Construction Namibia Magazine April-May 2017

April - May 2017 | Vol. 2 / No 2

N$10

HOPE FOR CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

CIF calls for more recognition of Namibian companies

NUST celebrates engineering milestones

Modern day track standards

Construction Namibia April - May 2017

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CONTENTS 6 8 9

CREDITS

CIF calls for more recognition of Namibian

NUST celebrates engineering milestones

Defining expectations & assigning...

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Field of Surveying benefits in new technologies

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Von Bach Dam Receives Major Facelift

Publisher Young Press Multimedia Editor Henry Masuku editor@constructionnam.com +264 81 599 5081 Business Developer Roxy Silta Tjarukua info@constructionnam.com +264 81 432 8467 Marketing Caryn Chanengeta marketing@constructionnam.com +264 81 2967087

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Development of human capital...

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How to expedite the roll-out of infrastructure

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Goscor Cleaning Equipment appoints Elso as...

Printers John Meinert Printers

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MODERN RAILWAY TRACK - Part 2

Physical address 24 Mozart Street, Windhoek West, Windhoek, Namibia

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Energy and Sustainability - in need of...

Š2016 Young Press Multimedia cc. All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Young Press Multimedia cc.

Design and Layout Marcolino Justino designer@constructionnam.com

Construction Namibia April - May 2017

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Construction Namibia April - May 2017

Tel: +264 (61) 278 700 Fax: +264 (61) 278 799 info@omnitel.com.na

F r o m t h e E d i t o r ’s d e s k This is yet another exciting edition of construction magazine bringing to you pertinent news, views and ideas on developments in the construction sector.

Certainly the first quarter of the year has not been easy. The halt in capital projects has certainly left a bad taste in the industry leading to unconfirmed reports of retrenchments in the sector. It is our firm belief that government has not rejected its projects but is looking into ways of streamlining to ensure that there is maximum value at the least expense.

We are leading with the facelift of Von Bach Dam. Dams are key in Namibia and they need to be maintained whether there is sufficient rainfall or not. This development has been positive and well planned as the dam went on to receive significant inflows.

We still look forward to good times in the sector. No challenges are permanent and companies that put exposure as priority are set to survive during these trying times. Keep reading.

Henry Masuku

As we continue to build a stronger partnership together, we fully recognize that your support and the continued trust that you place in us is the foundation of this magazine's success.

Driven by a desire to promote the construction industry and help players in the sector keep up to date with developments and practical matters, Construction Namibia covers topics including contracts, cost management, procurement, construction law and regulations, communication and project management skills.

The turn of the new millennium has set on course numerous routes for growth in the construction sector characterised by massive investment in green buildings, low cost housing, optimisation of power utilities and development of sound business.

Construction magazine is driven by a strong editorial team with a vision to ensure expansion of clients business through reportage of significant events and developments in the world of construction including the newest methods of construction intended to improve efficiency, performance and reduce construction waste.

Construction magazine is the largest construction magazine in Namibia edited exclusively to guide CEOs, owners of small-to-midsize companies, engineers, technological experts and policy makers to success.

INTRODUCING THE CALL FOR EVENTS COLUMN Forward your construction related events with full details a month in advance.

Caryn

For those who wish to be added to our mailing list for a free soft copy of Construction Namibia please do not hesitate to drop me an email at info@constructionnam.com

NAMIBIA

InFocus NG I M N O C OO S Energy & Sustainability Contact Us Cell: +264 81 432 8467 Cell: +264 81 356 9120 Email: marketing@constructionnam.com Email: office@rdjconsulting.co.za

2017

InFocus is a tailored report that focuses the reader on the Energy and Sustainability space.

Energy and Sustainability are not just mainstream terms but the fast-paced reality that the world now faces. We present the updates on the Namibian actions as we strive towards Harambee and a more sustainable future.

Key Details: Contains in excess of 100 pages of information and data Integrated: Maps, Photographs, Tables & Graphs Release Date: Q3 2017 (Annual Publication) Subscribers: Local and International InFocus can be considered the printed “Wikipedia or encyclopaedia” for all to reference the historical background and current issues, data and information available in the space.

Construction Namibia April - May 2017

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NEWS

CIF calls for more recognition of Namibian companies

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he Construction Industries Federation of Namibia (CIF) stresses that in order to secure the survival of the construction sector, and in order to maintain the Namibian capacity of the sector, it is critically important that only Namibian-owned companies would be contracted for any future construction and building projects, irrespective of the size of the development budget.

“However, it is critical that there will be some work for the construction industry. As most of the industry is dependent on Government contracts, it would be impossible for all companies to diversify their markets and find alternative sources of income. Consequently, it will lead to an enormous loss of existing capacity in the industry, and many job losses and higher levels of unemployment”.

Bärbel Kirchner, Consulting General Manager CIF says the Namibian government is facing budgetary constraints for a number of reasons and that this situation is further aggravated by previously unforeseeable changes of macroeconomic conditions. The CIF understands that therefore, consolidation of the national budget and prioritisation of expenditure is a requirement.

The construction sector has experienced a spectacular boom over the last few years. This important industry grew mostly on the back of an accelerated demand for infrastructure development and the need for employment creation to address the persistently high unemployment rates in Namibia.

“It is important that we still remain focused on constructing our key infrastructure, such as the development of infrastructure for the optimal supply of water and energy, as well as the development and further improvement of key roads. There is also much scope for maintenance, renovation and the sanitation of buildings and infrastructure.

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Construction Namibia April - May 2017

To meet the increased demand for construction services, many companies also have invested heavily in plant and machinery, and have expanded their capacity accordingly.

Therefore, an abrupt and extreme reduction of Namibia’s development budget, would be the death sentence for many Namibian companies operating in Namibia’s construction sector, unless there is lifeline created.

The entire scope of businesses across the industry will be affected, not only small-tomedium sized enterprises. On the contrary, large contractors are extremely vulnerable due to existing financial commitments as a result of having invested into their businesses.

According to a survey undertaken by the CIF from 9 – 21 February 2017, to which 122 responses were received, 43 respondents (34%) will either close down their businesses or will have to declare bankruptcy and a further 49 respondents (40%) will scale down their businesses drastically or become dormant.

This would mean that that capacity of 74% of these businesses would no longer be utilised if they were not to benefit from any Government contracts.

Unfortunately, the demand for construction services was so high that it also created ample opportunity for foreign companies to operate in the Namibian market. This can no longer be tolerated when the local industry is suffering.

At times like this, when the livelihood of many people is being effected, it is truly important that the Namibia-owned companies are given explicit support by Government. It would also be of undisputed benefit to the Namibian economy, due their contribution to government revenue.

Nico Badenhorst, president of the CIF says: “It is extremely important that government acutely focuses its efforts on supporting Namibian contractors. At times like this, the Namibian family must come first.

We trust government will set clear goals and adopt the right strategies to effectively cushion the impact of budget reductions on Namibian enterprises. Any priority projects must be given to Namibian-owned companies.�

Namibian contractors currently have extensive capacity to develop the much needed infrastructure in Namibia. Local contractors should not have to continue to compete with foreign contractors under current circumstances. It is also very important that we do not allow tenderpreneurs to operate in the sector as it does not benefit maintaining and building local construction capacity and the engagement of Namibian resources.

The CIF reiterates that all organisations and individuals involved in public procurement, must focus on envisioning a very strong Namibian-owned building and construction industry. It is therefore critical that correct choices are made by all involved with public procurement and that there will be a strong commitment towards supporting Namibian contractors.

Construction Namibia April - May 2017

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ENGINEERING

NUST CELEBRATES ENGINEERING MILESTONES

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n event to mark the milestones of the cooperation between the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DCEE), and the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ) was held recently.

!Naruseb further encouraged the participation of women in this field. The Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy, Ullrich Kinne, emphasised his government’s commitment to improving teaching and learning in Namibia.

The milestones include the placement of NUST students in credible German civil engineering industries and consulting firms for their Work Integrated Learning training, as well as equipping the Materials Testing Institute (MTI) from which appropriate academic and field research works of students, staff members and external civil engineering industries are carried out.

The NUST Vice-Chancellor, Dr Tjama Tjivikua said: “These initiatives were fully funded by the Federal Republic of Germany through the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development. For example, an estimated sum of N$7 million was spent in establishing the MTI laboratory.“ Tjivikua further expressed his gratitude for this valuable support.

Furthermore, four candidates are currently pursuing their doctoral studies through this partnership.

During the event, the Deputy Minister of Works and Transport, Honourable Alpheus !Naruseb, highlighted that ultimately every nation aims to be self-reliant, therefore he applauded the Institution’s contribution to the engineering sector.

The collaboration dates back to 2006, when a partnership was established between DCEE and the University of Applied Sciences Aachen (FH Aachen) through the signing of a detailed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The MoU provided the framework for amongst others, FH Aachen to

support the Department in the provision for professors to lecture in specialised courses of which expertise could not be easily sourced.

The strengthening of the DCEE materials laboratory, development of appropriate curricula, and the creation of an effective and efficient students exchange programme were given high priority.

Front row, from left: Ullrich Kinne, Deputy Head of Mission: German Embassy: Hon Alpheus !Naruseb, Minister: Works and Transport, and Dr Tjama Tjivikua, Vice-Chancellor: NUST, pictured with senior management from the University and staff from the Embassy.

STRUXIT Projects provides full civil and structural engineering services, covering the entire project’s scope. We strive for excellence in each venture, with our focus being client satisfaction and project sustainability. We are a team that aspires to build long lasting relationships with our clients and project teams. Our team members are experienced in a variety of projects in the property market sectors of residential, commercial, retail and industrial.

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REPRESENTATIVE

RESEARCH

Defining expectations & assigning responsibilities

S

upervisors serve as a vital link in the effectiveness of a safety and health program. Unfortunately, for various reasons, supervisors sometimes serve as “missing links,” rather than the linchpins of construction safety programs. When supervisors are not effectively woven into the expectations, roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of construction operations, a team can expect problems. These problems include poor planning and scheduling, which increase labor costs and idle equipment, resulting in productivity deficits, as well as poor quality and rework. Worse yet, jobsite incidents can result in lost time injuries or fatalities.

Historically, the construction industry overemphasized “hard” technical skills over “soft” people skills and supervisors enforced managing the operational tasks more so than the human work. This, combined with the age-old battle of production versus safety, creates an undervalued importance on safety competencies of supervisors.

The Missing Link

What is a Safety Competency?

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Too often in the construction industry, organizations promote the most experienced craft/trade professional (by seniority within the firm or union or total years of industry experience) to supervisory positions rather than the persons with the best sets of essential skills for effective leadership. This contributes to the safety performance gap. There is a difference between what is expected versus what is accepted.

The root word of competency is competence, which means the ability to perform skills or tasks with mastery or expertise. A competency is a defined behavior or set of behaviors that drives ongoing work performance. Specifically, a competency is a knowledge, skill or ability that comprises an individual’s combined work experience and expertise. Competencies are the descriptions that define effective or successful performance of work roles and responsibilities.

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A major shortcoming in developing effective safety supervisors is promoting supervisors from within the ranks, without properly considering their support of the company’s safety vision and mission.

How can an organization expect a newly promoted supervisor to perform better without establishing clear expectations for safety attitude, values, commitment and performance?

However, the biggest deficiency that leads to supervisors not fully understanding or performing up to the safety expectations of their positions is that many companies do not properly define the safety competencies embedded within the assigned supervisory roles and responsibilities.

Think of the confidence exuded by a professional who knows they are competent in performing the functions of their position.

This confidence is expressed by the ease with which they perform their tasks, and leads to the appearance of effortless, yet perfect, performance. In contrast, consider the opposite—a professional who lacks confidence

in their abilities or is learning how to perform their tasks. Far from effortless, it is likely to be a slow and clumsy process marred by mistakes and excuses.

Representative Safety Competencies The competencies needed to be an effective safety leader go beyond hard technical construction skills. In addition to possessing strong to superior technical skills in the construction skills, tasks and operations, effective safety supervisors also possess these representative knowledge, skills and abilities: •

• • • • • • • • •

Sets positive example of company’s core values Adheres to expected safety performance expectations Organizes, plans and schedules tasks, labor and equipment efficiently Leads others effectively Fosters teamwork and cooperation through collaboration Demonstrates job- and task-specific task performance Communicates openly by listening and providing feedback Holds self and others accountable to standards and commitments Monitors performance and takes corrective actions as necessary to meet objectives Provides positive reinforcement and/ or coaches to achieve corrective actions among crew Resolves problems and manages conflict/ crises Delivers superior customer service Online research

Construction Construction Namibia Namibia April April -- May May 2017 2017

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SURVEYING

Field of Surveying benefits in new technologies

Typical Point Cloud –Neckertal Dam site:

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n the field of surveying the newest technological advantage to be utilized by surveyors are the latest developments regarding photogrammetric survey methods.

This survey discipline of photogrammetry was practiced by an elite few who had access to an aerial platform and a large format aerial camera. This together with the old mechanical stereo plotters that would occupy a whole room would necessitate an investment of ten’s of millions.

The two major recent advantages in aerial survey is the development in software that interprets aerial images and transforms them into a complete 3D survey, a manual exercise that would have taken days in man hours previously is now done in a few hours.

The second development is the unmanned aerial platforms that allows for the acquiring of aerial images in a rather simplified and inexpensive manner.

We have been involved in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveying for the last 6 years and together with the husband and wife team of Joe & Gisela Noci we build our first UAV’s.

Up to date we have completed in excess of 300 UAV surveys and achieved results in the same accuracy order of conventional GPS, with the added benefit of the aerial mosaic backdrop.

The following is a brief description of the general survey methods.

Aerial images are acquired with a UAV system, either a fix wing enabling a greater coverage area or with a multi-rotor system allowing survey in more a more constrained environment. Image resolution can vary from 1cm to 10cm given the clients requirements.

State of the art computer software utilizing the principle of “Computer Vision” allows us to maximize the old conventional photogrammetric principles such as “bundle adjustment” and together with processing capabilities of the modern computers data delivery time is much improved upon and automated compared to the old conventional methods.

Given high overlap in the photography each points is determined from at least 6 to 9

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Construction Namibia April - May 2017

3D contours

Typical height relief data overplayed on imagery

Typical example of classification capabilities in order to determine non-ground points photo pairs, thus an extremely high degree of redundancy.

Together with ground control points surveyed by conventional survey methods used to accurately geo-reference the imagery, the surveyor can produce a very detail high resolution 3D survey of a fairly large area in a fairly short time period Typically the average UAV survey is limited to smaller areas and typical in the order of 1 to 200ha , and with multiple flights some adventurous surveyors will attempt a 1000ha or even more.

Compiled by: Herman L Strydom

Some furher exmamples of mapping deliverables

Hig resolution digital elevantion model with a point density of 250 points / m² Construction Namibia April - May 2017

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Von Bach Dam Receives

Major Facelift

The paving process underway

T

he Sartorius Von Bach Dam (Von Bach Dam), situated east of Okahandja in Otjozondjupa Region, has recently received a new bituminous seal layer after approximately 50 years of service.

The previous asphalt seal had become brittle, due to loss of volatiles from the bitumen, which typically leads to cracking on the surface of the asphalt.

Knight PiĂŠsold Consulting (KP) was appointed to perform an inspection of the old asphalt seal early in 2016. Results of core drill samples and a visual inspection led to a conclusive outcome; the asphalt seal needed to be replaced as soon as possible to avoid a probable uncontrolled loss of water should the dam fill up again.

Construction of the Von Bach Dam commenced in 1967 and was completed in 1970. The dam structure is referred to as a concrete faced rockfill dam (CFRD) of which the watertight lining on the upstream side is not a conventional concrete seal, but a specially designed hydraulic asphaltic seal.

This type of sealing mechanism is often used in Europe and North America for dams as

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Construction Namibia April - May 2017

well as watertight membranes for landfill sites when leachate is not permitted to enter into the groundwater, but must be collected and treated. The advantages of an asphalt seal is its ability to flex and move with settlement of the supporting embankment structure, opposed to rigid concrete face dams, of which several have failed over the last decade due to the inability of the concrete to flex and compress along the lower upstream face.

appointment of a contractor and repair the membrane before any possible significant inflow occurred into the dam from the approaching rainy season.

A three-year draught in Namibia reduced water levels in some dams, including the Von Bach Dam, to well below 10%. These low water levels, last seen in 1996, provided an ideal window of opportunity to maximize the area of refurbishment for the exposed asphalt seal. It was recommended to fast-track the

The milling process during which 100mm

INFRASTRUCTURE

NamWater appointed a contractor through a tender-exemption rather than a full tender process, enabling site establishment to start at the end of October 2016. Preparation work commenced early in November, but due to unforeseen delays with obtaining necessary abnormal road transportation permits, the large winch and milling machine arrived several days late. The contractor, WALO International AG (WALO), fully understood the consequences of delaying the completion date, and set off at a blistering pace to catch up on delayed time, working 12 hours daily: night shift work was not possible due to the poor reflection of artificial light on the black

thick layer of the old asphalt seal was removed

asphalt surface - quality control would have been problematic.

Construction work entailed milling away a significant portion of the old asphalt membrane, and replacing it with a new 70mm thick asphaltic drainage layer and a new 70mm thick dense asphaltic seal (also referred to as dense asphaltic concrete (DAC)). Batching of the new asphalt was performed by a subcontractor, MUCH Asphalt, at their batching plant at the Aris Quarry, south of Windhoek.

The project was well planned and executed and despite late commencement of the

construction work, WALO still managed to complete the work on time, by middle December 2016, several days before the first summer rains started filling the dam. The dam currently stands at over 60% full.

NamWater expressed its satisfaction with the efficiency of the contractor throughout the construction process. Knight PiĂŠsold Consulting are proud to have been involved in initiating and overseeing the fast track process, to appoint and supervise the contractor, and to complete the project within the small window of opportunity which was available.

Compiled by: Dr Gert Cloete

WALO paving equipment placing the new asphalt seal over the milled off surface Construction Namibia April - May 2017

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Construction Namibia April - May 2017

PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT

DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN

CAPITAL AT D&M RAIL CONSTRUCTION Introduction It is realized that a critical skills shortage exists in the Railway Construction Industry in Namibia and projects of this nature provide an ideal opportunity to address this problem.

D&M Rail Construction has embarked on training and development programs which will continue and be expanded. Our training and development programs are not just aimed to build capacity for our own needs, but also to empower people and build capacity for the Railway Industry in general in Namibia.

Training Programs for Permanent Way Construction and Maintenance D&M Rail Construction has established a full time in-house training section to train Namibians in Permanent Way construction and maintenance including Permanent Way welding.

Since the first group of candidates to be trained as Platelayers and Trackmen were identified in 2013, fourteen have qualified and are currently included in the supervisor’s pool.

Among this group are the first ever two female employees who are now trained in Permanent way construction and maintenance. The 2017 intake of 7 trainees are currently being trained at our training centre in Otjiwarongo.

The duties of these newly trained Namibians include the supervision and control over railway maintenance teams performing scheduled repairs and maintenance to railway tracks. They will also be responsible for the construction of railway tracks and turnouts,

the replacement of broken rails, as well as repair of slacks and misalignment in railway lines.

During 2013 and 2014, our in-house training division trained 31 female employees in Railway Safety Regulations as Protection Officers to safeguard teams working on or near the railway lines.

External Training Programs D&M Rail Construction has over the past few years invested substantial amounts in external training programs and 94 male and 37 female employees were trained in the following fields: First aid, basic firefighting, junior management, finance, human resource management, safety representatives and exceptional leadership management.

Engineers have been trained in the skills of surveying.

Job Attachments Job Attachments provide opportunities to Namibians still in training as well as newly qualified to get real life exposure to Railways.

Job attachments were provided to Engineering students from the Polytech of Namibia and the Ongwediva Engineering Campus of Unam.

Two Civil Engineering students, who have been engaged with D&M Rail under job attachments, have been employed on a full time basis after completing their studies.

Employees receiveing their certificates after completing various training programmes

Students in the classroom of the D&M Rail Construction lecture room in Otjiwarongo D&M Rail Construction accepts job attachments from NIMT from the Diesel Mechanics discipline annually and three students have been appointed as Mechanic with the company after completion of their Trade Tests.

Career Development

Employees receiveing their certificates after completing various training programmes

Bursaries for academic education have been awarded to six employees of which some have completed their studies while other are in various stages of completion in the Civil Engineering, Finance and Safety Management fields.

D&M Rail Construction as a relatively young entity believes in the development of its human capital and maximizing opportunities for all its employees. It is realized that the Railway sector in Namibia needs to develop previously disadvantaged Namibians at all levels and we are committed to this objective.

Various employees were promoted to skilled and management level from semi-skilled

and supervisory level respectively over the past 5 years of existence. Examples of career development appointees as follows: • • • • • • • •

Female General Workers to Office Assistants Male General Workers to Machine Operators Female General Workers to Protection Officers General workers to Safety Health and Environment Representatives General Workers to Truck Drivers Drivers to Heavy Machine Operators Male General Workers to Trade Hands Gr. 1 Male General Workers to Gang Leaders

By Leon Steyn, Site Agent, D&M Rail

Employees receiveing theircertificates certificatesafter aftercompleting completingvarious varioustraining trainingprogrammes programmes receiving their Construction Namibia April - May 2017

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GUEST COLUMN

HOW TO EXPEDITE THE ROLL-OUT OF INFRASTRUCTURE PPPs (PART 1)

CREATION OF A NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN

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he NATIONAL budget for 2017/2018 was tabled on 8 March 2017. Finance minister Calle Schlettwein strongly emphasised the need for private sector involvement in infrastructure development funding through public private partnerships (PPPs). The 2017/2018 budgetary allocation for infrastructure development is N$9 billion, equating to 5,3% of GDP, slightly lower than the 6% of GDP infrastructure investments threshold for developing countries, thus justifying the strong call for PPPs. PPP agreements have emerged as an alternative infrastructure funding method, as governments around the world are battling with financing infrastructure development from national budgets. According to the World Economic Forum 2012 report, Strategic Infrastructure, there is a US$1 trillion per annum global shortfall in infrastructure development funding, and PPPs have been identified as away to bridge this gap. A significant local and global focus is on PPPs, yet a 2014 survey by Preqin, a London-based research and consultancy firm, found that 60% of private infrastructure investors mostly invest below their target allocations, due to inability of finding bankable infrastructure projects.

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Construction Namibia April - May 2017

Some arguments attribute the slow private sector participation in PPPs to persistent antiprivatisation campaigns by organisations.

BALANCED RISK METHODOLOGIES.

Preqin and World Economic Forum research findings didn’t attribute the slow private sector participation to absence of capital or private sector interest but rather to absence of a credible infrastructure pipeline; inadequate PPP contracts preparations; lack of institutional, legislative and regulatory PPP policy frameworks ; protracted, nonetransparent contract award processes and inappropriate risk allocation approaches etc.

IMPORTANCE OF A NATIONAL STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE VISION

In a bid to mobilise the government into delivering investor-centred bankable PPP projects, these series of articles, under the main title HOW TO EXPEDITE THE ROLL-OUT OF INFRASTRUCTURE PPPs, will highlight policy issues believed to be hindering full private sector participation in infrastructure development and recommend how the government can address them. The series comprises of three articles, with the first piece titled CREATION OF A NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN (NIP), the second on RETHINK EXISTING POLICIES & FRAMEWORKS, and the last on TOWARDS

ALLOCATION

A strategic infrastructure vision is a short to long-term plan, which outlines a country’s infrastructure aspirations and goals along with the economic and social rationales underlying them. Simply explained, an NIP is a plan which tells the government, WHERE it is in terms of infrastructure development (present state), WHERE it needs to be (future state) and WHAT it must do to get to that desired state (measures to be undertaken). A strategic infrastructure vision is mutually beneficial to both the government and investors.

A strategic infrastructure vision helps with addressing a host of investor-unfriendly issues associated with infrastructure contracts. Due to tremendous due-diligence, procurement and labour costs of infrastructure projects,

infrastructure investors are majorly concerned with whether an opportunity is “once off ” or it will generate other opportunities. The 2013 OECD survey on investors revealed that institutional investors are more interested in a comprehensive, successive set of opportunities than mere ad hoc procurements. Thus, a wellcrafted infrastructure vision with a credible short to long-term infrastructure pipeline will assure investors on investment opportunities present in a region and boost investors’ confidence in infrastructure as an investment option. In addition, it allows them to build the internal expertise and competence needed for projects procurement at a low cost, compared to sporadic infrastructure projects roll-out periods.

Frequently, private investors’ involvement in public infrastructures is hindered by civil opposition, which is mainly fuelled by untruthful and ungrounded public perceptions that private investors only target infrastructure projects to rake in windfall profits. Public opposition has a high potential of delaying a project or influencing future contract renegotiations, an issue strongly dreaded by private investors. Prudent infrastructure planning processes require the participation and engagement of communities for which infrastructure is being built, thus a good infrastructure plan is always accompanied by a clear communication and stakeholderengagement strategy.

The communication and stakeholder engagement strategy explains the infrastructure project in question, its importance to the country and to individuals, the social and economic returns being harnessed and especially the benefits being derived from private investments. This in turn facilitates build-up of strong consensus and genuine partnerships between communities, investors, technical teams and government representatives, thus ensuring smooth and efficient delivery of infrastructure projects.

Governments also reap innumerable benefits from having a strategic infrastructure vision. An infrastructure vision will enable the Namibian government to have an understanding of current status of infrastructure (size, strength and weaknesses), estimate and project how infrastructure demand will evolve, leading to better maintenance and use of existing infrastructures whilst preparing for the future.

A ready-made infrastructure plan prevents wholesale changes arising from political administrations changes, as the plan provides a clear evidence base. An infrastructure plan improves coordination between government departments, leading to clearer, predictable and standardised infrastructure planning and management practises. A credible infrastructure pipeline gears up local business activities, stimulate societal entrepreneurial spirit and increases civil society employability

chances, thus reducing unemployment, poverty and government social responsibilities.

It is highly imperative that the National Planning Commission (NPC) should pursue the development of a national strategic infrastructure plan. There is no worldwide standardised national infrastructure plan preparation methodology, but the World Economic Forum have guidelines.

Furthermore, Namibia can look to countries like South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, which already have such plans.

This article was written by Hofni Unomasa Nguvenjengua. Hofni is a graduate Civil engineer from UNAM and also an associate member of the South African Institute of Civil Engineers (SAICE). un58479@gmail.com.

Hofni Unomasa Nguvenjengua

Announces the appointment of a new Executive Director and Shareholder

Ndishiilange Ndjoba

Execu ve Director and Shareholder We are delighted to announce the appointment of Ndishiilange Ndjoba as an Execu ve Director and Shareholder at Windhoek Consul ng Engineers (WCE).

Ndishiilange joined WCE in 2007 and has since excelled within our company. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from the University of Stellenbosch and a Na onal Diploma in Civil Engineering from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa. Ndishiilange executes a dynamic two- er role within our company that involves engineering project directorship and strategic business development.

We at WCE are confident that Ndishiilange will con nue to add value and contribute substan ally to WCE's growth and the engineering and construc on community in general.

Consul ng Engineers & Project Managers

Construction Namibia April - May 2017

17

INDUSTRIAL

Goscor Cleaning Equipment

appoints Elso as its Namibian distributor

G

oscor Cleaning Equipment (GCE) is extending its footprint in the mining and retail sectors in Namibia with the appointment of Elso Holdings as its official distributor, with effect from the beginning of the year.

One of the oldest, most environmentallyaware cleaning-product manufacturers in Namibia, Elso Holdings was established in 1956 under the leadership of founder Rene Rusch. The latest addition of GCE equipment to the company’s product portfolio represents the next stage in its ambitious growth strategy for the Namibian region.

The main brands to be distributed across Elso Holdings’ seven locations in the region are Ghibli, a leading manufacturer of wet and dry commercial vacuum cleaners and scrubbers. Delfin industrial manufactures vacuum cleaners and suction units for solving particular material cleaning and recycling problems. However, the flagship product range to be distributed by Elso Holdings is GCE’s Tennant range.

Apart from mining and infrastructure development, the Namibian retail sector is also booming, with two new shopping malls in Swakopmund alone, and one in Walvis Bay. “It is an important growth market for us, and in tandem with Elso Holdings, we will be ideally positioned to take advantage of all of these opportunities,” GCE National Sales Manager Peter Esterhuizen explains.

With its array of chemicals and other consumable product for the cleaning industry, it is a natural fit to add the GCE product range.

“There are natural synergies between us, and it will empower Elso Holdings to be able to offer a total solution to its customers.” In addition, certain specialised product ranges such as GCE’s Makro and Elgin road-sweeper range will also be available from Elso Holdings.

Commenting on the decision to partner with the company, Venter points out it is a wellestablished and highly-respected Namibian company, and shares the family-orientated business values and ethics that underpin GCE’s continued success in South Africa.

Esterhuizen reveals that Elso Holdings is in the process of establishing its own workshop facility to allow its fully-trained technicians to offer complete customer service and aftermarket support. In addition,

the company will have a full stockholding of consumables and critical spares for the GCE machine population already operating in Namibia, in addition to expanding its equipment footprint.

“We do aim to offer a refurbishment service in the future, but the main focus at the moment is to get the technical team up and running so that it is able to maintain and repair the GCE equipment,” Esterhuizen elaborates.

GCE’s National Technical Support Manager has already paid a visit to Elso Holdings to assist with training requirements, while the sales staff paid a visit to the Johannesburg head office in February for specific product training.

“We were on the lookout for a partner hungry enough to grow its own business. Elso Holdings has an ambitious growth plan, and was looking for a reputable equipment supplier to take it to that next level. Its footprint in the Namibian region is critical, and it operates in a market segment complementary to us. We look forward to building on this important relationship,” Venter concludes

"Namibia as a market is definitely picking up, especially with the recent discovery of large platinum deposits in the Swakopmund area.

Then there is the Husab uranium mine, one of the largest in the world", GCE General Manager Greg Venter comments.

He also highlights Namibia’s $86 million Walvis Bay port expansion project, which is on target to be completed by May 2017 by developer China Harbour and Engineering Company (CHEC). The ambitious project will create a new island from reclaimed land, and almost double container capacity from the current 375 000 TEU a year to 650 000 upon completion. Covering 40 ha, the new terminal will have a quay length of 2 100 m.

Rene Rusch, CEO of ELSO Holdings cc, with Rondhir Haripersad, Goscor GM for Africa.

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Construction Namibia April - May 2017

WATER SAVING TIPS FOR CONSTRUCTION Efficient water use makes good business sense. There are many opportunities for our businesses to make simple changes to daily operations which will save significant quantities of water. These reductions will improve the efficiency of our businesses, increase our company profile, increase staff performance and save considerable amounts of money.

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It is worth noting that industry as a whole is relatively efficient with its water use. Many organisations have made considerable reductions in their water demands and are reaping the benefits of their increased performance. We should use this good work and the forthcoming water restrictions as motivation to increase our performance even further. The following are some simple tips

Water saving action plan: Prepare a water saving action plan for your project that includes actions during construction, appliances and plumbing to be installed, reuse potential, landscaping and rainwater utilisation.

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Filters: Make sure that sediment, concrete, sand and rubbish does not end up going down the stormwater drain. Cover or filter stormwater inlets and drains.

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Tenders: Ensure that water conservation and the protection of water quality is included in all tender and contractual documentation.

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Dry sweep: Require workers to use a broom rather than a hose to clean paths and gutters. If water use is necessary, use high pressure hoses which are both water efficient and more effective cleaners.

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Tools: Use buckets of water to clean tools instead of running water.

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High pressure cleaning: Use high pressure hoses for cleaning where possible.

that we can implement in our daily operations which will help save our organisations valuable resources and precious capital.

The following are some simple tips that we can implement in our daily operations which will help save our organisations valuable resources and precious capital.

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Cement Works: Ensure cement works are not carried out on roads or paths so you avoid the need to wash the slurry away with water.

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Silt Prevention: Fence the site with temporary fencing (hording) and line it with hay bales.

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Geotextile silt fencing can also be used. Erosion and sediment Control: Install and maintain erosion and sediment control devices. These devices can reduce water velocities on site by redirecting runoff at regular intervals with bales, contours, baffles, and mounds or by retaining vegetation.

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Maintenance: Regularly clean and maintain all stormwater protection devices.

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Stormwater reuse: Capture and reuse stormwater runoff for site cleaning, truck washing and dust suppression.

Suppliers of Formwork and Scaffolding Concrete Additives Waterproofing Coatings and Sealants

Contact us on +264 61 309 766 | gardtech@iway.na | www.gardtechnam.com Construction 2017 19 c/o Hosea Kutako Avenue & Kudu Gas Street, Northern Industrial Area, Windhoek | PO BoxNamibia 86337,April Eros- May Windhoek, Namibia

INFRASTRUCTURE

MODERN RAILWAY TRACK

Part 2

MODERN DAY TRACK STANDARDS The rail is fixed to the concrete sleepers by means of an e-clip with special tools

Ballast stone is being loaded into specially designed wagons and off-loaded through bottom release gates

T

he term railway track or “permanent way “ entails tracks, switches, crossings and ballast beds. Rail track development and technologies behind it have come a long way since the first railway track origins in 1800. Also in Namibia modern day track standards have to comply with the world’s best practice within the context of the type of rail services to be rendered. These standards are far superior to the original “Staatsbahn” track built in early 1900 as referred to in Part 1.

The main components of the railway track structure are the rails, sleepers, rail to sleeper fastenings, fishplates/rail to rail welds, ballast bed, the below track embankment/drainage and grade separation structures. The below track structures, fishplates/ rail welds and switches will not be covered in this article.

The fact that the purpose of the track is to transport freight and passengers safely at defined operational speeds and at defined maximum axle loads and that the rail operations are required to be economically as possible, gives rise to a number requirements to be met by modern day track of which the most important elements of conventional ballasted track are as follows:

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Construction Namibia April - May 2017

•

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Track Geometry: Modern rail track geometry is set at very fine tolerances which must be maintained under load to allow safe track speeds in excess of 300 km/h for high speed passenger lines and speeds of up to 100 km/h for rail systems such as we have in Namibia. The A-track standard for geometry as per TransNamib’s Rail Track Manual defines tolerances of 1:1000 deviation for the track’s vertical alignment, 3mm deviation for superelevation, 1:2000 deviation for straight track horizontal alignment and 2.5 mm + 5% deviation from correct versine on a 10 m chord for curved track as examples. Highly sophisticated track tamping machines equipped with laser beam alignment systems and on board computing ability are utilized to achieve these standards.

Track Alignment: The alignment of a modern day rail system is determined by the type of traction utilized and traffic to be moved over such system.

The parameters for dedicated freight lines are set to achieve optimum haulage capacity against the consideration of the cost of earthworks and structures, therefore gradients need to be as easy/ flat as economically justifiable together with moderate easy curves. Dedicated

high speed passenger lines require very large radius curves for passenger comfort and speed. Modern conventional freight locomotives achieve a wheel to rail adhesion of 30% +, against the old generation locomotives as still in the TransNamib fleet with a 18% adhesion.

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Rails: The most important and critical part of the track structure is the rail.

Modern rail manufacturing technology standards as set by the EN 13674 of the European Community is widely applied in Southern Africa and also Namibia.

Modern day manufacturing plants can produce rails in 120 m lengths where after it is converted to lengths of up to 240 m and transported to site for installation.

Since 2001 rail grades are indicated by its Brinell hardness BHN.

The railtrack is fixed to the concrete sleepers The rail geometry is being adjusted to exactby tolerances by means of a tamping machine means of an e-clip with special tools

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There are close to 50 commonly used rail profiles manufauctured in Europe, Britian, Africa, America, India and China. In Namibia all track upgrades are now standardized on the SAR 48 kg/m rail which complies to the requirements for 20 ton axle load standard. For heavier axle loads the 57 kg/m and 60 kg/m rail profiles will be needed. The R260 grade rail with a tensile strength > 800 Mpa and a BHN of 260-300 is normally specified for all Namibian main lines.

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Sleepers: One of the legacies of railways not to be proud of is its impact on the hardwood species around the world where massive amounts of rainforest timber were harvested to supply railroad sleepers. During the 1900’s the use of timber was substituted largely in Southern Africa through the development of steel The rail is fixed to the concrete sleepers by means of an e-clip with special tools and concrete sleepers. Concrete sleepers The rail is fixed to the concrete sleepers by means of an provide the best stability to the modern e-clip with special tools day track structure, has a very long service life and can accommodate axle loads up to 40 ton per axle. The P2 type concrete • few quarry sources in Namibia meeting refastening once applied. The Fist BTR sleeper specified for track upgrades in these requirements. A stone grading of and Pandrol systems are used in Namibia Namibia weigh 220 kg, should last 80 26.5 mm to 63 mm is specified for the with standardization on the P2 Pandrol years + under normal circumstances and upgrading of track in Namibia with a system as preference for current track can accommodate axle loads of 20 ton per ballast profile of 1 200 m³per km. upgrades. axle.

• Ballast: The ballast bed provide for In the next edition we will look at continuous Rail to Sleeper Fasteners: The success the very important function of load welded track at how this development of today’s concrete sleepers are also distribution below the sleeper to the transformed the economics and viability of attributed to the development of embankment, provides for resilience rail systems. sophisticated but very simple and cost and stability of the track structure and effective rail to sleeper fastening systems drainage. The specification for modern (Acknowledgement : “Modern Railway Track“, with few individual parts and ease of day rail track ballast is very high on the Second Edition 2001, Professor Coenraad application. It has a very long lifespan criteria of soundness, mill abrasion (LA Esveld, Delft University of Technology) and requires no maintenance such as abrasion value <7%) and durability with

•

By Jack Dempsey, Contract Manager, D&M Rail

The rail is fixed to the concrete sleepers by means of an e-clip with special tools New P2 concrete sleepers are being installed on the Kranzberg to Tsumeb railway line

Construction Namibia April - May 2017

21

ENERGY

Energy and Sustainability - in need of Builders and Home Owners with a conscience

D

uring the processes associated with the production of a building, from the mining and processing of natural resources to manufacturing, transport and product delivery, there is a lot of energy consumed. This energy is called Embodied energy, which can be shortly be defined as “the energy consumed by a building throughout its life ”.

The fact is that this energy consumption produces CO2, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, embodied energy is thus considered an indicator of the overall environmental impact of building materials and systems.

Sustaining the environment is crucial, however, its destruction is partially caused by the type of buildings we own or construct.

One thing to note is that Embodied energy only considers the front-end aspect of the impact of a building material. It does not include the operation or disposal of end of life materials.

Each design should select the best combination for its application based on climate, transport distances, availability of materials and budget, balanced against known embodied energy content. Whilst lightweight building materials may tend to have a lower embodied energy, they might result in higher heating or cooling requirements, whilst heavyweight construction can even out diurnal temperature swings and so reduce overall energy consumption.

• •

Use materials that come from renewable sources wherever possible Use efficient design to both reduce the amount of materials needed and to ensure the materials are energy efficient (insulating etc.)

In conclusion, embodied energy deserves to be another factor in the equation of sustainable design, particularly for historic preservation.

Embodied energy is not occupant dependent – the energy is built into the materials.

Focusing on the building’s construction material, its materials production phases, its transportation requirements and construction phase, it stands to reason that it is important to reduce the impact of embodied energy by designing long life, durable and adaptable buildings. The type of building materials should also be taken into account. Therefore, designers need to be equipped with the right knowledge and tool which gathers a possible range of embodied energy indicators in order to select energy efficient or “green” building construction.

There is also, little benefit in building a house with high embodied energy in the thermal mass or other elements of the envelope in areas where heating and cooling requirements are minimal or where other passive design principles are not applied.

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Construction Namibia April - May 2017

A study of Swedish low-energy buildings found that in one case the initial embodied energy was as much as 40% of the energy consumed by the building through its 50-year life (Thormark 2002). In the UK, a study found that the embodied energy in some commercial buildings was as much as 30 times the annual operational energy use (Rawlinson 2007).

Olga Priscila is an Economist intern at RDJ Consulting based in Namibia.

When finding out if your building materials are low in embodied energy, look at the following factors: • • • •

How far the materials have to travel (local materials are better) How difficult it is to actually manufacture the product (the more that is involved, the more energy is used) How much waste occurs during construction If the materials are recycled or recyclable

David Jarrett is a freelance Energy and Sustainability Adviser and the Managing Consultant at RDJ Consulting in Namibia consultant@rdjconsulting.co.za

Vision: To be the preferred provider of comprehensive social protection in Namibia.

Mission: To improve the welfare of our members and beneficiaries by providing comprehensive social protection.

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