on value engineering.
Clients will experience innovation
and technical excellence.
Nyeleti’s approach is to engage
with clients at the highest level.
What particular technical and professional services will the KwaZulu-Natal office be offering? The local office
will offer the full scope of
professional civil engineering
services with further support
provided from our head office.
The vision is to provide clients
with a hands-on approach
that will allow them to call on
Nyeleti’s services.
40 IMIESA October 2014
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | HOT SEAT
What mechanisms are you employing to establish the Nyeleti ethos in the KwaZulu-Natal office? Nyeleti’s ethos
in KwaZulu-Natal is reinforced
through its people. We will
expand on this by employing
staff that share in the value
system Nyeleti has cultivated
since its inception.
What is the long-term vision for the KwaZulu-Natal office? The long-
term vision for the office is
to establish our company as
the consultancy of choice in
the region. We intend to build
a local office which will have
specialists that will respond
to the specific needs of
KwaZulu-Natal.
Vishal Krishandutt, Office Manager, KwaZulu-Natal office
From a technical perspective, what systems is the KwaZulu-Natal office deploying and how do they interact company-wide? At Nyeleti,
we use advanced technology to
operate our network, computers,
servers and IT-related
equipment and all existing
offices are connected by a
virtual private network managed
and controlled at the Tshwane
office. The KwaZulu-Natal office
will be connected to this network
and this will allow staff at our
office to do a daily backup of
all data onto the system. This
system allows for controlled
access of design data, which
can be accessed by authorised
members of staff to scrutinise
designs and drawings.
At present Nyeleti is recog-
nised as an industry leader in
3D design, and the KwaZulu-
Natal office will be no differ-
ent. In terms of the municipal
infrastructure, which Nyeleti
is also very strong at, the
KwaZulu-Natal office will also
be using PCSWMM hydraulic
modelling software as well
as HEC RAS stream and river
analysis software, in addition
to WaterMate and ModelMaker,
which is already being used
company-wide. This creates
uniformity, as well as allowing
us to conform to our ISO 9001
quality and assurance stand-
ards – which is the backbone
of Nyeleti.
What have the challenges been in establishing the office? One of the main
challenges was creating the
awareness that there is a new
consultant in the KwaZulu-Natal
market and that we were going
to make our presence very
much felt. Nyeleti’s brand is
very well known in the Gauteng
and Limpopo region, and the
majority of the work has been
done in these areas. The
challenge is that the majority
of the clients in KwaZulu-Natal
and local public entities expect
consultants to have done a lot
of work in KwaZulu-Natal, and it
is now my task to ensure them
that my staff and I can provide
the service that they require
as we are very familiar with the
local conditions and culture and
that collectively we have done a
considerable amount of work in
KwaZulu-Natal. It is also worth
mentioning that we are a proudly
South African company with an
excellent track record and with
some of the best engineering
practitioners in the country.
How have you gone about translating the company culture to the Durban office? Nyeleti
Consulting has a strong
organisational culture. It has
a culture of inclusion as well
as friendliness, friendship and
pride. The CEO encourages staff
to perform at their best and to
quote him from a recent Nyeleti
eMagazine, “Nyeleti’s biggest
asset is its staff, no, Nyeleti is
its staff” shows the confidence
and faith senior management
has in its staff. I would also
like to transfer this ethos to the
KwaZulu-Natal office to ensure
that employees know that they
make a difference at Nyeleti,
and that their contribution to
the success of the company
is paramount and will be
highly recognised.
What advantages do you believe Nyeleti Consulting has to offer the KwaZulu-Natal community? Nyeleti’s
strategies are not based purely
on international requirements
and demands, it is focused on
Southern African needs using
international standards. This
is a distinct advantage, as
difficult decisions can be made
timeously by people who are
familiar with our African culture
and heritage. KwaZulu-Natal is
steeped in history and culture
and who better to understand
this and react to this more
profoundly than local people?
Locally based management
can significantly reduce the
turnaround time for feedback
and productivity than those who
are hindered by decision-making
management sitting in far
reaches of the world. The quality
of work at Nyeleti is continuously
improving and this is directly
linked to capacity building in
all facets of projects from the
development and training of
design staff to mentoring and
training of site staff as well
as improving the knowledge
of construction personnel with
regards to efficient construction
techniques and occupational
health and safety. Nyeleti is
creating a footprint in KwaZulu-
Natal, not only because it
makes good business sense,
but also to add value to projects
undertaken to improve the
quality of lives of the millions
of people who live in KwaZulu-
Natal. As a company, we have
a proud history of developing
communities as well as skills
transfer, and this will continue in
KwaZulu-Natal.
With its strong culture of employee empowerment, mentoring and training, what can employees expect from the company? I am proud to
say that from our ‘Mentoring
Company of the Year' award
received at the recent CESA
2014 Awards function, Nyeleti
is an industry leader in
empowering, mentoring and
training its employees. The
contributions Nyeleti makes
to these programmes far
exceeds the minimum B BBEE
requirements and the KwaZulu-
Natal branch is no different.
It has 100% black employees
and with regard to enterprise
d evelopment, the KwaZulu-Natal
office’s enterprise development
partner is also 100% black-
owned and staffed. Employees
can expect to reap the rewards
of excellent mentoring for
professional registration with
ECSA and they will also be
able to further their studies to
complete their qualifications as
well as take on postgraduate
studies if the time permits
and when the need arises.
Employees will also be able to
attend accredited courses in
order to further expand their
knowledge and also qualify
for CPD points in order to
maintain their ECSA registration.
I firmly believe that a strong
and knowledgeable staff
complement translates into a
productive and efficient office
that is also profitable.
www.nyeleti.co.za
IMIESA October 2014 41
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
CONSULTING ENGINEERS SOUTH
AFRICA recently hosted its annual
CESA Aon Engineering Excellence
Awards. The awards focus on con-
sulting engineers and their clients who partici-
pate in, or initiate, projects that promote the
advancement of the nation and the continent.
Consulting engineers are key“We too have a good story to tell,” Abe
Thela, CESA President, told those present
at the awards. Government has identified
infrastructure development as key to the
socio-economic development of the country
and there is no denying that consulting engi-
neers are at the forefront of this. Adequate
infrastructure is one of the areas crucial to
encouraging investment. With Government’s
plan to grow the economy and triple GDP by
2030, the consulting engineering industry
has a significant role to play through infra-
structure provision.
Minster of Water and Sanitation Nomvula
Mokonyane attended the event and appealed
to the consulting engineering community to
help Government deliver quality projects
within the specified time frame.
“I believe there are good men and women
[here] that can change the landscape of our
country,” said Mokonyane.
She added that consulting engineers
need to be game changers, providing skills
and making a serious commitment to
finding solutions.
Mokonyane also emphasised the need for
a 10-year plan on infrastructure, as opposed
to the short-term plans currently in place.
The winners
Projects with a value in excess of R250 million Nominees: AECOM | GIBB | Zithole Consulting
| Hatch Goba | Ingérop South Africa
Commendations: AECOM – Komati Water
Supply Augmentation Scheme | GIBB –
Kalagadi Manganese railway siding project
Winner: AECOM – Spring Grove Dam and
appurtenant works for the Trans-Caledon
Tunnel Authority
Projects with a value of between R50 and R250 millionNominees: Aurecon | Bosch Stemele |
GIBB | HHO Africa | Jeffares & Green |
Nyeleti Consulting
Commendations: Jeffares & Green –
Electron Road Waste Management
Facility | Aurecon – Grundfos office and
warehouse
Winner: Aurecon – Malmesbury Wastewater
Treatment Works
Projects with a value of less than R50 millionNominees: AECOM, GIBB,
Rewarding engineering excellence
CESA hosts its annual awards as a platform to showcase the outstanding achievements of its member firms.
CESA AON AWARDS
42 IMIESA October 2014
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
PROJECTS WITH A VALUE IN EXCESS OF R250 MILLION: AECOM
PROJECTS WITH A VALUE OF LESS THAN R50 MILLION: AURECON
Aganang Consulting Engineers joint
venture | Aurecon | GIBB |
Royal HaskoningDHV | Hatch Goba |
SMEC | UWP Consulting |
Zithole Consulting
Commendations: GIBB – Facter ton
informal sector electrification project |
SMEC – Isando pedestrian bridge
Winner: Aurecon – KwaMashu Interchange
upgrade
Best international projectNominees: Jeffares & Green | UWP
Consulting | WSP
Winner: Jeffares & Green – Lowlands
Waterworks joint venture for the Metolong
Dam pedestrian bridge
Business excellenceNominees: GIBB | Nyeleti Consulting
Commendation: GIBB
Winner: Nyeleti Consulting
Visionary client of the yearWinner: Department of Water and
Sanitation – Policy and Regulations
Directorate
Mentoring company of the yearNominees: Hatch Goba |
Nyeleti Consulting
Winner: Nyeleti Consulting
Young engineer of the yearNominees: Pavanya Pillay – GIBB | Noqobo
Bongoza – Hatch Goba | Makotsene
Makgalemele – HHO Africa | Cobus van
Dyk – UWP Consulting | Teboho Mofokeng
– Aurecon | Effor t Mokoena – SMEC |
Meethan Gokool –
Bosch Holdings
Commendations:
Cobus van Dyk – UWP
Consulting | Teboho
Mofokeng – Aurecon
Winner: Makotsene
Makgalemele
– HHO Africa
Mentor of the yearNominations: Johann van der Westhuizen
– Hatch Goba | Vernon Joubert – GIBB |
Zulch Lötter – UWP
Winner: Vernon Joubert – GIBB
Job shadow initiative of the yearRunners up: Royal HaskoningDHV | GIBB
Winner: IHSO Consulting
CESA branch of the yearWinner: KwaZulu-Natal
Publisher of the year – tradeWinner: Creamer Media
Publisher of the year – daily newspapersWinner: Independent Newspapers
“I believe there are good men and women [here] that can change the landscape of our country.” Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane
IMIESA October 2014 43
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR – DAILY NEWSPAPERS: INDEPENDANT NEWSPAPERS
PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR – TRADE PUBLICATIONS: CREAMER MEDIA
VISIONARY CLIENT OF THE YEAR:DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND SANITATION – POLICY AND REGULATIONS DIRECTORATE
BEST INTERNATIONAL PROJECT: NYELETI CONSULTING
MENTORING COMPANY OF THE YEAR: NYELETI CONSULTING
YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR: MAKOTSENE MAKGALEMELE – HHO AFRICA
MENTOR OF THE YEAR: VERNON JOUBERT – GIBB
JOB SHADOW INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR: IHSO CONSULTING
44 IMIESA October 2014
PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | PROFILE
MAKOTSENE WAS a bursary
student of HHO Africa and
began her career at the com-
pany’s Cape Town branch in
the transport division. “It’s definitely right up
my alley, it gave me such good exposure at a
very junior level,” she says.
She believes the work that she has done
for her age, the responsibility that she carries
and the faith of her colleagues at HHO Africa
are what made her stand out above other
candidates for the CESA Young Engineer of
the Year Award.
Makotsene’s first project was working on
the feeder system and conceptual design
of the MyCiti IRT between Cape Town and
Atlantis. She believes this project helped
her understand how her work directly affects
people and that engineering is more than just
a technical science.
The project that won her the award was the
rehabilitation of Newclare Road for the JDA.
Makotsene took the project from inception
to completion and acted as the resident
engineer on-site.
Winning the awardMakotsene was nominated for the award by
HHO Africa’s operations manager Don Hugo.
Makotsene explains that it was an honour
from her mentor, to feel she was worthy of
being nominated. “It meant validation, that
my company believes in me and what I do,”
she says.
“It was quite exciting and humbling to be
seen competitively with the other nominees,
because some of them were my tutors at
university and some have their masters and
PhDs, and I don’t even have my masters yet.”
Makotsene says being named the Young
Engineer of the Year has given her a sense
of confidence that doing your job really well
and doing what you believe in can make a
big difference in its own way. “Qualifications
are important, but they’re not the only thing
that makes you an outstanding citizen of the
industry,” she says.
“Potential is truly fruitful when it is applied.
Apply yourself and you will always grow.”
Volunteering and youth developmentMakotsene is passionate about youth devel-
opment and is very active in voluntary organi-
sations such as SAICE, ECSA and CESA. She
formed the CESA YPF in Johannesburg and
was involved in the formation of the Cape
Town YPF.
“I’ve got a lot of interests in the engineer-
ing industry that are beyond the technical
role of engineers. I work with a lot with
students. Most of the work I do is oriented
at positioning the youth in viable positions,”
she explains.
“Mentoring is a very big part of our indus-
try. I’ve always received great mentorship
and that mentorship has been critical in
my career.”
Making a meaningful contribution“Always ask, ‘Is what I am doing meaning-
ful?’ If it is, do what you need to do to get
it done, whether you like it or not.” This is
how Makotsene describes her stance on
engineering. “I don’t believe in doing things
that don’t add value,” she says.
Makotsene doesn’t see herself as a ‘green
finger’, but argues that sustainability has
to work economically, environmentally and
socially. For Makotsene, a key question is,
“are we producing the right people in the
right places?”
The future of the industry“I honestly hope that the future of consulting
engineering is that we are more in tune with
the political, economical and social land-
scape of the country. I think, as an industry,
we’re integral, yet we’re so removed from
those things,” Makotsene emphasises.
“The consulting engineer is meant to pro-
vide a broader input to his environment.
I’d like that we have more engineers in
Government acting politically. I think 99%
of the time, if someone were sitting with a
decision maker who was also an engineer,
some of the projects we have seen go wrong
wouldn’t have gone wrong, because they
understand the industry,” she explains.
She would also like to see consulting engi-
neers become more involved in their direct
community. “I’d like to see us get down
to grass-roots level and make changes in
municipalities that we believe in personally.
Goals for the future“I do see engineering as more than just a job.
I see it as being as essential as doctors,”
says Makotsene. “I think the position of the
industry at the moment creates the need for
individual engineers to start filling in roles
that are community-based and who can deal
with community-related issues without there
having to be a long ladder of communication.”
Makotsene hopes to one day become a
community-based resident engineer and aims
to get her master’s degree next year with a
focus on data capturing.
www.hho.co.za
Meet CESA’s
Young Engineer of the YearMakotsene Makgalemele, principal engineer at HHO Africa, has been named CESA’s Young Engineer of the Year.
IMIESA October 2014 45
ACCORDING ECONOMIST JP
Landman, South Africa’s current
investment level in infrastructure,
as a percentage of GDP, is already
much higher than most developing nations
and is just short of China’s 8%. Standing at
7.4%, we are back to the levels we saw just
prior to the FIFA World Cup. With numbers
like these, and public sector professionals
like Pravin Gordhan, Lindiwe Sisulu and
Nomvula Mokonyane, we may be on the
verge of another growth spurt.
Maladministration, corruption, tender
fraud, incompetence, skills shortage and
policy stagnation; these are the words we
hear whenever the subject of municipal deliv-
ery and administration is discussed. There
are instances where all of the above apply
and the recent dissolution of the Ngaka
Modiri Molema District Municipality in the
North West is one such example. However,
the situation is far more nuanced and suc-
cessful interventions require a deeper under-
standing of the problems.
In theory, levers such as the Municipal
Finance Management Act (MFMA) and the
Municipal Systems Act (MSA) should weed
out the problems, and help identify what skill
sets are needed to fix them. Other than in
cases of gross mismanagement and criminal
behaviour, these problems did not develop in
isolation or overnight. The perspective that a
once-working system has been broken is fal-
lacious. Since 1994, local government has
been revolutionised to attempt to deliver on
their constitutional mandate of delivery to
all. The technology revolution experienced
since then has created a completely dif-
ferent set of opportunities and challenges.
The question is whether or not the existing
regulatory and policy levers take advantage
of this.
Pravin Gordhan – experience and disciplineThe Department of Cooperative Governance
and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) is in charge
of developing national policies and leg-
islation with regard to provinces, munici-
palities and local government. It is also
responsible for overseeing the traditional
leadership of South Africa’s indigenous
communities. The appointment of former
Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan as
CoGTA minister was seen by some as a
step down for Gordhan, but several leading
economists consider Gordhan’s experience
and discipline is exactly what is needed.
Gordhan aims to professionalise local
government and tackle political par ty
structures that compromise efficient ser-
vice delivery by employing unqualified or
incompetent people.
“The first thing we need is the support
mechanism to get off the ground. Where
the law is being defied either in Government
terms, financial terms or delivery terms,
then the appropriate action is required,”
says Minister Gordhan.
He says his department will support
municipalities and build their capabilities
to enable them to deliver. He also outlines
that one of the objectives within the National
Development Plan is to reduce the cost of
living for South Africans.
Working for citizens“A very high percentage of our people’s
disposable incomes are spent on transport
and a very large percentage of time is spent
on travelling to and from work. Over the next
five to ten years, restructuring our environ-
ment in cities, towns and villages is going
to be a key area that we look into,” Minister
Gordhan adds. “We need to collaborate with
organised local government to ensure that
there’s stability, and that people’s lives are
improved on a systematic basis.
“This is about ensuring that the rights
of ordinary South Africans that are in the
Bill of Rights are enjoyed by all, whether
it is access to water, housing or a safe
environment. None of these are going to be
achieved overnight because we are still a
young democracy,” says Minister Gordhan.
Minister Gordhan has emphasised that
for municipalities to be effective, CoGTA will
work and monitor them closely to institution-
alise systems that will ensure that they:
All systems goKey post-election appointments earlier this year reflect a new commitment to delivery from Government. In this new regular feature, Nicholas McDiarmid examines the development of public/private cooperation in infrastructure development.
GOVERNMENT VOICE
46 IMIESA October 2014
Personal Date of Birth: 12 April 1949Marital status: Married with two children
Positions• Member of Parliament
from 1994 until 1998• Chairperson of
the Constitutional Committee in Parliament from 1996
• Deputy Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service from March 1998
• Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service from November 1999
• Minister of Finance of the Republic of South Africa from 11 May 2009 to 23 May 2014
Academic Qualifications• Bachelor of Pharmacy
from the University of Durban Westville (1973)
Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities • Became involved in poli-
tics during the late 1960s• Organised and led the
student movement and civic structures during the 1970s and 1980s
• Took part in the Natal Indian Congress call to boycott elections in the 1980s
• Detained three times by the apartheid government
• Spent four years in underground structures
• Was also involved in the South African Communist Party and African National Congress
• Worked as a pharmacist at the King Edward VII hospital in Durban until he was expelled after his detention by the police (1974 to 1981)
• Participated in the multiparty talks at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) (1990)
• Co-chairperson of the Transitional Executive Council that prepared the country for the 1994 elections (1991 to 1994)
• Played a role in draft-ing the White Paper on
Local Government, which laid the founda-tion for developing local government authorities
• Chairperson of the Constitutional Committee in Parliament, which had oversight over the imple-mentation of the new constitution, a dopted in 1996
• Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) until July 2006
• Chairperson of the Forum on Tax Administration (FTA) within the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) from 2008
Awards/Presentations/Bursaries• Doctorate of Commerce
honoris causa from University of South Africa (May 2007)
• Doctorate of Law honoris causa from the University of Cape Town (June 2007)
• DTech: Business Administration from the Free State Central University of Technology (March 2009)
• provide and deliver a basket of services
to citizens
• implement governance structures, with
relevant committees, that meet and func-
tion properly and provide transparency
and accountability
• lead administration systems staffed by com-
petent individuals who are suitably qualified
• put financial management systems with
the necessary controls that are supported
by cash-backed budgets, municipalities will
also be monitored to ensure that wasteful
expenditure is cut and that procurement
processes are properly implemented
• implement post-audit action plans in order
to clear out findings and matters that have
been raised in their audits. They need to
take decisive action to deal with instances
of fraud and corruption.
These interventions will lower service deliv-
ery protests and speed up service delivery.
Value and integrity in the public sectorMinister Gordhan recently issued a call to
establish an Advisory Committee of Eminent
Persons, drawn from various sectors –
including civil society – to advise him on
issues arising in the procurement system
within local government, as well as on how
to increase integrity and the value system in
this sphere of the public sector.
Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA)
has voiced explicit support for such a body,
noting that this aligns with its own call for
the establishment of a Chapter 9 institution
for the construction industry. “For years now,
we have been calling for a total overhaul of
the current procurement regime, which has
relegated the duty of consulting engineers
from that of the trusted adviser to clients, to
a situation where engineers have to tender
for work. Hence, we are ready to partner
with CoGTA in its quest to create an Advisory
Committee of Eminent Persons,” says CESA
CEO Lefadi Makibinyane.
Transparency and National TreasuryThe municipal audits conducted by the
Auditor-General have shown over many years
that financial management falls short of
requirements. This has been severely com-
pounded by the exodus of technical skills
and engineering expertise from municipali-
ties since 1994, to the point where very
MEET THE MINISTER: PRAVIN JAMNADAS GORDHAN
GOVERNMENT VOICE
46 IMIESA October 2014
few professional engineers are employed within the municipal
sector. Approximately 70% of the country’s municipalities do not
count even a single engineer among its staff. “CESA is commit-
ted to assisting municipalities in addressing this problem in the
short term through the employment of its member firms and in
the long term through the training and mentoring of municipal
technical staff.”
CoGTA will work closely with the National Treasury and the
Auditor-General to improve its audits and ensure that performance
improves. Minister Gordhan has committed CoGTA to establishing
systems to enable the ministry to monitor the performance of
every municipality on a day-to-day basis, providing a high degree of
transparency and accountability to citizens.
Private sector support Makibinyane adds that with regard to the Minister’s views on
economic development, such as the Community Work Programme
and the development of local economics, CESA believes that its
member firms – being responsible for infrastructure planning and
design – are in a strong position to support municipalities and
contribute significantly in this regard.
“We shall continue making it clear that the preparation of infra-
structure development projects as well as their planning and design
lie within the expertise of the consulting engineering profession.
Until such time, which may take decades, that the municipalities
have built this capacity, our member firms shall continue to be the
only source of support at all levels of Government. CESA is the
integral professional resource that must be effectively utilised to
conceptualise, design and supervise the procurement and imple-
mentation of the infrastructure projects while, at the same time,
providing the fertile experiential training and development ground
for the future internal capacity of the municipalities. This will be
the litmus test of the technical capability of the municipalities,”
emphasises Makibinyane.
Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula MokonyaneThe Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, has
made a passionate plea and a clarion call for consulting engi-
neers to partner with Government and perform their duty with
integrity and improve the quality of life of the people for a better
life for all.
“We represent a new department informed by the National
Development Plan. Government is repositioning water and sanita-
tion, after 20 years of democracy, owing to service delivery chal-
lenges. We require your radical contributions to deliver water and
sanitation solutions to our people. You are game changers and
help us make a difference in the lives of our people by delivering
services to some who have become observers of service delivery
but not beneficiaries,” urged Mokonyane at this year's CESA Aon
Engineering Excellence Awards.
The Minister focused on the role that consulting engineers can
play in partnering with government to ensure the roll-out of the
National Infrastructure Plan is effectively implemented. Other high-
profile dignitaries that graced this auspicious occasion with their
esteemed presence included one of the top six leaders in the ruling
party as well as its Treasury General, Dr Zweli Mkhize and Ismail
Vadi, Member of the Executive Council for Roads and Transport in
the Gauteng provincial government.
IMIESA October 2014 47
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SABITA
IN THE ROAD construction industry, the
most prevalent consumption is in natu-
ral and processed aggregates/gravels
and in the energy required to manufac-
ture hot mix asphalt (HMA) at temperatures
of up to 180°C.
HMA, the most widespread paving technol-
ogy until 2006, came under scrutiny at the
World of Asphalt Conference in Orlando,
USA, in 2006, where it was noted that – with
the addition of certain additives – asphalt
mixes can be successfully prepared in a
temperature range of 120°C to 135°C, while
achieving adequate aggregate coating and
workability during laying and compaction.
An important benefit is the significant
reduction in fume emissions both during
manufacture and application – an issue
vital to the continued health and safety of
workers in the asphalt manufacture and
paving sectors.
A research programme initiated by the
Southern African Bitumen Association
(Sabita) resulted in the formation, in
September 2008, of the Warm Mix Asphalt
Interest Group made up of representatives
of Sabita and the client bodies. Tasked with
laying the groundwork for the development
of guidelines and evaluation of trial sections
to assess the benefits of various warm mix
asphalt technologies, the group decided
to initiate trials with a single mix, while
keeping the door open for future technologi-
cal variations.
South Africa’s first WMA trialsThe country’s first warm mix asphalt
(WMA) trials were successfully carried out
on Brackenhill Road near Durban, during
November 2008. The main aim of the trial
was to confirm that asphalt mixes could be
produced and paved at significantly lower
temperatures, and to develop a working
template for use in further trials. The trend
towards the use of WMA was already widely
accepted in Europe, North America and the
Far East, where the cost and environmental
benefits had been recognised, resulting in a
significant increase in the use of WMA.
A second series of WMA trials was carried
out in May and early June 2009 on Leicester
Road, in the industrial area of Mobeni, over
a total area of about 20 000 m2, using
WMA technologies incorporating Sasobit and
Rediset additives. An innovation, further sup-
plementing the sustainability benefits of WMA,
was the incorporation of recycled asphalt to
underpin the element of resource conserva-
tion. Additional trials were carried out through-
out 2009 and 2010, aimed at testing the:
• 30˚C temperature reduction frontier in the
manufacturing and paving processes
• use of between 40% and 60% reclaimed
asphalt in the trial mix
• use of polymer modified binders in WMA.
It was also intended that experience with
varying WMA technologies would be expand-
ed to incorporate the use of foamed bitu-
men. In order to expand the traditional
avenues of quality control, thermal imagery
and compaction management software were
employed to encourage ‘whole area’ quality
control rather than by sampling only.
Technology of choiceBy the end of 2010, the routine use of WMA
was a reality in South Africa and already
entrenched as eThekwini Municipality’s
technology of choice. Two separate tech-
nologies had grown in preference – the first
consisting of a locally developed foamed
bitumen technology, which was used in the
asphalt base mix on the Route M5 through
the Durban suburb of Malvern and the
other, a rheology modifier polymer hybrid
type WMA, used as an asphalt sur facing
mix in Greyville. The mixes on both projects
contained 15% of reclaimed asphalt (RA),
significantly reducing the dependence on
natural aggregate supplies.
The WMA interest group noted at the
end of 2010 that a by-product of the WMA
trials to that date was that they sparked
intense scrutiny throughout the asphalt man-
ufacturing and paving chains, placing issues
ranging from moisture used in quarrying
Warm mix asphalt – a sustainable technology
Sustainability relies on the cornerstones of natural resource conservation and minimising energy utilisation.
SABITA
IMIESA October 2014 49
operations for processing materials to total
quality control and energy consumption under
the spotlight.
Benefits and risksBased on the initial research and industrial
experience gained through the extensive tri-
als conducted by the eThekwini Municipality,
an MSc thesis paper – investigating the
benefits and risks of both WMA and RA –
was recently published by Riaan Stander of
Roadmac Surfacing.
The thesis notes: “WMA technology is
currently not used extensively irrespective
of the prospects for its successful, wider
application in South Africa, however, major
asphalt suppliers in the country have geared
themselves up to implement this technology,
and it is expected that as practitioners come
to realise and appreciate both the economic
and environmental benefits of these technol-
ogies, an increase in their usage will become
established practice.”
The successful use of higher percentages
of RA incorporated in WMA is allowing the
revisiting of the return on capital invest-
ment on initial road construction and itera-
tions of rehabilitation. Factors such as
international peer pressure and the pros-
pects of the imposition of a carbon tax were
identified as further drivers to establish
these technologies.
It has become clear that while a number
of road authorities are supportive of RA and
WMA technologies – notably the KwaZulu-
Natal Department of Transport, the Gauteng
Department of Roads and Transport, eThek-
wini Municipality and SANRAL, other provinc-
es and municipalities appear to be lagging
behind in their implementation.
The thesis reached a number of conclusions:
Both the RA and the WMA technology offer a
reduction in both environmental impact and
cost. This advantage is underpinned by three
references, namely: the literature review,
specialist interviews and the LCA and LCCA.
The combined use of these technologies
offers even more benefits in relation to the
environment and project costs.
Four of the five life-cycle phases of asphalt
benefit from the application of RA and WMA
technologies. They are the procurement, pro-
duction, construction and end-of-life phases
(as yet, we have proved that asphalt has no
end-of-life phase and with rejuvenators even
less so). RA technology was found to have
a beneficial effect on the procurement and
the end-of-life phases, and WMA technology
was found to have a beneficial effect on the
production and construction phases.
A limited number of authorities are cur-
rently supporting these technologies. Four
authorities were identified as being innova-
tive and supportive, of which two are provin-
cial, one is municipal and one is a national
authority. The lack of interest can be attrib-
uted to the eroded professional resources
and a lack of creative thought and policy for-
mulation in respect to these technologies.
The phases that hold the most risk for the
integration of these technologies are the
design and production phases due to a lack
of national standards and guideline manu-
als. The construction phase is considered
not to hold much risk.
Mr J Pelser Actophambili Roads (Pty) LtdPO Box 16661 Atlasville 1465
Mr JJS Weidemann Aecom SA (Pty) LtdPO Box 3173 Pretoria 0001
Mr R Bonser Afrisam SA (Pty) Ltd PO Box 6367 Weltevreden Park 1715
Mr KP Thomas AG Thomas (Pty) Ltd PO Box 100 Manzini, Swaziland M200
Ms AJ Broom AJ Broom Road Products CCPO Box 16421 Dowerglen 1612
Mr A Pegge Amandlagcf Construction CC PO Box 6064 Welgemoed 7534
Mr R Lehman Ammann Construction Machinery Sa Suite 253, Private Bag X43 Rynfield Benoni 1500
Ms I Erlank Anton Paar Southern AfricaPO Box 50471 Randjiesfontein 1683
Mr JPJ Webb Aqua Transport & Plant Hire (Pty) Ltd Private Bag X11 Ashwood 3605
Mr A Page-Wood Asphalt Services CCPO Box 1765 East London 5200
Mr P Grindley Astec – Asphalt Technology CCPO Box 589 Rothdene 1964
Mr J Calitz AureconPO Box 74381 Lynnwood Ridge 0040
Mr DA Rose AureconPO Box 494 Cape Town 8000
Mr AH Beosumbar Beosumbar and Associates CCPO Box 605 Westville 3630
Mr JW Hodgson Bigen Africa Services (Pty) LtdPO Box 1070 Bellville 7535
Mr AL Botha Bitumen Supplies & Services (Pty) LtdPO Box 1028 Sunninghill 2157
Mr D SmithBitumen World (Pvt) Ltd PO Box AY 20 Amby, Harare, Zimbabwe
Mr DC Collings BSM Laboratories (Pty) LtdPO Box 15318 Westmead 3608
Mr A Greyling BVI Consulting Engineers WC (Pty) LtdPO Box 86 Century City 7446
Mr P Neal Cape Peninsula University of Technology ABC Building, 1st Floor, Symphony Way Bellville 7530
Ms S Britz Colas Sou Th Africa (Pty) LtdPO Box 82 Eppindust 7475
Mr B Theron Concor Roads & EarthworksPO Box 585 Bedfordview 2008
Mr L Song Daewoo Industrial Co Ltd #54-2,Soomyeon Jeongnam Gyeonggi, Korea
Ms Z Coetzee Delta Bec (Pty) LtdPO Box 35703 Menlo Park 0102
Mr RC King Dick King Lab Supplies (Pty) Ltd PO Box 82138 Southdale 2135
Mr WAG Venter Dmv Harrismith (Pty) Ltd PO Box 912 Harrismith 9880
Mr R Ntombela Dupont de Nemours Int Sa PO Box 3332 Halfway House 1635
Mr TW McKune Durban University of TechnologyPO Box 101112 Pietermaritzburg 3209
Sabita listings
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Mr TD La Grange EFG Engineers (Pty) LtdPO Box 3800 Durbanville 7551
Mr G Brown Gavin Brown & Associates 24 Botanic Grove Berea 4001
Mr AJ Moffett Gibb (Pty) LtdPO Box 3965 Cape Town 8000
Mr GM Hattingh GMH Tswelelo Consulting EngineersPO Box 2201 Randburg 2125
Mr TF Moolman Group 5 Civil Engineering (Pty) LtdPO Box 1750 Bedfordview 2008
Mr GJ Loubser Hatch Goba (Pty) LtdPO Box 180 Sunninghill 2157
Mr AJ Laatz HHO AfricaPO Box 6503 Roggebaai 8012
Mr LC Raman Iliso Consulting (Pty) LtdPO Box 686 Gillits 3603
Mr J Pietersen ImesaPO Box 2190 Westville 3630
Mr S Tinarwo Instant Tar SurfacesPO Box 17219 Norkem Park 1631
Mr J Van Niekerk Javseal (Pty) LtdPO Box 26317 Isipingo Beach 4115
Mr PA Olivier Jeffares and Green (Pty) LtdPO Box 1109 Sunninghill 2157
Mr GR Tyndall Kantey and Templer (Pty) LtdPO Box 3132 Cape Town 8000
Mr GM James Kaymac (Pty) Ltd T/A KaytechPO Box 116 Pinetown 3600
Mr M Fynn Lafarge Industries SA (Pty) Ltd Private Bag X26 Gallo Manor 2052
Mr MA Van ReenenLetaba Lab (Pty) LtdPO Box 739 White River 1240
Mr W TendaupenyuLidwala Consulting Engineers (Pty) LtdPO Box 2930 Nelspruit 1200
Mr SRM Adande Mdubane Energy Services (Pty) LtdPO Box 4876 Durban 4000
Mr W Reusch Milling Techniks (Pty) LtdPO Box 779 Gillits 3603
Mr B Burger Mmila Civils & Traffic Services (Pty) LtdPO Box 40158 Faerie Glen 0043
Mr JA Krüger More Asphalt (Pty) LtdPO Box 2180 Durbanville 7550
Mr JR Uys Mott MacDonaldPO Box 7786 Roggebaai 8012
Mr S Dewnath MTTC (Pty) LtdPO Box 1901 Silverton 0127
Mr BC Greyling Much Asphalt (Pty) LtdPO Box 49 Eersterivier 7103
Mr DS Judd N3 Toll Concession (Pty) LtdPO Box 67166 Highveld Park 0169
Mr F Samaai Nadeson Consulting ServicesPO Box 51121 V&A Waterfront 8002
Mr M Manicum Naidu Consulting (Pty) LtdPO Box 2796 Westway Office Park 3635
Mr J Strydom Namibia Technical Services CCPO Box 30623 Pioneers Park Windhoek Namibia
Mr N Nathoo Nathoo Mbenyane EngineersPO Box 47595 Greyville 4023
Mr S Pretorius National AsphaltPO Box 1657 Hillcrest 3650
Mr A Nagel Nelson Mandela Metropolitan UniversityPO Box 77000Port Elizabeth 6031
Mr N Govender Nolans Earthworks & Plant CCPO Box 28617 Haymarket 3200
Mr L Heathcote Outeniqua Lab (Pty) LtdPO Box 3186 George Industria 6536
Mr G Catin Phambili Road Surfacing (Pty) LtdPO Box 145 Mkondeni 3204
Mr T FreestonePolokwane Surfacing (Pty) LtdPO Box 288 Ladanna 0704
Mr N BurgerPower Construction (Pty) LtdPO Box 129 Blackheath 7581
Mr M Kohlberg Rand Roads (Div of Grinaker-Lta) Ltd Private Bag X030 Kempton Park 1620
Ms S Rattray Rankin Engineering ConsultantsPO Box 50566 Lusaka Zambia
Mr KG Rocher Raubex (Pty) LtdPO Box 10302 Ashwood 3605
Mr T Saks Reliance Lab Equip (Pty) LtdPO Box 911-489 Rosslyn 0200
Mr F Kemp Roadspan Asphalt Plants (Pty) LtdPO Box 30550 Jet Park 1469
Mr PB Joubert Royal HaskoningDHVPO Box 867 Gallo Manor 2146
Mr JB Lansdell Salphalt (Pty) LtdPO Box 234 Isando 1600
Mr BI Jonsson SarfPO Box 8379 Birchleigh 1621
Mr J van Heerden Sasol Technology Fuels ResearchPO Box 1 Sasolburg 1947
Dr SJ Strydom Sasol Wax (Div of Sci) Chemcity 2PO Box 1 Sasolburg 1947
Mr RL Hornsey Shell SA Marketing (Pty) Ltd 6 Ipivi Road Kloof 3610
Mr A Taute SMEC South Africa (Pty) LtdPO Box 72927 Lynnwood Ridge 0040
Mr CH Loots Specialised Road Technologies (Pty) LtdPO Box 15324 Westmead 3608
Mr SO Single Spray Pave (Pty) LtdPO Box 674 Alberton 1450
Mr A Van Rooyen Tar Spray (Pty) Ltd Suite 418, Private Bag X153 Bryanston 2021
Mr MP Prinsloo Tau Pele Construction (Pty) LtdPO Box 13125 Noordstad 9302
Mr D Pagel Tosas (Pty) LtdPO Box 14159 Wadeville 1422
Mr G Diepraam Total SA (Pty) LtdPO Box 579 Saxonwold 2132
Mr RB Purchase TPA Consulting (Pty) LtdPO Box 1575 Westville 3630
Prof GJ Jordaan Tshepega Engineering (Pty) LtdPO Box 33783 Glenstantia 0010
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Mr G Verwey WorleyParsons Rsa (Pty) Ltd PO Box 22 Menlyn 0063
Mr MP Bouwmeester WSP Group Africa (Pty) Ltd PO Box 98867 Sloane Park 2152
Mr JM Pearce Zebra Surfacing (Pty) Ltd PO Box 14335 Kenwyn 7790
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54 IMIESA October 2014
WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER
THESE INCLUDE storage of toxic
chemicals under exothermic condi-
tions while maintaining GCL hydra-
tion and removing volatile organic
compounds. A recent publication states:
“Pollution flows from the ageing, leaky
ponds that many plants use to store their
toxic slurries.”
It further states: “Toxic chemicals also
seep from unlined ponds and dry waste
landfills into ground and surface waters
leaving behind a persistent lethal legacy.”
The much-respected EPA admits according to
this publication that these standards “do not
adequately address the toxic pollutants dis-
charged from the electric power industry.”
Background1.1 Composite Liner PerformanceAn analysis of regulatory requirements
(Koerner and Koerner, 1999) indicates that
containment barriers regularly comprise of
a leachate collection system which is to
reduce the hydraulic gradient across the
liner; a liner system which is typically a
Technical paper
Expanding containment barrier boundaries
Clean water is a basic human right, we all deserve safe drinking water and clean lakes and rivers to boat and play. This paper proposes a method to extend the life expectancy and efficiency of geosynthetics where used in combination with challenging environments. By W. Meyer, P.J. Meyer and C.J. Gundle
IMIESA October 2014 55
WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER
composite geomembrane and clay compo-
nent to fulfil a containment function, and a
leak detection system which is given effect
by the provision of a secondary liner.
The performance of such composite liners
should be evaluated based on total solute
transport, which considers both advec-
tive losses as well as diffusion of volatile
organic compounds in the waste stream
(Foose et al., 2002).
1.1.1 Construction Phase Influences
The climatic conditions during construction
can significantly reduce liner performance.
Sunshine may induce desiccation, cracking
of the clay component, in particular of pre-
hydrated and uncovered GCLs, as well as
induce wrinkles in the geomembrane, which
would lead to increased advective losses.
Excessive rain on the clay component can
lead to displacement of the fine fraction at
the interface and resultant pervious zones,
while wind too can displace the fine fraction,
which is critical to controlling impermeability.
Hydration of the GCL component of a com-
posite liner prior to its exposure to leachate
is required; however, this hydration should
take place after application of a normal load
(Vangapaisel et al., 2002). This is extremely
difficult when the GCL is part of a compos-
ite liner and isolated from soil moisture
by either the leakage detection system or
underlying secondary liner geomembrane.
Pre-hydration by means of spraying water
on the GCL immediately prior to covering
with a geomembrane induces damages such
as squeeze of the bentonite and preferential
flow paths through cracks. The failure to pre-
hydrate a GCL prior to its exposure to lea-
chate, especially if containing hydrocarbons
or salts, will result in a loss of performance.
1.1.2 Service Life Influences
The lifetime prediction of a geomembrane
has been addressed by numerous authors
(Sangam & Rowe, 2002; Koerner & Hsuan,
2003; Rowe, 2005) for exposure to elevat-
ed temperature and various fluids. These
elevated temperatures significantly reduce
the service life of the geomembrane, may
induce desiccation cracking of underlying
clay components of composite liners and
increase the total solute transport.
The relatively small temperature increase
in the lower range of 10°C to 35°C on a com-
posite liner, increased diffusion by 100%
and hydraulic conductivity (or advection) by
80% (Rowe, 2005). Similar considerations
need to be given to the drainage system per-
formance, which is affected by both normal
stress resulting in intrusion, and elevated
temperature-induced deformations, causing
a reduction in performance of geosynthetic
drainage systems.
1.2 Temperature ConsiderationsThe negative effect of temperature on geo-
synthetic components is a topic that attract-
ed the attention of numerous researchers
over the past decade. The seriousness of
this limitation has been recognised by lead-
ing geomembrane manufacturers who are
investing in the development of tempera-
ture resistant geomembranes (Ramsey &
Wu, 2013).
The thermal conductivity of GCLs was
investigated and showed that the thermal
conductivity increased with the increase in
moisture content (Sing & Bouazza, 2013).
This may lead to the GCL acting as an insu-
lator if it is not properly hydrated, which will
cause elevated temperatures on the primary
geomembrane due the heat buildup.
1.2.1 Landfill Barrier Systems
The heat generated within the waste body
due to exothermic biological degradation or
chemical reactions or combinations there-
of result in elevated temperatures of the
leachate and gas, and hence the base
liner system.
It was found that the rate of rise of tem-
perature can vary and that while the onset
of the rise may be some years after the start
of deposition, this elevated temperature
could last as long as forty years (Yoshida &
Rowe, 2003). They conclude that the tem-
peratures around landfill liners are gener-
ally below 50°C while the waste is generally
above 50°C, for the municipal solid waste
landfills studied.
At a hazardous waste site in South Africa,
temperatures have been measured in the
leachate above the composite liner in the
range of 57°C to 65°C. Partial clogging or the
reduction in drainage efficiency of the overly-
ing leachate collection system can result in
leachate mounding and higher temperatures
directly above the geomembrane. Similarly,
piggyback liners above MSW are reported to
be at 60°C and liners beneath MSW furnace
bottom ash temperature as high as 85°C
due to pozzolanic action (Legge, 2011). The
industry press has reported still higher tem-
peratures in an MSW landfill in the US result-
ing in leachate temperatures in the order of
100°C due to aluminium dros reacting with
ash and a resultant out-of-court settlement
accompanied by $10 million fine by the US
Environmental Protection Agency.
1.2.2 Heap Leach Pads
The use of geomembranes underneath heap
leach facilities is common practice as the
chemicals used to extract the metals from the
ore are exceptionally damaging to the environ-
ment. Furthermore, the chemicals’ main func-
tion is to extract the metal from the ore body
and the pregnant solution migrates towards
the base of the leach pad where it is collected
and extracted for further processing.
Biooxidation of sulphide minerals, being
an exothermic process, produces significant
heating in heaps (Pradhan et al., 2008).
Computer modelling has shown that the
base of heap leach pads can reach 45°C
(Thiel & Smith, 2004). The rain shield com-
monly used over heap leach pads to prevent
water from entering the heap acts as an
insulator, thereby trapping the heat within
the heap (Ramsey & Wu, 2013).
2. Expanding the boundariesThe foregoing shows that there is a need in
the geomembrane industry to mitigate the
effects of elevated temperature on compos-
ite liners, post loading hydration of GCLs
and the removal of volatile organic com-
pounds to expand the performance of the
conventional geomembrane installations.
2.1 PrincipleA concept was developed which involves
drawing a fluid under negative pressure
through a pervious zone adjacent to the bar-
rier so that the fluid could be used to both
cool the primary composite lining and adja-
cent drainage systems, as well as introduce
moisture to the GCL beneath the overlying
geomembrane for its hydration (after place-
ment of a normal load and prior to the risk
of its exposure to leachate).
The failure to pre-hydrate a GCL prior to its exposure to leachate, especially if containing hydrocarbons or salts, will result in a loss of performance
56 IMIESA October 2014
WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER
The fluid (gaseous, liquid or two-phase
mixture) passing through the pervious zone
would also maintain the leak detection sys-
tem at a low to zero concentration of VOCs,
thus preventing their further diffusion into
the adjacent environment. The possibility
of the negative pressure to enhance the
intimate contact between the geomembrane
and the GCL, especially on a micro scale,
should not be overlooked.
The negative pressure is essential so as
to ensure no introduction of oxygen to the
waste body through a discontinuity of the
base geomembrane, which could induce
spontaneous combustion, depending on
the composition of the contained waste.
The negative pressure results in a net
outward flow toward the leakage detection
system sump.
This concept was proven by a range of
laboratory experiments as well as an infield
application. The results of these experi-
ments were previously published (Gundle
et al., 2013) and will not be dealt with in
this publication.
2.2 BenefitsThe regulatory standards are becoming
increasingly stricter. Regulators are mov-
ing in the direction of requiring designers
to address the mitigation effects of heat
on a barrier installation to ensure that the
required design service life is achieved.
Furthermore, should VOCs be present in
the containment facility, the designer has to
address this and provide a solution to pre-
vent VOCs from contaminating the subsoil.
This system provides designers with a
practical, low-maintenance and cost-effec-
tive solution to address the requirements
enforced by regulators but even more impor-
tant, it couples the expansion of the bar-
rier’s service life, extracts VOCs as well
as overcomes construction challenges to
hydrating and maintaining the optimal hydra-
tion of the clay component to ultimately
protect our environment.
Important and very exciting to note is
the ability of the system to transform a
geosynthetic barrier into a closed system
where the user has the ability to manipulate
the environmental conditions surrounding
the barrier in such a manner that we
can extend the service life of our geosyn-
thetic materials to greater boundaries than
currently achievable.
3. Design and constructionThis section reports on the design and
construction on two facilities where
the enhanced barrier system (EBS) is
being applied.
The first facility where this technology will
be utilised is at a hazardous waste sludge
lagoon for a multinational company. The
facility is 50 hectares in footprint and 10
metres deep. The waste facility design was
able to conform to the conventional double
composite liner with an intermediate leak-
detection layer of a hazardous waste lagoon
containment barrier standard. This barrier
design addressed seepage but required the
EBS to resolve diffusion and hydration of the
primary liner GCL.
The second facility where this technology
will be utilised has, at the time of writing
IMIESA October 2014 57
WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER
this publication, just been completed from
a design point of view and construction is
to commence soon. This installation is for
a hazardous waste landfill facility and will
make use of all three functions of the EBS,
removal of heat from the geosynthetic bar-
rier, hydration of the primary liner GCL as
well as the removal of VOCs.
3.1 DesignThe most important design aspect to ensure
successful operation of the system is that
of even air flow throughout the facility. Each
facility is unique and the site-specific param-
eters as well as the composition of the bar-
rier system components have to be taken
into account at the start of a design.
To ensure even air flow through the facil-
ity as well as optimise the size and power
consumption of the mechanical extraction
fan the facility is divided into compart-
ments. The widths of the compartments are
calculated based on the pressure drop over
the corresponding flow section to ensure
evenly distributed flow as well as taking
into account the width of the geomembrane
sheets to ensure a practical design. Refer to
Figure 1 below for a typical segment at the
50 hectare facility.
The design of the air flow, selection of the
mechanical extraction fan as well as the
required piping are all based on the basic
fundamentals of fluid dynamics, refer to the
Bernoulli equation below.
Where p1 = inlet pressure
ρ = fluid density
g = gravitational acceleration
V1 = inlet velocity
z1 = elevation at inlet
p2 = outlet pressure
V2 = outlet velocity
z2 = elevation at outlet
hf = system frictional head losses
hm = minor head losses
hp = pump head.
3.1.1 Hazardous Waste Lagoon
Getting back to the hazardous waste lagoon,
we had to consider pre-hydration means of
the GCLs in the primary and secondary com-
posite liners, the rate and direction of the
advancing wetting front, and the direction of
pollutant migration. This led to the selection
of different GCLs in the enclosed primary
liner and in the secondary liner applications.
The vacuum induction system with
inlets and outlets was designed so as to
make use of readily available fittings and
vacuum pumps.
The system is designed to induce conden-
sation at the fluid inlet to assist with the
rapid hydration of the primary liner GCL.
3.1.2 Hazardous Waste Landfill
The design at this facility took into consid-
eration the same aspects as described in
section 3.1.1 above. However due to the
requirement to extract heat from the bar-
rier system, the fluid flow design was opti-
mised to ensure adequate convection heat
transfer between the barrier components
and that of the cooler fluid passing under
a negative pressure through the leakage
detection layer.
3.1.3 Working Principle
Figure 2 below describes the working princi-
ple of the fluid movement through the pervi-
ous zone in the barrier system from a more
practical perspective.
The vacuum pump induces the negative
pressure to the system, which consequently
allows a fluid to enter the flow distribu-
tion header, typically located within the
anchor trench of a segment. To control the
volume flow through the compartment, a
control valve is located on the fluid inlet
side to vary the flow resistance to meet the
system requirements.
From the distribution header, the fluid
spreads evenly along the pervious zone to
the suction manifold, which is located at
FIGURE 1: Typical segment at a specific facility
FIGURE 2: Working principle
58 IMIESA October 2014
WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER
the deepest point, as it may be utilised as
the leakage detection piping. The fluid is
further conveyed towards the pump station
where the piping from all the segments joins
into a common manifold, which is ultimately
connected to the vacuum pump inlet. Due
to possibility of liquid in the piping, a coun-
terweight mechanism is attached to the end
of each segment’s leakage detection piping
that is closed during normal operation until a
certain static head is reached, at which the
mechanism will open, discharge the fluid,
and close to continue with normal operation.
3.2 Construction3.2.1 Earthworks
The basic geomembrane-lined earth dam
construction principals are applied, and
include: engineered sloping walls and floors
with a regular slope towards the lowest
point of the dam with subsoil drains, stand-
ard compaction requirements and surface
finishes.
3.2.2 Geomembrane Installation
Standard geomembrane installation prac-
tice is followed giving attention to specific
design principles and thermal expansion
and contraction wrinkles.
3.2.2.1 Anchor Trenches
Anchor trenches are adapted to accommo-
date the fluid extraction system.
Timeous backfilling of trenches is impor-
tant to prevent any localised tension in the
geomembrane due to thermal expansion
and contraction.
3.2.2.2 Installation of Components of the
Fluid Extraction System
Particular care should be taken to ensure
that the installation is according to the
design requirements. Connection of the
piping to the geomembrane in the anchor
trench as well as to the leakage detection
piping is critical to proper performance of
the system.
3.2.2.3 Compartment Segmentation
Effective separation of compartments needs
to be achieved.
3.2.2.4 Quality Control
As with any installation, the quality control
needs to be an integral part of the installa-
tion. QC procedures and documentation are
completed and exercised diligently. Electric
leak detection is performed on all the
geomembranes to ensure that a quality
product is delivered.
4. ConclusionThis paper acknowledges that barrier sys-
tems have limitations to per formance
influenced by temperature, hydration of
clay components post loading but prior
to exposure to waste, and diffusion of
VOCs. Regulations require designers to
quantify the service life of geosynthetics
in waste facilities and specify how they are
FIGURE 3 Earthworks preparation
FIGURE 4 Progress of geomembrane installation
IMIESA October 2014 59
WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER
to mitigate the effects of heat on the geo-
synthetic components as well as the total
solute transport through the geomembrane.
Consequently, a proven system is described
that has the ability to overcome these chal-
lenges and expand the boundaries of barrier
systems. The system applies a fluid under
negative pressure to pass through the leak-
age detection system to remove the heat
from the geosynthetic components, hydrate
a GCL after application of a normal load and
prior to exposure to leachate, as well as
remove the diffused VOCs from the barrier
system to prevent them from contaminating
the groundwater. Furthermore, some insight
into the design and practical installation of
the system was shared to improve the under-
standing on the system.
Ultimately, the system described provides
the industry with an innovative technology
that can be utilised to overcome the limita-
tions faced in geosynthetic barrier systems.
FIGURE 5 Suction manifold connection in anchor trench
WORLDWIDE PATENTAquatan is the proprietor of this worldwide
patent, a copy of which is available. This
patent is currently in force and is relied
upon to protect Aquatan’s interests in
the claimed invention. The purpose of
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MAGAZINES keep you informed
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IMESA
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References
Foose, G. J., Benson, C. H., & Edil, T. B. 2002. Comparison of solute transport in three composite liners. Journal of Geotechnical and Geo-Environmental Engineering, Volume 128, p. 391-403.
Gundle, C. J., Meyer, P. J., Meyer, W., & Schäffner, M. 2013. Technological response for mitigating environmental impacts to achieve long-term pollu-tion prevention. GhIGS GeoAfrica 2013 Conference.
FIGURE 6 Compartmentalisation in progress
Koerner, J. R., & Koerner, R.M. 1999. A survey of solid waste landfill liner and cover regulations: Part 2 – Wordwide Status. GRI Report #23.
Koerner, R. M., & Hsuan, Y. G. 2003. Lifetime prediction of poly-meric geomembranes used in new dam construction and rehabilitation. Proceedings Assoc. of State Dam Safety Officials Conference, Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, ISBN 0-13-726175-6.
Legge, K. R. 2011. Towards revised containment barrier standards. Keynote address, Landfill Interest Group Seminar, Durban, South Africa.
Pradhan, N., Nathsarma, K. C.,Srinivasa Rao, K., Sukla, L. B., & Mishra, B. K. 2008. Heap bioleaching of chalcopyrite: A Review. Volume 21, Issue 5, Minerals Engineering, p. 355-365.
Ramsey, B., & Wu, Y. 2013. Advances in Geomembranes: Thermal proper-ties and elevated usage temperatures. GhIGS GeoAfrica 2013 Conference.
Rowe, R. K. 2005. Long term performance of containment barrier sys-tems. Geotechnique 55 (9), p. 631-678.
Sangam, H. P., & Rowe, K. 2002. Effects of exposure conditions on the depletion of antioxidants from high density polyethylene geomembranes. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, Volume 39, p. 1221-1230.
Singh, R. M., & Bouazza, A. 2013. Thermal Conductivity of Geosynthetics. Geotextiles and Geomembranes 39, p. 1-8.
Thiel, R., & Smith, R. E. 2004. State of the practice review of heap leach pad design issues. Geotextiles and Geomembranes 22, p. 555-568.
Vangpaisal, T., Bouazza, A., & Kodikara, J. 2002. Gas permeability of a needle-punched geosynthetic clay liner subjected to wetting and drying. Geosynthetics – 7th ICG – Delmas, Gourc & Girard (eds), p. 841-844.
Waterkeeper Alliance, The Environmental Integrity Project, The Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, Earth Justice. Closing the Flood Gates: How the coal Industry is Poisoning our water and how we can stop it.
Yoshida, H., & Rowe, R. K. 2003. Consideration of landfill liner tempera-ture. Proceedings Sardinia, Ninth International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium.
Aveng Manufacturing Infraset produces a diverse range of precast concrete products
to world-class quality standards and actively contributes to SADC
infrastructure development. Our range includes concrete pipes, culverts,
manholes, special precast products, various types of pre-stressed
railway sleepers, turnouts, maintenance-free railway
electrification masts and poles, paving blocks, retaining wall
systems and roof tiles.
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IMIESA October 2014 65
WATER AND SANITATION
THE LATEST of these projects, the
De Hoop Dam project, will see a
significant rise in potable and irri-
gation water to people living in the
Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.
South African President Jacob Zuma
attended the opening ceremony, which took
place barely a week after the country cel-
ebrated National Water Week.
“The dam will be used for two primary pur-
poses. First, to supply water to the towns,
industries and poorly serviced rural com-
munities in the Sekhukhune, Waterberg, and
Capricorn districts of Limpopo. Secondly,
the dam will supply water to the mines in
order to help unlock vast mineral deposits,
mainly in the form of platinum group metals
found in the region. The dam will be a cata-
lyst for both social and economic develop-
ment for this region,” said Zuma.
At 347 million m3, the De Hoop Dam, a pio-
neer in the Southern African cement industry,
was commissioned in 2007 and is one of the
largest concrete dams in South Africa. It used
cement products supplied by PPC and cost in
the region of R3.5 billion to complete. It took
a staggering 94 963 tonnes of cement to
construct the De Hoop Dam.
“We are thrilled that the Department of
Water Affairs (DWA) chose our products to
construct this much-needed infrastructure
project. We have been a part of South
Africa’s infrastructure development for over
120 years and we plan to continue to be
for the foreseeable future,” said Naseam
Ismail, PPC’s Mpumalanga area manager.
The dam will supply water to the surround-
ing communities and to the mining industry
in the province to help stimulate economic
growth in Limpopo.
The De Hoop Dam is the first project that
forms part of the Presidential Infrastructure
Building a legacyDe Hoop Dam
South Africa is currently experiencing a surge in infrastructure development projects, which aim to better the lives of all South Africans.
The dam will supply water to the surrounding communities and to the mining industry in
the province to help stimulate economic growth in Limpopo
66 IMIESA October 2014
royalhaskoningdhv.com/za
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Royal HaskoningDHV is an independent, international engineering and project management consultancy.
WATER AND SANITATION
Coordinating Commission, which seeks to
boost infrastructure development in the
country and stimulate economic growth and
job creation.
The construction of the De Hoop Dam also
signalled several firsts for PPC and the con-
struction of cement dams in the country. At
the last Fulton Awards in 2013, the project
was awarded the Civil Engineering Structure
Award and the Sustainable
Concrete Award.
The work done at the
De Hoop Dam Project led
to significant simplifica-
tion of the construction
process and allowed one
of the highest construc-
tion rates achieved in
South Africa, with a peak
of more than 130 000 m3
of RCC placed in one month.
The De Hoop Dam project is also a flag-
ship project for the DWA and will address
a significant portion of future water needs
in Limpopo.
South Africa is currently seeing a call
for collaboration to boost infrastructure
development. During the 2014 State of the
Nation Address, Zuma reiterated the call for
Government, business and labour to work
together and come up with solutions in order
for the economy to grow in South Africa at
significant levels.
“We have to work together as Government,
business and labour to grow our economy at
rates that are above 5%, to be able to create
the jobs we need. Fortunately this collabora-
tion is already taking place,” said Zuma.
The president went on to say that steps
had been made during 2013 to engage
with various businesses on specific steps
Government could take to make doing busi-
ness in South Africa easier.
“The willingness of the private sector to
engage with government in order to speed
up infrastructure delivery is very clear;
there are many initiatives. The Business
Leadership of South Africa has created
a working group that is interacting with
Government. Everybody is very excited, it
is clear everybody needs a new way for
infrastructure to be delivered,” said Ketso
Gordhan, CEO at PPC.
The construction rate of the De Hoop Dam project was one of the highest achieved in South Africa
IMIESA October 2014 67
WATER AND SANITATION
PROGRESS HAS BEEN made
since the incident in October
last year, both underground and
above ground.
The Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme is
now in its seventh year of construction
and had it not been for the tragic acci-
dent, one of the four 333 MW revers-
ible pump turbines would currently be
undergoing commissioning.
The Eskom project is located between
Ladysmith and Harrismith in the Little
Drakensberg, and will have a generating
capacity of 1 332 MW available during peri-
ods of peak demand and supplement the
base load when necessary – for example
Progress at IngulaThe multibillion rand Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme, like many of this magnitude and complexity, has suffered delays, not least the site closure ordered by the Department of Labour after last year’s tragic accident claiming the lives of six construction workers.
during outages or essential maintenance of
other generating plants.
The design Ingula is a peaking hydropower station com-
prising an upper and a lower dam or res-
ervoir separated in elevation by 480 m,
an underground powerhouse located 116
storeys underground in two excavated under-
ground caverns and housing 4 x 333 MW
Francis-type pumps/turbines.
An underground labyrinth of interconnect-
ing tunnels/waterways extends 6.5 km, and
3 km of access tunnels and a number of
shafts allow water to be released from the
upper Bedford Dam and delivered to the
turbines producing power, before being cap-
tured in the lower Bramhoek Dam. During
off-peak times, the turbines are reversed
pumping water back from Bramhoek Dam
to Bedford, in readiness for the next
peak event.
Progress Construction senior supervisor Jacques du
Plessis from Royal HaskoningDHV, one of
ABOVE This Eskom project is located in the Little Drakensberg
BELOW Aerial shot of the dam wall
68 IMIESA October 2014
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AFRICA
WATER AND SANITATION
the three firms of consultants that make
up the design and construction supervision
team, Braamhoek Consultants Joint Venture,
explains recent progress milestones.
“Underground work is proceeding apace
with the concrete lining in the tailrace and
headrace tunnels completed; cavity and
consolidation tunnel grouting are about 75%
complete and; concrete slip forming at one
of two 91 m high surge chambers recently
commenced. All civil works in the trans-
former hall have been completed and the
machine hall and underground control room
are nearing completion” he explained.
“The first turbine shaft and runner were
taken underground recently, two genera-
tor transformers have been installed and
mechanical and electrical fit-out work is
underway. Above ground the operations and
maintenance building on the intake structure
is nearing completion as is the stop-log stor-
age facility at the outlet,” says Du Plessis.
The double-storey administration building,
whose basement has direct access to the
main tunnel leading to the underground
power station, has also recently been com-
pleted. In addition to office space, the
building accommodates the external con-
trol centre for the power station. Also
recently completed is the visitors centre,
which comprises a small office wing, a
cinema, various display halls, an audito-
rium and facilities wings. The surrounding
area will be landscaped with indigenous
plants to minimise the visual impact of the
surface buildings.
Environmental responsibilities“Amid all this heavy engineering work, Eskom
is conscious of its environmental responsi-
bilities and in particular the site’s bird life,”
explains Du Plessis. More than 275 bird spe-
cies have been sighted at Ingula, including
all three crane species that, although rare,
are regularly seen there.
“The endangered southern bald ibis is a
resident of the conservation area and thirty
breeding pairs have been counted. However,
construction of the upper Bedford Dam,
completed in 2011, robbed them of their
historic nesting ledges, causing Eskom to
construct a massive artificial nesting site
to compensate for the loss of their original
ones,” he explains.
The dam is expected to fill to capacity dur-
ing 2015 for the first time, and the hope is
that before then the birds will discover the
new nesting site themselves. Several dum-
mies were placed in the new site to entice
them to relocate. The change in habitat due
to the construction of the dams is being
monitored by conservation staff and already
new species are moving into the area such
as spoonbill and flamingo.
Anticipated completion and operation of the
first of the four pump s/turbines is expected
by May 2015 with the remaining units coming
on stream over the following 12 months.
IMIESA October 2014 69
WITHIN A SHORT space of
time they have managed to
establish an exciting busi-
ness with innovative products
that compete on price and quality, and also
have export potential.
All standards compliantThe water reticulation industry has high
barriers to entry due to high development
cost and required technology. The regula-
tory environment is similarly stringent and
requires much attention to detail. Amanzi’s
manufacturing ranges from raw material to
final products, which include water meters,
ball valves and meter boxes. Products are
NRCS approved where required, a pre-req-
uisite for obtaining municipal tenders. The
water meters are also YASWIC accepted.
State of the art manufacturing technologyThe factory is based in Tongaat, KwaZulu-
Natal with easy access to the N2 and in
close proximity to Durban’s King Shaka air-
port. Advanced manufacturing technologies
are applied, which start in the design room
with CAD drawings done by experienced
designers and engineers. Before any tooling
is manufactured, a 3D model of the item
can be made to check for functionality and
ease of manufacturing.
Diversity and supportThe founders have diverse backgrounds
that include manufacturing design, banking
and electronic engineering. Amanzi owes
much of its success to local suppliers who
allowed credit while Amanzi was still in
an incubator phase. This gave Amanzi the
opportunity to engage in R&D, build pro-
totypes and obtain NRCS approval for its
water meters before any sales took place.
On 1 September 2013, Amanzi Meters
became a subsidiary of Sebata Municipal
Solutions, a member of the MICROmega
Group, a public company listed on the main
board of the JSE. The synergies within
the group pro-
vide the oppor-
tunity for growth
and the ability
to provide an
end-to-end water management solution to
municipalities. They now offer a complete
meter reading and data management solu-
tion to meet the increasing demands on
water utilities and to bring water losses
under control.
Products and servicesAmanzi Meters designs, develops and manu-
factures its own products. Moulding is done
in an ISO-rated facility and water meters
are tested according to the Trade Metrology
Act of 1977 in a SANAS-accredited labora-
tory to ensure the highest quality. Ongoing
development accommodates customer
requirements and ensures robustness for
field applications.
Product Range • Plastic, volumetric water meters –
15 mm x 114/15 mm x 165/20 mm
• Water meter boxes – surface boxes and
above-ground boxes
• Ball valves – consumer and municipal ball
valves, including a tamper-free solution
• Restrictor valves – the iMvubu valve is
approved for the dispensing of free water
• AMR – an AMR device that clips onto the
meter for data collection
David and Goliath
Amanzi Meters designs, develops and
manufactures its own products
The founders of Amanzi took a huge leap of faith when they pooled their resources to start their business in an industry dominated by well-established international players.
WATER AND SANITATION | COMPANY PROFILE
BELOW The assembly line INSET Amanzi meter and iMvubu assembled in a surface box
telon
wn
Amanzi Medevel
mmmmaoooooow
RE-THINKWATERMunicipalities are losing up to 40% of potable water supplied and therefore
need to implement measures to effectively manage resources. Robust and durable products that can withstand the
harsh South African conditions are therefore a prerequisite for
effective water management.
South African manufacturer and supplier of Water meters Ball valvesMeter boxesLimiter valves
Tel: + 27 32 944 6034Fax: +27 86 547 5499
[email protected] Walter Reid Road,Tongaat, KZN, 4399,
South Africa
A Micromega Group Company
IMIESA October 2014 71
WATER AND SANITATION | COMPANY PROFILE
• Prepaid metering – these are being devel-
oped and refined.
Amanzi has developed the iMvubu valve for
the allocation and dispensing of free water
to indigent communities.
This product is cost-effective and has the
potential to save municipalities millions
of rands due to the serviceability of the
unit. The long-life battery is easily replace-
able without exposing the electronics of
the unit. An AMR unit is being tested and
a prepaid meter and valve combination is
being developed as a natural progression
of the product.
Research and developmentAmanzi is committed to the ongoing develop-
ment and enhancement of their products to
best serve the needs of their customers. The
company’s management philosophy is based
on responsibility and mutual respect, while
encouraging ownership of responsibilities to
help foster personal growth. Amanzi focuses
on productivity for growth and profitability,
as well as respect for its customers and
employees to increase repeat and referral
business while minimising employee turno-
ver. Additionally, the company encourages
employees to have fun by allowing creative
independence and providing work challenges
that are realistic, attainable and rewarding.
A strong manufacturing sector is a cru-
cial component of a country’s intellectual
capital, innovation capacity and economic
prosperity. Manufacturing competitiveness
is driven by an empowered talent base,
especially as manufacturers around the
world integrate technology platforms and
interfaces into their products.
A broader contributionThe manufacturing sector provides a locus
for stimulating the growth of other activi-
ties, such as services, and achieving spe-
cific outcomes, such as employment crea-
tion, development and economic empower-
ment. Amanzi is collaborating with ter tiary
institutions to assist in a much-needed
skills transfer, which will allow previously
disadvantaged people to get involved in
the manufacturing sector.
Amanzi’s initiative to establish a South
African manufacturer of water management
systems and devices is therefore in support
of Government’s drive for local procurement
to create meaningful jobs.
+27 (0)32 944 6034
www.amanzimeters.co.za
Verification Laboratory
72 IMIESA October 2014
WATER AND SANITATION
Background to pour fl ush
WHEN PROPERLY designed,
built and maintained, the VIP
provides a decent basic level
of sanitation, and is robust.
However, many aspire to a higher level of
sanitation, with flush toilets being univer-
sally desired.
The problem with flush toilets is that they
require enormous amounts of water – water
that is not always available or affordable in
semi-arid areas. The water needed for flush-
ing is significant enough, but what really
causes crippling debt is leaking toilets.
VIP toilets, though they do not need water
for operation, also have their drawbacks. As
they do not have a water seal, they have to
be separate from the house. Because the
pit is readily accessible, people use them
to dispose of all manner of personal and
household domestic waste, which means
they fill up much faster than they should.
When they are full, emptying is a messy,
unpleasant and expensive operation.
Exploring pour flush technology in SAFor these reasons, Jay Bhagwan of the
Water Research Commission in Pretoria
wanted to see what would happen if pour
flush sanitation was tested in South Africa.
Pour flush is an intermediate technology,
which is different from
the VIP in that it has a
water seal, and differ-
ent from full flush in
that much less water is
required for opera-
tion and that flushing
is done manually. For
50 years, it has been
the basic sanitation
standard in South Asia,
but it was always felt
that it would not
suit African conditions.
In 2009, Bhagwan
engaged a research
team led by David Still to
test the appropriateness
of the pour flush tech-
nology in South Africa.
The main dif ferences
The ventilated improved pit latrine, or VIP, was developed in Zimbabwe in the early 1980s and was soon accepted as the standard for basic sanitation in Africa, including South Africa.
FIGURE 1: Ventilated improved pit latrine schematic (Sanitation Technology Options, 2002)
FIGURE 2: Schematic for pour flush latrine(Sanitation Technology Options, 2002)
WATER AND SANITATION
IMIESA October 2014 73
ELEVATED TANKS CIRCULAR SECTIONAL STEEL TANKS
GROUND LEVEL TANKS
The name that really holds water
toilets in SAbetween South Africa and South Asia are
that in South Africa it is customary to sit on
a toilet pedestal rather than to squat over a
hole, and it is common to use toilet paper,
whereas, in South Asia, people use water.
Due to these differences, pour flush had
never been considered as a potential sanita-
tion option in South Africa.
Still’s research team integrated the
Asian pour flush concept into a South
African-style toilet pedestal and, after a few
design iterations, found that the new toilet
worked far better than expected. The first
field test units were commissioned near
Pietermaritzburg on 1 September 2010 and,
in 2011 and 2012, a further 30 test units
were constructed. These toilets discharge
via a short length of pipe to a local soak-
age pit where the effluent is allowed to
dry and compost in the same manner as a
VIP latrine, but with the notable absence of
solid waste.
Pour flush trials Following the success of the KZN trials, the
WRC commissioned Maluti GSM Consulting
Engineers to establish pour flush trials in
the Western Cape. The ‘front end’ of the
toilet is unchanged from the design devel-
oped by David Still but, in order to make the
technology more accessible to dense urban
settlements, the toilets are connected to a
simplified sewerage network that discharges
to a centralised biodigestor or septic tank.
This small-scale trial is operating suc-
cessfully in three Western Cape municipali-
ties, made possible through the willingness
of the users and collaboration with the
Sustainability Institute, AgriProtein and the
Lighthouse Mission.
The pour flush toilet requires no mains
water connection, as it is flushed manually
by pouring as little as 1 litre of water (or
greywater) into the toilet bowl, compared to
6 litres or more for a conventional toilet. In
a dense urban context, the pour flush toilet
may present the opportunity for sanitation
to be installed closer to the user or even
inside the house. The technology can assist
with the hygienic disposal of greywater and,
at a wider scale, has the potential to reduce
demand for potable water and alleviate pres-
sure on overstressed sewer networks.
Based on the success of the testing and
demonstration work, Durban is now plan-
ning to install 600 units at the Oakford
Priory housing development, scheduled for
construction this year, and Stellenbosch
municipality is considering incorporating
pour flush into its design standards.
A Durban-based plastics company,
Envirosan, is planning to start making the
pedestal using injection-moulded plastic.
This is an exciting development as it will
not only result in a high-quality finish, but
it will also bring down the costs of the ped-
estals and make it possible for the technol-
ogy to compete on price with the current
market alternatives.
OPPOSITE AND RIGHT Typical pour flush latrine installations, Edendale, Pietermaritzburg
74 IMIESA October 2014
WATER AND SANITATION | COMPANY PROFILE
THE ROLE OF standards in sanita-
tion in South Africa has never been
more important. Calcamite Tanks
has been developing effective SABS
and Agrément certified on-site sanitation
solutions for the last 30 years and is ready
to meet the challenge.
The Department of Water and Sanitation’s
slogan, ‘water is life, sanitation is dignity’, is
an oft-repeated phrase that belies the fact
that South Africa often finds itself falling
short of this by rolling out solutions that are
substandard and a quick fix. A viable solu-
tion must be based on products that meet
standards and are fit for purpose.
“When it comes to sanitation, there is
no ‘one size fits all’ solution,” states John
Telford, managing director of Calcamite
Tanks. For 20 years, Calcamite Tanks has
insisted that a sanitation solution can only
be effective if it meets the relevant stand-
ards. “We have seen the sanitation cycle
come full circle,” says Telford. “In early
democracy, the focus was on sanitation,
where it belonged. However, it gradually
shifted to the more visible elements, such
as the top structure. While South Africans
can be proud of the top structures that have
been developed, it has shifted the focus
away from the heart of the matter; which is
providing adequate, above- and below-ground
sanitation solutions.”
The sanitation innovation challenge“Calcamite is unique in that it is the only
company in world, that we know of, that
offers everything from a pit latrine to a
package treatment plant and everything in
between – all to recognised standards,”
notes Telford. “Our product range allows
us to service both the high-end home and
informal settlements in the most appropri-
ate and effective manner. South Africa’s
extreme demographics demand a variety
of solutions.”
The company was pioneering in becoming
the first company in the world to receive an
Agrément certificate for a sanitation system
in 1994.
Right for now, ready for the futureCalcamite possesses three Agrément certifi-
cations and an SABS certificate for its prod-
ucts, and stands ready to help Government
roll out sanitation solutions that meet
demand. “We are sensitive to the urgency of
this rollout, both to the decision-makers and
the affected communities. South Africa may
not have the luxury of conducting two-year
pilot studies, so only products that already
conform to recognised standards should
be considered.”
A solution for every challengeCalcamite is ready to deliver four distinct
types of sanitation solutions, fit for a variety
of purposes and environments, especially
those for which pit latrines are not a viable
option. These include the:
• Calcamite Ecomite dry toilet: a waterless
dehydration toilet with optional urine division.
• Calcamite low flush/pour-flush system
(agrément certified): an anaerobic pri-
mary digester that flows into a evapotran-
spiration field that consumes between
zero and three litres of water per person,
per day.
• Calcamite septic tank: an anaerobic pri-
mary digestion system which is combined
with secondary treatment in the form of
the biomat-type soakaway.
• Calcamite wetloo: a full, water flush,
recycling toilet which is a closed, recycling
system requiring no further water input
once installed. It has a patented aerobic
treatment process which sees the water in
CALCAMITE TANKS
Sanitation comes full circleCalcamite’s mission statement: “To uplift the living standards of our communities by providing safe, acceptable, hygienic and affordable on-site sanitation and water solutions by means of appropriate technologies.”
BELOW LEFT Biomite recycling system
BELOW RIGHT Biomite cistern
IMIESA October 2014 75
WATER AND SANITATION | COMPANY PROFILE
continuous flow, preventing stagnation and
allowing for uninterrupted usage.
All products are easily maintained and give
a critical advantage to municipalities using
them: servicing and maintenance is mini-
mised and the need for emptying pit latrines
vanishes. Calcamite tests all its products
on-site and no product that fails these tests
makes it into the market.
InstallationCalcamite’s product design and manufactur-
ing process is geared for the rapid roll-out
so urgently needed right now. “The success
of the Calcamite technology is not only that
it works, but that it’s been manufactured
from tough, durable materials and designed
to facilitate ease of transportation, han-
dling and installation. Any contractor with
plumbing or building experience with a CIDB
grading would be able to install a system,
and we are there to support the process
throughout,” says Telford.
“Our products lend themselves to mak-
ing the best of both worlds in the areas
of job creation and rapid roll-out. Labour
intensive methods can slow some pro-
jects down, but the ease of installation
of our products ensures quick turnaround
times. Authorities that choose Calcamite
products are automatically suppor ting
emerging contractors, who are our ideal
installation partners.”
Calcamite opens its doorsCalcamite invites engineers, municipal man-
agers, counsellors, contractors and pro-
ject managers to visit its state-of-the-art
manufacturing facilities in Rosslyn, Tshwane.
Showcasing in situ installations, visitors will
see first-hand the innovative advantages
offered by its products. The strength, sim-
plicity of design and physical appeal of all its
products are as impressive as their water-
saving ability, recycling and efficiency. The
visitor leaves with no doubt that Calcamite’s
sanitation innovations are indeed ready now,
and for the future.
Calcamite’s solutionsDry toilets: Ecomite.The Ecomite toilet was developed to conform
to the globally accepted criteria for ecologi-
cal dry sanitation.
It works on the dehydration principle where-
by the urine and faeces are separated
from each other, thus allowing the faecal
matter to rapidly dehydrate into a stable,
non-offensive substrate which can then be
easily handled.
It has a superior venting system that
speeds up the drying process.
Water-based toilets• Conservancy tank: Empty tank with an
inlet but no outlet. All wastewater from
toilets is collected and is then emptied by
a vacuum tanker.
• Septic tank: Tank has an inlet and an outlet.
Solids are intercepted in the tank, anaero-
bically liquefied into black water which, by
hydraulic displacement, overflows into a
French drain/soak-away system.
• BRS (Biomite recycling system): As per
septic tank except the black water is
cleaned to a level which allows it to be
reused to flush toil ets. It also runs on
solar power. This full flush toilet cleans
and recycles its own water.
• Biomite package plant: As per septic tank
except the black water is further cleaned
using an aerobic process which then allows
the water to be reused for irrigation or
toilet flushing. It usually runs off 220 volts.
It is an ideal upgrade to failing septic
tank installations.
Calcamite head officet +27 (0)12 742 0900f +27 (0)12 543 2234
Product and technical advice:John Telford: +27 (0)82 440 9930Email [email protected]
www.calcamitetanks.co.za
ABOVE LEFT Modular conservancy tanks
ABOVE RIGHT Diepsloot BRS
LEFT School model Biomite recycling system
76 IMIESA October 2014
IN ORDER TO safeguard against this
potential burden, Johannesburg Water
has embarked on the implementation of
a combined heat- and power-generation
programme, using biogas produced at their
wastewater treatment works.
In 2013, the five large treatment works
operated by Johannesburg Water had the
potential to generate 9.5 MW of electricity.
This would have accounted for 54% of the
treatment works’ electrical power require-
ments and resulted in a saving of R80 million
in electricity supply costs.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from the operation of the existing meso-
philic digesters, implementation of the fol-
lowing additional treatment processes
were recommended:
• thicken the digester feed sludge from 2.5%
dry solids concentration to between 5% and
6%, using gravity belt thickeners
• lysis the waste activated sludge cell mem-
branes using ultrasound technology
• remove the potential for struvite precipita-
tion by the recovery of nitrogen and phos-
phorus from the digested sludge, prior to
sludge dewatering.
This article describes the various technolo-
gies evaluated by Johannesburg Water for
the enhancement of the existing digester
operation in order to fully comply with the
2006 Sludge Guidelines, increase biogas
production and electrical power generation
and control struvite precipitation.
IntroductionThe recent increases in electricity tariffs
imposed by Eskom have had a direct bearing
on the operational cost of wastewater treat-
ment in Johannesburg and the cost could
rise from 81c/m³ in 2013 to above 124c/
m³ by 2020. This probable increase will place
an additional financial burden on both the
WSA (City of Johannesburg) and the WSP
(Johannesburg Water SOC Limited).
In 2010, Johannesburg Water (JW) began
implementation of a combined heat and
power (CHP) programme that would assist in
reducing the impact of this financial burden.
In 2013, JW treated 998 Ml per day of
wastewater, 249 dry tonnes of sludge and
consumed 17.5 MWe of electricity at their
six wastewater treatment works. The five
large wastewater treatment works had the
potential to generate 9.5 MWe of electricity by
enhancing their sludge digestion operations.
Fifty-four per cent of the electricity required for
wastewater treatment could have been gener-
ated on-site and resulted in a saving of R80
million in electricity supply costs.
CHP generation programmeThe revised Sludge Guidelines were prom-
ulgated by the Department of Water Affairs
in March 2006 and these guidelines now
form part of the Johannesburg wastewater
treatment works licence conditions. One of
the 10 options offered in the guidelines, for
sludge stabilisation, was anaerobic diges-
tion, and this option was considered the
most cost-effective and sustainable process
for Johannesburg.
In order to comply with the new Sludge
Guidelines, JW had to embark on a major
sludge digester refurbishment programme
that included structural repair and the instal-
lation of heating and mixing equipment at
Northern, Olifantsvlei and Goudkoppies
Works. New mesophilic sludge digesters have
been recently installed at both Driefontein
and Bushkoppie Works.
During 2013, the successful installation
of a 1.14 MWe CHP unit at Northern Works
led to the decision to extend the programme
to Driefontein Wastewater Treatment Works
Technical paper
Enhancing Johannesburg WWTW’s sludge digestionThe recent increases in electricity tariffs imposed by Eskom have had a direct bearing on the cost of wastewater treatment in Johannesburg and could lead to an additional financial burden for the water services authority (WSA) and water services provider (WSP) in the future.
WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER
COST OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT
IMIESA October 2014 77
by the installation of 2 x 380 kWe reciprocating engines. The
experience gained from the Northern Works digester and CHP
operations identified areas of concern and the need to implement
solutions for improved sludge thickening, cell lysis and control of
struvite precipitation.
Enhancement of the sludge digestion operation All of Johannesburg’s treatment works incorporate the biological nutri-
ent removal (BNR) process for wastewater treatment. Fermentation of
primary sludge and controlled solids carry-over enhances the biologi-
cal nutrient removal process but, at the same time, also reduces the
amount of waste fermented sludge available for biogas production.
The digester feeds therefore consist mainly of waste activated sludge
(WAS), which is thickened from an average 0.35% dry solids concen-
tration to 2.5% in concrete gravity thickeners.
Additional sludge thickeningThe present problem with the steady production of biogas at Northern
Works is that the digesters are being fed with gravity-thickened waste
activated sludge of < 2.0% dry solids concentration. The feed sludge
therefore contains an excessive amount of water and it is necessary
to increase the digester feed solids concentration from < 2.0% to
between 5% and 6% in order to enhance the volatile solids reduction
and biogas production rates. Information obtained from a literature
survey indicated that the following could be achieved if the digester
feed sludge were to be further thickened:
• The volatile solids loading rate could be increased from 1.2 kg VS/
m³ of digester capacity to 2.6 kg VS/m³ at a 15 day solids reten-
tion time.
• Volatile solids reduction during the sludge digestion process could
be increased by about 25%.
• The solids retention time in existing digesters would be increased.
VOLATILE SOLIDS LOADING RATEDigester feed solids conc.
12 daysretention
15 daysretention
20 daysretention
2.5 % 1.5 kg VS / m³ 1.2 kg VS / m³ 0.9 kg VS / m³5.0 % 3.0 kg VS / m³ 2.4 kg VS / m³ 1.8 kg VS / m³5.5 % 3.3 kg VS / m³ 2.6 kg VS / m³ 2.0 kg VS / m³6.0 % 3.6 kg VS / m³ 2.9 kg VS / m³ 2.1 kg VS / m³
Sludge thickening methodsIn order to thicken the waste activated sludge further, the following
processes were investigated:
• dissolved air flotation (DAF) – 2 variants
• gravity belt thickeners (GBT) – 5 variants
• rotary drum – 1
• thickening press – 1.
All of the above processes require polymer addition with the DAF
system requiring the lowest dosing rate. Due to past experience with
GBTs in Johannesburg and that redundant GBTs were available for
refurbishment on the works, it was decided that this mode of sludge
thickening was the most cost-effective option and carried the least
risk for Johannesburg Water.
Cell lysis Cell lysis involves the breakdown of cell clusters and disintegration of
the cell membrane of waste activated sludge prior to sludge digestion,
WATER AND SANITATION
78 IMIESA October 2014
which allows the release of the organic frac-
tion to be readily available for enhanced
biogas production. Some of the advantages
of incorporating cell lysis technology into the
existing sludge digestion operation are:
• an increase in the carbon available for
biogas production
• enhanced electrical power generation
• a reduction in digester foaming
• a reduction in the mass of digested
sludge produced
• improved sludge stabilisation and a reduc-
tion in odour and vector attraction.
In order to decide on which cell lysis technol-
ogy to include in the enhanced sludge diges-
tion programme, the following processes
were investigated:
• thermal hydrolysis – 2 variants
• thermo chemical hydrolysis – 1
• mechanical disintegration – 2 variants
• ultrasound/ultrasonic – 2 variants
• electric pulse – 2 variants
• chemical treatment – 1
• mechanical shearing – 1.
Valuable process and operational information
was provided by literature surveys, pres-
entations by local agents and contact with
overseas users of some of the above tech-
nologies. The results of the investigations
indicated that the ultrasound option was prob-
ably the most cost-effective and suitable cell
lysis technology for Johannesburg.
Anticipated improvement in sludge treatment operationIt is anticipated that the following could be
achieved by enhancement of the existing
sludge treatment operations:
• 25% increase in volatile solids reduction
during digestion
• 25% increase in biogas production
• 15% increase in electrical power generation
• 20% decrease in digested sludge
production
• 50% to 55% decrease in the wastewater
treatment electrical power costs.
Struvite precipitationStruvite is commonly referred to as MAP
(magnesium, ammonium, phosphate) and
during the digestion process, phosphorus is
released from cells and ammonia produced
by the reduction in volatile solids concentra-
tion. Struvite precipitates after the sludge
digestion process by the entrainment of air
mainly through turbulence in pipelines and
pumps, an increase in pH through CO2 strip-
ping and a MAP mole ratio of 1:1:1.
Struvite forms crystals in pipelines, pumps,
sludge storage tanks and dewatering equip-
ment and, to prevent the struvite forming, fer-
ric salts or alum salts or commercial additives
are dosed into the digester feed to chemically
precipitate phosphorus and so prevent stru-
vite crystals from forming after the digestion
process. However, this process does not pre-
vent high concentrations of ammonia in the
sludge dewatering liquors from being recycled
back to the bioreactors for treatment, which
could lead to final effluent non-compliances.
The recovery of both nitrogen and phospho-
rus from the digested sludge can be achieved
by the controlled precipitation of struvite crys-
tals. Since magnesium is the limiting element
for struvite precipitation, magnesium ions are
WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER
IMIESA October 2014 79
added to the digested sludge to increase the
magnesium concentration.
In most cases, after magnesium enhance-
ment, phosphorus becomes the limiting fac-
tor in struvite precipitation. Although phos-
phorus in the digested sludge is reduced
to low concentrations by controlled struvite
precipitation, test results also indicate that in
excess of 90% of the ammonia concentration
in the digested sludge can be removed at a
pH of 9.0 and a MAP mole ratio of between
1:1:1 and 1.2:1:1.
The recovery of struvite crystals for use
as a slow-release fertiliser was being inves-
tigated by JW.
Enhanced sludge treatment operationIn order to enhance the existing mesophilic
sludge digestion operation in a cost-effec-
tive and efficient manner, a combination of
technologies is required. After thoroughly
investigating the suitability of the various
technologies available for sludge thickening,
cell lysis and struvite recovery, the following
recommendations were made:
• Thicken the WAS, using existing gravity
thickeners, to achieve a solids concentra-
tion of 2.5%.
• The gravity-thickened WAS is to be further
thickened to between 5% and 6% dry solids
concentration, using gravity belt thickeners.
• The thickened WAS is lysed using ultra-
sound technology.
• The lysed WAS is combined with waste fer-
mented sludge and recovered fats, oils and
greases before being fed to the existing
mesophilic digesters.
• After the sludge digestion operation, the
digested sludge is passed through a MAP
recovery process for ammonia and phos-
phorus removal.
• The sludge is then dewatered on existing
belt filter presses, solar dried, composted
and screened before final disposal.
• The recovered struvite crystals can either
be blended with the compost or used sepa-
rately as a slow-release fertiliser.
The recommended sludge treatment pro-
cesses are to be installed at the Driefontein
Wastewater Treatment Works in order to verify
the assumptions made for digester volatile
solids loading, volatile solids reduction, vol-
ume of biogas produced, electrical energy
generated and the reduction in the mass of
digested sludge to be dewatered.
Reduction in greenhouse gas emissionsBy implementation of an enhanced sludge
digestion operation at Driefontein Works, it is
estimated that the following reduction in green-
house gas emissions would be achieved:
• CO2 6 690 tonnes/annum
• SO2 113 tonnes/annum
• NOx 31 tonnes/annum
• CH4 26 tonnes/annum
• CO 20 tonnes/annum.
If all five large treatment works in
Johannesburg incorporated the enhanced
digestion operation, the reduction in green-
house gas emissions would then be:
• CO2 146 000 tonnes/annum
• SO2 2 480 tonnes/annum
• NOx 672 tonnes/annum
• CH4 582 tonnes/annum
• CO 438 tonnes/annum.
ConclusionsFuture increases in electricity tariffs will
place an additional financial burden on
the WSA and WSP, especially for power-
intensive activated-sludge-type processes.
An improved anaerobic sludge digestion
operation enables wastewater treatment
plants to fully comply with the 2006 Sludge
Guidelines, increase biogas production and
enhance CHP generation.
The introduction of additional sludge thick-
ening from 2.5% to between 5% and 6%,
enables the volatile solids loading rate to
be increased from 1.2 kg VS/m3 to 2.6
kg VS/m3 at a solids retention time of 15
days in the digesters. This substantially
reduces the digester capacity required for
sludge stabilisation.
Cell lysis of thickened waste sludge
increases the organic carbon available for
the enhancement of biogas production and
on-site electrical power generation.
Precipitation of struvite immediately
after the digestion process allows the
digested sludge treatment operation to
function without blockages to pipelines,
pumps and sludge dewatering equipment.
It also prevents high concentrations of
nitrogen and phosphorus, in the dewatered
sludge filtrate, from being recycled to the
bioreactors, which could cause effluent
non-compliances.
The proposed enhancement of the sludge
digestion operation would ensure reduc-
tions in future electricity supply costs for
wastewater treatment.
The reduction in greenhouse gas emis-
sions is dependent on the amount of kWh
of electricity produced, and large reductions
in CO2 emissions could be achieved by
the wastewater treatment works incorporat-
ing CHP generation from the biogas that
they produce.
WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER
Struvite precipitation
80 IMIESA October 2014
WATER AND SANITATION | COMPANY PROFILE
AQUADAM has expanded its
engineer-designed water storage
solutions to cover just about any
application, and beyond conser-
vation, the products are cost-effective and
functional, making the company a true force
to be reckoned with in South Africa.
Aquadam’s product range includes the
Future Tank, Smart Tank, Muleby System
Tank, Rhino Steel Coated Tank and the
Gunite Dam. These locally manufactured
water tanks are the safest, healthiest, most
cost-effective solutions available.
Modular precast concrete systemThe Muleby System Tank precast pre-
stressed reservoir – also known as the MST
– is a tough and versatile modular tank with
a prefabricated production process that is
engineer-designed. This modular system
is comprised of standard concrete panels
that are precast in Aquadam’s factory to
ensure exceptional quality. The product is
then transported and assembled on-site on
a reinforced concrete base. The concrete
panels are sealed and stressed both verti-
cally and circumferentially, resulting in a
structurally sound and stable reservoir.
The post-tensioned panel reservoir is
available in volumes that range from
174 m3 to 5 715 m3.
Individual panels are 1.58 m wide, between
130 mm and 160 mm thick, and vary in
height from 3 m to 7 m. The number of panels
used in a single reservoir construction can
range from 15 to 66 panels, which means the
system offers outstanding versatility.
The vertical joints between the precast
panels consist of a waterproofing mortar,
and, once the panels and joints have been
assembled, the entire system is post-
tensioned using horizontal circumferential
mono strands. This ensures an exception-
ally durable, per fectly watertight system.
Manholes, pipes, anchorages etc. are
cast into the concrete panels during the
manufacturing process as required, and the
concrete panel tank system can be closed
with a pre-cast or cast-in-situ concrete roof.
Installation and standardsThe Aquadam pre-stressed panel reservoir
meets the highest European standard of
water tightness, Euro Code 2: design of
concrete structures – Part 3: Liquid retain-
ing and containment structures.
Durable competitive advantage• The concrete units are produced in a
controlled factory environment that guar-
antees high quality.
• High-quality concrete ensures durability.
• The pre-stressing process allows
for a slender panel that reduces
transport costs.
• Efficient production and fast assembly
provides short construction time.
• The Muleby System Tank can be installed
vir tually anywhere: sunken, partially bur-
ied or at ground level.
• ‘Supply and install’ saves money and
empowers people.
• Rapid construction turnaround allows for
increased installations.
• Rapid, safe, labour-non-intensive installa-
tion, in almost all weather conditions.
t +27 (0)12 810 0940
www.aquadam.co.za
AQUADAM’S ALL-PURPOSE, ALL-ENVIRONMENT
Muleby Tank SystemA leading South African manufacturer of water storage solutions has developed their broad range of tanks and reservoirs with conservation of this precious resource as their guiding principle.
VERSATILITY FOR MULTIPLE APPLICATIONSThese tanks can be used in any number of applications, such as sedimentation tanks, digestion tanks, aeration tanks, stormwater retention basins, elevated reservoirs, clarifiers, filtration tanks, sprinkler tanks, firefighting tanks, flammable and/or environmentally dangerous liquids safety tanks, loose storage tanks (salt, sand, chipping, etc.), agricultural application tanks and rainwater harvesting tanks.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN MARKET LEADER IN SPIRALLY WELDED STEEL PIPES
WATER IS LIFE AND THE JOURNEY STARTS WITH US.Group Five Pipe design and manufacture their own pipe making, pipe handling and pipe testing equipment.
Group Five Pipe manufacture spirally welded steel pipes ranging from 610 mm to 3.5 m in diameter, using various steel grades up to 25 mm in thickness. Standard lengths are 12 and 19.2 m, but any other length can be manufactured.
Group Five Pipe’s involvement in pipe making extends beyond the manufacture of pipes to include a service for the design of the actual pipe needed for a specific application.
Group Five Pipe offers linings and coatings that are essential in prolonging the life of any pipeline used in a corrosive environment.
Pipes are manufactured to API, SABS or to clients’ specifications.
CAPE TOWNMontreal Drive, Airport IndustriaPO Box 6074, Roggebaai 8012Cape Town, South AfricaTel: +27 (0)21 386 1923Fax: +27 (0)21 386 2514
GAUTENGVerwoerd Street, MeyertonPO Box 694, Meyerton 1960Meyerton, South AfricaTel: +27 (0)16 362 2236Fax: +27 (0)16 362 2235
www.groupfivepipe.co.za
82 IMIESA October 2014
THE EXISTING treatment plant – an
oxidation pond system – was con-
stantly exceeding its capacity and
producing an inferior treated-efflu-
ent quality, as a result of the considerable
growth in the area. The Jeffreys Bay WWTP
was in urgent need of being upgraded.
Jeffreys Bay is a constituent part of the
Kouga Local Municipality in the Cacadu
District, in the Eastern Cape. Speaking at
the launch, on behalf of the consulting engi-
neers that were appointed for the project,
Willem Hofmeyr, technical director: Water
and Civil Infrastructure for WorleyParsons,
commented: “When we received approval
for this project, the Department of Water
Affairs required that the initial oxidation
ponds be scrapped and used for stor-
age. However, working with Tecroveer, we
developed technology that enabled us to
put a portion of water through the original
oxidation pond system, to clean water to
the requisite standard. As a result, rather
than creating a system capable of treating
the 5 Mℓ of water per day that was initially
needed, the plant is now capable of treating
8 Mℓ per day.”
Tecroveer, an established water and envi-
ronmental engineering business, put in an
alternative bid on a design- and supply-type
basis to retrofit the existing oxidation pond
system by incorporating their PETRO process
into a Tecroveer-type design. The name
PETRO is a proprietary name and is an
acronym of the concept title ‘Pond Enhanced
Treatment and Operation’.
The system makes maximum use of anaer-
obic biodegradation followed by aerobic deg-
radation in oxidation ponds prior to the
polishing stage in a secondary unit. This pro-
cess was originally developed by the Water
Research Commission to which Tecroveer
has acquired the rights. This solution, with
Tecroveer’s layout and design, presented sig-
nificant savings for the Kouga Municipality.
Tecroveer president Zack van den Berg
says: “This project opened the door for us
to offer a completely innovative solution.
As a design and supply contractor, we are
generally limited to smaller projects. The
size of the project and the opportunity to
WATER AND SANITATION
The Jeffreys Bay WWTP upgradeA state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant has been unveiled at an official ceremony in Jeffreys Bay.
IMIESA October 2014 83
offer a design and supply solution gave us
the ability to develop a new, innovative and
cost-effective technology.
“This project is a good example of a strong
partnership that was developed through the
client, the consultant, the funders, the main
civil contractor and ourselves as the design
and supply contractors, who together were
responsible for implementing this project,”
says Van den Berg.
Technological innovationsOn discussing the technological innovations
used in this project, Van den Berg says:
“In this country we have a considerable
number of ponds and when these plants
are upgraded, they are discarded. On the
Jeffreys Bay project, we already had the the
ponds needed for the PETRO process, and
we were able to utilise these, which immedi-
ately gave us an edge on the capacity.
“However, we did not offer this process
as a saving, we offered it as an extra over,
and therefore won the bid based on the
5 Mℓ specification. We have provided a
sustainable solution, together with the extra
capacity, so that in the future the Kouga
Municipality will be able to undertake extra
developments,” says Van den Berg.
Another technology that was deployed in
the design was Tecroveer’s patented trans-
fer mixer, which in effect reduces the num-
ber of pumps that are required for the inter-
nal process recirculation to take place, in
order to optimise the process performance.
“There are no pumps that perform the
major recycling. The recycling of the return
sludge from the secondary settling tank by
using transfer mixers is a first in the world,”
comments Van den Berg.
Van den Berg explains that they built a full-
scale model in their factory. “We physically
tested and calibrated the full-scale mixer in
our test bay in Glenharvie before shipping it
out to Jeffreys Bay. We have now developed
the capability to elevate raw sewage into the
reactor, A-recycle, R-recycle and S-recycle
with transfer mixers. The low energy require-
ment, non-clog capability and adjustable
transfer rate have created new equipment
frontiers for us. There are huge opportuni-
ties opening up globally with this technology.
“Keeping in mind that innovation is only
innovative if it creates a cost saving in the
application, the technology we have devel-
oped here is going to play a major role in the
WATER AND SANITATION
offer a design and supply solution gave us
LOCATIONTown: Jeffreys BayCity: Port ElizabethMunicipality: Kouga Local Municpality/Cacadu District MunicipalityPopulation: 27 000+
LEFT Secondary settling tank with adjoining chlorine contact tank in the foreground
TOP View of pond systems incorporated into the new design
ABOVE Quality of the treated final effluent being discharged from the new treatment works
IMIESA October 2014 85
WATER AND SANITATION
future of activated sludge worldwide,” says
Van den Berg.
ChallengesThe area where the plant is situated is called
Fountains, known for the high level of ground
water in the area. One of the challenges
encountered on-site was the fact that there
were actual fountains underneath the reac-
tor. Van den Berg explains that during con-
struction, they were excavating to 5 m and
there were considerable quantities of ground
water to cope with during the construction.
“We have to compliment LRC Civils, the civil
contractor, for operating in these difficult
conditions and producing high-quality civil
work,” says Van den Berg.
Van den Berg also points out that they
were not working on a greenfield site, but
that this was an active site that was receiv-
ing flow as they constructed and integrated
PROJECT TEAM:Client: Kouga Local MunicipalityConsulting Engineers: WorleyParsonsTurnkey Contractor: Tecroveer ProjectsMain Civil Contractor: LRC Civils
the existing process stages into the design.
The treatment of sewage during construction
and converting the existing ponds into a
PETRO system was an additional challenge
and as a result the project duration had to
be extended.
Wastewater qualityHofmeyr comments: “The quality of the
water before this project was implemented
was poor, but it now exceeds the required
‘general limit’ by quite a margin. In fact, the
treatment facility is close to ‘special limit’
effluent standards. This shows that the plant
goes above and beyond the required stand-
ards of efficiency.”
Over the past two years, the Jeffreys Bay
plant has been upgraded from treating 3 Mℓ per day to 8 Mℓ, meaning that the plant
can, with some small future adjustments,
augment municipal supply. Because of the
system’s current efficiency, engineers pre-
dict that treatment capacity could easily be
increased to 10 Mℓ per day, at a relatively
low cost.
“In the past, it was thought that effluent
from an old plant like this, with ponds, was
a liability. This plant changes all that. The
plant is no longer a liability but an asset,”
says Hofmeyr.
In closing, Van den Berg comments, “We
are a total-solution engineering company and
apart from designing and implementing solu-
tions we also operate and maintain a number
of wastewater treatment plants throughout
the country. Tecroveer not only supplies a
solution but maintains and sustains it to
ensure clean water for future generations.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
Official unveiling of the plaque. From left: Cllr Vernon Stuurman, Cllr Patrick Kota, Willem Hofmeyr – technical director of water & civil infrastructure of WorleyParsons, and Piet van der Merwe – managing director of Tecroveer Projects
Piet van der Merwe, managing director of Tecroveer Projects speaking at the opening function
Process controllers have received training to ensure the efficient operation and maintenance of the new plant
Pic 6 – New Jeffreys Bay WWTP in the background. From left: Ashley Perils - PMU manager of Kouga Municipality, Cllr Vernon Stuurman, Cllr Patrick Kota, Jacques van Heerden - CEO of the Mufasa Coaching Practice, and Gary Brown – marketing manager of Tecroveer
GRP SYSTEMS are a cost-effective
piping solution as the pipes are
corrosion free, have a proven
resistance to acidic environ-
ments in water and sewage systems, and
are lightweight and therefore easy to handle.
The advantages of Fiberpipe’s GRP pipe
systems go far beyond its light weight and
resilience, as the table illustrates.
Advantages of GRPHein Momberg, managing director of
Fiberpipe, has placed significant focus on
ensuring customers get the most value from
the company’s products: “Fiberpipe’s combi-
nation of manufacturing and sales engineer-
ing services enables us to deliver value-
added services based on the requirements
of its customers. Through partnerships, we
find workable solutions aimed at achieving
maximum utilisation of pipe systems where
operational effectiveness is sought.” The
company provides training in installation and
maintenance, free of charge to South African
customers, among other value-adds.
GRP pipe and fittings are used in potable,
raw and industrial water applications, as well
as in seawater, wastewater, bulk water and
sewer applications.
The GRP products are manufactured
according to the following local and interna-
tional standards: SABS 1748-1 (glass-fibre-
FIBERPIPE
Corrosion-free GRPFiberpipe is currently the only glass reinforced pipe (GRP) manufacturer in sub-Saharan Africa. The advantages of GRP pipes and fittings are increasingly appreciated in markets that reach beyond South Africa’s borders, including Zimbabwe, Namibia and Malawi.
CHARACTERISTIC ADVANTAGE
Corrosion-resistant
• long, effective service life• no need for linings, coatings, cathodic protection, wraps or other
forms of additional corrosion protection• low maintenance costs• hydraulic characteristics are essentially constant over time.
Lightweight (1/4 weight of ductile iron pipe, 1/10 weight of concrete)
• low transportation cost (able to nest pipes)• eliminates need for expensive pipe handling equipment.
Long standard lengths, 12 m
• fewer joints reduce installation time• more pipes per truckload means lower delivered cost.
Smooth bore • low friction loss• lower operating costs.
Superior hydraulic characteristics
• extremely smooth bore• Hazen-Williams flow coefficient of approximately C=150• low friction means less pumping energy needed and lower
operating costs• Manning’s flow coefficient n + 0.009• minimal slime build-up means lower cleaning costs• excellent abrasion resistance.
Precision Flowtite coupling with elastomeric gaskets
• tight, efficient joints designed to eliminate infiltration or exfiltration• ease of joining reduces installation time• accommodates small changes in line direction or differential
settlements without additional fittings.
Flexible manufacturing process
• custom diameters can be manufactured to provide maximum flow volumes with easy installation for slip lining projects
• custom lengths can be manufactured to provide maximum flexibility for ease of direct bury or slip lining installation.
Advanced technol-ogy pipe design
• multiple pressure and stiffness classes to meet the design engineer’s criteria.
PIPES | COMPANY PROFILE
t +27 (0)11 864 2040 • www.fiberpipe.co.za
86 IMIESA October 2014
reinforced thermosetting plastic pipes),
AWWA C950 (fibreglass pressure pipe for
water services), ASTM D3754 (fibreglass
sewer and industrial pipe), ASTM D2996 (fila-
ment-wound fibreglass pipe) and AWWA C950
(fibreglass pressure pipe). The 113-employee
company’s 13 500 m2 factory, located in
Germiston South, boasts a continuous fila-
ment winder for the manufacture of Flowtite
products and a non-continuous winder for the
manufacture of Vectus products.
IMIESA October 2014 87
PIPES | SAPPMA
MORE THAN 200 DELEGATES
attended this year’s confer-
ence entitled ‘Plastic Pipe
in Infrastructure’ – the only
2014 conference specifically dedicated to
plastic pipes. Sixteen local and international
experts, from as far afield as Germany,
Switzerland, Abu Dhabi and the United
States, shared their views on matters relat-
ing to water infrastructure.
The audience consisted of exper ts
involved in the manufacture, installation and
specification of plastic pipes, as well as the
development of pipelines around the world,
and included civil engineers, plastic pipe
manufacturers, representatives of local and
provincial governments, and the media.
“Government has been making promises
of massive expenditure (R800 billion) to
improve the country’s infrastructure. The
NDP has set a fixed investment target of
30% of GDP by 2030 and, concurrently,
the Department of Trade and Industry is
developing a strategic vision for the broader
plastics industry. All of these plans cer-
tainly appear to be good news, but we are
not yet seeing them translated into reality,”
said Jan Venter, SAPPMA chairperson.
The supply/demand imbalanceAccording to SAPPMA, the supply of plastic
pipes currently far outweighs the demand.
“The simple fact is that local municipalities
are not investing in replacing or upgrading
their water infrastructure. As a result, our
industry is currently taking strain and is
battling for survival despite the fact that the
country’s infrastructure is sorely lacking.
Many of our member companies are forced
to shift their focus to elsewhere in Africa in
order to keep their doors open,” Venter said.
PIPES VIII
Hard work and hopeThis year’s Pipes VIII conference, hosted by the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers’ Association (SAPPMA) at the Bytes Conference Centre in Midrand, highlighted the important role plastic pipes have to play in ensuring a country’s infrastructure is able to provide daily necessities such as clean drinking water and a working sewage system.
LEFT Delegates at Pipes VIII
BELOW LEFT Marley Pipe Systems Gold winner
BELOW RIGHT Awaiting the next speaker
Sasol Chemicals PolymerTelephone: +27 (0) 11 790 1111 Fax: +27 (0) 11 790 1058 Website: www.sasol.com/polymers
PVCREAL BENEFITS, NO PIPE DREAMSPVC pipes are all around us, mostly invisible, but always present. It forms an indispensable part of our daily lives, transporting clean drinking water; drainage for the waste we produce, for surface water; and protection for our telecommunication systems.
The performance of PVC piping is exceptional thanks to the key attributes of this type of plastic, which allow it to outperform traditional metal pipes. PVC pipes can be recycled over and over again without any degradation of its physical properties. PVC pipes are versatile and can be moulded into various forms, and an impressive longevity means that it can function for well over 100 years with minimal maintenance.
Low-cost installation, outstanding recyclability and durability, excellent hydraulic performance and low maintenance costs all amount to a tremendously cost-efficient piping system.
Even though we might not notice it, PVC pipe offers significant advantages to Southern Africa and we experience these benefits every day.
IMIESA October 2014 89
Water distribution, waste disposal, irriga-
tion and telecommunications all rely on pipe-
lines to function, and an extensive network
of reliable water and sewage pipelines is
essential for the establishment and growth
of civilisation.
“South Africa is experiencing a great need
in this regard, and one would therefore
expect our industry to flourish. Ironically,
though, the South African plastic pipe indus-
try repeatedly finds itself in a situation of
low demand and this scenario is simply
unacceptable,” he reiterated.
SAPPMA represents more than 80% of the
plastic pipe produced in South Africa, and
focuses its efforts on ensuring pipe sys-
tems are leak-free and durable for long-term
use. It also focuses on the rehabilitation of
old pipelines. According to SAPPMA, both
water quality and quantity are under severe
pressure in South Africa, aggravated by rap-
idly increasing demand, severe pollution and
huge losses in distribution.
Ageing infrastructureVenter explained that the majority of the
country’s existing pipes were installed in
the early 1960s. “They have undoubtedly
reached the end of their effective lifespan
and have begun to corrode. Unless urgent
attention is given to the replacement and
maintenance of the water infrastructure,
the end result is predictable: bursts will
start occurring on a daily basis, followed by
catastrophic component failure and regular,
prolonged disruptions in service delivery,”
Venter warned, alluding to recent violent
protest actions by angry residents left
without water or sanitation in the North
West province.
“The two major causes of water loss are
corrosion and poor jointing. For this rea-
son, old steel or asbestos pipes should be
replaced with plastic pipes, because they
do not corrode and the joints are leakproof
if done correctly. We are therefore urging
municipalities to realise that pipelines lie
at the heart of South Africa’s infrastructure
and should be replaced before they fail.”
JP Landman, analyst and author of The
Long View, came on stage after Venter’s
presentation and managed to lighten the
mood by convincing the industry that all was
not doom and gloom.
Landman’s presentation was entitled ‘No
miracle, but no apocalypse either’ and
PIPES | SAPPMA
“It will take consistent, hard toil and working together, but our country has a bright future that beckons.” JP Landman, analyst and author
of The Long View
focused on how the country’s economy is
growing and industry is succeeding in mov-
ing forward. “South Africa is on a steady
forward trajectory. It will take consistent,
hard toil and working together, but our coun-
try has a bright future that beckons,” he told
the audience.
Other highlights of the day’s presen-
tations included Manglin Pillay (CEO of
SAICE), Colm Lyons (Georg Fischer
Schaffhausen, Switzerland), Ulrich Schulte
(PE100+ Association, Germany), Andrew
Wedgner (Borouge, UAE) and Andrew Seidel
(Underground Solutions Inc., USA).
ConclusionOverall, SAPPMA concluded that there is
much to be excited about, but also a lot of
hard work is required if promises are to be
turned into action.
“South Africans are finally waking up
to the fact that water is fast becoming a
critical problem as they begin to experience
first-hand the impact of failing water infra-
structure. We can only hope that decision-
makers pay attention to the warning signs
by implementing a pipe-replacement project
and investing in developing the necessary
technical skills required – something greatly
lacking in our country,” Venter concluded.
“As an industry, we are appealing to
Government to preserve and distribute
scarce water resources effectively, to put
promises into practice by investing in infra-
structure and rolling out the much-talked-
about project, and to absolutely reject
incompetence and inefficiencies.”
Tel: +27 21 957 5600 Tel: +27 11 345 5600
www.dpiplastics.co.za [email protected] Southern African Vinyls AssociationMember of the Dawn Group
NOW AVAILABLE
up to 630mm
Resistance to abrasion and scouring Resistance to attack from acid or alkaline soils Impervious to chemicals found in all sewage Good flow characteristics Not damaged by modern cleaning methods Good impact properties, an important factor in
installation, transportation and use
SANS 791PVC-U (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride) solid wall sewer and drain pipe systems
DETAILED PIPELINE DESIGN TECHNICAL INFO CONTAINED IN CD OR PDF FORMAT IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST FROM DPI PLASTICS AND CONTAINING, INTER ALIA:
IMIESA October 2014 91
PIPES | COMPANY PROFILE
THE COMPANY, which is now 100%
owned by the JSE-listed DAWN
Group, has been placed under DPI
Plastics management control with
product quality, factory efficiencies and cost
containment as a focus. As a fellow ISO
9001 listed company and SAPPMA member,
DPI Plastics will also provide technical assis-
tance to Sangio’s customers as well as to
Sangio’s factory personnel.
Obtaining an ISO 9001 listing was the
first step in achieving Sangio’s long-term
objectives and the company is very proud to
announce its recent accolade. Some of the
benefits of ISO 9001 listing are:
Increased efficiency and improved qualityCompanies that go through the ISO 9001
certification have clearly defined their pro-
cesses and how to maximise quality and
efficiency. Guidelines are in place for anyone
to follow easily, making training, transitions
and troubleshooting simpler.
International recognitionISO is recognised worldwide as the authority
on quality management.
Factual approach to decision-making The ISO 9001 standard sets out clear
instructions for audits and process reviews
that facilitate information gathering and
decision-making based on data.
Raw materials supplier standardsMutually beneficial supplier relationships
are one of the attractions of ISO certifica-
tion. Following the processes for documen-
tation and testing ensures that quality raw
materials from reputable suppliers go into
the production system.
Comprehensive workflow documentation The ISO standard requires documentation
of all processes and any changes, errors
and discrepancies. This ensures consist-
ency throughout production and account-
ability of all staff. This also guarantees
traceable records are available in the case
of non-compliant products or raw materials.
Consistency across all departmentsAll processes, from research and devel-
opment to production and delivery, are
defined, outlined and documented, which
minimises room for error.
Enhanced customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction is a key focus of
ISO 9001 as it aims for company effi-
ciency, consistency and dedication to
quality service.
Sangio Pipe employs in excess of 160
staff members at their Cato Ridge fac-
tor y, predominantly from previously
disadvantaged backgrounds, and is com-
mitted to providing training and upliftment
for the staff.
Sangio’s Aquaflow HDPE ranges proper-
ties, such as impact resistance and resist-
ance to abrasion, have made it the pipe of
choice in the mining and industrial markets.
Piping made from polyethylene is a cost-
effective solution for a broad range of pip-
ing applications in the municipal, industrial,
marine, mining, landfill, duct and agricul-
tural industries. It has been tested and
proven effective for above-ground, sur face,
buried, slip-lined, floating and sub-surface
marine applications.
HDPE can carry potable water, wastewa-
ter, slurries, chemicals, hazardous wastes,
and compressed gases. In fact, polyethyl-
ene pipe has a long and distinguished his-
tory of service in gas, oil, mining and other
industries. It has the lowest repair frequen-
cy per kilometre of pipe per year compared
with all other pressure pipe materials used
for urban gas distribution.
Polyethylene is a strong, extremely tough,
very durable product that offers long ser-
vice and trouble-free installation.
HDPE is generally used for high-pressure
applications ranging from 3.2 to 25 bar, in
conjunction with compression, butt-weld or
electrofusion fittings. Sangio’s Aquaflow
HDPE piping conforms to the SABS ISO
4427 specification.
+27 (0)31 782 3781www.sangiopipe.co.za
Sangio Pipe KZN achieves ISO 9001 listing
Founded in 1997, Sangio Pipe is one of South Africa’s leading manufacturers of HDPE piping in Southern Africa. They service the construction, mining, agricultural and industrial markets.
Automated Manual Transmission means that the transmission is manual but the shifting mechanism that changes the gears is electronically controlled. There is no driver operated clutch, which limits the risk of abuseon that component. The truck is always in the right gear, at the right time. No more expensive clutch replacements. With AMT Isuzu Trucks brings to market a range of N- and F-Series models that retain performance, durability and fuel economy usually associated with a manual transmission.
Customer Care and 24 Hour Roadside Assist call 08600 ISUZU (47898).For more information or to locate your nearest Dealer, visit www.isuzutrucks.co.za
JOIN THE DRIVETO COST SAVINGSWITH AMT
IMIESA October 2014 93
COMPANY PROFILE
Truck crew cabs – essential feature for municipal operationsService delivery not only requires efficient
wheels but, in many cases, is conducted by
a municipal crew that must be transported
with the truck. Regulation 247 is a legis-
lated risk for those engaged in construction
and service industries where staff is con-
veyed on trucks.
There is no restriction on the number of
persons that may be carried on the back
of a goods vehicle but it must be empty of
tools or goods – with the exception of per-
sonal effects – unless they are separated
by a partition. While the number of persons
is unrestricted, a truck’s GVM may still not
be exceeded. However, the ‘people factor’
is an essential part of the GVM makeup.
The solution to this challenge is provided
through Isuzu truck crew-cabs.
Isuzu has established a leadership role
in offering municipalities standard crew-cab
models for both medium and heavy-duty
4 x 2 trucks. Isuzu can supply three models
with stepped GVMs at 5 200 kg, 7 500 kg
and 13 500 kg respectively. Isuzu N-Series
crew-cab models NMR 250 and NPR 400
can seat six and seven respectively – both
including the driver. The new heavy-duty
Isuzu F-Series range includes one crew-cab
model. The heavy-duty Isuzu FSR 750 is a
13 500 kg GVM (around 6 500 kg payload)
truck offering fully homologated seating
for seven.
AMT – an advanced technological feature for municipal driversAn additional benefit is that the Isuzu NPR
400 crew-cab model has a significant fea-
ture not found on any medium-class truck,
providing a unique technical advantage – an
automated manual transmission designat-
ed as ‘Smoother AMT’.
Automated manual transmission has
been a major success for Isuzu trucks
wherever it has been introduced into
South African municipal operations. It con-
ver ts a standard transmission into an
Isuzu trucks drive service delivery
Service delivery is a term on everyone’s mind in
modern society and effective municipal service
delivery requires road transport to match the tasks
that South African urbanisation is creating. This is
where Isuzu trucks are proving their versatility and
worth in both large and small municipal fleets.
94 IMIESA October 2014
COMPANY PROFILE
automated shift gearbox for a positive drive
and fuel efficiency.
Isuzu was the first truck manufacturer to
take a step forward by introducing the AMT
concept in their N-Series medium truck
range in 2010. The concept has been so
well received in municipal operations that
Isuzu has now extended its heavy F-Series
truck range with an additional four AMT
models, ranging from 11 000 kg GVM up to
15 000 kg GVM. These Isuzu trucks offer
a payload from around five to eight tonnes,
depending on the type of cargo body fitted.
AMT is a standard feature on one of the four
heavy F-Series Isuzu mod-
els – the seven-person
crew-cab model FSR 750.
What makes AMT so
suitable for municipal
work? Isuzu AMT makes a
good driver out of a poor
or mediocre driver, and
fuel consumption will ben-
efit from improved driving
style. Further, because it
ensures the correct gear
ratio for take-off and gradi-
ent, clutch abuse is elimi-
nated. Smooth, seamless
AMT gear changing has
a positive effect on the
whole driveline. That’s why
Isuzu trucks equipped with
AMT are identified as ‘Smoother’ models.
Road safety is not negotiable in a munici-
pal truck fleet. In today’s ever-increasing
traffic conditions, a truck driver is con-
stantly monitoring the surrounding rapid
changes on the road. AMT provides a truck
driver with more scope to concentrate on
the situation at hand without the distraction
of selecting the correct gear.
Isuzu AMT starts the day efficiently and
ends a day on the road with the same
efficiency. This is not possible for any
driver, who will tire behind the wheel, and
multiple drivers will only aggravate driveline
wear. Isuzu AMT Smoother models are a
technological answer to modern municipal
transport problems.
A GVM for every taskWhen it comes to payload and applica-
tion, it’s not possible to find a universal
answer in one truck model with one GVM.
A truck range must offer a wide GVM
choice for payload efficiency and the cost
of capital investment. That’s where Isuzu
trucks have the answer for municipal and
government operations in their new N- and
F-Series trucks because there is a GVM for
every task.
Warranty and service Isuzu trucks have a class-leading warranty
– two years with an unlimited distance or
two-year warranty for all Isuzu trucks from
3.5 tonnes GVM and above. A three-year
anti-corrosion warranty for the entire Isuzu
truck range completes the warranty package.
There are currently 35 Isuzu truck deal-
ers in Southern Africa. Isuzu trucks over
3.5 tonnes GVM are assembled from SKD
packs in Port Elizabeth.
www.isuzutrucks.co.za
A truck range must offer a wide GVM choice for payload effi ciency and the cost of capital investment
IMIESA October 2014 95
SHEQ
AS ROAD AUTHORITIES, munici-
palities are liable for faults that
cause damage through negligent
acts or omissions. Gone are the
early days of motorisation when the concept
of sovereign immunity guided the views
of engineers and politicians with respect
to road safety. Accidents were seen as a
consequence of mobility. Damages suffered
from faults and failures of roads were thus
not claimable from the road authorities. Use
of a public road was considered a privilege,
not a right.
Since the 1970s, the society has come to
appreciate the cost of road crashes in terms
of health services, loss of production and
opportunities. Internationally, road crashes
are considered to be a burden on the health
and financial system, as well as having a
grave psychological impact on the commu-
nity. Road safety is a public policy issue and
the promotion of road safety a reflection of
the good values of society.
The International Traffic Safety Data and
Analysis Group (IRTAD) in its 2013 Annual
Report (OECD/ITF 2013) reports that in
South Africa in 2011 about 13 500 deaths
resulted from road crashes, giving a rate of
27.6 fatalities per 100 000 of population.
The country with the lowest rate for 2011 is
the United Kingdom with a rate of 3.1 fatali-
ties per 100 000 people. “It is estimated
that road crashes cost around $36 bil-
lion every year” (OECD/ITF 2013: 384).
The cost was calculated using the human
capital method.
In the foreword to a publication An update
on the implementation of the Road to
Safety Strategy – 20 November 2002 the
then Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar,
stated that:
“On 20 November 2001, I – together with
the MEC’s of Transport – was privileged
to launch the ‘Road to Safety Strategy’
with our Deputy President, Jacob Zuma.
The objective of the strategy is to reduce
crashes, deaths and injuries on South
Africa’s roads by 5% year-on-year until the
year 2005 – at a saving to the economy of
R770 million per annum – and then, based
on the strengthened institutional platform,
Engineering for road safetyThe function of municipal engineers to provide roads comes with obligations, including safety. Roads are public property: they are provided at public cost for common use. At the level of local government, municipalities are the road authorities in terms of Section 156 of the Constitution of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996. By Louis de Villiers Roodt, Department of Civil Engineering, Stellenbosch University
Chapman's Peak Drive has long battled safety issues for motorists
IMIESA October 2014 97
by at least 10% per year-on-year until the
year 2009.
Notwithstanding the strategy, fatal crashes
increased from 11 200 in 2001 to 15 400
in 2006, before declining to 14 000 in 2008.
The World Health Organisation declared
the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011
– 2020 to reduce road fatalities:
“The most important reason, though, is
that road deaths are preventable – and it
is our collective responsibility to support
every effort possible to curb the carnage
on our roads. Leading road safety experts
believe that, with the right action, up to
5 million lives could be saved and 50 mil-
lion injuries prevented during the Decade
of Action. This will represent a reduction of
about 50% on the predicted global death
toll by 2020.”
The Decade of Action is built on five pillars:
• road safety management
• safer roads and mobility
• safer vehicles
• safer road users
• post-crash responses.
Flowing from safer roads and mobility, road
safety engineering should entail a roads
development plan: “A strategy that requires
that systematic attention be paid to upgrad-
ing the road infrastructure and signage on
the basis of continuous audits of hazardous
locations and accident red spots,” according
to the WHO.
South Africa has subscribed to the World
Health Organisation Decade of Action for
Road Safety 2011 – 2020 strategy and
the goal to reduce road fatalities by 50%
by 2020. This is now considered policy.
Road safety policies are seen to be the
expression of the good values or the general
legal convictions of the community and the
actions of a road authority will be measured
against these.
Legal duty of road authoritiesThe question of the legal duty of the road
authority and the road engineer arises where,
in cases of delict, damages have been suf-
fered and claims on the grounds of negli-
gence follow. The South African courts treat
each case on its merit, preferring not to pre-
scribe what the legal duty or the standards of
care in provision or maintenance should be.
Loubser & Midley (2010) define legal duty
as “a duty to act without negligence or not
to be negligent”.
Legal duty can stem from statutory duty.
Neethling, Potgieter & Visser (2001) state:
“The causing of damage by means of con-
duct in breach of a statutory duty is prima
facie wrongful.”
The highest authority of this statutory duty
in the context of the road environment stems
from the Constitution of South Africa as
stated in the Bill of Rights:
“ 24. Environment. – Everyone has
the right –
(a) to an environment that is not harmful to
their health or well-being”.
The example given by Neethling et al. (2001)
is of the old Divisional Councils Ordinance
18 of 1976, but it could be argued that if
the principle was good then, it must still
apply now.
In certain provinces, a divisional council is
compelled by ordinance to build and main-
tain roads (Divisional Councils Ordinance 18
of 1976). Consequently, the council has a
statutory duty to take care that defects do
not develop in the roads. If the council fails
to do so and someone is injured as a result
of such omission, the council’s conduct is
prima facie wrongful.
The concept of safety was only recently
incorporated into legislation. The SANRAL
and National Roads Act 7 of 1998 states the
functions of SANRAL are, inter alia:
“ 25 (e) to provide, establish, erect and
maintain facilities on national roads
for the convenience and safety of road
users; [-]
39 (3) The Agency must determine its
business and financial plan and strategic
plan and the standards and criteria for
road design and construction and for
road safety within the framework of the
national roads policy as determined by
the Government and published in terms
of subsection (1).”
In the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Roads Act 4
of 2001, the KwaZulu-Natal province legis-
lated that it would only be liable should loss
or damage result from the “wilful or negligent
act or omission of an official.” Scott JA elab-
orated on this point in McIntosh v Premier,
KwaZulu-Natal (632/07) [2008] ZASCA 62
(29 May 2008):
“In the present case the second respond-
ent is enjoined in terms of s 3(1) of the
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Roads Act 4 of
2001 to administer the provincial road net-
work in accordance with national and pro-
vincial norms inter alia ‘to achieve optimal
road safety standards within the Province’
and to ‘protect and maintain provincial road
network assets’.
In terms of s 3(2) the second respond-
ent’s responsibility is said to be ‘within the
Province’s available resources’. However, a
public law obligation does not necessarily
give rise to a legal duty for the purpose of
the law of delict. See Rail Commuters Action
Group v Transnet Ltd t/a Metrorail 2005 (2)
SA 359 (CC) paras 79-81. But in the present
case s 9(3) of the Act puts the issue beyond
doubt. It provides: ‘9(3) The Minister (i.e.
the second respondent) is not liable for any
claim for damages arising from the exist-
ence, construction, use or maintenance of
Flowing from safer roads and mobility, road safety engineering should entail a roads development plan
SHEQ
Chronic road failures like this are costly and dangerous
98 IMIESA October 2014
SHEQ
any provincial road, except where the loss or
damage was caused by the wilful or negligent
act or omission of an official.”
Principles of law of delict: impact on road authoritiesThe liability of municipal road authorities
falls under civil law. The law of delict (civil
wrong) is the part of civil law that set the
standards of behaviour. This is the branch
of law under which claims are made against
road authorities. It is thus important that
municipal engineers are familiar with the
terms. If wrongful and blameworthy conduct
results in harm or damage to someone,
there is a right to claim compensation.
The law of delict comprises five elements:
the act, wrongfulness, fault, causation and
damage/loss.
The act is the conduct that leads to dam-
age and could be in the form of a positive act
or an omission. In the context of municipal
roads this may be the erection of misleading
signage or not erecting signage where this
was required to warn of danger.
Wrongfulness in the context of road safety
is the breach of the legal duty owed to the
public to ensure reasonable safety, mitigate,
reduce or control risks and hazards, and
warn of danger. As such, wrongfulness is
determined with reference to the general
legal convictions of the community. Policies
on road safety indisputably prove socie-
ty’s convictions that road transport safety
is important.
In the verdict in Graham v Cape
Metropolitan Council 1999 (3) SA 356 (C),
J van Deventer said:
“ The legal principles to be applied in cases
of this kind may be summarised as fol-
lows: Wrongfulness in terms of the sense
of justice and legal convictions of the
community now applies to omissions by
a public authority. A duty of care towards
road users should apply to the controlling
public authority unless there is a valid
basis for its exclusion. However, as this,
is whether the sense of justice of the
community would view the failure of the
local authority to take positive action as
wrongful, subject to the qualification that
the local authority is not required to do
more than may be reasonably expected.”
Fault has two main forms of fault: intention
and negligence. The latter is typically the form
present in road maintenance-related claims.
These terms refer to the legal blameworthi-
ness of conduct. The criterion established to
determine whether a person acted carelessly
is relative to the objective standard of the
reasonable person. Note that in a technical
environment, the reasonable person is not
the man in the street, but an appropriately
experienced and competent technical per-
son. A person would act with negligence if he
were in a position to foresee the reasonable
possibility of his conduct injuring another in
his person or property and causing him loss
and not taking reasonable steps to guard
against such occurrences.
Negligence must be proven by the plaintiff.
The determination of fault as conduct of the
defendant can be offset against the contribu-
tory fault of the conduct of the plaintiff. The
defence of contributory negligence must be
proven on a balance of probabilities.
Causation is the requirement that the
wrongful act must be the proximate cause
of the damage or loss: there must be a
plausible connection between the act and
the result to be determined from the facts of
the case. The series of linked actions cannot,
however, be stretched to extreme ends: the
wrongdoer is not liable for harm that is ‘too
remote’ from the conduct.
Damage: Neethling et al. (2001) give a
definition of damage as the diminution, as a
result of a damage-causing event, in the util-
ity or quality of a patrimonial (transmissible
or relating to money) or personality interest
in satisfying the legally recognised needs
of the person involved. The losses typically
involved in accidents at maintenance work
are real rights (e.g. property), loss of rights
(e.g. profit), direct and consequential loss,
general (intrinsic, e.g. pain and suffering)
and specific (e.g. medical expenses incurred
up to trail) losses. The loss of future rights
such as income, profit or expenses is the
subject of prospective patrimonial damages.
Mitigation of loss places some obligation on
the plaintiff to take all reasonable steps to
limit the damage caused by the defendant’s
delict. A plaintiff who fails to take reasonable
steps cannot recover damages in respect of
loss that could have been prevented.
CasesThe municipal engineer should be aware of
the cases that have been decided on the lia-
bilities of municipalities and roads authorities.
The following cases serve as illustrations.
Administrator, Natal v Stanley Motors and Others 1960 (1) SA 690 (A)One of the oldest cases against a road
authority involved a bridge that was washed
away during heavy rain and the ensuing flood
in the Natal South Coast in October 1956.
The judge set a stringent test of duty for the
engineers for the design of bridges as critical
elements of roads.
The duty of engineers constructing a bridge
across a river is to construct it in such a
manner as to be capable of resisting all the
violence of weather which in the climate con-
cerned might be expected, though perhaps
rarely, to occur.
Cape Town Municipality v Bakkerud 2000 3 SA 1049 (SCA)Mrs Bakkerud tripped in a pothole
on the sidewalk. Marais JA found the
municipality negligent.
In the present case there is very little in the
way of evidence to go on when it comes to
deciding whether or not it should be held that
the municipality was under a legal duty either
to repair these holes or to warn the public of
their existence and that its failure to do either
was negligent. However, there is just enough
to warrant a finding that it was. Sea Point is
a densely populated suburb. The pavement
abutted on residences and would have been
in constant use. There were two holes in
close proximity to one another and they were
not shallow. There was also a pole near the
holes from which a wire cable ran which was
attached to the pavement in the vicinity of
the holes. It had the effect of shepherding a
passer-by in the direction of the holes. The
pavement was relatively narrow. The holes
had been there for many months. No evi-
dence was given on the municipality’s behalf.
In this court Mr Binns-Ward adopted the posi-
tion that unless the immunity conferred by
the municipality cases were reaffirmed, the
The municipal engineer should be aware of the cases that have been decided on the liabilities of
municipalities and roads authorities
IMIESA October 2014 99
municipality accepted that it would be liable.
In the circumstances, it is unnecessary to
subject to any further scrutiny the factual
foundation for the existence of a legal duty
and a finding that there was culpa in failing
to fulfil it.
Graham v Cape Metropolitan Council 1999 (3) SA 356 A rock fell on Mr Graham’s vehicle on
Chapman’s Peak Drive in June 1994, paralys-
ing him. The ensuing court cases led to what
can be regarded as some of the most com-
prehensive judgements on the duties of the
road authority. Not only the condition of the
road, but the understanding of the weather
and geotechnical conditions of the land adja-
cent to the road came under scrutiny.
The judgment listed inter alia the following
points from which some principles could
be deduced:
“Held, that wrongfulness in terms of the
sense of justice and legal convictions of the
community applied to omissions by a public
authority.” The act that causes damage
is not only a positive action, but could be
an omission.
“Held, further, that a duty of care towards
road users had to apply to the controlling
public authority unless there was a valid
basis for its exclusion. Such a duty only
arose, however, when the injury could have
been avoided by reasonably practical means.
Put differently, the norm to be applied in
cases such as the present was whether the
sense of justice of the community would
view the failure of the local authority to
take positive action as wrongful, subject
to the qualification that the local authority
was not required to do more than might be
reasonably expected.” The cost of mitigating
measures is a consideration in the determi-
nation of the reasonableness of imposing a
legal duty, where the legal convictions and
sense of justice of the community are taken
into account.
“Held, further, that on the above approach
it followed that a local authority which was
in control of a dangerous road such as
in the present case was under a duty to
warn intending road users specifically of the
nature of the hazard and the risk involved, by
special and appropriate road signs or other
means.” The law acknowledges that a road
cannot be perfectly safe. However, where
hazards occur, there is a duty to warn.
MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport v Esterhuizen 2006 SCA 96 (RSA)A group of young people were travelling
from Dealesville to Bloemfontein in 2001.
The driver, Joubert, testified that a small
buck tried to cross the road and he swerved
to the left, driving off the road. Attempting
to return to the road, he drove over an
edge drop-off greater than 75 mm and
lost control, driving into the veld on the
right. Esterhuizen – a passenger in the
vehicle – was seriously injured. Cachalia,
AJA found that:
“The court found as a fact that the point
at which Joubert had attempted to bring the
two left wheels back on to the tar had a
dangerous difference in height between the
gravel and the tar.
This, it concluded, was the cause of the
jerking action of the steering wheel which
resulted in Joubert’s loss of control of
the vehicle. The appellant was held liable
because it had failed properly to maintain
the road.”
McIntosh v Premier, KwaZulu-Natal (632/07) 2008 ZASCA 62McIntosh and friends went cycling on a rural
road in the Kamberg district in KwaZulu-
Natal in 2004. Riding down a hill, McIntosh
encountered a pothole in the middle of the
road and swerving to avoid the pothole,
SHEQ
Gone are the days when road safety was no longer a public liability
IMIESA October 2014 101
the pedal cycle skidded and he fell on the
guardrail, sustaining severe injuries. Scott
JA found that:
“The pothole which resulted in his fall had
been allowed to grow to such a size as to
be described as creating a dangerous situa-
tion. Given that the road was inspected on a
weekly basis, the failure to repair the pothole
over such a long period is indicative, I think,
of a greater degree of negligence than that
attributable to the appellant. In the circum-
stances an apportionment of 60:40 in favour
of the appellant seems to me to be fair and
equitable in all the circumstances.”
Recent investigated crashes settled out of courtThe following cases illustrate dangerous
conditions on the road that could and should
have been corrected.
Pothole on side of Class 2 road In 2009, a Vespa scooter driver drove
off from the stop line of a traffic signal
controlled intersection on Jean Avenue in
Centurion. A pothole with sharp edges had
developed in the bell mouth where a slight
depression held water when it rained, weak-
ening the sub-base of the pavement. A late
right-turner from the side road drove across
the scooter’s line of driving, forcing it to the
side of the lane. The scooter tire burst on
hitting the sharp far end of the pothole. The
rider was flung from the scooter. Despite the
crash helmet the driver sustained brain dam-
age. This Class 2 road should be inspected
often, especially as it is in a dolomitic area.
In fact, by the time the author’s inspection
was done, the road was closed due to a sink-
hole that appeared less than 100 m further
on. Potholes should not be allowed to devel-
op on this class of road in this area. The
case was settled in favour of the plaintiff.
Burst water pipe in sag curveThis road is adjacent to a very old sub-
urb with an asbestos cement water pipe
reticulation system. Pipe bursts in the
area are common. The municipality has not
prioritised the replacement of these pipes.
A pipe burst in a side road leading to a
T-junction on a major collector road. The
water ran into a sag vertical curve in the
major collector road. The water dammed
and ran over the crown of the road to the
kerb inlets on the outer side of the road.
The road is curved with a radius of about
200 m. The driver was driving second in a
platoon and did not see the pond of water
in the curve. He hit the water as he reached
the curve, thus entering the dam with the
vehicle’s wheels turned. The vehicle aqua-
planed and spun out of the curve, hitting an
approaching vehicle and then crashed into
a tree. The matter was viewed as similar
to the damage that would result from a
burst municipal water pipe flooding a shop.
The case was settled, although the driver
accepted the major part of the contributory
negligence. The municipality must consider
the impact of services on the road, not only
the road conditions.
See-through effect on road cut off by freeway in cutA local road on the urban edge between a
mixture of small holdings and townhouse
developments. The road has street lights
located on the far side of the urban area.
The smallholdings were severed by the
P157 – 2 (R21) freeway in the 1980s. At the
urban edge, the freeway is in a cut deeper
than 5 m. The road traffic signs within the
smallholdings have not been replaced since
the construction of the P157 and most of
the signs are faded or missing. The road on
either side of the P157 is straight for dis-
tances in excess of 1 km. The last section
of the road on the east side, past the last
junction, is gravel. There is no ‘dead end’
sign at this last junction and at the P157
road reserve there are no signs indicating
the end of road. Approximately 50 m before
the P157 road reserve heaps of soil and rub-
bish had been dumped. The crash happened
at night when a group of young people, not
familiar with the area, got lost and travelled
westwards. The street lights, shining on
both sides of the P157, give the impres-
sion of continuity along this historically
straight street. Driving down the road, with
no warning signs, the driver was surprised
by the heaps of soil in the road. He swerved
to the left and hit other heaps of rubbish.
The car was damaged and the occupants
injured. The case has not proceeded since
the investigation.
DiscussionRoad safety is an acknowledged problem in
South Africa. The convictions of society are
that safety must be promoted, in line with
stated policies. The South African public is
becoming more legal-wise and claims against
road authorities will increase as a result of
poor maintenance and the capping of the
Road Accident Fund’s payouts. The conduct
of the professional engineer and technician
will be measured against the reasonable,
knowledgeable, experienced engineer.
Most claims for damages result from poor
maintenance and poor warning. Standards
for pavement failures such as edge break,
drop-off, potholes and rutting, have not been
quantified, but guidance from documents
such as TMH9 reflects reasonable engineer-
ing practice. The South African Development
Community (SADC) Real-Time System
Management (RTSM) similarly guides the
reasonable engineer and will be used to
evaluate what is acceptable.
Municipalities need to have proper and
adequate maintenance procedures. Asset
management systems should be implement-
ed in all road authorities as best practice.
Records of complaints and responses are
particularly important to defend against
claims of negligence.
Verdicts in recent cases were mostly in
favour of the claimants. These cases set
legal precedents. Many cases are settled
before going to court. Operational staff
are often not given sufficient feedback
on these verdicts. Executive mayors, politi-
cians, municipal managers and treasurers
are often not well informed of the need to
prioritise road maintenance. This can lead
to underfunding. Municipal engineers are
the custodians of road safety on behalf of
the public.
ReferencesJM and Visser PJ. 2001. Law of Delict. (4th ed.). LexisNexis Butterworth: Durban.
OECD/ITF. 2013. Department of Transport. 2002. ‘An update on the implementa-tion of the Road to Safety Strategy’. Available online at: www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=70264). Accessed on: 1 April 2012.
Loubser M and Midley R (eds). 2010. The Law of Delict in South Africa. Oxford: Cape Town.
Neethling J, Potgieter IRTAD 2013 Annual Report of The International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD). (www.internationaltransportforum.org/irtad-public/pdf/13IrtadReport.pdf) Accessed 2013/07/25
World Health Organisation. 2009. Global status report on road safety: time for action. Geneva, World Health Organisation Available online at: www.who.int/violence_injury_preven-tion/road_safety_status/2009. Accessed on: 2013/07/25
World Health Organisation. 2010. Decade of Action. Geneva. Available online at: http://www.who.int/roadsafety/decade_of_action/plan/en/. Accessed on: 25 July 2013
SHEQ
ROADS
102 IMIESA October 2014
Gauteng Road and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi recently opened the Putfontein Road, which will provide a major link between the N12 and R59, and result in major relief for traffic flow.
Reconstruction of Putfontein Road
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THE EKURHULENI Metropolitan
Municipality commissioned GIBB
to carry out the materials investi-
gation, design and supervision for
the reconstruction of Putfontein Road from
Cloverdene Road to Kingsway Road in Van
Ryn smallholdings. “We received a 100%
satisfaction report back from the client –
something we are very proud of. This pro-
ject’s challenges included a tight deadline
and several hidden pitfalls that GIBB man-
aged to overcome with a devoted team and
outstanding expertise,” said Johan Le Roux,
GIBB’s on-site project leader.
Delivering ahead of scheduleThe 2 450 km long Putfontein Road, togeth-
er with intersections at Cloverdene Road,
Harry Gwala Street, North Street, Van Ryn
Street, Jenkins Street and Nicol Road,
needed to be completed in a period of six
months as the appointment for the contrac-
tor, Superway, ended in December 2013.
“We are proud to announce that the
project was handed over to Superway for
construction in August 2013 and hand-
ed over to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan
Municipality on 10 December 2013, as com-
plete, ahead of schedule,” said Le Roux.
Five additional taxi lay-bys were also
completed during the construction period.
These taxi lay-bys were placed at strategic
areas at intersections that are safe for both
pedestrians and road users. Up to three taxi
buses are able to stop at the same time
at the lay-bys, which aim to alleviate traffic
congestion caused by traffic approaching
the intersections.
“More taxi lay-bys within South Africa’s
road network need to be constructed. These
roads should be on main collector roads and
taxi routes, as this will alleviate traffic con-
gestion and the frustration of road users,”
said Le Roux.
Constructing a new drainage systemAccording to Le Roux, another challenge for
the project was to overcome problems with
the drainage system. “The previous drainage
system was a natural open drain that was
overgrown and silted over the years. This
caused water to pond in the open drains
and on the road during rainy seasons, which
caused serious damage to the underlying
pavement layers,” he explained.
Open, concrete-lined drainage channels
were constructed on both sides at certain
sections of the Putfontein Road to drain all
the surface water to existing stormwater
pipelines and concrete channels. A new
600 mm diameter stormwater pipeline, with
junction boxes and manholes, was placed
at areas where the stormwater pipes cross
the Putfontein Road, to ensure adequate
water drainage.
“We are extremely proud of this project.
The client was informed regularly on the
progress and expenditure of the construc-
tion works and this resulted in complet-
ing the works on time and within budget.
Progress and technical meetings were held
on-site on a weekly basis between GIBB
and Ekurhuleni, to resolve technical and
progress issues quickly,” Le Roux said.
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The new Actophambili Roads (Pty) Ltd specialise in Asphalt surfacing, Seals, Slurry, Crack seal and Asphalt patching. In January 2013 the following key personnel joined the team:
Herman Van Der Westhuizen - Contracts ManagerRenier Ackerman - Contracts ManagerJohannes Ferreira (Kleinjan) - Contracts ManagerJohn Monareng - Chip & Spray ForemanWilliam Tatana - Asphalt Paving ForemanChristo Limbach - Asphalt Paving Foreman
All of the mentioned personnel have vast experience in road surfacing and have worked on several SANRAL contracts.
Actophambili Roads (Pty) Ltd’s surfacing and asphalt teams are equipped with plant from leading manufacturers that is either brand new or in very good condition and are operated by experienced operators.
The surfacing team is supported by an experienced and highly effective admin team lead by Dean Saffy CA (SA) (Financial Director), Elsa Negre and Liesl Claassen (Tender department).
We currently have a CIDB grading of 6CE, 5SB and will be upgrading to a level 8CE, 6SB soon.
GAUTENG OFFICE:Building R02, Denel Aviation Campus
3-8 Atlas Road, Kempton ParkTel: 011 395 2293
Fax: 011 395 3767Fax2email: 086 611 3633Email: [email protected] (Liesl Claassen)Email: [email protected] (Johan Pelser) FREE STATE OFFICE (ADMIN):1 Haarburger Singel Westdene, BloemfonteinTel: 051 444 0178Fax: 086 549 9061Email: [email protected] (Dean Saffy)
POSTAL ADDRESS:PO Box 16661, Atlasville 1465
ROADS
THE R22 MILLION Road Asset
Management System (RAMS) pro-
ject awards were made under the
Rural Roads Asset Management
Grant (RRAMG) and will span the next two
years, terminating in June 2016. The dis-
trict municipalities involved include uMgun-
gundlovu, Xhariep, John Taolo Gaetsewe
and Lejweleputswa.
Royal HaskoningDHV’s project manager
and student mentor Winas Vukeya explains
that the firm became involved with the
RRAMS back in 2012 with the inception
of the programme when it was appointed
by uMgungundlovu District Municipality in
KwaZulu-Natal.
Pioneering workRoyal HaskoningDHV has pioneered the
development of the programme with many
new initiatives. These include:
• appointing, training and developing of
S4 civil engineering technician graduates
(training up 22 technicians in the process)
• assisting Mike Pinto of Target Computing
with the development of the Mobicap soft-
ware package that is used for the field data
capturing of visual condition assessments
• developing the GIS structure and methodol-
ogy using free software Quantum GIS and
training the S4 civil engineering technician
graduates in GIS processing of field data
instead of hiring external GIS specialists
• contributing and assisting the
Department of Transport with the annual
refinement of the grant conditions as
published in the Division of Revenue Act
• executing trial study areas on the incor-
poration of Class 6 roads
• being ‘first on the road’ in KwaZulu-
Natal, capturing road inventory data
electronically and assisting the provin-
cial coordinators with the first trial areas
• in-house use, set-up and programming
of computer tablets for data capturing.
“As a result of our groundbreaking work
since 2012, we now have a well-estab-
lished RAMS unit with a support structure
that can manage all four RAMS projects
over three provinces,” explains Vukeya.
Detail of RAMSRAMS is designed to assist district munici-
palities as the planning authority in the
management and implementation of local
municipality road networks. It provides
both district and local municipalities with
a complete picture of their respective road
networks, condition, what maintenance is
RAMS project transfers skills, builds capacity
The recently awarded district
roads asset management
projects in four district
municipalities in KwaZulu-
Natal, Northern Cape and
the Free State will involve
substantial skills transfer
and capacity building and
use the latest in-house
developed technology.
“A RAMS assessment is a requirement when applying for a municipal infrastructure grant and other sources of funding.” Winas Vukeya, Royal HaskoningDHV project manager
IMIESA October 2014 105
required at what cost and how to plan and
budget for it.
“A RAMS assessment is a requirement/
mandatory condition when applying for a
municipal infrastructure grant and other
sources of funding,” he explains.
The work includes:
• visual condition assessments
• traffic counts
• capturing of road inventory
• bridge and culvert assessments
• GIS work
• data analysis
• project management
• training.
“Although there was a lot of competition for
these projects from other consultants – up to
20 bids for each – our track record and experi-
ence counted heavily in the successful award.
By being able to capture the visual condition,
road inventory, bridge condition data as
well as road alignments electronically using
computer tablets and developing open-source
software for GIS, we have simplified and
made the whole process more effi-
cient,” concludes Vukeya.
106 IMIESA October 2014
ARCHITECTURE
THIS IS A notable achievement in
an industry where women are only
recently coming to the fore,” said
Nina Saunders, past vice-presi-
dent of SAIA. “The Corobrik-SAIA Awards of
Excellence recognise exceptional contribu-
tions to the field of architecture and have
been conferred every two years since their
introduction in 1990.
“Less than 20% of SAIA members are
currently women. However, almost 28% of
members have earned the title PR Arch
(Professional Architect), the highest level
of membership, and we are seeing an
encouraging trend emerging with 40%
women in the Architect in Training category.”
Best in buildingAwards of Excellence – the highest acco-
lade that can be bestowed on a building
in South Africa – were presented for eight
Celebrating award-winning Four women have been honoured in the 2013/14 Corobrik-South African Institute for Architects (SAIA) Awards of Excellence presented at a gala dinner in Durban.
Michele Sandilands UNISA
106 IMIESA October 2014
IMIESA October 2014 107
ARCHITECTURE
projects and, in three of these projects,
the lead architects were from female prac-
tices or from those who have a woman as
lead architect.
The four award-winning architects are:
• Anne Graupner, principal at 26’10 South
Architects in Johannesburg
• Michele Sandilands, principal of Michele
Sandilands Architects in Cape Town
• Charlotte Chamberlain, par tner at
Charlotte Chamberlain & Nicola Irving
Architects in Cape Town
• Nicola Ir ving, par tner at Charlotte
Chamberlain & Nicola Irving Architects in
Cape Town.
Chamberlain and Irving won their awards for
the new pre-school and art buildings for the
campus of Springfield Convent School in the
southern suburbs of Cape Town. Graduates
of UCT, the two worked together at Louis
Karol Architects and both spent time gaining
experience in Europe; Chamberlain in France
and Irving in England. It was after Nicola had
spent five years in Australia, and Charlotte
had started a practice of her own, that
the two joined forces to create Charlotte
Chamberlain Nicola Irving Architects, both
with a strong motivation to build a practice
that worked towards a better life for the
wider community.
Leap of faithCommenting on their award, Chamberlain
said: “Acknowledgment from your peers is
women in architecture
BabylonstorenTshwane University of Technology
Wits Art MuseumKoop Hopewell VC
(Photo credit: Koop Design)
108 IMIESA October 2014
INSIGHT
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a really good indication that what we are up to is going in the
right direction. Winning an award is not the true test of a building
or project – rather it is the happiness of the people using and
inhabiting the spaces. An award is welcome recognition for the
client, who had the ability and foresight to trust in our processes.
We often ask our clients to extend their briefs and vision for
their projects way beyond their initial thoughts, and it is a leap of
faith to go ahead with what is mostly an unknown to them – until
it is built.”
Regarding the role of women in architecture, Irving says: “We
don’t really see that women have a specific role, but we truly
do need representation and diversity in our society, in all aspects
and forums to do with our built environment, in order to continue
evolving and growing in a worthwhile direction.”
Freedom Park
ARCHITECTURE
IMIESA October 2014 109
of Cape Town’s foremost corporate, commer-
cial and public buildings. Her practice has
won several national and regional awards.
After graduating from the University of
Cape Town in 1985, she worked at MLH
Architects and Planners where she was
responsible for several projects, among
them the three cableway buildings, for which
she was principal design architect.
Sandilands says she is thrilled to win a
Corobrik-SAIA Award of Excellence, not only
for herself but also her team, who worked
many late hours and weekends.
She says she is driven by passion for her
chosen career. “Architecture is not for the
faint-hearted, but the smell of wet cement
and the thrill of having your dreams real-
ised for the benefit of generations of users
is rewarding.”
Educational buildings are a particular inter-
est of hers. “We want to make a positive
difference by everything that we design and
so the design and construction of places of
learning fulfils this ideology. Buildings that
have a minimal impact on the carbon foot-
print and that set sustainable examples are
a focus of ours.”
Turning constraints into opportunitiesA studio home in Brixton, Gauteng, won
a Corobrik-SAIA Award of Merit for Anne
Graupner of 26’10 South Architects. She
was lead architect on the project. This pro-
ject is close to her heart as it is the home
in which she lives with her partner Thorsten
Deckler and because it enables her to be
both a mother to her two young children and
work as a fulltime professional architect and
urban designer.
Educated in Vienna at the University of
Applied Arts, Graupner graduated cum laude
in 2001. She worked at the Architecture
Centre Vienna before returning to South
Africa, her country of birth, in 2002. Two
years later, she co-founded 26’10 South
Alice Campus UFH Auditorium
Public porch taxi rank
Passion and driveSandilands’s award is for her work on Phase
2 of UNISA on the Cape Flats – creating an
inspiring house of learning to accommodate
administrative offices, student registration,
exam rooms and teaching venues.
She established her own practice, Michele
Sandilands Architects, in 1998 and has a
wealth of experience, having designed many
It must be acknowledged that a higher percentage of women have been lead architects on the award-winning projects this year and this must be viewed as a healthy development for the profession
IMIESA October 2014 111
Architects with Thorsten Deckler, which was
selected as the top emerging practice in the
country in 2012.
Graupner has lectured and designed exhi-
bitions locally and abroad. She co-authored
(with T. Deckler and H. Rasmuss) the book
Contemporary South African Architecture in
a Landscape of Transition.
“Recognition in the form of awards is
very welcome but is not the main reason
for being an architect,” says Graupner.
“Architectural and urban design projects
are highly complex and could be looked at
and judged in many ways. However, being
recognised for design excellence validates
some of our conceptual thinking and values.
“Happy users that take ownership of our
work are the best awards,” says Graupner.
“Turning constraints into opportunities often
requires reading between the lines, amplify-
ing what already exists and challenging the
status quo. Designing spaces that creatively
encourage the end users to inhabit them
would constitute a successful project for me.”
The essence of diversityNina Saunders believes that if you are a
good architect it doesn’t matter whether
you are a man or women. “Having said
Seed Library
that, it must be acknowledged that a higher
percentage of women have been lead archi-
tects on the award-winning projects this
year and this must be viewed as a healthy
development for the profession.”
During her time as vice-president for SAIA,
she gained an acute insight into the neces-
sity of diversity, both in race and gender.
Saunders says fringe work is having an
Walmer Link
effect on mainstream architecture with
architects becoming more equitable so they
are able to work on relevant projects.
Saunders is a programme manager for
strategic architectural projects at eThekwini
Municipality’s City Architecture department
and a member of the organising committee
for the Union of Architects World Congress
in Durban this year.
ARCHITECTURE
SARF/IRF 20142 - 4 September 2014
CSIR Conference Centre, Pretoria, South Africa
5th Regional Conference for Africa
Improving capacity and safety for road transport in AfricaHost
Hosted by the South African Road Federation and the International Road Federation in association with SBS Conferences
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CEMENT AND CONCRETEData shows a significant steady growth in cement consumption, indicating a continuous increase in the use of concrete in general construction and infrastructure. As c ement and concrete markets become increasingly dynamic, the need for innovation is important, while precast cement has seen some important developments.
IMIESA October 2014 115
CEMENT AND CONCRETE
SPEAKERS AND participants in
the Southern Africa Readymix
Association (SARMA) annual con-
ference agree that more has to
be done to ensure that the concrete used
on construction sites, albeit for infrastruc-
ture or housing, needs to be more carefully
specified and controlled. This is in order to
prevent building collapses and the undue
deterioration of structures.
Considering the important role that con-
crete plays in the majority of our built
structures and roads, comparatively few
stipulations are put forward by industry
bodies for their members to adhere to when
specifying concrete. For example, concrete
of an unknown origin can be used on most
sites as long as it passes a slump test and
later on passes strength tests.
Engaging role players “But what about the overall integrity of the
concrete?” asks SARMA general manager
Johan van Wyk. “It is the responsibility of
everyone involved in the industry to ensure
that this most critical element is properly
specified, the correct material is delivered
and it is used and cured correctly. That
includes the architect, engineers, project
manager, contractor and concrete suppliers.
“They all have a role to play and for
this reason the association is leading
talks with industry bodies representing
diverse professional memberships, includ-
ing civil engineers, designers, municipal
managers, road pavement specialists and
civil engineering contractors.
“We want them to make it a requirement
of their members to specify concrete only
from certified suppliers who comply with
national standards relating to the supply of
readymix concrete. In addition, the require-
ment should call for these suppliers to be
audited annually to ensure ongoing compli-
ance. They should also be able to prove
compliance with environmental, health and
safety standards,” Van Wyk adds.
He says that there are hundreds of
concrete manufacturing plants out there
that have been audited and certified by
SARMA and who produce quality concrete.
Simultaneously, there are low-quality and
unscrupulous operators out there that do
not comply with any regulations and who
Call to professionalise concrete suppliesConcrete gurus from around the country have called on professional bodies within the construction industry to become stricter when specifying concrete in order to improve the standard of construction in South Africa.
IMIESA October 2014 115
Jaques Smith, Go Consult
Ray Bonser, Afrisam
Jason Drew, AgriProtein Technologies
Kevin Quale, NPC Cimpor
Marius Grassman,
Concrete Testing
Equipment
Some of the speakers and participants in the Southern Africa Readymix Association annual conference
116 IMIESA October 2014
CEMENT AND CONCRETE
produce thousands of tonnes of consistently
poor quality concrete that is sold and used
within the industry every day.
Overall integrityExperts leading a panel discussion on deter-
mining the integrity of concrete agree that
consistent quality can only be produced if
all the correct ingredients are used and no
corners are cut. Ray Bonser, national product
technical manager aggregates and readymix
at AfriSam, says all the correct elements
needed to be taken into consideration to
make concrete consistent . This included
the use of locally certified cement, quality
aggregates that are suitable for the job at
hand, as well as the correct mixing done
under the supervision of experienced and
qualified employees.
Jacques Smith of Go Consult agrees, say-
ing that a weak link anywhere in the process
– right up to the proper laying and curing of
concrete – could be disastrous with potential-
ly dire results for either the end user, devel-
oper, contractor or readymix company (or all
of them) in the event of a failure. Dealing
with a properly accredited and certified sup-
plier with the correct testing equipment and
facilities was the safest and most proactive
way of ensuring that a quality product will be
delivered, every time.
NPC Cimpor general manager Kevin Quayle
states that independent laboratory tests in
KwaZulu-Natal conducted on ‘cheap’ import-
ed cement had found that many of the bags
sold were either underweight or simply did
not meet strength requirements. “This is
an example of how concrete suppliers may
try to cut costs and in the process ruin
the overall integrity of the concrete that
they supply.”
Keeping recordsAnother speaker, Marius Grassman of
Concrete Testing Equipment agrees, say-
ing that testing raw materials used in the
manufacture of concrete, as well as the end
product, provides concrete manufacturers
and users with a valuable tool to ensure qual-
ity and provide a record of proof if needed
in future.
“The laboratory is possibly the most impor-
tant part of setting up a readymix plant
and is, sadly, the last thing most people
think of when starting a plant. Professionals
need to not only make sure that they cor-
rectly specify concrete, but they also need
to test it and make sure it conforms with
their requirements – from the types and
grades of aggregates used, to the qual-
ity of cement, mixtures and final pouring of
cement. Everything should be documented
and checked to ensure that the correct con-
crete is being used.”
Sustainability is keyAnother equally important aspect was that
of sustainability of both the concrete and
the construction industries. Keynote speaker
Jason Drew of AgriProtein Technologies says
that it is vital for all industries to innovate
and find better solutions to current problems.
His fly breeding programme, for example,
looked at the problem of waste blood from
abattoirs and turned it into a thriving busi-
ness supplying protein to fisheries while
removing the environmentally harmful blood
waste from the environment. Similar innova-
tions in the concrete and building industries
may remove waste from the system or find
alternative dwelling structures to meet the
needs of the planet’s growing population.
Monty Olivier of Sustainable Green
Consulting adds that companies in these
industries could also add to the future
sustainability of the environment by follow-
ing a green path, which includes recycling
and seeking more energy-efficient alterna-
tives to their processes, as well as seeking
energy efficiency and recycling alternatives
in offices and factories. All staff members
should be made aware of the importance of
environmental issues, especially when peo-
ple consider that the world is running out of
resources like oil and water.
People mattersThe industry should also change its way of
thinking about staff and not follow old ste-
reotypes. This is according to auditor Karin
Standford, who delivered a meaningful talk
on the important role that women play in the
concrete industry.
Despite preconceptions about women not
being physically strong enough to do the job,
she has found many instances where they are
equally good as men and often bring new skill
sets to these environments that can add enor-
mous value. She recommends more women
should be brought into the industry in order
to secure the sustainability of the industry’s
workforce and bring new ideas to the table.
Other speakers at the conference include
Peter Norton of Concrete Laser Flooring, Dan
Payton of CivilSure, David Bowerman of BASF
and Charles van Eck of Tilt Up Systems.
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IMIESA October 2014 119
SHORTLY AFTER the announce-
ment was made that ProAll
Reimer Mixers has been accepted
and accredited by the Southern
Africa Readymix Association (SARMA), a
similar unit was purchased by 3Q Mahuma
Concrete. Although the ProAll Reimer Mixers
have been available in the market for
some time now, a thorough certification
process had to be followed to ensure the
trucks could produce concrete of a consist-
ent standard to meet the association’s
strict requirements.
Reimer South Africa markets and sup-
ports a unique readymix system that allows
dry cement, aggregates and other ingredi-
ents of concrete to be transported to site
and mixed to specification. The system is
able to overcome the challenge of ensuring
concrete is fresh when being transported
over long distances and can mete out
small amounts at many different sites
in a day without the risk of the concrete
losing slump.
Ready-to-goWith sophisticated metering systems
aboard the ProAll Reimer Mixers, exact
quantities of raw materials are fed into the
screw auger and can be batched to meet
each individual customer’s requirements
along the way, that is: strength, consistency
and workability. An immediate printout acts
as certification of the mix for on-site record
keeping purposes and is recorded for pur-
poses of proof of delivery of supplier. The
unmixed product remains usable.
“For our members, the advantages of
having a ProAll Reimer Mixer of this sort in
their fleets are many and the accreditation
of the system means that they can rest
assured that it is able to produce the same
consistent quality as their existing batching
plants,” said Johan van Wyk, general man-
ager of SARMA.
“Certification follows a lengthy verifica-
tion process in which Go Consult trains the
operator, does the mix designs, determines
the settings and maintains quality control.
SARMA officials audited the manufacturer’s
systems for accreditation. They also meas-
ured the performance and quality of the
system against stated outputs. Only then,
once they were satisfied that the ProAll
Reimer Mixer units met performance crite-
ria, were they able to certify South Africa’s
first continuous concrete production plant.”
He concluded that the new system would
provide members with a viable means of
extending their reach into remote areas and
allow them to measure out smaller quanti-
ties to clients who would usually have no
other option but to settle for less reliable
site-mixing options.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE
ProAll Reimer gets to mix with the bestHistory was made at this year’s SARMA Readymix Conference by ProAll and Reimer South Africa when the first continuous concrete production plant was officially accredited by SARMA.
ProAll Reimer’s dry readymix system has been certified by the Southern Africa Readymix Association
Reimer South Africa managing director Dirk Moolman addresses the audience at the Readymix Conference by SARMA
IMIESA October 2014 121
CEMENT AND CONCRETE
NICO PIENAAR, director of the
Aggregate and Sand Producers
Association of Southern Africa
(Aspasa), says that sustainability
is not just the domain of environmentalists,
but refers rather to the whole supply chain
within the construction and infrastructure
development process.
This includes the use of quality products
and skilled labour. It also includes the protec-
tion of nature from which building materials
are derived and requires building products
and services to be made available at a fair
and equitable price.
Start at the beginning“Looking around the country, it is clear that
much work is needed, as there are still
many communities without proper housing.
Urbanisation is putting further pressure on
our cities’ infrastructure and facilities and
these too need to be upgraded in order to
properly service communities,” says Pienaar.
“In future, South Africa will need to create
cities where economic and social systems
actually support the notion of long-term
sustainability. We will also need to create
work and living spaces that enable the
creation of jobs and facilitate wealth-building.
Communities can then become more socially
coherent and this will enable individuals to
work together for the greater good of their
own societies.
“This can only be done if people have
proper shelter and decent affordable hous-
ing. They need to have a liveable environment
and have a sense of belonging, as well as a
sense of pride in their surroundings and in
their city. Infrastructure must therefore be
created that will enable the ongoing sustain-
ability and improvement of these areas,”
he says.
Formalising the industryHe adds that industry associations such as
Aspasa play an important role in the sustain-
ability of the construction industry. Aspasa
members, for example, supply the key ingre-
dients of all building and construction pro-
jects in the form of sand and stone, which
make up the vital building blocks of concrete
structures and road construction.
At the core of its existence, the associa-
tion’s main purpose is to look after the long-
term sustainability of the quarrying industry
by aligning it with legal, quality, environmen-
tal, labour and social requirements. The build-
ing industry can improve sustainability simply
by dealing with accredited and sustainably
operated suppliers, as well as denouncing
unscrupulous and illegal suppliers.
While the regulated quarrying industry is
constantly busy cleaning up its act and ensur-
ing that social and environmental, as well as
health and safety, obligations are being met,
the illegal operators are still selling their
goods and severely impacting the sustainabil-
ity of the legal trade in South Africa.
On the right path“In order to be truly sustainable, the build-
ing industry needs to follow certain steps
that will ensure that the structure and roads
they build will last, as well as ensuring their
businesses remain profitable in future. By
supporting quality suppliers they are, in turn,
ensuring that they become quality builders.
As a measure of construction sustainability,
we suggest companies throughout the supply
chain adopt:
• sustainable and energy-efficient designs
• environmentally friendly practices
• sustainable maintenance practices
• sustainable production of materials
• a concern for quality materials
• practices that maximise benefits for sur-
rounding communities from all building and
construction activities
SA needs a sustainable construction industryIf South Africa is to prosper and meet its full potential, we need sustainable human settlements that are socially acceptable and able to support economic development and expansion.
Sand, aggregates and cement need to be procured from professional accredited suppliers to ensure sustainability
“Urbanisation is putting further pressure on our cities’ infrastructure and facilities and these too need to be upgraded in order to properly service communities.” Nico Pienaar, Aspasa
122 IMIESA October 2014
CEMENT AND CONCRETE
• a sustainable legacy of skills develop-
ment and job creation.
“In addition, role players need to be
identified to drive development and act
in a leadership role to ensure sustain-
ability,” explains Pienaar.
Identifying role playersPienaar continues that Government is
the first and most important role player,
as it needs to focus on infrastructure devel-
opment. Schools, hospitals, police stations,
houses, roads and other key structures need
to be planned, developed and made to ser-
vice the community in a sustainable manner.
The money allocated through the fiscus
needs to be spent wisely to ensure it ticks
the boxes of social and environmental sus-
tainability. This is the infrastructure that is
put in place to facilitate economic develop-
ment and facilitate employment and social
coherence. No corners can be cut at this
stage as it will form the basis of all future
developments, will create social cohesion
and create jobs etc.
Government also has a role to play to
regulate the quarrying industry and create a
level playing field by stopping illegal mining,
preventing imports of cheap inferior building
materials and cement. In this way quality local
producers can create jobs and a thriving and
lively upstream building supply industry.
Building industry professionalsFollowing Government’s role, it is the
responsibility of our built environment pro-
fessionals to strive for sustainability in terms
of quality, as well as social and economic
upliftment. In terms of building materials,
the sustainability of supply can be done
by simply insisting on locally produced
cement, Aspasa-accredited aggregates
and correctly manufactured readymix
concrete from an accredited supplier.
When dealing with industry associ-
ation-accredited suppliers, profession-
als can rest assured that the com-
panies comply with regulations, prod-
ucts meet standards as laid out by
the SABS, suitable care is taken of
employment conditions and the environment
surrounding communities.
“For this reason, we plead with role play-
ers to look at the big picture when planning
for sustainability. Government and building
professionals need to look beyond the use
of green products for new developments.
In order to have a truly sustainable building
industry, we need to make sure the products
we use are ethically derived and comply with
standards. We also need to deal with suppli-
ers and contractors that are focused on true
sustainability in terms of social, environmen-
tal and economic upliftment of the region and
the country,” concludes Pienaar.
Ethically operated quarry
IMIESA October 2014 123
BY SUPPLYING ONE of its highly
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Sika played a critical role in this
challenging R1.8 million project, planned
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To commence the project, a cavity in the
pool had to be plugged while the old slab
was broken and removed. In order to achieve
the required concrete strength, SikaPlast
V210 was added to a blend of NPC Plus L
and Protec cements.
SikaPlast V210 is a mid-range water reduc-
er for pumped concrete flatwork as well as
applications where superior finishing charac-
teristics are required with low retardation.
The mid-range water reduction of SikaPlast
V210 provides several advantages, including
high, early compressive strengths, increased
strengths and more durable, dense concrete
with reduced permeability. It does not con-
tain formaldehyde, calcium chloride or any
other added chlorides and will not initiate
or promote the corrosion of steel present in
the concrete.
After 30 years in a salt-water environment,
the original reinforcing of the pool was
completely corroded. To ensure sufficient
reinforcement for the new pool structure, the
addition of Sika Macro Fibres to the concrete
was of utmost importance. The fibres used
were 50 mm in length with a ratio of 4 kg of
fibres/cube of concrete.
Sika Macro Fibres are structural synthetic
fibres with an X-shaped surface area for
maximum bonding in concrete. They are a
cost-effective alternative to welded mesh
and provide increased load bearing and
energy absorption in the concrete. They are
safe and easy to use, provide a homogenous
reinforcement and are corrosion resistant.
Overcoming challenges Due to the ocean tides, the biggest chal-
lenge facing the contractor was draining
the 600 m² pool at low tide every day, and
then having just five hours in which to pour
150 m3 of concrete before high tide once
again filled the pool.
A further challenge was pumping the con-
crete into the pool from 100 m away due to
restrictions of the concrete truck access-
ing the beach. A problem which Kencrete
Readymix Concrete were able to solve by
supplying a sufficiently long pump.
With Sika’s trustworthy concrete solutions
breathing new life into it, Margate’s tidal
pool will undoubtedly stand the test of time
and help to boost touris m to this popular
seaside town.
Restoring Margate tidal poolFor two decades the once-popular tidal pool in Margate on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast was non-functional. Thanks to the Margate Urban Renewal Project, it has now been fully restored.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE
TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION
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What makes a city work?
IMIESA October 2014 127
TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION | COMPANY PROFILE
THE INTRODUCTION of Generally
Recognised Accounting Practice
(GRAP) within local government has
focused attention on asset man-
agement. The National Treasury addition-
ally issued a number of asset management
practice and reporting requirements. These
include the need to identify, value and track
the health of assets, establish programmes
and provide resources to care for assets,
and report on these matters.
Given that these requirements are driven
from an accounting perspective, the munici-
pal engineer may be tempted to leave all
responsibility for asset management to the
CFO. However, not only is the value of the
municipal engineer indispensable in the pro-
cess, there are unprecedented opportunities
for engineering professionals as a result of
the introduction of GRAP.
IMQS believes it is extremely well placed
to support the municipal engineer, with
well over 70 municipal and six metropolitan
clients across South Africa, managing a
combined total of more than
288 000 km of water, sewer,
road, stormwater and electric-
ity networks. IMQS’s pedigree
means there are no asset
classes, nor any scale there-
of, that cannot be managed
by the geo-referenced IMQS
Integrated Infrastructure
Management System.
IMQS is a market-leading,
international software com-
pany that provides strate-
gic and operational decision
support solutions to the municipal infra-
structure market. By leveraging the latest
browser, cloud and desktop technologies,
as well as its own proprietary GIS soft-
ware, IMQS has created a modern device-
independent solution with a clean, well-
designed inter face. It is intuitive and the
user can access information in real time,
from any location, to carry out their work
and deliver an optimised service.
The execution of GRAP and the provision
of essential engineering services will require
significant investment in capital works, and
supporting systems and processes, over
the next 15 years, for it to be scalable and
sustainable. Investment will be aimed at all
infrastructure asset types. The true value of
each of these initiatives will not be realised
on the day a road is completed or when a
new water purification plant is activated, but
rather when the road remains in good condi-
tion even with increased traffic and age, or
when the purification plant delivers clean
and safe water to the client. To achieve this,
each of these assets needs to be treasured
and carefully managed throughout its life.
Key elements of Integrated Asset
Management include:
• knowing where your assets are
• managing risks associated with
asset failures
• continuous improvement in asset man-
agement knowledge and practises
• cost-effective management strategies for
life cycle asset management
• defined level of service and monitoring
performance
• understanding the impact of growth
• updating of asset register through inte-
grated system support.
In effect, the government could spend an
extraordinary amount of money investing in
infrastructure and, in doing so, transform the
country’s economic landscape. To preserve
this, the fundamental principles of asset
management need to be applied rigorously
and systematically.
The IMQS Integrated Infrastructure
Management System is designed to support
the process of making a city work. Using an
open-service-based architecture, IMQS seam-
lessly integrates with other mission critical
systems and is able to extract information
from underlying engineering, maintenance
and ERP systems to inform and add value to
a client’s systems and infrastructure invest-
ment. The system supports asset componen-
tisation to the level where maintenance-sig-
nificant items are easily identified, as well as
providing a complete range of tools to gather
and manage key properties like life expec-
tancy, performance, utilisation, criticality and
operational costs. These are critical in updat-
ing the infrastructure asset register annually.
IMQS supports all national and interna-
tional standards like GRAP and PAS55,
making it the solution of choice for infra-
structure asset managers. It provides the
capability to create the fundamental asset
inventory that underpins any asset manage-
ment strategy, and storing
this information in a config-
urable geo-referenced asset
register. IMQS is well posi-
tioned to support any asset
management initiative which
will ultimately result in bet-
ter infrastructure on which to
build an economy and deliver
a professional service.
www.imqs.co.za
The municipal engineer’s responsibilityLife cycle infrastructure
asset management
and integrated
communication have
been added to the
financial asset register.
TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION
128 IMIESA October 2014
IT in Africa’s construction industry Information technology is an
integral component of today’s
construction industry. Utilising the data
it generates, IT contributes significantly
to meeting industry needs and adapts
to, and supports, construction trends.
IT IS IN FACT ONE of the core utili-
ties that supports an infrastructure.
This results in tremendous risk to
the business should there be any
IT downtime. To mitigate downtime, it is
necessary to build resilience into IT com-
ponents and design.
Industry context and trends “Africa is currently experiencing increas-
ing industrialisation and urbanisation.
Related to this is a rise in energy demands. This leads to the need
for increased access to, usage and sharing of, data generated or
‘pulled’ by IT,” explains Jaco Cronje, operations director for EES
Africa, an ISO 9001:2008 certified company.
Construction industry trends and requirements lead to IT-specific
trends, the first of which is connectivity. “Connectivity, especially
via mobile communication devices, is accelerating and a rapidly
increasing number of people in Africa are becoming connected.
An example of connectivity is the fast-growing use of broadband in
Kenya, while that of mobility can be seen in MTN and the rise of
its mobile phone penetration throughout Africa,” explains Cronje.
In 2010, the world’s population was 7 billion and there were
12 billion connected devices. It is estimated that there will be an
impressive total of 25 billion connected devices by 2015.
Relevant to this is a second trend, which is coined the ‘Internet
of things’. “Lifestyles are increasingly being lived in a virtually con-
nected fashion. Fundamental to this is making connectivity simpler,
easier and faster,” says Cronje.
The third trend is ‘energy management’, which addresses rising
energy demands. IT monitors energy usage and manages how it can
most effectively be utilised. An example here is the energy grid. IT
is essential in the implementation of a ‘smart’ grid. This unlocks
numerous benefits related to the managing of energy generation
and consumption.
IT components and infrastructure design The core utilities or services that support a facility or infrastruc-
ture today are not only water, electricity and gas, but also the
data generated by IT. “Data has long passed the point of being
a requirement, and is now a distinguishing factor in buildings,”
Cronje emphasises.
Data, as the fourth utility, enables more efficient management of:
• office services, which include email, Internet and telephony
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• security, which includes access control,
CCTV and alarms
• building intelligence, which makes use
of sensors to monitor and manage the
infrastructure; for example, generator
fuel levels and monitoring the number of
cars in a parking area
• power, which is run over ethernet, ena-
bling monitoring and management of
lighting and other power usage.
This is done by means of convergence.
Convergence, which is the combination of
multiple functions by means of only one
cable, can achieve a 20% capital saving
in buildings. Convergence of services also
covers energy efficiency services and this
can proactively contribute to maintenance,
offering a 30% operational saving.
Increasing the resilience of an IT systemIt is necessary to build resilience into
IT components and design in order to
mitigate the risk IT downtime can pre-
sent to organisations, resulting in serious
cost implications. Cronje explains that
the primary focus with regard to building
resilience should be on the data centre,
which is the heart of IT in a building or
smart city. The data centre is evaluated
based on its resilience to risks and is then
rated accordingly.
“To ensure it has optimal resilience, the
data centre must also have an uninter-
ruptible power supply which is achieved
by back-up power and generators as an
example of power supply, among many
other environmental dependencies. It must
be operated efficiently and be properly
equipped with necessary monitoring sys-
tems. Additionally, its location and access
must also be secure.”
Vital to the IT system is not only the
physical equipment and installations, but
the system architecture too, which needs
active-active resilient and redundant sys-
tems for continued operations and reduced
risks. Load must be spread to create
resilience throughout the entire IT system.
Resilience should also be increased
in cabling and routing, which must be
installed according to industry guidelines
and shielded from power cables.
Cronje adds, “To achieve optimum IT
efficiency, IT requirements must be ana-
lysed for each individual project in order to
meet specific client needs. As it is a core
service, IT needs to be included in the
construction process from day one, rather
than trying to retrofit a solution.”
It is estimated that there will be an impressive total of 25 billion connected devices by 2015
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TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION
SRK CONSULTING IN
KwaZulu-Natal is cur-
rently doing this to
bring together data
from various elements of a pro-
ject – such as planning, geo-
technical, environmental and
social – into a geographical
information system (GIS) frame-
work to create highly detailed
spatial images.
“This allows the information
to be communicated more eas-
ily within multidisciplinary pro-
ject teams and especially to
non-technical users,” explains
James Morris, partner and principal civil
engineer in SRK’s Durban office.
“We have found that the data is far easier
to understand and explain when presented
in a more visual way – on a local or regional
map, for instance. When this information
is only in text, tables and graphs in a thick
report, it can be very daunting and time-
consuming to digest; the significance of key
data can also be difficult to extract.”
The systems developed by SRK are then
integrated with the company’s decision-mak-
ing tools, so that the improved understand-
ing of selected decision criteria and techni-
cal information can help decision-makers in
considering the available options.
“Whether in the private or public sector,
those with the duty and authority to make
decisions must have a firm foundation of
evidence on which to base their choices,”
he says. “By using high-tech solutions to
integrate the necessary data, we can ensure
that the best options are highlighted, and
this makes for well-informed decisions and
better impact.”
Non-technical stakeholders may include
financial officials, municipal councillors, and
a range of interested and affected parties;
this method of sharing project plans and
details is also beneficial to contractors work-
ing on the project itself, who often prefer to
see a visual representation of what needs
to be done.
Mapping data with spatial GISMapping of data using GIS tools is used
both for analysis and prediction, says Morris.
Where water quality in a river could be nega-
tively impacted by a proposed settlement,
for instance, data on existing conditions
can be modelled and compared to possible
future conditions. The predicted results can
then be plotted in colours on a map of the
area, with a scale of colours showing levels
of negative and positive impact.
“A data-rich visual impression is then able
to quickly convey those areas where there
are challenges or where better options are
available,” he says. “Our clients frequently
display these maps in their offices to inform
their ongoing discussions, and
to share the issues with other
stakeholders. It is particularly
beneficial when working with
infrastructure projects, as much
of the work we do on infrastruc-
ture is spatially related.”
The ability to integrate data
seamlessly and represent it sim-
ply is also key to the efficiency of the project
team, says Morris.
Case study: assessing groundwaterWorking on a rural groundwater supply pro-
ject in the Amajuba District Municipality of
KZN, SRK has also applied high-tech meth-
ods while making sure that their findings
and recommendations are effectively com-
municated to clients and affected parties.
“In doing an assessment of groundwater
resources in rural areas for a local munici-
pality, for instance, we have taken a more
regional approach, which will optimise sus-
tainability and water quality,” says principal
hydrogeologist Raven Kisten.
“This is an innovative departure from
previous practices, where boreholes have
generally been drilled without a full under-
standing of the area’s water balance or
aquifer characteristics.”
Using remote sensing and an interpreta-
tion of geological structures and faults,
SRK has completed a catchment-scale
Turning data into imagery for better decision-makingHigh-tech computer applications for data management, mapping, modelling and imagery help present large amounts of data in a more accessible, visual way, enabling clients and stakeholders to quickly understand and make informed and better project decisions.
Front (sitting, left to right): James Morris and Angus Bracken
Back (left to right): Nic Brien, Keagan Allan, Raven Kisten and Murray Sim
132 IMIESA October 2014
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TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION
work lays the foundation for production bore-
holes to be integrated with bulk groundwater
supply schemes with larger footprints and
appropriate maintenance and groundwater
monitoring programmes.
In presentations to council officials and
public representatives, it is useful to show
the extensive project-related data on maps
rather than just in reports, and this allows
for ongoing capacity building among stake-
holders, explains Kisten.
Using mapping tools to diagnose problems “We spend a great deal of time conducting
highly sophisticated assessments,” says
SRK partner and principal civil engineer
Murray Sim. “But, we then need to convey
the essence of our results to decision-
makers and sometimes also the public.
While a plain cadastral map is not always
well understood, we can map our data in
layers and provide images that make it
ABOVE LEFT Typical screenshot of the system in use for a housing infrastructure project
ABOVE RIGHT An aerial image indicating a geological lineament identified through remote sensing techniques as well as the proposed drilling targets identified
assessment in the Amajuba area; this iden-
tified areas with high groundwater potential
for well-field development, offering a more
sustainable water supply and quality. The
IMIESA October 2014 133
TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION
much easier to show the current situation and highlight various
future options.”
While used mainly in planning, these mapping tools can also be
used for diagnosing problems, says Angus Bracken, partner and
principal engineering geologist based in SRK’s Pietermaritzburg
office. In a project to investigate technical problems occurring
with some of the houses in a nearby settlement, the area was
analysed by overlaying a range of maps – including geological,
soil, topographic, drainage and geotechnical data.
“This facilitated the process of examining the factors that could
affect the integrity of the buildings,” says Bracken. “After helping
us identify the causes of the problems, the mapping techniques
can now be used to ensure the problems are avoided in the future
– as the maps can show quite clearly which areas are more suit-
able for housing purposes.”
Case study: solving flooding in eThekwiniIn a recent project at Isipingo, south of Durban, historic satellite
images were vital in helping SRK solve a regular flooding problem
for the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality emanating from a
wetland between the highway and the coastline.
“Having modelled the catchment area of the wetland and
assessed the drainage infrastructure, we then compared satellite
photographs from year to year and discovered that one of the
property owners bordering the wetland had, over time, caused
a significant blockage to the main drainage channel,” says SRK
principal civil engineer Nic Brien.
“This was not obvious due to overgrown vegetation and limited
previous knowledge of the wetland’s layout. However, the conse-
quences of this blockage were such that even a moderate storm
would cause flooding.”
Based on this assessment, works are under way to implement
a new drainage path comprising a concrete canal installed on
the side of the wetland, as well as the upgrade of a number
of culverts and canals in the industrial area where most of the
flooding occurred.
“The solution not only addresses the flooding but reduces the silt dep-
osition that clogged up the wetland,” says Brien. “During major storms,
the majority of the silt will now bypass the wetland via the canal, with
the concrete base enabling easier dredging when required.”
ABOVE LEFT An extract from a high-tech data collection tool, using a web-based inspection toolkit allowing for the fast and reliable collection of data in the field. Used for the inspection of infrastructure in the rural environment
ABOVE RIGHT A suitability index attribute map indicating areas suitable for development. Red areas are not suitable; green areas are suitable for development and expansion
RIGHT Various spatial datasets can be combined to present a meaningful representation of development constraints
CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES
EQUIPMENT
136 IMIESA October 2014
IN A RECENT ANNUAL meeting in
Rwanda, the African Development
Bank (AfDB), presenting its African
Economic Outlook 2014, repor ted
that the continent’s economy was expect-
ed to grow by 4.8% in 2014 and 5.7%
in 2015, approximating its growth figures
pre-economic downturn.
The ongoing economic efforts on the
continent will have to be supported by
energy. Gone are the days of organic econo-
mies, where economic growth could be
achieved through mere human and animal
strength. Today, almost all economies rely on
power to sustain their activities and produce
results. Power has become such an integral
component of any economy or society that
outages and blackouts could bring about
devastating consequences.
Africa’s power scenario To support Africa’s ambition to achieve eco-
nomic sustainability, diversity and viability, it
will primarily need to boost its infrastructure
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Africa is intensively pushing to build and grow its economy on the back of increased domestic demand, aggressive infrastructure construction activities and economic interconnectivity among countries in the continent.
Power leads to economic resilience
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES
IMIESA October 2014 137
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to support the growth of its various indus-
tries. To achieve that, the continent will
require massive amounts of power. The
question is whether or not it has enough
energy to sustain this power-intensive phase.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF)
sounded a warning that an escalating power
supply deficiency in Africa may hamper the
projected economic growth. It has been
documented that some 25 countries in
sub-Saharan Africa were facing an energy
crisis, evidenced by rolling blackouts; some
30 countries in region have suffered acute
energy crises in recent years.
While the Key World Energy Statistics by
the International Energy Agency reported
that electricity generation in Africa rose from
1.8% in 1973 to 3.1% in 2011, the continent
still has the smallest share globally, despite
being the second most populous continent.
With Africa’s population expected to double
to approximately 1.9 billion people by 2050,
and with the continent’s industries projected
to require power at almost full capacity, the
World Bank said that a much higher invest-
ment would be needed to at least double
Africa’s current levels of energy access by
2030. In fact, it is estimated that the sub-
Saharan region would require more than
$300 billion in investments to achieve total
electrification by 2030.
The power instability: the bigger pictureSub-Saharan Africa was observed to have
absorbed much of the blow of the recent
power crisis. Blackouts brought cities to a
standstill and spelt terminal financial losses
to small- and medium-scale companies.
Mining, one of the region’s pillar industries,
was severely affected, even prompting min-
ing companies to shelve expansion plans
and curtail local power usage.
Nigeria, for instance, a country that has
three times the population of South Africa,
only has one-tenth of the power generation
capacity of the latter, and businesses in
the country are reportedly starting to feel
the effects of power interruptions in their
daily turnover.
In Tanzania, a blackout that lasted for
almost a month was experienced in Zanzibar
when the underwater cable lines supplying
power to the archipelago failed, owing to a
huge surge in demand. As a result, residents
needed to shell out $10 per day to run
diesel-powered domestic generators, while
businesses requiring refrigeration or heating
had to suspend operations until power was
restored.
In Angola, the occasional recession of the
water level in some of the rivers affects
power production, distressing allied services
like water distribution. Luanda’s water sup-
ply firm, EPAL, cites that various areas in the
city experience water supply shortage, owing
to challenges related to power distribution.
The Democratic Republic of Congo – touted
to be Africa’s biggest copper producer – in
May 2014, advised mining companies in the
country to suspend any project expansion
that would require more power, amid a power
shortage that will take years to resolve.
Even South Africa is not exempt from
power-related woes. In a communiqué in
June 2014, Eskom, supplier of 95% of the
country’s electricity, warned residents of a
rolling blackout due to load-shedding, which,
it said, was necessary to protect the elec-
tricity grid from total blackout. Eskom said
it had begun scaling down maintenance to
prepare for winter, but in the face of a ris-
ing energy demand, particularly during peak
hours, it appealed to the public to reduce
power consumption by at least 10%. If the
power demand did not decline, the company
said load-shedding would be the last resort
to avoid a total power shutdown.
At present, solutions are underway – but
these, naturally, will not come without a hefty
price and cannot be completed within days
or weeks. Economic reports indicated that,
at the prevailing growth rate of the demand
from industries and residents, the region
would have to double its power generating
capacity by 2025, at an approximate cost of
$171 billion in South Africa alone.
In order to sustain this projection, several
governments in Africa have identified poten-
tial sources of funds, such as power rate
hikes and foreign investment. Power hikes
could stir social unrest and could prompt
industrial entities to cut down on operations,
putting jobs and production at risk. Foreign
Hiring power generators can prove to be a viable solution to power supply ineffi ciency, bridging the power gap while the permanent power solution is still in progress
towers, data centres, mining facilities and
oil and gas installations, has the potential
to bring an entire country, region or city to
a standstill, and in light of globalisation
and economic integration, the consequences
could spill over regional, national or even
continental borders.
Hiring interim power plants to bridge the
gap between the demand and the supply
of electricity yields many advantages, par-
ticularly where there is a foreseeable delay
in the construction of permanent power
generation facilities or while waiting for the
permanent power plants to be completed.
When time is of essence, rental power
companies, like Altaaqa Global CAT Rental
Power, are capable of providing solutions as
needed, when needed.
Utility companies in the region, like Eskom
in South Africa, Kenya Electricity Generating
Company, Tanzania Electric Supply Company,
the Power Holding Company of Nigeria,
the Concelho Nacional de Electricidade in
Mozambique, the Empresa Nacional de
Electricidade in Angola and the Société
nationale d’électricité in DRC, among oth-
ers, can hire temporary power plants. This
is done in times when the demand outpaces
the supply, when the electrical grid becomes
unstable due to a spike in electricity require-
ment or when power distribution networks
are unavailable, like in the rural areas.
This will allow them to bridge the supply
deficit immediately. Hiring power generators
can prove to be a viable solution to power
supply inefficiency, bridging the power gap
while the permanent power solution is still
in progress.
With an immediate solution on hand, the
governments and the utility companies can
avoid resorting to raising the prices of elec-
tricity or curtailing the supply of power during
peak hours. In a greater scope, an instan-
taneous resolution of Africa’s escalating
energy supply challenges will preclude social
and political instability and massive financial
losses to businesses and individuals.
The power to go furtherThe continent that was once regarded as a
tail-ender in terms of development is now
making an aggressive move towards eco-
nomic stability and viability. To sustain the
economic growth that Africa is now enjoying,
it is imperative that the governments on
the continent address the critical issue of
chronic power shortage, which could ham-
per the development of various industries
in the countries. The effort that African
governments are putting to address this pre-
dicament is commendable, but other entities
exist that can help them to further alleviate
the situation. Rental power companies pro-
pose solutions that address the issues of
urgency, cost efficiency, reliability, energy
efficiency and environmental safety.
It is advisable that utility companies provide
for a contingent power solution in cases of
power interruption that may lead to opera-
tional delays and negative social, political,
economic and financial consequences.
Rental power companies propose solutions that address the issues of urgency, cost effi ciency, reliability, energy effi ciency and environmental safety
investment agreements could take time to
materialise. The planning, designing, instal-
lation and commissioning of permanent
power generation projects may take several
years, if not decades.
How temporary power plants can helpPower is a fundamental element for any
economy to function, as every sector of the
modern society, be it domestic, commercial
or industrial, is dependent on electricity. A
power interruption affecting critical facilities,
like hospitals, airports, telecommunications
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES
138 IMIESA October 2014
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES
IMIESA October 2014 139
THE TRANSFER OF BARLOWORLD’S
Metso business – previously part
of Barloworld Equipment – to
Barloworld Handling has the sup-
port of Metso Minerals Southern Africa.
Metso Minerals Southern Africa appoint-
ed Barloworld as sole distributor of the
full range of Metso mobile crushing and
screening equipment in Southern Africa 10
years ago.
For Metso mobile plant customers in
Southern Africa, it will be business as
usual, with added focus provided by a
New Barloworld home for Metso mobile
Metso’s track-mounted Lokotrack range is a market leader in Southern Africadedicated resource. The Metso mobile team
remains in place, headed up by new GM
Brandon Arnold, and will continue to provide
optimised mobile crushing and screening
solutions to construction, quarrying and min-
ing customers in Southern Africa, with full
aftermarket care.
Barloworld Handling is geared to help
broaden Metso’s market-leading mobile foot-
print in Southern Africa, says Barloworld
Handling South Africa chief executive
Godfried Heydenrych. “The new business
unit will benefit from synergies within the
handling division, which has an extensive
sales, service and support network through-
out the region. Our existing markets include
those of the Metso mobile business, making
this a good fit.”
Barloworld Handling has been the Southern
African Hyster lift truck dealer for more
than 80 years and distributes the Massey
Ferguson and Challenger product ranges
through its agriculture business unit. Over
the past six years, Barloworld Handling’s
Metso’s mobile crushing and screening solutions footprint in Southern Africa has been given new traction with the launch of a dedicated Metso mobile business unit within the handling division of the Barloworld group.
Stay up and running.
Uninterrupted.
Metso portable plants allow you the use of various crushing and screening operations: from a single, stand-alone unit to two-, three-, even four-stage complete plants providing several end-product fractions. The LT series complete plants can be easily adjusted to accurately suit your crushing application. You can choose feeding to crusher or feeding to screen options to meet your end-product requirements. Quick move and setup times allow minimum loss of production. This combined with the support and backup service of Barloworld Handling keeps you up and running. Uninterrupted.
LOWEST SUSTAINABLE COST PER TONNE.
For more information contact your local Metso Mobile salesman, call +27 (0)11 929 0000 or email [email protected]
strong customer support infrastructure has been instrumental
in establishing SEM as a leading utility wheel loader brand
in the local market. Similar synergies will benefit Metso,
says Heydenrych.
Focus areas will include the strengthening of service capability
and parts availability throughout Southern Africa.
“Our ultimate objective is to provide more dedicated time and
support for the Metso product, ensuring that customers have the
correct equipment, excellent parts availability and the highest
levels of technical support in order to maximise their uptime and
increase their production capability,” says Heydenrych.
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES
THE COMPLEXITY of different soil types makes quality
compaction a challenge. Too little compaction and the
soil may settle, causing structure failure; too much com-
paction leads to unnecessary machine wear and down-
time. Over-compaction can also cause some soils to crack under
increased pressure. The compaction indicator on the LG500
reversible plate measures the vibration patterns in the plate and
shows how well the soil is compacted beneath the surface.
The compaction indicator is mounted at the centre of the han-
dle and the system communicates via a clear system of indica-
tor lights. The three lights – yellow, green and red – signal the
different stages of compaction. When the red light flashes, the
particular soil type has reached maximum compaction and it is
time to stop.
By combining compaction-indicator technology and the opera-
tor's knowledge, the risk of over- or under-compacting is much
reduced. The combination will save operation time and increase
uptime for the reversible plates. Less machine wear means less
servicing is required.
To get an even safer compaction experience, Atlas Copco's
CompBase provides detailed compaction data and capacity
information based on full-scale tests. The machine and method
selection is based on the material to be compacted and provides
information on the expected depth effect
and degree of compaction after any given
number of passes.
Reducing over-compactionThe new compaction indicator on the Atlas Copco LG500 reversible plate saves time and money. The technology helps reduce machine wear and over-compaction.
New compaction indicator on Atlas Copco LG500 reversible plate helps reduce machine wear and tear
140 IMIESA October 2014
IMIESA October 2014 141
PCS MANAGING DIRECTOR
Gershuan Ramlah reveals
that work on the massive
30 000 m2 project based in Linbro
Park, Johannesburg, began in April 2014
and is expected to last several months, due
to the sheer scale of concrete placement,
grinding and polishing required.
To complete this project to the highest
standard, Ramlah states that PCS is mak-
ing use of HTC Superfloor, a revolutionary
flooring concept that uses grinding and
polishing techniques to create a strong and
hard-wearing concrete floor.
The HTC Superfloor concept, which utilises
internationally recognised HTC floor grind-
ing and polishing machinery, is exclusively
available through Superb Flooring Systems
– a subsidiary of the Pan Mixers South
Africa (PMSA).
Not your daily grindPMSA sales and marketing manager Quintin
Booysen explains that the HTC machines
and diamond tools are used to grind and
polish concrete floors, thereby removing the
surface paste and exposing the stronger
concrete underneath.
“HTC Superfloor offers an easy-to-clean
and durable flooring solution. Dirty, grey
concrete floors are transformed into bril-
liant, easy-to-clean, environmentally friendly
and durable polished surfaces. This results
‘Superfl oor’ status for SA’s largest indoor concrete polishing projectThe largest single indoor
concrete floor polishing
project in South Africa
to date is currently
being undertaken
in Johannesburg by
Platinum Concrete
Solutions (PCS), which is
making use of the HTC
Superfloor concept.
in a strong, shiny and beautiful polished
concrete floor,” he says.
Johannesburg-based PCS specialises in
the preparation, levelling, grinding, polishing
and maintenance of concrete floors and has
developed a strong working relationship with
HTC and Superb Flooring Systems over the
last four years.
Global standard“All PCS work is completed in accordance
with approved HTC standards, which feature
the highest level global rating with regard to
abrasion resistance, fire classification fric-
tion, electrostatic discharge, life cycle costs
and energy costs. I believe that this proven
quality and in-depth experience led to PCS
being awarded this large-scale contract,”
states Ramlah.
What’s more, Ramlah indicates that a
team of 17 highly skilled PCS employees are
working on the Linbro Park project. “Grinding
is a specialised skill, it is only through
understanding concrete and the different
processes that a truly magnificent floor can
be achieved. Thanks to a strong team, work
on the project is running smoothly and will
be completed on time and within budget.”
Managing multiple contractorsRamlah admits that a project of this scale
comes with a number of challenges. “Large
projects such as this involve a number of
different contractors being located on-site
simultaneously. Accidental damage is a com-
mon occurrence when there are so many
people working around each other.”
He indicates that these challenges were
overcome through constant inspection and
communication between the various sub-
contractor foremen, as well as postponing
certain grinding steps until it was safe to
continue. “It is important to protect the floor
through all stages of the project,” he adds.
Setting the standard for polished floorsRamlah believes that the polished concrete
market in South Africa is set to achieve
measurable growth within the next two years.
“Polished concrete is poised to be a massive
market in South Africa and has the potential
to set the industry standard for flooring.
As the market grows, PCS intends to open
offices in Cape Town and Durban, as well
as expand in terms of staff and machinery,”
he concludes.
“Polished concrete is poised to be a massive market in South Africa and has the potential to set the industry standard for fl ooring.”
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES
Ammann Construction Machinery229 Hull Road, Rynfi eld
Benoni 1500, South AfricaTel. + 27 11 849 3939Fax + 27 11 849 8889
UniBatch
The new UniBatch sets new standards for asphalt mix production in the 80–340 t/h output classes. It delivers cutting-edge technology and includes all the features of current and future plant concepts. This batch mixing plant is optimised to reduce wear and maintenance, and is easily accessible. Slimline dimensions and core components designed to maximise perfor-mance make it top of our mixing plant range.
For more information on compaction machines, mixing plants and pavers go to www.ammann-group.com
UniBatch 260 t/h.
IMIESA October 2014 143
THE PILOT Modular BR0605, com-
missioned in June, has already
proven its worth by adding value
to the business in a number of
important areas. First, it empowers the
operator to crush damaged or off-standard
bricks back down to -10 mm, delivering large
volumes of what would have been discarded
as waste back into the manufacturing pro-
cess. Second, the company is now able to
produce its own raw materials by crushing
sandstone, rock and concrete to produce
bricks, blocks and other related products.
In order to produce bricks, the manu-
facturer was previously paying around
R73 per m³ of sand from local quarries as
well as the cost of transport. The unit’s
R275 000 purchase price translates into an
excellent investment.
Tried and tested technologyPilot Crushtec International national sales
manager Nicolan Govender believes that his
client’s experience illustrates how the use
of tried and tested crusher technology can
transform a relatively small operation virtu-
ally overnight.
“While it is still early days, we have already
identified areas where, over time, the addi-
tion of Pilot Modular components, including
a feed hopper, screen and conveyors, will
further enhance the operation without incur-
ring major expenditure,” he says.
Govender has detailed knowledge of the
market and offers some well-informed obser-
vations relating to product selection within
the brick manufacturing industry.
Picking the right crusher“Small granulator jaw crushers are often
used by inexperienced operators and rarely
achieve the volume and quality of output of
a product like the Pilot Modular BR0605.
This means that manufacturers utilising this
type of equipment typically suffer the ongo-
ing cost burden of continually recirculating
the crushed product until they finally achieve
the required standard and quantity of fines.”
He strongly believes that a Pilot Modular
BR0605 should be a permanent feature in
every brick and block yard. Many are clut-
tered by stockpiles of reject bricks, blocks
and piles of concrete that can be easily con-
verted back to their original state, generating
savings in both money and space.
The electrically powered Pilot Modular
BR0605 is a versatile, high-performance
horizontal impact crusher. Its relatively low
cost, combined with ease of operation and
maintenance, makes it an ideal product for
the smaller contractor or start-up operation,
especially those located in rural areas.
The skid-mounted, semi-mobile product
has been designed to suit a number of
applications including rock crushing and
sand production, coal production and the
recycling of green waste, glass, building rub-
ble and concrete.
Transforming the brick-making businessA Pretoria brick manufacturer has boosted production and reduced operating costs thanks to the recent purchase of a Pilot Modular horizontal impact crusher from local crushing and screening specialist, Pilot Crushtec
The Pilot Modular BR0605 boosts production and reduces costs for a local brick manufacturer
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES
144 IMIESA October 2014
BOBCAT IS PART of the Goscor
Group of Companies and the
Imperial Group. It has been a
trusted partner to the local con-
struction, mining, industrial, utility, govern-
mental, agricultural and landscaping mar-
kets for 25 years, with the supply of its
internationally esteemed range of Bobcat
compact machines.
“Delivering superior service to customers
is as important as delivering quality prod-
ucts,” comments Bobcat Equipment South
Africa’s managing director, Les Lothian. “To
maximise our customers ’ uptime and pro-
duction, our comprehensive product range is
supported by a team of highly trained techni-
cians, located throughout our national, well-
stocked branch network.
“The appointment of SRTC expands our
capabilities so that we are able to deliver
our product and service offering right to
the doorstep of our customers across the
border,” asserts Lothian.
“We recognised SRTC as the right compa-
ny to take our skid steers, mini-excavators
and telescopic handlers to the Zimbabwean
market, as the company has many years’
experience in supplying equipment to the
local market including mining, industry and
agriculture.”
With a staff complement of 73, the compa-
ny’s headquarters, which houses the admin-
istration support staff and a 24/7 national
support centre, is based in Workington,
Harare. The Parts and Service Centre is
situated on a separate premises nearby.
The Service and Parts Centre, which com-
prises approximately 5 000 m2 of covered
area and some 3 500 m2 of warehouse
space, houses a 1 500 m2 full-service
workshop complete with a dedicated engine-
rebuild room, hoists and electronic service
tools. “With 16 trained technicians, six
field service vehicles and a vast range and
volume of spares and parts, we are able to
ensure fast turnaround times to maximise
uptime for our customers.
“Expert training by Bobcat on the compact
machines will enable us to offer our cus-
tomers the right product solution backed by
specialist end-to-end service and after-sales
service. At the moment, we are a Bobcat
sales dealership but there are plans to
setup a rental facility at a later stage.”
Equipment company expands into ZimbabweBobcat Equipment South Africa has extended its sales and service support to customers in Zimbabwe with the appointment of Harare-based SRTC as its official dealer in the region.
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES
Bobcat skid steers, mini-excavators and telescopic handlers are available to the Zimbabwean market through newly
appointed Bobcat dealer SRTC
IMIESA October 2014 145
THE EVENT WAS sponsored
by Nyeleti Consulting, a leading
empowered firm of engineers
with a notably high-profile execu-
tive, including Abe Thela, Pine Pienaar and
Stanford Mkhacane. It happens to have
been a big year for the company, celebrating
its 15th anniversary in August – the same
month it won two awards at the CESA Aon
Engineering Excellence Awards.
The day was organised and hosted by
Werner Bruhns, chairman of the Northern
Branch, and he put together a very stimulat-
ing programme with the help of the secre-
tariat, with special thanks to Rona Fourie.
Werner is a highly committed, longstanding
IMESA member and his significant contribu-
tions are appreciated.
The day began with the seminar, which con-
sisted of six engaging presentations, provid-
ing insight into a broad area of disciplines,
from sanitation and environmental manage-
ment, through to innovations in online infra-
structure management.
Ultra-thin reinforced concrete pavementHans Brink is a civil engineering consult-
ant based in Tshwane and his presentation
focused on work conducted in the city. Ultra-
thin reinforced concrete pavements (UTRCP)
is a method of replacing both the base layer
and conventional bituminous surfacing of a
road with a 50 mm layer of 30 Mpa concrete,
reinforced with welded mesh. Because it is
applied in continuous process, requiring no
transverse joints, the concrete layer func-
tions like a stretched sheet of material, tied
in at both ends, resulting in most of the load
taken up as tensile forces by the mesh.
Brink referenced a couple of projects,
including the Roodekrans Quarry road, which
was built in 2002 and has been subjected to
massive and frequent truck loads. The road
remains highly functional and the trucks are
still using it. Referring to a test performed
by the CSIR, Brink noted that the stretch of
in situ UTRCP was subjected to more than
three million E80s, yet there was no sign
of failure.
Waterval solid waste sitePeter Legg Consulting has been working with
Golder and Associates (G&A) on the planning
and construction of a new industrial waste
facility in Rustenburg. The facility currently
consists of two general waste cells, a rubble
disposal cell, a leachate pond, a contami-
nated SW pond, a public drop-off area and
other supporting infrastructure.
The Waterval site, an old opencast plati-
num mine, was chosen after a formal site
selection process and detailed investiga-
tions. A scoping report was completed and
submitted in 2008 with the EIA process
starting in early 2009. The property on which
the site is located belongs to Anglo Platinum
and is being leased to the municipality.
Construction began in 2013 under G&A’s
supervision and is being funded through the
Municipal Infrastructure Grant.
The waste disposal facility is envisaged to
set a benchmark in solid waste management
and is a win-win operation in saving substan-
tial rehabilitation costs and saving the local
municipality the cost of acquiring the land.
Way-leave management system of the City of TshwaneFrancois Grobler of Graphic Engineering
Solutions and Services presented the
new Wayleave Central, which is an
online portal for the processing of
way-leave applications. Already
in the early phases of
operat ions
at City of
Tshwane ,
this web-based system is open to the pub-
lic for consulting engineers to submit and
track applications, and automates a range
of procedures including pre-submission
checks, service enquiry processes, and
TRH26 and TRH27 compliance. Task assign-
ments integrate all stakeholders and track
their responses with automated reminders
and escalations. The system enables design
reviews and is fully integrated with smart
mobile technologies.
Remaining presentationsCJ Marks gave an intriguing presentation on
acid mine drainage in Gauteng, and walked
the audience through dramatic visuals of a
plant recently committed for this purpose.
Raymond van den Berg of Bio Sewage
Systems gave an overview of the company’s
innovative wastewater treatment solutions
that are designed to break down effluence
using mechanisms inspired by nature. By
using a series of anaerobic, anoxic and aero-
bic reactors, these systems deliver effective
and economical sewage treatment.
Adriaan Kurtz of the City of Tshwane gave
a powerful presentation that clearly mapped
out the hydropower potential that is currently
nascent in the city’s bulk water pipelines and
could truly impact on the country’s energy
supply security. With various ways of using
this source of power, from feeding the
grid to operat ing infrastructure, Kurtz
gave an overview of an installation
in Tshwane, the Pierre van Ryneveld
Conduit Hydropower Plant.
The presentations were all of
great interest and IMIESA
will profile them in more
detail in the coming
months. Readers
are invited to con-
tact the editor on
nicholas@3smedia.
co.za for fur ther
information.
IMESA NEWS
IMESA NORTHERN BRANCH AGM
Innovations and electionsThe IMESA Northern Provinces Seminar and Annual General Meeting took place on 29 August 2014 at the Edenvale Library in Gauteng’s East Rand.
I
eave managementm of the City of Tshwanes Grobler of Graphic Engineering
ns and Services presented the
ayleave Central, which is an
portal for the processing of
ve applications. Already
arly phases of
ions
of
ne ,
supply security. With various
this source of power, fro
grid to operat ing infrast
gave an overview of a
in Tshwane, the Pierre
Conduit Hydropower Pl
The presentatio
great interes
will profile
detail in
months
are in
tact
nicho
co.za
infor
Werner Bruhns, chairman of the Northern Branch
146 IMIESA October 2014
BORN IN RONDEBOSCH on 17
September 1917, in 1934 Vincent
matriculated from Wynberg Boys’
High School, where he was Head
Boy. In 1938 he graduated with a BSc
(Eng) in civil engineering at UCT, gaining a
first class for his thesis. The following year
he joined the Cape Town City Engineer’s
Department.
However within months, the Second World
War began. Vincent enlisted with the 3rd
Field Company South African Engineers
Corps in 1940. Commissioned as an officer
in 1941, he qualified as a diver and worked
on coastal defences and Robben Island
harbour – and married Estelle Baumgarten,
whom he had met at UCT.
In 1942 he was posted to Egypt and, in
1943, seconded to the Royal Engineers, trav-
elling through North Africa with the British
6th Armoured Division, advancing through
Italy until the end of the war in Europe. His
duties were mainly recces, mine and booby-
trap clearance and road and bridge building.
The war ended, Vincent returned to the City
Engineer’s Department, working as resident
engineer on the Cape Flats (including the
development of Epping industrial estate). In
1949 he was awarded his PhD (thesis
title: ‘The workability and proportion-
ing of concrete’), only the second time
this degree had been awarded by the
Engineering Faculty of UCT. In 1950
he was promoted to district engineer,
Cape Town Southern Suburbs.
The following year the family immi-
grated to Southern Rhodesia (now
Zimbabwe) where, after a spell as
Senior Engineer of the National
Building and Housing Board, he estab-
lished a consulting practice. His work
took him through what are now Zimbabwe,
Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. Notable
among his projects were 200 km of roads,
several bridges, including five prestressed
concrete bridges and Thornhill Airport, Gwelo
(now Gweru), designing the then longest
runway in Central Africa. He was also foun-
dation consultant on several multistorey
buildings in Salisbury and on foundations
for Umtali Oil Refinery and the Beira-Feruka
Oil Pipeline.
Vincent founded the first private sector
materials laboratory in the region. This
undertook a wide range of testing and
research, including road failures, soil and
site investigations, and much of the local
testing for the Kariba Hydro-Electric Scheme.
He qualified as a pilot so that he could more
readily visit construction sites throughout
the country.
In 1962 Vincent was appointed scien-
tific advisor to the Southern Rhodesian
government, reporting directly to the Prime
Minister. He was responsible for planning
industrial, scientific and research policy;
coordinating scientific and technical edu-
cational effort and assessing Rhodesia’s
engineering needs. He was the inaugural
chairman of the National Housing Advisory
Council of Rhodesia, a body representing
all local authorities, central government, as
well as industrial and commercial interests.
In November 1964 he returned to the
Cape Town City Engineer’s Department, to
become one of the two senior assistant
city engineers, the immediate deputies to
Dr Solly Morris, city engineer. Here he had
responsibility for all Works and Construction
Branches and Parks and Forests – a total
staff of about 10 000.
In 1972 Vincent left the City Council
to take up the newly created post of full-
time dean of the Faculty of Engineering
at UCT. In between his deanship duties,
he lectured postgraduate courses on
concrete technology.
He served as chair of the CSIR’s Western
Cape Building Research Advisory Committee,
and was in 1979 appointed to the Council of
the CSIR. He was also on the Council of the
University of Cape Town.
In 1982 he retired from UCT and became
a consultant. Five years later he and Estelle
moved to the Helderberg Retirement Village
in Somerset West, where she passed away
in 2005 and he on 8 November 2013.
Having sustained a severe back
injury during the war, the St Giles
Association for the Physically
Handicapped was a cause always
close to his heart. His Honorary Life
Presidency of the Association was
granted in recognition of his fundrais-
ing and other forms of support over
three decades.
He is survived by his daugh-
ter Rosemary Kahn, son David
Granger, four grandchildren and one
great-granddaughter.
Obituary: Vincent GrangerBy David Granger, with assistance from Kevin Wall
Emeritus Professor Vincent Louis Granger, an eminent municipal engineer who was the 1980-1982 President of the South African District of the UK Institution of Municipal Engineers (which existed in parallel with IMESA for 20 years, before being absorbed into IMESA in 1984), passed away in Somerset West at the end of 2013 at the remarkable age of 96.
IME
SA
AF
FIL
IAT
E M
EM
BE
RS
IMESA
AECOM [email protected] Broom Road Products [email protected] SA [email protected] [email protected] Manufacturing Infraset [email protected] Africa Group Holdings [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Bosch Munitech [email protected] Stemele [email protected] Brubin Pumps [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Corrosion Institute of Southern Africa [email protected] Built Environment [email protected] Bank of SA [email protected] Plastics [email protected] Engineers [email protected] Kent Metering [email protected] Engineers [email protected] South Africa (Pty) Ltd [email protected] [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Goba [email protected] [email protected] Technology [email protected] Enterprises [email protected]@Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] Environment [email protected] and Green [email protected] Water [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] & Templer (K&T) Consulting Engineers [email protected] Base [email protected] Water [email protected] Narasimulu & Associates [email protected] Padayachee & Associates (Pty) Ltd [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected]
Marley Pipe Systems [email protected] [email protected] Macdonald PDNA [email protected] Asphalt [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Engineering Systems [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] HaskoningDHV [email protected] SABITA [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Water Systems [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Lines [email protected] SA [email protected] Water Company [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Sobek Engineering [email protected] African Society for Trenchless Technology [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Pumps Wastewater [email protected] Syntell [email protected] Engineers East London [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] VIP Consulting Engineers [email protected] VOMM [email protected] VUKA Africa Consulting Engineers [email protected] Institute of Southern Africa [email protected] Water Solutions Southern Africa [email protected] South Africa [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Group Africa [email protected] Surfacing [email protected]
148 IMIESA October 2014
Aurecon provides engineering, management and specialist technical services to government and private sector clients globally. With a local office network of 23 offices extending across all nine provinces, the company has been actively involved in improving the health and safety of local communities through the provision of sustainable, integrated service delivery solutions ranging from the provision of basic services in rural areas, to the design of multi-modal transportation solutions in metropolitan areas.
Aurecon exhibits a thorough understanding of the challenges faced by governments and aims to address these by partnering with government clients to establish strategic mentoring programmes which support the up-skilling of local communities to ensure long term economic growth and job creation.
Aurecon South Africa has been verified as a Level 2 Contributor to BBBEE.
For more information contact T +27 12 427 2000 E [email protected]
Integrated solutions forenhanced service delivery
ADVERTISERS
INDEX TO ADVERTISERSAbeco Tanks 73
Actophambili Roads 104
AECOM 30
Amanzi Meters 69
AMMANN Construction Machinery SA 142
Aquadam 78, 80
Aquatan 56
Aurecon 148
Aveng Manufacturing Infraset 61
Babcock 134
Bagshaw Footwear 96
Barloworld Metso 140
Beier Safety Footwear 100
BEKA Schréder 130
Bell Equipment 137
BTW & Associates 37
BVI Group 139
Calcamite Water & Sanitation Solutions 74
CAPSA 2015 71
Corobrik 110
DPI Plastics 89
Durban University of Technology Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment
51
ELB Equipment 118
Elster Kent Metering 90
Esor Construction 2
Fiberpipe 86
GIBB 108
Group Five Pipe 81
Hatch Goba 14
HHO Africa 44
Icon Construction 8
IMQS Software 126
Ingérop South Africa 120
Isuzu Trucks SA 92
Jeffares & Green 19
Joat Group IFC
Kaytech 117
Lektraktek Water Technology 64
Lekwa Consulting Engineers and Project Managers 28
MCI Measurement Control Instrumentation 124
Model Maker Systems 128
Much Asphalt 103
NPC 9
National Asphalt OFC
National Cold Asphalt 114
Nyeleti Consulting 38
Pan Mixers South Africa 123
PHB Engineers 31
Precision Meters 129
Pumptron 68
Quality Filtration Systems 77
Quality Services 35
Robor 20
Royal HaskoningDHV 66
Sabita 49
Sangio Pipe 91
Sasol Group Services 29
Sasol Polymers 88
SBS Water Systems 62
Senus 132
Sika 116
South African Road Federation 112
Southern Mapping 133
SRK Consulting 46
Tecroveer 84
Tilt Up Systems 9
Tosas 102
UWP Consulting 122
Verder Pumps 79
Water Purification Chemical and Plant 59
Water & Sanitation Services OBC
WorleyParsons 47
WRP IBC
Zest WEG Group 53
Water and Sanitation Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd (WSSA) is a specialised provider of sustainable water services in Southern Africa
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