imiesa february 2015
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The February 2015 edition of ImiesaTRANSCRIPT
ESAIMESA
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The official magazine
of the Institute of Municipal Engineering
of Southern Africa
IMIM
T
f thofEn
outh
of
of SoINFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY
www.infrastructurene.ws
TTHHEE HHOOTT SSEEAATT IINN TT I think it’s important for young engineers to know that the public sector can provide a good foundation to build on.”
Trueman Goba, Chairman, Hatch Goba
A global powerhouse delivering local solutions
Panel Discussion Road network maintenance and management
Municipal focusCity of Johannesburg
Asset ManagementIMESA builds SA’s assets
ININININNININIINNINNNNNNNNINININNININN
CHUCHEKA MHLONGO, DBSAMaking it quick – Speeding up delivery at local level
CCCHHHUUUCCCHHHEEEKKKAAA
Telephone: +27 (0)11 231 2200 • E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.jgi.co.za
J&G, a fi rm which combines time-honoured engineering with cutting-edge solutions.
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• Land Development & Housing
• Mining Infrastructure
• Municipal Infrastructure
• Rail
• Renewable Energy
• Roads
• Stormwater
• Structures
• Traffi c & Transportation
• Urban Drainage
• Waste Management
• Wastewater
• Water
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• Water Sector Analysis
IMIESA February 2015 1
VOLUME 40 NO. 2 FEBRUARY 2015CONTENTS
10 MUNICIPAL FEATUREJozi: A journey of change
38 CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT Construction equipment for emerging contractors IMESA
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IMIM
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT MAINTENANCE SERVICE DELIVERY
www.infrastructurene.ws
TTHE HE HOT HOT SEATSEAT IN TIN T think it’s important for young engineers to know that the public
sector can provide a good foundation to build on.”
Trueman Goba, Chairman, Hatch Goba
A global powerhouse
delivering local solutions
Panel Discussion Insight into road
network maintenance
and management
Municipal focusCity of Johannesburg
Asset ManagementIMESA builds
SA’s assets
INFINFINNINFNINNNFNNNINFNINF
CHUCHEKA MHLONGO, DBSA
Marking it quick -
Speeding up delivery at
local level
CHUCHEKCHUCHEKCHUCHEKAAA
AAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM
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AECOM has diversified its market presence with the recent acquisition of URS. This has dramatically accelerated AECOM’s strategy of creating an integrated delivery platform, with superior capabilities, to design, build, finance and operate infrastructure assets around the world. P6
Trueman Goba, chairman of Hatch Goba, takes IMIESA’s Hot Seat to discuss the role of engineers in South Africa today. P14
RegularsEditor’s comment 3President’s comment 5Africa round-up 8Index to advertisers 72
Cover Story Aecom 6
Municipal FeatureJozi: A journey of change 10
Hot SeatHatch Goba 14
Human Settlements Putting it together 16Fast-tracking housing delivery 20Building outside the box 23Relocating people the right way 24
Partnering for Infrastructure Funding and support – The key to unlocking rapid development 25
Asset Management Managing municipal infrastructure 29
OOOT SSEATTTHHHHHOOO
Fleet managementReducing fleet costs – A major challenge 35
Construction Vehicles & Equipment Construction equipment for emerging contractors 38
Roads, Construction, Maintenance & ManagementUpgrading a vital corridor 40Panel Discussion 41
Public TransportSmart streets for complete access 58
SHEQSafety through innovative 3D design 60
Cement & ConcreteGood, better, readymix concrete 62Concrete canvas introduced to SA 63Optimising cement production 64
Technology & InnovationsStrength through synergy 66Coordinating a smarter future 68High-performance project delivery 70
63CEMENT & CONCRETEConcrete canvas introduced to SA
ASSET MANAGEMENTManaging municipal infrastructure29
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IMIESA February 2015 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 Liesl FranksonHEAD OF DESIGN Hayley MendelowDESIGNER Kirsty GallowayCHIEF SUB-EDITOR Tristan SnijdersSUB-EDITOR Beatrix KnopjesCONTRIBUTORS B Grib, B Knopjes, L Chetty, D Lievaart, L Palmer & R Byrne CLIENT SERVICES & PRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh BotmaPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jacqueline ModiseFINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew LobbanMARKETING & DIGITAL MANAGER Esther Le RouxMARKETING SPECIALIST Philip RosenbergADMINISTRATION 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___________________________________________________
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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.
ANYONE would be forgiven for arching
their eyebrow at the suggestion that
the current South African public infra-
structure sector may resemble a field
of dreams. The now hackneyed line, famously
delivered by Kevin Costner, suggests old-school
wisdom of the most proactive variety. Is it true?
In the sphere of local government in South
Africa, it may well be. The skills gap in the public
sector is nowhere more profound than outside
the major metropolitan areas. While it is com-
mon cause that rural areas are by far the most in
need and suffer the greatest infrastructure and
service-delivery backlogs, the challenge for the
so-called secondary cities, also known as the
M2 and M3 metros, also lies in attracting and
retaining the technical skills to plan and imple-
ment effectively.
So what has actually been done about this?
Quite a lot, it turns out. The National Development
Plan is widely accepted as an intelligent plan. Its
17 Strategic Infrastructure Projects are extremely
well-strategised interventions, with applications
at local and national level that are mutually ben-
eficial. But plans, much like funding, have never
really been the constraint. The Infrastructure
Development Act, signed into law in June last year
and “aimed at fast-tracking regulatory decision-
making and speeding up the implementation of
strategic infrastructure projects earmarked for
South Africa,” supports this. Again, it comes
back to skills.
The Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating
Committee has come some way in addressing
the implementation challenges. One key strategy
that is emerging as a viable solution – one that
could make the difference, and possibly tip the
scale – is to rapidly and effectively boost develop-
ment and construction of infrastructure, generally,
and revenue-generating infrastructure, specifically
in our secondary cities. While the benefits are
obvious, they are worth enumerating:
• providing the essential services sustainably and
attract investors and create a job market
• empowering the M2 and M3 metros with rev-
enue-generating assets, and decreasing their
dependence on off-the-book funding
• taking the pressure off South Africa’s primary
metros, notably in terms of housing and transpor-
tation backlogs and decentralising development
• increasing economic opportunities for support-
ive industries.
The list doesn’t end there but, as is clear, achiev-
ing infrastructure interventions that can deliver
the foundations for this shift will result in expo-
nential benefits. The DBSA is has taken on the
implementation challenge, and is itself not short
on skills. It has an internal technical capacity that
is proving capable of delivering aligned projects,
in partnership with committees made up of
the private-sector engineering capacity, which is
delivering. Now. The emphasis is on speed; the
emphasis is on catalytic projects; the emphasis
is on delivering as soon as possible. IMIESA
has been in the enviable position of tracking and
unpacking this innovative approach and you can
read up on the details of how the strategy may
just well inject new growth and a new vision for
municipal infrastructure and service delivery.
If there is a cohesive theme to this edition, it
is not so much addressing the skills shortage.
It is identifying the institutional strength that
does exist in the South African public sector,
and how the skills that we do have are in fact
coming up with workable solutions. These include
impressive – and realistic – approaches from the
Department of Human Settlements, the NHBRC,
the CIDB, and several local government imple-
menting agencies who have recently announced
massive infrastructure investment plans. IMIESA
will continue to track the coordination of this mas-
sive enterprise.
Nicholas McDiarmid
IMESA
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The official
magazine
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INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY
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THE HOT SEAT IIINNN T
Now that we are operating in a trusted supplier space again, it
really is in our capacity to deliver for today’s market conditions.”
Deon Pagel, Managing Director, Tosas
THE BITUMEN AND
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Quality through partnerships
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THE THE HOT SEAT HOT SEAT IN TIN T think it’s important for young engineers to know that the public sector can provide a good foundation to build on.”
Trueman Goba, Chairman, Hatch Goba
A global powerhouse delivering local solutions
Panel Discussion Insight into road network maintenance and management
Municipal focusCity of Johannesburg
Asset ManagementIMESA builds SA’s assets
INFINFNFINNFINF
CHUCHEKA MHLONGO, DBSAMarking it quick - Speeding up delivery at local level
CHUCHEKACHUCHEKACHUCHEKA
AECAECAECAECEEECCAECOMOMMMOMOMM
If you build it, they will comeIf you build it, they will come
EDITOR’S COMMENT
IMIESA February 2015 5
PRESIDENT’S COMMENT
THE COUNTRY has just
released the annual
matric results and I
take this opportunity
to congratulate all successful
matriculants and extend warmth
and appreciation to all parents
and teachers for their efforts
over the past year. Early analy-
sis of the results has indicated
a drop in the overall percent-
age of passes, but at the
same time showing a steady
improvement in the quality of
the passes.
Our municipal engineering
environment relies heavily on
the matric candidates who
follow the mathematics and
physical science curriculums,
as an entry requirement for
the engineering courses on
offer at a tertiary institution
level. Alternatively, FET col-
leges also offer construction
learnerships for much-needed
engineering artisans.
I however wish to address the
practical training of civil engi-
neers during and after obtaining
a tertiary qualification, be it BSc
Eng., B Eng., B Tech. or ND in
Civil Engineering.
In the 1970s and 1980s,
national departments such as
Water Affairs, Transport, Public
Works, Provincial Transport and
Roads, as well as the bigger
cities and towns, were primarily
the training hub for civil engi-
neers. Although this was driven
by the need to resource their
individual services’ needs, there
was enough training throughput
to benefit the country as a
whole. Concurrently, consulting
engineering practices were also
training civil engineers.
Things changed in the 1990s
as a result of various factors,
such as restructuring within the
national, provincial and munici-
pal environments. Increased
outsourcing of design work, as
well as the closure of depart-
mental construction teams in
municipalities, affected the abil-
ity to provide an ideal environ-
ment for developing and expos-
ing young engineers to the full
facets of engineering.
An exodus of competent engi-
neers also hit the municipalities
and provinces when the percep-
tion was created (and in most
cases realised) that transforma-
tion was going to sideline them.
This left these institutions with
large gaps in middle manage-
ment and specialist positions,
which are vital to the ongoing
training of entry-level engineers.
The burden of training thus
started falling on the consult-
ing engineering industry more
heavily. In the past, consult-
ing engineers recruited quite
a few professional engineers
from the ranks of govern-
ment institutions. The reverse
started happening when govern-
ment institutions started to
recruit professionals from the
consulting engineering frater-
nity as there was not enough
throughput from their internal
training interventions. Currently,
I don’t believe that the consult-
ing engineering fraternity is
able to provide an ideal training
environment for young engi-
neers because of the tender-
ing system in place. Too high
discounted rates convert to
cutting down on time invested
in training and quality of service
to the client.
National departments are in
the best position to analyse and
understand the need for the
training of engineers through
statistical data collected from
municipalities. They also control
the funding regime of infrastruc-
ture grants and are thus able
to direct appropriate training
interventions. Effectively, they
need to get back to the position
of being the lead in training of
engineers. After all, engineer-
ing and infrastructure go hand
in hand.
Likewise, Metros and large
municipalities need to increase
their training throughput, not
just for their own needs but for
the benefit of smaller munici-
palities; some of which do not
have competent engineering
skills on board to render super-
vision over trainees.
The following interventions are
already in place in some institu-
tions but need to be expanded:
• internship programmes for
graduate engineers, tech-
nologists and technicians,
especially since funding from
SETAs can be accessed
• experiential training for stu-
dent technicians
• placement of trainee munici-
pal engineers with consultants
on projects as part of contrac-
tual arrangements, in order to
obtain the necessary design
and project supervision skills
for registration purposes
• appointment of external men-
tors to oversee the training
requirements and progress
of trainees
• formalisation of experiential
training and the rotation of
trainees so that a wide range
of experience is obtained.
A major contributing factor to
the retention of engineering
skills within the municipalities is
the ability to provide a learning
environment and possibilities
of growth in knowledge, as well
as position in the organisa-
tion. Recognition for obtaining
professional status, as well
as it being a requirement for
further advancement, will
also ensure that candidates
avail themselves for training
interventions and continued
professional development.
Most of all, I appeal to all
government institutions and
municipalities to value and give
the necessary recognition to the
municipal engineering practition-
ers in your employ. Country-
wide, there exists a shortage of
this skill and the country needs
all hands on deck in order to
continue building the required
engineering skills capacity
to manage the much-needed
infrastructure for sustainable
service delivery and continued
economic growth.
A belated greeting of well wishes and prosperity for the new
year to all readers of IMIESA magazine.
Training our future engineers
Duncan Daries, IMESA president
6 IMIESA February 2015
COVER STORY
IN LATE 2014, AECOM – the world’s
top-ranked engineering design
firm – completed its acquisition of
URS Corporation.
Michael Burke, AECOM CEO, says:
“Beyond the compelling benefits that this
transaction creates
for our combined
clients, stockhold-
ers and employees,
the combination of
AECOM and URS
dramatically accel-
erates our strat-
egy of creating an
integrated delivery
platform, with supe-
rior capabilities, to
design, build, finance and operate infra-
structure assets around the world.”
The acquisition fur ther diversifies and
broadens AECOM’s market presence, as
URS brings strong sector exper tise in
important markets, including oil and gas,
power, infrastructure, industrial and gov-
ernment. URS also adds to AECOM’s
construction capabilities, deepening a
core competency that AECOM will be able
to leverage across its global platform.
URS complements and expands AECOM’s
offering through providing a full range
of programme management; planning,
design and engineering; systems engineer-
ing and technical assistance; construction
and construction management; operations
and maintenance; management and opera-
tions; informa-
tion technology
and decommis-
sioning and clo-
sure services.
AECOM and URS have joined resources and now operate as a single company like no other. More than ever, AECOM is having a positive impact transforming and improving lives on a truly global level.
A global powerhouse
AECOM in AfricaWhen scoping the opportunities for enhanc-
ing and protecting the world’s built, natural
and social environments, Africa’s potential
is as vast as its extraordinary land mass.
With a long history of working on the
continent, AECOM’s operations in Africa
now boast more than 1 900 people and
a track record of delivering excellence to
clients in more than 40 African countries.
Its diverse knowledge and experience of
these markets is backed by its strong
technical credentials and knowledge of
Africa’s critical infrastructure needs. URS’s
expertise in engineering, construction and
technical services for public and private
sector clients strengthens AECOM’s capac-
ity to improve the lives of communities
across Africa.
AECOM’s chief operating of ficer in
Africa, Tim Ter Haar, says: “The new
AECOM contains the capabilities to design,
build, finance, operate and maintain
UNPARALLELED SERVICE OFFERINGS:• Architecture• Building engineering• Construction services• Design and planning• Economics• Energy• Environment• Government• Mining• Oil and gas• Programme, cost, consultancy• Programme management• Transportation• Water
AECOM
$19.2 billionFY 2014 combined revenue
AECOM provided full quantity-surveying services for this four-star
green-rated building in Pretoria
Full quantity-surveying services provided for the Portside Green Star-rated building
in Cape Town PHOTO RAPHAEL HELMAN
IMIESA February 2015 7
COVER STORY
delivering local solutions
ABOUT AECOMWith nearly 100 000 employ-ees — including architects, engineers, designers, plan-ners, scientists and man-agement and construction services professionals — serving clients in more than 150 countries around the world, AECOM is a premier, fully integrated infrastruc-ture and support services firm. AECOM is ranked as
the number-one engineer-ing design firm by revenue in Engineering News-Record magazine’s annual industry rankings. The company is a leader in all of the key mar-kets that it serves, including transportation facilities, envi-ronmental, energy, oil and gas, water, high-rise buildings and government. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge,
innovation and technical excellence in delivering solu-tions that create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural and social environ-ments. A Fortune 500 com-pany, AECOM companies, including URS Corporation and Hunt Construction Group, had revenue of approximately $19.5 billion during the 12 months ending 30 September 2014.
AECOM’S CORE SERVICES AECOM serves clients at all phases of the project life cycle. The combined company has a greatly enhanced capacity to provide integrated delivery capabilities, covering all four components of the infrastructure asset life cycle – design, build, finance and operate – that customers around the world increasingly demand.
infrastructure assets across a range of
global markets. Whether we serve clients
at a par ticular phase of a project life
cycle or throughout it, our role is to apply
creative vision, technical expertise, inter-
disciplinary insight, and diverse experi-
ence to address complex challenges in
new and better ways. We help our clients
deliver critical resources and services to
people, improve the places where they live
and work, and sustain a world in which we
can all flourish.”
Diverse disciplines, a common purpose“We draw together teams of engineers,
planners, architects, landscape architects,
environmental specialists, economists,
scientists, consultants and construction
specialists, as well as cost, construction,
project and programme managers,” Ter
Haar illustrates. “Our people are dedicated
to finding the most innovative and appropri-
ate solutions, and improving quality of life.
Enhancing lives, sustaining livelihoods “We understand the importance of fresh
water, clean and reliable energy, efficient
transpor tation systems and industrial
facilities, as well as beautiful and well-
served buildings, communities and cities,”
explains Ter Haar. “We live and work where
you do. We are also dedicated to serving
you in your city or around the globe in more
than 150 countries.”
The new AECOM brings a collective
wealth of experience and skills across a
diverse range of markets to deliver a highly
differentiated service. Its local delivery is
informed and empowered by its truly global
perspective and the expertise of nearly
100 000 employees around the world.
100 000Approximate staff count
AECOM was appointed to initiate the design of the Durban dig-out
port in KwaZulu-Natal
AECOM was the principal agent, project manager and civil, structural engineer for
the Sedibeng Brewery in Gauteng
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.
www.aecom-urs.com
8 IMIESA February 2015
TANZANIATanzania seeks $1 billion infrastructure upgrade via Eurobond The Tanzanian government
has showcased some mega
infrastructure projects worth
over $10 billion to large-scale
financial institutions for poten-
tial consorting through equity or
favourable debt considerations.
The government also plans to
raise $1 billion by floating the
Eurobond for long-term infra-
structure investments, having
an ultimate goal of unlocking
and connecting remote key pro-
duction areas and markets.
Speaking on the issuance
of the Eurobond last week,
the Minister of Finance and
Economic Affairs, Saada
Mkuya Salum, said, “The
responsibility for meeting
the enormous demand for
new and better infrastructure
remains to be of paramount
importance, owing to increased
population and fast-growing
economic activities.”
She said the government was
finalising important processes
that will lead to floating the
Eurobond to finance infrastruc-
ture projects to be outlined in
the next budget. “We needed to
put our house in order before
floating the Eurobond to avoid
INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT
AFRICA ROUND-UP
mistakes made by other sub-
Saharan countries.”
KENYAKenya’s 10 000 km road project kicks offKenya’s 10 000 km of roads
construction project has finally
kicked off.
The roads are going to be con-
structed in three phases, which
will be divided into 2 000 km,
3 000 km and 5 000 km. The
first phase has been subdivided
into 45 lots.
The Permanent Secretary for
the Ministry of Transport and
Infrastructure, John Mosonik,
indicated that the government
has already received bids from
49 individual bidders who have
also been pre-qualified.
The roads project will be
undertaken within a period
of three years under a public-
private partnership.
The total estimated cost of the
project is $9 billion. Other sourc-
es of funding include local banks
and other financiers under the
annuity model with minimum
state funding. In this model,
the contractors will be tasked
with construction, operation and
maintenance of the roads.
ZAMBIAMillions poured into Lake Tanganyika projectThe government of Zambia has
recently received a loan approv-
al worth $22.49 million from
the African Development Bank
(AfDB) for the development of
areas around Lake Tanganyika.
In addition to the installation
of drainage and water distribu-
tion systems, the development
of infrastructure will involve
installing central pivot systems
to enhance the production of
sugar cane. It will also see the
development of 13 modern mar-
ket platforms, as well as small-
scale irrigation schemes.
Part of the Lake Tanganyika
project will also involve the
training of farmers, among other
capacity-building initiatives.
This project is part of
Zambia’s Vision 2030 strate-
gic plan and will help in the
development of the country’s
economy. This will in turn create
jobs for locals and help in rural
improvement.
The Lake Tanganyika project
will be implemented in the
Nsama and Mpulungu districts,
and is expected to take a peri-
od of five years.
The whole project is estimat-
ed to cost $29.62 million. The
Global Environment Facility has
contributed $7 million towards
it, with the government of
Zambia giving $190 000.
UGANDABotched Katosi Road project to cost doubleThe Ugandan government is
negotiating with a new contrac-
tor to build the botched 74 km
Mukono-Kyetume-Katosi-Nyenga
road project.
At USh254 billion (Ugandan
shillings), which is approximately
R1 billion, the project will be
almost double the initial cost.
M/S JV SBI International
Holding and Reynolds
Construction Company Limited
(RCC) are negotiating with gov-
ernment under the emergency
procurement of road construc-
tion works arrangement.
The new ‘favourable’ bid
from SBI and RCC is awaiting
approval from Attorney General
Peter Nyombi, having been
“evaluated as the best bidder
at a total cost of just under
USh254 billion.”
The first contract awarded
to Eutaw last year was worth
USh165 billion but was
cancelled in August by the
Inspectorate of Government
(IG), after allegations sprung
up that Eutaw was a phony
company and that the contract
procurement process had
been mismanaged.
But last November, the Uganda
National Roads Authority, with
authorisation from the IG,
embarked on what they termed
an ‘emergency procurement pro-
cess’ for the project.
Kenya is planning to expand and improve the road network to boost trade and ease transportation across the country
Lake Tanganyika
IMIESA February 2015 9
AFRICA ROUND-UP
This meant there was no open
bidding and two firms, Kolin
Construction and SBI – which
put in a joint bid with Reynolds
Construction Company (RCC)
– were enlisted. We have been
told that Kolin put in a bid of
USh285 billion while SBI (and
RCC) put in the favourable bid
of USh254 billion.
This means that irrespective
of which firm won the deal, the
total cost of the Katosi Road pro-
ject could jump to about USh339
billion on completion. This figure
takes into account the USh25
billion that was advanced to
Eutaw, the new SBI/RCC bid of
USh254 billion, and the USh60
billion compensation sought by
the Chinese firm Chongquing
International Construction
Corporation, which had been
subcontracted by Eutaw.
NIGERIANimasa dockyard construc-tion to gulp N58 billionThe construction of a ship-build-
ing and dockyard facility in the
Delta State of Nigeria is expect-
ed to require over N58 billion
(approximately R3.7 billion).
The contract, which includes
ancillary buildings and
electro-mechanical works
and facilities at the cost of
N40 243 702 763.38, was
awarded to Nairda Limited with
a delivery period of 36 months.
The contract for the civil work
was awarded to Mangrovetech
Construction Engineering
Nigeria and 15% of the contract
sum of N18 457 283 591.91
has been paid.
The capital-intensive nature
of this project and other
commitments compelled the
director general of the Nigeria
Maritime Administration and
Safety Agency (Nimasa), Patrick
Akpobolokemi, to appeal to the
federal government to exempt
the agency from contributing
to the federation account for a
period of five years.
Akpobolokemi said the dream
of the Nimasa shipyard and
dockyard, which will be man-
aged by the private sector, is to
transform the maritime sector
into an industry that will gener-
ate capable manpower, which
will contribute significantly to
the nation’s GDP.
He said the vision behind
the shipyard, which is being
developed in two phases, is to
have a world-class building and
repair facility that will be com-
mercially viable to transform the
nation’s economy.
LIBERIAPublic Works launches $5.6 million CIDPThe newly appointed Minister
of Public Works, William Gyude
Moore, has officially launched
the first phase of the Community
Infrastructure Development
Project (CIDP), which runs
from ELWA junction to Roberts
International Airport (RIA).
According to the minister, the
CIDP project is worth $5.6
million and will last for a period
of three years.
Moore said the ministry was
committed to building roads and
laying out alleys that would help
provide increased access to
various communities and homes
throughout the country.
He further explained that the
ministry would be aggressive
during this dry season in meet-
ing up with some its plans,
including opening alleys and cor-
ridors within communities along
the road, installing sidewalks,
and planting curves.
The grant for the project is
being funded from the Japanese
rice monetisation programme,
known as the Counterpart
Value Fund.
RWANDAGovernment to upgrade over 7 192 km of roadsThe Rwandan government plans
to ensure that all road construc-
tion projects that were ear-
marked in the national budget
as per the 2014/15 fiscal year
are completed as scheduled.
This is to support the private
sector’s efforts to deliver the
second Economic Development
and Poverty Reduction Strategy
(EDPRS II) goals.
Over 7 192 km across the
country will be repaired or
upgraded to ensure that quality
and adequate infrastructure is
in place to enable the public
and private sectors to deliver
Rwanda’s economic objectives,
according to James Musoni,
Minister for Infrastructure.
“We want to scale up our
efforts towards the realisation
of this objective to reduce the
cost of doing trade in the coun-
try, making Rwanda more com-
petitive and linking producers to
markets,” Musoni says.
Last month, the government
and the African Development
Bank signed a conces-
sional loan agreement worth
$74.4 million to finance the
construction of the 51 km
Base-Gicumbi-Rukomo road.
It is projected that, once
completed, it will greatly
facilitate trade between the
Rubavu, Musanze, Gicumbi and
Nyagatare districts.
Overall, road projects were
allocated about RWF7.4 billion
(approximately R124 million) in
the 2014/15 fiscal year.
GHANA$900 million approved for Ghana’s largest power plantCenpower announced the finan-
cial close of a $900 million pro-
ject financing for the construc-
tion of the largest independent
power plant in Ghana.
The Kpone Independent Power
Project (KIPP) is a 350 MW
combined-cycle multi-fuel power
station to be located near Tema,
Ghana. Once construction is
complete, it is expected to be
the largest independent power
producer in the country, and will
account for approximately 10%
of Ghana’s installed capacity.
The African Infrastructure
Investment Fund 2, which is
advised by African Infrastructure
Investment Managers (AIIM),
a joint venture between
Macquarie Africa and the Old
Mutual Investment Group,
together with its co-investors,
owns a direct interest of 15%
in Cenpower, through an inter-
posed investment vehicle,
Mercury Power.
Other shareholders in
Cenpower include Africa
Finance Corporation, Sumitomo
Corporation and FMO, the Dutch
Development Bank.
“Investors around the globe
have embraced infrastructure as
an asset class, as it provides
stable and growing earnings
and cash flow. Infrastructure is
a lower-risk access platform to
Africa’s growth story. Currently,
we believe there is a large
infrastructure gap in Africa
but demand for it is strong
and growing,” says AIIM CEO
Jurie Swart.
The construction of a ship-building and dockyard facility in the Delta state of Nigeria is expected to require over N58 billion
10 IMIESA February 2015
MUNICIPAL FOCUS
NATION BUILDING requires a col-
lective effort between govern-
ment, through policy making, and
the community, through involve-
ment and empowerment. Nowhere is this
more prominent in South Africa than in
Johannesburg, where government initiatives
such as the City of Johannesburg’s Growth
and Development Strategy 2006 (Joburg
GDS) are taking hold, and making real
inroads in accelerating economic growth,
which benefits all local residents.
Building a sustainable large city on princi-
ples of equality and empowerment is no easy
task, and requires the involvement and com-
mitment of all stakeholders – public, private
and social. Ideas and policies are nothing,
however, without building the infrastructure
to support and encourage growth.
To achieve this, a number of government
agencies coordinate the building and mainte-
nance of infrastructure. Their aim is to align
the short- and long-term goals of government
and bring about the physical manifestation of
these policies. They are the unseen driving
force behind infrastructure delivery, breathing
life into ideas.
Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA)The JDA was established in 2001. It plays
a crucial role in the Joburg GDS and sup-
ports the development of the COJ, primar-
ily through well-planned transport arteries
– the so-called Corridors of Freedom (COF).
These are key development areas chosen for
their location and importance, to be nodes
of urban development. The JDA manages
and facilitates these developments with effi-
ciency and innovation to build an equitable,
sustainable and resilient city.
“The COF initiative speaks to the past in
terms of freedom from apartheid legacy, but
also to the future; a future of a lower cost
of living, less reliance on energy and private
transportation, and a more sustainable eco-
nomic freedom,” says Sharon Lewis, execu-
tive manager: Planning and Strategy, JDA.
By promoting competitive business environ-
ments, improving public spaces and access
to jobs, the JDA takes into account the socio-
economic circumstances of all who live in
the city, and seeks to restructure outdated
and biased town planning, through transport-
oriented development – which makes the city
more accessible – and high-density residen-
tial development.
The JDA achieves this through close work-
ing relationships with all stakeholders and
by awarding government grants to fund
their objectives. The JDA operates with a
twofold responsibility:
• Development facilitation involves talking to
partners, thereby raising awareness of the
JDA’s plans. This is a new function for the
JDA; one it has always implemented but
only recently been funded to do. “Now we
are being funded to do it properly so that
we can set up a development facilitation
team. We need people who know the area,
and can pool the right people together to
spark all sorts of things over and above the
capex work we do,” explains Lewis.
• Development implementation involves
assessing the needs of an area, and
establishing if it is an underdeveloped,
marginalised area that does not have
enough basic infrastructure. The JDA will
start there, and then coordinate. If it is
a more developed neighbourhood, where
there is enough infrastructure, it will start
by looking at potential public-environment
upgrades to create an identity in the same
way the JDA did in New Town. Where there
is existing infrastructure, the focus will be
on gateways to the neighbourhoods, the
sidewalks, landscaping, streets lights, and
public art and parks.
The JDA focuses on neighbourhoods adja-
cent to the COF. Examples of these are the
Empire, Louis Botha and Turfontein roads
in Johannesburg, the Vilikazi and Kliptown
areas in Soweto, as well as Diepsloot and
Orange Farm.
“This development goes in both directions,
when we do our planning, we align with the
planning of other spheres of government. We
look at the Joburg 2040 Development Plan,
and at the NDP to make sure we are lined up
in terms of objectives. The COF has led to a
very positive alignment,” says Lewis.
Key projects for 2016 include the Rea Vaya
A journey of changeThe City of Johannesburg (COJ) demonstrates how a sprawling metropolis fraught with physical limitations and drenched in history can restructure itself to destroy the walls of social inequality and build geo-spatial transformation through cooperation between the public and private sectors. By Beatrix Knopjes
IMIESA February 2015 11
BRT system, particularly linking Alexandra
township with the inner city.
“All other spheres of government need to
consult with JDA when they do planning and
allocate resources, with respect to the City of
Johannesburg’s Integrated Development Plan
and need to align funding allocations with our
plans. It is very much a sustained two-way
conversation; it is not always smooth, but we
work constantly to achieve that alignment to
ensure we do not duplicate efforts or under-
mine each other,” explains Lewis.
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA)Founded in 2001 and owned by the City of
Johannesburg, the JRA deals primarily in the
planning, design, construction, operation,
rehabilitation and maintenance of the roads
and stormwater infrastructure in the city.
The JRA aims to have ‘the best city roads
authority that enables economic growth and
sustainability’. It also seeks to achieve the
outcomes of safety, mobility and access for
users of the road network and works closely
with other government agencies, such as
the JDA, to ensure its projects align with
the Joburg GDS. To facilitate this, the JRA is
responsible for the JOZI@Work programme.
JOZI@WorkThis is a new programme – launched by exec-
utive mayor Mpho Parks Tau – which aims
to empower communities and enterprises to
address poverty, inequality and unemploy-
ment in the city. The programme will contract
around 1 750 small businesses and create
in excess of 40 000 jobs by 2016.
The programme is designed to inject income
and promote commercial activity in all clus-
ters of the city, from the most deprived to the
more prosperous areas, according to Tau.
“Jozi@Work will enable and empower both
existing entrepreneurs and thousands of new
market entrants, who in turn will draw on the
hundreds of thousands of unemployed and
underemployed people available in the city’s
labour pool,” says Tau.
Improving services offered in the city
will address poverty, inequality and unem-
ployment by providing much-needed jobs.
According to the 2011 census, there are
over 800 000 work-seeking adults in the
city. “The city’s poverty mapping, based
on broader census data, shows that there
remains an enduring and strong correlation
between lack of access to employment and
the wider range of poverty indicators: below-
average income, poor health outcomes, lack
of access to education, and poor living
environment standards.”
Appointed bidders will be providing services
as diverse as de-sludging chemical toilets,
separating and recycling waste as it arrives
at municipal dumps, providing food-to-city
nutrition programmes, resurfacing and main-
taining roads, and providing frontline support
to water and power infrastructure.
Tau adds that workers gaining on-the-job
experience on the work packages assigned
through the system will also be able to build
up their skills through an apprenticeship
programme, which will include digital learn-
ing at recreation centres and libraries after
hours and on days off. The result will be a
trade certification and a chance to take their
expertise further.
A new community innovation fund linked to
the Jozi@Work programme will be introduced
later in the year. Through this initiative, the
city will give the new regional forums the
opportunity to propose locally led projects
that fit the Jozi@Work objectives, but which
are not funded under city departments’ and
municipal agencies’ budgets.
Johannesburg Housing Company (JHC)The JHC was established in 1995. It is a non-
profit NGO driven by a social mission of long-
term sustainability. The JHC has become
known as a pioneer in social housing.
The JHC provides rental units, primar-
ily in the inner city. They have great-
ly contributed to the rejuvenation of the
inner city by refurbishing buildings formally
in a sad state of disrepair and neglect,
MUNICIPAL FOCUS
LEFT Elangeni after the JHC completed renovations
MIDDLE The eKhaya community sports area, a project of the JHC
RIGHT An aeriel view of the Jeppe Oval
“Jozi@Work will enable and empower both existing entrepreneurs and thousands of new market entrants.” Executive mayor Mpho Parks Tau
CALL FOR PAPERS
IMESA
t +27 (031) 266 3263 email [email protected]
S YN O P S I S S U B M I T T E D BY Wednesday 15th April 2015 Debbie Anderson | [email protected] | tel 031 266 3263
THEME: Changing the face of the Municipal Engineer
Political and Legislative Perspectives
Social and Environmental Impacts
Financial Considerations
Transport and Traffic
Water and Sanitation
Roads and Stormwater
IMIESA February 2015 13
and transforming them into respectable,
habitable environments.
The JHC owns and manages 14% of all
residential units in the inner city: 34 build-
ings and just over 4 300 units. It provides
affordable housing for just over 12 000 souls
and provides R35 million per annum to the
city fiscus for rates, water, electricity, sewage
and refuse.
The majority (84%) of the maintenance and
building management costs for these build-
ings are done by BBBEE developers and con-
tractors. These total R26 million per annum
and go a long way to providing employment
opportunities to small and medium contrac-
tors in the city.
Notable projects of the JHC include:• First new build in the inner city in 30
years: Jeppe Oval, 1997
The first ‘new build’ of the JHC was the
Jeppe Oval in 1996. This was the first
new rental accommodation to be built in
Johannesburg for over 30 years. It com-
prises 240 units in a three-storey, walk-up
configuration. The name of the develop-
ment was taken from the historic oval
around which the complex is built.
• First conversion of a hotel to residential:
Landrost, 2000
The conversion of the Landrost Hotel was
the most ambitious refurbishment under-
taking by JHC. It was once a five-star hotel
which had since fallen into disrepair, as
the area become neglected and run down,
and served as a police barracks. The
conversion of the 18-storey block’s 400
bedrooms into 241 units was a high-risk
undertaking due to the high-rise nature of
the property and its location next to the
bustling Jack Mincer taxi rank. The project
was the first conversion from a hotel into
rental accommodation.
Johannesburg Social Housing Company (Joshco)Joshco promotes developments in declining
urban nodes so that the local economies
in those areas receive an injection of public
investment. Joshco was created by the City of
Johannesburg in March 2004 to provide qual-
ity, affordable and sustainable social housing
products. Joshco aims to be a ‘world-class
social housing provider of choice.’
Joshco’s mandate is to manage all council-
owned rental stock, manage and refurbish
staff and public hostels, develop new rental
stock and implement other mutually agreed
housing developments, provide housing man-
agement services and turnaround strategies
where necessary.
In line with the Joburg GDS 2040, Joshco
aims to design and build quality, resource-
efficient, economically sustainable and
affordable products, which are close to
transport nodes, and address the needs
of the community and the environment
in Johannesburg.
In the financial year 2012/13, the COJ
and independent funders made their invest-
ments towards capital development projects
through Joshco. Some of the capital funding
has been utilised for the development of
infrastructure, while the rest has been used
for the refurbishment of existing buildings,
the conversion of hostels into liveable space
as well as new developments. All of these
are for the sole purpose of occupation by
leasing tenants.
One of the aims of the GDS 2040 is
to address energy efficiency in buildings,
as part of the drive towards a low-carbon
economy and the sustainable use of energy
resources. Joshco has started installing
solar panels and heat pumps in some of
its buildings for water heating, and plans on
designing projects that will incorporate rain-
water harvesting.
Joshco’s Community Development
Programme proactively responds to the pre-
vailing social problems in COJ through the
collaborative effort of various stakeholders
within, and outside, the communities, as
well as through strategic programmes and
projects. Joshco’s involvement in developing
communities exceeds the need for housing;
it also intervenes in other aspects such as
providing temporary employment opportuni-
ties through the Extended Public Works
Programme (EPWP), women and youth devel-
opment, and poverty-alleviating initiatives.
Joshco aligns with the COJ’s vision to pro-
mote transport-oriented developments and,
as a result, aims to make maximum use of
land opportunities located close to mass
public transportation corridors, particularly
those of the Corridors of Freedom. These
are linked to mixed-use development nodes
with high-density accommodation support-
ed by office buildings, retail developments
and opportunities for education, leisure
and recreation.
ConclusionInfrastructure is fundamentally perceived as
a physical structure or delivery mechanism,
which is merely the tip of the iceberg. These
Gauteng-based entities have developed to
integrate socio-economic and geo-spatial
transformation, placing nation building at the
centre of its initiatives.
The development oppor tunities in
Johannesburg are abundant as the city con-
tinues to embark on its ambitious plans to
become a vibrant, first-class city. This is a
shining example of what is possible when
government puts social equality, develop-
ment and upliftment at the core of its
policies. Not only that, but the organisation
of these agencies and their focus on job-
creation mean that this will be a city built by
its people – with a united vision – from the
ground up.
MUNICIPAL FOCUS
Building a sustainable large city on principles of equality and empowerment is no easy task, and requires the involvement and commitment of all stakeholders
ABOVE The Nelson Mandela bridge formed an important part of the JDA's efforts to rejuvenate the New Town district by making it more accessable
BELOW The Rea Vaya BRT project was coordinated by the JDA
14 IMIESA February 2015
Congratulations on the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence Engineering; you are a highly respected figure in the infrastructure sector and certainly a leader among engineers: how do you see the role of the engineer in South Africa today? TG Our nation
will not achieve its goals, as
there is a massive job to be
done in South Africa – and in
the rest of Africa – in a short
space of time. Engineers are
at the core of the building of
the economy and well-being of
people, and all infrastructure
that they create and operations
they manage must work and
enable the success needed. We
need to help improve quality
of life in the cities, assist
in enabling municipalities
to function properly and
industries to thrive. In order
for all these things to work, we
need technically skilled people
managing things.
Do you think that South Africa is doing enough to train engineers? The
Engineering Council of South
Africa (ECSA) has raised this
issue to the National Planning
Commission and the conclusion
is that South Africa does not
train enough engineers.
What ECSA demonstrated is
that the best way to compare
how many professionals you
are producing in engineering,
is to compare the popula-
tion to the number of univer-
sity programmes that each
country has.
On average, the rest of the
world has three times as many
programmes as we do, where
an academic programme is
say civil engineering at the
University of Johannesburg or
mechanical engineering the
University of Kwazulu-Natal,
and so on. With that said, it’s
important to note that there will
be scope for more programmes
that our universities will need
to create as matric results
improve and more students are
attracted to apply for admission
into such programmes.
How do you see the role of the public and private sector in tackling the shortage of engineers in South Africa? In the
private sector, we have the
attraction of exciting project
opportunities that young people
learn and gain experience from.
The more they specialise, for
example, the more they improve
their expertise, and that can
be a satisfying route to take.
Private firms will offer more
such opportunities as their
businesses grow and they will
provide not only bursaries but
also opportunities for vacation
work as well as candidacy
training after graduation and
mentorships once a graduate
has acquired registration by
ECSA. It can do this on behalf of
the public sector as well, where
arrangements are made with
individual firms.
In the public sector, we have
the attraction for young regis-
tered engineers to learn to fulfil
the role of planning and imple-
menting policies and strategies
for policy makers for society,
which can be just as rewarding
in the long term under normal
circumstances. The public
sector manages the higher
education as well as monitors
the production of skills in our
country and there is every role
that it can play to ensure that
the academic sector thrives in
the first instance, and that the
environment in the government
sector is highly professional and
attractive for pursuing young
careers in engineering.
The National Development
Plan has several recommenda-
tions in this regard, especially
with regard to improving the
capability of the state. Every
engineer should help with this,
whether in the private or public
sector. We must all adopt the
Innovative engineering
Trueman Goba is a legend in South Africa’s engineering sector. IMIESA is proud to host this hero of infrastructure in this edition’s Hot Seat.
HOT SEAT
TRUEMAN GOBA | CHAIRMAN | HATCH GOBA
ABOVE Umgeni project
BELOW RIGHT Mahatma Gandhi Road sewer pump station relocation project in Durban
IMIESA February 2015 15
HOT SEAT
attitude of mentoring and sup-
porting young professionals,
exposing them to industry and
challenging them to produce
better decisions in whatever
they are involved in.
Do you think South Africa takes the recognition and registration of its engineers seriously?I think the profession is
recognised. However, as a
means to protect the public
in terms of safety, health,
economics, etc., I do not
think the need to register as
many engineers as possible
is fully appreciated. For
this, the industry itself is to
blame. Clients can also play
a role by paying attention to
this and encouraging more
skills development.
ECSA has created the neces-
sary platforms to manage pro-
fessional registration, but the
challenge is that in many cases
young graduates are not men-
tored soon enough.
ECSA – and the profession
as a whole – needs to make
it compulsory for people who
do certain kinds of work to be
registered. This means clearly
defining different types of work
and what they entail.
Recalling your own rise to success, what would you say to young engineers today in terms of building their careers and their responsibilities as engineers? Engineering
is a demanding course and,
once qualified, successful
young graduates need to be
encouraged to stay within the
profession and gain experience
in fields that they have chosen.
Initially it’s all about design
work, monitoring construction,
and so on, while trying to make
sense to what you have learnt
at university. Participating in
seeing things being built or find-
ing design solutions that are
practical and make sense on a
real project can be a great con-
fidence booster. Other stages of
great learning in my experience
are in participating in a new
project that is being initiated, or
seeing to a conclusion and com-
missioning of a project.
Very soon after going through
a few projects or project phas-
es, you become more produc-
tive as you start contributing
to important decision-making,
which is what it’s all about. As
a result, you start to learn to
design or recommend solutions
differently because, now, you
realise you are not only driven
by functionality, but also real
costs, environment, safety,
constructability, etc.
Have the different cultures within Hatch Goba yielded any unforeseen benefits? The different cultures have
resulted from merging into a
global company that is much
more multidisciplinary than we
were. Hatch has a long track
record of private-sector work
in areas such as mining and
metals, energy and industrial
infrastructure. There is also a
culture of innovation that comes
with 60 years of experience
with major projects mainly in
challenging environments,
constrained by tight schedules
and firmly fixed budgets. In
other cases, the experience has
been in helping clients improve
their operations and as a
result in developing the related
consulting expertise with them.
Public infrastructure and smaller
projects, also require the same
levels of quality but different
approaches from a management
perspective. The combined
benefits especially in terms of
systems and processes were
certainly not foreseen by many
of us.
The merger has changed the
way we think on both sides,
yielding a hybrid culture that
delivers new outlooks and out-
comes that would otherwise not
have been possible, especially
for public infrastructure.
What has your work with the National Planning Commission shown you with regards to improving infrastructure delivery in South Africa? We need a more integrated
way of thinking and operating,
and there is always room
for expanded information
sharing on plans for projects.
Projects are often rolled out
in isolation and engineers are
often responding to tenders
that are for components of
larger schemes. We load
relatively small projects with
too many social requirements,
which tends to slow down
achievement of goals that the
project was identified for in the
first place.
In addition, and the PICC has
made progress on this, we have
not always had project pack-
ages that encourage integrated
approaches between the vari-
ous departments and agencies
engaged in development, lead-
ing possibly to planning and
designs that are not maximally
optimised. It also means that
economies of scale are often
not identified or taken advan-
tage of. This needs serious
attention and several entities
are now focusing on this issue.
As an engineer, what vision do you have for the country – and indeed the continent? I dream of
a successful country – and I
hope we all do. The idea of
improving the quality of life for
all and ending poverty in the
next 15 years as recommended
in the National Development
Plan is a challenging one, if
not impossible. However, in
order to succeed in this, we
need this country to be where
everyone plays their part. You
have to be confident that the
NDP will be implemented in
most sectors of society, so that
conditions will get better for
those who come after us.
interventions
www.hatchgoba.co.za
16 IMIESA February 2015
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
Putting it togetherMega housing 2015
With the focus on housing delivery finding a strong champion in Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, the coordination of the many stakeholders required to deliver on this national commitment is key. IMIESA looks at innovations in technology, financing and the urgent call for ingenuity and the use of alternative building technologies (ABT). By Nicholas McDiarmid
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DURING SISULU’S recent address
to the Banking Association of
South Africa (BASA), she made
three cogent points:
• the need to develop a more equitable
property market
• the role of building affordable stock in
doing so
• how housing finance needs to be extended
to low-income earners on a more formal
and sustained manner.
Certainly, the banking sector has been play-
ing ball, as the minister pointed out: “In
2005, the banking sector pledged R42 billion
that would be released into the affordable
housing market by 2008 and over R45 bil-
lion was spent to provide various products in
the affordable housing market,” she began.
“This came a long way in addressing some
of the challenges bedevilling the affordable
housing market as developments such as
Olivenhoutbosch, Brickfields, N2
Gateway, Cosmo City, Glen Ridge
and many others would never have
happened without the commitments
and contribution of the four major
banks and BASA spearheading
them through a partnership with
the department. On the other hand,
more still remains to be done.”
Mind the gap – creating a backlogThe current housing backlog has emerged
as the unintended result of the creation of
a class of earners who earn too much to
qualify for public assistance, but too little to
qualify for commercial mortgages. “Despite
remarkable achievements made in the provi-
sion of h ousing for poor households, the
backlog has steadily increased. Population
growth, rural-to-urban migration, coupled
with smaller family sizes, primarily accounts
for the inability to reduce housing backlogs.
There are still about 2 million households in
urban areas alone that live in substandard
housing conditions.”
Estimates for the number of households
who earn too much to qualify for a fully sub-
sidised housing unit but too little to afford
an entry-level bonded home (the gap market)
total approximately 3.5 million households or
24% of South Africa’s household population.
This backlog unfortunately exists in a highly
challenging economic climate, with a popula-
tion that is growing alongside the demand
for access to services – including housing.
Housing and infrastructure backlogs are
increasing and are often accompanied by
rising community demands and instability.
Access to servicesAccording to the UN Habitat Report on ‘The
State of African Cities, 2014’ access to drink-
ing water for South Africa’s urban population
has increased from 85% to 89%, and sanita-
tion, from 80% to 84% in 1990 and 2008
respectively. “Improved access to services
has been made possible largely through gov-
ernment’s investment in the housing subsidy
programme,” noted Sisulu. “Rising building
and service costs, and standards of the sub-
sidy housing products are putting increasing
pressure on the number of housing units that
can be delivered from the existing
human settlement budgets.”
Having implemented and improved
the housing subsidy scheme for
20 years, many lessons have been
learnt, one of which is
16 IMIESA February 2015
“In the next fi ve years, a target of 1.5 million housing opportunities has been set to address the housing needs of poor and middle-income households.”
IMIESA February 2015 17
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
that there is a need to “radically revise the
housing finance regime”. It also inter alia
includes: prioritising housing investment in
inner city areas, transport hubs and develop-
ment corridors.
New transport nodes accelerating delivery of affordable housingThe establishment of transport nodes across
South Africa has resulted in a wave of new
affordable housing developments being built
in close proximity.
According to Manie Annandale, head of
Nedbank Corporate Property Finance’s
Affordable Housing Development Unit, devel-
opers have recognised the growing demand
for affordable housing developments that
are located close to newly developed roads
or transport systems, such as the Gautrain
and the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit system
in Gauteng and the MyCiti bus service in the
Western Cape.
Provision of transport could catalyse the use of empty land“Affordable housing is driven by the avail-
ability of suitable land and as this cost
increases, so too does the building of higher-
density developments that can best optimise
these transport nodes.”
He adds that with forecasts suggesting
that 70% of South Africa’s population will be
urbanised by 2030, there is an increased
focus on how best to accelerate the devel-
opment of public transport infrastructure
to reach other areas in major cities. One
such example is the south of Johannesburg,
which still has tracts of under-developed land
that can be made available for affordable
housing developments.
Annandale says that there has also been
a notable trend towards the lower-income
bracket renting (rather than buying) afforda-
ble housing property in recent years. “When
the Nedbank affordable housing book was
established six years ago, these develop-
ments sold out pretty quickly. This has
changed significantly over the last few years,
with rentals now dominating and more than
60% of units being rented in developments
that we are currently funding.
Is it affordable? “The issue is that it can be difficult to prove
affordability for many buyers. Often up to
30% of their disposable monthly income
can be absorbed by transport costs, so to
factor in rates and taxes, as well as a bond
payment, means potential buyers may not
qualify for financing.”
Annandale says that he expects the deliv-
ery of affordable housing developments to
accelerate going forward, as government
continues to release public-owned land. The
aim is to build 50 mega projects – develop-
ments of between 2 000 and 4 000 new
homes – over the next five years as part of
government’s social contract with the private
sector across all spheres of business.
“One of the mechanisms through which
this delivery will be accelerated is via public-
private partnerships (PPP) between govern-
ment, developers and banks. Government
subsequently works closely with large devel-
opers to unlock tracts of land, with the bank
providing the funding.
“There is an urgent need in South Africa
to deliver more affordable housing, to meet
the socio-economic demands of the country
and we are confident that with all stake-
holders successfully collaborating, we will
continue to meet this pressing requirement,”
concludes Annandale.
Mixed tenureThe need to mix up different housing tenure
arrangements – including affordable rentals
and social housing – has never been clearer,
along with promoting mixed-use activities and
land development.
South Africa is experiencing a high demand
for housing units and varying finance prod-
ucts in the affordable housing market, with
an estimated one million homes still needed.
Currently only 20 000 units are developed
annually, which means we continue to fall
far short of meeting the required number
of affordable housing stock. In future, the
demand will increase significantly as the lat-
est census data informs us that about 60%
of South Africans are under the age of 34.
Sisulu cited the recent census, which finds
that the average household income is about
R103 204/annum, with Gauteng’s popula-
tion earning above this average at R156 243
and the Western Cape at R143 460. This
means that sharper and better targeting
instruments should be developed, particu-
larly for the metropolitan areas that are
facing increased migration of people without
the corresponding increase in various forms
of affordable housing.
Unfavourable market imbalanceThe increase in demand and shortfall in the
supply of available stock continues to drive
up prices in the affordable housing mar-
ket. According to the Bureau for Economic
Research (BER), in 2013, the average build-
ing cost of a new house constructed was
10% higher than in 2012. This meant the
cost of building increased to R5 202/m2.
The increase in construction cost translated
to an increase in the house prices of new
homes. In addition, fewer numbers of houses
were constructed.
During 2013, the total number of home
loans that were approved by the banks over
the period was 354 291, with 162 800
loans to the affordable housing market.
While the number of home loans for the
affordable housing market is higher, it still
falls short of what is required to meet the
demand. Reasons given include indebted-
ness of the borrowers and availability of
houses at the right price.
Housing in Diepsloot
18 IMIESA February 2015
The promise of the catalytic projectsIn the next five years, a target of 1.5 mil-
lion housing opportunities has been set
to address the housing needs of poor and
middle-income households. This includes
the development of new catalytic projects
aimed at making a difference in the spatial
form of the country. These projects would
demonstrate spatial, social and economic
integration, while taking into consideration
lessons learnt from the plethora of pro-
jects initiated through the Comprehensive
Plan for the Development of Sustainable
Human Settlements.
Today, a strategy is required to deal not
only with the supply, but also the demand
for affordable housing.
Debate and innovateAccess to housing and access to housing
finance by low-income earners is critical
in ensuring the development of any coun-
try. However, income levels are such that
the majority of households cannot afford
to buy the least expensive house, even
if mortgage finance were available. The
major strategy is to ensure that there is
enough housing stock at the right price in
the right locations. It is therefore neces-
sary to debate and develop innovative solu-
tions to increase the supply of affordable
housing stock.
The recommitments made through the
social contract in October 2014 came at
a time where a similar pledge made by
banks back in 2005 is not only needed but
essential. In the recent indaba to discuss
commitments between all social partners,
the banks and BASA committed to:
• develop proposals to improve ongo-
ing coordination between the National
Department of Human Settlements and
the Banking Association South Africa
• develop proposals that promote sustain-
able human settlements in both urban
and rural areas
• increase and fast-track the supply
and delivery of affordable housing in
well-located land
• increase the number of approved end-
user loans (both mortgage and non-mort-
gages) for affordable housing
• actively monitor and provide semi-annual
reports on objectives.
The programmes that the DHS has for
affordable housing only address those
that earn less than R3 500/month while
only the Financed-Linked Individual Subsidy
Programme (FLISP)is targeted for indi-
viduals earning up to R16 000/month.
However, the demand for both rental and
homeownership in this category is increas-
ing as nurses, teachers, police and many
other professionals require affordable and
decent places to live. It is unfortunate
that the current programmes for the gap
market do not adequately address the sup-
ply side of the housing value chain. Thus,
the department calls on partners to help
develop pioneering responses.
The current direct association with the
banks is through credit-linked subsidies
administered on behalf of the MEC by
banks, financial institutions and other
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
IMIESA February 2015 19
approved providers of credit (the lenders) – if we need to suc-
ceed in our objectives, things cannot be allowed to continue
in this fashion. The programme, better known as FLISP, was
developed by the DHS to enable first-time home-ownership
opportunities to South Africans and legal permanent residents
earning between R3 501 and R15 000 per month. These are
people falling in the category known as the gap market because
they either earn too little to qualify for a home loan or too much
to qualify for a government full-subsidy house.
FLISP offers down-payment assistance in the form of a grant to
qualifying beneficiaries, who are in a financial position to secure
a mortgage loan from a bank to acquire a home. The objective of
the programme is to reduce the initial mortgage loan amount to
render the monthly loan repayment instalments affordable over
the loan payment term. FLISP support qualifying beneficiaries
who wish to obtain mortgage finance from a lender.
Building with the NHBRCBeneficiaries can build a new house with the assistance of
a homebuilder registered with the National Home Builders
Registration Council (NHBRC).
Depending on their income level, a qualifying beneficiary will
receive a subsidy of between R10 500 to R87 000 towards
financing a property that does not exceed a purchase price of
R300 000. The expectation of achieving a functional and single
property market can only be realised through stronger partner-
ships with all the stakeholders in the value chain.
The NDP mandates the human settlements sector to:
• develop bolder measures to develop sustainable
human settlements
• radically revise the housing finance regime
• revise the regulations and incentives for housing and
land-use management.
Government has thus geared itself towards setting favour-
able conditions for the achievement of the 1.5 million housing
opportunities for poor and moderate-income households. More
importantly, this will contribute towards realising the outcome
of sustainable human settlements and improve household life.
ConclusionI observe that this discussion exists at a time of extreme
income inequality. With South Africa's high Gini coefficient, the
low-income housing sector is still finding its champion. Are we
pushing ahead with one system and failing to test economic
dispensation, which really ought to be the first to tackle? Time
will tell.
20 IMIESA February 201520 IMIESA February 2015
THE COMMITMENT by banks, devel-
opers, mining companies and big
employers officially declares South
Africa as the biggest construction
site in Africa and the developing world.
This project is estimated to be worth more
than R250 billion over five years, in bond
investments by banks, rental accommoda-
tion developments by the private sector and
agencies, government subsidies, housing
investments by big employers and min-
ing companies, bulk services, upgrading
of current informal-settlement infrastruc-
ture and community infrastructure, such
as: schools, churches, business sites and
other amenities.
According to Dr Jeffrey Mahachi, special
technical adviser at the National Home
Builders Registration Council (NHBRC), this
will mean that 300 000 houses will have
to be built every year instead of the current
approximately 200 000.
“There is no way that we can achieve
this by using traditional methods of
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS | PROFILE – NHBRC
One-and-a-half-million houses in fi ve years
Minister of Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu’s commitment to build 1.5 million houses in five years is detailed in the Social Contract for the Development of Sustainable Human Settlements, signed at the end of the two-day National Human Settlements Indaba and Exhibition held at the Sandton Convention in October 2014.
construction. We need to build double the
number of houses that we are building at
the moment and for that we need to look at
innovative building methods,” he says, add-
ing that there is currently a housing backlog
in excess of 2.1 million in South Africa.
Dr Mahachi is also the head of the
NHBRC’s Centre for Research and Housing
Innovation. The purpose of the centre is
to research and provide innovative ways to
fast-track housing delivery and to assist the
Minister of Human Settlements in achieving
the target of 1.5 million housing opportuni-
ties by 2019.
The core business of the new centre is to
establish and promote ethical and technical
standards, to improve structural quality and
to provide housing information.
“We should not be afraid to use innova-
tive building technologies (IBT). These tech-
nologies still need to meet the same high
standards as traditional b u i l d i n g
m e t h -
o d s ,
Fast-tracking housing delivery
20202020200200202002020 IIIIIMIEMIEESA SA FebFFebruau ry y 2012015IIIMIEESA SA FebFFebruau ryy 2012015
BuBuilildedersrs RRegegisistrtratatioion n CoCoununcicil (N(NHBHBRCRC), tthihiss
wwiwilllll mmmeaean nn ththt atatatt 33330000 0000000 hhouses s wwilll hhave e
totot bbe e built t evvere y y yeeyearaar iinsnssn teteteadadad oooff f thhthe e cuc rrene t t
apapapprprproxoxoximimimatatelely y yy 2020200 0 00000.0.
“TT“Theherere iiss nono wwwayayay tttthahahahat tt wewewe cccanan aachchieieveve
ththhhisisisi bbby y y ususussinining g gg trtrtrtradadadititioioi nall memeemethtththodododods s ss ofofof
“W“W“WWeee shshshououldld nnotot bbee afafraraidd ttoo ususee ininnonovava--
titiveve bbuilddining gg tetetechnoloogig ess ((IBT)T). ThT ese techh-
noolologigiesess ssstitilll nnneeeeeee ddd totoo mmeeeet t ththe e sasameme hhigighh
ststs anandadardrdss asas ttraraadididitititionoononalalal b ub u i li l d id i n gn g
m em e t ht h -
o do d ss ,
so that consumers can trust the quality of
these products. There are many good prod-
ucts on the market that have been tested
and retested, and are ready to use.”
Mahachi says all innovative non-standard-
ised construction products, systems, materi-
als, components and processes that are not
fully covered by a SABS standard or code
of practice, are certified by internationally
acknowledged Agremént South Africa, based
at the CSIR campus in Pretoria.
Agremént South Africa certification assures
the fitness for purpose of such technologies,
which optimises resource utilisation and
realises cost savings in industry.
“One of the most important benefits
innovative building technology offers is the
speed at which a house can be completed.
We need to build 1.5 million houses and we
need to build them fast. To achieve that, we
need to be innovative.
“As the Centre for Research and Housing
Innovation, we need to position ourselves
as leaders in knowledge management and
technology solutions.”
He goes on to explain that in order
to achieve this, there is a
need to provide
IMIESA February 2015 21IMIESA February 2015 21
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS | PROFILE – NHBRC
transformational leadership in the
housing industry.
The next step is coming up with new ways
of thinking about building materials and new
ways of construction. According to Mahachi:
“Our research and development will focus on
IBTs and rational design approaches. There
are two ways in which IBT systems can be
approved, either through Agremént, or a
rational design approach that is approved
by the NHBRC. A rational design is based
on theoretical design assumptions of the
IBT systems. However, it should be noted
that when a product is built on the ground, it
may behave differently over time, and hence
there is a need to monitor the performance
of these products as they are still relatively
new to South African conditions.”
This is clearly demonstrated at the
Eric Molobi Housing Innovation Hub in
Soshanguve, Pretoria. A number of houses
were built using IBT systems almost 10
years ago, and the products’ natural pro-
cesses are continuously being evaluated to
determine factors such as durability, thermal
performance and structural integrity.
The observations at Eric Molobi have pro-
vided insightful and valuable information,
and there are IBT systems that are ready for
commercialisation and, with time, will end up
as a South African national standard.
1. RegistrationAll builders involved in building or renovating houses should be registered with the NHBRC. However, the NHBRC warranty only covers new houses.To register, you need to show:• technical competency• financial capability• construction management capability.To show technical competency, builders are required to write an assessment test. If they prove to be incompetent regarding certain aspects, training may be offered by the NHBRC.
2. StandardsNHBRC-registered builders are bound by the standards set out in the Home Building Manual. The manual has been revised and the public has been invited to submit comments before the final document is published.
3. EnrolmentBuilders should enrol all new houses with the NHBRC at least 15 days before construction starts. Late enrolments pose a risk to the NHBRC, because it is then unable to inspect all aspects of the house. Banks will not finance houses that have not been enrolled with the NHBRC.The NHBRC can refuse the late enrolment of a house and will take disciplinary action against a builder that is not registered with the NHBRC or builds a house without enrolling it.
4. InspectionsNHBRC inspectors will visit all enrolled houses a minimum of four times during the course of construction to inspect:• the foundation• the substructure
• the superstructure• the roof.The number of inspections will depend on the competency level of the builder and the value of the house.
5. ComplaintsA housing consumer, if unhappy with the quality of the house that was delivered, has the right to complain. The initial complaint should be lodged with the builder. If that is unsuccessful, he should lodge a complaint with the NHBRC.The housing consumer enjoys the following warranty provided by the NHBRC:• five-year structural warranty• one-year warranty against roof leaks• three-month bad workmanship warranty.
6. ConciliationWhen a housing consumer cannot resolve a complaint with the builder, a conciliation officer is appointed by the NHBRC, who will meet the two parties on-site and make a ruling on the complaint. The ruling made by the conciliation officer is final. However, the housing consumer has a right to appeal the ruling through the office of the CEO of the NHBRC.
7. Remedial workWhen the conciliation officer orders a builder to do some remedial work, he is obliged to carry out the instruction.
8. Warranty fundWhen, for some reason, the builder is unable to carry out the work, the NHBRC carries out the work with funding from its warranty fund. The NHBRC then uses its legal department to recover the money from the builder.
THE NHBRC PROCESS IN A NUTSHELL
SOCIAL CONTRACT COMMITMENTS The signatories to the Social Contract signed at the National Settlement Indaba in October 2014 committed themselves to achieve the following over the next five years:• delivery of 1.5 million housing opportuni-
ties, including 111 000 affordable hous-ing opportunities for the gap market and 70 000 affordable rental opportunities in integrated sustainable communities close to places of work and play
• build 50 catalytic projects and install basic services in all developing towns, including revitalising mining towns
• install basic infrastructure in 2 000 informal settlements, while laying a foundation that will allow communities to save and build for themselves
• eradicate the backlog of title deeds for pre- and post-1994 housing stock
• government committed to cutting the red tape of processing applications to establish townships, approval of build-ing plans and pay contractors at the shortest time possible.
Source: www.gov.za/press-release-minis-ter-sisulu-and-human-settlements-stake-holders-commit-delivery-15-million-housing
22 IMIESA February 201522 IMIESA February 2015
THE NHBRC has just completed a process to review its technical requirements and Home Building Manual to ensure that they are in line with current legislation and industry needs.
Interested persons are invited to comment on the changes to the manual in writing before 28 February.
The NHBRC Technical Requirements and Home Building Manual, first published in Feb-ruary 1999, provides rules according to which housing construction defects can be identified and interpreted on a non-compliance basis, thus providing a framework for NHBRC war-ranty cover.
The manual provides performance-oriented design and construction requirements with the aim of minimising, or even eliminating, defects in housing.
To minimise or altogether eliminate defects, those responsible for the design and construc-tion of houses are required to adopt design practices and specifications that provide satisfactory outcomes. Materials, products and building systems that are suited for their intended purpose and ensure that all work is carried out in a proper, neat and workmanlike manner need to be used .
Although the main focus of the Technical Requirements and Home Building Manual is on structural strength, it also deals with pro-tection against harmful substances and fire, insofar as they relate to the structural stability of the house.
The NHBRC design requirements can be met by: • adopting certain prescribed rules• using a rational design, based on engineer-
ing principles• obtaining Agrément certification from Agré-
ment South Africa. Similarly, the NHBRC construction require-ments can be met by complying with: • construction of elements using the design-
by-rule approach• the standards and specifications referred to
in the rational design • the relevant requirements set out in the
Agrément certification documentation. In terms of the NHBRC Warranty Scheme, com-petent persons (a person registered in terms of the Engineering Professions of South Africa Act or in terms of Section 11 of the Natural Scien-tific Professions Act) are required to: • classify individual construction sites in accor-
dance with the NHBRC site-class designations • assess risks associated with areas underlain
by dolomite and limestone, and to designate areas in accordance with the NHBRC’s dolo-mitic designations
• monitor that the mandatory precautions on sites underlain by dolomite and limestone are correctly implemented
• specify precautionary measures to be taken when trees are to be removed
• advise on subsurface drainage• specify materials and construction methods
where the construction rules are not used.The enrolment of homes in the NHBRC War-ranty Scheme is subject to homebuilders sub-mitting a site soil classification certified by a competent person.
Comments should be sent for the attention of Dr J Mahachi to the National Home Builders Registration Council, PO Box 461, Randburg, 2125, faxed to +27 (0)86 520 4638 or emailed to [email protected]. All submissions should include the name, address, telephone number and email address of the person or organisation submitting the comments.
The Technical Requirements and Home Build-ing Manual is available in print format in all provincial NHBRC customer service centres and electronically on the NHBRC website at www.nhbrc.org.za.
CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS | PROFILE – NHBRC
The centre’s research and development
will also help built environment profession-
als and builders, developers and stakehold-
ers to be able to go to an Internet-based
portal and find material and product sup-
pliers at competitive prices. This will be
launched soon.
“We are negotiating with reputable mate-
rial and product suppliers to offer discounts
to our NHBRC-registered builders and there
are a number of other benefits that we will
be rolling out. The portal will also include
green technologies and products such as
solar water panels and heat pumps, and
will provide guidance on new, innovative
building technologies.”
A core function of the centre is to develop
NHBRC-registered builders, says Mahachi.
“We need to do that through capacity build-
ing and training of home builders. We also
need to uplift and train our inspectors to
reach a certain level, so that they are one
step ahead of the builders.”
Training takes place at the training acad-
emy located at the Eric Molobi Housing
Innovation Hub. The centre offers a number
of training programmes and has already
trained 964 builders, 300 artisans, 58
learners, 123 inspectors and 469 youth and
women in this financial year. The inspectors
have a background in the built environ-
ment and come from various disciplines
such as engineering, quantity surveying
or architecture.
NHBRC-registered builders, ar tisans,
women and government programme
candidates do not have to pay any
training fees.
“If our inspectors identify builders who are
issued non-compliance notices – for exam-
ple, the builder needs to learn how to mix
concrete correctly – we would then provide
on-site assistance and training.”
Mahachi explains that in other cases,
the centre, through the NHBRC provin-
cial offices, conducts technical and con-
struction management competencies,
identifies the gaps and provides the
necessary training.
The broad spectrum of courses ranges
from two days to two years, depending on
the modules and the individual’s needs.
“It is our intention to promote technical
excellence and also ensure that every single
house is inspected and meets the NHBRC
technical requirements and South African
national s tandards on energy efficiency,
SANS 10400XA,” concludes Mahachi.
“There are products at the hub that can
now be adopted and rolled out for imple-
mentation. The idea is to be able to provide
guidance for the industry, and some of
these products have stood the test of time.
However, other products may need further
refinement and we will provide feedback to
the system developer to fine-tune the prod-
uct and improve it.”
In conjunction with other testing labora-
tories, the centre is also able to perform
accelerated tests to determine durability of
materials over 20 to 50 years. Once a prod-
uct’s properties are understood, measured
and tested extensively, and there is an under-
standing of the properties and behaviour over
time, it will become a South African national
standard, administered by the SABS.”
IMIESA February 2015 23IMIESA February 2015 23
OTHER CHALLENGES to innova-
tion frequently cited by industry
include the industry’s complex
and fragmented structure; its
highly competitive and risky nature; local
variation in regulatory requirements and their
implementation; the low levels of skill, train-
ing, and investment throughout much of the
industry and its workforce; the difficulty of
obtaining start-up funds, protecting innova-
tions and appropriating financial returns; and
the difficulty of being guaranteed projects.
That said, government has long recognised
the challenges facing innovation and has sup-
ported, through legislation and the National
Building Regulations and Building Standards
Act, efforts to increase innovation in build-
ing construction. Beyond this, government,
through its entity, the National Home Builders
Registration Council (NHBRC), has invested
in housing-related R&D and innovation as a
strategy for pursuing the Minister of Human
Settlements’s goal of achieving 1.5 million
housing opportunities in the next five years.
Most people spend most of their time
indoors. As the nation faces an energy cri-
sis, there is a need to promote the use of
innovative building envelopes and products,
which would result in low-level energy con-
sumption. Worldwide, most regulators are
supporting zero-energy homes, i.e. houses
where there is a zero net electrical usage
through the use of excellent insulation pack-
ages, passive solar designs, energy-efficient
appliances and fixtures, and so on. In 2014,
the South African government increased the
subsidy quantum to the current R110 000
with an endeavour to improve the energy
efficiency of government-subsidised houses
Next-generation housing
Building outside the box
and ensure that the houses comply with the
South African National Standards on energy-
efficiency (SANS 10400XA). All houses are
required to comply with the energy efficiency
standards by the Building Regulations, as
from November 2011.
Over the years, the NHBRC has had some
success in supporting the early phases
of the housing innovation process, such
as conducting research and expanding the
knowledge base, establishing housing inno-
vations hubs (e.g. Eric Molobi Housing Hub in
Soshanguve, Tshwane). However, the NHBRC
has generally been less successful at encour-
aging the adoption and diffusion of innovative
technologies throughout the housing indus-
try. Unfortunately, until new innovations are
steadily developed, adopted and diffused,
their benefits will only accumulate slowly.
Hence the NHBRC would like to engage more
with national and provincial government,
municipalities and the housing industry, so
as to support and accelerate housing innova-
tion system, as a whole and ensure that new
technologies are not only developed but also
commercialised and widely adopted through-
out the industry.
Driven by an implicit (and sometimes
explicit) assumption that innovation is a
natural occurrence, held back only by cer-
tain obstacles, the NHBRC will continue to
have many workshops with developers and
municipalities, roundtable discussions, sur-
veys, research and other efforts to identify
barriers to innovation and ways to overcome
them. Some of the strategies identified by
the NHBRC in advancing innovation include:
• enhancing research activities by sustaining
support for applied research
• strengthening the knowledge base by coor-
dinating government efforts, disseminat-
ing information and supporting education
and training
• supporting product development by provid-
ing technical support, explaining the regu-
latory process and linking innovators with
Agrèment South Africa
• improving market linkages through iden-
tification of market trends and opportu-
nities, supporting product performance
monitoring, and evaluation and recognition
of innovations.
The above strategies could enable govern-
ment to advance innovation by better lev-
eraging what what currently exists in the
housing industry.
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS | PROFILE – NHBRC
Despite the many innovations that have occurred over the last couple of years, innovation in South African housing is much slower than other industries. This can be attributed to the industry’s small investment in R&D and the long adoption/diffusion times for new technologies. By Dr J Mahachi, Pr.Eng, Pr.CPM
st
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr Jeffrey Mahachi is a registered professional engineer and a registered construction project manager. He holds a PhD in structural engineering from Wits University, a master’s degree in structural engineering from Surrey University (UK), master’s degree in information technology from the University of Pretoria, and a BSc in civil engineering from the University of Zimbabwe. He has worked as a project manager and research engineer at CSIR Building Technology. He has also lectured at Wits University and done consulting work in civil and structural engineering. He has written two books on structural engineering and presented several papers at international and local conferences and seminars.
+27 (0)800 200 824www.nhbrc.org.za
24 IMIESA February 2015
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
WHILE INFRASTRUCTURE
remains a foremost priority in
Souh Africa, GIBB sustainabili-
ty consultant Shantal Rampath
stresses that more detailed consultation
needs to be done when relocating people.
Employed within GIBB’s environmental and
sustainability sector, Rampath presented at
the 2014 South African National Committee
on Large Dams (Sancold) conference, in a bid
to prescribe a guideline to effectively manage
the community consultation process.
The guidelines and sustainability modelWhile the focus at Sancold is sustaina-
ble dam developments in Southern Africa,
the guidelines Rampath and GIBB sus-
tainability manager Karien Erasmus pre-
sented may be used and tailored for any
infrastructural development.
“The model takes an approach aimed at
addressing the potential negative impacts
associated with resettlement at early stages
of infrastructure projects, particularly in rural
areas,” she says.
Rampath says that while there are interna-
tional standards like that of the World Bank
and International Finance Cooperation, these
do not adequately address post resettlement.
“Our model speaks to the post-resettle-
ment scenario, where development and pov-
erty are critical elements once infrastructure
projects are complete,” she stresses.
Rampath has found that, often, people are
moved with little consideration for their future
and this impacts negatively on quality of life
contrary to what infrastructure development
sets out to achieve.
Examples of bad planningRampath cites examples of dam projects
where communities were evidently not con-
sulted properly. “The construction of Sèlinguè
Dam in Mali affected people who lost their
land due to new irrigated plots. In addition,
they were provided with very little support
and could not form new farming techniques
in their new areas,” she reveals.
“As a result, many farmers were faced with
disastrous crops and had their land taken
away as they failed to farm properly on new
land. This ruined their livelihoods.”
Another example is the Tokwe Mukosi Dam
project in Zimbabwe. “Displacement of host
populations and forced migration has dimin-
ished cultural resources and livelihoods, and
increased vulnerability,” she adds.
She advises that the long-term view takes
cognisance of assistance and services that
last beyond the project completion phase,
and the generic long-term impacts of reset-
tlement are largely about losing livelihoods.
“It is important to remember that many
resettlement cases involve vulnerable women-
and child-headed households,” she says.
Some of the challenges relating to
infrastructure projects include: poverty,
service-delivery issues, social exclusion and
the inability to adapt in resettled locations.
“The guidelines and sustainability model
fulfils a comprehensive requirement for post-
project monitoring. This has been identified
as one of the gaps in most resettlement
cases where post-project monitoring was not
addressed holistically,” says Rampath.
“The first pillar refers to localised sus-
tainable economic growth and should be
centered on policies and programmes that
stimulate economic activity. These activities
should benefit long-term development and
the affected people's welfare. Growth and
infrastructure development increase capacity
and efficiency, and allow people to develop
skills through employment.”
The second pillar, which represents inclu-
sive social development, refers to access
to basic facilities such as education, health
care and necessary social services, which
establish opportunities to increase participa-
tion and communities' overall welfare.
“Finally, the third pillar – local authority
support – stresses the importance of good
governance and a local support regime,
forming partnerships with civil society and
mainstreaming good governance,” she says .
“I believe that sustainability should form
the cornerstone of resettlement as outlined
in the guidelines. The key to effectively
integrating sustainability into an early reset-
tlement planning process relates to measur-
ability and applicability,” she warns.
Relocating people the right way
Involuntary resettlement due to infrastructural development has, for the past 20 years, seen more than 10 million people lose their homes on the African continent.
IMIESA February 2015 25
IN SO DOING, the DBSA is demonstrat-
ing a very South African solution to
key challenges hampering delivery key
infrastructure at local government level
and key private sector investment areas sup-
porting the National Development Plan (NDP)
and other areas of legislated development.
In this third of a four-part series, two man-
agers from the DBSA’s SA Financing Division
demonstrate the practical outcomes of the
bank’s successful strategy.
Finance and Capacity Support, Local GovernmentThere is growth in South Africa’s municipal
sector, and the DBSA’s catalytic interven-
tions are set to become big news in the
sector. By linking highly focused capacity sup-
port and finding a workable and practicable
solution to bringing in private sector skills to
unlock projects, it looks like the DBSA has
found a way of solving the problems that
have beset local government for so long.
Chucheka Mhlongo is the general man-
ager of Infrastructure Finance and Capacity
FUNDING AND SUPPORT
The key to unlockingrapid development
With overall disbursements up 39% since its strategic restructuring two years ago, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has carefully and meaningfully integrated implementation support to targeted customer areas.
Support, Local Government, of the SA
Financing Division and provides insight into
this innovative solution. “When the DBSA
restructured, we identified a number of areas
in which to find strategic responses. The
NDP is a highly inclusive and detailed strat-
egy aimed at meeting national imperatives,
and the municipal sector was identified as
having critical restraints and backlogs that
had to be addressed by intermediaries and
institutions in order to deal with the severe
backlogs that stood in the way of national
development,” explains Mhlongo. The lack
of internal skills that beset local govern-
ment, especially in rural areas and aspirant
metros, was identified as a critical constraint
that was compounding the impact of infra-
structure backlogs, and retarding social and
economic development.”
Seventy-eight per cent of municipal fund-
ing is derived from fiscal allocations, with
the balance derived from the municipal bal-
ance sheet. “Other fiscal allocations include
the Municipal Infrastructure Grant and vari-
ous other funding mechanisms derived from
National Treasury. The infrastructure backlog
includes the delivery of essential municipal
services, which means struggling municipali-
ties are not able to capitalise on the potential
services they could be delivering.
Underpinning the municipal delivery chal-
lenge is the well-documented skills gap. “It
is clear that a chronic skills shortage exists
at the municipal level, notably in rural areas,”
says Mhlongo. “The result is an ability to
identify and ring-fence pro-
jects, and the consequent
underspending of annual
budgets. It is obvious that
funding is actually not the
problem and, given the
results of our interven-
tions after only two years,
we were correct in focus-
ing on the most effective
ways of pairing the banks’
engineering skills, and
coordinating input from
the private sector.”
Mhlongo points out
PARTNERING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
Chucheka Mhlongo, general manager: Infrastructure Finance and Capacity Support, Local Government
26 IMIESA February 2015
PARTNERING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
– very importantly – that the nature of the
problem varies greatly between the metro-
politan municipalities and the rest: “The
scale of the backlogs in aspirant metros and
rural municipalities is far greater than in the
metros.
The Pre-Finance Unit – speeding up delivery“The Pre-Finance Unit has been created
specifically to solve the project identification
problem,” explains Mhlongo. “The unit is
made of dedicated civil engineers, electrical
engineers, development planners and other
essential skills that exist within the bank to
support preparation and planning strategic
municipal projects.” The unit takes projects
from the planning stage to the implementa-
tion stage. “We have brought on board a
panel from the private sector, which is capa-
ble of executing the projects and ensuring
specific conditions are met.”
The projects are prioritised according to
specific metrics, which will ensure the crea-
tion of infrastructure that will catalyse spe-
cific drivers of sustainable growth.
“This way, we create a pipeline of prior-
ity projects for a municipality and signifi-
cantly increase the likelihood of delivering
them on time and within budget,” elabo-
rates Mhlongo. “This in turn creates further
opportunities for the municipality to access
more funding allocations for further projects,
access further funding from the DBSA itself,
and ultimately create a position from which
projects can source funding from the tradi-
tional banking sector, based on more viable
balance sheets.”
Making a startThe DBSA is highly focused on its value as
a catalyst. Its interventions are geared at
unlocking exponential value within sustaina-
ble frameworks. In the case of municipalities,
the bank is focused on targeting intervention
in areas with the highest socio-economic
development potential. “We identify munici-
palities that are home to populations ser-
vicing mines, for example, and that could
potentially attract further investment from
support industries, given the right supporting
infrastructure. We are also interested in cre-
ating new economic drivers in areas that are
natural destinations for significant industrial
development, such as Independent Power
Producers, and other larger infrastructure
projects – the Square Kilometre Array is a
great example,” Mhlongo explains. “Scale
is also a key factor in our decisions, as is
the potential alignment with other planned
interventions, and the ability to rapidly clear
backlogs.” The Pre-Funding Unit seeks part-
ners with a stake in the developments, such
as the mines themselves and the various
national government departments.
By optimising the selection of key catalytic
projects, through the work of the Pre-Finance
Unit in coordination with the private sector
panels, a number of problems are solved,
and a slew of growth opportunities are
unlocked. “The approach we take ensures
that procurement problems are dealt with
and that project planning is ready in time for
the appropriate financial year. Getting pro-
jects to implementation stage on time also
ensures that they are completed on time,
which unlocks further opportunities to budget
for more projects,” emphasises Mhlongo.
The Post-Finance Unit“The Post-Finance Unit is made of engineers
encompassing all areas of municipal delivery
and infrastructure, including roads, bridges
and stormwater, water and sanitation, elec-
tricity distribution and public buildings. We
offer contract management support, project
design services, EIA compliance support
and other core services. Along with teams
derived from our private sector partners,
these teams of dedicated engineers stay on
at the municipalities to ensure the projects
gain traction once they are completed and
start delivering on their promise.
The Post-Finance Unit is centred around
reaping the benefits of doing things quickly.
“There is a category of municipality – the
aspirant metropolitan municipalities – that
we target very actively,” says Mhlongo. “This
particular municipality category works on
multi-year funding allocations, which cannot
be reached due to the backlogs. However,
if we are able to move quickly and drive
implementation of the current year, we are
able approach the two outer years of funding
at the same time, providing bridge funding
for the outer two years and deliver projects
at much bigger scales, much more rapidly.”
This approach has a serious knock-on
effect to the local economies, because the
quicker the projects are completed and the
quicker the services can be provided, the
quicker investments will be secured and
the quicker the local economy can grow. By
focusing on delivering a three-year project in
an 18-month time frame, the prospect of eco-
nomic development becomes a reality within
an impressive and visible period.
“The benefits of this type of acceleration
are exponential,” explains Mhlongo. “The
municipality creates an income-generating
asset now, rather than in three years’ time.
Not only are people accessing services quick-
er, but the municipality avoids annual cost
accelerations on the planned infrastructure
and is better able to attract other investors
– and more customers – to the area.” Speed
is important and Mhlongo is an advocate of
getting things done as quickly as possible as
the benefits are enormous.
“Because we are providing bridging finance,
there are conditions that must be met. The
municipality must provide operations and
maintenance for the assets. Naturally, our
teams create an operations and mainte-
nance plan for the municipality, and we will
PARTNERING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
work with them to ensure we leave the skills
and the plans in place. We don’t build and
leave – we recently completed a project in
Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, to the value of
R163 million, and the team we sent remains
in place. The DBSA obviously doesn’t have
enough engineers internally for this purpose,
so we subsidise the municipality to ensure
they can attract skills from the private sector.
Operating in such a way catalyses eco-
nomic turnaround at a local level, which
has significant benefits at national level.
The sooner this category of municipality can
stand on its own feet, and develop its capac-
ity to self-fund off its own balance sheet,
the more funds become available for alloca-
tion at national level for those rural areas
without the necessary drivers to achieve the
same results.
A practical solution to the procurement problem“It must be acknowledged that the efficiency
of procurement processes varies greatly
across this sector, and the DBSA does not
involve itself in the municipal processes. The
projects we finance and implement fall under
the bank’s processes, and the procurement
of the consulting engineers and contractors
falls to the municipality itself,” explains
Mhlongo. “Part of our due diligence before
taking on a project includes an assessment
of the municipalities’ procurement systems,
and finding ways of improving them when
required.” The DBSA also reviews the internal
IT systems of municipalities and will go as far
as installing functional IT systems to ensure
processes can support the infrastructure.
Breaking records at break-neck speedAs a catalyst for accelerated development,
the DBSA’s Municipal Finance team is achiev-
ing impressive results. Despite a prevailing
negative sentiment about the prospects of
success in finding meaningful intervention
at local government level, the new focus
on implementation is successfully turning
this story around. “For the first time in our
history, we are breaking records in terms of
the number municipalities we are working
with,” enthuses Mhlongo. “We are already
delivering results in 30 municipalities and,
by the end of this financial year, we will
have exceeded a target of R1.5 billion in dis-
bursements, achieving a figure of over R2.3
billion.” Mhlongo’s team is currently work-
ing with National Treasury to target more
investment potential at municipal level, with
a key focus on secondary cities. “We are
very enthusiastic about the results we can
achieve in secondary cites, like Polokwane
and Rustenburg,” he explains. “If we can
achieve results in these municipalities, we
can look forward to a future of similar results
at rural level as well.” Mhlongo emphasises
that success also depends on the partner-
ships with other public institutions and the
private sector. “What we have found is a real
solution to a South African problem, and it is
a local innovation that is accurately tailored
for the challenge at hand.”
The SA Financing DivisionCyprian Marowa is the general manager of Infrastructure Finance
in the DBSA’s SA Financing Division – a division that is ultimately
concerned with achieving financial sustainability through the
generation of income from deal origination and execution activities.
Cyprian Marowa, general manager: Infrastructure Finance
THE PROJECTS funded by the SA
Financing Division need to deliver
a prescribed return to the bank,”
he explains. “As a Development
Funding Institution (DFI), we are not driven
by profit as much as other banks in the
commercial arena; we are driven to mostly
achieve at-scale development, impact and
improve people’s lives, in a sustainable
manner for the bank,” explains Marowa.
“This key difference allows us to involve
ourselves in influencing and funding the
early stages of infrastructure projects that
the other banks typically would not consider.
It also allows us to consider funding infra-
structure projects that the banking sector
might resist because of the length of time
required for a return on investment, typically
15 to 25 years.”
The SA Financing Division is focused on
funding infrastructure projects in the private
and public sectors, and by both private and
state-owned enterprises that operate on pri-
vate sector principles: commercially viable
projects. “The mandate does not stray
from the principle of funding developmental
infrastructure projects. In this matter, we
refer to the NDP and supporting policies
and projects.
Getting projects to market“The work we do includes early-stage back-
ground feasibility, prior to the public being
aware of infrastructure projects, through
to financing and implementation delivery,”
says Marowa. “We support private sector
participants and state-owned enterprises
with the background financial, markets,
technological, environ-
mental and develop-
mental analyses and
research required to get
a project to implemen-
tation stage.”
Focus sectorsThe SA Financing Division focuses primar-
ily on transport and logistics, energy, ICT,
oil and gas, commercial infrastructure, and
social infrastructure (water, education and
health). “We consider advisory and financing
support in the development of infrastructure
projects and procure experts to establish the
project’s bankability. If we lack the internal
capacity to advise on all sectors, we turn to
partners and specialists, and bring them on
board on a project-by-project basis.”
IMIESA February 2015 27
28 IMIESA February 2015
PARTNERING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
The SA Financing Division team... is constantly scanning and calling to the markets for project opportunities that meet the bank’s development and viability criteria
For example, the division works actively
with project sponsors in the wider market to
find projects that merit attention. “Amazingly,
we find a lot of promising projects that are in
a conceptual phase but haven’t been devel-
oped to a bankable stage. This warrants a
DBSA intervention in the process, resulting
in expedient project realisation.
A catalytic investorBecause the DBSA is responsive to the
urgency at which South Africa requires infra-
structure to catalyse growth, expediting pro-
jects is extremely important. “We can render
a project bankable in a number of ways. The
bankable feasibility study stage – which is
usually between 5% and 10% of completed
project investment costs – is supported by
offering financing of up to 25% of the total
funding costs subject to due diligence, pro-
ject size and other considerations, such as
the bank’s co-funding mandate. We are, in
that sense, a catalytic investor; with anchor
financing in place, the ability to attract com-
mercial investors is vastly improved.”
The theme of partnership permeates
DBSA’s operations and this division is no
exception. “We stay with a project until it
starts commercially operating, but we are
really there to attract diverse funding part-
ners to projects.”
Differentiating investmentsThe DBSA operates across the three typi-
cally recognisable investor classes: senior
debt, mezzanine debt and equity. The DBSA
is a debt provider and, under certain circum-
stances, will provide mezzanine and equity
products. “Equity is the least preferred and
a rand to lend into a project, our motive is
not so much profit but rather infrastructure
development and the bank’s sustainability,”
explains Marowa.
“It is important to understand the types
of projects started by the private sector
or state-owned enterprises that fall within
NDP areas,” Marowa elaborates. “In the ICT
sector, we funded projects by private sector
sponsors to accelerate the installation of
fibre-optic cables, thus connecting a segment
of the population to broadband infrastruc-
ture, which is a key priority of the NDP.”
The SA Financing Division is making signifi-
cant headway in the funding of BRT systems,
which will ultimately be operated on behalf
of the cities by the affected private sector
parties. “Currently, some cities have cre-
ated special purpose vehicles (SPVs) owned
by taxi associations,” Marowa explains. “In
Tshwane, for example, the DBSA provided
funding for the SPV to procure buses and
allied infrastructure, while the city financed
the road infrastructure and other comple-
mentary support, thus ensuring the project
is sustainable and reliable until such time
as the service has gained sufficient traction
in the market place to sustain itself.” This
approach is important in this key sector, as
it is a cohesive solution to the mass transit
goals of the NDP.
Sustained interventions that build a nationThe Development Bank of Southern Africa is
profoundly altering the infrastructure financ-
ing and delivery landscape. Its strategy to
take on board financing and implementa-
tion support to boost its ability to ensure
meaningful disbursements has proved to
be the key that has unlocked its impressive
results. The issues tackled might be well
worn in the corridors of all stakeholders con-
cerned, but here we find an holistic, effective
solution, innovated for a uniquely South
African context.
Acting as a catalyst, and focused on accel-
eration and sustainability, the measurable
results are already driving significant eco-
nomic and infrastructural development for
communities, while supporting public and
private stakeholders who are equally looking
for sustainable growth.
It is a success story
to celebrate.
most uncommon product in our financing
profile. This is because the bank is limited
in the quantum of equity it may deploy in
projects but, similar to other DFIs, the DBSA
endeavours to support equity investments
where strong development impact warrants
it,” he explains. “Traditionally, the spon-
sors own the project and should deploy
significantly more equity than DFIs. The
sponsors who get paid out of the project last
can expect much higher returns than debt
funders.”
Marking the numbers and finding the projectsThe SA Financing Division has specific growth
targets that literally translate to a significant
quantity of commercial and social infra-
structure projects being built over the next
few years. “We are aiming to disburse
between R6 billion to R7 billion in FY2014.
Furthermore, we intend to grow by 20% annu-
ally over the next few years. This equates
to approximately over R50 billion in dis-
bursements over the coming five years,”
explains Marowa.
The SA Financing Division team is com-
prised of experienced and qualified bankers,
and is constantly scanning and calling to the
markets for project opportunities that meet
the bank’s development and viability criteria.
“The high-level principles guiding our criteria
come down to the DBSA’s sustainability and
large-scale impact on people’s lives by sup-
porting government build key infrastructure,”
he says. “The projects have to be develop-
mental and in support of national goals, but
also have to be commercially viable. When
we go to the financial markets and borrow
+27 (0)11 313 3911www.dbsa.org
IMIESA February 2015 29
ASSET MANAGEMENT
ALIGNMENT OF MANDATES,
expectations, planning, budgeting
and performance monitoring are
key areas that will be addressed.
This toolkit will be based on the 2010
toolkit developed for provincial government
and is hosted by the CIDB. The 2010 CIDB
toolkit is built on three delivery process-
es, namely portfolio management, project
management, operations and maintenance
management. National Treasury will use
experiences of municipalities who have
implemented infrastructure asset manage-
ment or aspects of the discipline to both
update and modify this 2010 toolkit for use
by local government. Proposed procedures,
processes and methodologies will be tested
for suitability and alignment with municipali-
ties. Ultimately, it is expected that a clear
link will be created between the services
delivered and the infrastructure manage-
ment actions.
The International Infrastructure Management ManualThe failure of municipal infrastructure to
deliver services can occur when there is
inadequate asset maintenance and invest-
ment in asset capacity and strength. The
development of infrastructure management
systems assists in the provision and mainte-
nance of assets.
In South Africa, the Infrastructure Delivery
Management System (IDMS) was developed
Well-managed infrastructure assists municipalities in the cost-effective, efficient and reliable delivery of mandated services. National Treasury has embarked on a process to develop an Infrastructure Delivery Management Toolkit for local government, which should improve life-cycle infrastructure asset management. By L Chetty*, D Lievaart*, L Palmer* and Roger Byrne**
Managing municipal infrastructure
PART 1 OF 2
30 IMIESA February 2015
ASSET MANAGEMENT
as a process model to facilitate the delivery
of public-sector infrastructure. The model
identifies three distinct processes; namely
(a) portfolio management process, (b) project
management process, and (c) operations and
maintenance processes.
The International Infrastructure
Management Manual (IIMM) documents good
practice in municipal infrastructure man-
agement. The IIMM was developed in New
Zealand and Australia. The World Bank’s
Strategic Asset Management Advisory Note
(1999) recognised the management of
municipal infrastructure, practised in these
countries, as being representative of world
best practice. The IIMM was prepared in
response to a number of global realities: (1)
the vast investment made in infrastructure
by municipalities; (2) the traditional focus
on the creation of new infrastructure rather
than long-term maintenance and renewal;
and (4) a growing number of well-publicised
infrastructure failures.
This work illustrates the mechanisms by
which an infrastructure delivery management
toolkit for local government can be easily
achieved by implementing the asset manage-
ment processes presented in the IIMM.
Infrastructure delivery management system Portfolio management processThe objective of the portfolio management
process is to develop, implement, moni-
tor and control the optimal management
of all the assets that make up the entire
asset portfolio of the respective municipality.
Portfolio management aims to achieve this
objective by prioritised projects based on
long-term plans, available budgets and the
municipality’s management capacity.
Optimal portfolio management is achieved
by managing life-cycle costs. Portfolio man-
agement aims to link municipalities’ strategic
service-delivery plans with the infrastructure
required to deliver those services. The key
to portfolio management activities is the
development of the asset register. The asset
register must reflect the condition and work
history of each asset.
Portfolio management aims to identify two
types of infrastructure management risks:
(a) infrastructure planning risks, and (b)
programme management risks. Portfolio
management also proposes that a budget
is prepared for all life-cycle stages includ-
ing (a) acquisition, (b) rehabilitation, (c)
maintenance, (d) support costs required to
manage the infrastructure through all its
stages, and (e) disposal costs. The medium-
term economic funding (MTEF) cycle takes
three years to complete with preparation/
planning, implementation and close-out being
the predominant phases undertaken in each
year. Portfolio management proposes that an
infrastructure delivery cycle (IDC) be devel-
oped. Portfolio management proposes that
the IDC be four years, due to the lead time
required for planning, design and project/
works procurement. Portfolio management
proposes that the following outputs also be
TABLE 1 Synergies between IDMS and IIMM
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROCESSES
ASSET MANAGEMENT PROCESSES
1. Portfolio management (1) Develop the asset management policy1.1 Infrastructure planning (2) Define levels of service and performance
(3) Forecast future demand(6) Identify asset and business risks(7) Life-cycle decision-making techniques
1.2 Programme management1.2.1 Construction procurement strategy (10) Capital works strategies1.2.2 Programme management plans (11) Financial and funding strategies
(13) Asset management plans2. Project management2.1 Planning (15) Asset management service delivery2.2 Design (15) Asset management service delivery2.3 Works (15) Asset management service delivery2.4 Close-out (15) Asset management service delivery3. Operations and maintenance3.1 Recognise and accept assets (4) Understand the asset base (the
asset register)(5) Assess asset condition
3.2 Mobilisation for facilities management (14) Information systems and tools3.3 Operations of assets (8) Operational strategies and plans3.4 Maintain assets (9) Maintenance strategies and plans3.5 Demobilisation for
facilities management(13) Asset management plans
3.6 Asset management team (12) Asset management teams3.7 Disposal of assets (13) Asset management plans
(16) Quality management(17) Continuous improvement
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pFIGURE 1 The 17 quality elements of asset management
32 IMIESA February 2015
Asset management comprises 17 quality
elements, as illustrated in Figure 1.
Table 1 illustrates the synergies between
IDMS and asset management processes.
Due to the synergies evident in Table 1, the
remaining sections of this paper will illustrate
how asset management processes can be
used to implement IDMS.
Asset management processesPolicyThe asset management policy provides a
clear direction regarding the appropriate
focus and level of asset management prac-
tice expected. The asset management level
reflects the strategic business objectives
as well as meeting legal requirements, com-
munity needs and available resources. Asset
management policies and objectives reflect
the municipality’s commitment to the ser-
vices it provides and its long-term asset
management strategies. The municipality
may initially focus on implementing core sys-
tem functions and evolve to more advanced
functions over time, as illustrated in Figure 2.
Developing and monitoring levels of serviceLevels of service are key business driv-
ers and influence all asset management
decisions. Levels of service statements
describe the outputs the municipality
intends to deliver to customers and com-
monly relate to service attributes such as
quality, reliability, responsiveness, sustain-
ability, timeliness, accessibility, and cost.
The key objective of asset management
planning is to match the levels of municipal
service delivery with the levels of service
expectations of customers.
Asset management planning enables the
development of the relationship between
cost and the level of service. Performance
measurement provides an indication of a
municipality’s performance against its goals
and levels of service. The municipality may
developed: (1) asset management plans and
(2) construction procurement strategy.
Project management processThe objective of the project management
process is to execute prioritised projects.
IDMS has identified that public sector infra-
structure projects are implemented in four
phases, namely (1) planning, (2) design, (3)
works and (4) close-out. Each phase consists
of a number of sub-phases. The IDMS toolkit
discusses in detail the different methodolo-
gies of implementing public-sector infrastruc-
ture projects.
Operation and maintenance processesThe objective of this process is to operate,
maintain and dispose of assets. Operations
and maintenance is the process of receiving
assets into a portfolio of assets,
managing and maintaining it over the
asset life cycle and eventually demo-
bilising the asset when it is due to be
terminated.
The operation and maintenance
processes comprise the following
sub-processes: (a) asset recognition,
(b) mobilisation for facilities manage-
ment, (c) operations of assets, (d)
maintenance, and (d) demobilisation
of facilities management.
Synergy between infrastructure asset management and IDMSThe objective of asset management is to
meet a required level of service, in the
most cost-effective manner, through the
management of assets for the present and
future. Evaluating the objectives of asset
management and an infrastructure delivery
management system illustrates that there
are synergies between these processes.
A
e
I
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APT
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a
ASSET MANAGEMENT
FIGURE 2 (above) Asset management policy maturity index
FIGURE 3 (below) Levels of service maturity index The failure of municipal
infrastructure to deliver services can occur when there is inadequate asset maintenance and investment in asset capacity and strength
IMIESA February 2015 33
ASSET MANAGEMENT
initially focus on implementing core system
functions and evolve to more advanced func-
tions over time, as illustrated in Figure 3.
Future-demand forecastingThe ability to predict future demand for
services enables asset managers to plan
ahead and identify the best way of meeting
that demand. Understanding the key driv-
ers of demand is an important first step in
demand forecasting.
Once the factors are understood, math-
ematical modelling processes are often used
to assess the impact of these factors on
future demand. The municipality may initially
focus on implementing core system func-
tions and evolve to more advanced functions
over time, as illustrated in Figure 4.
Establishing base-asset knowledgeMany asset management practices are ini-
tiated by understanding the assets the
municipality owns, along with key supporting
information such as value and age. Post
identification of service requirements, asset
managers need to be able to assess the
asset capability to meet requirements now
and in the future.
Long-term information management pro-
vides the foundation for asset management
planning. A staged approach is often the
most practical method of data collection.
Stage 1 is initiated by identifying minimum
data required for legislative compliance and
reporting requirements. The highest priority
is generally to be able to value the asset and
identify broad replacement programmes. The
second priority may be supporting mainte-
nance management.
The final phase of data collection may be
to allow risk management and optimised life-
cycle analysis. Similarly, the level of detail to
which data is captured may be progressed
in a staged manner. Initial exercises may
capture information at a higher asset level,
later breaking down into more detailed com-
ponents where the need is justified. The
municipality may initially focus on implement-
ing core system functions and evolve to more
advanced functions over time, as illustrated
in Figure 5.
Assessing asset conditionAsset condition is a measure of an asset’s
physical integrity. Information on asset con-
dition underpins effective, proactive asset
management programmes by enabling the
prediction of maintenance, rehabilitation and
renewal requirements. Asset condition is
also critical to the management of asset
risk, because it is linked to the likelihood
that that asset will physically fail. Condition
assessment techniques range from sim-
ple visual inspections through to detailed
FIGURE 4 (right) Demand forecasting maturity index
FIGURE 5 (middle) Asset register maturity index
FIGURE 6 (bottom) Asset condition maturity index
34 IMIESA February 2015
mechanical, chemical or electrical testing.
The municipality will typically start with a
more basic approach, focusing condition
data collection on its most critical assets.
‘Top-down’ approaches may be used where
asset age and staff knowledge are applied
to assess condition and remaining life for
groups of assets. The municipality may
initially focus on implementing core system
functions and evolve to more advanced func-
tions over time, as illustrated in Figure 6.
Identifying critical assets and business risksRisks are events that may compromise the
delivery of the municipality’s strategic objec-
tives. The risk policy should define risk objec-
tives, scope and strategies, including the
definition of ‘unacceptable’ risks. Risk man-
agement should be seen as a core business
driver that influences all decision-making,
rather than an activity undertaken as an
isolated process. Therefore, a corporate risk
framework should be consistently applied
across the municipality. The framework
should identify the criteria against which risk
can be evaluated and the responsibilities for
managing risk. The municipality may initially
focus on implementing core system functions
and evolve to more advanced functions over
time, as illustrated in Figure 7.
Decision-making techniquesPost identification of any level of service
gaps, demand requirements or risk issues,
adequate operational, maintenance or capi-
tal investment strategies must be
chosen. Decision techniques can
be used to determine the best
solution. There are many decision
techniques that can be used and
also many different types of deci-
sions from deciding the best time
to replace the asset to minimise
overall life-cycle costs, through to
complex decisions involving a trade-
off between social, environmental
and economic impacts. Benefit-cost
analysis identifies the financial impacts of
various options, in terms of both ben-
efits and costs, over the duration of the
analysis period.
Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) can provide
clarity to the decision-making process when
decisions are more complex and the ben-
efits and costs cannot be readily quantified
in financial terms. With MCA, a range of
criteria are selected to represent the ben-
efits provided, such as criteria relating to
improved water taste, better access to parks
and amenities, etc. Each attribute is scored
and weighted for the different options, and
the results can be used to identify preferred
solutions. The municipality may initially focus
on implementing core system functions and
evolve to more advanced functions over
time, as illustrated in Figure 8.
In next month’s edition of IMIESA, the sec-
ond and final instalment of this article will be
published, and the complete article will be
made available at www.infrastructurene.ws
Part two will lead with key information on
decision making after identification of service
level gaps.
The rest of the article will examine how
asset management processes also assist
the municipality to fully justify capital and
operations expenditure and related price
structures and their levels of service to the
full range of stakeholders, from ratepayers to
provincial and national government.
*Asset Management, eThekwini Metropolitan
Municipality, South Africa
** RB&A, Australia
ASSET MANAGEMENT
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FIGURE 7 (above) Risk management maturity index
FIGURE 8 (below) Decision-making maturity index The objective of asset
management is to meet a required level of service, in the most cost-effective
manner, through the management of assets for the
present and future
IMIESA February 2015 35IMIMIIMIMIIMIMIMIMMIMIM ESAESAESAESAESAESAESESAESAAESAEE AESASA FeFeFeFeFeeFeeFeFeFFFF brubrubrubrubrubrubrubrubrbruub aryaryaryaryaryaryaryaryaryaryarya yarya yaryyyy 202020202020202020202022220202 15 11515 11515 15 15 151515515 353535353533535355355535335
FLEET MANAGEMENT
MOST FLEETS are managed
operationally,” says Murray
Price, managing director of
Eqstra Fleet Management,
which is the only company in South Africa
to offer its clients a totally integrated fleet
management function, making it simpler for
fleet managers to set up effective controls
to measure and manage costs.
“Very few municipalities consider the total
cost of ownership when making fleet deci-
sions. We assist our clients by offering
them a total overview of their costs, bench-
marked against researched norms, ena-
bling fleet managers to make the most
efficient decisions relating to the operation
of their fleet.”
Eqstra offers six tips to effectively manage
a fleet and to control costs:
Match fleet strategy to the operational objectivesMost municipalities have a clear strategy
in relation to what they intend to achieve,
which includes cost reduction, core activities
and carbon reduction, but fleet operations
seldom match these objectives, resulting in
exacerbated costs.
Understand the operational requirementsMake a vehicle selection based on the fol-
lowing considerations, all of which should be
included in the original costing:
• payload requirements (fuel costs can
increase by as much as 30% when vehi-
cles are overloaded), could have a long-
term impact on maintenance spend and
tyre usage, resulting in a ‘cheap’ vehicle
costing far more than the right vehicle
• vehicle reliability (some manufactures
have a far better record than others in
terms of reliability)
• the cost of the vehicle standing.
Baseline all costs and adopt a total cost of ownership (TCO) approachTraditional fleet departments focused on
interest/depreciation and maintenance,
which contributed more than 50% of all costs.
However, in recent years, fuel price increases
(now more than 48% of fleet costs) and other
sundry costs have encouraged fleet manag-
ers globally to adopt the TCO approach.
Total cost of ownership is made up by
the following factors: finance/depreciation
Reducing fl eet costs A MAJOR CHALLENGE
Reducing overall fleet costs has become the major challenge facing municipal and corporate fleet managers, and this has come at a time when fuel prices have risen by an average of 13% per annum over the past 10 years, despite some relief from the recent decline in the price of crude oil.
IMIESA February 2015 35
t +27 (031) 266 3263 email [email protected]
28-30 OCTOBER 2015
THEME: Changing the face of the Municipal Engineer
Earn 2.5 CPD points by attending
ONLINE REGISTRATION www.imesa.org.za
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OPEN MID MARCH
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IMIESA February 2015 37
costs, tyre costs, fuel costs (based on actual
fuel expenditure), cost of travel allowance,
cost of fuel reimbursement, cost of admin-
istration, cost of unbudgeted items, on-road
cost of the vehicle, tax impacts/tax recovery
and VAT impact.
Benchmark costs vs the actual cost of vehiclesOnce all costs have been incorporated,
benchmark and compare different vehicles
and, in so doing, budget for the total fleet
and individual vehicles. “We have calculated
the TCO per kilometre based on published
manufacturer rates and are now able to
compare these with actual spend,” explains
Price. “This allows us to identify vehicles and
drivers who are not delivering efficiencies,
and therefore make improvements.”
Perform well to benchmarkIdentify vehicles performing outside the
TCO. Once these rogue vehicles are identi-
fied, it is the task of the fleet team to work
out whether it is the wrong vehicle for the
application or whether the inefficiency is
due to driver abuse or negligence. Driver
behaviour has become a major considera-
tion in this area and the latest telematics
technology allows fleet managers to meas-
ure and control actual driving style, which
can significantly control costs.
“In one instance, a review of this nature
highlighted one driver who was realising by
far the highest TCO and, after inspection,
it was found that the employee was using
the vehicle as public transport during week-
ends. By investing in a telematics solution,
which allows the client to receive reports
and manage vehicle costs monthly, the cli-
ent has shaved 12% off their monthly fuel
bill,” he explains.
Pull it together into one fleet budget, run projections and set accurate future forecasts“This sounds relatively simple, but most
municipalities use isolated suppliers,
including their own departments, to try to
manage their fleets,” says Price.
“Our management tools allow us to bench-
mark vehicle costs, and pull together critical
data into analytical and visual tools that can
be used to make the best decisions about
fuel management, safety, compliance, and
overall efficiency; track vehicle and driver
performance; and allow us to prepare a
single and detailed report for assessing the
financial impact.
This allows our clients to effectively
control and maintain their fleet costs,
which can today significantly impact on
a municipality’s operational budget,”
he concludes.
FLEET MANAGEMENT
“Very few municipalities consider the total cost of ownership when making fl eet decisions.” Murray Price, managing director of
Eqstra Fleet Management
38 IMIESA February 2015
CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT
WHEN LOOKING FOR construc-
tion vehicles and equipment,
it is essential to consider
the industry, procurement
and management options, as well as taking
financing into account.
Boosting your bottom lineThe construction vehicle market has seen
numerous changes to equipment over the
last year. Many manufacturers have moved
to align their products with the needs and
wants of the industry.
Manufacturers have steadily started to
replace older models of equipment with
newer versions that promise better per-
formance, improved ergonomics and low
maintenance, in order to help customers
lower their operating costs and receive a
rapid return on their investment.
Improvements to most of the equipment
focused primarily on better cooling sys-
tems, redesigned hydraulic and transmis-
sion systems, enlarged fuel tanks, stronger
parts to handle heavier loads, and the use
of specially designed parts that require
no maintenance.
One example of design innovation in
this sector is the Bobcat S450 M-Series
compact loader, which features unique
no-maintenance axle bearings, which are
automatically lubricated with chain case oil
and never require greasing.
The unit is also fitted with a maintenance-
free chain case, automatic drive-belt ten-
sioner and exclusive fixed-axle tubes that
never require adjustment.
Newly designed parts and systems like
these allow for extended operating time
meaning jobs are completed efficiently. Your
equipment’s ability to affect your bottom
line is a major factor that continues to
inspire and motivate manufacturers, and it
should feature as strongly when it comes to
buying or renting your equipment.
Going the extra mileMany construction equipment distributors
and manufacturers have support systems
available to assist emerging contractors
with equipment maintenance and manage-
ment, finance, and even training.
Bell Equipment, a South African manu-
facturer and supplier of material handling
equipment for the construction industry,
offers customers assistance through the
Bell Assure Programme.
The aim of the programme is to provide
additional services tailored to the needs of
the contractor. The programme starts off
by offering emerging contractors advice on
site requirements and machinery selection,
followed by financing.
Some of the programme’s features
include a preventative maintenance pro-
gramme, access to a fleet management
tool, as well as operator and maintenance
training – providing contractors with an ideal
holistic offering.
At the core of many support programmes
is operator and maintenance training. Willie
Haasbroek, who heads up the Barloworld
Equipment Operator Academy, believes
that effective machine drivers or operators
equate to better machine life, which in turn
saves the contractor money.
“We don’t take shor tcuts and every
operator trained by the academy will pass
on measureable savings for their company,
both in terms of operating efficiencies and
downstream maintenance costs.”
Each year, Barloworld Equipment’s
Operator Academy, based in Johannesburg,
qualifies around 700 candidates, some of
whom attend for refresher training, while
others are brand new to the industry.
The academy offers a full training pro-
gramme, which involves the completion of
the NQF Level 2 Plant Operation course.
“The Plant Operation programme com-
prises a five-day theoretical component,
which is classroom-based, together with
an additional 15 days (on average) of
The new year is finally in full swing and, for many people, this means the start of something. If you are one of those who launched a new business or are looking to expand your current business in the construction industry, you may be on the hunt for some construction vehicles and equipment; but where do you start?
Construction equipment for emerging contractors
CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT
practical in-field machine operator train-
ing,” says Haasbroek.
“This practical component will vary depend-
ing on the machine class, some being
more complex than others to operate,”
he continues.
Upon completion of the course, the opera-
tor will receive a competency certificate
which is valid for 24 months. “Thereafter,
reassessment and recertification is required
in terms of South African legislation for all
earth-moving machine classes, irrespective
of industry segment,” notes Haasbroek.
The use of simulators is another way equip-
ment distributors and manufacturers add a
practical element to the training services
they provide. Simulators are a cost-effective
and safer way to engage in practical training.
One such example is the Bell Simulator
Programme, which is a PC-based approach
to training construction equipment opera-
tors. The company offers three types of
simulators for tracked dozers, wheeled
loaders and motor graders.
The wheeled loader and tracked dozer
operator training simulators can be used to
teach a full range of common worksite tasks.
According to the equipment manufacturer,
the motor grader is one of the most com-
plex machines on the jobsite. “The motor
grader operator training simulator allows
students to learn the proper skills and
techniques before using real equipment for
the first time.”
ATLAS COPCO SOUTH AFRICA LISTS NINE TOP REASONS FOR RENTING:• Control expenses: Renting provides
significant savings over buying, so you can improve your bottom line.
• Inventory control: You can acquire equipment as and when you need it for the specified period and return it once the job is completed, so you keep your equipment inventory at a minimum.
• The right equipment for the job: Renting lets you fit the type and size of equipment to the job for economy and safety.
• Save on storage/warehousing: You can significantly reduce your costs by eliminating the need for large equipment storage areas and buildings.
• Reduce down time: If equipment breaks down, your supplier will handle it efficiently so your employees can keep working.
• No repairs: Suppliers can take care of the maintenance on the equipment, so you won’t need a repair shop, spare parts inventory, mechanics, or extra staff to take care of inventory maintenance records
• Save disposal costs: You won’t need to spend the time and money preparing, advertising and selling used equipment.
• Equipment tracking: The presence of continuous billing on rented equipment keeps it top of mind and establishes personal accountability.
• Conserve capital: Rent the equipment you need and use your capital for other, potentially more profitable, ventures.
Financing, renting, buyingWhen all is said and done, and the right
equipment has been selected for the job, you
still need to consider where the finance will
come from for your purchases. M ost equip-
ment distributors and manufacturers offer a
financing service that works in collaboration
with most banks; through these programmes,
they are able to structure a financing solution
that will best fit your requirements.
The decision on whether to buy or rent
equipment is dependent on your needs as
a contractor, but equipment distributors and
manufacturers offer the option to rent equip-
ment for its ability to improve the bottom line
of your business.
The option to rent equipment is particu-
larly appealing to the emerging contractor
as someone who does not yet have a steady
flow of work. This option allows you to save
money because you will not be paying for a
machine that is not being used.
IMIESA February 2015 39
40 IMIESA February 2015
ROADS, CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE & MANAGEMENT
TRANS AFRICA CONCESSIONS
(TRAC) has awarded a 22-month
contract for upgrade work on the
strategically vital road connecting
South Africa with Mozambique.
Scope of work The contract handover was made to Murray
& Roberts Infrastructure at the beginning of
September 2014 with completion anticipated
for July 2016.
The scope of work for Murray & Roberts
Infrastructure focuses on the section of
the N4 near Middelburg, just east of the
Rockdale interchange, and ending just west
of the Arnot interchange.
“Murray & Roberts Infrastructure will con-
struct a new dual carriageway in an easterly
direction. Upon completion of the new east-
bound carriageway, the existing westbound
carriageway will be converted into a three-
lane carriageway,” project manager Derek
Brink says.
The new carriageway will feature a 40 mm
thick asphalt pavement layer, while the exist-
ing westbound carriageway will be rehabili-
tated and surfaced with a 13.2 mm single-
seal layer.
In addition, the contract includes construc-
tion of a new bridge, the extension of an
existing bridge, minor rehabilitation to exist-
ing bridges and construction of six large on-
site culverts and associated drainage works.
Project challenges The most challenging aspect related to the
ancillary infrastructure is the location of
the bridge over the Klein Olifants River and
the fact that one of the culverts is at the
entrance of the Middelburg Dam.
“The latter is probably the biggest chal-
lenge associated with this project, not
just from a construction point of view, but
also from an environmental point of view,”
Brink comments.
“The client and its consultants have com-
piled environmental management plans while
we have our own in-house environmental
manager to assist us, if need be.
“The contract commenced effectively at the
beginning of the rainy season, which in itself
does pose a challenge,” Brink says.
He adds that the bridge over the Klein
Olifants River is not expected to pose any
specific problems. The full scope of the
contract is a good benchmark for Murray &
Roberts Infrastructure’s expert capabilities
and total service offering.
Build, operate and transferThis section of the N4 is a build, operate
and transfer (BOT) toll road owned together
by South Africa and Mozambique, which will
both reassume responsibility for the project
once TRAC’s 30-year concession expires
in 2027.
While the economic lifespan of a road is
about 20 to 25 years, TRAC’s ongoing main-
tenance and rehabilitation measures mean
that ultimately the toll road will be handed
back in an ‘as new’ condition.
Upgrading a
The N4 toll road stretches for 570 km from the Solomon Mahlangu off-ramp near Pretoria to the Port of Maputo in Mozambique, and includes six toll plazas.
vital corridor
ABOVE Rock fill for new alignment at Middelburg Dam
BELOW Temporary berm construction for dewatering at Middelburg Dam for the construction of C1637
IMIESA February 2015 41
IMPROVING AND DEVELOPING South
Africa’s road and highway infrastructure
is a large business and essential to the
continued growth and development of
the nation.
All roads start somewhere, and their plan-
ning, design and construction is a multi-dis-
ciplinary process which requires specialist
technical services.
Thanks to new technologies and innova-
tions, such as highly sophisticated software
that allows engineers to see 3D models of
their designs, they can optimise the com-
plete life cycle of roads and highways.
In the same way that planning and equip-
ment in the road-building industry have been
influenced by technology and innovation, so
have the materials being used. New ways
of production, transportation and storage
of bitumen/asphalt during the construc-
tion process are emerging and the use of
additives is prevalent in both bitumen and
cement roads.
Although bituminous products and mix-
tures have historically been the material of
choice for road building – cement roads also
have a long history, but the cost and percep-
tion of the material have worked against it.
New cement products have been entering
the market to change those perceptions.
Understanding the different types, qualities
and uses of aggregates, cement, asphalt
and bitumen is central to road building
and maintenance.
Once the road is built, the work doesn’t end
there and maintenance management, tech-
niques and general repair take centre stage.
This IMIESA Panel Discussion takes a
look at expert input from across the entire
value chain to provide insight into planning
and design, equipment and materials, main-
tenance and road network management.
PANEL INTRO
Roads construction, maintenance and management
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IMIESA February 2015 43
ROAAD CONSTRUUCTIONN, MAINTEENANCEE AAND MMAANAAGEMMENNT
Nithia Pillay | Product Technical Manager: Construction Materials | South Region | AfriSamShaughn Smit | Sales Manager: Construction Materials | Western Cape | AfriSam
In terms of durability of readymix, what are the most important
factors and innovations? NP Durability of concrete
can be quite complex and
can be potentially misinter-
preted due to the belief that
higher strength means better
durability. It was also previ-
ously believed that straight
OPC mixes were more durable
when compared to mixes which
incorporated extenders. It has
been shown that blends of OPC
with PFA and/or GGBS produce
superior concrete durability
properties. It is important to
note that adequate curing is
vital in order to derive the ben-
efits of the extenders.
The most important factors to
consider when specifying durabil-
ity include:
• the anticipated service life of
the building
• usage of the building; the
environment in which the
building exists
• construction method
• building aesthetics
• materials being used by the
concrete supplier
• whether the concrete sup-
plier is reputable and shows
evidence of applying stringent
quality control and quality as-
surance programmes.
The concrete supplier should
belong to industry bodies such
as Sarma and Aspasa and work
closely with institutions which
are heavily involved in develop-
ments and research related to
concrete durability.
A lot of work is still in pro-
gress, researching the ingress
mechanisms and methods of
containing the degree of ingress
for the various sources of con-
crete degradation. It should be
noted that site practice plays a
fundamental role in the final du-
rability properties the structures
display, site practice related to
receiving, placing and curing of
the concrete can take compliant
concrete and change it to non-
compliant concrete.
When it comes to using concrete structures to support massive loads, as in this instance, what tests does the readymix undergo, and what are the key elements in de-veloping it? Where concrete
is supplied in such instances,
much due diligence goes into
the design of the structure.
From the design, concrete speci-
fications can be developed for
the specific project or structure.
These specifications can be
extremely detailed. Once the
mix design is finalised, a testing
procedure, which forms part of
the supplier’s quality procedure,
is applied.
The supplier would ensure
that early and late strengths
are tested as required for the
application. Statistical analysis
of the results would provide
indications to all parties if the
strengths are compliant or if any
intervention is required to cor-
rect the performance of the mix
design. All materials being used
in the mix design are also moni-
tored on a scheduled basis for
variations and performance and
again this allows interventions
to take place as necessary.
Batching tolerances are also
monitored to ensure compliance
to SANS 878.
AfriSam recently com-pleted a contract for a Sanral road project in the Western Cape; what was its scope? The N7 project ex-
tended from the Melkbosstrand
interchange to the Atlantis inter-
section, which runs about 9.5 km
and includes the interchange
ramps. AfriSam supplied approxi-
mately 650 000 tonnes of layer
works material and 750 000
tonnes of overburden, as well as
about 15 000 m3 of Readymix
concrete for bridge construction.
Apart from the layer works and overburdens, AfriSam also developed a readymix specifically for the interchange bridges. How did the company approach this process? Upon receipt of specifications
from the customer, the sales
team forwarded the require-
ments to AfriSam’s technical
team who designed an appropri-
ate concrete mix. Trials were
conducted to ensure that the
mixes performed optimally and
that the desired strengths were
achieved in the required time-
frame. Once our technical team
was satisfied, we proceeded to
supply the project as required.
Given the sheer volumes of daily material AfriSam delivers on this project alone, what is the com-pany’s logistics and fleet capacity, and how does it distinguish the company? Our quarry in Durbanville Hills
supplied the aggregate used on
the project. This quarry typically
has between 25 and 30 trucks
available to supply stone on any
given day. AfriSam also has six
readymix plants in the Western
Cape and access to a fleet size
of 41 readymix trucks. Plant
capacities range from
42 m3/hr to 54 m3/hr. Most
mixes are standardised across
all plants to enable uninterrupt-
ed supply of readymix concrete.
What contingencies have to be considered when planning logis-tics on projects of this scale? The first consideration
is whether the primary plant
and quarry would be able to
provide continuous supply at
the rate required. This includes
having the capacity to produce
the necessary products for the
duration of the project. Other
considerations are given toward
having a backup plant from
which to supply products should
any unforeseen circumstance
impact on the ability of our plant
to supply the project.
PANEL DISCUSSION
Construction is underway in one of the biggest contracts awarded to AfriSam by Sanral to improve the N7 between the Melkbos and Atlantis intersections in the Western Cape
Ammann Construction Machinery229 Hull Road, Rynfi eld
Benoni 1500, South AfricaTel. + 27 11 849 3939Fax + 27 11 849 8889
Asphalt mixing plant Prime.
Prime 140 is the highly mobile version of Ammann’s very successful continuous asphalt mixing plants. It was developed specifi cally for markets where high mobility is in demand. All continuous asphalt mixing plants from Ammann are equipped with a continuously running two-shaft paddle mixer, and the Prime 140 is no exception. One of its special features is a controllable outlet gate that enables the fi lling height and therefore the mixing time to be set depending on recipe and output. The outlet gate also drastically reduces losses during start-up and shut-down of production. Additives, fi bres, Ammann Foam etc., can be added optional far away from the heat source.
For more information on compaction machines, mixing plants and pavers go to www.ammann-group.com
Productivity Partnership for a Lifetime
Asphalt mixing plant Prime.
IMIESA February 2015 45
PANEL DISCUSSION
I DREAM OF thousands
of kilometres of tarred
roads running all round
the Earth, linking the coun-
tries and oceans together.’’
These words of Swiss physi-
cian Dr Guglielminetti were
spoken at the first International
Roadbuilding Congress held in
Paris in 1908, the very same
year the Ammann Group first
moved into the road construc-
tion market. Family-owned and
-managed Ammann has been
pioneering innovations in road
building equipment ever since.
Rocco Lehman, managing direc-
tor of Ammann SA, joins this
month’s panel to discuss how
the company’s extraordinary
legacy is contributing far more
than its products to South
African market.
How has the legacy of Ammann’s origins as a family-owned and -man-aged company been incorporated into the way Ammann SA operates locally? RL Ammann started
out more than a century ago as
a producer of agricultural equip-
ment in Switzerland, and moved
into road building in partnership
with a gentleman by the name
of Heinrich Aeberli, who was
the director of roads in Zurich,
and very much a pioneer of the
same road building techniques
that are familiar today. While the
introduction of the automobile
was a very important motivation
in developing Switzerland’s road
infrastructure, public health and
safety was also a critical concern
at the time. Ammann’s venture
into road building started out as
a partnership, and Ammann SA’s
core values are based on that
same principle of partnership,
reflecting Ammann’s legacy in a
local context.
mature, challenges are going to
emerge, and require honesty and
integrity to resolve. Our partners’
best interests are always our
priority, and this is built not just
on our technical expertise, but
on how those expertise position
our clients in constantly chang-
ing market conditions.
One of our larger clients pur-
chased an asphalt plant prior
to the appearance of reclaimed
asphalt as a specification for
some national roads. A year
later, when consulting with this
client on a second asphalt plant,
it became apparent that his first
purchase would now need a
retrofit to meet this new condi-
tion. So not only was the second
plant going to need more tech-
nology than he anticipated, there
was a potential need for more
capital outlay on the first plant.
If Ammann SA were solely
focused on the business of sell-
ing product, it would have been
easy to meet this client’s initial
expectations and simply sell him
the second plant. As a partner,
however, we chose instead to
walk a tougher route. Ultimately,
we would rather take the more
difficult route than compro-
mise the values that form a
real partnership.
Going back to the technical integrity of Ammann’s innovations, how does that value translate in practical terms? We are the only
company in South Africa that
builds all its components in-
house. This is precisely why we
are able to retrofit an asphalt
plant with the mechanical and
technological components that
enable the use of reclaimed
asphalt. Other manufacturers
cannot make these sorts of
adjustments and would have to
sell a client in this position a
completely new plant.
What is at the heart of Ammann SA’s ap-proach? The company
entered the market in 1908 in
a partnership that saw the in-
novation of modern road build-
ing methods that have been
adopted worldwide. Similarly,
Ammann SA is partnering with
this particular market, and de-
livering innovations that ensure
its success.
IN ADDITION TO DEVELOPING the first continuous ballast coating plant, Ammann also developed its own range of asphalt paving equipment but later stopped production to concentrate on mixing technology. One of Ammann’s early machines was powered by a 27 hp Lister engine, which operated at 1 000 rpm and had two forward and one reverse gear. The machine could surface variable widths between 2.4 m and 3.6 m and weighed in at 8 tonnes.and 3.6
Switzerland 1908 to South Af-rica 2015: Ammann’s evolution as a business, an innovator and manufacturer has been sustained by the strong values of family and partnership
What specific values go into building Ammann SA’s partnerships? Ammann SA has over 80 years
of technical expertise in the lo-
cal market, and we are therefore
uniquely positioned to introduce
Ammann’s products in a manner
that suits local conditions. Every
piece of equipment we sell to a
local partner is the end result of
a journey of consultation, consid-
eration and adaptation, which
then continues indefinitely, as
we provide technical support,
trouble-shooting and very practi-
cal advice to ensure our part-
ners can always deliver optimal
results to their customers.
What would be a good example of Ammann SA’s partnering approach in terms of the local mar-ket? Our partnerships usually
begin way before we actually
do a business transaction, and
are quite specific to the size
and development of the partner
company. When we work with
smaller contractors, for example,
we make our expertise and sup-
port available to them so that
they can engage with the market
confidently. We have helped
an emerging contractor draw
up a highly practical business
plan and attended his techni-
cal presentations to a public-
sector development agency. By
reinforcing his technical capacity
as a partner, he was able to
incorporate Ammann’s technical
expertise into his own brand eq-
uity, with full commitment prior
to any actual purchase.
What other values guide Ammann SA as its partnerships develop? As
partnerships
ROOAD CCONSTRUCTION, MAINTEENANCEE AND MMANAGEMMEENT
Rocco Lehman | Managing Director | Ammann SA
Polymer modified bitumen made with Elvaloy® RET has storage stability that is unmatched in the market. It reacts chemically with the bitumen, which enables it to maintain initial binder properties even after prolonged storage and shipment. Together, we can enhance the physical performance of road infrastructure. Welcome to The Global CollaboratoryTM.
For a bitumen modifier designed to fight all major road failure mechanisms – from rutting and fatigue cracking to cold cracking and binder stripping – contact Richard Ntombela on +27 11 218 8600 or [email protected]
Copyright(C) 2015 DuPont. All rights reserved. The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™ and all products denoted with ® or TM are registered trademarks or trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.
To learn more, visit www.dupont.com/asphalt
IMIESA February 2015 47
Richard Ntombela | Sales & Technical Specialist | DuPont
South Africa faces very spe-cific challenges
with regards to both the maintenance of roads and the building of new roads. What is your com-pany’s perspective on these challenges? RN It is
essential to maintain the asset
that we have already spent a lot
of money on during construction.
If we maintain our roads in time
we will save money on the costly
rehabilitation of some sections
of road and save lives lost due
to poor road condition. The sav-
ing through timely maintenance
can then be spent constructing
new sections.
What specific solutions does your company spe-cialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? DuPont developed
and produce Elvaloy RET, the
asphalt modifiers which enable
long-term performance for roads
throughout harsh climate condi-
tions and heavy traffic loads.
As an example, our partner in
South Africa, a bitumen supplier
is manufacturing Elvaloy RET
PMB (polymer modified bitumen)
in South Africa and transport-
ing by road for over 1 600 km
to Zambia. The Elvaloy RET
PMB does not lose or change
binder properties during prolong
transportation due to its unique
polymer chemistry.
Are there any specific obstacles to getting your products and/or services into the market, and how would you like to see them being solved? The
major obstacle in some of the
countries is the non-availability
of proper specification for PMB
or the situation where the
PANEL DISCUSSION
country is using outdated
PMB specification. We recom-
mend that our countries in Africa
step up R&D on construc-
tion materials and monitor
closely the development around
performance specification.
As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? As DuPont, we
collaborate with our partners to
come up with the best solution
not only to meet project speci-
fication, but with the ultimate
goal of extending the lifetime
of the pavement and reducing
maintenance cost. DuPont has
innovation centres and R&D cen-
tres dedicated to our partners.
What is the latest thought leadership – globally and locally – regarding the role your products and services have to offer? DuPont hosted the first ‘Brain
Trust’ on infrastructure develop-
ment that seeks to generate dis-
cussion on new approaches to
the socio-economic dilemmas.
We believe that the private
sector should collaborate with
government to solve South
Africa’s problems and brain-
storm workable solutions that
lend themselves to public-
private partnerships. A more
proactive approach, innovative
thinking and the willingness to
work together could achieve far
more than the general tendency
to blame-shift.
There is an ongoing debate regarding the use asphalt versus concrete in road building; what are your thoughts? There
are cases where concrete and
asphalt complement each
other. This should be left to
design engineers who are well
positioned to evaluate each
case based on local conditions.
Asphalt pavements seem to be
more flexible in terms of design
and construction.
What particular admix-tures/additives do you currently believe offer best value from a us-ability and sustainability point of view? Our products
were specially designed for
roads binders several decades
ago. During that time, we
provided holistic solutions to
our customers globally, with a
regional emphasis.
How can South Africa’s roads authorities improve their working relationship with the private sector? As part of the private sector, we
need to reach out to authorities.
There will always be differ-
ences but great success will be
achieved when private sector,
government and other stake-
holders collaborate to tackle
challenges we face.
Infrastructure is key to the
development of Africa, as it
will help countries in Africa to
attract investments. Poor road
infrastructure leads to slowdown
in economic activity and it will
also affects food security.
Labour intensity is an in-trinsic part of social and economic transformation and road construction and maintenance has been at the centre of this activity for a while now. The EPWP has entered its third phase now; how does your company respond to this need? Paving is a labour-intensive
industry. Bitumen emulsion is
the most appropriate technique
to combine labour-intensive
construction and desired road
quality, because it does not
require heating and it can be
easily shipped to the most
remote sites.
DuPont is at advanced stages
in the development of emul-
sion from Elvaloy RET PMB. Our
Global Paving Centre in Prague
is in the process of evaluating
the effect of different emulsi-
fiers on the performance of the
final emulsion product.
Collaboration in Ghana re-
sulted in DuPont, along with lo-
cal bitumen emulsion suppliers,
producing the first Elvaloy RET
PMB emulsion in West Africa.
In conclusion, what key sales point defines your company and its role in the industry? DuPont is at
the forefront of the innovation
efforts to support infrastruc-
ture provision in Africa. We will
continue to collaborate with our
partners to provide the best-
performing materials for the
road industry.
Paving in Mozambique
Paving in Ghana
ROOAD CCONSTRUCTION, MAINTEENANCEE AND MMANAGEMMEENT
Maccaferri's integrated solution for
PAVEMENTS
LESS TIME
LESS COST
MORE QUALITY
MORE EFFICIENCY
DETAIL 1SCALE 1:30
MacGrid EG 30S
Roadbed Preparation.Compacted to93% Mod.AASHTO
19mm + Double 6.7mm Seal
G7 Material.Compacted to 96%Mod.AASHTO
G4 subbase.Compacted to97% Mod.AASHTO
G2 Imported base.Compacted to88% Mod.AASHTO
FoundationMaterial
150
300
250
150MacGrid EG 30S
300
700
DESIGN
SUPPLY
SUPERVISION
WITHOUT WITH
ReinforcementGeogrid
IMIESA February 2015 49
ROAAD CONSTRUUCTIONN, MAINTEENANCEE AAND MMAANAAGEMMENNT
Edoardo Zannoni | Business Unit Manager: Geosynthetics | Maccaferri
PANEL DISCUSSION
What is your company’s perspective
on South Africa’s road building and maintenance challenges? South Africa's
infrastructure is strained due to
an overloaded road system and
a lack of maintenance, resulting
in delays of the infrastructure
upgrading and cost increasing.
Maccaferri offers solutions
for both the maintenance and
construction of new roads using
innovative products, overcoming
issues such as costing, lack of
materials, time and services in
the road layerwork.
What specific solutions does your company spe-cialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? Maccaferri provides
reinforcement of the pavement
layer works, in subgrade, sub-
base and asphalt-reducing the
mechanical stresses in each
layer using geosynthetics, thus
increasing the lifetime of the
pavement or reducing the thick-
ness or the quality of the layer
maintaining the same traffic
loading. Geosynthetics comprise
a wide variety of products (geo-
textiles, geogrids, etc.) offering
not only reinforcement but also
drainage, filtration and separa-
tion, which can be applied to
roads, parking decks, runways
and container depots.
Are there any specific obstacles to getting your
products and/or services into the market, and how would you like to see them being solved? South
African design models do not
comprise the use of geosyn-
thetics for reinforcement in
pavements, however, geosyn-
thetics were first used in haul
roads in the 1970s and today,
geosynthetics are an integral
part of road designs backed up
by continuous research aimed
on improving current design
models. South African pavement
engineers should get closer to
the geosynthetic industry and
increase their trust in such
products and design models as
in America and Europe.
As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? Maccaferri
is able to provide technically
sound solutions supported by
design and site supervision, in
order to support the engineer
and the contractor during the
project, ensuring that the solu-
tion is designed correctly, the
right product is chosen and
more important, the solution is
installed correctly.
What is the latest thought leadership – globally and locally – regarding the role your products and services have to offer? Geosynthetics have
changed their role in a project.
From marginal/complementary
products, they are now a critical
part of a design carrying the
difference between a safe and
a failed design. A thorough
design and product knowledge is
paramount in order to fulfil any
critical aspects of the design
and construction. Our engineer-
ing service strives to cover not
only the product but the design
and the installation.
How does your company approach the issue of sustainability and what should the industry
understand about it? Maccaferri's solutions have al-
ways considered the sustainabil-
ity of the solutions, using rocks
available on-site to fill gabions
for hydraulic protection. Our
solutions in pavements allow
using weaker in situ material or
avoiding stabilisation of layers,
saving the environment from
opening new quarry, transport,
time and cost.
In conclusion, what key sales point defines your company and its role in the industry? Maccaferri
has always strived to succeed
with engineering solutions, for
more than 50 years, in South
Africa. The solutions offered
are above the current market in
terms of knowledge, service and
efficacy. Maccaferri does not
try to sell products but rather
aims to create a legacy in the
industry, seeking the benefit of
our solutions to the project and
highlighting that engineering is
the best solution.
ABOVE MacTex W1 placed in the subgrade to avoid contamination of the layerworks and reinforce the weak subgrade
BELOW LEFT Asphalt Reinforcement in Durban using MacGrid AR to prevent reflective cracking on the overlay
BELOW RIGHT Placing of Macgrid EG 30S in the subgrade for ground stabilization (Glentana, Western Cape)
IMIESA February 2015 51
South Africa faces very specific challenges with
regards to both the main-tenance of roads and the building of new roads. What is your company’s perspective on these challenges? PG South
African government resources
are unfortunately limited in
terms of the budgets allocated
or available to build both new
roads and maintain the existing
road network infrastructure,
especially at district and local
municipal levels.
National Cold Asphalt is part-
nering with SMMEs/infrastruc-
ture development initiatives to
focus specifically on all road
repairs and maintenance.
NCA’s 100% BBBEE local
manufacturing supplier model
will ensure supply of world-class
asphalt materials to newly
trained SMMEs and coopera-
tive units that can effectively
and efficiently deliver on the
major backlog in road repairs
and maintenance that faces our
country today.
What specific solutions does your company specialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? Our
asphalt materials and innovative
technologies for road repairs
and maintenance specialise in
labour-intensive job creation
applications without compromis-
ing the cost, quality, time and
productivity thereof.
Our cold-mix as-
phalt is considered
to be in the top
five globally. It has
been around for
more than 20 years
and is used in over
25 countries.
Our hot-mix-in-a-bag asphalt
material is cutting edge and
the all-inclusive, mobile oven
trailer unit requires low capital
outlay with optimum profitability
and productivity.
Are there any specific obstacles to getting your products and/or services into the market, and how would you like to see them being solved? Matching current road speci-
fications to alternate product
specifications with respect to
all road building, repairs and
maintenance is often an issue,
especially with labour-intensive
methodologies and materials
such as cold-mix asphalt.
This needs to be formalised in
our road-building manifesto to
integrate all qualified alternates
available, where the use of such
methodologies, technologies
and materials are recognised,
aligned and incorporated
by our various leading local
roads authorities.
As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? We are a
division of a JSE-listed com-
pany that allows government
and SMMEs/our partners to
optimise not only the use of
our leading materials but also
unilateral access to our multina-
tional infrastructure and human
resources expertise.
What is the latest thought leadership – globally and locally – regarding the role your products and services have to offer? NCA is com-
mitted to aligning its products
to international standards while
developing business models
that align themselves specifi-
cally to South African national
and local government policies
and core objectives.
How does your company approach the issue of sustainability and what should the industry understand about it? Understanding the environment
in South Africa, in which we all
aspire to play a meaningful role,
infrastructure is fundamental to
attracting foreign investment,
leading to job creation.
Our local manufacturing plant
model, world-class materi-
als and SMME development
programmes mean that all
stakeholders involved will
always optimise cost, quality
and productivity.
Our roads are the arteries and
life-blood that connect our com-
munities. Their longevity means
inevitable hope and success for
all. Corporate South Africa has
to get involved to fully develop
and utilise our road networks.
How can South Africa’s roads authorities improve their working relationship with the private sector?
We have to be open, innovative
and talk to one another, shar-
ing ideas and playing to each
other's strengths.
Labour intensity is an intrinsic part of socio-economic transformation and road construction and maintenance has been at the centre of this activity for a while now. The EPWP has entered its third phase now; how does your company respond to this need? Optimising labour in construc-
tion without compromising cost,
quality, time and productivity
should be mandatory in all road
design and the maintenance
thereof. Our products and meth-
ods fully embrace and embody
labour intensity.
This is something we are
very proud of and will continue
to develop in conjunction with
local and national government
policies and objectives.
In conclusion, what key sales point defines your company and its role in the industry? NCA is
part of a JSE-listed entity, so
access to significant expertise,
world-class materials, innova-
tive technologies and historical
credibility is extensive.
Our latest, hot-mix-in-a-bag
oven trailer, allows SMMEs
minimal capital outlay and the
ability to do hot asphalt pothole
repairs anywhere.
PANEL DISCUSSION
LEFT LT40 heating plant
MIDDLE Manual chip spreader
RIGHT Hot-mix-in-a-bag production unit
ROOAD CCONSTRUCTION, MAINTEENANCEE AND MMANAGEMMEENT
Pascal Garrioch | Strategic Business Development Consultant | National Cold Asphalt
IMIESA February 2015 53
PANEL DISCUSSION
South Africa faces very specific challenges with
regards to both the main-tenance of roads and the building of new roads. What is your company’s perspective on these challenges? NB South Africa
has many well-qualified person-
nel and long-standing, vastly
experienced companies that
can provide these infrastruc-
ture needs. From consulta-
tion, design, engineering and
construction, to specialised
equipment providers, they are
all here. Prudent recognition of
them, which unfortunately is not
happening to keep pace with the
country’s requirements, would
make a huge difference.
What specific solutions does your company specialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? Osborn
is a Johannesburg-based
equipment manufacturer for
the mines and quarries, as well
as the Southern African dealer
for sister Astec Group compa-
nies, Roadtec and Astec Inc.
These being specialised mobile
asphalt paving and asphalt
plant equipment suppliers out of
USA respectively.
Are there any specific obstacles to getting your products and/or services into the market, and how would you like to see them being solved? Referring to the asphalt products
only, there is a small footprint
of equipment in the region, but
client recognition and paying a
premium for quality equipment is
an age-old problem. Thus we’re
always open for discussion to
partner with prospective clients.
As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? As we are
targeting the Roadtec products
here, their attributes include
innovation and an understanding
of how roadways are built and
best maintained. The well-known
Roadtec Shuttle Buggy is a prime
example of innovation. In stabili-
sation, Roadtec SX line stabilis-
ers are unique in that they have
a four-speed transmission built
into the machine to allow imme-
diate rotor speed change.
What is the latest thought leadership – globally and locally – regarding the role your products and services have to offer? Roadtec products
are sold all around the world.
Our products are designed to
enhance the contractor’s bot-
tom line with features to either
perform more work in a shorter
time or decrease the cost of
doing business.
There is an ongoing debate regarding the use of asphalt versus con-crete in road building; what are your thoughts? Engineers will specify asphalt
or concrete for roadways based
on their criteria. Roadtec serves
the asphalt paving industry
manufacturing equipment for the
placement, mixing and recycling
of asphalt pavements.
What particular admix-tures/additives do you currently believe offer best value from a us-ability and sustainability point of view? Bituminous
emulsion is used worldwide
to be mixed with cold-recycled
asphalt material from the cold-
milling process. It is easy to
engineer, easy to develop a mix
design and does not require a
lot of sophisticated equipment.
A layer of old asphalt remixed
with bituminous emulsion not
only provides a strong material
but also has the added benefit
of providing an excellent crack
relief layer.
Second to this is the foaming
process, which does a similar
job, is far more technical in
nature and requires more
sophisticated equipment. Foam
also does not do as good a
job of providing crack relief
where needed.
How does your company approach the issue of sustainability and what should the industry understand about it? Recycling of pavements has
proven to be one of the most
sustainable techniques known
to modern science, as asphalt
pavement is now the most
recycled material in the United
States by tonnage. In fact, since
the advent of the milling machine
in the 1970s and the recycling
asphalt plant in the 1980s,
there are major asphalt paved
roadways that have been recy-
cled several times. Each of the
successive recycle operations
have met the exacting modern
standards for gradation, penetra-
tion and stability. Each of these
operations have saved new mate-
rials for other uses and reused
the existing stone and bitumen.
How can South Africa’s roads authorities improve their working relationship with the private sector? If South African roads author-
ity allows the use of the latest
in technology to improve the
service life of the roadways
and decrease the cost burden
on the public, then using new
methods such as paving with
remixing MTVs or cold-in-place
recycle with stabilisers or milling
machines will benefit everyone.
In conclusion, what key sales points define your company and its role in the industry? Roadtec
has become a world leader in
innovation with the advent of the
world’s first remixing MTV to add
service life to asphalt roadways
by eliminating segregation.
Roadtec also is a leader in cold
recycling, mixing new materi-
als into the old and benefiting
the public through a decrease
in cost without a decrease in
specification.
ROOAD CCONSTRUCTION, MAINTEENANCEE AND MMANAGEMMEENT
Noel Bessler | Sales Director | Osborn South Africa
Our strength, Your vision.
Because we understand that the foundation for durable road construction is important, we’ve created PPC Sureroad CEM II 32.5 Cement. Sureroad is made for long-lasting road stabilisation and excellent performance with a range of soil types, giving you the right start for the longevity of your project. Continual innovations in service and technology for all construction applications has made PPC the leading brand for over 120 years.
Sureroad is available directly from PPC Ltd. For more information, call our toll-free line on 0800 023 470 or visit www.ppc.co.za
IMIESA February 2015 55
ROOAD CCONSTRUCTION, MAINTEENANCEE AND MMANAGEMMEENT
Thabiso Maloa | PPC Technical Consultant | Pretoria Portland Cement
What is your com-pany’s perspec-tive on South
Africa's road sector chal-lenges? TM PPC believes the
private and public sectors need
to work together, each contribut-
ing to planning and providing
technical skills and professional
experts to build the construction
industry coalition. Public-private
partnerships bode well for the
future and should be built on
strong working relationships
built on trust in order to achieve
effective collaboration.
What specific solutions does your company specialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? PPC has a proud
and successful track record
spanning over 120 years, and is
the leading supplier of cement
in South Africa, Botswana and
Zimbabwe. Our strong geographic
footprint makes PPC an ideal
partner supplier in all countries
we operate in.
PPC offers specially formulated
road stabilisation, Sureroad, a
CEM II 32.5N product. It is a fly
ash and/or limestone extended
cement. Sureroad has been
engineered to improve the
engineering properties of the soil
by reducing the plasticity index,
unconfined compressed strength
and indirect tensile strength of
the base material. Sureroad
enhances durability and achieves
superior performance with most
road material.
In addition, PPC also has
brands such as the market-lead-
ing SureBuild, the first branded
general-purpose cement on the
market, Botcem in Botswana,
Unicem and PMC in Zimbabwe,
Obras in Mozambique, and OPC,
a special-purpose high-strength
premium cement.
PANEL DISCUSSION
Are there any specific obstacles to getting your products and/or services into the market, and how would you like to see them being solved? International imports into the
domestic market have proved to
be a challenge for the industry.
The growing volume of cheaper
imported cement sold in many of
the country’s coastal regions is
a cause for concern. Cement pro-
ducers in South Africa are of the
opinion that bagged cement from
other markets is being ‘dumped’
at lower prices than normal.
As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? PPC is a truly
African success story – a fo-
cused business that reflects the
strengths of its people, products
and services. PPC prides itself
on offering services that stretch
far beyond the contents of a bag
of cement. As an organisation,
it remains passionate about
investing in meaningful initiatives
and projects that advance the
industry’s excellence.
We strive to produce and sup-
ply the premium product in the
industry. PPC provides technical
support, group laboratory servic-
es, and support to our communi-
ties, including skills transfer in
the FET colleges and the overall
training in the industry.
What is the latest thought leadership – globally and locally – regarding the role your products and services? PPC launched its
Cement and Concrete Cube – a
first-to-market, online platform
where people can collaborate,
interact and share informa-
tion relating to the cement and
concrete industry. The platform
streamlines interaction with
PPC experts and ensures an
increased flow of information
including the latest trends and
international journals.
There is an ongoing de-bate regarding the use of asphalt versus concrete in road building; what are your thoughts? It is PPC’s
view that concrete roads are
more sustainable and durable.
Concrete pavements have a
longer design life, making the
comparative life-cycle costs more
equitable with asphalt roads.
However, the upfront agency cost
is higher for concrete and this is
one of the stumbling blocks.
On busy roads, concrete
performs better and rehabilita-
tion should only be needed after
30 to 40 years, compared with
20 for asphalt. This reduces the
costs of delays and congestions
over the 40-year period, making
concrete an attractive alternative.
How does your company approach the issue of sustainability and what should the industry understand about it? Sustainability encompasses the
balanced integration of corporate
governance, social, ethical,
economic, environmental as well
as health and safety factors into
all the planning,
implementation
and decision-
making stages of
the business. PPC
exercises due dili-
gence in all areas
of operation to pro-
mote sustainable
development in its business,
employees, the environment and
communities in which it operates.
PPC is committed to integrating
environmental and sustainability
issues into our business strategy.
The EPWP has entered its third phase now; how does your company respond to this need? The EPWP is a great
initiative that requires diligent
management, planning and super-
vision. It has a great impact on job
creation; however, quality must be
well monitored on-site. Concrete
roads have been making a way
in the township roads, all this is
done labour-intensively through
the EPWP.
In conclusion, what key sales points define your company and its role in the industry? PPC is a customer-
focused organisation. We believe
that we need to give our custom-
ers more than just a quality prod-
uct. Our customers need solutions
not just products. Strength is our
trusted quality product, but we go
beyond the bag through identify-
ing and understanding our various
customers’ needs and building
relationships. We believe that to
stay ahead, we have to be innova-
tive. The skills and commitment of
our people to our customers, com-
munities, country and continent
are central to our success.
Reya Vaya project on Katherine Street in Sandton
IMIESA February 2015 57
South Africa faces very spe-cific challenges
with regards to both the maintenance of roads and the building of new roads. What is your company’s perspective on these challenges? For
roads and highways, deficiency
problems include broken or
separated concrete slabs, faulty
joints, surface voids, voids in
the layer works, and sloping or
inconsistant pavement levels
that also result in poor driving
conditions and increased vehicle
maintenance.
Pavement problems
can significantly
impact on the flow of
traffic and the amount
of traffic congestion.
The financial loss to
the individual and for
industry in general is
incalculable.
Traditional methods
of addressing these
problems have pro-
vided less than ideal
results. The older
systems and materi-
als require lengthy
installation times and
provide temporary
repairs and minimal
life expectancy at best. Uretek
is a proven system which saves
time and money, and is backed
by a 10-year guarantee
What specific solutions does your company specialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? Uretek
addresses problems with two
patented technologies: Uretek
Slab Lifting Method and Uretek
Deep Injection. Both technolo-
gies use the injection of high-
density structural polymer. In
the first instance, the polymer
is precisely injected via 14 mm
holes drilled through the pave-
ment into existing void spaces
directly below the concrete. With
deep injection, voids are located
at deeper levels, for instance
below sub-base of paved roads,
the 14 mm injection tubes are
inserted into the drilled holes to
the required depth.
As the pavement is lifted,
its movement is precisely
monitored on the surface using
laser level-measuring devices.
The polymer expansion reaches
90% of its full compressive and
tensile strength within 15 min-
utes, therefore road closures
are kept to short times. An
additional advantage of the
polymer material is its extremely
light characteristic.
Are there any specific obstacles to getting your products and/or services into the mar-ket, and how would you like to see them being solved? Uretek has been
active worldwide for the past
30 years but is a relatively new
company in South Africa. That
said, Uretek SA has succesfully
completed contracts for Sanral
through different contractors
including Basil Read, Roadspan,
and N3TC. Uretek SA has also
executed stabilisation of about
110 000 m2 of concrete road
for eThekwini on Solomon
Mahlangu Drive, which carries
a high volume of heavy vehicle
traffic to and from South Africa’s
busiest port.
As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? Flexibility and
speed are the charac-
teristics of the injection
process. We are able
to reach the areas to
be treated without the
use of heavy equip-
ment, as the polymer
is conveyed by flexible
hoses that can reach
100 m from the
mobile workshop.
What is the latest thought leader-ship – globally and locally – re-garding the role your products and services
have to offer? We have a
proven product. Thirty years of
experience, with over 100 000
projects completed worldwide,
make Uretek a logical alternative
to conventional methods, saving
time and money.
How does your company approach the issue of sustainability and what should the industry understand about it?
Should any failures occur due
to bad compaction or water
damage to the existing road
structures, Uretek offers the
solution for remedial work and
preventative maintenance. The
Uretek technologies are able
to extend the lifespan of roads
and infrastructure.
Uretek materials and process-
es have a low carbon footprint.
Expansive resins greatly reduce
material consumption compared
to alternative methods, substan-
tially cutting down on production
and transportation emissions.
Our efficient processes involve
no demolition, excavation or
heavy machinery and create no
waste; repairing not replacing;
restoring not rebuilding.
How can South Africa’s roads authorities improve their working relationship with the private sector? We believe that the local engi-
neers should consider alterna-
tive methods and move away
from conventional methods,
technology has vastly improved
over the past 20 years and we
are way behind.
Uretek technologies have been
at the fore as the alternative
technology of choice in the US,
Europe and Australasia. In South
Africa, Uretek is starting to
make inroads as more and more
consultants become exposed to
the Uretek processes.
In conclusion, what key sales points define your company and its role in the industry? Most
importantly, there are minimal
traffic disruptions due to the
non-disruptive, efficient, effec-
tive and mobile nature of the
injection process. We offer a
10-year guarantee, backed by
an international company. We
increase the lifespan of roads
and pavements, thereby making
replacement redundant.
PANEL DISCUSSION
ROAAD CONSTRUUCTIONN, MAINTEENANCEE AAND MMAANAAGEMMENNT
Tony Pappalardo | Managing Director | Uretek
Slab lifting on the N3 Cedara highway
58 IMIESA February 2015
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
FRANO COMBRINCK, project tech-
nologist in the traffic and transpor-
tation team at GIBB, has for years
stressed the importance of tactile
ground surface indicators (TGSI) being devel-
oped as a universal norm in South Africa,
and it appears that his efforts are finally
paying off.
“Although non-motorised transpor t is
recognised as a valuable component of
transportation systems, it has historically
not been included in traditional transport
planning, with walkways and cycle paths
generally implemented as afterthoughts,
and sometimes, not at all. There was also
little infrastructure to accommodate the
needs of the physically challenged (the
elderly, people in wheelchairs, the blind,
deaf and young children) and this is now
being addressed by applying the principles
of universal access in all transport pro-
jects,” he says.
TGSI is a touch-based way-finding system
included in external or internal pedestrian
surfaces to help guide pedestrians and
define routes. They also warn a pedestrian
of imminent hazards, such as warning the
pedestrian of a dropped curb at a pedes-
trian crossing.
Leading South African-owned engineer-
ing consulting firm GIBB has earned a
reputation for its out-of-the-box innovation
and engineering excellence, and TGSI has
been flagged for its benefits to people
with disabilities.
The first of the projects has been piloted
in the City of Tshwane where sidewalks
were developed with the nodes required for
people with disabilities – and specifically the
visually impaired – to be able to commute
with less risk.
“Universal access or design improves
facilities for people of all ages, at different
stages of their lives and health, and there
is urgency around making infrastructure
accessible to all – this is the true essence
of ubuntu,” he says.
Smart streets for complete access
For most people, crossing the street or negotiating an intersection is a simple, straightforward process with caution paid to the obvious dangers. But for others with disabilities, and especially those visually impaired, the task presents some serious challenges, often deterring them from using urban infrastructure altogether.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
IMIESA February 2015 59
To achieve this, Combrinck says that
the removal of obstacles that can hinder
trying to move from Point A to Point B is
crucial. Combrinck was introduced to TGSI
while working in London 12 years ago, and
concedes that while South Africa has some
way to go in making our roads universally
accessible, there is certainly a bigger focus
on it now. In his experience, Combrinck
says that South Africa is at least 20 years
behind in terms of universal access to
urban developments.
“With some first-world countries, there are
technologies built into tactiles that send
out a signal to another device that clips
onto a cane, and automatically vibrates
when a visually impaired person’s cane is
close to the crossing, warning him or her
of imminent danger. Of course, there is a
long way to go for the complete roll-out of
tactile crossings, but government is seeing
the importance of this for social upliftment
and is working toward the ultimate goal of
boasting world-class urban infrastructure,”
he says.
The City of Tshwane hosted an orientation
for members of the South African National
Council for the Blind recently, where blind
and partially sighted people experienced
first-hand the convenience of TGSI.
Chris Budeli, manager: Education, Social
Inclusion and Development for the South
African National Council for the Blind,
says: “It is our duty to ensure that the
lives of the blind and par tially sighted are
improved and the implementation of TGSI
is a positive move that will bring posi-
tive change to them. Blind and par tially
sighted persons who experienced the TGSI
in Tshwane found that TGSI helped them
in identifying safe areas to cross, as well
as direction, from one side of the road to
the other.”
He adds that the TGSI would also contrib-
ute in allowing blind people to explore their
environment, have more land marks to find
shops and places that they need to visit
from time to time and be able to give each
other directions.
The MyCiti project in Cape Town, as well
as the A Re Yeng BRT system in Tshwane
will receive the single biggest tactile focus
in South African history – all according to
GIBB’s prescribed world-class standards,
and endorsed by the National Department
of Transport.
The City of Johannesburg has also adopt-
ed the tactile layout and design into its
complete street guidelines and will incorpo-
rate it into the extensions of the Rea Vaya
BRT project.
TGSI would also contribute in allowing blind people to explore their environment, have more landmarks to fi nd shops and places that they need to visit from time to time
60 IMIESA February 2015
SHEQ
INNOVATIVE INTELLIGENT 3D design
software is enabling the production
of higher-quality, improved designs
with significantly better accuracy. In
addition, the imbedded metadata can effi-
ciently deliver an accurate bill of materials.
Standards such as the NRS and SANS are
now embedded into the symbols themselves
Enhancing safety through innovative 3D design
Safety in the engineering environment is increasingly being improved through the use of innovative 3D design. The application of visual aids is contributing to the reduction of project construction and safety risks, while helping engineers comply with client and international standards. By Barry Grib
to ensure high standards are utilised
throughout the designs. The flexibility of
the latest design software can be utilised
to accommodate various customer needs
with reference to templates used or mate-
rial descriptions. As well as improving the
quality of designs, the developments in 3D
software are also proving to be the means
to achieve significant gains in productivity,
through the clever data links imbedded into
the symbols, giving the symbols properties
such as size, weight of material, grouping
of voltages and current capacity, restriction
of proximity of other equipment, associated
pairing of other equipment, and many more.
The potential for 3D design, combined with
intelligent design software, is well illustrated
by Aurecon’s highly efficient substation
designs, which have come a long way from
the old 2D designs for engineering works.
A future scenario can clearly be envisaged
where the high cost of fixing design mis-
takes or altering issues on-site is virtually
eliminated, proactively and cost-effectively.
Engineers are starting to be able to visu-
alise and analyse various options relatively
inexpensively. Already, Aurecon has con-
siderable experience with intelligent 3D
software that allows efficient and innova-
tive designs to be developed with various
detailed options built in, at a lower cost than
conventional 2D designs. These features
include design options such as selectable
choices of soil types for foundations.
IMIESA February 2015 61
SHEQ
3D evolution gathers pacePrinting:The 3D design concept has been available
to the engineering sector for some time
and the latest 3D laser scans can easily be
manipulated into a 3D design model. We are
now utilising 3D models to move into the 3D
printing arena with great printing possibili-
ties that are affordable to everyone.
Visualising refurbishment:In future, the risk of a professional indemnity
claim for eng ineering mistakes on a refurbish-
ment project should be minimal, if the power
of 3D interactive modelling is employed. In
advanced modelling, a proposed project can
be rotated in any direction and individual ele-
ments can be switched on or off at will.
With detail designs becoming more and
more vivid, intricate and complex, it makes
sense to utilise software that can graphi-
cally show mistakes in the design even
before a single page of paper is printed. The
3D design also greatly enhances the under-
standing of refurbishment projects where
existing equipment needs to be removed
and replaced with new equipment, and the
relation between old and new can be easily
displayed for all to grasp.
Examining the unseenConfined spaces and safety zones add to
the complexity of any design, but the 3D
design platform can highlight the engineering
challenges, and readily enables the engineer
to mitigate safety risks identified within the
visual model.
Analysing a design can begin with a 3D
design file, which is mathematically sliced
into 2D cross sections, showing the internal
arrangement of the unseen portions of the
design. This feature can be used to add
value to the underground arrangements or
optimise the rebar encased within the con-
crete foundations.
It also aids in the visualisation of the struc-
tural integrity and complexity of internal com-
ponents, as well as the fabrication products
needed to complete any part of the design.
Is there a limit on detail?Aurecon’s experience has shown that for
electrical-related aspects of a substation
design, there is almost an unlimited amount
of detail that can be added into the 3D
model. An array of features can be shown,
such as panel construction details, cable
bends in trenches, electrical clearances,
water tables in trenches, equipment arrange-
ments, conductor and clamp configurations,
terrain elevations with underground drain-
age pipes and containment areas, lightning
protection coverage and even visual aids for
step potential protection.
Focus on the futureWith the growth in computer technology,
increasingly detailed 3D interactive designs
can be displayed on a tablet or laptop.
Bringing this level of information to a con-
struction site adds immense value to any
site inspection and enhances safety engi-
neering. Any portion of the design can
be evaluated at any given time through
visual elements, facilitating discus-
sion with non-technical departments and
support functions.
Safety in design is fur ther enhanced
through establishing electrical clearances
in the initial symbol design. This feature
is programmed to selectively indicate the
phase-to-phase electrical clearance param-
eters or the phase-to-earth clearance.
The time is rapidly approaching when
a 3D presentation will be standard for
any engineering design request, and the
norm will soon be to have a 3D printed
model to display the design on an equally
visual level. The normal working clear-
ances, as set by national and international
standards, can also be tested and visu-
ally shown through the utilisation of scaled
human models in the design. Spacing
parameters associated with the different
electrical voltages can now also be prepro-
grammed into the foundation symbols, in
order to ensure the correct placement of
the associated equipment.
The future of engineering design lies in
providing clients with safe, innovative, cost-
effective, quality designs. Aurecon is apply-
ing its expertise to include all the safety
factors and standards in sophisticated
3D software, while mentoring young and
upcoming engineers to master this technol-
ogy. The aim is to effectively entrench the
safe design concept into the hearts and
minds of our future design leaders.
FIGURE 1 3D designs can be cross-sectioned into 2D images, allowing the user to see the internal structures of a design
FIGURE 2 Utilising scaled human models enables the testing of working clearances and spacing parameters
62 IMIESA February 2015
CEMENT & CONCRETE
In order to do so the association’s
mancom has adopted a number of key
resolutions that are aimed at ensuring
the continuous improvement of the
industry. Interventions will include the adop-
tion of tighter standards in quality, safety,
health and environmental protection, as well
as the provision of education and training
for workers within all levels of the industry.
Johan van Wyk, general manager of the
association, explains that six resolutions
were adopted at the association’s recent
annual general meeting. These would be
driven by Sarma members and would give buy-
ers and users of readymix the benefit of using
a wider variety of products for all applications.
They will also have the additional peace
of mind that the concrete they purchased
is being mixed by a team of skilled work-
ers who are operating according to world-
class standards in an accredited and
certified plant.
The new resolutions:
• Sarma will investigate and adopt minimum
standards, which will allow it to act as a
certifying body and ensure that readymix
plants are not able to simply set up and
begin producing concrete without meeting
necessary minimum standards.
• It will work closely together with civil and
consulting engineers, architects, contrac-
tors and construction companies to make
them aware of the need to specify and
use only accredited quality readymix.
• Sarma will urgently focus on developing
training for the readymix industry in South
Africa. A full training plan with dates, ven-
ues and training information is to be devel-
oped to become part of Sarma’s 2015
calendar. Courses will be in line with SAQA
requirements and will be accredited where
feasible. The training courses will also be
implemented nationwide through regional
structures to allow maximum coverage.
• With ever-stricter requirements being
placed on quality by the association, it
was decided that laboratories, test meth-
ods, standards and outcomes of tests be
scrutinised more carefully in future, and
investigations are also being done on
whether laboratories used to test concrete
on behalf of Sarma members should also
be subject to an annual audit as a part
of audited member companies’ safety,
health, road transport, environment and
quality audits.
• In order to speedily and effectively deal
with disputes involving Sarma members,
the association is in the process of
identifying an experienced and suitably
qualified legal representative or firm
to handle disputes on behalf of the
association’s membership.
• Another important resolution adopted
by the association to introduce unan-
nounced audits during the 2015 sea-
son was widely applauded. At least four
readymix plants will be randomly selected
per region and an audit conducted per
plant to ensure compliance is maintained
at all times. Independent auditors are to
be used and the full costs paid by Sarma.
Unannounced audits are anticipated to
give ‘teeth’ to Sarma and keep the indus-
try on its toes.
During the board meeting, the decision was
also taken to improve communications with
members. As a result, the association has
recently begun sending out an electronic
newsletter covering newsworthy and statu-
tory information that needs to be urgently
communicated to the industry.
“The adoption of these resolutions shows
that we are progressively working toward
making the Southern African readymix
industry one of the best in the world,”
concludes Johan.
Good, better, readymix concreteThe Southern Africa Readymix Association (Sarma) is laying the foundation to upskill local readymix concrete manufacturers to be able to provide products and services that are comparable with the very best available in the world.
Newly elected mancom members of the Southern Africa Readymix Association are, from left, Charl Marais, Nico Pienaar, Frikkie Viviers, Anton Combrink, Johan van Wyk, Kevin Quayle, Chris Diemont, Malose Chaba
Inset: Chairman Deon Fourie
IMIESA February 2015 63
CEMENT & CONCRETE
CONCRETE Canvas is used specifi-
cally for the lining of culverts, chan-
nels, slope protection, and remedia-
tion of existing concrete structures.
Concrete on a roll Concrete Canvas is part of a revolutionary
new class of construction materials called
geosynthetic cementitious composite mats
(GCCM). It is a flexible, concrete impregnated
fabric that hardens on hydration to form a
thin, durable, waterproof and fire-resistant
concrete layer.
Essentially, it’s concrete on a roll. The can-
vas allows concrete construction without the
need for plant or mixing equipment.
It consists of a three-dimensional fibre
matrix containing a specially formulated dry
concrete mix. A PVC backing on one sur-
face of the mat ensures the material is
completely waterproof.
The material is hydrated either by spraying,
or by being fully immersed in water. Once set,
the fibres reinforce the concrete, prevent-
ing crack propagation and providing a safe
plastic failure mode. It is available in two
thicknesses: CC5 and CC8, which are 5 mm
and 8 mm thick respectively.
Easy to useThe canvas can be laid at a rate of
200 m2/h, up to 10 times faster than
conventional concrete solutions. It is also
available in shorter rolls that are manage-
able by hand for applications with lim-
ited access. The concrete is pre-mixed so
there is no need for mixing, measuring or
compacting – you just add water. The speed
and ease of installation mean it is more
cost-effective than conventional concrete,
with less logistical complexity. Concrete
Canvas is a low-mass, low-carbon technol-
ogy, which uses up to 95% less material than
conventional concrete for many applications.
Strong, flexible, durableThe PVC backing on one surface of the GCCM
ensures that the material has excellent
impermeability. The fibre reinforcement pre-
vents cracking, absorbs energy from impacts
and provides a stable failure mode.
Concrete Canvas is twice as abrasion-resist-
ant as standard OPC concrete, has excellent
chemical resistance, good weathering perfor-
mance and will not degrade in UV. It also has
good drape characteristics and will closely fol-
low the ground profile and fit around existing
infrastructure. Unset Concrete Canvas can be
cut or tailored using basic hand tools.
Concrete Canvas introduced to SA
Kaytech has recently signed a distributorship
agreement with Concrete Canvas to supply geosynthetic
cementitious composite mats to the South African civil
engineering industry, including road and rail applications.
TOP Concrete Canvas can be used to rapidly reline and refurbish existing concrete structures suffering from environmental degradation and cracking
ABOVE A cost-effective alternative to bitumen spraying or rebuilding damaged culverts, while offering a durable means of providing erosion protection
64 IMIESA February 2015
CEMENT & CONCRETE
CEMENT-MILL ADDITIVES com-
prise grinding aids and activa-
tors. Grinding aids have been
developed specifically for raw
meal production, as well as for the cement
grinding process itself. The productivity of a
raw mill can be increased by 6% to 12% and
the cement mill by 10% to 25% by the use
of such grinding aids.
Chryso activators allow for increased use
of supplementary cementitious materials
(SCM), which assists in reducing the per-
centage of clinker in the cement. Clinker
production is the most energy-intensive part
of the cement-making process. Reducing
clinker content decreases carbon emis-
sions as well as the costs associated with
carbon taxes. The most common SCMs are
slag, pozzolan, fly ash and limestone. Most
Chryso activators are designed to work
with specific SCMs, contributing to signifi-
cant savings associated with lower cement
production costs.
“We formulate these products with a com-
bination of activators and grinding aids. The
activators effectively react with the clinker
material and/or SCMs to improve the hydra-
tion reaction of the cement in the concrete,”
says Trevor Smith, newly appointed general
manager: Cement.
“This results in the formation of cal-
cium silicate hydrates and other crystalline
structures that give concrete its strength.
Some activators provide for early strength
enhancement and some for late strength
enhancement, while some do both,”
Smith explains.
Specific products for customer needs“We have a range of formulations that
allows us to select a specific product for
a customer’s application.” The process
begins with understanding a customer’s
cement-manufacturing operation and the
chemistry of his clinker
and cement, and what
he wants to achieve in
terms of cement quality
and performance. For example, does he
want early or late strength; improved output,
which will result in improved efficiency; a
special product for a specific application; or
a combination of all three?
Initially, we will look at our broad range
and then make some suggestions and follow
that up with laboratory and plant trials. In
some cases, a customer might be import-
ing clinker from different sources where he
operates a grinding facility only. He really
does not want to use a different product for
each type, so we will look to supply him with
a more robust, broader-spectrum product to
cover all his requirements,” explains Smith.
Such close working relationships often
mean that the company enters into long-
term partnerships with its customers. It
supplies products to the mining, precast,
readymix, construction and general indus-
trial sectors. “We have the logistical capabil-
ity, in addition to three manufacturing facili-
ties, to be able to export to most countries
in Africa at present,” says Smith.
Focus on Africa“We have also developed innova-
tive stock management systems
to ensure that our clients do not
run out of product. Initially devel-
oped in South Africa, we have now
rolled this out into a number of Africa
export countries due to the long lead
times.” Smith says Africa remains an
Optimising cement productionA construction chemicals specialist in South Africa now offers a full range of cement additives to optimise different stages of the cement manufacturing process.
“The growth and development on the continent is being lead by a requirement for cement at all levels, from bricks and blocks to roads, to major mining and oil and gas projects, and to water and power infrastructure.” Trevor Smith, general manager: Cement, Chryso
IMIESA February 2015 65
CEMENT & CONCRETE
important focus. “The growth and develop-
ment on the continent is being lead by a
requirement for cement at all levels, from
bricks and blocks to roads, major mining
and oil and gas projects, and water and
power infrastructure.”
Latest developments from Chryso
Southern Africa include a range of cement
additives developed specifically for vertical-
roller mills to enhance stability, which leads
to reduced vibration
and improved output. Traditional milling cir-
cuits comprise ball mills in tandem with sep-
arators that classify the milled product to
produce a cementitious product. However,
vertical roller mills, with internal classifica-
tion and lower specific energy consumption,
are becoming increasingly common
as cement producers seek to
optimise their manufactur-
ing process.
Chryso Southern Africa has developed a range of cement additives specifically for vertical roller mills to enhance stability, which leads to reduced vibration and improved output
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS
66 IMIESA February 2015
THE VISION FOR the new building
was to somehow link the look of the
new building to Sasol’s logo. The
logo, which encapsulates the com-
pany’s values, comprises a central sphere,
which denotes stability, while six rotating
spheres representing the business units
suggest a force greater than the sum of its
parts – strength through synergy. Paragon
Architects took up the challenge to make
this logo a visual component of the design.
Strength through synergySasol, the integrated energy and chemicals company, is building its new corporate office on Katherine Street in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The major chal-
lenge was the site
on which this build-
ing will stand – a curving edge of Katherine
Street. The architects had to ensure this
10-storey building, which will serve as
offices for up to 7 000 people and span
almost 70 000 m2, could be accommo-
dated and well-connected both vertically
and horizontally.
Pushing boundariesIt was important for Paragon to push bound-
aries in this design, which is characterised
by light volumes
externally and two
dramatic skylights
(ar ticulated with
acoustic baffles)
internally. These
elements cre-
ate a feeling of
airy spaces and
allow as much
natural light into
the structure
as possible.
The concept of
open, transparent
and remote work
spaces is extend-
ed to embody the
values of Sasol
to include restau-
rants, canteens,
art galleries, cof-
fee shops and a
One Stop Shop.
The result is an
external facade
of reflective per-
formance glass,
which has a high
light transmission
level and maxim-
ises visibility out
of the building, while maintaining a high
comfort level.
There are over 2 000 panels of floor-to-ceil-
ing unitised double-glazed panels of vision
glass and spandrels. The shapes and glass
variations are encapsulated in each panel.
The spandrels are a bespoke textured,
custom-glazed unit, fired at 680 degrees,
with a silver backing, insulation and an
aluminium panel; the glass is Safety Shield
Imagin Krizet with Ipasol chrome coating.
This glass has not been used in South
Africa before and this project seeks to
exploit its properties to its best advantage.
In addition to glass performance, the
building volumes have impacted on the
design. Where sections of the building
cast shadows on itself, the size of the
spandrels decrease to allow more light
through. Facade patterning has generated
an environmental analysis and heat gain to
reduce energy consumption and maximise
user comfort levels.
Externally, the park-like staff facilities
include courtyards and braai and yoga facili-
ties with water-wise planted areas. Sasol is
committed to supporting birdlife in South
Africa and this will be accommodated by pro-
viding an indigenous environment for birds.
The landscaping has been designed to
shade the facade, where heat gain is high-
er. On lower levels, planting gets thicker.
“Considering the complexity of this build-
ing, BIM technology and Revit modelling
have contributed towards streamlining
the coordination process and allowed all
15 consultants to interact with one 3D
model. This has not only made it easier to
work together, but we have also avoided
wasting time and building materials,” said
Tershia Habbitts, project architect from
Paragon. The team at Paragon Architects
is steaming ahead on Autodesk Revit and
Autodesk Navisworks.”
The project is scheduled for completion
in 2016.
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68 IMIESA February 2015
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS
A SMART GRID can be defined
as an evolved grid system that
has been expanded through the
addition of intelligence that man-
ages electricity demand in a sustainable,
reliable and economic manner,” explains
Jaco Cronje, operations director for EES
Africa. “The smart grid allows the integration
of all types of power generation, including
renewables. Smart grids are an integral part
of smart cities.” Moreover, multidirectional
data communication is also a hallmark of
an intelligent grid, allowing for superior
management of the grid itself, by identifying
technical faults before they have a major
impact on the whole system. This capabil-
ity optimises the health of the grid and can
result in massive savings in the medium
and long term.
The grid was originally designed for
the supply of low-cost abundant ener-
gy sourced far away from where it was
required by consumers. Renewable energy,
such as solar and wind technologies, then
star ted to contribute to the grid. This did
not make the grid a smart grid, but rather,
a grid with some green energy suppli-
ers. It was the introduction of the smart
meter that initiated the evolution of the
smart grid.
How the grid got it smarts“Today, a smart meter is used to provide
information and enable customer control
and knowledge of energy usage. This type
of data allows the energy consumer to
know the amount of electricity being used,
when it is used, and by which appliance.
The smar t grid brings about a whole
new industry of technology, intelligence
and ef ficiencies previously unknown,”
says Cronje.
This year, Johannesburg City Power
announced the roll-out of 55 000 smart
meters. It should be noted that the smart
meter is only one constituent, albeit a vital
one, of the smart grid.
Barriers to implementing a smart grid“In discussing the barriers to implementing
a smart grid, it is important to note that we
are not building a smart grid or smart city
from the ground up in South Africa,” Cronje
states. “We have inherited cities and a
grid that we need to morph into the most
sustainable solution.”
Coordinating a smarter futureA smart grid facilitates the efficient, intelligent use of available energy and can achieve significant energy savings. This would be of tremendous benefit to South Africa, which is experiencing a dire energy crisis. So what is holding us back?
IMIESA February 2015 69
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS
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The major barriers:• Public perception needs to be managed.
Contrary to what a large percentage of the
public appears to believe, smart meters
and smart grids do not lead to increased
energy costs. It has been unfortunate that
the roll-out of this key component has
coincided with electricity increases.
• Financing can present challenges. It
should be remembered, though, that this
presents opportunities for venture capital-
ists to embrace the developing smart grid
and capitalise on opportunities that did
not exist before.
• Policies, regulations and the roadmap of
the smart grid need to be clearly commu-
nicated. Some cities in South Africa have
found this to be a challenge and therefore
embarked on a process of rolling out with
little communications. Other cities have
really embraced the opportunity and are
leading by example.
• Data privacy and cyber security need
to be taken into account. Information
obtained by the smart meter provides
any marketer with valuable insight into
consumers, without the consumers explic-
itly allowing such information to be made
available. A further risk is that such data
would need to be secured, through vari-
ous levels of barriers, from hackers and
fraudulent activities.
• Regulations and frameworks can stifle
the market, and this can be prohibitive
as it may stifle ingenuity, which is needed
for the smart grid to grow in its early
stages. Once the early stages have been
implemented, it is then appropriate for
the different vendors and mechanisms
to interoperate.
• In designing and implementing smart
grids, energy industry players need to
ensure both products and installation
techniques are of adequate quality to
ensure the solution outlasts the deploy-
ment period.
• Connectivity requirements must be met so
that data can be obtained and made avail-
able for use. Connectivity can be achieved
through various technical mechanisms.
• Skills shortages can be a problem, as the
creation of the smart grid and smart cities
is a reasonably new initiative.
The steps to a smarter futureThere a number of challenges to overcome
in South Africa if we are to benefit from
smart grid technologies. Complete stake-
holder buy-in is essential, and this requires
connectivity and communication between all
industry players. These include:
• government and the regulator (NERSA)
• utilities, which are Eskom and independ-
ent power producers (IPPs)
• vendors, which are Eskom and municipalities
• consumers or the end users.
Regulations need to be put into practice to
encourage ingenuity in the early phases of
planning, followed by ongoing implementa-
tion in accordance with specific processes
and protocol.
A staggering strategyCronje also advises that roll-out plans
should consider a staggered approach.
“Residential, small business and industri-
al implementation should be segmented,
starting in the residential market, and then
moving into business and finally industry.
This allows large amounts of data to be
processed without influencing the industrial
energy consumers.”
Financial solutions are of course criti-
cal. The National Empowerment Fund is
leading this space through its support for
venture capitalists.
A ‘Pull vs Push’ paradigm should be adhered
to. All stakeholders should be ‘pulled’ to
smart grids and smart cities, as opposed to
punitive legislation being used.
What to do with the data?“Finally, smart data management is non-
negotiable,” Cronje emphasises. “This
intelligence facilitates the real benefit of
the smart grid. Smart data management
informs industry players what the viable
procedures and trends are that should be
followed, resulting in optimum efficiency in
energy management.
“The smart grid allows the integration of all types of power generation, including renewables. Smart grids are an integral part of smart cities.”Jaco Cronje, operations director, EES Africa
70 IMIESA February 2015
BY USING BENTLEY software,
Guangdong Hydropower Planning
and Design Institute, for exam-
ple, shortened its schedule for
the Qingyuan pumped storage power sta-
tion. It did this by improving multidiscipline
design collaboration, with a reduction of
400 man days of design and lowered project
delivery costs.
Similarly, J.L. Patterson & Associates was
able to react quickly to alignment changes on
the Tehachapi mountain range project, which
significantly improved design efficiency and
reduced project delivery time by three to four
months. The cost savings, just for a single seg-
ment, were approximately $2.7 million. Marc
A Cañas, vice president of J.L. Patterson &
Associates, says, “Bentley products and their
inter-platform exchange capabilities allowed
us to become more efficient and effective in
our project deliveries to our clients.”
Specific solutionsWith Bentley i-models, construction com-
panies are improv-
ing handoff and
handover of 3D
information mod-
els and associated
project documen-
tation. Arabtec
Construction LLC
used i-models on its
2014 Be-Inspired-
n o m i n a t e d
Fairmont Hotel,
Abu Dhabi, project
as a way of simpli-
fying and automat-
ing the sharing of
models and related
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS
project information. Its ultimate goal was 4D
and 5D integration and site management
during tender, post tender and construc-
tion stages. Estimates showed that the
use of i-models to coordinate the busi-
ness process for this project reduced the
time for project delivery by approximately
1 000 man days and reduced delivery cost
by 30%, while improving the quality and
reliability of information distributed to the
extended enterprise.
Ahmed Balawi, BIM manager for Arabtec
Construction, says, “Bentley provided a flex-
ible, extendable, and robust platform for
content creation and project information
management with i-models at the heart.”
Delivering i-models to owners can benefit
owners and as well as constructors. Chen
Han, vice director of DEC for Guangdong
Hydropower Planning & Design, commenting
on his organisation’s 2014 Be Inspired-
nominated project in the Innovation in
Megaprojects category, says, “Thanks to the
delivery of i-models of the 3D design of cable
laying, we were able to reduce the owners’
maintenance cost.
As a result, they provided $600 000 in
additional design maintenance expenses. The
Qingyuan project has also committed to con-
tinuing to provide additional
expenses of $700 000 for
information-rich i-models in
the next project.”
By leveraging interopera-
ble and collaborative tools,
EPC firms are improving
design quality, reducing
design errors, and providing
better plans to minimise
risk, resulting in high-perfor-
mance project delivery.
High-performance project deliveryTime is money for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms and, by reducing project delivery time, these firms are able to achieve savings throughout project life cycles.
Arabtec Construction's Fairmont Hotel project
70 IMIESA February 2015
IME
SA
AF
FIL
IAT
E M
EM
BE
RS
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] Pipe Systems [email protected] & East [email protected] [email protected] Macdonald PDNA [email protected]
Much Asphalt [email protected] Consulting (Pty) Ltd [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] [email protected] Group Africa [email protected]
IMESAIMESA
BMK Consulting [email protected] Pragma [email protected]
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATES
72 IMIESA February 2015
AECOM OFC
AfriSam 42
Altech Netstar 31
Ammann Construction Machinery South Africa 44
Babcock 4
Bauma Conexpo Africa 2015 63
Bell Equipment 2
Development Bank of Southern Africa 25
DuPont 46
Eqstra Fleet Management 37
Fiberpipe 66
Hatch Goba 14
Jeffares & Green IFC
Kaytech 67
Maccaferri Southern Africa 48
Model Maker Systems 70
National Cold Asphalt 50
NHBRC 20
Osborn Engineered Products 52
PHB Engineers 59
PMSA 39
Precision Meters 69
Pretoria Portland Cement 54
Quality Filtration Systems 19
SMEC 18
Tosas 41
Uretek Geo-Systems 56
Vital Engineering 65
WRP Consulting Engineers IBC
Water & Sanitation Services OBC
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
To advertise: Jenny Miller on +27 (0)11 467 6223 or [email protected]
To subscribe: Trust Makina on +27 (0)11 233 2600 or [email protected]
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